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Are scientists developing birth control for mosquitoes? | This is an Inside Science story. Scientists searching for environmentally friendly ways to fight the menace of mosquitoes may want to consider a new type of pesticide, according to a new study. Mosquitoes are more than an annoyance at summer picnics -- the World Health Organization has estimated the insects kill several million people each year by transmitting diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. A common way to fight mosquito-borne illnesses in places where there can be high rates of transmission, such as the topics, is to spray insecticides around living areas or drape insecticide treated nets over beds. The substances usually kill adult mosquitoes on contact by preventing the insects' nerve cells from firing properly. However, the insecticides can sometimes harm beneficial insects too, and they are becoming less effective because mosquitoes are evolving resistance. Now a team of researchers from the University of Arizona in Tucson and San Jose State University in California has proposed a new insecticide strategy: mosquito birth control. The team has identified a gene -- named eggshell organizing factor 1, or EOF1 -- that appears essential for female mosquitoes to form viable eggs. When the team bred female mosquitoes that had the function of the EOF1 gene disrupted, the insects laid eggs that often lacked the usual dark coloring and could be misshapen and fragile. Almost all of the eggs from these females failed to hatch. The researchers believe the EOF1 gene codes for a protein that may serve a role in controlling the levels of other proteins necessary for egg formation. Importantly, the EOF1 protein is unique to mosquitoes, meaning an insecticide that targets the protein should be less likely to harm other living creatures. Also importantly, the research suggests that blocking the function of the EOF1 protein prior to a female mosquito's very first blood meal could prevent her from laying viable eggs her entire life, serving as a sort of permanent sterilization. "To our knowledge, EOF1 is the first mosquito-specific essential protein to be characterized in detail," Jun Isoe, a biochemist at the University of Arizona and member of the team, wrote in an email to Inside Science. Mosquito-selective insecticides could complement other approaches to mosquito control and provide additional tools in the arsenal to fight mosquito-borne human pathogens, he wrote. The research was published today in the journal PLOS Biology. Inside Science is an editorially-independent nonprofit print, electronic and video journalism news service owned and operated by the American Institute of Physics. | https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/scientists-developing-birth-control-mosquitoes/story?id=60257327 |
Did The Sopranos Kill Tony Soprano in the Series Finale? | January 10, 2019 marks 20 years since The Sopranos debuted on HBO, effectively changing television as we know it. The mob drama from David Chase helped put James Gandolfini and Edie Falco on the map with six seasons of explosive drama. It also ended with one of the most divisive and debated scenes in TV history. You remember how it goes. Tony Soprano (Gandolfini) is with his wife, Carmela (Falco), son (Robert Iler) and they're waiting for daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) to join them at the table inside the restaurant. The final scene has Journey's "Don't Stop Believin''" playing and Tony looking up at the sound of the door opening. And cut to black. Chase hasn't said one way or another, despite previous articles alluding to a definite conclusion. | https://www.eonline.com/au/news/1003458/did-the-sopranos-kill-tony-soprano-in-the-series-finale |
Is it too late to get a flu shot? | With the start of the new year, flu season has been picking up across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 states are reporting high levels of flu activity. The virus has already claimed the lives of 13 children so far this flu season. Last year, the flu killed more than 80,000 Americans, including a record 185 children. The short answer is no. While the CDC recommends that people get vaccinated against the flu by the end of October, getting a flu shot later can still be beneficial. "As long as flu viruses are circulating, it is not too late to get vaccinated, even in January or later," the CDC says on its website. The timing of seasonal flu outbreaks vary and can begin as early as late October. Flu activity tends to peak between December and February but can last as late as May. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against the flu virus, so the earlier the shot is administered, the better. But there are a number of reasons to get vaccinated now if you haven't done so already. "It is recommended that people still get the flu vaccination if they have not already," said infectious disease expert Dr. David Cennimo of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. "Even if you think you had the flu already, it is possible to get a second infection with a different strain, so immunization can still be beneficial." Healthy adults can also provide what's called herd immunity for others by getting the flu shot. The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely the virus is to spread protecting those who are most vulnerable, including babies, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems. Of course, it's still possible to get the flu even if you've gotten the flu shot, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get vaccinated. "It's better than nothing, and even if you do go ahead and get the flu it can make that flu less deadly," CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook told "CBS This Morning" in December. He said this year's vaccine is about 40 percent effective, which is on par with last year's vaccine. He also emphasized that although many people don't get vaccinated over fears that it can cause the flu, that is "scientifically impossible." "You cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine," LaPook said. "Some people get a little bit of a reaction, aches and pains, maybe a low-grade fever, but you take some anti-inflammatories and it goes away." | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-it-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/ |
Is Retailing Out Of 'Place'? | For as long as I can remember, the store was a place you would go to buy stuff. It mixed consumption, socialization, community, and entertainment. It seems less so today, and in a way retail is simply out of place. Which is to say, retail is anywhere and everywhere. The notion of having to go to a place to procure goods now seems so very 20th century. This certainly has caused consternation, grief, even ultimate demise to many retailers. The most vulnerable have been establishment players who were accustomed to evolutionary change, when revolutionary change has become the norm. In some ways we are on a trajectory back to where retail meant marketplace and not store. The Origins of Social Selling The oldest forms of retail, that existed before storefronts, lease lines, common areas, and food courts was the Marketplace. In ancient Greece, going back to 800 BC, merchants swapped goods in a place called Agora, which literally means a public open space used for assemblies and markets. These open-air gathering places, usually in the center of a community, brought people together to purchase lifes necessities, interact with one another, and build community. Kind of like the internet. They were dynamic, colorful, and a natural place for engagement and human interaction. Fast forward three thousand years and (in most places around the globe) those marketplaces morphed to stalls and carts, then to communal buildings, general stores, department stores, specialty stores, and well you know the rest. Commodity To Commoditization With each stage of the evolution the connection between the maker and the consumer got farther apart. Additionally, the connections to and stories about the products origins, processes, and even the craftsmanship necessary to make a thing diminished in importance and value. Add to that the fact that layers of intermediaries were introduced. Wholesalers, distributors, jobbers, agents, dealers, all added layers of additional cost, labor, and time to market. They also often led to diminished perceived value to the ultimate user, often referred to as commoditization. Then came the Internet, the ultimate tool of disruption, separating shopping from buying. Almost overnight there was a new and efficient method for buyers and sellers to come together, and effectively bypass the many layers and players that had crept into the distribution channels. On top of that, it was no longer essential to leave your place, to go to another place to get something. Then if things werent challenging enough, the phenomenon of social media further blurred everyones sense of community; as humans were getting together in mass, without going to a place. And now with the advent of social selling, groups can chat, bond, share and buy whatever, wherever. Back to the marketplace, where it all started. Marketplace is an active term, it implies gathering, activity and interaction. Store, on the other hand is static, just a place. Even the very name implies storage; hardly a humanizing term. Storytelling, Not Selling Now it appears that nearly every major retailer, developer, and mall manager is attempting to bring people together, by virtue of creating an experience; a term so ubiquitous, its hard to know what it really means. Generally, it implies the annexing goods with entertainment, food, activity, recreation, fashion, learning, and/or self expression; all good stuff. And for the brands, and merchants who are participating in this new milieu, its about creating memories and storytelling, not selling. Building an authentic bond with the consumer has become the order of the day. This new format blends retail theater with the experience economy. These two terms, in fact, were introduced by architect/designer Kenneth Walker and the duo of authors/change agents Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, in the 1980s and 1990s respectively. Its the new Marketplace; smart devices optional. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/sanfordstein/2019/01/09/is-retailing-out-of-place/ |
How Does Terrorism Overlap With Criminality? | Over the years, terrorist organisations - including Islamic State - have concentrated their efforts on recruiting members from criminal groups in Europe. Propaganda has claimed, for example, that by joining Islamic State, prospective members will receive redemption for their sins. The terror group also encourages fundraising through criminal activities, and promotes this as a divinely sanctioned method of raising money for jihad when operating in the Dar al-Harb (Lands of War). Lorenzo Vidino found that over half (57%) of perpetrators in terrorist attacks in Europe and North America between June 2014 and June 2017 had been involved in criminal activity unrelated to terrorism prior to carrying out their attacks. In recent years, the convergence of criminal and terrorist networks has become more pronounced. It is common practice for terrorists to engage in a myriad of organised criminal activities such as prostitution, the sale of human organs, weapons, antiquities, the taxation of drugs and people smuggling routes, kidnap for ransom, and money laundering to raise funds for terror-related activities. Drug Trafficking The relationship between drug traffickers and jihadists in North Africa is an important example of the intertwined nature of crime and terror. Since 2014, Islamic State in Libya has profited from taxing the passage of illicit drugs through newly established drug routes stretching from Morocco to Libya, and then onward to Europe. Drug traffickers have used the weak state structure in Libya to collaborate with Islamic State and enable illicit drugs to pass through Islamic State-controlled areas in Libya, where the group is able to exact a tax in return for passage. Since 2015, Islamic State has partnered with members of Italian organised crime groups to smuggle cannabis resin, also known as North African hash, from Morocco through Algeria, then Tunisia, to the east of Libya, and then into Europe. Islamic State has a strong power base along the drug route in the city of Sirte, where it controls ports enabling drug transfers through Libya to the Mediterranean Sea. This symbiotic partnership between Islamic State and Italian organised crime groups has enabled Islamic State to benefit from the illegal drug trade, which yields profits of $36 billion. Kidnap for Ransom Though the majority of financing for Islamic State is derived from extortion and oil within its territories, these income streams were supplemented by a kidnap business that targeted foreign journalists and aid workers, earning the terror group between $20-45 million in 2014 alone. In West Africa, too, kidnap for ransom provided Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb with a sizeable portion of its funding. From 2003 to 2012, the group reportedly accrued between $1-4 million per western hostage, buttressing terror activities in the region. Due to the close-knit and secretive nature of terrorist financing, it is difficult to ascertain how money obtained from kidnap for ransom is utilized. However, small portions of these profits may be transferred through various financial conduit systems including bitcoin and hawala systems. Document Fraud Several sites on the Darknet provide access to fraudulent travel documents for customers. Alphabay was among the largest of these, with over 200,000 users and 40,000 vendors prior to its take down by the FBI and global law enforcement partners in July 2017. While still active, the site was reported to have hosted over 100,000 listings for stolen and fraudulent documents, as well as other counterfeit goods. A preliminary search on Dream Market on the 16th of January 2018, for example, yielded 373 pages of results for fraudulent UK passports, some of which came with bills, bank statements, and driving licenses as proof of identity. A 2016 study conducted by the University of East London reported that the sale of forged documents including passports, driving licenses, and utility bills aids in the movement of terrorists to the UK. Some evidence indicates that terrorists have used falsified travel documents to travel within Europe. Following the 2016 Berlin Christmas Market Terror attack that killed 12 people and injured 56, German authorities reported that the perpetrator, identified as Anis Amri, was a rejected Tunisian asylum refugee seeker with links Islamic State. When his request for asylum was rejected, the suspect used different identity documents under various aliases to travel through Europe, eventually committing a terror attack in Berlin. It was also reported that the perpetrators responsible for the Bataclan and Stade de France terror attacks that killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015 had traveled to Syria earlier that year, where they plotted multiple attacks in Paris, and travelled back to Europe on fake passports to carry out the deadly plot. While it is unclear how the perpetrators of the Berlin Christmas Market attack and the Bataclan and Stade de France attacks obtained their fake travel documents (on the Darknet or through other means), it is important to note that the availability of falsified travel documents on the Darknet has, and may continue to, facilitate the illegal migration of people involved in various illicit activities, including terrorism. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikitamalik/2019/01/09/how-does-terrorism-overlap-with-criminality/ |
Are Online Business Courses Worth It? | After all, taking an online course from a big brand business school doesnt require weeks or months of studying for a standardized test. You can do it without having to quit your job or make long sacrifices of time from your family. And it costs just a fraction of what you would pay in a full- or part-time MBA program, or for that matter, an online MBA or Executive MBA program. Of course, a single course or even a small collection of online courses isnt the same as a full-fledged degree program, whether residential or online. It's certainly not going to get you any of the jobs open the top MBA graduates. Forget about opportunities at McKinsey, Google, or Goldman Sachs. A new study of nearly 1,000 online student learners at Harvard Business School has shed some important light on these questions. Published yesterday on Jan. 8th, the study by City Square Associates demonstrates the value of the Harvard brand as much as it does the value of online education. The big surprise: The career and personal benefits reported by students mirror and, in some cases, exceed those commonly reported for far more expensive and time-consuming degree programs. One in four of the respondents said they have received a promotion of a title change as a result of the Harvard online course they completed. More than half said it led to an increased scope of work, and even more surprising, one-third said they were able to transition into a new field. No less important, one in two respondents said they have received increased attention from recruiters. Those are objectives commonly sought by applicants to most MBA, specialty business masters and non-degree executive education programs. In fact, the results of the survey are so positive that they are likely to cause a good bit of heartburn to deans of second- and third-tier business schools (see Why Business Schools Should Worry About This New Harvard Business School Study). The study's other results are also compelling: 96% of students said the online course they took led to personal betterment 91% said it improved their professional life 90% believe it made them a more confident leader 90% said it increased their knowledge of business terminology 93% believe it bolstered their resume The highly positive findings surprised even HBS officials. Its understandable that an MBA would give people the opportunity to make a big pivot in their careers, but I never would have expected that students in a non-credit, non-degree course or program would have those kinds of outcomes, says Patrick Mullane. executive director of Harvard Business School Online. What we are doing has had impact. In the five and one-half years since the launch of its first online offering, nearly 40,000 students have taken taken a long distance course from Harvard Business School. The school, moreover, has expanded its online course catalog to a dozen options that range from a three-week-long course on Sustainable Business Strategy costing $950 to an eight-week dive on Scaling Ventures with a price tag of $4,500. HBSs very first online play, the bundled trio of business fundamentals in business analytics, accounting and managerial economics, dubbed CORe for Credential of Readiness, has now been completed by more than 22,000 students, including nearly a third of the latest entering class of Harvard MBAs. For many who cant spend either the money or time in a full-time business program, the online courses could very well be the next best thing. We tend to get a sense that something cant be transformational if its not a two-year residential program, adds Mullane. But transformation is really in the eye of the beholder and we need to be cognizant of the fact that the way we think about it is not the way others will think about it. In the main, people say that it has changed their careers and lives. The value is there for people who need just enough business education to allow them to ask the right questions and speak intelligently about business, believes Mullane. Someone who is business inclined and just needs some pointed basic education in negotiations, finance or entrepreneurship, can get what they need and have impact fairly quickly. I met a guy who was a minister in a church in the south and he realized that managing a church is like managing a business. And he found CORe incredibly valuable. That is where it delivers the value well beyond its punching rate. Mullane cites other examples. A person who went from an entry level administrator to a college campus president and gained acceptance to a doctoral program at Johns Hopkins University; . a biochemist who wanted to do a startup and needed the skills, or a dancer who needed to transition to choreographer. That is why we want to be connected to the brand more closely because of the impact on our students, adds Mullane. Of the nearly 40,000 students who have taken HBX courses, roughly half of them have done the very first CORe program that launched in June of 2014 with a short of more than 600 students. Tuition for the initial cohort was $1,500, though 85% of those enrolled were given need-based financial aid. The CORe program now costs $2,250. Compared to many other options out there, that is a bargain. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/poetsandquants/2019/01/09/are-online-business-courses-worth-it/ |
Did the Flintstones have it right with large-portion meat? | Open this photo in gallery Citrus and herb pork shoulder. Tara O'Brady/The Globe and Mail Vegetable-forward and plant-based dishes are undeniably a new norm in contemporary cooking, both at home and in restaurants. That said, every action has an equal and opposite response, and confidently meat-centric mains are returning to menus with old-school appeal. These feasts inspire convivial, family-style eating, and in some ways, the over-the-top plentitude provides an unexpected comfort. Of course, large-format servings are a standard. And then there are dishes such as David Changs iconic Bo Ssam at Momofuku, which stars 10 pounds of pork. But even Changs collection has grown, now including steamed and fried Korean-inspired chicken, a whole brined-smoked-roasted seven-spice brisket and a rotisserie chicken with the legs fried and finished with a ginger glaze and the breasts stuffed with herb butter (all of these require 24-hour advance notice). Story continues below advertisement In Los Angeles last year, Adam Perry Lang, deemed the man who mastered cooking over fire by the Barbecue Hall of Fame, opened APL, his temple to Flinstonian cuts. The accolades followed quickly, with breathy, tantalizing descriptions of handsome slabs of protein on offer. Lang upped the ante this holiday season with APLs Beef Club: US$1,800 for an astounding 45- to 50-pound rib roast (tomahawk chop). Lang personally selects each roast for aging, then monitors its progress in the 1,000-square-foot bespoke room below the restaurant. The roast can either be enjoyed over time, experiencing the maturation as it develops, or as a single, all-out event with a crowd around the table. At home, preparing a large-format joint of meat or bird is usually relegated to holidays. However, with the start of the new year and its associated resolutions, as many set off on a goal of meal planning or advanced prep, I urge the consideration of a larger cut of meat as a component to a strategy of leftovers. This pork roast, and most of its ilk, requires the investment of time rather than hands-on effort. If the oven is already heated, its as easy to prepare two chickens as it is one. A roast of any sort takes the same amount of attention, no matter the size. And, as an additional boon, those larger cuts are often more cost-effective than portions. Roast it on Sunday and feast for the days following, or stash individual meals in the deep freeze for later. That extra chicken can be used in pot pie or stew. Brisket braised to succulence is my dream for next-day hash, or layered with sauted onions, wilted greens and gossamer-thin potatoes in a creamy gratin. Cook a lamb leg with confidence, a side of salmon or a whole turkey breast maybe even two knowing your future self will be thankful. My route with the pork roast here is meant to lead to enchiladas in the future, or maybe a tamale pie, and most definitely a medianoche (a pressed Cuban sandwich with cheese and pickles). It begins with a dazzling marinade inspired by Mexico and Cuba, one full of floral-sharp citrus, blistered chilies and robust herbs. Speaking of the herbs, the recipe mentions cilantro and Mexican oregano, but those seeking an extra zing might want to sneak in fresh mint as well. I refer to this as my low-ish and slow-ish pork roast, because four-ish total hours of cooking is hardly quick, it is comparatively modest to the patience-wearing six to eight hours it would require at the most gentle heat. Those who have such commitment, I salute. Even with that slight compromise of hastening the process, the shoulder emerges from the oven fragrant and melting. Taking cue from Adam Perry Langs expertise, I crib his technique of a board dressing to finish the roast here, a gutsy second dousing of the flavours with which we began. Its a last-minute flourish that makes all the difference. One days cooking and the week is set. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement Citrus and herb pork shoulder Serves 8 to 10 For the marinade and pork 1 large onion, peeled and quartered through the root 2 jalapenos Zest from 1 orange, cut in large strips with a peeler Zest from 1 lime, cut in large strips with a peeler 2 dried bay leaves cup orange juice, from about 2 oranges cup lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes cup fruity olive oil 1 cup chopped cilantro stems (the stems from about a medium bunch) 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, preferably Mexican, or 1 teaspoons dry 1 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6- to 7-pound pork shoulder, rind removed, boneless and tied For the dressing Medium bunch cilantro, leaves only (stems used above) 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, preferably Mexican, optional 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded 2 garlic cloves, peeled cup orange juice, from 1 orange 2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime cup fruity olive oil Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste Options to serve Sliced radishes Raw or pickled onions Shredded cabbage Pico de gallo or salsa roja Tortillas, warmed Limes Preferably the day before you want to eat, preheat a seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Without oil, blacken the onion wedges and jalapenos on all sides. Alternatively, blister all on an open gas flame, using tongs to turn. Set aside to cool. Pop the onions, strips of citrus zest and bay leaves into a zip-top bag large enough to accommodate the pork. Pour the juices and olive oil into the carafe of a blender. Drop in the cilantro stems, peeled garlic cloves, oregano, cumin, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stem and seed the blistered jalapenos, and add to the carafe. Blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust as needed keeping in mind that the pork can handle an enthusiastic seasoning. The marinade should taste brightly acidic but not harsh; add more olive oil to round it out if needed, or more citrus if not sharp enough. When satisfied, tuck the pork shoulder into the bag, and pour the marinade over. Seal and massage the liquid into the shoulder, making sure its coated well on all sides. Place in a baking dish or similar and refrigerate for six hours or preferably overnight, turning periodically. To prepare the shoulder, preheat an oven to 325 F with a rack in the lower third. Line a quarter sheet pan or large shallow roasting tin with a double layer of foil. Place the shoulder into the centre of the foil, fat side up, then decant the marinade and onions on top. Pluck out the zest strips and discard. Loosely bring the edges of the foil up around the pork. Place in the preheated oven and cook for three hours. Pull back the foil, increase the temperature to 425 F and roast for around 90 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 185 F at the centre and the exterior is well browned and cracked. If the roast is browning too quickly, recover with foil. Remove the shoulder to a board and rest for 30 minutes. As the shoulder sits, make the dressing. On a board, pile the cilantro, oregano, jalapeno and garlic. Run your knife through all until finely minced. Scrape the resulting confetti into a medium bowl. Stir in the citrus juices and olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Story continues below advertisement If enjoying the shoulder as tacos, untie and either slice against the grain as needed or shred with two forks. Anoint the sliced or shredded meat with some of the dressing. (As pictured, baste with dressing, present the roast in its entirety, and carve at table.) Serve with lots of sliced radish, pickled onions, shredded cabbage, salsa roja and lime wedges. Offer warm tortillas alongside. Leftover shoulder can be stored whole, bathed in some of the dressing, which will keep it the most lush (store the remaining separately). Or, portion and freeze the shoulder in smaller portions, each with a pour of dressing as lubricant. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/article-did-the-flintstones-have-it-right-with-large-portion-meat/ |
How Much Will Jeff Bezos Divorce Cost the Worlds Richest Man? | Jeff Bezos, worlds richest man and founder of Amazon, is getting a divorce from his wife Mackenzie Bezos. Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos were married for 25 years. Mackenzie Bezos could be worth more than $60 billion after the divorce. Jeff Bezos is getting a divorce from Mackenzie Bezos after 25 years. He posted a note on Twitter. According to him, they would do it all over again. Jeff Bezos wife, MacKenzie Bezos, is a novelist and recipient of the 2006 American Book Award. She met her husband while working for him at a New York City hedge fund. She also heads a non-profit anti-bullying organization that she began in 2014. Recently, the couple started another charitable foundation for the homeless and underprivileged childhood education. MacKenzie Bezos Might Become The Richest Woman On Earth Married in 1994 before Amazon was even founded, it is unknown whether he and his wife MacKenzie had a prenuptial agreement when they married in 1993. Bezos was already a hedge fund investor by this point in his life, so he may have had the foresight to create an agreement. However, prenuptial agreements were not a popular instrument in the early 1990s. They were popularized by celebrities in the 2000s, specifically Kanye Wests Gold Digger. If they didnt, MacKenzie Bezos could be entitled to up to 50% of Jeff Bezos assets. According to Forbes, he is worth $137 billion as of today. The Forbes list was published prior to Bezos estimated stock holdings took a massive upward turn over recent quarters. Divorce Comes After 30% Annual Increase in Amazon The price of each share has gone up by over 30% since this time last year. A February 2017 report puts his outstanding stock holdings at 17%, or 81 million shares. 9 months later, he sells 1 million shares worth about $1.1 billion. That leaves him with 80 million shares, worth today about $132 billion. (The price of AMZN at time of writing is $1650 and change.) The totality of his assets will be made somewhat public through the divorce proceedings. If no prenuptial agreement exists, and the couple are not on good terms, MacKenzie Bezos could be looking at over $60 billion in Amazon stock alone. Divorce courts historically favor women. The worlds richest female today is Alice Walton with a net worth of only $46 billion. Women in relationships where the husband is the primary breadwinner are often entitled to monies beyond the mans assets, including child support and alimony. Some studies suggest that most men do better financially after a divorce. Nevertheless, the novelist could find herself with a regular income that dwarfs the earnings of most American CEOs. Richer Than Walmart Heiress Sam Waltons daughter Alice is currently the richest woman on earth. Her net worth is around $46 billion, just behind her brother Jim. The four Walton children have frequently swapped places around the worlds rich list. Alices net worth would be less than both Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Tuttle (her maiden name). Assuming Jeffs assets were cut directly in half, they would share the 4th and 5th spots on the list. Importantly, there is a chance that the move might give her more of the communal property than her husband. This is to say: she could be richer than Jeff Bezos and effectively richer than most of the billionaires in the world. The question that Amazon stock holders will be tossing around in the coming months is whether MacKenzie will liquidate her holdings. As of October 2018, 488 million shares are outstanding in Amazon. Bezos reportedly owns somewhere around 80 million. MacKenzie Bezos would thus own 20-40 million shares in a typical scenario. Assuming the worst, she would be in charge of about 8% of Amazon stock. If she dumps, the stock might take a corresponding dive of more than $100. The simple fact of a non-board member owning significant outstanding shares of the company might have an affect on the stock regardless. | https://news.yahoo.com/much-jeff-bezos-divorce-cost-170811774.html |
Did High Tax Rates Help or Hurt America's Post-WWIi Growth? | Its fun to bash the tennis ball back and forth across our contemporary social and political divides about the rich and rates, but the absolute, fundamental fact about the United States after the Second World War (which seems to be the consensus Lost Golden Age) was that it had been dealt not only all the aces in the global economic poker hand, but most of the face cards as well. To recap: The argument, if you can call it that, over the top marginal tax rate vs national economic well-being isin my opiniona correlation vs causation pissing match that takes as its subject an issue of secondary or tertiary importance at best. 1) Stop saying that high marginal tax rates Made America Great in the first place. Several previous reader-messages have stressed the high tax rates during Americas post-World War II growth decades, as a sign that higher top-bracket rates could be valuable once again. Here is a long, detailed response to that argument, from a reader on the West Coast: Here we go, with numbered entries and a brief blurb on the perspective each one represents. A huge torrent of mail has arrived, of which I expect this will be the next-to-last sampling. Not the very last, because theres a technical issue I want to understand better before posting information about it. But next-to-last, because theres a limit on fresh perspectives. The question is complex for obvious reasons. Its politically relevant as evidence comes in about the effects of the Trump-Republican tax cut of 2017, and as Democratic proposals come forth to raise top-bracket tax rates againfor instance, as high as 70 percent (which was their minimum level between 1932 and 1982). In sum, for a good twenty and arguably thirty to forty years after the war, the U.S. had by far the largest and most advanced industrial infrastructure in the world, the least damaged and probably best-educated workforce, social cohesion built not incidentally on the repression of ethnic minorities, nearly free energy from oil & coal, and buyers around the world in urgent need of Americas manufactures. That is the primary set of facts about America the Great that we should keep always front of mind. It seems of little relevance, in light of that combination of facts, whether the top marginal rate in 1955 was 50 percent or 70 percent or 90 percent. The U.S. would have had to shoot its golden goose in the head at point blank range, possibly more than once, in order to kill it. I am not far-seeing enough to predict all the consequences, intended and otherwise, of changes made now to the tax code or even of changes to the distribution of the tax burden. What I know is that the global competitive landscape has changed permanently, and bears little resemblance to that of 1955. I would submit that asking what is the relationship between top tax rates and economic growth in the U.S. ignores more or less every factor of primary economic importance. A better place to start might be by asking are there periods in economic history, in the last twenty years or prior to WWI (say), in which we can cleanly (?) observe the impact of dramatic changes to the tax burden paid by the capital-holding and capital-allocating class upon the economic performance of one or more industrial economies participating in high-level import-export competition with other like economies." 2) Yes, the economy has changed since the 1950s. Its changed by becoming more unfair. A reader makes a contrary argument, about the shifts in the economic landscape since the post-war growth decades: I think one of the main reasons for having a 70-90 percent tax on the highest income people is to reinstate a feeling of fair play in this country. This has been lacking in the last 40 years ever since wages have stagnated for most of us, taxes on the wealthy have gone down, and the wealthy have taken control of the government via lobbying, Citizens United, etc. Every game needs equal opportunities and fair rules equally applied to everyone. If it doesn't people get tired of playing and tip over the board. That's what's happening to this country and around the world. The rich people's claim that "upskilling" (a Davos term) workers will reduce the wealth gap and income inequality is a fallacy. I'm an M.S. level biochemist with an MBA and some okay computer skills working as a knowledge worker, and making a solid middle class income, and my fellow employees and I are lucky to get a 2.5 percent yearly raise, while we see the top managers make hundreds of thousands a year and up to over a million/year and get big bonuses. You can't get too much more upskilled than me or my colleagues, and we're still falling further and further behind the wealthy. 3) Yes, it really is more unfair. Continuing the argument in #2, from another reader: In discussing the changes in average tax rates for the (as reference points) the bottom 50 percent and the top 1 percent of incomes, it is also useful to keep in mind the changes in incomes for those groups. Since 1980, median household income (half make more, half make less) has been essentially flat. Labor productivity (and resulting GDP growth) has continued at near the historic (since 1800) rate, but virtually all the additional income has gone to the top 10 percent, and most of that to the top 1 percent. The share of all income going to each of the four lower quintiles (the bottom 20 percent of households, the next 20 percent, etc.) has decreased since 1980. The portion going to the top 20 percent has, of course, increased (and, to repeat, most of that has gone to the top 1 percent). The point of all this is that the situation is even more serious than would be suggested by the data sent by other readers. The bottom 50 percent are paying a higher percentage of an essentially unchanged income, while the top 1 percent are paying a lower percentage of vastly higher incomes. Higher (marginal) tax rates for the very well off would be part of a program to address income inequality, but only part. The discussion, though, should also explicitly include the dramatic (and apparently growing) increase in income inequality since 1980. 4) Rebuild America, through more public spending. An extension of arguments #2 and #3, from another reader: If I were a Democratic strategist, I would point to our nation's once great and groundbreaking infrastructure, started / built / rebuilt largely under FDR and in the few decades immediately post-WWII and which is so desperately in need of upgrades or even basic maintenance these days and I'd brand today's conservatives as freeloaders sponging off the hard work of Americans from the pastincluding conservatives from Eisenhower's time, who realized patriotism meant a certain level of sacrifice by all for the good and safety of all. 5) The things I remember were roads, tall buildings, universities and research. Finally for today, from a reader who is a small-business owner in North Carolina. | https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2019/01/the-things-i-remember-were-roads-tall-buildings-universities-and-research/581419/?utm_source=feed |
Why Is It Hard To Start With The End In Mind? | You're on a road to nowhere if you don't have a destination. But if it's so obvious why is it that many of us struggle to set our destination, an invaluable step when working towards anything. We may orientate ourselves in a certain direction but without a destination in sight, the journey towards our goal becomes a lot tougher. Seneca, an epic Stoic philosopher, wrote in his work On The Tranquility Of The Mind: Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. This work is dated somewhere between 49 to 62 AD but Senecas assertion is as valid now as it was then. This idea is somewhat mirrored in Stephen Coveys infamous 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In his book, Covey suggests that we programme our own lives and in order to be effective at working towards anything we need to begin with the end in mind. Beginning with an ending really does have its merits. One of those being the fixed point it provides us with to work towards. This point is something we can test against and check in with. We can measure any decision against whether the outcome will move us closer or further away. The ending can help orient our actions and efforts in the present. An ending is a real destination, its tangible and concrete and we all know the benefits of having one. Here are some possible explanations: For every ending we choose we turn our backs on an innumerable number of alternatives. This idea can debilitate some people into never picking a specific point to work towards. People who struggle with this fact of life may also find more general, everyday choices hard to make for exactly the same reason. The conflict between commitment and flexibility. Fixing an endpoint and working towards that one goal can feel like a confining and absolute act. In some ways, it puts the pressure on as it doesnt allow for much flexibility. You may feel torn between the two and the truth is that sometimes it's nicer to think we can do everything and be anything. Living this way means we don't set any goals in concrete though because flexibility and freedom feels better in the short term. In the long term though it doesn't always work out as it could leave you achieving very little or traveling in circles. Youre not clear about what the endpoint is. The destination youre trying to get to or the goal you're trying to achieve to is hazy. It lacks a form that you want can fully invest your time and energy in working towards. You're not clear about why you're heading where you are. If you dont know what you want that's never going to change. Self-protection. Some of us live lives where perfection is the only option. It makes beginning with an end hard because if we dont get there we feel like weve failed. By setting an end before you begin you have no excuses, you would clearly know what youre working towards. However, if you never set in stone where you were going you cant feel bad about never getting there. Instead, you can chalk it up to keeping your options open and never deal with the discomfort of failure. Its all well and good knowing that endpoints are helpful and to some extent necessary. Its also great to know how they can keep us on track along the journey towards whatever achievement we have in mind. Some of us may struggle to set these endpoints though. This is when finding some clarity around why has its benefits. If youre struggling to begin with an end, in work or in your personal life, there's probably a good reason. Take the opportunity to learn something about yourself and figure out why. When youve figured out why you cant begin with an end you can make conscious choices and move forward. Maybe you'll end up being able to find the courage and clarity to set an endpoint and state your intentions to yourself and to the world. Whether you get there or not is down to you but at least youll know which way youre heading and where youre trying to get to. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/carleysime/2019/01/29/why-is-it-hard-to-start-with-the-end-in-mind/ |
Can Norway win the global race to build a 'floating tunnel'? | Written by Andrea Lo, CNN With majestic glaciers, fjords and mountains, Norway is famous for its dramatic natural landscape. Its rugged terrain does not make traveling easy, however. More than 1,000 fjords line the Scandinavian country's west coast, which is home to a third of the country's population of 5.3 million . To make the 1,100 kilometer journey between the southern city of Kristiansand and Trondheim in the north via the west coast, for example, currently takes 21 hours, and requires seven ferry crossings. The Norwegian government plans to cut that time by half with a groundbreaking $40 billion infrastructure project to make the route "ferry-free." The plan includes bridges and the world's deepest and longest rock tunnel -- drilled through bedrock under the seabed -- measuring 392 meters (1,286 feet) deep and 27 kilometers (17 miles) long. But the most ambitious aspect is the development of submerged floating tunnels that sit around 30 meters (100 feet) under the surface of the water. If successful, Norway could win a global race against countries including China, South Korea and Italy, which are researching similar projects The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA), the governmental body responsible for the project, aims to complete construction by 2050. The journey between Kristiansand and Trondheim is part of the E39, which is a "key route for Norway," explains Kjersti Kvalheim Dunham, a project manager at NPRA. Norwegian coast. More than 50% of export goods in Norway originate from this area, she adds -- yet the route "has a very low standard for a European road." Crossing the fjords via ferry, while a A combination of motorways, roads and ferry rides, E39 runs along the southwesternNorwegian coast. More than 50% of export goods in Norway originate from this area, she adds -- yet the route "has a very low standard for a European road." Crossing the fjords via ferry, while a popular transport method , can be time-consuming. The government intends to improve transport "for commercial purposes (and) also for the welfare of the local population," Dunham says. Three suspension bridges and five floating bridges will be built. Floating bridges -- structures that are supported by pontoons -- have been built in Norway and the US, among other countries. are not going to cut it. The seabed would be too deep to be drilled through for a rock tunnel or for a suspension bridge's foundations to be laid. When a fjord is deeper than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) or wider than 5 kilometers (3 miles) , however, existing engineering solutionsare not going to cut it. Theseabed would be too deep to be drilled through for a rock tunnel or for a suspension bridge's foundations to be laid. Floating bridges do not work in all cases because they are susceptible to harsh weather conditions such as strong waves and currents. This is where the floating tunnels come in. The anatomy of a floating tunnel In 1882, British naval architect Edward Reed The idea for a submerged floating tunnel is not new.In 1882, British naval architect Edward Reed proposed a floating tunnel across the English Channel -- an idea that was vetoed. The term "floating" is perhaps misleading. The tunnels are fixed in position with cables -- either anchored to the seabed or tethered to pontoons which are spaced far enough apart to allow boats to pass through. Made of concrete, they would function like conventional tunnels, transporting vehicles from one end of a fjord to another. Waves and currents at 100 feet below sea level are less powerful than those at the surface, explains NPRA's chief engineer Arianna Minoretti. In addition, a floating tunnel minimizes the impact on the landscape since most of the infrastructure is out of sight. It also creates less noise than traffic on a bridge would. "That would be an advantage ... (for) people living in the area," Minoretti says. Ambitious project The biggest risks in the project are explosions, fire and overloading, says Minoretti -- and so extensive testing is essential. NPRA is working with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Center for Advanced Structural Analysis (CASA), using live explosives to "investigate how tubular concrete structures behave when subjected to internal blast loads," says CASA researcher Martin Kristoffersen. The tests will help the team to understand what would happen to the tunnel's structure if, for example, a truck carrying dangerous goods exploded inside. Results so far indicate that the constant water pressure that surrounds the floating tunnels reduces the damage caused by explosions. Working with the Norwegian navy, the NPRA team is also investigating how the tunnels would fare if submarines crashed into them. While locations for the submerged floating tunnels have not yet been pinned down, Minoretti says the project will be completed in just over 30 years' time. The improved E39 will open up more of the west coast to tourism, while the tunnels may become attractions in their own right -- especially if they are a world first. "As a bridge engineer working on this amazing project," says Minoretti, "one can only hope." | https://www.cnn.com/style/article/norway-underwater-floating-tunnel-intl/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29 |
Is Oleg Deripaska the missing link in the Trump-Russia investigation? | The Russian oligarch could face greater scrutiny after disclosure that Paul Manafort discussed Ukraine peace plan with associate A recent disclosure that Trumps campaign chairman and a key Russian business associate discussed a Ukraine peace plan in mid-2016 could signal more scrutiny of a powerful Russian oligarch by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, former prosecutors and intelligence officials told the Guardian. The timing of the talks between Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, a veteran political consultant, and Konstantin Kilimnik, his longtime aide who allegedly had ties to Russian intelligence in 2016, occurred in New York on 2 August. The meeting came just days after Kilimnik met in Moscow with Oleg Deripaska, a powerful oligarch and close ally of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Deripaska had been a major client of Manafort but had sued him over a failed business deal in Ukraine and was seeking to recoup almost $25m. Sign up for the US morning briefing The Trump administration announced late last year it intended to lift sanctions on Deripaskas companies, despite strong opposition from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress. The treasury department had imposed the sanctions on Deripaska and several of his companies in tandem with seven Russian oligarchs, 12 companies they owned or controlled, and 17 Russian government officials, for malign activity which included attempting to subvert western democracies, and malicious cyber-activities. The talks in New York, revealed in a recent court filing from Muellers office, came soon after Kilimnik emailed Manafort that he needed to brief him on his Deripaska meeting. Kilimnik, who worked for a decade with Manafort when he was a political consultant making tens of millions representing Deripaska and pro-Moscow Ukrainian political parties, emailed Manafort in late July that he had just spent hours with the man who gave you your biggest jar of black caviar several years ago, referring to Deripaska. Trump lifts sanctions on firms linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska Read more Kilimniks email to Manafort said that Deripaska asked him to convey several important messages from him to you. Muellers new mid-January court filing was the first evidence that Manafort and Kilimnik had talked about Ukraine peace plans. The filing also stated they discussed such proposals on more than one occasion. The ex-officials say the Mueller filing may signal a growing interest in Deripaskas involvement with Manafort and Kilimnik. This raises the question as to whether Mueller has an ongoing interest in Deripaska in his investigation, said Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor who specialized in money laundering enforcement. Some pro-Moscow peace plans for Ukraine have been proxies for ending the painful sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 after it invaded eastern Ukraine and Crimea, a major Kremlin goal, Zeldin noted. Roger Stone indictment packed with details that may make Trump sweat Read more Similarly, Nick Akerman, a former assistant Watergate prosecutor, said: It seems quite likely that Mueller would be focused on Deripaska too as he examines Manafort and Kilimnik. Intelligence veterans say Kremlin linkages could have been at play in the back-to-back talks in Moscow and New York. Deripaska is a key lieutenant and a significant oligarch in Putins oligarch system, said Steven Hall, a retired CIA chief of Russia operations. Deripaska would get his marching orders from the Kremlin about what Russia wanted, including lifting of sanctions and a resolution of the situation in Ukraine that favored Russia, Hall said. It seems likely the chain of communication would have been Putin to Deripaska to Kilimnik to Manafort. The Manafort connection to Deripaska is essential, Hall added. I think people really need to focus on the Manafort-Deripaska relationship. Its essentially a Trump-Putin connection. Muellers revelation about the initial peace plan chat came in a heavily redacted filing documenting five alleged lies by Manafort in violation of a plea agreement to cooperate fully, after he had been convicted on multiple charges including bank and tax fraud and pleaded guilty to two conspiracy counts. A Manafort spokesperson declined comment. Neither Kilimnik nor Deripaska responded to emails seeking comment. During the 2016 election season when the FBI began looking into Russian meddling Deripaska was at least briefly turned to for help. In September 2016 during a Deripaska trip to New York, FBI agents paid a surprise visit on the oligarch in an unsuccessful effort to get him to cooperate in their inquiries into Russias interference in the 2016 elections, the New York Times reported. Soon after Trump hired Manafort originally to help secure the delegates to grab the GOP presidential nomination the latter emailed Kilimnik to ensure that Deripaska was in the loop about Manaforts role with the campaign. In emails first reported by the Washington Post, Manafort proposed giving Deripaska private briefings on the Trump campaign, and told Kilimnik to pass the idea on to the oligarch, apparently an effort to win his favor and settle the lawsuit that Deripaska had brought against him. Manafort, Kilimnik and Deripaska have said no formal proposal was ever made and nothing came of the idea. In his July emails to Manafort, which the Atlantic first reported, Kilimnik said he told Deripaska he had to run it by you first, but could come quickly provided that he buys me a ticket. Kilimnik called Deripaskas ideas about his countrys future quite interesting. Manafort replied that Tuesday 2 August would work, and the two men reportedly met that day at the Grand Havana Room, a cigar bar in midtown Manhattan. Kilimnik, an elusive 48-year-old with a background of training at a military intelligence school who now lives in Moscow after years in Kiev, was charged, along with Manafort, in 2018 by Mueller with witness tampering. Another Kilimnik business partner has been charged with illegally funneling $50,000 from a Ukrainian oligarch into Trumps inauguration fund. Last year, the special counsel also stated in a court document that Kilimnik had ties to Russian intelligence during 2016, an allegation that Kilimnik has denied. | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/29/oleg-deripaska-paul-manafort-trump-russia-investigation |
When It Comes To Banking, Are We Too Concerned About Regulation? | We are told that we need banking regulation, as it protects both our money and our confidence with banks to hold it securely. In times of previous financial crisis, a run on the banks can quickly topple an economy. But with additional financial stipulations such as the deposit guarantee scheme (where up to 85,000 of deposits are protected) and the requirement for banks to hold cash in the case of unexpected withdrawals, regulation is there to make sure that people are assured that their money is protected. With multitudes of ways to spend money and open credit, from a high-street bank to your gym, there needs to be some sort of regulation to ensure that each lender plays by the rules, and in the U.K. this is overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is an organization that is growing rapidly and has the appetite to grow further. At the end of 2018, the FCA confirmed it was investigating 18 businesses involved in the sale of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. The regulator has also issued alerts and warnings about dozens of companies suspected of cryptocurrency investment scams. Currently, the transfer, purchase, and sale of cryptocurrencies are not regulated in the UK. However, companies that sell regulated investments with an underlying cryptocurrency element, may need FCA authorization to do so depending on their activities. As of November 12, the FCA had opened inquiries into 67 companies involved in the cryptocurrency business, according to the Sunday Telegraph, which obtained the details from the regulator through a Freedom Of Information request. Back in October the FCA said it was weighing a ban on the sale of derivatives based on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. If it happens, this will be the regulators first major intervention in the market. Naturally, this has some consumers questioning the foresight of regulation but still, gaining FCA approval is a longed-for asset of most financial organizations. Yobota was set up by Co-Founder & CEO, Ammar Akhtar who has spent 10 years working in financial services as a consultant. He says: I think brand trust comes from great products and great customer service first, but I will say getting a banking license is definitely not just a paperwork exercise - it's a requirement to be able to take consumer deposits and is something lots of lenders are currently pursuing given we potentially face a higher interest rate environment in future. The technology milestones required to achieve the license are also non-trivial, not least in the breadth of products which can be offered, so it's certainly been a good challenge for us to go through it in 2018" And in terms of improvements in the industry, Akhtar isnt put off by the FCAs announcement on crypto, as he believes that the blockchain that such currencies are based on will continue to be implemented into mainstream banking. He says: There is a lot of potential for blockchain-like technologies to modernize old, entrenched systems we have (e.g. mortgage completion or identity management). There are some very interesting businesses working on these problems, but not yet present in the mainstream. Businesses like ours, which are starting to gather momentum in this regard, in partnership with our forward-looking clients, will certainly enable more of the new wave of digital products to reach the mass market." Regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), its ex-chief Sheila Bair spoke at length on cryptocurrencies and the prospect of a Fedcoin at the annual CB Insights Future of Fintech conference last summer. Regardless of the potential possibilities, Warren Lorenz of Tech Meets Trader believes that trust is the most important aspect of banking for consumers and something that must be protected. He says: Regulation and compliance within online banking are crucial for consumers. For example, becoming a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) helps ensure the validity of various institutions and protect customers from a banks potential failure. Required under the law, banks are also required to protect their customer's online privacy and against fraudulent uses of customer accounts. If a bank does make a payment based on fraudulent authorizations, then the banks are held liable. Without regulations like these, banking customers would lose trust with various financial institutions, causing deposits to decrease, which would affect lending availabilities and ultimately consumer spending. These are core pillars for the financial health of any economy." While talk still goes on about blockchain, cryptocurrency, and regulation, Akhtar believes that there are conversations to be had. Although the displacement of bigger, high street companies is still a long way away. He said: To enhance our technology we need partnerships through the broader ecosystem; but this also requires a different business model to most traditional lenders. However, there are some strong, entrenched brands which are very important to the economy at large (in any country), and those will be tough for any newcomer to displace. Earlier this year the FCA opened up its latest consultation on cryptocurrency and whether assets would be considered "Specified Investments" under the Regulated Activities Order, "Financial Instruments" under MIFID II, or if they come under the Payment Services Regulations or the E-Money Regulations. The consultations end in April and will most likely include information that is EU wide following the recommendations of pan-European regulator ESMA. It also confirmed the Treasury will also be publishing its own consultation paper in early 2019, which will explore "legislative change to potentially broaden the FCA's regulatory remit to bring in further types of crypto assets". | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ginaclarke/2019/01/29/when-it-comes-to-banking-are-we-too-concerned-about-regulation/ |
Is Rahul Gandhi's minimum income guarantee for India's poor viable? | Image copyright AFP Image caption Millions of Indians remain vulnerable to income shocks India's opposition Congress Party has promised to guarantee a minimum income for the country's poor if it wins the upcoming summer elections. The details of the minimum income plan will be only revealed in the party manifesto, which is due soon. To be sure, this is not is an Universal Basic Income, where the idea is that everyone gets a fixed income from the state without any conditions, even if they start full or part-time work. (Last April, Finland decided not to expand a two-year limited pilot in paying 2,000 randomly chosen people a basic income, which had drawn much international interest.) The Congress's scheme essentially promises a basic income support for India's poorest households after fixing an income eligibility threshold. It is also likely to be progressive in nature: if the household is entitled to, say 50,000 rupees ($700; 534) a year, and it already earns 30,000 rupees, it will receive 20,000 rupees as income support. So the poorer the family, the more income support it will get. Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, a professor of economics at MIT, told me that there is "a lot of sympathy for the minimum income guarantee in purely ethical terms". But, he says, there will be a lot of challenges in implementing it in a vast and complex country like India. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) also promises a minimum income to every rural household by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year. (There are various estimates on the exact number of poor in India, and the counts have been embroiled in controversy.) "Our research suggests this is where the poor often lose out and the less poor make hay, partly - but probably not mostly - because of corruption, but also because the less poor are better at figuring out how to make claims," says Prof Banerjee. Then there's the problem of what economists call the "moral hazard" - undue risks that people could take if they don't have to bear the consequences of it. 'Lack of incentive' Welfare schemes, many economists believe, can end up trapping people in poverty. One criticism of guaranteed income support is that it reduces the incentive to work - generations of families stay on welfare in the US because there's no incentive to come out of it. Economist Vivek Dehejia wonders whether something similar could happen with this scheme. "If you fix a household income eligibility threshold of 10,000 rupees a month to be eligible for income support, what incentive do you have rise above it," he says. There are also questions about where India will find the money to support such a scheme - we are talking about hundreds of millions of eligible families who will have to be paid. India already has more than 900 federally funded schemes - like cheap food, fertiliser subsidies, rural jobs guarantee, crop insurance, student scholarships - accounting for about 5% of the GDP by budgetary allocation. Many of these schemes are marred by leakage, wastage, exclusion of the eligible, and even fraud. Economists wonder whether the vast amount of money required for the new income scheme will come from pruning subsidies and existing welfare schemes, which are always politically difficult. "A lot thinking and working has gone into the income scheme," Praveen Chakravarty, head of the data analytics department of the Congress party, told me. "It is fiscally doable without drastic reduction of existing welfare schemes". Image copyright AFP Image caption Guaranteed basic income is intended to pull more people out of poverty So the plan is to apparently find money for it through expenditure reduction (trimming wasteful government expenditure?) and "new revenue streams" (new taxes?). Both are going to be daunting tasks. Vivek Dehejia says the scheme would make financial sense if it subsumes other welfare schemes and subsidies. Otherwise, he says, it will "become another handout, and will not help fix India's poorly sorted out welfare architecture". Clearly, the scheme, inspired in part by the Brazil's Bolsa Familia or Family Grant to lift people out of poverty will also reignite the debate over cash transfers to the poorest, who, some believe, often do not have enough fiscal knowledge and information to handle money. However. the Indian scheme will be unique because Bolsa Familia is a conditional transfer of money Test for the state Supporters of cash transfers say they reduce poverty, give the poor the choice to spend as they think best, targets better, and acts as a buffer against shocks. It also improves financial inclusion, and by helping the poor to consume more, boosts the GDP. Other economists, most notably Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, believe that people in a market driven economy will spend more on private education and healthcare if the state gives them a minimum income. Any which way, handing out guaranteed income in a vast and complex country in India will remain a formidable challenge, irrespective of the government in the power. It will be a test for the Indian state. More on India from Soutik: | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-47038421 |
What is the periodic table? | Getty Images You might not have used the periodic table, but the chances are you'll have seen it. It's known all over the world and when it was created it was a massive step forward for helping scientists to understand the world around us. 2019 marks 150 years since it was invented. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. Chemistry teacher Kristy explains what the periodic table is. Elements are the building blocks for everything in the world. Depending on the temperature they can be a solid, liquid or gas. Most occur naturally such as oxygen, gold, copper, carbon and helium. The periodic table is a way of arranging all of these chemical elements and putting similar ones together. Getty Images Each square on the table includes a number and letters. The letters are the chemical name for the element, for example Oxygen is O but gold is actually Au. The number is an atomic number. Atoms are the smallest particle of a chemical element that can exist. There are currently 118 known elements but only 94 of these are thought to naturally exist on Earth. Oops you can't see this activity! To enjoy Newsround at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. If you cannot see the interactive activity on this page, click here. It is called the periodic table because of the way the elements are arranged. You'll notice they're in rows and columns. The horizontal rows (which go from left to right) are called 'periods' and the vertical columns (going from up to down) are called 'groups'. In 1869 a Russian scientist called Dmitri Mendeleev invented the periodic system that we still use today. Before him others had tried to 'order' the elements but their tables were incomplete or grouped elements together which weren't similar. Dmitri's table didn't include all of the elements because not all of them were known at the time. He left gaps for them though and could predict their properties based on the elements around them in his table. SSPL/Print Collector Dmitri Mendeleev invented the periodic table in 1869. Everything - including humans! - are made up of elements so it's really important to understand them. When Dmitri's table was first created it helped scientists to do that, and it still does today. The periodic table also means scientists can predict the properties of matter on Earth - and in the rest of the Universe. It's been described as "one of the most significant achievements in science" by the United Nations which has decided that 2019 is the international year of the periodic table of chemical elements! | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46963919 |
Can Solid Wireless Revenues Buoy Sprint's (S) Q3 Earnings? | Sprint Corporation S is scheduled to release third-quarter fiscal 2018 results before the opening bell on Jan 31. The company is poised to witness solid traction from the impending 5G boom and is likely to record higher year-over-year revenues from the Wireless segment, which accounts for the lions share of total revenues. Whether this will benefit the bottom line of the company remains to be seen. Top-Line Expansion Sprint offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications products and services for individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. The companys strategy of balancing growth and profitability while increasing network investments and adding digital capabilities will likely drive its financial performance in the quarter. Also, Sprints multi-year plan to improve cost structure and its "Unlimited for All" plan offer for customers bode well. Moreover, Sprint is coming up with new ideas and solutions to help business enterprises improve their relation with employees and better serve customers. The Sprint MultiLine, an enterprise-grade solution within Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) portfolio, delivers a solution that allows businesses to add a company-owned number to their employees' personal phones for calling and texting on any mobile device and on any underlying carrier. This aids large enterprises as well as small and medium size businesses to overcome challenges in the ever-growing BYOD environment. The company expects demand for BYOD to have grown heavily in the quarter. Sprint continues to build a solid 5G device portfolio so that its users can be among the first to experience Sprint 5G in 2019. During the quarter, Sprint joined forces with HTC to bring a powerful 5G mobile smart hub to customers in an effort to outstrip competition. This breakthrough device will enable customers to experience Sprint 5G on multiple devices for content sharing, mobile gaming and entertainment among others with incredibly fast connectivity. Massive MIMO technology is integral to Sprint's 5G strategy and network build. The technology augments the capacity of the companys LTE Advanced network and is software upgradable to 5G. With this, Sprint is likely to meet customers need for unlimited data and high-bandwidth applications. Notably, 5G will enable faster speeds and low latency wireless connectivity. It is touted to be the primary catalyst for next-generation Internet of Things services, which include connected cars along with augmented reality and virtual reality platform, television in high definition, smart cities and connected devices among others. Buoyed by such tailwinds, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for operating revenues in the Wireless segment in the to-be-reported quarter is currently pegged at $8,237 million, which is relatively higher than the year-ago reported figure of $7,928 million. The higher revenue expectations can be attributed to an uptick in demand and an upgrade to state-of-the-art infrastructure. Total revenues for the company are expected to be $8,403 million. It generated revenues of $8,239 million in the prior-year quarter. Other Key Factors The company has inked a merger deal with T-Mobile US, Inc. in an all-stock transaction. The deal would help to accelerate development of faster 5G wireless networks and result in about $6 billion in annual cost savings. The combined entity would have about 127 million customers. It will be a force to reckon with in the U.S. wireless, video and broadband industries. The new company will have the network capacity to rapidly create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth needed to enable U.S. firms and entrepreneurs to continue leading in the 5G era. Although the transaction is expected to close by the first half of 2019, it has helped the company to attract key investments across the market to maintain a healthy demand curve. Our proven model shows that Sprint is likely to beat earnings in the quarter as it possesses the key components. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is perfectly the case here as you will see below: Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is +13.33%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Sprint Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Sprint Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Sprint Corporation Quote Zacks Rank: Sprint has a Zacks Rank #2. This increases the predictive power of our model and makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing a negative estimate revisions momentum. Other Stocks to Consider Here are some other companies that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: AT&T Inc. T is slated to release quarterly numbers on Jan 30. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.39% and a Zacks Rank #3. Motorola Solutions, Inc. MSI is scheduled to release results on Feb 7. The company has an Earnings ESP of +1.73% and has a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Earnings ESP for Arista Networks, Inc. ANET is +2.72% and it carries a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is scheduled to report quarterly numbers on Feb 14. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/solid-wireless-revenues-buoy-sprints-114511446.html |
Is iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (CRBN) a Strong ETF Right Now? | A smart beta exchange traded fund, the iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (CRBN) debuted on 12/08/2014, and offers broad exposure to the World ETFs category of the market. Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy. Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency. But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market. By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such. Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results. Fund Sponsor & Index Managed by Blackrock, CRBN has amassed assets over $379.29 M, making it one of the larger ETFs in the World ETFs. Before fees and expenses, CRBN seeks to match the performance of the MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target Index. carbon emissions and potential carbon emissions from fossil fuel reserves. Cost & Other Expenses Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same. Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.20% for CRBN, making it one of the least expensive products in the space. It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.35%. Sector Exposure and Top Holdings Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. When you look at individual holdings, Microsoft Corp (MSFT) accounts for about 1.84% of the fund's total assets, followed by Apple Inc (AAPL) and Amazon Com Inc (AMZN). CRBN's top 10 holdings account for about 10.59% of its total assets under management. Performance and Risk Year-to-date, the iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF return is roughly 6.67% so far, and is down about -10.66% over the last 12 months (as of 01/29/2019). CRBN has traded between $99 and $123.81 in this past 52-week period. CRBN has a beta of 0.96 and standard deviation of 12.34% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a low risk choice in the space. With about 1302 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. Alternatives IShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the World ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. IShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) tracks MSCI USA ESG Select Index and the iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF (DSI) tracks MSCI KLD 400 Social Index. IShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF has $837.91 M in assets, iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF has $1.26 B. SUSA has an expense ratio of 0.25% and DSI charges 0.25%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the World ETFs. Bottom Line To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF (CRBN): ETF Research Reports iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF (DSI): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/ishares-msci-acwi-low-carbon-114411924.html |
Could Kinder Morgan Canada Be a Millionaire Maker Stock? | To suggest that 2018 was a year of change for Kinder Morgan Canada (TSX: KML) (NASDAQOTH: KMLGF) would be a massive understatement. But with a new year just beginning, some investors might wonder if now is the time to jump aboard this Canadian midstream energy company. If you are wondering if Kinder Morgan Canada could help you reach millionaire status, it's important that you understand what transpired in 2018 before you hit the buy button. Kinder Morgan Canada was spun out of Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI), one of the largest U.S. midstream companies, in mid 2017. It owned a small collection of assets, including a few operating midstream businesses and a large Canadian project known as the Trans Mountain Pipeline. This was a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment that was expected to backstop Kinder Morgan Canada's growth. Only that didn't happen. A person welding an oil pipeline More Image source: Getty Images Although the capacity that would be provided by the Trans Mountain Pipeline appears to be greatly needed, the project faced serious pushback. Local residents and governments were against it. In the end, the headwinds forced Kinder Morgan Canada to sell the project to the Canadian government for 4.5 billion Canadian dollars ($3.4 billion) in late August of 2018. This was a mixed blessing. Kinder Morgan Canada, and its parent Kinder Morgan Inc., got out from under a troubled project. However, Kinder Morgan Canada's growth prospects were materially altered. No longer did it have a clear sight to the future. What it did have was a huge chunk of cash sitting on its balance sheet. That cash, however, was an asset coveted by Kinder Morgan Inc. With a 70% ownership stake in Kinder Morgan Canada, Kinder Morgan Inc. easily pushed through a massive CA$11.40-per-share special dividend (it was paid in early January 2019). That effectively allowed Kinder Morgan Inc. to get its hands on most of the money generated from the Trans Mountain Pipeline asset sale. Other shareholders benefited as well, since they, too, received the dividend. But the end result was that Kinder Morgan Canada was left with no major growth projects and much less cash to invest in its own future. This isn't to suggest that Kinder Morgan Inc. stripped Kinder Morgan Canada of any future. That's hardly the case, since some of the cash from the Trans Mountain sale was used to reduce leverage. In 2019, Kinder Morgan Canada expects net debt to adjusted EBITDA to be an incredibly low 1.3 times. And the remaining midstream assets it owns have modest growth potential, with the company expecting to invest CA$32 million in expansion projects in 2019 while it considers its longer-term future. | https://news.yahoo.com/could-kinder-morgan-canada-millionaire-110200722.html |
Can Bond Traders Relax About the Risk of Fallen Angels? | (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Its no secret that credit-rating companies took a significant hit to their reputations in the financial crisis, when they helped fuel a global housing bubble by awarding top grades to subprime mortgage investments. Perhaps anticipating another episode of too-lenient scoring, investors have been scrutinizing highly indebted U.S. companies rated in the lowest investment-grade tier. Their main concern is that a downturn would send those companies spiraling down the rating spectrum, creating a glut of junk bonds that could overwhelm the high-yield market and spark a widespread freeze in credit. After all, theres now more than $2 trillion in triple-B debt, up from about $750 billion in 2007. With that doomsday scenario in mind, its little wonder those securities fell 2.9 percent last year, the biggest loss since 2008. Now Fitch Ratings and Moodys Investors Service are pushing back on that narrative, with analysts laying out why their grades are sound and why the risk of a wave of fallen angels is overblown. Even for skeptical investors with memories of the financial crisis, these reports command attention, if for no other reason than credit raters can ill afford to be caught flat-footed again. Essentially, their argument boils down to this: Many companies elected to go down this path. And while theyre highly indebted, corporate behemoths have other levers they can pull to stave off a downgrade to junk, even if the economy worsens. Moodys, for instance, provides a list of 20 companies it rates Baa (equivalent to BBB) with debt greater than four times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and found that 15 of them added leverage for acquisitions. Analysts led by Kenneth Emery see those figures as temporary and expect almost all the companies to fall below the four-times threshold within the next year or two. Indeed, a recent JPMorgan Chase & Co. report found that debt-financed share repurchases at the end of last year fell to the lowest level since 2009 in one sign that the borrowing binge may be slowing down. Fitch stresses that it seeks to rate through cycles, meaning that it focuses on an issuers willingness and ability to preserve its credit rating, even in a recession. It found that more than 90 percent of the companies it rates one or two steps above junk have a financial flexibility score thats equal to or better than their overall grade. Simply put, Fitch argues that it would lower a company to speculative grade before a downturn if it couldnt handle it, not during or after the fact. Again, its hard to blame investors for being skeptical. Ive written before about a phenomenon I call superdowngrades, in which a rating company lowers an issuer by three or more levels in one swoop. It doesnt happen often, but is still a sign that the analysts are behind the curve at times. Already this year, PG&E Corp. is on the verge of becoming what Bank of America Corp. strategists call a failing angel, given its plans to enter bankruptcy as soon as this week (though private investment firms are offering a way to avoid that fate). Still, PG&Es situation is about as idiosyncratic as any in the corporate bond market. Moodys insists the vast majority of companies in the Baa category have sufficient strength to weather a recession without lasting damage to their financial or business profiles. Note that says nothing about addressing an estimated $30 billion of liabilities tied to wildfires. For those concerned that a ballooning BBB debt market means more borrowers will slip through the cracks, consider this: The number of companies Moodys rates in the lowest investment-grade tier is up a mere 13 percent since 2007, to 297 from 262. In fact, the 20 largest companies account for almost half of the BBB debt outstanding. That includes household names like AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc.. General Electric Co. and CVS Health Corp. You could consider that concentration to be risky or reassuring, depending on your point of view. GE, for example, has had well-documented struggles, and putting the company on a healthier path will be difficult. At the same time, its still three steps above speculative grade because Moodys considers the conglomerates size to be top tier and its business profile to be more in line with a double-A company. Its reasonable to assume that Chief Executive Officer Larry Culp will tap into those strengths to avoid dropping into speculative grade and the headaches that would come with it. | https://news.yahoo.com/bond-traders-relax-risk-fallen-110019314.html |
What Does Blockchain's Future Look Like Following Bitcoin's Disastrous 2018? | There are times when nothing can be more deceptive than an obvious fact. And nothing seems more deceptive these days than the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The innovative power of blockchain technology -- the core engine of Bitcoin and other cryptos -- offers the ease of anonymous transactions with the possibility to disrupt financial institutions. This may have been one of the factors that led to inflated expectations and fueled the hype around Bitcoin. Then there is also the alleged market manipulation, which research suggests bolstered Bitcoin's rise in 2017. This news came out shortly before Bitcoin finished off a disastrous 2018, losing over 70% of its value. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence predicted this past November that Bitcoins drama is just starting and that its worth could fall to $1,500. Seeing as how the cryptocurrency took a major hit to end 2018 and has yet to rebound in the new year, this prediction might be very optimistic. A deeper analysis of how cryptocurrencies are used and viewed by users, traders, miners and investors might reveal other possible reasons behind this precipitous decline. Cryptocurrencies have been viewed as either a storage of value such as gold, a digital currency mimicking fiat money or securities such as stocks. A closer examination of these comparisons reveals that none would pass the basic definition or qualities of such financial instruments. For Bitcoin to be a storage of value or digital gold, it needs to have a relatively stable value. But when it rose 1,824% in less than a year in 2017 and then decreased by 70% this year, this would fit the market definition of a boom and bust. As clarified by a KPMG report, To fulfill the requirements of store of value, cryptocurrencies must be much more stable. In regard to the notion that cryptos are digital currencies that could replace fiat money, when examining the number of transactions conducted in Bitcoin blocks over time, the highest number of transactions maxed at 2,704. Furthermore, these are likely speculative transactions to sell and buy Bitcoin rather than a true exchange in value such as buying a cup of coffee or music online. And the idea that cryptos are securities failed when Bitcoin and cryptos were not classified as securities by to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Simply put, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are nothing more than hype with very limited economic utility and are nonproductive-assets that will most likely end in a long and painful demise. I believe there will be universally accepted cryptocurrencies in the future, and in the long run, some of them might eliminate the need for fiat currencies. There are many requirements for such cryptos to succeed, and one of them is solving the technology and architectural issues with blockchain. On the technology side, there are many challenges that blockchain needs to overcome to be truly transformative. Early on, many have compared blockchains disruptive power to that of the internet. However, for blockchain to accomplish that, it needs to provide similar foundational technologies to those of the internet. Conceptually speaking, blockchain needs a communication protocol like HTTP, a standard markup language such as HTML, and a universal browser (such as Chrome, Safari or extensions to them) that can interpret the chains and display their content in a user-friendly, consumable format. These technologies allowed the internet to be transformational. The lack of these foundational technologies is limiting the impact of blockchain and hindering its transformational potential and disruptive power. Just like the success of the Internet was possible due to the HTTP protocol, the blockchain technology is in dire need for a universally agreed upon communication protocol between different blockchains. There are still no technologies that have been developed in regard to interoperability to create the internet of blockchain or chains of chains. Despite some attempts at blockchain interoperability, blockchains exist as islands in oceans with limited communications between them to allow for the exchange of value or simple cross-chain messaging. Interoperability at an internet scale needs to be native, seamless, foundational and require no third party. Furthermore, interoperability is critical to the transformational power of smart contracts that can be implemented in different blockchains. Blockchain also needs to have an architecture that allows for high-volume transactions to overcome the current limitations on most cryptos. It might be blasphemous to say it and contradictory to the philosophy behind cryptocurrencies, but I think business and governmental ecosystems will be required to create a nurturing environment for cryptocurrencies to succeed. The lack of regulation and support from international and governmental institutions for cryptocurrencies will hinder their possible impact and universal use. Until then, blockchain solutions will be limited within industry verticals, solving specific business problems with limited transformational impact. This might be similar to the impact of the relational database technologies in the 70s. And until then, the price of Bitcoin and other cryptos will continue to fluctuate, but in a downward trend until their possible demise. This might take years, but the non-deceptive fact is that the world is not ready for universally accepted cryptocurrencies yet, nor is blockchain ready to unleash its potential transformative powers, either. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/29/what-does-blockchains-future-look-like-following-bitcoins-disastrous-2018/ |
What Does Alipay's New EU-License Mean For Banks? | Two big pieces of news for Alipay have been announced within the past fortnight. The first is that the Chinese payments giant have been granted an e-money license in Luxembourg. The second, that the use of mobile payments amongst Chinese tourists abroad has overtaken that of cash. Lets look at these two pieces of news as a whole. Weve known for some time now that China, along with Scandinavia, has led the way when it comes to the adoption and active use of mobile payments. Last year, a Nielsen report found that 90% of Chinese tourists would use mobile payments overseas if they could. China is the most populous country on Earth and their tourist count alone is almost the size of the entire population of Russia. With that demand for mobile payments abroad, its little wonder vendors in tourist hotspots are clambering to take advantage of this desire. Now, in thousands of locations frequented by Chinese tourists, its not uncommon to see the Alipay sticker in the windows of shops and merchants. Up until recently, Alipay relied on partners to address customers in regions outside of China. This partner model has clearly worked for them in terms of building up a massive acceptance network (locations which accept their mobile payment solution). In exchange for enabling Alipay transactions, the international partners of Alipay, banks included, get a piece of the transaction amount as commission. When this commission comes from Chinese tourists paying in local stores, its clearly an additional source of revenue for the banks and local card companies, as well as other Alipay partners who made the payment possible. But now, a strategic move from Alipay changes everything. It may prove to be quite the opposite of what international Alipay partners expected. Alipays new e-money license, in combination with new open banking directive, the second payments services directive - PSD2, will allow the company to independently address the EU/EEA markets. Specifically, they will be able to do two important things that their partners may not appreciate: Offer Alipay to consumers Enrol merchants on their own One of the key success factors of mobile payment initiatives has proven to be the duality of many consumers. Initially brought on to a scheme with an offer of cheap or free person-to-person payment. Once this base grows, an increasing number of merchants start accepting payments with the payments app. What Alipay have managed to do is to build a massive merchant network, internationally, across the EU with the promise of commissions from Chinese tourists bringing the Alipay app to pay. Now, the EU license obtained by Alipay enables them to offer the same service to consumers in the EU. This means that the people who previously paid with their card in their local store, can now pay with their Alipay app, enabling Alipay to control both sides. Meanwhile, the banks who previously made their revenue from card payments, mostly from local domestic customers, will now see more and more of these payments migrating to Alipay. As EU consumers join Alipay, the desire for merchants to accept Alipay will continue to grow past the current demand driven by both tourists and locals paying with the app. For Alipay, with their new EU license, they can enrol and service merchants on their own, without any local partners, leaving the banks who used to control this value chain out in the cold. In China, Alipay has addressed a multitude of payment scenarios, spanning way beyond what card payments can do. There is no reason why Alipay will not bring these types of offerings to Europe and expand their reach and service offering by dealing with payments and commerce opportunities such as public transport, taxi, street vendors and vending. The way I see it, traditional banks and card companies have three options. The first is to try to build and launch their own Alipay for their local market. The major issue with this is that open banking rules come into force in September this year and banks have to lay out their compliance plans under the regulatory technical standards (RTS) governing the implementation six months prior to this - i.e. March 2019. Creating, launching and gaining traction with a brand new mobile payments platform from scratch in this time window before Alipay could theoretically launch in their market would prove to be a challenge even for the most tech-savvy of banks. The second option that banks have is to partner with an existing provider - this way they dont have to spend time building a whole new product and strategy from scratch, they get to share in any revenue and are able to maintain a large degree of customer control. Still though, there is only a limited time to pursue this option in order to truly ensure somethings in market prior to Alipay (or the like) being able to stake a claim on their territory. Several banks have already seen this development and acted in a proactive manner to create their own solutions. Examples are: Vipps in Norway, Swish in Sweden, Mobilepay in Denmark, Keks in Croatia, Blik in Poland and so on. The third option is to do nothing (except become mandatorily PSD2 compliant) and wait and see what happens. This option means that the bank has to take a serious gamble and give over a large degree of control. For some, they might observe whats happening in neighbouring regions and then jump on a scheme that seems to be most advantageous to them at the time. For others, it means that their payments channel will almost certainly be taken over by a nimble tech company or fintech who launch and gain traction with a compelling payments alternative. PSD2 was created in order to shake up traditional banking and payments, bringing innovation to a field which has remained stagnant for too long. Whatever option the banks take, the only certain winners in the EU, for now, will be consumers. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/danieldoderlein/2019/01/29/what-does-alipays-new-eu-license-mean-for-banks/ |
Is It Me Or Did The 'Anthem' Demo Lack The 'It' Factor? | Throughout the year, there is always video game releases that hardcore gamers have marked on their calendar. Depending on your genre of choice, it could be anything, but usually, it comes from big developer studios and major publishers. BioWare's Anthem is one of those games. I've had the February 22 release circled for months. I was excited to try the demo for a game because I thought it had an excellent chance to become the next must-play multiplayer online title. The trailers looked great, and I couldn't wait to try my hand at commanding a Javelin. I played the demo multiple times, and I'm sad to say, I didn't get the payoff I'd hoped to receive. I didn't hate it, but I also wasn't hooked. When the preview ended, I thought I'd be bummed, but that just wasn't the case. The experience got off to a rough start as the game crashed the first time I tried to play. I went back in and was immediately put off by the seemingly senseless opening segment that puts you in the first-person perspective while you run through a village to get to your Javelin. Perhaps this would have more meaning or impact in the retail version, but this little detour wasn't what I was looking forand the environments weren't even as beautiful as you'd expect. I battled through more crashing, but ultimately, I attributed that to demo issues that aren't likely to hamper the retail version. That said, I'm not sure I can file my other issues away in that folder. From a visual standpoint, the game doesn't pop on the screen. There's nothing about the art design that looks unique or memorable. The animation of the characters isn't extraordinary, so you're not hit with those "did you just see that moments" throughout the gameplay. Even the way the enemies react after being shot is underwhelming. Destiny, Call of Duty Black Ops 4 and most other really good shooters have memorable on-screen visuals when you get a kill. Nothing like that existed in the Anthem demo. Looks aren't everything, especially if there are excellent gameplay mechanics. Anthem doesn't have terrible shooting, but it isn't elite. Destiny and COD BO4 have the best mechanics in the shooting game genre. Anthem's is better than Red Dead Redemption 2, and perhaps a shade above Battlefield 5, but not as good as it needs to be to make a huge splash. RDR 2 has a massive story mode, an online component that is like a separate game, stunning visuals and tons of personality. Anthem isn't going to bring as much to the table once it's released. It needs to have great gameplay, and it's not quite there. I hate to keep hurling titles at you like projectiles, but if pressed to summarize how the game feels, it's like a cross between Mass Effect: Andromeda, Titanfall 1, Halo and a touch of Destiny, only it doesn't have any of those games' best qualities. I know it's just a demo, and I know BioWare heard the feedback from fans. That's why I'm not burying it before launch. However, it's safe to say I've lowered my expectations for the full release. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmazique/2019/01/29/is-it-me-or-did-the-anthem-demo-lack-the-it-factor/ |
Is facial scanning technology in public an invasion of privacy? | Walgreens is the latest company to take advantage of facial scanning in order to learn more about customers. The retailer is installing "smart coolers" into select stores to analyze customers' faces, noting what draws the eye of certain demographics. Some say facial scanning technology used in public is an invasion of privacy, as no one gives consent to the facial analysis. Others say facial recognition in public will help keep everyone safe. PERSPECTIVES When the first Amazon Go store opened in 2018, protestors joined eager shoppers. Amazon Go stores employ no human cashiers, making privacy experts and advocates question the level of personal detail Amazon would be collecting on is customers via surveillance. Amazon has been decidedly quiet about the technology it employees in order to make this new-age shopping experience possible. According to the Washington Post's Drew Harwell and Abha Bhattarai: Amazon has not shared details on the methods involved in its "Just Walk Out" technology, but says it mimics some of the techniques seen in self-driving cars, including machine-learning systems that improve over time, as well as computer vision, the image-processing technology used in Facebook photo tags. Meaning, the technology Amazon is employing behind its sleek, black-box cameras could be collecting everything from your gender and age to what products you buy, as well as what products you "almost" buy. When you head into one of these stores to do your shopping, you're revealing your desires to the many companies who want to take advantage of them, without even realizing it. Alvaro Bedoya, the executive director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University's law school, suspects Amazon is collecting more customer data than any other retailer: "But Amazon is tracking you throughout the store. Or are they tracking where you move throughout the store, what you're looking at, what sections you're dwelling in?" Inside Amazon Go: The camera-filled convenience store that watches you back Walgreens is joining the ranks with its new "smart coolers." According to The Atlantic's Sidney Fussell, the chain will try out "fridges equipped with cameras that scan shoppers' faces and make inferences on their age and gender" in select locations as of early 2019. Obviously, it's valuable for both brands and retailers to know what shoppers are buying and to categorize those buying habits by demographics like age and gender. Most feel knowledge of customer buying patterns should not violate the privacy of shoppers by scanning their faces without explicit consent. Me shopping at Walgreens pic.twitter.com/2tJQCfh5yx -- ab (@awjburns) January 26, 2019 As far as Walgreens is concerned, the company is safe when it comes to violating customers' privacy. The Atlantic's Fussell makes clear: Crucially, the "Cooler Screens" system does not use facial recognition. Shoppers aren't identified when the fridge cameras scan their face. Instead, the cameras analyze faces to make inferences about shoppers' age and gender. Meaning, images of shopper's faces are not collected and stored. As Fussell says: It's analysis, not recognition. Facial scanning is the natural next step for brands to learn more about their target customers and future customers. In a supersaturated marketplace, this kind of detailed analysis is necessary in order for companies to keep expanding. Walgreens Tests New Smart Coolers Facial recognition not only has the power to improve relationships between brands and customers, but it could also make huge improvements in public safety. Forbes' Michael Xie reports: In education, school districts in Arkansas and New York are already looking to facial recognition technology combined with machine learning algorithms to identify people, objects and even behaviors that could present safety threats. In the event of a tragedy like a school shooting, the technology's power becomes more clear. It could identify a figure approaching a school and not only confirm if the person should be on the school campus but also use object detection to determine whether the person is holding a weapon or acting suspiciously. This technology is for the greater good of the people. Although privacy laws should be handled with care, there's no need to turn away from facial scanning and facial recognition completely. In reality, this technology could change the way we live for the better. The Future Of Biometric Facial Recognition The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.oregonlive.com/tylt/2019/01/is_facial_scanning_technology.html |
Why does Roger Goodell continue to ignore the mess from Rams-Saints? | Hard to know where to start when discussing the eight-day-old officiating decision heard-round-the-NFL that played a major role in the Rams winning the NFC title game. I think we should start at silence silence from the NFL, and from commissioner Roger Goodell, and (mostly) from vice president for officiating Al Riveron. It is disconcerting that Goodell, who entered the league as a PR intern three-and-a-half decades ago, has been so weak-kneed in hiding from the onslaught of this controversy. It started with an obvious pass interference infraction that went uncalled in the Superdome eight days ago, advanced to the chambers of the U.S. Senate on Friday, and will dog Goodell till he acknowledges the momentous error, presumably at his state-of-the-league press conference Wednesday. Scroll to continue with content Ad Goodell has a new high-powered PR team around him, but hes never been one to take much advice in how to respond to public crises. That frustrated some of his now departed PR appointees, who found that he listened to their advice but usually did what he wanted regardless. But what seems so tone-deaf and arrogant about ignoring the no-call in New Orleans is well, let me enumerate: Story continues It flies in the face of what the NFL has done for years. Searching the internet Friday, I found 15 occasions (I bet its closer to 30) since 2003 that the NFL admitted an officiating error publiclyeither in a statement, or on the leagues in-house NFL Network, or on Twitter. The NFL has not commented publicly since Nickell Robey-Coleman of the Rams slammed into Saints wideout Tommylee Lewis before the ball arrived with 1:43 left in a tied NFC title game at the L.A. 6-yard line. The Saints, had the obvious infraction been flagged, could have run the clock down to about 20 to 25 seconds, kicked the go-ahead chip-shot field goal, then kicked off to the Rams, who had no timeouts left. Suffice to say that its more likely than not that the Saints would have won the game. After the game, Saints coach Sean Payton said Riveron admitted the mistake to him over the phone. But thats all weve heard about the most important officiating mistake in years. Its so different from recent history. The leagues three officiating czars in the last 16 yearsMike Pereira, Dean Blandino and Riveronhave publicly admitted errors large and small and often have apologized for them, including a huge missed defensive pass-interference error at the end of the 49ers 39-38 wild-card win over the Giants in January 2003. The game [should] have been extended by one untimed down, a league statement said. Take it all the way to last month, when Riveron admitted the officials blew a Bobby Wagner illegal leap to block a Vikings field goal in Seattle. This is a foul, Riveron said. But now, nothing. The sounds of silence, disgracefully, on the worst missed call in the league in years. The message: The NFL will admit mistake after mistake after mistake, significant ones, but when it comes to a colossal gaffe, league officials will hide in their Park Avenue fortress. Not much. But in a league that asks for the public trust and holds itself up as a sporting model of propriety, its called doing the right thing. Its a simple public statement Goodell could issue; he should make it, because the buck stops with him. Or he could do it on camera with someone like Judy Battista or Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He could deliver a simple message: We appreciate the passion of the Saints and their fans, who are some of the best fans in the league. Were lucky to have them. There was a mistake made by our officials at the end of the NFC Championship Game at a crucial point of the game, and its a mistake we dont take lightly. We regret the error. We know that doesnt fix the mistake. But we want fans of the Saints and fans of our league to know well work hard to improve our officiating. This takes nothing away from the efforts of the Los Angeles Rams, who deserve the victory and will be worthy representatives of the NFC in the Super Bowl. Were now going to re-double our efforts to make sure we close the loophole that allowed this to happen. All options are on the table for improving officiating, and our Competition Committee will work immediately to figure out the best way to help our officials be even better in 2019 and beyond. Its totally disrespectful to fansin Louisiana and across the countryto ignore the story. Lets now count how many places Goodell must need extra securityif he even shows his face in public there. New England. St. Louis. San Diego. Oakland. Louisiana. Anywhere the draft is held. As for the Saints: Its hard to go to New Orleans and not be wowed by the passion of the fans. When a third of the metro area population went away following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the fans of a bad Saints team responded by selling out the Superdome for 2006and every year since. I go to all the cities and see all the teams. I can tell you there is no place more passionate than Louisiana about its team. Theyre hurting. Theyre angry. Theyre despondent. The back of its hand. I spoke to retiring Saints tight end Benjamin Watson the same day he issued his impassioned where-is-Roger statement. He echoed it to me, pretty much. This an imperfect game, coached by imperfect people, played by imperfect people, reffed by imperfect people, Watson said. This is simply a case where one of those imperfect people made a huge mistake and impacted a team and a city and a lot of passionate fans. The commissioner should say something. This is an NFL franchise. These are some of your most passionate fans. This is not a franchise on the fringe, or an expansion franchise. For him to sit there and not say anything, for him to be silent, is disheartening for the fans. Not just for Saints fans but football fans. They want to know the game is not rigged. Plus, it is disrespectful to the men in both locker rooms, who deserve the truth. Instead, all we get is silence. The leagues valuation of the vice president of officiating position is dumb, and should be re-thought, even if it means Riveron goes. Football Zebras, the NFL officiating watchdog site, estimates that the officiating VP post a salary of about $350,000 a year. From Labor Day to early February, a span of more than five months, the job is the second-most important in pro football administration, behind one personGoodell. It is beyond ridiculous that the second-most important guy in the league office for the season, the face of the league in many weeks, makes 1 percent of Roger Goodells annual compensation. Lets say the NFL moves to strengthen the internal operations of officiating. Lets say they begin to pay this job for what the headaches and brickbats and cover-the-NFLs-rear part of the job are worth. My recommendation: Call Blandino and his employer, network partner FOX, and see if a signing bonus of $1 million and annual salary of $1 million could convince him to jump back to the league, where he is missed. Convince FOX its for the good of the game. (Blandino recently said hell stay in television, but Id like to see what hed do if offered $2 million for his services in 2019.) Keep Riveron, if hell stay, as Blandinos number two, which he used to be. One last thing: Put everything on the table for discussion at the leagues March meeting in Phoenix, but decide nothing. Give it the proper consideration. Then convene a week-long post-draft power meeting in New York with the Competition Committee and other influential league pillars, like Belichick. Put everything on the table. Bring in John Madden, Ozzie Newsome, Ed Hochuli and the respected idea people to figure out the best way to proceed on new officiating strictures. With most every significant league figure in Atlanta for at least part of this week, this should be the start of an idea period. Ill share one that I got from an active NFL coach last week, in a text. Rules need to be changed for the playoffs, the coach wrote. Coaches need to have more challenge and be able to challenge more types of calls, like P.I. Its too important to say, Well, weve never done that before. Its the playoffs. All that matters is we get it right! Well put. Read more from Football Morning in America by clicking here | https://sports.yahoo.com/why-does-roger-goodell-continue-121947579.html?src=rss |
Is Organizational Culture Holding Women Back In The Workplace? | A friend of mine works for an organization that professes to support ambitious female managers. She gets amazing performance reviews and they tell her shes indispensable. Yet she cant get promoted. Never mind the glass ceiling. To her, it feels more like theres a concrete layer between her and the upper echelons of the business. In many ways, women in the workforce have come a long way. Theres increasing commitment to gender diversity, more efforts to get more women on boards and gender pay reporting is gaining ground. Yet, as my friend has discovered, progress can be slow. According to McKinseys 2018 Women in Work report, only 1 in 5 women make it to the C-Suite and there are crucial gaps in the talent pipeline. Some organizations are even beginning to deprioritise gender diversity. Caroline Gosling, Director of Culture and Engagement at Rubica, thinks that organizational culture may be a crucial factor thats hindering womens progress. All too often, diversity training, quotas and development programs for women dont lead to the step change organizations are looking for, she explains. Thats because the existing company culture, which is often unconscious, is putting the brakes on any moves towards greater gender balance. If we want to change our behavior, we first need to understand the beliefs and assumptions in our company culture that underpin that behavior. Then we can change our work practices so they support a different way of doing things. 5 Questions To Kick Start Culture Change To start bringing about meaningful change in gender balance, Caroline recommends asking these questions. You dont need to attach blame, but you do need to uncover these assumptions through debate, conversations and techniques like appreciative inquiry. Its vital for organizations to talk openly about potentially uncomfortable subjects related to gender, rather than simply mentioning the issue once a year in a report. Set up discussion programs, get single and mixed gender groups involved, and ask people to come up with solutions together. (People of all genders will appear somewhere on the spectrum, as defined by Hofstede.) Evaluate how you define good leadership and investigate whether you need to expand your criteria for leaders. There is certainly a place for womens leadership programs and training initiatives, but if there is nothing specifically for male leaders, youre giving the impression that men are fine while women need extra help. One alternative is to offer gender-based programs that highlight the value of both masculine and feminine traits, and support all leaders to develop strengths in the areas that will help the organization to be more successful. If we want a more inclusive and diverse workplace where all genders thrive and are valued, something has to change. And it looks like its organizational culture that needs to shift. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/joyburnford/2019/01/29/is-organizational-culture-holding-women-back-in-the-workplace/ |
How are Scotland's courts dealing with offenders? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The number of community sentences fell in the last year New figures which show how many people have appeared in Scotland's criminal courts over the last year, and what happened to them, have been published by the Scottish government. The number of people facing criminal charges in Scottish courts has continued to fall, as has the number being found guilty. This has been the trend for the last 10 years. Proceedings were taken against a total of 95,254 people in 2017/18, a fall of 11% on 2016/17, while the number of convictions fell by 10% from 92,347 to 82,716. There has been a 10% drop in the number of community sentences handed out last year, from 18,646 in 2016/17 to 16,830 in 2017/18. These include community payback orders, restriction of liberty orders or drug treatment and testing orders. The numbers had been on the rise since 2010/11. The figures also showed that more than a quarter of the 12,000 people who received prison sentences were jailed for less than three months. Almost 80% of those jailed received sentences of less than 12 months. Analysis By Reevel Alderson, BBC Scotland home affairs correspondent Despite falling crime rates over more than two decades, Scotland's prison population, at just under 8,000, is at near record levels. It is one reason why the Scottish government has wanted for a number of years to reduce the number of people receiving short prison sentences. In 2011 it legislated for there to be a "presumption" against jail terms of three months or less. It cannot bind judges' hands by banning them. It argues this would free up jail space for those who deserve - in the words of former Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill - "serious time". But criminal justice experts say short sentences mean no meaningful work can be done to address offending behaviour - and can actually further damage the chances of prisoners going straight when they are released. The alternative is non-custodial sentences, in particular Community Payback Orders (CPOs) - where offenders do unpaid work in the area where they committed their crime. But the number of these imposed has been going down, which must concern ministers as they seek later this year to extend the presumption against short sentences to those of less than a year. The latest figures show almost 80% of all jail terms imposed in 2017/18 were for less than 12 months. 'It's got a good structure and routine' Image caption James Younger says community payback orders James Younger has spent a total of 600 hours on community payback orders. He is now training to be a mentor who helps others understand the value of unpaid work schemes. "I feel as if I had a lightbulb moment," he said. "So my outlook is now completely different. "I am on a development worker programme which will help me share my life experience with other boys and help them to move on and do the right thing in theirs." Image caption Community payback orders see offenders carry out unpaid work as an alternative to prison James said community pay back orders are not a "soft-option". "You are still doing a hands-on, labouring job for no pay, but it's got good structure, it gives the boys routine, it gives them an idea of work." He believes short prison sentences can often be "more of a time-waster". "You are only in there wasting time," he said. "But you are coming out the same boy, there's no rehab. "There's nothing in place for such a short sentence. There's no groups or programmes in the prison that you can do within three months or six months." The number of convictions for rape and attempted rape have nearly trebled since 2010/11, to a total of 36. Convictions for non-sexual crimes of violence increased by 5% between 2016/17 and 2017/18, to a total of 1,812. The number of convictions for homicide increased by 13 to 90 over the same period. Attempted murder and serious assault convictions increased by 5% to 1,168, with convictions for robbery increasing by 9% to 404 - the highest since 2013/14. Other convictions for non-sexual crimes of violence fell by 7% to 150, which was the lowest in the last 10 years. Convictions for crimes of dishonesty dropped by 9% in 2017/18 to 9,801, continuing the decline of the last 10 years. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47041821 |
Would a full-time homeless shelter in Franklin help address homelessness in Williamson County? | CLOSE Local nonprofit leaders say they are seeing an uptick in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Williamson County. Nashville Tennessean Kevin Riggs drives his truck around the city of Franklin, surveying abandoned cars, rundown homes, laundromats and parking lots for signs of people spending the night outside. He knows the neighborhoods where men and women experiencing homelessness are likely to be. "If I haven't seen them in a week, I'll go and try to check it out," Riggs, who pastors Franklin Community Church, said. "It sounds trite, but it's a calling." After doing this outreach for years, he's seen an uptick in the number of men and women sleeping outside or couch surfing. Buy Photo When temperatures dip and they have no other place to go, homeless couple William McLemore and Amy Webb sometimes sleep in this abandoned car near a Franklin church. (Photo: Shelley Mays / Tennessean) He knows many of them by name, including William McLemore and Amy Webb, a couple who have been sleeping outside for more than a year. The pair, both born and raised in Franklin, spend their days walking to get fast food with limited funds then attempting to sleep on a family member's porch. They have no blankets. Their few layers of clothing do little to fight off the cold, so they get up periodically throughout the night to walk around, sometimes getting a cup of coffee to warm up. "It makes me feel unconsidered," McLemore said. He makes $12 an hour as a landscaper, but winter weather has left him without work. "I'm a law abiding citizen with inaccessible help." Tears formed in his eyes as his exhale was visible on the chilly day outside. "Pastor Kevin has driven me and (Amy) a long way, but I can't wear out my welcome with him. Sometimes, I may have tears in my eyes to lean on him, and other times I have to keep my head up and move on. "But there's nowhere to go." Buy Photo Pastor Kevin Riggs, center, speaks with guests at a shelter in Franklin, Tenn., Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean) Riggs does what he can to help them, but housing resources are limited in Franklin and Williamson County, which has no permanent homeless shelter. He used to send people to hotels, but in the wake of the area's tourism boom, the rooms are typically booked or expensive and it's not a permanent solution. "It is difficult for me because I don't know where to send them," Riggs said. Chris Whitney, founder of One Generation Away, has seen poverty and homelessness in the county firsthand through his organization's mobile food pantry. "Homelessness in Williamson County is the best kept secret internally," he said. "The misconception is that because we live in such a wealthy county, no one could be homeless. "Its on the increase, not decrease. People would be amazed at how many live in their cars." No emergency shelter available this winter This year, according to Riggs, there is no emergency shelter available in Franklin. He had been operating a bare-bones emergency shelter for men in a warehouse owned by One Generation Away, but the nonprofit moved, and Riggs lost the space. He's desperately searching for anywhere to house men and women when temperatures turn frigid. "It's been more stress because I don't have anywhere to put them," Riggs said. "There's one guy who used to be homeless who now has an apartment. I went to him and said, 'If this guy stays with you on cold nights, I'll help you with your rent.'" Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said he believed the Red Cross office in Franklin had a few cots available for emergency shelter, but calls to the Red Cross were not returned. Some churches operate their own programs to help people experiencing homelessness, but there is no available list of cold weather shelters that serve Williamson County residents. For residents of Davidson County, a number of Franklin churches provide shelter on dangerously cold nights through Room in the Inn, a homeless services nonprofit in Nashville. Through the organization, nearly 200 churches in Nashville and surrounding counties provide shelter and a hot meal for those in need. Many of those partner churches are in Franklin, according to Room in the Inn Community Development Director Melanie Barnett. Lt. Charles Warner with the Franklin Police Department said he sometimes used those churches when seeking shelter for someone he found on the streets. However, those churches have not been made available to Riggs. "I think that's sometimes where Williamson gets it wrong is that they see the homeless population as a burden, whereas they're not looking at that most of these individuals are able-bodied and talented people. " Kristin Ertel, GraceWorks West Senior Manager Riggs has advocated for years to Franklin officials that the city needs to come up with a long-term plan for its homeless population, including a permanent shelter. "I've been pushing for it for years, but it's the 'not in my backyard' mentality, and the fear that if you build it, they will come," Riggs said. "It's hard to build the consensus that this is a need and that these people need to be taken care of because theyre our residents." Addressing homelessness in Franklin is not on the city's immediate capital project list, according to Mayor Ken Moore. Valencia Breckenridge, president of Graceworks Ministries, echoed Riggs' call for a permanent shelter. The Franklin-based organization provides food, clothing and financial assistance to Williamson County people in need. The nonprofit is frequently tasked with finding shelter for homeless men and women who come to their office with nowhere to turn. "I think the shelter is tremendously necessary. There are a lot of moms who are homeless with children," Breckenridge said. "We should not shun or deny that we have poor people or homeless people." Dr. Kay Boan, Franklin Special School District supervisor of federal programs, said it has been frustrating not having a place to send students who have nowhere to stay. "It would be nice to have some place for people to stay, even for a month, where we can get to talk them through, 'What are your next steps?'" Boan said. Inconsistent homeless data across county Getting an accurate count of Williamson County's homeless population is difficult, Riggs said, because so many of the homeless are hidden in hotels or doubled up with relatives and friends. Brentwood doesn't record its homeless data. Neither does Nolensville. Fairview officials did not respond to requests for homeless data. The county, required annually to report its homelessness numbers to a statewide study, has reported zero in recent years, according to Williamson County Mayor's Office Chief of Staff Diane Giddens. Data from the city of Franklin, Franklin Police Department and schools offer an idea of how many people are experiencing homelessness in the area: City of Franklin: In 2018, the city reported five unsheltered homeless and 22 homeless residing at Bridges, a domestic violence shelter for women. In 2018, the city reported five unsheltered homeless and 22 homeless residing at Bridges, a domestic violence shelter for women. Franklin Police Department: As of Jan. 4, 15 people were documented as being doubled up, living on the streets or living in their vehicle. As of Jan. 4, 15 people were documented as being doubled up, living on the streets or living in their vehicle. Franklin Special School District: 109 students have been recorded as homeless in the current school year. Boan said one family currently lives in their vehicle. 109 students have been recorded as homeless in the current school year. Boan said one family currently lives in their vehicle. Williamson County Schools: 133 students typically older students have been recorded as homeless in the current school year, and 39 of those are unaccompanied without a legal guardian. The definition of homeless that schools use under the federal McKinneyVento Act includes students who are doubled up with other families, living in hotels or a shelter, or unsheltered. Nonprofit leaders have counted higher numbers of homeless residents than local government officials. Graceworks, which is based in Franklin but serves the entire county, served 30 unsheltered people just in the last three months of 2018. From June 2017 to July 2018, the nonprofit served 220 individuals experiencing homelessness in some form. In Fairview, Graceworks West Senior Manager Kristin Ertel said the nonprofit arm assisted 143 individuals experiencing homelessness in the area. She estimates 100 people between the ages of 16 and 30 are homeless with no physical address. "Especially in that younger generation age, we are seeing families that have lived here for years that are now homeless," Ertel said. Ertel and Whitney both said they have seen families who moved to the county for its high quality schools face unexpected financial issues like job loss. The expensive housing market and limited affordable housing leave the families facing homelessness. Future of Williamson County: How Williamson County became an anomaly in Tennessee Churches could be key in addressing homeless need In 2018, One Generation Away served 1.5 million meals to men, women and children in need of food in Williamson County. That number doubled since 2017. Whitney said a permanent shelter in Williamson is "tremendously necessary" and that it will take more than city officials to tackle the issue. "To fix this problem we need the church, the business community, the government and nonprofits to come together and find a solution for this. We need the church first and foremost," Whitney said. "This is our backyard. Let's tend to it. Tending it doesn't mean moving something out." Riggs will continue to implore Franklin city officials to come up with a long-term plan for the city's homeless population and a short-term plan for this winter. However, he also points to churches for help. "Our mayor is a compassionate person, but his hands are tied. I think in some of the larger churches, if the pastors said, 'This needs to get done,' it would get done," Riggs said. "In these churches are almost every city representative. "We need the city to help because of zoning issues, but the church needs to do it." Leaders with Graceworks would like to see programs alongside whatever shelter the county provided. The multifaceted approach is key to transitioning people into long-term housing and employment, Ertel said. "I think that's sometimes where Williamson gets it wrong is that they see the homeless population as a burden, whereas they're not looking at that most of these individuals are able-bodied and talented people," she said. "If we look at them like they're just trouble or a burden, that's the result you're going to get. "Given a different circumstance, they could give back to our community." Reach Amelia Ferrell Knisely at [email protected], 615-210-8286 or follow @ameliaknisely on Twitter. By the numbers Williamson County Schools: 133 students typically older students are recorded as homeless during the current year. Franklin Special School District: 109 students are recorded as homeless during the current school year. A district official said one family currently lives in their vehicle. Graceworks Ministries in Franklin: From June 2017 to July 2018, the nonprofit served 220 individuals experiencing homelessness. Graceworks West in Fairview: Last year, the nonprofit assisted 143 individuals experiencing homelessness in the area. Doing stories that make our community better takes times and resources. A Tennessean subscription gives you unlimited access to stories that make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. You also get the ability to tap into news from the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/2019/01/29/homeless-shelters-franklin-tn-williamson-county/2481880002/ | https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/2019/01/29/homeless-shelters-franklin-tn-williamson-county/2481880002/ |
Will American Airlines Group Continue to Surge Higher? | As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in American Airlines Group. As of late, it has definitely been a great time to be an investor in American Airlines Group Inc. AAL. The stock has moved higher by 5.7% in the past month, while it is also above its 20 Day SMA too. This combination of strong price performance and favorable technical, could suggest that the stock may be on the right path. We certainly think that this might be the case, particularly if you consider AALs recent earnings estimate revision activity. From this look, the companys future is quite favorable; as AAL has earned itself a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), meaning that its recent run may continue for a bit longer, and that this isnt the top for the in-focus company. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/american-airlines-group-continue-surge-144302407.html |
What's in Store for Magellan Midstream (MMP) in Q4 Earnings? | Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. MMP is set to release fourth-quarter 2018 results before the opening bell on Jan 31. In the preceding three-month period, the Tulsa, OK-based partnership reported better-than-expected earnings on the back of stellar show from its refined products and crude oil units, along with reduced expenses. Further, Magellan Midstream has a solid record of beating earnings estimates. The partnership topped estimates in three out of the last four quarters, with average positive earnings surprise of 2.42%. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Price and EPS Surprise Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Price and EPS Surprise | Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Quote Investors are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that the partnership surpasses earnings estimates this time around as well. Lets see which way are the companys top and bottom-line estimates headed this time. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $718 million compared with $673 million recorded in the prior-year quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings of $1.16 per share also reflects a year-over-year increase of 11.5%. Notably, earnings estimates for the to-be-reported quarter have been revised upward by a penny in the past 30 days. Factors at Play Magellan Midstream owns an attractive portfolio of energy infrastructure assets that generate stable and recurring fee-and tariff-based revenues. The partnership, majorly a refined products pipeline player, is also involved in crude oil pipeline operations. The long-haul pipelines extending across Texas are likely to drive the partnerships cash flows and earnings. Driven by robust third-quarter results, Magellan Midstream anticipated fourth-quarter earnings at $1.24 per share, which is higher than the corresponding Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as the prior-year figure. Further, the partnership recently announced a cash distribution of 99.75 cents per unit ($3.99 per unit annualized), representing around 2% sequential increase and 8% year-over-year growth. This has generated optimism about its quarterly performance this season. As we know, rising production volumes of oil and gas in Texas are translating into higher transportation activities, thereby boosting the operations of many midstream companies. Moreover, throughput levels from Magellan Midstreams pipeline projects including Longhorn, Saddlehorn and Bridge Tex pipelines, among others, are expected to ramp up, which are likely to buoy the results in the to-be-reported quarter. Rising upstream activities in the Texas region have outrun transportation capacity, leading to the announcement of new pipeline projects by several midstream companies. Magellan Midstream is also making an aggressive effort to build new projects and bolster the crude oil midstream segment. While the move may be advantageous on a long-term perspective, it is likely to escalate the partnerships near-term spending levels, in turn hampering profits. As it is, Magellan Midstream has several ongoing projects that require large capital outlay. Further, the partnership is already facing pressure on its balance sheet, with 60% debt-to-capital ratio. Moreover, continued rise in project outlays and tough operating environment are likely to hurt the partnerships financials. Earnings Whispers Our proven model shows that Magellan Midstream is unlikely to beat estimates this earnings season. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -4.04%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate of $1.11 is pegged below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.16. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Magellan Midstream currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. While the companys Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, a negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Note that we caution investors against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Though an earnings beat looks uncertain for Magellan Midstream, here are a few firms from the energy space that you may want to consider on the basis of our model. These have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the quarter to be reported. Philips 66 PSX has an Earnings ESP of +18.19% and holds a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings on Feb 8. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Williams Companies WMB has an Earnings ESP of +7.24% and a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is slated to release fourth-quarter earnings on Feb 13. CSI Compressco LP CCLP has an Earnings ESP of +4.17% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release third-quarter earnings on Feb 27. Wall Streets Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. Its a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/whats-store-magellan-midstream-mmp-144002943.html |
Is AdTech Moving Outdoors? | Advertising-technology spending surged right through 2018 and is forecasted to continue at a clip of above 10% annual growth rates through 2022. Amazons advertising arm is only a few months old and already, it is expected to bring in 4.6 billion in 2019. If the success of adTech in 2018 proves anything, its that advertisers want more outlets. Despite recent growth, their pickings remain predominantly one-dimensionalonline. The alternative, digital outdoor advertising, lacks the options and affordability of their online counterparts. The industry took in 34.8 billion in 2018, compared to 226.2 billion spent on online ads. HYGH, a Berlin-based advertising startup, has a service to change that and unlock the floodgates of online advertising profitability to the digital out-of-home (DOOH) medium. The benefits of DOOH adTech are clear. You cant swipe ads away and theyre more impactful: dollar for dollar, OOH advertising is 40% more effective than digital searching HYGH works by connecting owners of public displays with advertisers in a peer-to-peer platform. Think AirBnB, but for outdoor screens and billboards. The platform turns any digital display with an internet connection into instantly bookable advertising space, allowing any advertiser around the world to book it via HYGHs intuitive interface. The central vision of the company, according to CVO Antonius Link, is to democratize the DOOH industry. Were empowering public screen owners to earn passive income and SMEs to participate in a marketplace for the first time, he says. In owning no inventory, HYGH can run a leaner business model than JCDecaux, Clear Channel Outdoor, or Focus Media, the worlds top DOOH advertisers. A hyperlocal ad campaign on the HYGH platform starts at $5 a dayand its bookable in a matter of minutes. With the comparative benefits of DOOH ads, HYGH gives even Amazon and Google a run for their money. The cost of owning a screen gets cheaper every year, according to CEO Vincent Mller. I want to make HYGH profitable enough that people are going to buy screens and mount themjust to host ads. The HYGH team includes CTO Jrgen Specht, the ex-CTO of Rakuten and technical mastermind behind their e-commerce platform with over 70 million active users. HYGH is taking a novel approach to financing their project. Investors get 9% of the total net revenue flowing through the platform. By selling our future revenue now, we hope to incentivize investors to contribute to the long-term success of the company, says COO Fritz Frey. The primary investment platform is just as decentralized as the product: a Security Token Offering. The oligopolies of outdoor advertising seem to have forgotten its 2019. HIGH intends to give them a wake-up call. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/geraldfenech/2019/01/29/is-adtech-moving-outdoors/ |
Did ancient aliens and exploring Egyptians visit Australia 50,000 years ago? | Over the Australia-Day long weekend, the world was hammered with History Channels perspective of our Land Down Under. One show cited Indigenous art as absolute evidence of ancient alien visitation. Another finds Australias own version of Stonehenge. And then theres the increasingly popular notion that this continent was explored by ancient Egyptians. But it takes barely more than a scratch at the surface of each of these stories for them to start unraveling. The Ancient Aliens promotion is credulous: Deep in the Brisbane Water National Park is a mysterious site known as the Kariong Glyphs. The site consists of two massive eight foot (2.4m) high walls engraved with 300 ancient carvings carvings that experts say do not resemble indigenous artwork, but Egyptian hieroglyphs. Trouble is, the site isnt mysterious. They are naturally formed rocks, not artificial walls. The ancient engravings are no more than 50 years old. Yes: they do resemble Egyptian hieroglyphs. But theyre not authentic. Brisbane Water National Park, Gosford, is about an hours drive north of Sydney. Its become something of an alternate history flashpoint. Some insist the carefully collected and bitterly contested lines of research that form our academic understanding of the past cannot be true. In the case of Gosford, the only thing apparently linking it with a civilization 13,200km and 4500 years away are 250 remarkably childlike hieroglyphs gouged into a rock face. The eroded grotto rock structure is within 100m of a road, and near an old housing subdivision. But no verifiable mention of the hieroglyphs was made before the 1970s. This is itself odd. Its not as though the region hadnt been explored many times previously. And anthropologists and treasure hunters seeking Aboriginal rock art had repeatedly scoured the area since the late 1800s, and especially during the 1920s Great Depression. Not one of them mentioned Egyptian hieroglyphs. DREAM TIME History Channels Ancient Aliens calls local historian Ray Johnson an Egyptologist. He wasnt. He was a self-professed amateur enthusiast who died in 2004. He was so excited by the appearance of the hieroglyphs he translated them himself. He insisted the pictograms proclaimed the site to be the burial place of Lord Nefer-ti-ru. We know he sent letters seeking verification of his find to experts in both Egypt and Australia. We dont know if anyone replied. There is also an eminent Egyptologist called W Raymond Johnston from the University of Chicago. Confusion about him and the amateur from Australia has been used to fuel uncertainty about the legitimacy of the claimed reading of the inscription, says NSW senior heritage specialist and archaeology doctorate student Mr. Denis Gojak. Gosfords Mr. Johnson said the glyphs told the tale of the intrepid member of the Egyptian royal family who died in the area while leading an expedition with his brother, Nefer-Djeseb. The story flared again in 2012. Dr. Hans-Dieter von Senff (a Doctor of Philosophy) declared he had found a new chamber above the Kariong Glyphs, suggesting the NSW site of Woy Woy had been an Egyptian settlement some 5000 years ago. Australia was discovered in the Third Dynasty (Egypts Old Kingdom). The Egyptians landed at Cape York Peninsula and moved south, Dr von Senff said in a press release at the time. To support this claim, History Channel interviews local ancient astronaut theorist Evan Strong while visiting the site. Wow Thats incredible Then the supposed tale the stones record is recited: At least one panel talks about two brothers, two princes, coming here from Egypt. They were shipwrecked. One of them ended up getting bitten by a snake. He then died. The theory is then he was interred here and thats why youve got hieroglyphs here, Mr. Strong says. But, theres these other walls with a mixture of symbols. So this one here we call the UFO glyph, and people have called it that since theyve been coming here because it kind of looks like a UFO It definitely has the classic UFO shape, the commentator observes. I think someone suggested jewelry, but its a completely different symbol thats upside down and it really doesnt quite fit in. Its one of those symbols here that doesn't fit into the canon. UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Theres a reason so many of the symbols dont fit the canon of any Egyptian-era text. Theyre not. The Gosford History Group has repeatedly told different researchers over the years that the engravings were made by schoolchildren in the 1960s. And the council worker who first reported them, Alan Dash, has described how he noticed large glyphs had been added between his visits in the early 1970s. Blogger Steve Spillard has undertaken a deep-dive into the history and mythology of the Gosford 'glyphs. His work can be found here. A quick look at the hieroglyphs show them to be remarkably clean, sharp-edged and unweathered for their alleged 4500-years of age. Its doubly unusual given the comparatively high rate of erosion for local sandstone. This was something highlighted by a late 1970s survey by the National Parks and Wildlife service. It found the engravings were so fresh the exposed rock was bright and white, even where the hieroglyphs had been cut through lichen growths. Once qualified Egyptologists looked at them, they found the form of the engravings to be amateurish. The simplistic symbols were randomly arranged not in the neat structured rows found in actual Egyptian engravings. That, and the fact different forms on the rock face were used in a variety of eras thousands of years apart. It was, they said, as though someone had been looking at Egyptology books, picking and choosing the characters that inspired them most. Professor Boyo Ockinga from Macquarie Universitys Ancient History Department in Sydney, told the ABC in 2017: Id be the first person whod welcome some sort of link that because it would make my subject relevant to Australian history. Itd be wonderful but Im afraid its just not possible. People just dont want to believe they are fake; they want this connection with ancient Egypt to be true, but unfortunately, its not. Dr. Gorman is less diplomatic: This obsession with finding evidence of classical civilizations is really just about legitimatizing the theft of Aboriginal land, like altering a will to steal someone elses inheritance. Its a pretty tired cliche by now. EXPLODING MYTHS Tales of Ancient Egyptians visiting Australia are nothing new. In 1875 Chevert expedition traveled up the Queensland coast to Papua New Guinea for the promotion of science'. It was a well-documented mission, as the University of Sydney highlights. Torres Strait traditions included preserving some bodies, but it was not mummification in the Egyptian sense. The claimed parallels were exploited by Australian anatomist and physical anthropologist Grafton Elliott-Smith, whose idea was that most critical cultural innovations associated with civilization originated in Egypt and spread outwards from there, says Mr. Gojak. His ideas became known as the Hyper-diffusionist school of thought. It was heavily debunked at the time [early 20th century] and has no credibility with archaeologists now because it is completely contrary to the evidence. Then theres Walshs Pyramid. Its a 922-meter tall sandstone peak with a roughly pyramidal appearance about 20km south of Cairns in Queensland. It isnt all that odd. A pyramid is a naturally stable shape, which is why most mountains roughly look that way. Its also why the Egyptians built pyramids in the first place. This particular mass fully conforms with the geology of the landscape. And there are no signs of ancient artificial assembly or earthmoving. But that doesnt stop it being cited as further evidence of Egyptian visitation. As is the case of a bronze coin minted in the era of Ptolemy IV (221 and 204BC). It was reportedly found by a farmer digging a post hole in a far north Queensland rainforest. Whatever the case, the finder Andrew Henderson said he had shoved it in a draw and forgotten about it for some 40 years. Thats when he handed it over to the neighbors son. Later, Hank Gilmore handed the coin and its tale over to the Cairns Museum. It comes down to context. Indigenous traders and thousands of hopeful gold prospectors were known to have used a trail that passed through Hendersons land. And the region has a total lack of any other link to Ancient Egypt. Dr. Andrew Connor, a lecturer in ancient history from Monash University, told the ABC last year that the coin was most likely dropped by a miner. We know conclusively that this is the sort of thing that people would bring with them when they emigrated to Australia in the 19th Century, Dr. Connor said. Dr. Gorman says she is dismayed at how so much airtime is given to such Euro-centric flights of fancy. Wouldn't it have been nice to focus instead on real achievements of Aboriginal culture and science the tidal fishtraps made of extensive stonework, the mining and geology of stone tool industries, and the monumental works of art, such as you see on the Burrup Peninsula? she asks. Mr. Gojak says some of the responsibility must also be borne by Australian archaeologists and historians: Ultimately much of the idle speculation about other civilizations comes from a perception that Australias actual human history is dull and unexciting. It should be a challenge to educators and professionals in history and archaeology to fairly represent the amazing complexity and texture of our history. That is our best defense against cranks and pseudoarchaeology. This story originally appeared in news.com.au. | https://www.foxnews.com/science/did-ancient-aliens-and-exploring-egyptians-visit-australia-50000-years-ago |
Could China leave the US behind in AI 'arms race'? | Its an arms race for the post-modern age. China has been developing Artificial Intelligence weaponry at a much higher rate than the U.S. and experts say its something that neither Silicon Valley nor The Pentagon should be turning their backs on. Reports suggest that the tech and governmental sectors of China have been working together in a military-civil fusion and according to a recent Financial Times report, the partnership has become a nightmare for western governments like the United States, which has mostly taken the opposite approach. US UNABLE TO DEFEND AGAINST RUSSIAN AND CHINESE HYPERSONIC WEAPONS, REPORT WARNS China has fewer barriers to adopting AI in the military because there is not as large of a social stigma attached to their usage like there is in the United States, Matthew Bey, a Senior Global Analyst at intelligence firm Stratfor told Fox News. While we focus on AI the difference in this view is far beyond just AI but rather tech in general. Americans, on average, are far more skeptical about the benefits of technology." Bey also points out that China's rise over the last few decades has been synonymous with the adoption of new technologies, which its citizens have been quick to adopt. The cultural difference makes it far more likely for China to quickly adopt AI for any application, including military applications, he said. CHINA DEVELOPS APP TO MONITOR 'DEADBEAT DEBTORS' The Pentagon works with U.S. tech companies, although these efforts have sometimes proved controversial. Last year Google opted not to renew its contract with the Department of Defense for Project Maven, a controversial Pentagon Drone AI imaging program that sparked a backlash from many Google employees. Thousands of employees signed a petition opposing Google's involvement in Project Maven. Dozens also reportedly resigned in protest. CHINAS PLAN FOR TECH DOMINANCE IS ADVANCING, BUSINESS GROUPS SAY Bey adds that while the U.S. government, like its Chinese counterpart, relies heavily on its national tech sector, there is less of a stigma about controversial projects in China. China has fewer barriers to adopting AI in the military because there is not as large as a social stigma attached to their usage like there is in the United States, he said. While we focus on AI the difference in this view is far beyond just AI but rather tech in general. Americans, on average, are far more skeptical about the benefits of technology. [T]here are collaborative efforts in the works between the United States tech sector and the Pentagon even if some projects, like Project Maven, have seen backlash and ended. The primary reasons have been fears over using AI and robotics for military applications and the fact that many in Silicon Valley oppose such efforts. ACCESS TO BING IN CHINA RESTORED AFTER TEMPORARY DISRUPTION Skepticism is believed to run high in the offices and shared workspaces of Silicon Valley, where many see companies like Google, Apple, and others as global entities and not beholden to any particular government. Washington appears desperate to make a partnership with Big Tech work, as it is seen as vital to national security. According to a recent Washington Post column, The government is making efforts to win the trust of software engineers who may be wary of it with the AI Principles Project that was launched last October by the Pentagons Defense Innovation Board. Also in October, defense officials met with nearly a dozen AI experts at Harvard where they debated concerns about privacy and human accountability for AI actions. If were going to be the arsenal of democracy in the 21st century, we have to show that we have ideals and are ready to stand up for them, a Pentagon official involved in the program told Post columnist David Ignatius. It wasnt going to be enough to say, Hey, were the good guys, were Americans. We needed to be more introspective. MYSTERIOUS TWITTER BUG LINKED TO 'UNUSUAL ACTIVITY' FROM CHINA AND SAUDI ARABIA Another concern in Washington is Chinas ability to use AI technology developed in the West. The U.S. has also looked at ways to screen Chinese students and scientists who come stateside to study and do research. Above all, the U.S. does not want to find itself behind China and its development of AI for military use. The challenge here is that because much AI advancement is dual use, Washington risks undermining U.S. commercial competitiveness in the AI sector by trying to develop a strategy to limit China's military adoption of AI, Bey says. The best solution to the problem may be in fact arms control negotiations and/or trying to out-invest the other both of which have their own pitfalls as well. The Stratfor analyst adds that despite Chinas advancements, there may not be any need for concern. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP [W]e cannot totally isolate China's AI advances especially if they are more advanced than the United States from the rest of [our countrys] qualitative advantages, he says. China's military development in many of these areas remains behind the United States and AI alone will not make up the gap entirely. | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/could-china-leave-the-us-behind-in-ai-arms-race |
What is the polar vortex and is global warming to blame? | Forecasters say millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes will see record-shattering wind chills from 40 to 65 degrees below zero this week cold so extreme it could cause frostbite on exposed skin in five minutes or less. Some 100 million people will experience temperatures near or below zero. Here's what you need to know about the polar vortex behind the deep freeze. The frigid air will come from a brief visit by the polar vortex which is a real meteorological phenomenon, not just a sensational headline. It's a whirling mass of cold air circulating in the mid- to upper-levels of the atmosphere, present every winter. It usually stays closer to the poles but sometimes breaks apart, sending chunks of Arctic air southward into the U.S. during winter. NOAA This week's particularly cold outbreak may be explained by the relative lack of cold air so far this winter in the eastern U.S. Instead of the cold air bleeding south a little at a time, it's coming all at once. The polar vortex will result in some shockingly cold temperatures this week. The National Weather Service in Chicago forecasts it will be the coldest Arctic outbreak in 25 years and perhaps since records have been kept. Wednesday's high temperature in Chicago is forecast to be 12 below zero. Low temperatures from 5 to 15 below zero are likely in Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany and Burlington with wind chills as low as 40 below Thursday morning. The worst impacts will spread from the Upper Midwest Tuesday, through the Great Lakes Wednesday and into the Northeast by Thursday. If there's any saving grace to this current bitter blast, it's that the mass of cold air won't penetrate very far south, with the core staying over the northern third of the nation. Temperatures in central and South Florida will stay above 40 degrees. The cold blast won't last very long. The coldest air will be in retreat by Friday. By Sunday temperatures will back in the 50s in parts of the Ohio Valley feeling like 100 degrees warmer than this week's lowest wind chills. Try thinking warm thoughts... After the polar vortex passes, by Sunday, temperatures will be 75 degrees warmer in parts of the Ohio Valley and Midwest, feeling like 100 warmer!! A counterintuitive theory about the polar vortex is gaining ground among some in the climate science community: Regional cold air outbreaks may be getting an "assist" from global warming. While it may not seem to make sense at first glance, scientifically it's consistent with the extremes expected from climate change. Overall, Earth is warming due to climate change, but areas near the North Pole are warming more than 2 times faster than the rest of the globe. This "Arctic Amplification" is especially pronounced in winter. When warm air invades the Arctic Circle, it weakens the polar vortex, displacing cold air masses southward into Europe, Asia and the United States. You might think of it as a once tight-knit circulation unraveling, slinging pieces of cold air outward. Evidence for this was presented in a research paper published in the Journal of the American Meteorological Society. Essentially, it suggests climate change can contribute to a more extreme, wavy jet stream, hurling cold air masses farther south. It should be noted that this theory is relatively new and there is a lot of debate in the climate science community about the extent to which such a connection exists. CBS News reached out to two leading climate scientists for comment about whether or not a portion of the recent Arctic outbreaks can be traced to climate change. Here's what they had to say: Dr. Judah Cohen, a climate scientist at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), told us: I have argued that low sea ice and extensive snow cover [in autumn] as a result of Arctic amplification have resulted in more frequent weakenings or disruptions of the polar vortex in recent decades. When the polar vortex is weak or "perturbed," the flow of air is weaker and meanders north and south (rather than west to east). This allows a redistribution of air masses where cold air from the Arctic spills into the mid-latitudes and warm air from the subtropics is carried into the Arctic. Dr. Michael Mann, the director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, said: These questions test the limits of both our available data (the apparent increase in frequency of these events is quite recent and so at best only just starting to emerge from the background noise) and the model simulations. As we showed in our recent Science article, current generation climate models don't resolve some of the key processes involved in the jet stream dynamics behind many types of weather extremes. Honest scientists can legitimately differ based on reasonable interpretations of the evidence to date. In summary, most scientists involved with this kind of research are intrigued by the theory. It is a very active area of research. Generally, they agree that more study and improved climate models are needed to zero in on the causes and effects. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/polar-vortex-what-is-the-2019-polar-vortex-weather-event-and-is-global-warming-to-blame/ |
Does The World Need A New Buzzword 'Syndemic' To Describe 3 Big Crises? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Elkins, Josh Sommers, Chris Minihane/Getty Images Rick Elkins, Josh Sommers, Chris Minihane/Getty Images The Lancet Commission on Obesity has announced that the world is suffering from a "syndemic" of obesity, undernutrition and climate change. The term was first coined in the 1990s to describe the way different diseases interact within the human body. It's popped up in medical journals for the last two decades, often used to describe the biological interactions in patients who have AIDS and are substance abusers. Now, a new report by the Lancet Commission is broadening the definition big time, using it make a connection between three of the biggest public health issues of the 21st century. "We just chanced on it I didn't know what a syndemic was," says William Dietz, a co-chair of the commission and director of George Washington University's Global Center for Prevention and Wellness. But upon diving into the literature, he found it to be "a very convenient, unifying concept." Looking at these trio of issues in isolation, he says, just isn't working. The report emphasizes that the issues are indeed linked. Climate change results in severe droughts, which can lead to a scarcity of food as well as higher prices for available fruits and vegetables. That pushes consumers toward processed foods, which are cheaper and can contribute to a lack of proper nutrition. And farming definitely has a carbon footprint. Dietz is concerned about the lack of progress in addressing each concern. "The climate change silo and the obesity silo haven't been effective," he says, noting that global temperatures are on the rise, and no country has been able to successfully reverse its obesity epidemic. Two billion people suffer from a deficiency of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients, according to the report. If the problems are linked as part of a "global syndemic," Dietz hopes it will "increase the likelihood" that groups dedicated to one of the three issues will begin to work together. But the man who came up with the term "syndemic" doesn't think the Lancet's use is in line with his intentions. In fact, he doesn't even think they're using the term "epidemic" correctly. "First of all, they refer to climate change itself as an epidemic, which is a kind of a loose use of terms," says Merrill Singer, a professor of anthropology at the University of Connecticut. The definition of syndemic relies on diseases interacting within the body, he says. Climate change, undernutrition and obesity, he says, don't tend to interact on that biological level. "It really isn't comparable to a syndemic if you adhere to a strict definition guideline," he says. Nonetheless, he appreciates the commission's decision to address the interconnected causes of obesity, climate change and undernutrition. "In a big picture way, I clearly support what they're doing." Others agree that, whatever you call it, the idea of linking the three problems has potential. Bruce Y. Lee, executive director of John Hopkins Global Obesity Prevention Center, says he is pleased to see the commission tackling obesity as part of a wider net of global dysfunction. "Too often, we think of these problems as separate," he says. In reality, he often finds that people who are obese are also deprived of crucial nutrients. "We're seeing a new phenomenon where populations and people are facing undernutrition as well as overnutrition," he says. "You're seeing a change in body shape" where people "have very skinny arms and limbs but central obesity." Much of this, Lee says, is due to the fact that junk food and sugary drinks are cheap and abundant. The food and beverage industries have spent $22.3 million on lobbying to keep it that way. California lawmakers recently promised a 12-year moratorium on soda taxes after the industry funneled $7 million dollars to try and stop them. "This is a systems problem," says Lee. With this report, he says, "these systems are starting to get called out." The report recommends a series of actions that the authors hope could act in concert to address the problems. Chief among them is a worldwide treaty to regulate Big Food like Big Tobacco, limiting the political influence of the food and beverage industry. It would be modeled on the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world's first public health treaty. The report also suggests a tax on red meat, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity and greenhouse gas emissions. When asked during a press conference what the authors' dream timeline would be to enact the report's recommendations, commission members said it was too hard to tell. "Oh my goodness, that's a very difficult question," Deitz responded. The report, he says, is meant to act as a conversation starter. But it will be up to businesses and politicians to bring the recommendations to fruition. "We're under no illusion that this is going to be quick," says Dietz. "I just hope that it's quick enough." | https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/01/28/689292566/does-the-world-need-a-new-buzzword-syndemic-to-describe-3-big-crises?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science |
Will Rafael Nadal surpass Roger Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time? | Rafael Nadal missed out on a chance to add to his majors total at the Australian Open but still retained the second spot on the all-time list of most Grand Slam titles behind Roger Federer. Time is on Nadal's side--he is only three titles behind Federer, who is four years older. However, Federer is still playing at a high level and could continue to increase his Grand Slam record. PERSPECTIVES Like the conclusion of "Game of Thrones," Rafael Nadal surpassing Roger Federer is only a matter of time. Nadal is four years younger than Federer, and with the Swiss swatter finally showing his age, the Spaniard will take over as the greatest tennis player ever. Rafa has a .829 winning percentage, while Federer's sits at .819 at the time of publishing. Nadal also has two Olympic Gold medals while Federer has one. The Swiss national has more total ATP titles and Grand Slams, but with Federer declining, Nadal's move past Federer is inevitable. One word: scoreboard. Nadal fans can hem and haw all they want about how Nadal is going to pass Federer up for the title of "greatest of all time," but it will never happen because the game has never seen greatness like Federer's. The Swiss player has the only number that matters--a record 20 Grand Slam titles. He also has 99 ATP titles to Nadal's 80 at the time of publishing. He might not be winning Grand Slams at the clip he was before, but he is still a good threat to win one every time he steps on the court. He won his 20th Grand Slam in 2018 at the Australian Open. Nadal might have some years left, but he will never catch Federer. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2019/01/will_rafael_nadal_surpass_roge.html |
What Do Successful Entrepreneurs Have In Common? | Theres no magic recipe for entrepreneurial success, but there are some things that successful small business owners have in common. A couple of studies polling entrepreneurs reveal key characteristics of small business owners who thrive. Here's what successful business owners do right and a few things they could improve on. What successful entrepreneurs do right 1. They start strong Some 84% of respondents in a poll by Kabbage of 500 successful entrepreneurs say their companies became profitable within their first four years, and more than two-thirds turned a profit in their first year. In contrast, just 8% became profitable after their fifth year. Lesson learned: Focus on getting into the black as soon as you can. 2. They continually seek new customers Entrepreneurs in the survey report that finding new customers is their number-one business challenge; its a much greater concern than managing cash flow or staying ahead of the competition. Lesson learned: Dont rest on your laurels. Stay focused on generating new leads and closing new sales. 3. Forty percent of entrepreneurs in a different study by Kabbage say theyd put it back into the business. And nearly half (47%) say theyve used their personal savings to finance their business at one point or another. Lesson learned: Successful small business owners put their business first. 4. They work hard If anyone tells you small business owners are slackers, here are some facts to refute them: A whopping 86% of entrepreneurs work on the weekends; 23% take fewer than two vacation days per year; and of those who do take vacations, 75% work while on vacation. Other Articles From AllBusiness.com: What successful entrepreneurs could improve on There are a couple of areas where entrepreneurs could do better. 1. They could invest more in marketing their businesses As you might expect, given their passion for finding new customers, small business owners in the survey say putting new marketing strategies in place is a top priority. However, theyre not putting their wallets where their wishes are. Survey respondents acknowledge they spend much less on marketing than they do on payroll, rent, and purchasing technology and equipment. Of course, when youve got to choose between meeting payroll and marketing, the choice may seem obvious. But entrepreneurs know that marketing deserves more time and attentionand also regret not investing more money in their marketing. Heres a breakdown showing the percentage of their budget that survey respondents spent on marketing, and what they wish they had spent instead: Year 1: Marketing was 7% of budget; they wish it had been 28% Years 2-4: Marketing was 13% of budget; they wish it had been 25% Years 5-9: Marketing was 7% of budget; they wish it had been 16% Years 10-19: Marketing was 5% of budget; they wish it had been 23% Years 20-plus: Marketing was 11% of budget; they wish it had been 23% Over half of companies surveyed have revenues of $1 million or more. I can only imagine. 2. They could plan to seek financing Although the small business owners surveyed do reinvest in their businesses, theyre too quick to rule out outside financing as an option. Most of the entrepreneurs in the study say they needed working capital to grow at a certain point. Specifically: In their first year, 38% of companies borrowed capital. In years 2-4, 29% of companies borrowed capital. In years 5-9, 17% of companies borrowed capital. Years 10-20-plus, 14% of companies borrowed capital. If you assume you can finance your business growth needs from cash flow, you may be in for a rude awakening. Instead, be prepared to seek financing from outside sources if you need it. You may never need to tap into lenders or investorsbut its best to be prepared. I am CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media and custom content company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. Email me at [email protected], follow me on Google+ and Twitter @Rieva, and visit my website SmallBizDaily.com to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for my free TrendCast reports. Read all of Rieva Lesonskys articles. RELATED: Attitude and Achievement: Perfect Partners for Business Success This article was originally published on AllBusiness.com. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2019/01/29/successful-entrepreneurs-common-traits/ |
Is 'Metro Exodus' Bailing On Steam For Epic As 'Unfair' As Valve Claims? | Epic has been peeling off major releases from Steam for its new games store for a while now, including heavy-hitters like The Division 2, but this latest move more closely resembles a heist. Metro Exodus announced that despite promotion and preorders on Steam for a long time now, that it would be an Epic Games Store exclusive, at least for the next year. While Epic has been sniping at Steam ever since it arrived on the scene with its more generous revenue split with publishers, this is a move that feels like a full-on war declaration. So much so that Valve actually responded to complain about the aggressive move: "Later today, sales of Metro Exodus will be discontinued on Steam due to a publisher decision to make the game exclusive to another PC store, the statement says. The developer and publisher have assured us that all prior sales of the game on Steam will be fulfilled on Steam, and Steam owners will be able to access the game and any future updates or DLC through Steam. We think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers, especially after a long pre-sale period. We apologize to Steam customers that were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date, but we were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know." Theres additional news that the current pre-orders will be honored, but other than the fact that players now have to play on one launcher instead of another, this feels more like Valve moaning about how this isnt fair to them more than it is to consumers, most of whom probably dont care that much, many of whom may see this as a bit of karmic justice for Valve for monopolizing the market for so long. One additional note about the move is that because of the increased revenue split, Metro Exodus is actually being priced at $50, less than the $60 standard asking price for new games, implying that perhaps some games can be priced lower for consumers if publishers are allowed to keep more money than storefronts let them, which is Epics entire model. The refrain from the start, straight from Epics mouth, is that Steam and other storefronts like the iOS store have been greedy for essentially no real reason with their seemingly etched-in-stone 70/30 split, and Epic figured out that they can do 88/12 with no real downside to them, though the long-term effects of that remain to be seen. So far, its unclear that Valve and Steam are in any immediate danger, as these are just a few titles, and there is still obviously still a large amount of loyalty to Steam among players who have built up massive game collections there. And yet if games start to be cheaper on the Epic store, and because of these deals, they dont appear at all on Steam, with enough of these battles its clear Steams dominance in the space could be questioned soon enough. Epic is currently riding high in the wake of Fortnites success which allowed them to do this store idea in the first place. And yet I remember a time when Valve was everyones favorite corporate industry hero until times changed. These days, Valve has fallen out of favor with many gamers who view them as content to do little but sit around and collect Steam money or microtransactions from CS:GO. They havent made a classic title in ages, and their recent attempts to make games again have not gone well (see Artifact). So Epic saw their moment to strike, and here we are, though who knows where the future leads. I dont think this move is unfair to gamers or Valve, really. Its aggressive, its somewhat sneaky, but its really no less than Valve deserves, and I think theyre going to have to do more than just be salty in public statements to turn the tide back. Its frankly astonishing we havent heard plans about them adjusting their own revenue split yet, but it feels like Epic has to be forcing them in that direction. Well have to wait and see. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Read my new sci-fi thriller novel Herokiller, available now in print and online. I also wrote The Earthborn Trilogy. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2019/01/29/is-metro-exodus-bailing-on-steam-for-epic-as-unfair-as-valve-claims/ |
Is jam coming to a sticky end? | Health worries are damaging the sales of sugary spreads, but this doesnt have to be the end of the preserve Name: Jam. Age: The ancient Greeks used honey to preserve quinces, but modern jam probably dates to the 16th century, when cane sugar came to Europe. Appearance: Edible gloop ranging from orange to purple in colour. Current status: Dying. I guess it can be, if you get it on your clothes. No, I mean jam is on the way out. Sales in Britain fell by 2.9% in 2017, down to 106m. Not great news for the jam-makers, but it hardly spells the death of spreads. Certainly not. Spread sales are up 6% overall. Only jam is bucking the trend. I love jam! Its being supplanted. By peanut butter, sales of it are up 17% year on year. Thats odd. You would think that higher peanut butter consumption would necessarily drive increased jam sales. Not to mention bread. How little you understand the UK spread sector. Thats fair. Peanut butter is now seen as a healthy, protein-rich foodstuff, thanks to a range of premium products that contain less sugar, more organic ingredients and more exotic oils, and as a consequence are way more expensive than ordinary peanut butter. Jam has fallen foul of Public Health Englands drive to reduce childrens sugar consumption by 20% by 2020. In traditional recipes, about half. Half of the jam: you normally use a pound of sugar for every pound of fruit. That does sound a lot. And if you reduced the sugar content by 20% You would probably end up with something unworthy of the name of jam. Anna Jones quick and easy recipes for jams and preserves | The modern cook Read more I see. Wrong again. Despite the decline in sales of other preserves, marmalade sales are up nearly 3%. Its all down to the influence of Paddington 2, apparently. Yes, but he really likes it. Normally, I would suggest we are all doomed at this point, but I find that sort of heartening. Exactly. Preserves may be down, but theyre not out. Dont bet against them. Spread betting, you might call it. I dont think I would, no. And I dont think you should, either. Do say: No peanut butter without jelly, meaning jam in this case! Dont say: Here, try my sugar-free jam youll need a straw. | https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2019/jan/29/jam-peanut-butter-sugary-conserve-health-protein-spreads |
What will the LSU baseball infield look like in 2019? | (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.c The outfield is clear. No question marks there. LSU brings back three high-caliber and experienced guys in Daniel Cabrera, Zach Watson and Antoine Duplantis. The pitching staff is loaded, with a likely weekend rotation formulating and no shortage of options for the remaining roles. The question marks for LSU baseball come in the infield, where coach Paul Mainieri has to weigh the options between experienced defensive players and offensively-gifted freshmen. He knows what he wants to begin the season. What hell decide come April may be a different story. I think the best thing for us is to go with defense initially, Mainieri said Friday (Jan. 25). The defense hes referring to is in the form of returning starters Hal Hughes and Brandt Broussard being frontrunners in two of the three open infield sports, but there are more factors at play than that. Heres a breakdown of the LSU infield in 2019. | https://www.nola.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/ebe3f578fe467/what-will-the-lsu-baseball-infield-look-like-in-2019.html |
What would it have looked like if the Holocaust came to Canada? | There were only 52 Jews in Trois-Rivieres, Que. during the Second World War, but Nazi Germany knew. This week, Library and Archives Canada unveiled its newest acquisition: A 137-page book once owned by Adolf Hitler that seems to represent the first outlines of a Nazi plan to bring the Holocaust to Canada. It undoubtedly breaks the myth viewed by many at the time that the Holocaust and WWII were only Europes problems, said Mina Cohn, director of the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship at Carleton University. Canadian troops participated in the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, including Bergen-Belsen. Canada also became a postwar haven for tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors. But Canada of the early 1940s was also a viciously antisemitic country with one of the worlds worst records of admitting Jewish refugees. Below, some chilling details of what the Nazis intended to do with Canadian Jewry and how willing Canada might have been to stop them. The Nazis were apparently planning something for North Americas Jews I dont think its a crazy claim to say that governments and militaries, especially during wartime, dont do research for no reason, said Michael Kent, the Library and Archives Canada librarian who acquired the German book. Entitled Statistics, Media, and Organizations of Jewry in the United States and Canada, the book includes a detailed accounting of Jewish newspapers and organizations in Canada, as well as a census of Canadas Jewish population and where they could be found. Cities as small as Moose Jaw, Sask., for instance, are noted to have 96 Juden. The book, which appears to have been commissioned for senior Nazi leadership, is similar to other censuses that Nazi authorities used to organize the deportation and murder of Jews in occupied countries. Prior to the planned invasion of Great Britain, for instance, the SS prepared a lengthy arrest list of British citizens, including prominent Jews such as Sigmund Freud. Of course, a Nazi conquest of Canada would have been virtually impossible. If Nazi German forces couldnt mount an invasion across the English Channel, its much more unlikely they could handle one across 4,000 kilometres of ocean. Nevertheless, the book was commissioned right around the time when Germany was dispatching saboteurs to North America, and when Nazi planners were investigating the possibility of an Amerikabomber; an extremely long-range bomber that could lay waste to cities such as New York. France, Norway and even occupied British territories all willingly participated in the Holocaust In occupied Norway, it was Norwegian police who organized the deportation of 772 Jews and the seizure of their property. The collaborationist Vichy regime in France started cracking down on its Jewish population even without orders from Berlin. When French Jews started being shipped to Auschwitz, the French national railway took the contract to deport them east. Even in the British Channel Islands, occupied by the Germans during the war, local authorities handed over information on Jewish residents without protest. Although none of these places would have perpetrated a genocide on their own, their collaborationist governments ultimately proved remarkably willing to comply with German demands. Why would Canada of that time be any different from all the other western civilized counties in Europe? said Mina Cohn. Hilary Earl, a Holocaust researcher at Nipissing University, is more skeptical. Denmark rescued almost its entire Jewish population. Fascist countries such as Spain and Italy sheltered Jews. The Netherlands strongly resisted the Holocaust, but still wound up losing a higher percentage of their Jewish population than almost anyone else. It is impossible to know for certain what would have happened and who would have pushed back, Earl said. Antisemitism does not automatically beget genocide, it facilitates it for certain, but it isnt the only factor. Canada was much more antisemitic than we know it now McGill University had quotas to limit Jewish enrollment. Toronto Island and other Ontario vacation spots brazenly featured gentiles only signs. Alberta premier William Aberhart openly blamed Jews for the Great Depression. Newspaper editorials in mainstream publications such a Le Devoir called Europes Jewish population a very serious problem. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was deeply antisemitic, objecting to the introduction of foreign strains of blood and even believing that the United States was too much in the thrall of Jews and Jewish influence. The vast majority of Canadians have no lived memory of a Canada in which antisemitism was widely and legally tolerated, wrote the authors of the groundbreaking 1983 book None is Too Many. The meticulously researched book framed Canada as having the worst record among Western democracies for accepting Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Only 5,000 Jews were admitted to Canada from 1933 to 1945, compared to 200,000 accepted by the United States and 70,000 by the U.K. Still, while Canada did not like Jews, this was far from the preconditions for participation in a genocide. Antisemitism to a degree was universally present in the 1940s but cooperation in the Holocaust was not, Tomaz Jardim, a Ryerson University Holocaust scholar told the National Post by email. Canada already had a fair bit of experience with rounding up ethnic groups During the First World War, the federal government interned 8,000 Ukrainian-Canadians and forced others to carry special identity papers. During the Second World War, West Coast authorities forcefully rounded up Japanese-Canadians into transit centres, seized their property and then deported them to remote internment camps. Internees at the time even complained that they were being given the same treatment the Nazis gave the Jews. A French gendarme rounding up Parisian Jews for the gas chambers might have been able to take comfort in the Nazi fiction that they were simply being sent to agricultural colonies in the east. Similarly, Canadian police in the 1940s carried out mass deportation orders without full knowledge of where detainees were going. I would hope that Canada would have proven itself to be another Denmark and resisted persecution of its Jewish population at all costs, even under extreme duress, but given the internment of Japanese-Canadians and the anti-Semitic sentiment that was widely accepted within mainstream Canadian life at the time, one can imagine a Canada engaging in anti-Jewish activity that would fill us with horror and regret today, said Rebecca Margolis, president of the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies. There were already Jews behind barbed wire on Canadian soil During the Second World War, 2,300 Jewish men of German and Austrian origin lived in internment camps in Quebec and the Maritimes. They had come to Canada as refugees from Nazi oppression, but were detained as enemy aliens due to their country of origin. Had Canada fallen to Nazi occupation, these camps could have functioned as the first hubs of Canadian Final Solution. This precise scenario is what happened to the Netherlands. Shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland, the Dutch set up Westerbork, an internment camp for the more than 400 Jewish refugees who had entered the Netherlands illegally across the German border. After Germany conquered the Netherlands in 1940, Westerbork was converted into a transit camp and its internees transferred to killing centres in occupied Poland. Killings probably would have been carried out on Canadian soil The Nazis prioritized efficiency above all else when it came to genocide. Initially, Jews were murdered in mass shootings conducted in open areas by German military units. Later, to assuage the psychological burden of soldiers killing hundreds of civilians per day, Nazi military scientists experimented with mobile killing vans that would asphyxiate victims with carbon monoxide. By wars end, Nazi authorities had settled on the method of deporting Jews to centralized killing centres. The expense of moving Canadian Jews to occupied Eastern Europe would likely have been prohibitive, so German genocide planners would likely have settled on a made-in-Canada solution. Parts of remote areas could have been turned into enormous camps where people could have been starved and left to die of the cold, said David MacDonald, a researcher in genocide studies at the University of Guelph. At the time, the Soviet Unions gulag system had already proven the utility of using remote northern areas to make thousands of people disappear. And Canadas own experience of Indian Residential Schools showed that it was indeed possible for early 20th century Canadians to dig the occasional child mass grave without anybody asking all that many questions. Twitter: TristinHopper | Email: [email protected] | https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/what-would-it-have-looked-like-if-the-holocaust-came-to-canada |
Will sex abuse allegations scuttle Boy Scouts donation of Norman Rockwell art to Youngstown museum? | YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) A board of trustees for an Ohio art museum has delayed accepting Norman Rockwell art from the Boys Scouts of America, fearing community backlash because of a recent report detailing the scouting organizations problems involving child sex abuse allegations. The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown had agreed to accept the estimated $130 million collection of more than 66 Rockwell works in September. Museum Executive Director Louis Zona said he decided to seek a delay after reading a news article in December detailing the legal and financial challenges faced by the Boy Scouts of America over sex abuse allegations, The Warren Tribune-Chronicle reported. "We've worked very hard here to maintain a solid presence in a conservative community like ours," Zona said. "We're very proud of our reputation. I don't know." Butler Institute trustee Ned Gold, an attorney who has been involved with scouting for nearly 70 years, said he spent two years working to bring the collection to Ohio. Initial plans called for displaying half the collection at the Youngstown museum and the other half at its Trumbull branch in Howland. Gold scoffed at the notion that people would be troubled that the Boy Scouts is the benefactor for the Rockwell works. The organization offered the collection to the Butler museum after deciding in 2016 to close a museum next to its national headquarters in Irving, Texas. "I'm very disappointed in how Lou handled this thing," Gold said. "I brought a Scout executive to talk about the child abuse thing, but he wasn't listening." Rockwell, who died in 1978 at age of 84, once worked for Boy Scouts of America and created numerous Scout-related images for magazines, calendars and handbooks. The initial deal called for the museum to cover the cost of moving the collection to Ohio and paying Boys Scouts of America $100,000. The organization later agreed to waive the $100,000 fee. Zona said he is committed to revisiting the issue in a year. Gold fears the Butler could lose the collection altogether. Im bewildered by the view that this great institution of the Butler would censor this collection ... because of the subject matter of the paintings and the ownership of the collection, Gold said. | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/will-sex-abuse-allegations-scuttle-boy-scouts-donation-of-norman-rockwell-art-to-youngstown-museum.html |
Will Musk and analysts finally get serious about Teslas challenges? | The heat on Elon Musk is approaching full boil. Tesla is low on cash. A $920-million (U.S.) debt payment comes due in March. Demand for Tesla cars appears to be softening. Thousands of workers just got laid off. On Wednesday, Tesla is set to release fourth-quarter and full-year earnings data. Elon Musk warned last week to expect a lower fourth-quarter profit. The next quarter might not be profitable at all, he said. The company scored a healthy profit last quarter, but thats looking like an aberration. ( Mark Schiefelbein / The Associated Press ) On Wednesday, Tesla is set to release fourth-quarter and full-year earnings data. Musk warned last week to expect a lower fourth-quarter profit. The next quarter might not be profitable at all, he said. The company scored a healthy profit last quarter, but thats looking like an aberration. After the earnings release, Musk will hold a conference call with stock analysts. The questions historically tended toward softball when they werent weird. (Elon, who do you think would be a more formidable competitor over time, BMW or Amazon?) But Wall Street seems to be turning sour on the stock. In late 2018, one of Teslas biggest investors, the T. Rowe Price family of mutual funds, trimmed its Tesla holdings by nearly 50 per cent. Analysts sell recommendations outweigh buy recommendations on Tesla stock. The stock closed down 66 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $296.38 on Monday, down from its 52-week high of $387.46. Musks profit warning indicates demand problems for the Model 3 and the high-end Model S and Model X, too. The Model 3 was advertised three years ago as a $35,000 car $25,000 with U.S. federal and California incentives. But that car doesnt exist, and Musk has said its impossible to turn it out without losing money until he gets costs in line. If Tesla does plan to introduce a $35,000 car, it hasnt yet offered a hard date. Some wonder, given continued high battery prices, whether it will ever be possible. With options, a typical Model 3 sells for nearly $60,000. Musk might be asked how much demand is left in the U.S. at that price, and how many higher-priced Model 3s he can sell in Europe and China before he hits demand problems there. He might also be asked about demand for the Model S and Model X cars, both priced well over $100,000 with even a modicum of options. After the company laid off at least 2,500 full-time workers last week and fired untold numbers of independent contractors, it said production hours for the S and X would be cut. Asked whether the number of cars produced would be cut and by how much, Tesla declined to say one way or the other. A sharp analyst might get specific with Musk on this question. Article Continued Below Tesla owes bondholders $920 million in March. Because the bonds are convertible, the debt could be transformed into Tesla stock, saving Tesla hundreds of millions in cash. But the conversion price for the bonds is $360 a share. Right now the stock price isnt close. The Monday close of $296.38 is down 15 per cent since Musk announced layoffs and declared Tesla cars are too expensive for most people. Teslas stock is highly volatile, and Musk could well announce some unanticipated good news Wednesday that could send it soaring again secured financing for a planned China factory, for example. As for the bonds bill coming due, I expect they have to pay that off via cash in full now, unless they refinance it with the convertible bondholders, said David Whiston, a stock analyst at Morningstar. Tesla could wipe away fears that its running out of money and cast off doubts about its ability to finance ambitious new products (semi truck, crossover, pickup truck) by tapping the market for new equity. Its $51-billion market value and rabid fan base indicate the demand for new stock is there. In early 2018, Musk said, I specifically dont want to. Cash flow would take care of all future funding needs, he said. In Octobers third-quarter earnings call, he hedged a bit: We do not intend to raise equity or debt, at least that is not our intention right now. But many short sellers believe Musk hasnt raised capital because he cant. The company, they note, is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. Musk has made clear, however, his disdain for the SEC. I do not respect the SEC, he told 60 Minutes in December. The Model 3 is encountering serious quality problems, including water leaking into the trunk, batteries that wont charge in frigid weather and bumpers that fill up with snow and fall off the car. Perhaps thats to be expected in a new line of cars from a young company with little experience building automobiles. But Tesla owners are taking to social media in ever-larger numbers to complain about unreturned calls, unavailable parts, weeks-long waits for basic repairs and the companys refusal to make repairs under warranty. Stan Zalewski bought a Model 3 on Dec. 23. A month later the bumper fell off. (Hes not the only one.) An architect and founder of Square Peg Studio in Toronto, Zalewski told The Times that three missing bolts caused the bumper to act like a sail scooping up air and rain and possibly some snow. This caused the next set of mounts to stress until the metal fatigue caused them to break. The bumper dropped to the road level and when it hit the first smallest imperfection in the road it caught and sheared the entire rear bumper off as well as damaging the rear-quarter panels. Its a mess. He said a Tesla rep told him the problem wouldnt be covered under warranty. I like the Tesla approach to transportation, and we want to continue driving Teslas, but their service is horrible, Zalewski said. Tesla had no comment. Musk rarely talks about Teslas quality and service problems. He has acknowledged a shortage of service centres. In October, he tweeted, Just reviewed Teslas service locations in North America & realized we have major gaps in geographic coverage! Sorry for this foolish oversight. Tesla will aim to cover all regions of NA (not just big cities) within 3 to 6 months. He has blamed independent body shops for months-long waits for parts, though the shops have said they cant get the parts from Tesla. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/business/technology/2019/01/29/will-musk-and-analysts-finally-get-serious-about-teslas-challenges.html |
Can Tech Change The Way We Tackle Smoking? | When you scroll through the Instagram feeds of wellness bloggers, or find your inbox flooded with tips on health and wellbeing, the issue of smoking (or giving up) is rarely mentioned, amidst all the advice on healthy eating, yoga, and mindfulness. Its estimated that every year around 207,000 children aged 11-15 start smoking. Children who live with parents or siblings who smoke are three times more likely to smoke themselves and with 14.9% of adults classified as smokers, it is a problem that will persist. In 2016, 19 percent of children aged 11-15 had smoked at least once (compared with 23 percent in 2012 and 53 percent in 1982). Although the trend shows a strong decline the numbers are still shockingly high. The Cost Of Smoking Anyone with even a passing interest in health knows the risks, which makes it even more shocking to see that 15 percent of the population (an estimated 7.4 million people) are smokers. Its a habit that costs the NHS 2.5 billion a year in England alone, according to the campaigning charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), including hospital admissions for smoking-related conditions and treating smoking-related illnesses. Smoking is still the biggest cause of death and illness in Britain, claiming more than 79,000 lives a year through related diseases according to 2017 NHS statistics. It increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious conditions, from bronchitis to emphysema (NHS smoking risks). It is known to damage the heart and blood circulation, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease, and the list goes on. Seven out of ten cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking and it can also cause cancer in other parts of the body. A recent study shows smokers in their 20s are biologically two decades older than they should be. Scientists analyzed blood samples from tens of thousands of volunteers to assess how smoking can affect biological aging. Over 70 percent of smokers under 30 were predicted to be as old as 50 in the study, which was carried out by US-based artificial intelligence solutions company Insilico Medicine. In recent years e-cigarettes (which allow you to inhale nicotine without most of the harmful effects of smoking) have become a popular method of giving up smoking. E-cigarettes arent licensed as medicines yet but Public Health Englands 2018 review of the evidence shows theyre substantially less harmful than smoking. They work by heating a vapor from a solution that typically contains nicotine; a thick, clear liquid called propylene glycol and/or glycerine, and flavorings. In the US, the fastest growing startup in US history e-cigarette brand Juul, which launched in 2017 and is valued at $15bn is causing some concern. Looking similar to a flash drive, its pods contain more nicotine than most e-cigarettes and although marketed at over 18s as a smoking cessation aid, its sleek design has ended up taking the teen market by storm in the US. Research from 2017 found that eight percent of young people (aged 15-24) in the US reported using Juul in the previous month, a level that exceeds rates of youth smoking. Jull only reached the UK in July 2018, so theres little data on use among young people over here. The charity ASH points out that in the UK tighter regulation is already in place, as we limit the amount of nicotine in e-liquids to 20 mg/ml (whereas the US version of Juul contains more than this) and ban TV and radio advertising of e-cigarettes, unlike in the US. Lack of innovations to help people quit smoking With new innovations for just about every aspect of health and wellbeing being launched, there are surprisingly few to help people quit smoking. Some of the most popular techniques recommended by a range of health practitioners have been used for over 20 years. One of the mostly widely known methods is the Allen Carr approach. His method doesnt concentrate on the reasons why you should change, but instead on why youre addicted and practical advice on how to manage to quit. This was considered revolutionary in 1985 when his book first came out. Similarly, behavioral change specialist and author of The Kindness Method: Changing Habits for Good expert Shahroo Izadi, helps clients quit smoking by exploring what purpose smoking serves or once served in their lives before it became on automatic pilot. Thats where the real insight is and how we can identify what bespoke plan of change is most likely to work, she says. Often the habits that have become problems were once solutions, which helped us to ease stress or anxiety in the short-term. Izadi helps clients develop new coping strategies so theyre less dependent on smoking to address boredom, social anxiety or stress. When it comes to quitting, Dr Hugh Coyne, GP Co-Founder, Coyne Medical explores with clients their previous attempts to quit, potential barriers to quitting and possible triggers to start smoking again. We decide on a quit date, usually two weeks away when they will completely give up, says Dr Coyne. Enlisting support from friends, family and colleagues is important and together we plan how to deal with situations that trigger smoking such as work stress or a night out. We also discuss how to handle nicotine withdrawal symptoms and avoiding weight gain. The NHS Stop Smoking Service varies according to location but includes a range of support options from but can include free, face-to-face advice in a group setting, to an email programme or text messages with tips and messages of encouragement. To help cope with withdrawal, there are several options available such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) including patches and inhalators, and medications such as Varenicline (Champix) licensed for use in the UK since 2006 or Bupropion (Zyban) (approved for use in UK since 2000). (They are not suitable for everyone though, so discuss carefully with your doctor.) Innovations are slowly coming through One of the few innovations coming into the market is an app called Pivot, created by digital health company Carrot Inc, which offers an entirely new approach. The app incorporates lessons, activities and coaching (via in-app chat) to tailor the experience to each users needs and readiness to quit. You pair the app with a home-use, Bluetooth-enabled mobile breath sensor device which measures carbon monoxide in the breath and then displays the data in the app. Carbon monoxide (one of the toxins in cigarette smoke) clears from the body fairly quickly, so if users smoke a cigarette, theyll see their numbers go up and if they skip a cigarette, their numbers will fall. There are many other stop-smoking apps, but this technology is unique in being able to measure CO, providing a highly motivating, real-time feedback loop. This exciting new development could pave the way for other innovations. Its time the tech world explored other new ways of tackling an issue that affects 7.4 million in the UK. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenaoppenheim/2019/01/29/can-tech-change-the-way-we-tackle-smoking/ |
Are Health Plans The Future Of Public Health? | The transition from old-guard payer to wellness company is underway and moving rapidly. Changes to health plan payment policies encourage accountability to improve clinical performance to a much greater extent than ever before. Due to federal policymakers relentless drive to improve outcomes and reduce spending growth, plans have significantly more flexibility to care for beneficiaries in new ways. These efforts allow managed care companies to revolutionize healthcare again this time by addressing public health issues such as population cholesterol levels, glycemic control for diabetic patients, environmental issues that cause asthma, and nutritional needs of the frail elderly. Managed care organizations were first introduced broadly in the 1990s as a response to rising healthcare costs. Their focus was on the fee-for-service model, which encouraged clinicians to pursue volume in medical procedures, regardless of their expense. Managed care revolutionized the healthcare landscape by switching up the financial incentives. Instead of paying for the number of procedures completed, healthcare providers were to be paid on a per-member, per-month basis. The transition away from paying for volume brought a new focus that continues to gain in popularity: paying for quality. Its logical that health plans should focus on improving public health to enhance both broader clinical performance and their quality ratings in todays pay-for-quality environment. By helping people become healthier, and preventing the onset of sickness and disease, plans are at less risk of incurring healthcare costs, while commanding more in reimbursements. Promoting wellness is a win-win-win: beneficiaries stay or become healthier, health plans reduce their financial exposure, and public healthcare programs realize cost savings. But the real way to get plans to focus on outcomes is to change their economics to make it so. And it was in the Affordable Care Act that congress directed Medicare to pay its partner health plans for quality through the Star Ratings system. Medicare Advantage the managed care portion of Medicare covered over 20 million beneficiaries in 2018, accounting for 34 percent of the program. Plans are required to measure and publicly report consumer quality ratings every year, and this has helped transition payers into public health champions. Most importantly, the economics are aligned, as plans know that it is impossible to have a financially viable Medicare Advantage plan without doing well in this rating program, as its a core element of payments. New flexibility from federal regulators gives health plans license to get more creative with how they provide care. Medicare Advantage is leading the way by allowing plans to consider covering innovations that manage the total cost of care, including supplemental benefits that are not primarily health related but that nevertheless encourage public health. For example, Medicare will soon allow health plans to cover so-called daily maintenance services like fall prevention devices that can keep seniors healthy, but which had never previously been considered direct medical costs. And health plans will also be permitted to tailor benefits and deductibles to enrollees who meet specific medical criteria. This is important because the plans can give specific financial incentives to individuals to take actions to improve their own health. Many of the interventions that will ultimately reduce cost depend on individual choices such as compliance with medication that we know will improve an individuals health and reduce total system costs. Woven into plans new identities as wellness and public health advocates is a more deliberate focus on social determinants of health like food and housing. The quality (or lack of quality) of these social needs plays a major role in clinical health. CVS Health has committed $100 million over five years focused on community health and wellness after its purchase of Aetna. The Humana Foundation recently invested $7 million in contributions to programs that specifically address social determinants. Both insurers are looking at food security issues and promote access to healthy food, among other initiatives. While investments by plans to date are significant, its important to note that plans are in no way a substitute for existing public health resources that have been developed over the past few decades. And in fact, plans rely on the presence of a strong public health infrastructure, and the core activities of federal, state, and local government assistance in housing, food, and heating assistance. Health plans will never replace these efforts, but increasingly will coordinate and supplement them. And of course, its also important to acknowledge that health plans will always focus on core operations which will include management of benefits, restrictive networks of providers, enforcing copay structures, and in some cases the denials of claims. None of this will go away just because the plans are focusing on wellness, and in fact must be regulated and improved simultaneously. First, we need to ensure that public programs Medicare and Medicaid lead the way in driving quality-based payments. Second, we need to allow plans to deliver social services and supports as part of their core offerings, and make sure that they are compensated appropriately for these services. Third, we need to measure the most important outcomes for patients and pay for them explicitly. And finally, we need to hold plans strictly accountable for improvement in quality for their insured populations. What started out as interest in wellness is quickly becoming the next major health care transformation, a focus on public health. Health plans are now partners to government and the public in achieving health outcomes. And they will increasingly do so in the future. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielmendelson/2019/01/29/are-health-plans-the-future-of-public-health/ |
Is 2019 The Year Of The Oat? | With consumers love for oat milk pouring in and new oat milks on the market, it seems likely. Swedish brand Oatly hit the U.S. market in 2016, and in 2018 there was a shortage of its popular oat milk. It seemed people couldnt get enough creamy goodness. Quaker Oats, the 140 year-old company owned by PepsiCo, is set to launch oat beverages this year, calling it beverage to distinguish it from dairy and highlight the oat element. There are a variety of oat drinks currently on the market. Silk, owned by Danone, has Oat Yeah. Califia Farms, owned by Coca-Cola, has Toasted Oats N' Almond Almondmilk and Oat Barista Blend for food service, with an Unsweetened Oat Milk debuting in April. Pacific Foods has Organic Oat Plant-Based Beverage, and Elmhurst Dairy has Milked Oats after the company switched from dairy to nondairy products in 2017. Now theres Planet Oat from HP Hood, LLC, a $2 billion legacy dairy company and one of the largest food and beverage companies in the U.S. Over the last 10 years, almond milk has changed perspectives on whats possible beyond dairy milk, something flavored dairy milk and soy milk couldnt quite do, Chris Ross, vice president of marketing for HP Hood, LLC said. Variety is empowering to people, he said. We saw the consumer was evolving, and it actually inspired us. Theres going to be room for dairy milk, and theres going to be room for what consumers need next. Hood has been developing Planet Oat for the past two years, but has been researching the nondairy space for about six years, he said. The Oatly shortage came right as Hood was ready to launch Planet Oat, he said. Oat milk is the dairy alternative that most closely resembles dairy milk. The oats are treated with an enzyme and the husk is broken down, leaving an oat base thats inherently thicker, creamier and provides natural sweetness, Ross said. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/bethkaiserman/2019/01/29/2019-year-of-oat-milk/ |
What if Indianapolis weather had been freaky cold when Super Bowl came here? | Buy Photo A huge crowd gathered on Monument Circle to watch the imagery and lights projected onto the Super Bowl XLVI Roman numerals in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. (Photo: Joe Vitti / The Star) Indianapolis was full of hot air as the Giants and Patriots packed up their bags and hustled out of Indianapolis after the Super Bowl in 2012. Full of hot air it hit 49 degrees on game day, Feb. 5. Full of hot air in the days leading up to the title game the temperatures were 58, 54 and 53 degrees. Full of hot air bragging rights. The city, dubbed a "cold weather" risk when leaders put in Indianapolis' bid for Super Bowl XLVI, had pulled it off. Admittedly, the biggest player in Indy's victory was out of its control. Buy Photo Masses of people descended on Super Bowl Village along Georgia Street in 2012. (Photo: Matt Kryge/The Star) Proof of that is rearing its bitter, cold head with forecasters warning of record-breaking low temperatures: -8 degrees Tuesday night and a windchill that could dive to 40 below zero. Indy's warm breezes and sunny skies, just right for light a jacket in 2012, could easily have been dangerously cold what the city is expecting this Super Bowl week, seven years later. Indianapolis weather: Record-breaking cold temperatures Tuesday night SUBSCRIBE:Stay inside, buy 3 months of IndyStar for $3, read by the fire It happened last year in Minneapolis, the coldest high temperature for a dome game in the Super Bowl's 52 years. Outside of U.S. Bank Stadium, the temperature at kickoff was 2 degrees with a wind chill of -14. Similar, albeit even colder, "arctic air has moved into central Indiana," the Weather Service said in a special statement issued 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. A different scene The human hamster wheel on Georgia Street, which saw people breaking into a sweat as they scurried inside, would have frozen in its tracks. The walking tacos and domestic beers fans were downing in the Super Bowl Village would have been replaced with hot cocoa and steaming soup.The zip line winging people along Capitol Street and the concerts outside would have moved to plan B. Buy Photo Crowds gather at the intersection of South Illinois, left, and Georgia Street, right, to watch participants run the 100-yard Hampster Wheel Dash, left, in the Super Bowl Village, where Indianapolis' big Super Bowl party got underway Friday afternoon, Jan. 27, 2012. The Hampster Wheel Dash lets one person in an AFC wheel compete against one in an NFC wheel to see who can be first the run 100 yards as they make the wheels spin like hampsters. All the fun leads up to the 2012 Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 5. Charlie Nye / The Star <b>01/29/2012 - A01 - MAIN - 2ND - THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR</b><br />From top to bottom: Visitors in the Super Bowl Village on Georgia Street; the giant XLVI display on Monument Circle; Lucas Oil Stadium; the side of the JW Marriott hotel; an attraction inside the NFL Experience. <b>02/02/2012 - X17 - MAIN - 1ST - THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR</b><br />People have flocked to the Super Bowl Village on Georgia Street since it opened last week. The 100-Yard Super Dash "hamster wheel" has been a hit -- in more ways than one. (Photo: Charlie Nye Indianapolis Star) The NFL Network set where anchors showcased the city would have been torn down and hurriedly revamped inside the convention center. The men wearing khaki shorts walking into Lucas Oil Stadium on game day would have had ice whiskers enmeshed in their beards. Instead, fans in the village were photographing not using the portable heating units that looked like metal pyramids with flames burning inside. "With temperatures in the 50s, the heating units were more decorative than functional," a "New York Times" reporter wrote, "though dozens of patrons walked up and placed hands on them, confirmed 'fire hot,' and moved on all the more educated by the experience." Despite the weather luck, Indianapolis Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward is sure the city would have had just as great a success even with a frigid wind chill. He pointed to the compact, walkable layout of the city with its buildings, restaurants and hotels all connected. "Honestly ... Indy is so perfect for the Super Bowl in winter, since our downtown is nearly impervious to weather for a major event like this," he said. "I think it would have been great, regardless of weather." But those who enjoy the outdoors appreciated that even though some days dipped into the 40s, with morning temperatures in the 30s, bitter cold stayed away. Indy's Super Bowl host committee chairman Mark Miles always credited that to committee CEO Allison Melangton. Buy Photo A sea of Super Bowl XLVI fans and Super Bowl Village goers pack Illinois and Georgia Street Friday night downtown Indianapolis. Matt Kryger / The Star <b>02/05/2012 - X29 - MAIN - 2ND - THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR</b><br />A sea of Super Bowl and Super Bowl Village fans packed Illinois and Georgia streets Downtown on Friday night. (Photo: Matt Kryger Indianapolis Star) "I am a very prayerful person. I prayed a lot over those four years (of planning) that we would have safe weather," Melangton said. "I didn't want to pray for things that were selfish, like good weather, so I prayed for safe weather." What's brewing in Indy tonight most definitely would not be safe. And Melangton is grateful this wasn't what the fans faced seven years ago. The risk was real Game time temperature that Super Bowl day in Indianapolis was 44 degrees outdoors. "We all remember the Super Bowl as having the best weather ever," Melangton said. "We remember the best parts, like the day the Super Bowl Village opened; it was gorgeous out, sunny, in the 50s, just beautiful." In reality, there were some chilly days. At least three times wind and cold shut down the zip line in the 10 days leading up to the Super Bowl. Melangton remembers being in the village one day, freezing, bundled up in a coat and scarf. The day before the Super Bowl, the high was just 41. And the morning of the game, Melangton sat in a control center, worried about a snow storm that looked like it might hit the city. The storm was moving across Illinois, dropping about two inches of snow. Buy Photo New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) directs the offense in the second quarter during Super Bowl XLVI, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. (Photo: Robert Scheer/The Star) "Enough snow that we had to make a call," she said. "We had to think about a re-shift of volunteers, adjusting plans. Most of my Super Bowl day morning was spent doing that." The storm ended up settling further north in Indiana and never dropped a flake on Indianapolis. Still, Melangton had visions in her head of what she had seen the year before during the Super Bowl in Dallas. Five inches of snow had coated the city which has an average February high of 63 degrees and hundreds of flights were canceled just two days before Pittsburgh took on Green Bay. Six private contractors working to get the Cowboys' stadium ready ahead of the game were sent to the hospital after injuring themselves on the ice. The ice was the worst part, said Melangton, who was there with the committee to take notes. "It was sheer ice everywhere. You couldn't even walk on the sidewalk," she said. "I felt so sorry for the Dallas people. They had a great organizing committee." Melangton said seeing all of that happen in real time helped Indy's committee tweak its own weather plan. A full binder held page after page after page of that master plan. Buy Photo The JW Marriott is one of the illuminated landmarks in downtown Indianapolis for the upcoming Super Bowl XLVI. Mike Fender / The Star from WTHR Chopper 13 (Photo: Mike Fender Indianapolis Star) If it got too cold, volunteer shifts would be reduced from four hours to two hours. Back-up volunteers would be called to fill the openings. Bands had been asked if it was too cold for an outdoor concert whether they had to leave the city immediately of if they could stay for another day. "We had a domino plan," she said. "We had scenario A then B, C, D." The latter three were never used. There were street plans crafted and alternate routes drawn should weather wreak havoc on travel. There were warming stations everywhere. There were inside activities. At the end of it all, after the Giants defeated the Patriots and those 70,000 fans went their separate ways, the NFL had a question for Indianapolis. "Of course," Melangton said, "that is the greatest compliment." Weather for 52 Super Bowl games >21 had a trace or more of rain, 40.4 percent >3 had snow on game day: Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., 1982; Ford Field, Detroit, 2006; and U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, 2018 >1 was played during an ice storm: Georgia Dome in Atlanta, 2000 >Warmest high temperature on game day was 82 degrees: Tie between Memorial Coliseum in 1973 and Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in 2003 >Coldest high temperature for a dome game was 9 degrees: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, 2018. The temperature outside at kickoff was 2 degrees with a wind chill of -14. >Coldest high temperature for non-dome game was 43 degrees: Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, 1972 >Wettest game had .92 inches: Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla., 2007 (in which the Colts defeated the Bears). Source: The Southeast Regional Climate Center at the University of North Carolina Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. E-mail her at [email protected]. | https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2019/01/29/what-if-indianapolis-weather-had-been-freaky-cold-super-bowl-2012/2705814002/ |
What Was the Biggest Scandal of All Time? | Kristin Hahn, writer and producer, Dumplin, and author, In Search of Grace Drag queens being outlawed in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy)because a good drag show does the Lords work by celebrating the feminine in all of us. Reader Responses Leslie Ellen Brown, Spring Mills, Pa. The bargain of 1877 between supporters of the Republican presidential candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Southern industrialists, restoring Southern power to the federal government. Roger L. Albin, Ann Arbor, Mich. The South Sea Bubble of 1720 was probably the first major financial crisis. It had everything: massive overvaluation of a questionable asset, dramatic collapse with deleterious systemic consequences, insider trading, bribery, and ineffectual subsequent regulation. We never learn. Graham Roumieu Maida Follini, Halifax, Nova Scotia During and after his term as vice president, Aaron Burr conspired with the British to set up an independent country in the southwestern United States and parts of what is now Mexico. He was arrested for treason, but found not guilty. Sanjiv Maheshwari, New Delhi, India The Opium Wars, which Britain and France waged against China in the mid-19th century, with the aim of continuing to sell opium to the Chinese people. In the process, the imperial summer palace in Beijing was burned, and the Chinese ultimately ceded Hong Kong to Britain. The Chinese recall this period in their history as the century of humiliation. Elinor Adams, Phoenix, Ariz. The affair between Alexander Hamilton and Maria Reynolds created the first major sex scandal in the U.S., and completely destroyed Hamiltons political career. Richard Marcovitz, Toronto, Ontario The Dreyfus affair, in which a Jewish French army captain was wrongly convicted of espionage. He was partially exonerated after political and intellectual leaders convinced many of their countrymen that Dreyfus was innocentand that members of the ethnic majority should not collude to blame a problem on a member of a minority group. Harvey Karten, Brooklyn, N.Y. Peter Minuits conning the Lenape tribe in 1626 to sell Manhattan Island for 60 guilders worth of trade goods, or no more than $15,000 in todays dollars. The value of real estate across Manhattan today is more than $1 trillion. | https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/q-what-was-the-biggest-scandal-of-all-time/580474/?utm_source=feed |
Have The Nifty Fifty Become The Nifty Half-Dozen? | Theres no period in financial history comparable with today. The $700 billion to $800 billion stocks like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Microsoft stand difficult to model. Earnings surprises, up and down, occur practically quarterly. Bank stock volatility isnt far behind and their metrics vary widely, quarter after quarter, too. Go back to the 1972 Nifty Fifty portfolio at Morgan Guaranty Trust and youd find gross overvaluation, but the top 10 goods are analyzable: IBM, Eastman Kodak, Avon Products, Sears Roebuck, Xerox, Procter & Gamble, Walt Disney, Polaroid and Schlumberger. Premiums over the market ranged from 100% for IBM to over 300% for Polaroid and Walt Disney. Gimme a break! These babies were one-decision stocks. You bought and held. The analogy with internet and e-commerce paper today runs scary. I sense comparable awe and reverence today with disregard of conventional valuation yardsticks. Maybe, well get away with it for a couple more years. I am betting its so, but my sense of historical valuation going back 50 years says better be lucky than wise. The market is precariously perched. Im 50% invested in equities, but volatility adjusted higher when you factor in Citigroup, Facebook and my ragamuffins like Chesapeake Energy. So much has changed! Back in 2001, General Electric held the numero uno post with a market capitalization of $416 billion. Today, $75 billion. Microsoft near $300 billion held the follow-up placement. IBM and Intel made the top 10 which included two drug houses, Merck and Pfizer. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo made the top 25 list. Exxon Mobil with a $282 billion market cap, filled the number three slot. Consider, Exxon went through all the motions of being a world player in energy but their market cap today is not much above $300 billion. Even four years ago, Apple, Microsoft and Exxon Mobil held the top three spots with Berkshire Hathaway a proxy for bank stocks now number five. Alphabet and Facebook made the top 25 list, but no Amazon popped up. Many sectors like materials and industrials stagnated. Stocks like General Motors and General Electric are irrelevant today. I was shocked to see market caps of Alcoa and U.S. Steel now trade for petty cash, sporting $5 billion valuations. Today, even properties like Netflix at $160 billion gets as much financial press coverage as Amazon, Apple and Alphabet, all four times larger in dollars. High flying industrials like Boeing just $200 billion jobs. Major banks range from $200 billion to over $300 billion for JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Citigroup showed amplitude of price range from its high over $80 a year ago to the recent nadir under $50. (Its still too cheap ticking at $64.) Aside from heightened volatility of the stock market its dominated largely by technology and financials. Their volatility runs double that of the S&P 500 Index, both ways up or down. I ignore drug houses and oils as well as the Coca-Colas of the world and basic industrials. They are surely irrelevant. I cant deal with Amazon which sells at $1,600. If Amazons revenues come in up 19% for the quarter instead of analysts consensus of 21%, the stock would drop a snappy 5% to 10%, overnight. This is insanity but expresses the markets fallibility. We saw this not only in Apple, but periodically in $500 billion to $800 billion market caps like Facebook, Alphabet and Microsoft. Oil majors like Exxon Mobil and polite financials like American Express and JPMorgan Chase do swoon too, 20% or more in a couple of months, not years. The 40-year trend line for price-earnings ratios is 15, not 18 to 20 times the numbers. The exception was the 2000-01 tech bubble when insanity pushed by outlandish analytical yardsticks, like multiples of revenues, led to a psychotic market a year later but then full payback. It took over a decade for Nasdaq to recover. Disbelief in growth surfaced again in 2013-14 when stocks like Apple, Microsoft and Cisco Systems sold at discounts to stock market valuation. The premium for Google (Alphabet) was just 10%, same as Coca-Cola. Chalk it up to negative earnings surprises. Gross operating margins for tech houses traced a downward slope. Today, nobody, including me, is projecting a downward slope in tech operating margins. They look pretty solid but valuation is too heady, even using enterprise value rather than earnings as your basic metric. If you believe in some discount for excessive options issuance (over 20% of revenues) its difficult to rationalize most big-cap tech houses. Microsoft started this aggressive options award methodology going back to 1986. Usage got out of hand by the internet houses. The SEC has never taken a stand on the non-GAAP earnings report methodology. I believe like Warren Buffett, its a recurring expense and should be debited as such. All this reminds me why quality California Cabernet has become so pricey. Not because vintages now are far superior than say 1975. Its because the price of wine-growing land has soared from $7,500 an acre to $750,000 currently. So the cost of doing business is exponentially higher. Same goes for costs of attracting computer engineering talent to Silicon Valley. All this should be reflected in lower rather than higher price-earnings valuations for internet and e-commerce operators. So far, The Street ignores this issue. My critical metric for valuation in tech focuses on operating cash flow. This earthy number shows wherewithal that management has to work with to grow their footprint. Keeps me attached to Facebook and Alphabet but not Amazon. Without a sense of historic valuation, dont even dream of becoming a contrarian. Prices for basic industrials and materials stocks like Alcoa, U.S. Steel, Ford, General Motors, even DowDuPont and Boeing show 12-month amplitude ranging up to 50%. Boeing dropped like a stone when one of its new model 737s crashed into the sea. A new altitude sensor bore some responsibility. From $390 to below $300, it was time to step in. Same goes for Goldman Sachs which wilted last month to book value, down 20%. No impact on intrinsic earnings power, this stock sat at 10 times earnings. Goldie is my bruised ego play. Citigroup is now an expense-driven management, not the old acquisition hungry house. Stocks like Netflix and Tesla turned flopsy-whopsy on pared revenue expectations so you stay far away. Maybe, theyre not so open ended as analysts projections say. The market swings on a handful of stocks. Scroll past top five names and individual weightings drop to 1.5% positions or lower. JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Exxon Mobil and AT&T have been around practically forever. New-face exceptions include Home Depot and Boeing. But, the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Alphabet and Berkshire Hathaway tot up to 16% of index weighting. Berkshire Hathaway shows you the power of compounding good stock picking over 60 years. The other five demonstrate the magic of technological leverage which foreshortens the time it takes for companies like Amazon, Apple and Facebook to emerge as mega-caps. Amazon is the sole name I can think of that became numero uno on revenue growth, not earnings power on e-commerce revenues. Well see. By sector, financials are weightier than energy and healthcare. Boeing remains the lonely growth industrial. This says a lot about the locus of the country, namely technology and financials, not Ford and Exxon which date back over a century. Think about your portfolio in such terms. You may be obsolete, an incurable collector with dead paper in hand. Sears Roebuck wont renew itself very much. In 1972, Sears, Xerox, Avon Products, Polaroid and Eastman Kodak made the top 10 names in Morgan Guarantys Nifty Fifty portfolio. Gone, but not forgotten. Good question you should ask yourself, periodically. Citigroup, depths of the 2008-09 meltdown, traded near zero, practically a ward of the state. It now ticks at $63, but the high, set late 2006, could stand forever, namely, $570. Sosnoff and / or his managed accounts own: Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Citigroup, Facebook, Chesapeake Energy, Wells Fargo preferreds, Boeing, Ford bonds, Goldman Sachs and AT&T. [email protected] | https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinsosnoff/2019/01/29/have-the-nifty-fifty-become-the-nifty-half-dozen/ |
How Is The Nature Of Management Changing? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Vlatka Hlupic, CEO of The Management Shift Consulting Ltd, on Quora: Organisations today are surfing on the edge of chaos. Markets change faster and faster, unforeseen influences require quick adaptation, and organisations constantly need to be one step ahead and reinvent themselves. Many businesses, including small and medium-sized businesses, are becoming global, helped by advances in connectivity and digitization. This means that competitor profiles are constantly shifting and there is an increasing emphasis on innovation, cooperation and collaboration. Other challenges include accelerating pace of change, complexity, uncertainty and fast transition towards creativity economy. The management dogmas of the past do not serve their purpose anymore; it is time to adopt new thinking, take a different type of actions in organisations worldwide and make them more human and fit for purpose. Organisations and societies are better able to adapt by taking a path based on values, integrity, purpose, compassion, continuous innovation and the commitment to make a positive difference and safeguard the future for the young generations. Many organisations, both in public and private sectors, need to make profound systemic changes not just to management practices, but to organisational cultures, business processes, regulatory frameworks, work arrangements and work ethics. Traditionally managed organisations resemble supertankers, difficult to respond to any sudden changes in their environment and difficult to change the course. Modern organisations should be managed and led as sailing boats - a general direction is to be determined, but the journey towards the destination should be flexible depending on the environmental conditions. Management thinking has been traditionally influenced by scientific discoveries. Conventional management approaches have been based on the Newtonian machine model that focuses on hierarchical linearity, a culture based on rules, command and control and formal relationships. It is no more than a metaphor, and while such an approach might have worked well in predictable and stable environments when the objective was efficiency in the production economy, there is ample research evidence that in dynamic and complex business environments this traditional approach inhibits creativity and innovation and decreases motivation and productivity. In traditionally managed organisations, structures distribute power and processes distribute tasks. Structures and process are about creating stability, repeatability and predictability, and this is happening in an unstable, chaotic world, which demands innovation. So we ask people to innovate in a system that is designed to produce the reverse. We cannot then be surprised that many organisations are not utilizing their potential for innovation. Management innovation is a greater potential source of competitive advantage than traditional innovations of products, services or technology[1]. Einsteins insights into relativity have influenced other disciplines such as art, music, religion or literature at the beginning of the last century. The main paradigm was that rational and analytical were inseparable from emotional and intuitive, but this has not affected management thinking until recently. The main reason was 'if it is not broken, do not fix it' mantra. From 1950s traditional management model flourished with the wealth creation for industrial nations based on increasing productivity. Then, with all technological changes and increasing importance of knowledge, new business models emerged (such as Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more), where talent, collaboration and innovation enabled faster commercialization of ideas. However, embracing these new management approaches requires a shift in the mindset which is not easy to achieve, and majority of organisations today are still managed using conventional, Newtonian management approaches. New management approaches, fit for organisations in the 21st century are based on people, purpose, trust, transparency, collaboration, giving back to the society, having fun working. These approaches lead to substantial increase in engagement, innovation, performance and profit. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/29/how-is-the-nature-of-management-changing/ |
What Separates High-Performing Teams From Average Ones? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Cal Henderson, CTO and co-founder of Slack, on Quora: Success in todays workforce is increasingly about how teams work together, rather than work done by individuals. More and more work is becoming knowledge work, and all knowledge work is teamwork. Building a high-performing team is more simple and straightforward than most people think. Google conducted a fascinating study examining what makes a team effective and successful. They studied 180 Google teams, conducted 200-plus interviews, and analyzed over 250 different team attributes. The study found that the single best indicator of a teams success or effectiveness was how well the team worked together and communicated. Specific skill sets, backgrounds, education - none of that matters as much as trusting your colleagues and being able to communicate ideas freely - without fear of criticism. Specifically, the number one dynamic of an effective team was found to be psychological safety - that teammates feel safe to take risks around their team members. Taking risks can be big or small, and may take the form of admitting an error, asking a question, or sharing a new creative idea. Taking risks leads to learning, and learning leads to better decision-making and problem solving. Teams who are empowered to take risks with the support and camaraderie of their peers are propelled towards higher performance. It also makes for a much more enjoyable workday. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/29/what-separates-high-performing-teams-from-average-ones/ |
Are The Risks Of Bariatric Surgery Worth It? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Yijun Chen, Physician at UCLA Center for Obesity and METabolic Health, on Quora: Like any surgery, bariatric surgery has its own risks. In the past, bariatric surgery had high complication rates, but the safety of bariatric surgery has improved dramatically over the past 15-20 years. In fact, nowadays, bariatric surgery is as safe as the commonly performed gallbladder removal surgery. Let us take the most popular bariatric procedure, gastric sleeve surgery, as an example. The potential complications of gastric sleeve surgery include leak, stricture, infection, blood clots, acid reflux and vitamin deficiency. However, the chance to have those complications is very low now. For example, the incidence of leak following a gastric sleeve surgery is less than 1% nationwide. On the other hand, the weight loss that results from bariatric surgery can lead to profound health and psychosocial benefits. In the long term, bariatric surgery has been proven to reduce patients' risks for heart attack, stroke, cancer and mortality. For many obese patients, bariatric surgery not only increases their life expectancy but also improves their quality of life. For people with morbid obesity, especially those with comorbidities, not having bariatric surgery might be more dangerous than having surgery in the long term. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/29/are-the-risks-of-bariatric-surgery-worth-it/ |
How Will Technology Affect The Retail Industry? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Mark Pilkington, Author of Retail Therapy, on Quora: E-commerce has grown from garage start-up in 1999 to existential threat today. The damage to traditional retail has already been severe, with the last few years seeing a litany of bankruptcies across the British and American stores business Sears, BHS, Toys R Us, Mothercare, House of Fraser, Sports Authority, Claires, Gymboree the list goes on and on. Yet the global share of e-commerce is still only at 10% of total retail sales. Right now, the advantages of the two rivals are somewhat even. E-commerce has the five Cs cost, convenience, choice, control and customer relationships. But retail still has the human factor, the physical product experience and the immediacy of delivery. So far, a slight advantage to e-commerce. However, the relentless march of technology is set to further tip this balance in favour of the internet players. The development of artificial intelligence means that online shopbots are likely to be able to replicate 90% of normal human retail interactions within the next five to ten years. Virtual and augmented reality are going to create immersive online experiences which will enable customers to see and even touch the product virtually. And developments like drones, self-driving vans and street delivery robots are going to reduce the cost of home delivery considerably. The Internet of Things is going to put many basic items like groceries and household goods on automatic replenishment, coordinated by virtual personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, who will anticipate our every need. The growing power of Big Data is going to put increasingly sophisticated algorithms in the hands of the tech-savvy internet players, enabling them to analyze and predict customer needs well ahead of what the traditional retailers, with their clunky legacy systems, will be able to do. The march of technological progress is thus pretty much all one-way, and it is going to knock away many of the remaining props holding up the traditional retail industry, one by one. If e-commerce has done this much damage at ten per cent of global sales, imagine what it will do when it reaches twenty or thirty per cent. In order to survive, stores retailers are going to have to change their operating philosophy. They can no longer be glorified warehouses, wasting their precious retail space on piles of inventory that no one is sure anybody is going to want. They cannot use their precious staff as dogsbodies, wasting their precious time on back-breaking menial tasks like stock management, till operations and administration which can be automated or shifted to the companys e-commerce logistics arm. They need to use these precious resources to create an immersive brand environment and an expert level of service that the internet cannot match. Only by doing this can they hope to survive in the brave new world of the future. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/29/how-will-technology-affect-the-retail-industry/ |
How long can a person survive in sub-zero temperatures? | With a polar vortex sweeping the coldest air in a generation across a large swath of the country, officials are concerned about seeing more tragedies like the one that claimed the life of a young man in Minnesota last weekend. Police say 22-year-old Ali Gombo was found dead outside a home in Rochester, Minnesota, in freezing cold temperatures and likely died from hypothermia. He'd been dropped off by friends after a night out at a bar but didn't have keys and the doors and windows were locked, CBS Minnesota reports. Experts say it highlights the life-threatening dangers of sub-zero temperatures. "Hypothermia is a medical emergency when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. As your body temperature drops, your heart, brain, and internal organs cannot function. Without aggressive resuscitation and rapid rewarming, you will ultimately not survive," explains Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital. A neighbor found Gombo's body the next morning, along with footprints around the home and smeared blood on the doors. Pieces of Gombo's clothing were also found in the yard. Stripping off clothing is a strangely common occurrence in later stages of hypothermia due to nerve damage and mental confusion, a person may feel like they're burning up rather than freezing and begin taking off their clothes and shoes. The phenomenon even has a name: "paradoxical undressing." Hypothermia starts setting in when a person's body temperature drops from the normal 98.6 degrees F to about 95 degrees. The body begins to shut down. Heart and breathing rates slow down, accompanied by confusion and sleepiness. "Without rapid rewarming, your heart rate and breathing slows even further, leading to poor circulation to the brain, heart and extremities, which is fatal," Glatter said. Hypothermia can happen in minutes Hypothermia can develop in as little as five minutes in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit if you're not dressed properly and have exposed skin, especially the scalp, hands, fingers, and face, Glatter explained. At 30 below zero, hypothermia can set in in about 10 minutes. Over the next few days, the upper Midwest and Great Lakes will face temperatures 20 to 40 degrees below average, with even more brutal wind chills. Wednesday's high temperature in Chicago is forecast to be 12 below zero. Grand Forks, North Dakota will dip to minus 24 and Minneapolis will hit minus 13. Wind chills will be as low as -65 in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and CBS News' DeMarco Morgan reports a state of emergency has been declared in both states. How long it takes for someone to freeze to death depends on conditions and the type of exposure, but death can occur in under an hour if conditions are dangerous enough. It can happen even more quickly in a situation such as falling through ice into freezing water. The elderly and infants are especially vulnerable to hypothermia, according to CBS News' Dr. Tara Narula. How to protect against frostbite Another risk in the cold weather is frostbite when a person's skin freezes. In this extreme cold, exposed skin can be damaged in a matter of minutes. "This can affect the nose, the chin, the ears, the fingers or the toes. And so you want to keep those covered," Narula advised on "CBS This Morning" last week. She noted mittens may keep your hands warmer than gloves, and she warned, "If you start to notice that you're having numbness or tingling or burning, you want to seek help for that immediately." Rewarm the skin with warm not hot water once you get inside, or use body heat like holding your hands under the armpits. Don't hold freezing limbs over radiators to avoid burning yourself. The CDC also recommends wearing appropriate outdoor clothing to help you stay safe in the extremely cold weather: a tightly woven, preferably wind-resistant coat or jacket; inner layers of light, warm clothing; mittens, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots. Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories, and if you have to go out, take a buddy and an emergency kit and always carry a charged cellphone. The CDC also recommends keeping your car's gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. You don't want to get stranded in this weather. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/extreme-cold-weather-how-long-can-a-person-survive-hypothermia-sub-zero-temperatures/ |
How many African Americans were lynched in NC? | On the afternoon Oct. 30, 1918, Ruby Rogers was in her house near Rolesville, rocking her 5-week-old baby when a man walked into the room and slapped her so hard she fell to the floor, she later told police. He picked up a razor from a bureau in the room and told Rogers he would cut her throat if she made a sound. He struck her again, knocking her unconscious, she said, according to news reports of the time. She came to still on the floor, with the baby a few feet across the room. Over the next several days, police brought a series of men before Rogers and asked if any had been her assailant. She couldnt identify any of the first three, each of whom was later released. The fourth suspect was George Taylor, whom police arrested in Wilson and brought to Rolesville on Nov. 5. At first, reports said, Rogers was unable to say whether Taylor was the man. But when she heard him speak outside the house, she said his was the voice she remembered from the attack. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Rogers was white. Taylor was black. A report compiled by the student-led Wake Truth and Reconciliation Committee, relying on articles from The News & Observer and others from the time, said Taylor was put into a car to be driven 15 miles to the Wake County Jail in Raleigh. But a quarter-mile from the house, the car was intercepted by four men wearing blue masks and carrying two shotguns. They took Taylor and held him in nearby woods while a crowd of some 300 people gathered. The mob took Taylor to a spot within sight of the Rogers house and, around 7:30 p.m., gunshots rang out. Taylors body was found the next morning. He had been tortured, shot more than 100 times, slashed with knives and hung by his feet from a bent pine tree. His death apparently ended the investigation of the assault on Ruby Rogers. No one ever was charged with Taylors murder, which was described in the Greensboro Daily News later that month as a genuine old-fashioned lynching, the only one documented in Wake County history. But there were others in the state. While North Carolina was not the leader among Southern states in the number of lynchings that occurred here, historians say lynchings were frequent enough that African Americans got the intended message and many fled their towns or left the state entirely in response to mob violence. A reader asked about lynchings through CuriousNC, a joint venture between The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer and The Herald-Sun in which readers submit questions about North Carolina for reporters to answer. The answer: No one knows exactly how many, though researchers say it was at least 100 and possibly as many as 300 in the years from 1882 to 1968. The number of lynchings per year in Southern states spiked during the period from 1890 to 1920, the same period during which the most Confederate monuments were installed. Where the victims remains ended up is even more complicated. Historical accounts debate the origin of the term lynching, but agree that a form of it was practiced in America as early as the 1700s. Though it was always an extra-judicial form of punishment for breaching laws or customs circumventing the legal system in its earliest use, it didnt involve lethal force and it wasnt aimed at a particular racial minority. Most early victims were white. That changed after the Civil War and the freeing of several million African Americans from slavery. Researchers, including Trichita M. Chestnut who wrote a story for the National Archives in 2008, say that during Reconstruction lynching became a tool used by white mobs to maintain a social order that was no longer held in place by judicial constraints. Lynchings often were prompted by a claim that a black person had committed or was planning a crime, and the mob would intervene sometimes before law enforcement could even launch an investigation, ambushing the victim at home or on the street. In other cases, crowds took their victims from police custody. Few were ever prosecuted for the crime, with investigators finding the participants were unknown, despite photos and crowds of witnesses. What constitutes a lynching? Chestnut asks in the article. Although most people think only of hanging, lynching means much more. Lynching is the killing of African Americans who were tortured, mutilated, burned, shot, dragged, or hung; accused of an alleged crime by a white mob; and deprived of their life without due process and equal protection of the law. Lynchings often were covered by newspapers in the communities where they happened. In some cases, lynchings were planned far in advance, giving journalists time to promote the events and draw bigger crowds. The Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, counted 4,745 lynchings between 1882 and 1968, of which it said 3,446 involved black victims. The school counted 101 lynchings in North Carolina during that time period, with 86 black victims. In 2014, the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., published a report that counted 123 lynchings of African Americans in North Carolina between the years 1877 and 1950, including two in Mecklenburg County and three in Johnston County. None have been documented in Durham County. The reports listing by county is available at http://nando.com/53r. A University of North Carolina project called A Red Record is attempting to map sites of lynchings in the state, in part to demonstrate the geographic reach that news of a racial lynching would have had. The main purpose of the killings, Kotch and others say, was to intimidate and terrorize black residents who had social, political or business aspirations, and if lynchings occurred over a broad enough area, the threatening effect would have been powerful. One of the projects co-founders, Seth Kotch, an assistant professor of digital humanities at UNC, said that from the outset researchers knew, Were working with incomplete data, because white people who might have documented the deaths often would not, and black families who knew about them could not. Seth Kotch said that while North Carolinas lynching numbers were relatively low compared to some other states, We shouldnt be patting ourselves on the back about that. The thing I would emphasize is that you dont have to have many to have a real generational impact. Just one in a neighborhood could drive dozens of families away. Last year, the Equal Justice Initiative opened the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which includes a memorial to the victims of racial lynchings. In a story in The New York Times, EJI founder Bryan Stevenson said part of the emotional impact of the memorial is, Just seeing the names of all these people. Many of them, he told the paper, have never been named in public. The six-acre memorial, its website says, uses art and design to contextualize racial terror. The site includes a memorial square with 800 six-foot monuments to symbolize thousand of racial terror lynching victims in the United States and the counties and states where this terrorism took place. For now, the Alabama memorial is one of the few places where racial lynchings are formally acknowledged or openly grieved. As to the readers question about where North Carolina lynching victims are buried, that too is unknowable. Accounts of the day indicate that some, including black sharecroppers Lease Gillespie, John Gillespie and Jack Dillingham, who were lynched in Salisbury in 1906 for allegedly murdering four white residents, eventually were buried in unmarked graves. The bodies of many lynching victims were mutilated during and after their murders, with witnesses cutting off pieces to save as souvenirs. Some received the dignity of a gravestone, but the marker left off the way in which they died. Organizers of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice hope that some day, people living in communities where racial lynchings occurred will organize, confront that truth about their past, and commemorate the human loss using markers already prepared by the Equal Justice Initiative. Some groups in North Carolina and other states have discussed taking dirt from known lynching sites to the Montgomery memorial. So far, no group in North Carolina has claimed any of the markers that wait in Montgomery. George Taylors burial site is unknown, but students who helped commemorate the 100th anniversary of his lynching last year hope to gather dirt from different significant places in North Carolina and take it to Alabama. Fred Joiner visited the national memorial last year with a busload of nearly four dozen pilgrims from United Church of Chapel Hill, where he attends. Members of the church interested in the topic met for weeks before making the journey, reading books about lynching and talking about race relations in North Carolina and the U.S.. Joiner, who is African American, sees comparisons between racial lynchings and todays disproportionate imprisonment of blacks and instances of excessive force used against black suspects by police officers. Visiting the memorial was overwhelming, he said. Its hard to eulogize something, Joiner said, when its still happening. | https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article224682690.html |
What To Expect From Roche Holding's Q4? | Roche Holding (NASDAQ:RHHBY) is scheduled to announce its Q4 earnings on January 31, and we expect the company to post steady top line and earnings growth, primarily led by Ocrevus. This relatively new drug has seen a strong growth in the recent quarters, and will likely generate $2 billion in sales for the full year. However, Oncology could see slow growth, given generic headwinds for Rituxan in Europe. We have created an interactive dashboard ~ What Is The Outlook For Roche Holding ~ on the companys expected performance for the full year 2018 and 2019. You can adjust various drivers to see the impact on the companys adjusted earnings, and price estimate. Expect Neuroscience Drugs Revenue To See Strong Uptick While Oncology Will Likely See Slow Growth We forecast Roches Neuroscience, Metabolism & Other Drugs segment revenues to see strong growth in Q4, and beyond. For the full year 2018, we estimate the segment revenues to grow in mid-twenties (percent) to north of $6.6 billion. This can primarily be attributed to its new drug Ocrevus, which garnered around $1.5 billion in sales in the nine month period ending September 2018, marking Roches best drug launch ever. Ocrevus is used for the treatment of relapsing and primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. The patient pool for Ocrevus was at 70,000 in the previous quarter, with a 12% market share in the U.S. Ocrevus will likely be a key player in the multiple sclerosis segment, and could garner as much as $5 billion in peak sales. Looking at the gross margins, they have remained stable at around 80% over the past few years, and we dont expect any significant change in the near term. Oncology revenues will likely see slow growth in the near term, as ramp up in new drugs, such as Tecentriq, Kadcyla, Gazayva, and Alecensa, will mostly be offset by decline in older drugs, primarily Rituxan, which faces generic competition in Europe. In fact, Rituxan sales were down close to 50% in Europe for the nine month period ending September 2018. Note that Rituxan is a blockbuster drug for Roche, with sales of over $7 billion in 2017. Looking at In-Vitro Diagnostics, we expect the growth to be in mid-single digits to around $12.7 billion for the full year 2018. This can primarily be attributed to its lab business, which has been doing well of late. The companys diagnostics business has been doing well in the emerging markets, and we expect this trend to continue in the near term. Overall, we forecast the full year 2018 revenues to grow in mid-single digits to $58 billion, and earnings to be around $2.15 per share, reflecting a growth in the low teens. We currently have a $35 price estimate for Roche Holding, which we will update post the Q4 earnings announcement. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/29/what-to-expect-from-roche-holdings-q4/ |
Is The Housing Slowdown Starting To Crack The Home Furnishings Business? | A stronger housing market over the past several years has been an incredible catalyst for the home furnishings and home improvement businesses. But there are signs the boom may be over. Analysts and some of the retailers in the space themselves have put out warnings that fewer new homes and an overall slowing economy could weaken the business in 2019. So far, hard results arent necessarily backing up that theory and some retailers particularly Depot are suggesting that things are just fine, thank you. But the overall volume of naysayers is no doubt starting to take its toll. Earlier his week, Credit Suisse, ironically in raising its guidance on online home specialist Wayfair, said it is less optimistic about the overall home space. Citing a variety of factors, it said it was cautious about the channel due to margin pressures and shifts in purchasing patterns. Also this week Ethan Allen Interiors reported basically flat sales for its second quarter, pointing at declines in its wholesale business. Over the course of the past year, its stock price has dropped to just under $17 from a high of over $25. On its most recent quarterly earnings call when it must be said it showed a very positive performance Home Depot was asked about the impact the housing slowdown would have on its business. The company answered that it wasnt concerned, that even with a decline in some housing statistics, the need for home owners to repair and remodel their existing homes more than outweighed any new housing start drops. Even the most dire economic forecasts dont suggest anything near the blowout of 2008 that saw the near total collapse of the housing market, nearly taking the American economy down with it. But unlike consumer product categories such as food or apparel, home furnishings and remodeling are dependent on a factor out of their control: the housing market. Home may be where the heart is, but its certainly not for the faint of heart. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2019/01/29/is-the-housing-slowdown-starting-to-crack-the-home-furnishings-business/ |
Do The Upstream Sector's Mosaic Of Indicators Create A Clear Picture? | Considering the precipitous drop in oil prices at the end of last year, 2018 finished with somewhat unexpected results in the upstream sector. Take the OGJ 150, one of the industrys upstream indexes. It was on a roller coaster. It began the year at 1,858 and generally climbed for the first three quarters. It peaked on October 9th with a closing of approximately 2,021. It then took a fall and finished the year at 1,522 about 18% off from the start of the year. However, it has since climbed back up in January and closed last week at 1,646. Questions and opinions abound. Causes, concerns, opportunities, and optimism are being bandied about. There are several indicators out there that are sending mixed messages. Pricing, supply, DUC counts, LNG growth, bankruptcy activity, capex budgets and merger and acquisition trends are out there to name a few that interplay with each other. They create a visual of what is happening and what could happen going forward. Well look at a few of these to try to get more clarity. Prices (Bearish) As U.S. crude oil prices plunged by 40% in the fourth quarter of 2018, from $75 in the beginning of the quarter to $45 per barrel at the end of December, valuations dropped alongside prices. Reasons started with concerns about potential increasing of U.S. shale output, inconsistency in Russia and OPECs execution of their production deal and fears of a global economic slowdown. Even OPECs deal with Russia to cut 1.2 million barrels per day during the December 6-7 meeting couldnt stop oil prices from falling. The sharp decline once again demonstrates that higher prices fostered by supply-side management have a difficult time lasting. On the other hand, natural gas prices benefited from seasonal fluctuations. Prices jumped to over $4.80 per mcf in mid-November due to several factors including an early and colder winter hitting North America. In its December edition of the Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA reported the price of Henry Hub averaged $4.15/MMBtu in November, up 27% from October. Higher inventory helped to smooth price volatility in the energy market, but U.S. natural gas inventories began the season at a 15-year low. This will most likely be a temporary issue, as reserves are plentiful and the LNG market will begin to offtake more supply in 2019. It is relatively rare to see the inverse relationship between crude oil and natural gas prices. A more than 50% increase in natural gas prices was coupled with nearly 30% downturn in crude oil prices during a seven-week period from early October to mid-November. Long oil short natural gas, once a popular trade by speculators, was punished during this unusual period of time. Natural gas prices ended the year at $2.94 per Mcf, a 2.3% decrease for the fourth quarter and essentially flat for the year. Supply and Demand (Bullish) In 2019, it is expected that the U.S. will continue to lead the growth in oil supply worldwide. Improving pipeline capacity, particularly in West Texas, and the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing continue to drive higher and more efficient production in the U.S. Good news is that a lot of this supply will be at a lower cost to producers because part of the costs has already been sunk. Drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs) which jumped to new records in 2018 will likely be drawn down as a lower cost production alternative. This will contribute to supply growth. According to the December Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA expects global liquid fuels consumption to increase by 1.5 million barrels per day in 2019. Growth is largely coming from China, the U.S. and India. U.S.-China trade tensions remain high entering 2019 and have shaken up most if not all industries, and oil and gas is not an exception. China is the second largest in terms of oil consumption and surpassed the U.S. as the worlds largest crude oil importer in 2017. Slower growth in China is looming for the demand side of crude oil. In 2019, the continuation of worldwide central banks tightening pressures global economic growth and the prices of assets and commodities. Higher rig counts and higher capital expenditures by major oil & gas companies worldwide during the recovery also cause concerns of oversupply. According to Baker Hughes, as of December 28, 2018, the rig count in the U.S. was 1,083, 16.6% higher from December 29, 2017. LNG (Bullish) U.S. LNG daily production hit record high of 5.28 Bcf during the week of Christmas, according to S&P Global Platts. Large-scale additions to production capacity in 2018 included Shells Prelude and Inpex Ichthys, both offshore Australia, and Novatek expanded its Yamal LNG facility, while demand is slowing down in Asia, the biggest LNG market in the world. Europe is likely to play the key role in absorbing all the additional production as geopolitical factors, pipeline capacity issues and the controversial Nord Stream 2. Also, Gazproms contract for gas transit via Ukraine is expiring at the end of this year and surprise during negotiation is always possible among Russia, Ukraine and Europe. Going forward, LNG capacity will grow significantly in the U.S. The ability to send U.S. gas overseas will be a welcome reprieve for an oversupplied domestic gas market. This could create positive price pressure in gas markets. However, this could also have more localized effects as opposed to widespread. Bankruptcies (Mixed to Bearish) After ebbing for the past several years, bankruptcies in the energy sector increased slightly in number and dollars. According to the latest bankruptcy tracking report from Haynes and Boone LLP, bankruptcies upped a notch in 2018. Thoughts on these statistics are mixed. With the drop in prices in the second half of 2018, concern could mount that more bankruptcies may be ahead. The good news is that many companies have already restructured their balance sheets over the past few years and oriented their business models to operate at $50 oil and $3 gas. Therefore, they can have some stability in this pricing environment. However, at the same time, a number of public companies made announcements of significant reductions in their 2019 exploration and production budgets. This could lead to an increase in filings for remaining producers who may have tighter cash positions in the event of capex and budgetary strains. Capital Spending for 2019 (Mixed) North American E&P spending as a whole is expected to lag behind international markets but is estimated to grow 9% in 2019, according to a global E&P report released from Barclays . Barclays noted, however, spending is exposed to more downside risk given the recent oil price collapse, which isnt fully captured in budgets that have been approved thus far. Its also important to note that not all companies have announced 2019 plans yet. Several companies (such as Apache, Diamondback, Parsley, Centennial, Halcon and Chesapeake) are expecting to make budgetary reductions. However, several others (such as Anadarko, Pioneer and Devon) appear to be looking to maintain or even increase rig counts in the Permian Basin 2019. Hess Corp announced a 2019 E&P capital and exploratory budget of $2.9 billion slated for 2019, up from $2.1 billion in 2018. Approximately 75% will be allocated to high return growth assets in the Bakken and Guyanna. ConocoPhillips has set a capex budget for 2019 of $6.1 billion , which is comparable to its 2018 capex, excluding any acquisition costs. Approximately $3.1 billion will be allocated to rigs across the Eagle Ford, Bakken and Delaware plays. M&A (TBD) Activity in this realm has been relatively slow lately. This is probably due to the drop in oil prices. However, this pricing could also portend more M&A activity. Upstream valuations are trading at relative lows compared to the wider stock market. This could combine for more transactions in 2019. Companies plan for longer term pricing and long term expectations, using the futures curve as an indicator, are still around $54 going out about five years. There is a lot of capital in the marketplace that is waiting to be placed. If these conditions continue, it could give rise to more deals and more dollars in 2019. Conclusion The indicators are out there, and one things for surethey dont all align. Economist Karr Ingham, while recognizing the challenges of some of these bearish signals, remains optimistic. The growth in Texas crude oil production even in the face of lower prices, rig counts, drilling permits and employment compared to 2014 peak levels remains the story of the year. Valuations have suffered in 2018, but if the structural undergirding of the recovery over the past few years is strong, then the U.S. upstream sector should still be able to not only survive but thrive in 2019. Whatever happens, this muddied picture will become more clear as the year gets going. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryceerickson1/2019/01/29/do-the-upstream-sectors-mosaic-of-indicators-create-a-clear-picture/ |
What does PG&E bankruptcy mean for CA wildfire victims? | Doreen Zimmerman lost her hillside home in the Camp Fire last November, fleeing with a dozen puppies in the family car as flaming embers rained down on Paradise. Now she feels shes been made a victim again by PG&Es decision to file for bankruptcy Tuesday. The survivors I call myself a survivor we have been shorted, said Zimmerman, whos living in a rental home in Yuba City. PG&E is going to go to victims and say, We are going to pay you 60 cents on the dollar, or 50 cents or whatever. They are going to twist this and cry Oh poor me, and go back in the boardroom and laugh their butts off. They are still going to get bonuses in high management. Zimmerman is among scores of Northern California wildfire victims left fuming and distrustful after PG&E filed for bankruptcy. Citing $30 billion in potential liabilities from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, utility officials contended the filing is the only way to keep the company going and insisted that their decision will actually benefit fire survivors. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Bankruptcy can resolve wildfire lawsuits more quickly and more equitably than ... the state court system, PG&E Chief Financial Officer Jason Wells said in court papers. Bankruptcy isnt a strategy or attempt to avoid PG&Es responsibility for the heartbreaking and tragic loss of life, devastating damage and destruction to homes and businesses. Wells added that bankruptcy is in the best interests of all the debtors stakeholders, including their millions of customers, employees, wildfire claimants, other creditors ... and shareholders. PG&Es assertion was met with considerable skepticism. Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, who represents the area hit by the Camp Fire, said nothing should stand in the way of compensation for fire victims but pointedly adding that his anger is aimed at corporate executives in San Francisco, not the front-line workers who are out battling the elements. Frankly, I question whether or not they are really in a bankruptcy situation or if they are simply attempting to skirt their obligations, Gallagher said in a press statement. The bankruptcy court should do a full and thorough vetting of PG&Es financial situation before allowing their Chapter 11 petition to proceed. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and its parent PG&E Corp. sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an electronic filing shortly after midnight. It puts the companys fate largely in the hands of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali, who oversaw PG&Es first bankruptcy in 2001. State officials will play a role, too, as they try to accommodate ratepayers and wildfire survivors while ensuring the company is healthy enough to keep operating. Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a prepared statement, said the bankruptcy does not change my focus, which remains protecting the best interests of the people of California. PG&E was already reeling from the potential fallout from the 2017 fires. The Camp Fire pushed the company over the edge. The states investigation isnt complete, but PG&E has disclosed it experienced problems on a high-voltage transmission tower near the apparent ignition point, minutes before the Camp Fire began. Experts say PG&Es bankruptcy will bring pain for practically everyone involved. Wildfire survivors who are suing PG&E will become unsecured creditors with no higher priority on PG&Es assets than the companys bondholders who are owed $18 billion. A wildfire victims attorney said PG&E is using bankruptcy as a dodge. Why do this other than to keep money away from victims, said Mike Danko, a Bay Area attorney representing survivors of several fires. Typically you dont let the perpetrator decide what is best for victims. The perpetrator is a convicted felon that continues to violate the terms of its probation. What they say is best for victims is inappropriate and suspicious. PG&E was convicted of multiple felonies after the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion. Sheila Craft, whose home was destroyed in the Camp Fire, was struggling to make sense of the implications of the bankruptcy filing. From a victims standpoint, I dont see how it necessarily helps me or doesnt help me, said Craft, whose family is living temporarily in Oroville but is buying a house in Magalia, just north of Paradise. Either way, she doesnt expect payment to come anytime soon. I dont foresee anybody coming in and handing me a check, she said. She also said she isnt looking forward to what she believes is an inevitable rate hike. Anytime PG&E ends up doing anything as a whole, rates go up, she said. Rates will likely go up, just as they did when PG&E emerged from bankruptcy the first time. Last year legislators enacted a partial bailout for the company, saying it could pass on at least some wildfire liability costs to ratepayers if the utilitys finances couldnt absorb the total hit. But the legislation, Senate Bill 901, didnt cover any 2018 fires, including the Camp Fire, which destroyed 13,000 homes in Paradise in November and killed 86 people, the most in California history. Legislators have indicated theyre in no mood to extend SB 901s protections to help PG&E with the Camp Fire. PG&E could be forced to spin off assets to raise cash. Some critics have been calling for a breakup of the utility or some sort of government takeover, while PG&E executives said theyre committed to overhauling how they do business. To be clear, we have heard the calls for change and we are determined to take action throughout this process to build the energy system our customers want and deserve, John Simon, the companys interim chief executive officer, said in a press release. The utility did win a partial reprieve last week when Cal Fire said PG&Es power lines werent to blame for the Tubbs Fire, the costliest and deadliest of the 2017 fires. It wasnt enough to stave off bankruptcy. Those claims are still there, they still represent significant claims, said Steve Malnight, the utilitys senior vice president for energy supply and policy. PG&E warned about the bankruptcy filing 15 days ago, as required by state law, and utility lawyers said the heads-up accelerated the deterioration of its finances. The companys cash supply fell by $811 million as it was forced to pre-pay for power and other needs. The company has lined up $5.5 billion in new financing that the company says is necessary to keep operations going. Were not going out of business, Malnight said. The federal judge overseeing PG&Es probation, stemming from its criminal conviction in the 2010 San Bruno pipeline disaster, has a hearing set for Wednesday on his proposal to impose stringent wildfire-safety rules on the utility this year. That would include mandatory re-inspections of all 100,000 miles of PG&E power lines and extensive tree-cutting operations before the fire season begins in June. PG&E has pushed back on the plan as unrealistic and said it would cost at least $75 billion. The Public Utilities Commission has also objected, saying the judge has gone too far and should leave wildfire safety to state officials. | https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article225246820.html |
Why Are We Still Fascinated by Ted Bundy? | The shows chief flaw lies in its sympathetic portrayal of law enforcement. Various cops describe Bundy as preternaturally intelligent, evading them at every step. In fact, he simply started out murdering women in different jurisdictions, then crossed state lines to do the same thing again. Its true that the police at this time had no easy way to cross-reference evidence from different cop shops, but there are multiple points in the Bundy story where sheer idiocy prevented his capture. After he murdered 21-year-old Lynda Healy in Washington, for example, investigators initially assumed that the blood in her bed was either from a nosebleed or menstruation. In his book The Riverman: Ted Bundy and The Hunt for the Green River Killer, King County detective Robert Keppel wrote of the first investigators that [b]ecause they assumed Lynda Healy was possibly having her period at the time of her disappearance, they couldnt figure out why anyone would kidnap herthey assumed no kidnapper would want to have sex with her. None of this makes it into the show. The focus is instead on Bundy himself. Netflix, to a distasteful degree, plays up the ghoulish fascination he exerts over us. In its press materials, the streaming service says he invades our psyche in a fresh yet terrifying way. The idea is that its really our psyche on display here. Something about his persona is extremely disconcerting to white, middle-class Americans. His superficial charm and medium good looks were all the cover that he needed; simple disbelief prevented his identification for far too long. The career of Ted Bundy, which claimed 30 lives or more, is therefore a direct indictment of American society. It turns out that the kind of face we find attractive is also the kind of face that can disguise. Well, it says that we are most attracted to the average, to the indistinct, the kind of face that could belong to anybody. Theres also the question of Bundys legion of female admirers, who showed up to support him during his trial. His fans professed a simple attraction to his face and comportment, but theres no doubt that his misogynist violence fascinated a certain sector of women. Perhaps its the idea that women exerted a mythical, archetypal power over him. If he was powerless to resist the urge to bite Lisa Levys nipple almost clean off, then, the thinking goes, Lisa Levy must have really meant something to him. Its a strange logic, but it works perfectly inside the matrix of gendered power, in which women are supposed to be empowered by passivity, ruling the domestic sphere like goddesses. Its no coincidence that Bundy liked to invade homes and murder women in their beds. | https://newrepublic.com/article/152990/still-fascinated-ted-bundy |
Is Brexit Worse Than Trump? | Its hard to argue that, at this moment in time, Brexit is worse for Britain than Trump is for America. But its also easy to see how, half a decade from now, that will be true. And if thats so, it will be largely attributable to fundamental differences between the countries themselves. The Founding Fathers built the American system of government with someone like Trump in mind: a corrupt demagogue who shows no interest in protecting minority rights or upholding the rule of law. Federal judges throughout the lower courts have blocked his administrations legally dubious policies from going into effect. American voters last fall handed Democrats control of House of Representatives to act as a check on the president. Impeachment threats appear to have blocked him from shutting down the Russia investigation. The damage would have been further minimized if Congress hadnt ceded so much of its power to the executive branch in recent decades. Things are much different across the Atlantic. Instead of an American-style constitution, the United Kingdom relies on an unwritten body of precedents and traditions to shape its political system. In practical terms, this means Parliament reigns supreme. Though Britains judiciary is independent, judges cant overturn laws passed by the legislature, like their American counterparts can. The British monarchs executive powers are now exercised by the prime minister and members of his Cabinet, all of whom are also lawmakers themselves. The U.S. Constitution determines what Congress can make laws about and what matters are left to the states. Parliament, on the other hand, has sovereign and uncontrollable authority in making, confirming, enlarging, restraining, abrogating, repealing, reviving, and expounding of laws, concerning matters of all possible denominations, ecclesiastical, or temporal, civil, military, maritime, or criminal, Lord Blackstone, Britains most celebrated jurist, wrote in the eighteenth century. It can, in short, do everything that is not naturally impossible. Everything, that is, except forge a transitional agreement to leave the European Union. Mays Conservative Party is torn between Brexit hardliners who demand a departure from the bloc at all costs and a range of other Tory factions that want something less destructive. Last year, she called a snap general election in hopes of securing a mandate to negotiate an agreement on Britains behalf. Instead, her party lost seats and became dependent on support from Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party to stay in power. The DUPs influence has made it harder to reach a consensus on the Irish border, which is supposed to stay open under the Good Friday Agreement but likely will close if Britain crashes out of the EU. | https://newrepublic.com/article/152987/brexit-worse-trump |
How Do We Reclaim Our Communities From Private Automobiles? | Cars are everywhere, and have been for a long time. Since 1885, at least in their present form, using an internal combustion engine. Kudos to Karl Benz, a German engineer who created a version of the personal automobile that was more useable and more popular than previous incarnations. Vastly so, as it turned out. (As an aside, Henry Ford was responsible for making personal automobiles affordable. Many people had a hand in the creation and commercialization of cars.) To many in history and today, the personal car sabotaged our towns and cities in multiple ways as described by Professor Martin Melosi: encouraging urban sprawl, destroying the physical integrity of our urban cores, and by eroding our sense of community. The latter in particular transformed our commitment as city dwellers to our neighbourhoodsthe automobile was a clear vote for personal choice over the interests of the many. On the other side of the coin, cars are seen by many as a force for positive change. They provided an option to (and effectively replaced in some cases) public mass transit. They permitted living much further away from city cores (sprawl, as critics would argue) and allowed automobile owners the ability to access a much wider area with regards to work, recreation and shopping. Cars also are the nexus for countless businesses devoted to servicing automobiles and their drivers. The geographer Gabriel Dupuy observed: The acquisition of an automobile means simultaneously acquiring freedom of movement; having access, under all conditions and circumstances, to a variety of places which are frequently poorly accessed by public transport; maintaining a link with the countryside; transporting small children or the elderly; being able to go off for a week-end; leaving on vacation, carrying skis, pulling a trailer; etc. One might say that the decision to buy a car comes as a result of all these possibilities, providing a kind of insurance for unforeseen elements which might arise in the future. However you view the personal automobile, there can be little argument that they have a monumental effect on urban centres and the people that live in them. Today they remain a vital consideration of any civic transportation plan, in terms of policy and economics. At the same time, there is a powerful argument to be made that personal automobiles have divided us as a population. Richard Florida, a senior editor at The Atlantic, said: Im not trying to blame the car for everything thats wrong in America. But it is increasingly clear that in addition to wasted time and productivity, reduced quality of life, and even fatalities, the automobile takes another toll. It may be that cars are not only the chief destroyer of our communities, but are tearing at the nations political and social fabric. A quick examination of how cars destroy communities reveals a simple need for human beings to connect to one another in a meaningful manner. Research in community psychology points to four major factors that form a foundation upon which community is built: a sense of belonging, having a say, fulfillment, and a shared emotional connection. Personal automobiles undermine all of these factors to varying degrees. While youre in your car, you are physically and emotionally cut off from the people around you. Other drivers often become adversaries; if youre lucky, most of the time theyre just neutral players who follow the rules of the road. Its much easier to take offence at a car that cut you off if the driver is a faceless stranger. It also speaks volumes that when another driver smiles and lets you pull in front of them that you feel its a special moment. We also compete for (and can be terribly frustrated by) parking spaces in our cities. As Ive discussed before, by simply existing, cars create a heavy burden on a citys infrastructure. Real estate that we could use for communal spaces are instead sacrificed in a number of ways to support car traffic. We plan our urban centres around automobiles and their needs. In most cities, cars come first. The loneliness epidemic that were facing is showing no sign of abating. Given that a sense of community is the most obvious prescription for this problem, it doesnt take long for people to wonder what it is we can do to reclaim meaningful connections in our neighbourhoods. Theres no magic bullet solution for restoring our communities beyond what we already know so well. Interpersonal contact and the development of relationships within our neighbourhoods are the cures for what ails us. And for that to happen on a more consistent, more effective basis that means getting out of our cars. We have to stop walling ourselves off from the people whom we see everyday. (We each have at least two neighbourhoodswhere we live, and where we work. Often theyre very far apart, the distance being another function of the freedom that a personal automobile provides.) The very first step that we as individuals can take right now then is to find, wherever possible and practical, alternatives to driving to work alone. If you have to go by car, consider carpooling. You can split the gas money and develop new friendships. But if you can do the first or last mile by foot, bicycle, shared scooter, or rollerblades, youll be travelling in your neighbourhood without being encased in metal and glass. Youll hear and see things you might never have while in a car, and that visceral experience alone brings us closer to the spaces in which we work and live. Riding a scooter or a bike will makes you more accessible to the people around you, which amplifies your opportunities to connect with others. An instance as simple as helping another local unlock an e-bike or e-scooter so they can try them could lead to a valuable connection, and if not, youve at least interacted with someone in your community. There is a tidal wave of changes coming in the transportation space over the next decade. Our cities will be reshaped by these new innovations, as they always have. But if were to live in these urban centres with any degree of fulfillment, we have to accept that much of the responsibility falls to each of us to make an effort to reconnect with the people and spaces around us. The first, most obvious step is to burst the bubbles in which we live, bubbles created by the isolation that comes with car travel. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/01/29/how-do-we-reclaim-our-communities-from-private-automobiles/ |
Does Patriots' Julian Edelman have a shot at Hall of Fame? | ATLANTA When Super Bowl LIII draws to a close Sunday, Julian Edelman is expected to have secured the second most catches in the history of the NFL playoffs, the second highest receiving yardage total in postseason history and if the oddsmakers are correct about the New England Patriots, his third Super Bowl ring in the past five seasons. In the history of the NFL postseason, only San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice has done it better. A fact that has been driven into relevance this week, largely because there are only so many ways you can repackage a New England Patriots franchise that is the Super Bowls answer to chicken the same stories with the same flavor, processed and presented any which way you can. It has led to this: A reaching Julian Edelman Hall of Fame bandwagon that now includes Rice and Boomer Esiason, along with an argument whether postseason stats can (or should) drive a Hall of Fame bid. Scroll to continue with content Ad In what might be a precursor to Edelmans Hall of Fame pitch, there doesnt appear to be a right answer. Just a lot of disagreement about a career that hasnt finished yet. That said, here are the three biggest issues (and a counterargument for each) that voters will attack when it comes to Edelmans candidacy. Julian Edelmans strong postseason is a big reason this phase of the Patriots dynasty continues. (Getty Images) 1. He has never produced at an elite level in the regular season. Story continues Edelman has zero Pro Bowls, zero All-Pros and two 1,000-yard seasons in 10 years. And despite playing his career entirely inside the era of hyper-inflated spread passing offenses, he has produced only 499 catches, 5,390 receiving yards and 30 touchdown receptions. Stats may not mean everything, but Edelmans receiving yardage total is 248th all-time at the moment. 148th. The touchdown reception total doesnt even crack the top 250, which isnt great considering guys like Brandon Lloyd, Jake Reed and Julius Thomas are among a massive clot of players tied at 249th with their 36 career touchdown catches. If Edelman is going to get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame, some voters are going to need to see some sustained statistical dominance in the regular season. Making a Pro Bowl certainly wouldnt hurt. [Ditch the pen and paper on footballs biggest day. Go digital with Squares Pickem!] The counter-argument: The Pittsburgh Steelers Lynn Swann finished his career with 5,462 receiving yards and 51 touchdown catches. It was a far tougher era to play wideout, but if Edelman can play a few more seasons at a high level, he has a shot to put Swann far into his rear-view mirror on some of the stat lists. 2. Edelman isnt the best slot receiver in his era, nor in Patriots or league history. (See: Wes Welker) This argument is basic: Until Welker is in the Hall of Fame, Edelman has no shot. Welker may not have the Super Bowl wins, but he has a claim to having turned the slot receiver position into a staple of NFL offenses. Also, Welker has the high-end regular-season numbers that Edelman lacks, including five Pro Bowls, four All-Pro nods and three seasons in which he led the league in catches. He had some sustained dominance but fell short on Super Bowl rings. The counter-argument: Both players deserve to be in. Welker was the dominant regular-season player who had the bad luck of falling short in Super Bowls (0-3) but legitimized the slot as a marquee NFL position. And Edelman was the dominant postseason player who was a big difference in winning Super Bowls, despite having his regular season undercut by injuries or simply learning the slot position in his first few years. 3. The Is he the best of the best question was posed to me by a Hall of Fame voter. Its a subjective inquiry, but its a very fair one. The Hall of Fame isnt predicated on postseason results. People have held up Kurt Warner or even Terrell Davis as being guys who produced Hall of Fame careers on limited numbers or even largely on playoff performances. Heres the problem with that argument: Both Warner and Davis were unquestionably the most dominant player at their positions in multiple seasons. They also had elite level runs in the regular season and playoffs. As for the shorter careers, Warner arrived to the NFL late, and Davis departed the league early due to injuries, yet theres little question about whether either had some sustained dominance at their position. In their eras, they can certainly be considered the best of the best. Thus far, Edelman cant make that claim outside of the playoffs. The counter-argument: Edelman never had an offense run through him. Warner touched the ball every offensive play for both the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, and had a scheme designed for him to exploit every opportunity. And despite Davis playing alongside John Elway for the Denver Broncos, he still had the offense streamlined through him inside a scheme that maximized the impact of running backs. Meanwhile, Edelman has done his damage inside a Patriots offense that is designed to distribute the ball all over the field actually decentralizing any given weapon. And you can argue the few times the offense was aimed at a given player, it was Randy Moss, Wes Welker or Rob Gronkowski who was gifted the focus of the game plans, not Edelman. In other words, Edelman hasnt required an offense to be run through him to be a great contributor. Thats a snapshot of the Hall of Fame questions awaiting Edelman. Right now, its clear talking to voters that hes not considered a serious contender for enshrinement. And even if presented, a serious argument awaits. But its fair to note this is a fluid conversation that continues this week. One more ring, one more big Super Bowl performance and years left to climb the record books could shape this into a more realistic consideration than it will get anytime soon. More from Yahoo Sports: Report: Trump to make a play on Super Bowl Sunday Lonzo not interested in playing for Pelicans Madden predicts winner of Super Bowl LIII Wetzel: Comics try, mostly fail, to make Bill Belichick laugh | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-julian-edelman-shot-hall-fame-000516799.html?src=rss |
Will the US and China finally agree a trade deal? | Top trade officials from the US and China are meeting in Washington as a deadline to strike a deal approaches. This is the second round of talks since Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Argentina last year and agreed to negotiate in the hope of defusing an escalating tariff war. There is widespread scepticism that the two sides can reach a substantive deal by the 1 March deadline. Recent charges against Huawei have added to the complications. At a press conference this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow made few promises. "Let me just remind people, we do have another 30 days after this so my expectation is we'll make significant progress at these meetings, but I would just emphasize these are complicated issues," Mr Mnuchin said. Last week, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the two sides remained "miles and miles" apart. Mr Trump has long blamed China's rise as an exporter for a loss of manufacturing and other jobs in the US. But the issues facing the two countries are broader than the trade deficit. The US is pressing China to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies and other support. It has also accused the government of supporting technology theft as part of its broader development strategy. The US imposed tariffs on $250bn worth of Chinese goods last year. China retaliated in kind, hitting $110bn of US products with duties. The moves rattled financial markets and contributed to worries about economic slowdown in both countries, especially in China. That has generated pressure for a deal, but it remains uncertain if the two sides will be able to overcome their differences. Chinese officials are resistant to the wholesale changes sought by the US and the charges against Huawei - one of China's biggest and most successful technology firms - have added to the political tensions. Meanwhile, Mr Trump, a self-described "Tariff Man", rejected a previous proposal from Beijing to resolve the dispute with increased purchases of US goods. China has reportedly expanded that offer in recent weeks. And at times, Mr Trump has seemed eager to assure the public that an agreement remains within reach. It would make "so much sense" for China to "finally do a Real Deal", he wrote on Twitter this month. Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump China posts slowest economic numbers since 1990 due to U.S. trade tensions and new policies. Makes so much sense for China to finally do a Real Deal, and stop playing around! If the two sides cannot reach an agreement by 1 March, the US has said it will increase the tariff rate from 10% to 25% on Chinese goods worth an estimated $200bn. Mr Trump has also threatened tariffs on an additional $267bn worth of products. With White House advisors reportedly divided, the focus is on Mr Trump, who is scheduled to meet with Vice Premier Liu He in Washington this week as part of the talks. Image copyright EPA Image caption Economists worry the tariffs will hurt global trade Mr Trump may decide a deal would boost his political standing after a bruising fight with Democrats over border wall funding and the government shutdown. But he could also hope to shore up his base with protectionism. Analysts at Capital Economics said: "We think the two countries may just be able to reach a face-saving agreement to tide them over in the short term and avoid an escalation." For now, odds favour the limited truce lasting a little longer. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47047289 |
Did the federal government really help 1 million Canadians find housing? | Adam Vaughan, a Liberal MP from Toronto who serves as parliamentary secretary to the social development minister, said Tuesday that $5.7 billion spent on affordable housing since 2016 has actually impacted less than 1 million specific addresses not individuals and that some units were counted more than once to reach that tally. OTTAWAThe Liberals pointman on housing admits Justin Trudeaus claim the government has helped 1 million Canadians find an affordable place to live stems from figures that were inflated to rhetorical advantage. Vaughan was explaining statements the prime minister made in the House of Commons this week, in response to criticism from the NDP that the Liberal governments housing plan doesnt build new units fast enough. I mean, obviously weve double counted to rhetorical advantage, but thats how much money is in the system. Thats why its $5.7 billion. Weve done a hell of a lot of stuff. On Monday during question period, Trudeau said in French that federal spending has helped more than 1 million Canadians find affordable housing. He repeated the claim Tuesday, when he said: we have already helped more than almost one million Canadians access homes. What (Trudeau) claimed is just so far from the truth its not even in the realm of whats actually happening, said Singh. Those statements sparked criticism from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who accused the prime minister of misleading Canadians by exaggerating the impact of his governments housing spending. In an interview with the Star, Singh said Trudeaus statements imply affordable housing has been given to 1 million additional Canadians, when government-issued figures from the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) paint a different picture. His numbers are just not real. Theyre wrong. The CMHC figures were published in November to outline the impact of $5.7 billion in federal housing spending since the Liberals first budget in 2016. They say less than 15,000 new affordable housing units have been or will be built with that money, while 156,526 units were slated for repairs. The CMHC also states 776,233 families or individuals benefited from a more affordable place to live a reference to people who receive subsidies to help pay for their housing, Vaughan explained. However, Vaughan said the government doesnt actually know how many individuals are affected by this spending, because it doesnt have statistics for how many people live in each unit constructed, repaired, or targeted with a subsidy. Instead, the CMHC says almost 1 million Canadian families have received housing support a claim Vaughan said is based on specific addresses receiving money. But he said the tally includes some addresses more than once if they receive money for repairs and also for a rent subsidy, Vaughan said. It constitutes support to a million different households, though some of them are double-counted, he said. A government official said on background Tuesday night that a small minority of unitsroughly 22,000 of almost 1 millionwere counted more than once. Housing policy experts, meanwhile, have reacted to the CMHCs statistics with confusion. David Hulchanski, a professor at the University of Toronto, called the figures opaque and confusing and said by email that its still not clear how many more Canadians are receiving help for housing than before the Liberal government came to power. Asked for a more accurate tally of units affected by the federal spending since 2016, a spokesperson for Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos repeated the CMHC figure that 982,099 families or well over a million Canadians have a place to call home. Jeff Morrison, executive director of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Associaiton, said much of the government spending since 2016 is from the renewal of so-called operating agreements to maintain subsidized housing that has been available for years. The Liberal governments signature National Housing Strategy a plan to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing through a combination of federal and provincial spending that amounts to $40 billion over 10 years only started last year, Morrison said, and hasnt yet led to a significant number of new units. Most of this is just stuff they were already doing, he said. Vaughan acknowledged this, but said its important to maintain subsidies and spending for repairs, and that money available for affordable housing would have plummeted if the Liberals did not renew this spending. We have restored those operating agreements and, in doing so, protected affordability for a huge swath of Canadians, he said. Singh, however, accused the Liberals of neglecting the immediate needs of people who cant afford to buy a home or have trouble paying the rent. In recent weeks, Singh has repeatedly underscored the crisis in affordable housing, while New Democrats have attacked the Liberal housing plan in the House of Commons. The party also contends it is a prime concern in Burnaby South, where Singh is competing for his first-ever federal seat in a byelection set for Feb. 25. Earlier this month, Singh pledged an NDP government would build 500,000 new affordable housing units built over the next decade. This would be done by removing federal sales tax on new buildings that include affordable units, send subsidies to people who spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, and double the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers to $1,500. The party says the tax credit boost would cost $120 million per year, while the sales tax incentive could cost roughly $125 million, depending on pickup in the private sector. Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics. Follow him on Twitter: @aballinga | https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/01/29/did-the-federal-government-really-help-1-million-canadians-find-housing.html |
How much is my house worth in Durham? | About 110,000 letters are being mailed to Durham County taxpayers this week, telling them what the government says their property is worth. Its too soon to tell how the new tax values will affect tax bills. You may end up paying more in property taxes as a result of the tax assessments, but you may also pay less. The Durham City Council and the Durham County Board of Commissioners will set their property tax rates in June for the coming fiscal year, and tax bills will be sent out later this summer. The state requires counties to do reappraisals every eight years. Durham Countys last appraisal was three years ago, but the county is doing it again now to help ensure the countys tax burden is distributed equitably based on current property values, according to the tax administration office. If a property value is changing a lot in one area but not another area, then the tax burden is skewed, without frequent reappraisals, said Teresa Hairston, interim Durham County tax administrator. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. How it works For the past two years, tax appraisers have visited every property in Durham County and evaluated the market rate, including by looking at nearby home sales. The purpose of reappraisal is to reset property at its market value, the most probable price a property could be sold for, Hairston said. Tax assessors have reviewed 12,000 property sales over the past two years. Hairston said most neighborhoods in Durham are dense enough to compare sale prices of similar-sized homes nearby, but in rural areas they have to look in a wider area for comparisons. Theres no way of knowing, Haiston said. We cant tell somebody exactly how much, because the bill is based on the rate and the value, she said. What were looking at is the value of the property. The tax rate is a function of the governing bodies. The city and county will set their tax rates after holding public hearing and taking final votes on their budgets in June. If you live in the city, you pay both city and county taxes. The biggest change in Durham has occurred downtown, but Hairston didnt have comparisons yet of how much property values increased there versus elsewhere. Of course we all know the downtown area has had significant growth, so of course the values there have changed, she said. Downtown growth helped the city avoid a tax increase last year, though the county raised its tax rate. SHARE COPY LINK Over the next few years, redevelopment in downtown Durham will reshape the skyline and add hundreds of office, retail and living spaces to the Bull City. If you disagree with your newtax value, you can appeal it. If youre comparing your house to your neighbors house, youve got to make sure they are comparable properties, Hairston said. You can appeal by bringing tax assessors photographs and other information about issues with your house, like foundation problems or work that needs to be done. Hairston said the tax value letters include information about setting up a meeting, if property owners want one, with an appraiser between Feb. 18 and March 1 to review their assessment. A lot of people will look at the their tax value and say, This cant be right ... and they can compare sale prices right there in their neighborhood, Haiston said. Bills will go out in late July and early August, and are due Sept. 1, but you have until Jan. 5, 2020 to pay it without incurring interest. 2023. | https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article225176395.html |
Will Amazon.com's Record-Breaking Holiday Sales Lead to Better-Than-Expected Results? | It was a busy year for Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) in 2018. The company hit a number of impressive milestones, including briefly topping a $1 trillion market cap before being hit by the year-end correction. Amazon made headway in a number of promising areas of its business and made impressive inroads into others. The strength of the company's underlying operations propelled its stock to new heights, and Amazon trounced the broader market, gaining more than 28% compared with a 6% loss by the S&P 500. Amazon is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter results after the market close on Thursday, Jan. 31. Let's look back at its third quarter and review some recent developments for any insight into the company's earnings. A tractor trailer truck with the Amazon Prime logo on the trailer. More Image source: Amazon. For the third quarter, Amazon's revenue grew 29% year over year to nearly $56.6 billion while earnings per share surged more than 10X to reach $5.75. Revenue came in just shy of analysts' consensus estimates of $57 billion, while profits soared past expectations of $3.10 per share. Amazon saw strength across all its operating segments. Operating margins improved across the board, and while the international segment has yet to reach profitability, operating loss margins improved from a negative 6.8% in the prior-year quarter to negative 2.5%. Operating margins in North American soared more than 13-fold year over year from 0.4% to 5.9%. Amazon Web Services also boasted improvement, climbing from 25% of sales in the year-ago period to 31%. These impressive gains in operating margins all contributed to the company's soaring profitability. The company revealed that Amazon Business, its business-to-business platform, had achieved a run rate of more than $10 billion per year, and listed a host of impressive statistics regarding the number of Fortune 500 companies, local governments, hospitals, and educational institutions that make up its customer base. Another segment that is quickly coming into focus for Amazon is its advertising business. The company has reported triple-digit growth in each of the past three quarters, and is expected to top $10 billion in revenue for 2018. Current events One of the biggest contributors to the upcoming results will be the holiday shopping season. Just before the sun set on 2018, Amazon reported that it had seen a record-breaking holiday season, selling more items worldwide than ever before. The company also shared a few metrics regarding the results. Amazon said that voice-controlled shopping with Alexa more than tripled from the same time last year, and that millions of Prime members used Alexa for such purchases. The company also said that tens of millions of customers globally started a free trial or paid membership with Prime, and that Amazon shipped more than 1 billion items free to Prime subscribers. In addition, the company sold millions more Amazon-branded devices during the holidays compared to a year ago. The biggest sellers were the newest edition of the Echo Dot, the 4K Fire TV stick with Alexa remote, and its top-of-the-line Echo smart speaker. The holidays weren't the only contributor that could boost the company's results. | https://news.yahoo.com/amazon-com-apos-record-breaking-022000611.html |
Is The Trade Desk a Buy? | The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) has been one of the best-performing stocks on the market since its 2016 IPO. Shares of the digital ad-buying specialist have jumped 164% over the last year and are up 350% since their September 2016 debut, as the chart below shows. TTD Chart More TTD data by YCharts The company has benefited from a burgeoning wave in digital advertising as Alphabet and Facebook have built some of the biggest businesses in the world on the power of online ads. At the other end of that equation, thousands of businesses and advertisers are trying to successfully market their products, and their ad agencies turn to The Trade Desk to manage and optimize their digital ad campaigns and spending, which has driven the company's rapid growth. Unlike some other tech stocks, The Trade Desk is highly profitable, with a profit margin of 23% through the first three quarters of 2018 and a net income of $48.7 million. The company is also putting up blockbuster top-line growth, with revenue up 54% through the first three quarters. While those numbers and the stock's track record make the stock look appealing, past performance is not a guarantee of future success. Let's take a closer look at where Trade Desk stands today to determine if it's a buy. A digital ad on a sidewalk More Image source: Getty Images. Impressive momentum As the numbers above show, The Trade Desk has been growing briskly, both on the top and bottom lines. After the stock surged on two consecutive earnings reports, shares have been volatile in recent months due in part to the market turbulence. However, The Trade Desk continues to raise the bar, hiking its guidance in each of the last three quarters. The stock trades at a P/E of 56 based on this year's expected earnings per share (EPS), and though that valuation is high, it seems more than justified by the growth ahead in the digital ad market. According to International Data Corporation, global digital advertising spending is expected to grow from $229 billion in 2017 to $360 billion in 2021, making up nearly half of the total advertising market. Though the pace of growth is expected to slow, the primacy of digital advertising should help drive more customers on to The Trade Desk's platform. Competitive advantages | https://news.yahoo.com/trade-desk-buy-023200275.html |
Could Netflix's Marvel Cancellations Help The Defenders Meet The Avengers? | Last year, Netflix surprised audiences and show runners alike by axing Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil from their service. Additionally, rumors now abound that the two remaining Netflix-Marvel shows dont have much longer either. While Danny Rands adventures never quite took off, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher all met overwhelming popularity and critical support. So needless to say, these developments hit longtime Marvel fans hard. However, for those committed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as a whole, this might just spell out a new sliver of hope. To understand, lets take a step back. Before the release of Avengers: Infinity War, The Russo Brothers, the films directors, announced that they were considering as many as 67 major characters for the massive ensemble. Now its important to know that Marvel Television for years has insisted that its shows take place in the same interconnected universe as the movies. Given this, as fans flew into a frenzy to list out the 67 potential characters, many placed The Defenders, that is, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Jessica Jones, and Matt Murdock, at the top of their wish lists. Well, the film came and went. And while the movie was beloved by fans the world over, it did not feature any of the Netflix heroes. But, as it so happens, that was not always the case. Here we are in New York That kind of stuff. As you could probably tell, it would be just a glorified cameo at this point. Cameo or not, this proves the films writers did seriously consider bringing in The Defenders. Well, a big part of it was the logistical dilemma behind it all. As Christopher Markus, the other screenwriter, explained, A lot of it is a pace thing, in that we have to have this thing done so much ahead of time, that they might get all the way through that Defenders show before we start shooting, or certainly before anything comes out. So we dont know where theyre going to be. Its very hard, even logistically, to keep even the movie characters synced up; its nearly impossible, given the speed that TV cranks out changes. Essentially, the people behind Infinity War worried that they could not keep up with the speed with which television operates. The script for a massive film like this would need to be finalized years before the movie saw a theatrical release. In that time, there could be as many as three new seasons of the Defenders adventures. Due to this discrepancy in production schedules, it would be logistically impossible to bring the television characters onto the big screen while keeping them true to where their individual stories most recently left them in terms of character development. The writers simply could not keep up. But now, this has suddenly become a non-issue. Say the writing team of Avengers 5 writes Daredevil into their script and has him defend New York alongside Spider-Man. Well, even if the project takes two years to get from script to screen, the delay will not harm Matt Murdocks character because Daredevil, legally, will have no other adventures of his own in the interim. Netflixs cancellation, and the two year stipulation that comes with it, has effectively frozen The Defenders in time, and now Marvel Studios is free to work with them on their schedule. The answer likely pivots around something called Disney+. The Walt Disney Company, owner of Marvel, has long been developing their own streaming service, Disney+, to compete with Netflix. The service, due to drop this year, is carefully piling up must-see content such as Star Wars shows, animated Disney classics, and much more. Make no mistake, Disney+ is a serious competitor and Netflix is justified in being wary. Netflixs cancellation of the Marvel shows, then, is just part of their business strategy. Disney+ has already announced that their platform will feature original Marvel content starring popular characters such as Loki and Scarlet Witch. Now this is tricky, because while Netflixs Marvel shows, if continued, would still be on their platform, the Marvel logo could inadvertently serve as free advertising for the Marvel content over on Disney+. And as the latter platform will surely have more Marvel content than Netflix, the reminder may be enough to drive audiences to switch over. Netflix, wisely, isnt willing to take that risk. So yes, this interesting coincidence of business strategy may have solved the logistics behind bringing The Defenders onto the big screen, but there are still other obstacles in the way. Firstly, the Avengers films are already overflowing with characters, and as the cast keeps growing, theres just not much space to bring in our television stars. Secondly, The Defenders are overseen by Marvel Television while The Avengers are overseen by Marvel Studios. Though these are two arms of the same company, they have historically not been able to play nice. This bit of politics, more than anything else, might effectively stop any hopes of a crossover before pen hits paper. Nevertheless, Marvel President Kevin Feige has hinted that a crossover like this is a possibility somewhere in the future. While all parties sound vague about when we can expect to see this crossover, at least now the Netflix cancellations allow us to hold on to a new sliver of hope. Marvel Televisions latest show, The Punisher, is now available on Netflix. Marvel Studios next film, Captain Marvel, hits theaters March 8, 2019. The film stars Brie Larson, Jude Law, and Samuel L. Jackson. It is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. For more thoughts on superheroes and the entertainment industry, see the rest of my articles, follow me on Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/anharkarim/2019/01/30/could-netflixs-marvel-cancellations-help-the-defenders-meet-the-avengers/ |
Is Radeon VII Really Beating Nvidia's RTX 2080 In Leaked Benchmarks? | AMD's newest graphics card -- and the first 7nm consumer gaming GPU -- is launching in one week. AMD has positioned the Radeon VII to compete squarely against Nvidia's similarly priced RTX 2080. But new leaked 3DMark benchmarks are showing the Radeon VII blowing past the RTX 2080. Let's examine these leaks more closely and see if we can figure out what's going on. AMD is in the process of seeding Radeon VII review samples to press, and some may have already received the cards (I have not, although I am expecting one). By default, 3DMark records and uploads scores even if the software can't identify the GPU, which is definitely the case here because the Radeon VII hasn't been publicly launched. To bring you up to speed: Twitter user TUM_APISAK (via WCCFTech) posted a series of alleged early benchmark scores for the Radeon VII using the popular 3DMark suite. He included graphics scores only for Fire Strike, Fire Strike Extreme, Fire Strike Ultra and Time Spy. The Radeon VII was paired with an AMD Ryzen 2700X processor. Here are those scores: Fire Strike (1080p): 27400 Fire Strike Extreme (1440p): 13400 Fire Strike Ultimate (4K) 6800 Time Spy: 8700 For reference, I found a similar Fire Strike result for the Radeon VII here. It shows the overall score as being 19210. By comparison, here's a Fire Strike result with Nvidia's RTX 2080 and an Intel Core i7-8700K. You'll notice that the overall score, which takes physics and graphics into consideration, is 25927. That puts Nvidia ahead by more than 30%. When isolating the graphics scores for these results, Nvidia still leads by about 15%. These are 1080p tests, though. And both of these cards are designed to excel at 1440p and 4K. So let's see what happens when we pit the Radeon VII and RTX 2080 against each other in Fire Strike Ultra. According to these early leaks, the Radeon VII posts a Fire Strike Ultra graphics score of 6800. Nvidia's RTX 2080 scores in the 6400 range, giving AMD a slight edge. You can bet that edge is partially attributed to the Radeon VII's 16GB of HBM2 memory. The answer is: it depends. Because official drivers normally deliver a notable uplift in performance. A press driver was supplied by AMD on January 22, but that doesn't mean press is dealing with launch drivers. These scores may or may not improve significantly. One can assume AMD would not supply press drivers for the purpose of a review, only to later deliver an updated launch driver that boosted performance. It would unnecessarily cast a poor light on the card. Then again, in my history review GPUs, both AMD and Nvidia have delivered a launch driver very late in the review process and asked press (politely) to run all their benchmarks again. So take that for what it's worth. Second, we don't know if the Radeon VII was overclocked and that counts for something. My takeaway is that this is probably a reliable snapshot of the Radeon VII's competitive capability against the RTX 2080, but only in very general terms. Real-world gaming performance is always the most important measurement, and those results could vary wildly. This race is still too close to call. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2019/01/30/is-radeon-vii-really-beating-nvidias-rtx-2080-in-leaked-benchmarks/ |
Can a boat made of flip-flops stop us using so much plastic? | Three years ago a group of Kenyans on the island of Lamu organised a beach cleanup, collecting more than 30 tonnes of plastic waste. Out of that rubbish was seven tonnes of flip-flops. Those shoes now form part of the Flipflopi, the worlds first dhow (traditional sailing boat) to be made entirely out of discarded plastic. The rainbow-coloured boat, which was designed by an academic from Northumbria Universitys School of Design, set off on its 500km maiden voyage from the Lamu archipelago on 24 January, and is expected to reach Zanzibar, Tanzania on 7 February. To find the best way to process and shape the material for the dhow, the team drew on academic expertise. Simon Scott-Harden, a senior lecturer in design for industry at Northumbria University, helped process the materials in a way that could be reused and repurposed. Thats the key message, says Scott-Harden. Plastic is great but we need to look after it and work out ways of giving it a second life. Were desperately keen to show that this is a global problem that everybody in the world should be responsible for. To save the rainforest, we need to work with the palm oil industry | Jennifer Lucey Read more The boat was made by a team of Lamu builders, who melted, shaped and carved the plastic exactly as they would with wood. They moulded more than 25 tonnes of melted plastic into parts of the boat, and also used more than 200,000 discarded flip-flops. The Flipflopi project has always been about encouraging change in a positive way, making people smile first and then sharing the very simple message that single-use plastics really dont make sense, says Flipflopi project founder Ben Morison, a Kenyan travel expert who spent much of his childhood there. Kenya introduced the worlds toughest plastic bag ban in 2017 but change in habits still takes time, and much of the waste ending up on its shores comes from Asia. The plastic problem has never been more acute. Plastic has been discovered at the deepest point on Earth and in the stomachs of deep sea creatures. Microplastics have been found in the remote Swiss mountains and in our tap water. The UN estimates by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, with some 12m tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year equivalent to a rubbish truck-full every minute. Its going to take a generation to make a change, but action needs to be taken. And through education, most departments will be on course to teaching some form of environmental issues, says Scott-Harden. Academics have been chugging away at the issue for years, notably from the early 90s, when researchers found 60-80% of the waste in the ocean was non-biodegradable plastic. Years later, in 2004, University of Plymouth oceanographer Richard Thompson coined the term microplastics to describe the billions of miniscule bits of plastic found in our oceans. The Flipflopi project is just one of a number of innovative projects raising awareness of the plastic issue, with a growing number of academics becoming involved. Scott-Harden thinks that collaboration is vital to change mindsets. Projects like this can galvanise cross-faculty partnerships like Ive not really seen before, he says. Read more Over the past few years, researchers at the University of Bath have partnered with Goa Engineering College in India to look at using discarded plastic waste in concrete instead of sand. The research released in December found replacing sand with similarly sized and shaped plastic particles from ground-up plastic bottles produced a mixture almost as strong as conventional concrete, which could help reduce Indias high levels of plastic pollution. It is really a viable material for use in some areas of construction that might help us tackle issues of not being able to recycle the plastic and meeting a demand for sand, researcher John Orr said. Last summer, University of Exeter research student Emily Duncan took part in an all-female expedition involving photographers, filmmakers and women from other fields sailing across the Pacific to learn more about plastic pollution. An expert on the impact of plastics on marine turtles, Duncan was running the science part of the programme, collaborating with researchers in Hawaii and Vancouver the stops on the first leg. I dont think were going to be able to solve this issue using just one group of expertise. We all have a role to play in this issue. Thats why public awareness is increasing, because everyone can do their bit, and to solve the problem were going to need to put all of our heads together, says Duncan. Were just at the tip of the iceberg at the moment about whats potentially going on. Its important for research to carry on into all different aspects of it. | https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/30/can-a-boat-made-of-flip-flops-stop-us-using-so-much-plastic |
What is an amendment? | PA There were some important votes in Parliament last night that were all to do with something called amendments There were some important Brexit votes in Parliament on Tuesday night, which were all to do with something called amendments. An amendment is part of the process of making UK laws, when politicians can suggest changes to an idea for a new law. Once a new law has been put forward in the Houses of Parliament (a bill), this idea goes through various steps before it can become part of the law. During this process, politicians are given the chance to suggest changes to it. These are called amendments. This happens at the committee stage of making a new law. For amendments to be accepted, they need to be voted for by both Houses of Parliament - that is, the House of Commons (where elected MPs work) and the House of Lords (where non-elected politicians work as part of the law-making process). The committee will prepare a report (this is called the report stage) which outlines the amendments it's suggesting. If these changes are voted through, then the bill will pass through the final stages of approval - with its amendments included - before it can become law. On Tuesday night, there were two significant votes. In one, MPs in the House of Commons voted in favour of an amendment that made it clear they didn't think the UK should have a no deal Brexit. Following that vote, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to meet Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss what Parliament should do. However, the law currently says that the UK is leaving the EU on 29 March, so something would need to legally change to stop this from happening if a deal isn't in place by then. PA This is the second page of three pages of the Article 50 bill, which started the Brexit process MPs also voted in favour of amending part of Theresa May's Brexit deal called the Irish border backstop. This was called the Brady amendment as it was put forward by a Conservative politician called Sir Graham Brady. This is part of her deal that explains how the border between Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (to remain in the European Union (EU) will work once the UK has left the EU. A lot of people were not happy with this part of the deal. Critics said it left Northern Ireland needing to follow more EU rules than the rest of the UK. Many also worried it could cause conflict across the border, after an important deal called the Good Friday Agreement brought peace to those living either side of it. It could also cause a 'hard border' with checks and high security in place, which a lot of people don't want. PA What happens to the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit has caused a lot of discussion between MPs Now these votes have happened, Prime Minister Theresa May is set to go back to EU leaders to try to renegotiate this part of the deal to a version that Parliament is happier with - and will approve. But various EU leaders have suggested that this part of the deal can not be changed though, so we will have to wait to see what happens next. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47053575 |
Which British county is the best at football by points earned? | Plus: revealing all the countries watching the Premier League and footballers with pets named after other players. Was just chatting to some colleagues in the kitchen at work about why Essex doesnt have many big football clubs and it got me thinking, tweets BoxBorn. If you combined all the points from every league team in the ceremonial counties in England, which county would be on top? This weeks badges of honour go to Ian Robson and Robert Hickman, who have crunched the numbers lots and lots of numbers so we dont have to! Lets start with Ian Robson, who has worked out the County Championship for the 2018-19 season. Here are the top five counties in terms of overall points 1. Greater London 388 (11 teams, avge 35.27 per team) 2. Greater Manchester 273 (7 teams, avge 39) 3. Lancashire 246 (7 teams, avge 35.14) 4. West Midlands 237 (6 teams, avge 39.5) 5. South Yorkshire 212 (5 teams, avge 42.4) And heres the top five in terms of average points per team (all counties have only one team). 1. Bedfordshire 59 2. Norfolk 54 3. Cumbria 51 4. North Yorkshire 47 5. Derbyshire 46 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Luton Town: pride of Bedfordshire. Photograph: Glenn Sparkes/Frozen in Motion/REX/Shutterstock Ian has also noted the key findings of his work so we dont have to! The leading county, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Greater London, with a whopping 388 points from 11 teams. Thats an average of 35.3 points per team. This is followed by Greater Manchester with 273 points from seven teams, Lancashire with 246 points from seven teams, and the West Midlands with 237 from six teams. However, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands both have much better average points per team than Greater London, with 39 and 39.5 respectively. In fact, of the counties with more than one team, only three have worse averages than Greater London, suggesting it has gained first place through sheer numbers alone. The best county overall is Bedfordshire, whose sole representative, Luton Town, are currently top of League One with 59 points. The worst county overall is Suffolk, for whom Ipswich Town have a measly 18 points. Of the counties with more than one team, Lincolnshire has the best average, with 135 points from three teams giving an average of 45 points per team. Of the counties with more than one team, West Yorkshire is the worst (despite Leeds United currently topping the Championship), with just 96 points from three teams giving an average of 32 points per team. West Glamorgan are kings of Wales, with Swansea City on 40 points. Gwent is a close second thanks to Newport Countys 39 points, while South Glamorgans Cardiff City languish on 19. Ten English counties have no representatives in the Football League: City of London, Cornwall, County Durham, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Northumberland, Rutland, Surrey, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Robert Hickman, meanwhile, has compiled an overall league table since the dawn of the Football League in 1888. Our head hurts. UN-believable, Jeff The Premier League reaches viewers in 185 countries, begins Matthew Atkinson. The United Nations recognises 193 countries with two observer members. Do Premier League broadcasts recognise any nations the UN does not? According to the Premier League website, I think I can see where it has got its 185 countries from, begins James Clarke, stepping up to the plate. This would be including the observer nations, since I get to 184 full members; but throwing in the Vatican (which has coverage, obviously) takes it up to 185. So the 10 countries recognised (or partially-recognised) by the UN, but without an official Premier League broadcaster, according to the Leagues website, are: Afghanistan, Bolivia, Guyana, Liechtenstein, Nepal, North Korea, Palestine, Paraguay, Suriname and Timor-Leste. But from some Googling around I think it is doing itself a disservice with this. Most obviously, ESPN seems to broadcast Premier League matches in Bolivia and Paraguay, so I dont know how that got missed. Nepal would be able to get coverage through the Indian sports channels which would be readily available in a satellite subscription; ditto Liechtenstein through the Swiss channels. And Im sure similar situations for some of those other countries. As for non-UN countries with coverage: pretty much all of them. The website includes loads of sort-of countries, mostly overseas territories of UK/US/Australia/Netherlands/France etc, plus a few of the more interesting contentious cases. But nearly all covered through non-local broadcasters, eg: theres essentially a single broadcaster for all the Caribbean regardless of whether youre in a real country or not. Photograph: Andrew Medichini/AP Pets named after players My best mate (lifelong Wycombe fan) recently named his cat Bayo after Adebayo Akinfenwa, writes Rich Booth. Have any professional footballers or famous personalities got pets named after other professional footballers? Proving that hes the Goat for some, Yoga Cholandha kicks things off: Iscos labrador is named after Leo Messi. He said in 2013: Messi is the best in the world and so is my dog. Then theres Santi Cazorla, who revealed in 2016 that one of his three dogs was called Zlatan I named it for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Knowledge archive With all the talk of upcoming TV rights deals, it got me wondering: what is the strangest host broadcaster of a football match? wondered Kath Taylor in 2012. You can watch football on social media and you could even have thrilled to Netherlands 2-1 Albania in 2006 on this very site. But in September 2007, you could have caught Fiorentina on the Italian adult channel ContoTV for 5 up front or 10 on the night. Yes, we are a porn broadcaster, said executive Marco Crispino after securing an exclusive deal to broadcast the Violas Uefa Cup game against Groningen. OK, Sky dont show porn but then thats their problem, not ours. Italians like their hardcore. There was a thrilling climax to the game too: Fiorentina won 4-3 on penalties. For thousands more questions and answers look through our archive. I was listening to the BBCs World Football podcast recently where Pat Nevin shares the surprise news that he and Terry Butcher are cousins, reports Michael Fryer. Does anyone know of any other cousins who played for different countries? Martin Tyler commentated on the FA Cup third-round replay between Southampton and Derby, notes Patrick Tarbox. Tyler was assistant manager for Woking against Watford earlier in the round. How many other instances are there of a cup participant (player, coach, referee) also working a live commentary in the same round? Is there a specific reason Old Trafford hosted so few FA Cup semis prior to 1996? inquires Patrick Walton. For such a historically large ground to only be first pick three times in 50 years seems odd. Email your questions and answers to [email protected] or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU. | https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jan/30/which-british-county-is-the-best-at-football-by-points-earned |
How Can An Overturned Train Lead To Better Earthquake Hazard Predictions? | A new study uses a train knocked over in 1906 to check the accuracy of modern earthquake simulations. The study models how much the ground has to shake in order to knock over a narrow gauge locomotive sitting on the tracks -- which is exactly what happened on a side track near Point Reyes Station, north of San Francisco, when a massive earthquake struck San Francisco on the morning of Wednesday, April 18, 1906. According to eyewitnesses, the conductor had just climbed back aboard the train after refueling. "[T]he train gave a great lurch to the east, followed by another to the west, which threw the whole train on its side," said one bystander. "The astonished conductor dropped off as it went over, and atthe sight of the falling chimneys and breaking windows of the station, he understood that it was the Tremblor." The fireman, whose job it was to tend the fire that drove the locomotive's powerful steam engine, took a photograph of the train lying on its side, giving us a more detailed look at how it fell. Caltech geophysicist Swetha Veeraraghavan and her colleagues used all that information, along with records of the size and weight of the locomotive, to simulate how much (and in what direction) the ground would have to shake to make the train fall over in exactly the way the witnesses and the photo say it did. They even accounted for the fact that the train, because it was sitting on rails, couldn't actually slide from side to side across the ground if it was pushed in that direction. Geophysicists have already used detailed computer simulations to model the effects of the 1906 quake, based on what we already know about how seismic waves move through the Earth's crust and the composition of the ground under northern California. Those simulations suggest how much the ground might have moved at specific locations around the Bay Area, what the quake might have felt like, and how much damage it should have done to buildings and roads. That's not mere historical triva -- understanding how a major earthquake like the 1906 disaster impacts different areas can help modern disaster planners prepare buildings, infrastructure, and people for the next big quake. Because so much is riding on those simulations, it's important for disaster planners and scientists to know how accurate they are. That's where the overturned train comes in handy. The best way to "sanity check" (as Veeraraghavan and her colleagues put it in their paper) simulations is by checking how well those simulations match what actually happened on the ground in April 1906. But chances to fact-check are few and far between, because today's network of seismic monitoring stations wasn't in place yet. The closest records of ground motion during the 1906 quake came from a station 35km (21.7 miles) from the San Andreas Fault, whose rupture shook the ground that morning -- and which still threatens the West Coast. "With the limited availability of ground motion records for large earthquakes, these eyewitness observations become critical data points that lend credibility to these large earthquake simulations," said Veeraraghavan in a statement to the press. Veeraraghavan and her colleagues used their virtual model train -- which they represented as a long rectangle 3.76m (12.34 feet) tall and 0.91m (2.99 feet) wide, because physicists love working with simple shapes -- to calculate how fast the ground beneath the train moved (its velocity), and how quickly it changed velocity as the seismic waves passed through it (its acceleration) in order to topple the train and have it land the way it did. They compared those results with the predictions of three computer simulations of the quake, carried out in a 2008 study -- and it turned out that all three simulations could have knocked the train over exactly as it actually fell. That means the simulations being used to model the 1906 quake, and predict the effects of future big ones, are accurate -- which is good news for disaster planners and Bay Area residents. And the train also agrees with the 2008 computer models about the underground center, or hypocenter, of the quake. In order for the locomotive to tip east before falling to the west, Veeraraghavan and her colleagues say, the quake must have been centered somewhere south of Point Reyes, perhaps off the coast of San Francisco and San Juan Bautista. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2019/01/30/how-can-an-overturned-train-lead-to-better-earthquake-hazard-predictions/ |
Can AltSchoolThe Edtech Startup With $174M From Billionaires Like Zuckerberg And ThielSave Itself From Failure? | W e might not be around in five years, says Max Ventilla, AltSchools 38-year-old cofounder and CEO, as the two publicists minding our interview cringe. Dont put that in your article, says AltSchools communications director, Maggie Quale, while a young woman from Rubenstein, the giant New York-based corporate PR firm, sits in awkward silence. Were two intense hours into an interview in a stuffy, glass-paned meeting room in a former 24 Hour Fitness that is now home to one of AltSchools two small private schools in San Francisco for grades pre-K through 8. Ventilla, who left Google to launch AltSchool in 2013, has spent $30 million annually over the last several years while trying to find steady footing for his for-profit education startup, which runs four schools; the other two are in New York City. AltSchools 240 students, including two of Ventillas childrenLeonardo, 5, and Sabine, 7are guinea pigs for a software platform that AltSchool is attempting to sell to hundreds of schools both private and public. So far it has 28 customers. Revenue in 2018 was $7 million. Our whole strategy is to spend more than we make, he says. Since software is expensive to develop and cheap to distribute, the losses, he believes, will turn into steep profits once AltSchool refines its product and lands enough customers. AltSchools CEO and cofounder Max Ventilla. Timothy Archibald But as Ventilla admits when he lets his guard down, reaching profitability will be quite a stretch. The story of how AltSchool arrived at this pointburning cash in a failed attempt to create a profitable private-school network and fighting to sell an expensive edtech product in a crowded fieldshows that the best intentions, an impressive career in tech and an excess of Silicon Valley money and enthusiasm dont easily translate into success in a tradition-bound marketplace where budgets are tight. Ventilla, wearing jeans, scuffed black leather slip-ons, a faded polo shirt with AltSchools logo and a black fleece jacket, has been able to hemorrhage cash because, as he has it, Im good at telling AltSchools story and Im good at raising money early. So good that he has raised $174 million in venture capital at a $440 million valuation, according to PitchBook, more than almost any other startup working on K-12 education. That sum includes a personal investment of more than $15 million from Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Zuckerberg initiated two hours-long one-on-one meetings with Ventilla in late 2014, when AltSchool was only 18 months old. Hes very detail-oriented, and he likes to drill down, Ventilla says of Zuckerberg. Its easy to see how Ventilla would appeal to tech billionaires and their investment vehicles, including Laurene Powell Jobs Emerson Collective, Pierre Omidyars Omidyar Network, Peter Thiels Founders Fund and Marc Andreessens Andreessen Horowitz, all of which have become AltSchool backers on the strength of his high-minded pitch. Our mission has always been to make the best education the most available, he says. Students shouldnt just be cogs in a wheel. They should be agents of their own goals. (None of the five billionaires responded to requests for comment.) B efore starting AltSchool, Ventilla says, he read two dozen books on education and emerged a fan of Sir Ken Robinson, a British TED Talk speaker known for lamenting the dearth of creativity in early education, and Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and the winner of a MacArthur genius grant who has written about the need for children to cultivate grit. The quality of primary and secondary education in America, stuck in an industrial-age model, has been in steady decline for the last century, says Ventilla, citing the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, a worldwide test of reading, math and science ability in which U.S. 15-year-olds ranked 38th out of 71 countries. The factory model in a non-factory world disengages kids, he says. AltSchools solution: Foster in children the development of an internal compass so that as things are changing around them more rapidly, they can always reorient. Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images To do this, AltSchool adopted an educational philosophy backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Emerson Collective and by Zuckerberg in his much-publicized letter to his oldest daughter, Maxima, born in 2015, a year after his meeting with Ventilla. Known variously as personalized learning, learner-centric learning and competency-based learning, the philosophy argues against the traditional model of an all-knowing teacher dictating from the head of the class, sometimes called the sage on the stage approach, where students are expected to progress as a group. Instead children, together with teachers, set individual goals, explore areas that most interest them within a defined curriculum and trade lots of feedback along the way. The technology piece of personalized learning is the most controversial. No one wants students to sit in front of screens all day doing math drills with software driven by artificial intelligence. At AltSchool, Ventilla proposed developing a software platform that would make it efficient and easy for teachers to customize assignments, assess performance and communicate with administrators and parents. He calls AltSchools private schools lab schools, where teachers try various approaches on students while working closely with a staff of engineers, many of whom were hired away from Google, Apple and Facebook. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg But he learned quickly that education is a much tougher nut to crack than search engines. Early on, he had a big plan to expand into Chicago, and he was working on an idea to franchise a network of AltSchools across the country. But in 2016, he ditched both possibilities. Altogether he started nine schools in San Francisco, Palo Alto and New York. By the end of 2018, he had closed five of them, including the one in Palo Alto, with its 62 students. (Ventilla says most students from the shuttered AltSchools in San Francisco and New York transferred to other campuses.) With tuition starting at $26,000, which is expensive but still lower than many Bay Area private schools, none of the locations were paying for themselves. Ventilla says schools tested different models. One San Francisco location had a single room and 32 students in grades 6 through 8, a setup that died when the school closed. He says he made it clear to parents that the schools were experimental and might remain open for only a short time. We were doing a lot of iterating and learning, he says. He also abandoned experiments like setting up four cameras per classroom to film students interacting with teachers. He had read a Gates-funded study that recommended videotaping. Teachers used the cameras for two years before Ventilla put a kibosh on the project. It didnt really make sense when you thought about the cost to maintain the system, he says. Other bigger expenses made even less sense. Because none of the properties had been designed as schools, unexpected problems surfaced, says Carolyn Wilson, AltSchools former director of education. What ate our lunch more than anything was doing real estate retrofits, she says. At one of the schools in San Francisco, the toilets kept backing up. None of the locations had playgrounds or gyms, so AltSchool took children to city parks. In one San Francisco park frequented by the homeless, human feces presented a problem. To ensure students safety, AltSchool hired Mike Ginty, the former head of global security at Uber. (Today, AltSchool has worked out secure arrangements with a combination of public parks and private facilities, like a YMCA in Manhattan.) In 2016 Ventilla decided the most cost-effective way to realize his vision was to put the schools on the back burner and focus on the software platform and selling it to customers he calls partners. Those schools would give feedback to his engineers, who could further hone the product. He is betting that he will find massive numbers of school leaders ready to embrace personalized learning and pay AltSchools steep fees. But a half-dozen other companies, including Schoology, Moodle, Blackboard and Canvas, offer so-called learning management systems that also claim to facilitate personalized learning. Canvas, based in Salt Lake City, bills itself as the market leader with thousands of customers, and has both a free product and a customized version for an annual cost per student of $10 or less. Ryan Anson/Bloomberg By contrast, AltSchools charges work out to $100 to $150 per student per year. From what Ive heard talking to administrators and educators, $150 per kid feels like a prohibitive price point, says Tony Wan, managing editor of EdSurge, a media company in Burlingame, California, that covers educational technology. Who can afford that? Ventilla brushes off the naysayers. The name of the game is always scale, he says, predicting that AltSchools software price will fall as low as $50 per student. AltSchool has also been building open education-curriculum software into its product, including math and English lessons that meet state standards, and its software gives automated prompts to teachers that can improve their performance. Were not just selling software, he says. Were selling a replacement for the curriculum schools have to buy. Were selling professional development. Those are big numbers for schools, many times what AltSchool is charging now. V entilla himself was not educated this way. The son of Hungarian immigrants, he grew up with his sister and parents in a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattans Upper East Side. His father, a filmmaker in Hungary, scraped by as a sculptor and illustrator. His mother taught business courses to Columbia University undergrads and was the family breadwinner. A gifted child, he won a scholarship to Buckley, a private Manhattan boys school with a traditional approach where Donald Trump Jr. had been a student. He went on to Andover and Yale on scholarship and was admitted to the Yale School of Management in a program for exceptional Yale College grads, called Silver Scholars, which paid the first year of tuition. Tim Shaffer/Reuters In 2000, while an undergrad, he started a data-mining software company with some buddies from Andover and Yale, raising $1 million before selling the company 18 months later for an undisclosed sum that he says gave his investors a good return. After business school and a gig working for a classified advertising firm in Europe, he landed at Google in a unit that worked on business operations and strategy. But he stayed only a year before starting a social search engine company called Aardvark in 2007, funded with $10 million in venture capital. Less than three years in, he sold the company to Google for $50 million, making his stake, which Forbes estimates at more than 10%, worth upwards of $5 million. It was totally life-changing money for me, he says. He bought a house in San Franciscos Twin Peaks neighborhood with his wife, Jenny Stefanotti, a UC Berkeley and Harvard grad he had met during his first stint at Google. Before starting AltSchool, he returned to Google for three years, where he worked in a small group that developed the Google Plus social network, before heading up the companys personalization team. AltSchool is burning cash in a failed attempt to create a profitable private-school network and fighting to sell an expensive edtech product in a crowded field. By the winter of 2012, he and Stefanotti already had Sabine, who was one and a half, and son Leonardo was on the way. They started searching for preschools and were appalled by what they found. There were a handful of good preschools, and each one of them was insanely competitive to get into, he says. The implication was that if you didnt get your kid into the right preschool, they were going to be penniless and alone by the time they were 30. Itching to start a new venture, he threw himself into researching the kind of school where he imagined Sabine would thrive. Within months he quit Google and started raising cash. In the deck for his Series A funding round, he showed a picture of himself lying on a bed, reading to Sabine and baby Leonardo, a Gandhi quote across the top of the screen: Be the change you want to see in the world. Though Ventillas business plan was no more than a vague outline, he was a Silicon Valley insider, and investors bought in. He was talking about a shift from a lecture-based model of education to a learner-centric model, says First Round Capital partner Josh Kopelman, who sits on AltSchools board. That made total sense to us. I nside AltSchools Manhattan middle school, in an office building on the busy corner of Fifth Avenue and 14th Street, there are more books, papers, pens and pencils than computers, though students are each assigned a Chromebook, which they use off and on throughout the day. In a humanities class, a black-clad teacher with close-cropped hair, Jaqi Ruiz-Garcia, is conducting a Socratic discussion with her eight seventh and eighth graders. They have all read the same texts: Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me, printed on dead trees, and a photocopied James Baldwin essay. Students refer to essays they have written with pencils in old-fashioned notebooks, and Ruiz-Garcia has a stuffed yellow caterpillar that she passes around the classroom to each student who wants to speak. People need to be more aware that were not a perfect country, says one girl. What are some ways we can build bridges in society? asks Ruiz-Garcia. There was more time in this country250 yearswhen people were enslaved than when they were free, responds a girl with tight braids. People who make $15 an hour are still enslaved. I heard a quote on Instagram: Vote like your life depends on it, says another student. As the yellow caterpillar makes its way around the group, three kids are staring into space. After class Ruiz-Garcia, a five-year AltSchool veteran, explains that she is making the unit learner-centric by expecting students to do the reading at their own pace. She is also using a feature of AltSchools software called a playlist, which allows teachers to customize cards, AltSchools word for assignments. One card directs a student to practice paraphrasing. The teacher-facing side of the platform requires Ruiz-Garcia to assess students on up to seven skills, including summarizing and analyzing information and connecting the past to the present. None of it suggests a new education system transformed by technology. Though Ventilla's business plan was no more than a vague outline, he was a Silicon Valley insider, and investors bought in. At AltSchools Fort Mason campus in San Francisco, five-year-old Leonardo Ventillas teacher Dina Hamaoui has written out his goals on paper worksheets. All AltSchool students set social and emotional goals in addition to academic goals. One of Leonardos sheets says, I will be able to talk about what zone my brain and body are in and use strategies to shift between them. When he finishes a worksheet, he takes it to a white easel where he photographs it with an iPad and uses AltSchools capture feature to upload it to AltSchools software platform, where it can be viewed by his teacher, who can email it to his parents. Among 11 parents interviewed for this story, some recommended by AltSchool and others not, many are happy and even like the idea that their offspring are being used to test AltSchools product. We went into this with our eyes wide open, says Gamal Walker, a parent in New York who works in finance. His two daughters are thriving, he says. He also likes that AltSchool is certified as a B Corporation, a designation that obligates the company to put the interest of its stakeholders and community ahead of profits. Others are less pleased. One mother, whose son is now in public school, says that AltSchool wrongly assessed his reading level and he spent a year making no progress. We were just guinea pigs, supplying Max with data, she says. (Since she works in the tech industry, she doesnt want to be quoted by name.) He was supposed to change the world with his edtech product, but the teachers couldnt even teach writing. We had really mediocre educators using technology as a crutch, says a father who transferred his child to a different private school after two years at AltSchool. (He runs a startup and also doesnt want his name in print.) We learned that its almost impossible to really customize the learning experience for each kid. Ventilla declines to comment on the experiences of individual students and families. T wo of Altschools public partner school districts are in Paramount and Arcadia, California, outside Los Angeles. Paramount, a predominantly Latino district where almost all 4,700 students in its biggest high school qualify for free lunch, is running a pilot using AltSchools software at a new high school with a STEM focus called Odyssey. Opened in August, Odyssey has 138 ninth graders, with plans to ramp up to four grades and 550 students. Enthusiastic kids show projects they are working on in a maker space classroom, where they can use a 3-D printer. Student Honey Robinson, dressed up as Michael Jackson with a glove on one hand, delivers the polished elevator pitch she composed in a course that walks students through the steps for finding an internship, which they then work part-time for eight weeks of the school year. Odyssey seems to be off to a promising start, but Ryan D. Smith, Paramounts assistant superintendent, says there are as yet no plans to adopt AltSchools software throughout the district. In a new school, you have an opportunity to do things completely different from the very beginning, he says. At our old schools, wed have a lot of other work to do before we could have a more personalized learning environment for our students. "We were just guinea pigs, supplying Max with data," says one parent. "He was supposed to change the world with his edtech product, but the teachers couldn't even teach writing." Which is where Ventillas plans hit a roadblock. Most of AltSchools current partners are small private schools. At the eight public districts that are customers, all are running pilots, and only two have plans to move beyond that stage. Ventilla is betting they will ramp up. If the 250,000 total students in our partner districts use AltSchool, we could bring down our price point and start to turn a profit, he says. But if they dont, which seems more likely, its tough to imagine AltSchool surviving. Ventilla and his team are competing in a field crowded with companies trying to find digital solutions to one of the worlds toughest challengeshow to improve K-12 education in America. So far there have been some monumental failures and only moderate successes. In 2015, News Corp wrote down nearly $400 million after investing more than $1 billion in Amplify, an edtech division that failed to find enough buyers for the hardware and curriculum software it developed for the K-12 market. (Now majority-owned by the Emerson Collective, Laurene Powell Jobs impact-investing firm, Amplify is finally approaching profitability through sales of a K-8 science curriculum that combines books, kits and software.) Edmodo, an online social network for classrooms founded in 2008 in San Mateo, California, raised more than $100 million and spread to 400,000 schools in nearly 200 countries. But it never came up with a business model for its free product and wound up losing $19.5 million in 2017 on revenue of just $1 million. In April 2018, Chinas NetDragon, which makes online games, bought the company for $137.5 million. A t its lab schools, AltSchools remaining students seem to be performing well. Two to three times a year, they take a math, reading and language-usage test called MAP, which assesses progress. Last year the test measured the students growth in academic progress at 34% above the national average. They have also placed into well-regarded private high schools, including Lick-Wilmerding in San Francisco and the College Preparatory School in Oakland. But the company will last only if it can boost sales of its software. Thats the big risk of a startup, says Ventilla. Ill be at it until I cant do it anymore. There are lots of entrepreneurs who wont go into education because its just not worth it, he explains. If they do something well, they get very little praise or help. . . . Im doing this because I think its really important in the world, and I dont think there are an abundance of others who have the resources and can pull it off. Reach Susan Adams at [email protected]. Cover image by Timothy Archibald for Forbes. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/01/30/can-altschoolthe-edtech-startup-with-174m-from-billionaires-like-zuckerberg-and-thielsave-itself-from-failure/ |
Can Amazon and Walmart Disrupt the Shipping Business? | Not that many years ago, consumers would order a product to come through the mail, and it would take weeks to arrive. Sometimes, there was an option to pay more -- usually a lot more -- for faster service, but the phrase "wait four to six weeks for delivery" was a familiar one. Those days have gone the way of pay phones and 12 CDs for a penny, as Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) has fundamentally changed consumer expectations of delivery. The paid Amazon Prime service has made two-day delivery the bare minimum, and that led to Walmart (NYSE: WMT) embracing two-day shipping while offering it for free (with certain restrictions). The problem with offering two-day shipping is that it's expensive and cuts into already thin margins. That has forced both Amazon and Walmart to rethink how they ship items, both to their warehouses and stores and to end customers. A Walmart tractor trailer More Walmart has been adding experienced truck drivers. Image source: Walmart. Of the two retailers, Amazon has been more innovative. The online leader has been building out its own delivery network, which includes increasing its fleet of tractor-trailers to helping entrepreneurs build van-based delivery businesses that bring goods directly to customers' doors. Amazon has also made a bold pitch to not just serve its own needs but also to help third-party sellers on its platform. The company recently expanded its Amazon Shipping program beyond its initial test markets of London and Los Angeles, reports The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). To entice shippers to use its service, Amazon has dropped many of the fees that rival shippers UPS (NYSE: UPS) and FedEx (NYSE: FDX) normally charge. That includes "extra charges to deliver packages to homes, during the peak holiday season, or on weekends," the paper reports. These residential surcharge fees are not small, running around $3.80 per package for both carriers, or about 40% of the average ground delivery charge, WSJ's Paul Ziobro added. By dropping them, as well as other charges, such as seasonal or fuel surcharges, Amazon can grab more business, theoretically making its trucks more efficient by allowing for more deliveries at a lower cost. Walmart isn't being as bold. It is, however, expanding its army of truck drivers. The company added 1,400 in 2018 and has plans to add hundreds more this year. The retail giant is hiring not just drivers, but experienced drivers who have at least 30 months under their belt, and is paying them well. The company is offering wages that come out to just under $90,000 a year. That's a number that should be very attractive in an industry where the average median salary comes in at $53,000 a year, according to a 2018 American Trucking Association survey. Walmart's starting rates for truck drivers should give it an edge over UPS and FedEx, which pay drivers closer to $60,000 per year, based on data from TruckDriverSalary.com. Benefits and bonuses may bring the numbers closer, but in a time where there's a significant shortage of experienced truck drivers, Walmart's hiring spree may hurt the established players in the space. Amazon is taking on more of its own shipping both for efficiency and to hedge against price increases -- not from UPS and FedEx, but from the United States Postal Service. It's also banking on the idea that its technology and ability to predict what will be ordered and where will allow it to increase shipping efficiency -- something that will increase as it adds more volume through increased third-party business. | https://news.yahoo.com/amazon-walmart-disrupt-shipping-business-113000040.html |
Is there a market in SF for a new luxury penthouse listed for a record-seeking $41 million? | The mixed-used Avery building at 488 Folsom in San Francisco was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Rem Koolhaas OMA design firm. The mixed-used Avery building at 488 Folsom in San Francisco was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Rem Koolhaas OMA design firm. 1 / 8 Back to Gallery A luxury, full-floor penthouse still under construction at the crown of San Francisco's new Avery high-rise was listed Tuesday for $41 million. If sold at this price, it would mark the most expensive home to ever sell in a city that has become known for its expensive real estate amid a thriving tech economy. A Pacific Heights mansion that a buyer paid $38 million for in 2017 is currently the most-expensive property to change hands in San Francisco, and many will be closely watching the 56th-floor penthouse at the Avery to see if it breaks the record. The 600-foot tower designed by star architect Rem Koolhaas' OMA design firm is located at 488 Folsom St. near the Transbay Transit Center, where the skyline has gone vertical with sleek, glass towers. Gino Canori, executive vice president and chief development officer for Related California that developed the building, thinks the city is ready to embrace luxury real estate in this neighborhood. "The Transbay District is the new epicenter of San Francisco with companies like Salesforce and Facebook headquartered here," Canori says. "It's also home to the highest price per square foot condo in San Francisco at $4,510." Related California's parent company, Related Companies, has sold a $55 million penthouse at 70 Vestry in New York and a $35 million penthouse at The Century in Los Angeles. ALSO: The Manhattanization of SF: How the city's skyline has changed in the last two decades A smattering of premium penthouse properties have come on the market and Patrick Carlisle, the chief market analyst for Compass, says those priced over $40 million haven't sold and in some cases were split into smaller condos. The most expensive one to sell was a $28 million penthouse in the St. Regis. "Even in New York City, $40 million is obviously very expensive but they have a market for those sorts of units with hedge-fund managers and oligarchs. And in L.A., you have the massive movie-star wealth," said Carlisle, who mentioned the $238 Manhattan penthouse that sold this year and broke a U.S. housing record. "Not that we don't have plenty of billionaires [in S.F. ], but generally speaking they don't seem interested in buying these massive ego-trip penthouses." That said, Carlisle says while even Bay Area real estate has softened slightly since summer, the luxury market has held steady through 2018. "In SF we sold more luxury homes than ever before in 2018," Carlisle said. Whether the luxury market holds, he continued, is dependent on the political and economic climate and the outcome of tech IPOs. "If this political instability and financial market volatility continues that can often affect the luxury market," he says. "On the other hand, if these giant unicorn IPOs do occur this year, we're probably talking about thousands of new millionaires and people who one day were making a decent salary and then one day were making tens of million of dollars. There's Uber, Lyft, Pinterest, Palantir, Slack, and they're all in SF ... and that's a big wildcard." MORE: SF's largest estate has seen its asking price slashed in half. Whether or not you're a millionaire, the Avery penthouse is quite extraordinary (see renderings in the gallery above). Across the 8,482-square-foot interior of clean sleek lines, you'll find four bedrooms, six bathrooms, two powder rooms, a dedicated library, media room, gym, family room, formal living and dining rooms. Walls of glass throughout offer 360-degree views of the bay and the city skyline. But what really separates this penthouse from others is its sprawling private rooftop deck with 1,580 square feet, the sort of space you find in a typical single-family S.F. home. "My favorite feature is the customizable rooftop it's a dream oasis with everything from a yoga deck, garden, and dining area, to a lounge complete with a fire pit," said Canori. | https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Avery-penthouse-most-expensive-Rem-Koolhaas-SF-13570769.php |
Will the Ohio River freeze again? Why is the river steaming? | CLOSE Winter temperatures have fluctuated widely in Cincinnati in recent years, as seen in this video. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley Buy Photo February 1977: Unidentified men break up ice in the frozen Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo: Enquirer file) The Ohio River last froze over in Cincinnati about 40 years ago in 1977 and 1978, after an extended period of extreme cold. On Jan. 19, 1977, the ice was packed eight to 12 inches thick along Cincinnati, and hundreds of brave (or foolhardy) souls crossed the river on foot. The formation of river ice is rare. It happened in only 14 winters out of more than 140 years of record keeping in Cincinnati. Temperatures during winter 1977 didnt rise above freezing for more than 20 days. More: Here's what made the Great Blizzard of 1978 so devastating The high temperature has been below freezing since Christmas eve this season - about a week so far. We are expected to cross back into above-freezing territory Sunday. That will bring us to 13 days of below-freezing temps. More: 'Avoid outdoors': Bitterly cold wind chills close schools The deeper and wider the river, and the faster the water flow, the less likely it is to freeze. Moving water generates friction, which heats the water (even if only a bit). Buy Photo Steam comes off the Ohio River in sub-zero temperatures Monday. Because the water temperature is warmer than the air. The "steam" is really fog, naturally enough often called "steam fog." This kind of fog is also known as "sea smoke" when it forms over cold oceans. The process begins when cold, dry air blows over warmer water. Some of the water evaporates into the lower layers of the air and the air is warmed by the warm water. The warmed air rises, where it mixes with colder air above. The mixing cools the air enough to begin condensing some of the newly added water vapor back into tiny droplets - fog. If you look closely, you see that the bottom of the fog is at least a few inches, maybe a couple of feet, above the water. The fog begins forming when the rising air is high enough to be cooled. Frostbite can strike a person in less than an hour, and significantly faster once the temperature drops. At a zero degree temperature with a windchill of minus 33 degrees, exposed skin could become frostbitten in just 10 minutes, according to the Weather Channel. Hypothermia occurs when a persons core body temperature reaches 95 degrees or lower. That can happen when the outside air is too cold and/or the bodys heat production drops, according to the National Institutes of Health. The average normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. The National Institutes of Health warns that older adults are vulnerable to hypothermia because their bodies response to cold can be diminished. It also said homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees can lead to hypothermia in older residents. Buy Photo Monday, Jan. 27, 2014 COLDWEATHER METRO : Brianne Fahey of downtown walks the two blocks from her home to work in the extreme cold. The City is under an extreme wind advisory and it was -6 before sunrise. Shivering is a reflex of the body to help keep you warm, according to the website KidsHealth.org. Signals are sent to the brain, which then sends messages to nerves causing muscles to tighten and loosen quickly (or your teeth to chatter among other responses). The activity is designed to raise a persons body temperature. CLOSE Connie Swaim, Humane Society of Indianapolis director of canine training, offers a few ideas to keep your dog happy in severe cold weather. Brent Drinkut / IndyStar Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/weather/2019/01/30/cincinnati-weather-ohio-river-freeze-again-why-river-steaming/2718827002/ | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/weather/2019/01/30/cincinnati-weather-ohio-river-freeze-again-why-river-steaming/2718827002/ |
Will a border fence spell the end of a Texas chapel by the Rio Grande? | The white-haired priest stepped from the fog like a ghost, his robes and cowboy hat glowing in the predawn darkness like the sandstone chapel that he returns to again and again. They call this one-room church rising above the banks of the Rio Grande La Lomita, the hill. Its plank doors were open earlier this month, as usual. As the man in white entered, the darkness deepened. Theres no light, no electricity inside, just steps from the river. To the north rises a levee feeding orange groves that perfume the air. To the south, a tangle of chaparral lines the roiling, camo-colored river haunted by Border Patrol agents, smugglers and migrants. A priest once went missing in this brush his horse found wandering and he was forever known as the Lost Missionary. The man locals call the cowboy priest is not perturbed by the swirl of shadows in the mist. Its the chapel he worries about, a 153-year-old landmark that could be sealed behind a border fence scheduled to rise atop the levee next month. Its where Father Roy Snipes was ordained in 1980. He likes to tell stories about how priests once lived here in a bunkhouse with stables and a blacksmith. To Father Roy a cleanshaven Santa Claus of a character who drinks Lone Star beer and cultivates a menagerie of pets including llamas and peacocks La Lomita is more than a spiritual home: Its a supernatural presence. The chapel casts a spell on those who enter, he insists. The river winds by with a sacred, life-giving force. A border fence, he fears, would leave both landmarks entombed and desecrated. Father Roy Snipes conducts a service by flashlight at the La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) The church is filled with parishioners during a predawn service at the historic La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Visitors leave notes in a guest book at the entrance to La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Top, Father Roy Snipes conducts a service by flashlight at the La Lomita church. Right, the church is filled with parishioners during a predawn service at the historic La Lomita church. Left, visitors leave notes in a guest book at the entrance to La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) And so, at age 73, he has led the way as church leaders, lawyers and parishioners have joined in fighting the fence. On Friday mornings, he rings the bell atop the whitewashed chapel by hand to summon opponents of the government plan. Since late October, when the Border Patrol filed a lawsuit in federal court to condemn land around the chapel and begin surveying for a fence, Father Roy has spoken out. He worries it would block access and scare away the faithful, most of whom are Latino. Its still unclear where the fence would rise, whether it would include a gate, and if it did, how the Border Patrol would control access. Maybe theyll interrogate us on the way out, let the blue-eyed guys go and the brown-eyed guys get questioned, said the blue-eyed priest. Border Patrol officials have insisted in court filings that the fence would help secure the border. In a filing this month, government attorneys insisted that surveying the church's land would not violate laws protecting religious freedom and that if church officials disagree with the fence in principle, they should take the issue up with lawmakers. Its too early, the lawyers told the judge, to allege the barrier will affect La Lomita because, The government has not finalized the nature of any permanent acquisition or how the diocese may be accommodated." The Catholic Church has so far sided with Father Roy. His bishop has opposed the proposed fence. Attorneys for the local diocese have attempted to stop it in court, arguing it would violate Catholic teachings, the churchs responsibility to protect migrants and the 1st Amendment right to religious freedom. Lawyers from Georgetown University have helped. The church wanted to take a stand early on, said attorney David Garza. The next hearing on the governments condemnation request is Feb. 6. As the legal battle plays out, work on the 25-mile, $1.4-billion fence project already paid for by Congress has proceeded. The fence is expected to be built atop the levee just north of the chapel, with a 150-foot enforcement zone to the south, which the priest fears will limit access to property owners and law enforcement. The Cowboy Priest, Father Roy Snipes conducts a pre-dawn service, while his dog, Charlotte, waits outside. Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times Father Roy measured what he calls the militarized zone. He said it would extend on to the church property, across the graves of three of his pets (two donkeys and a llama), right up to the wall of the chapel. This month, four Democratic senators Charles E. Schumer of New York, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico requested Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen disclose how the diocese and other property owners will be affected by the fence. Some of the priests dozen rescue dogs accompany Father Roy to Mass. On Jan. 18, he brought Charlotte, a black lab, and Bandito, a Rhodesian ridgeback mix. They were joined by about 30 locals, enough to pack the rough-hewn pews. He says Mass here for weddings, and in times of drought prayers for rain. In autumn, he celebrates a mariachi Mass in honor of the Lost Missionary. In spring, he celebrates Palm Sunday with his two pet donkeys and with confessions under the mesquites until sundown. By comparison, the Friday Mass was spartan. It was the sixth in a series of nine Masses in opposition to the fence, a rite Catholics call a novena. A deacon held a flashlight on the spare wooden altar so the priest could cue his battery-operated CD player. A cowboy trail song commenced with a lonesome whistle that echoed off the bare rafters. Move along, blue shadows, move along. Soon the dawn will come and you'll be on your way, sang Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers. Until the darkness sheds its veil, there'll be blue shadows on the trail. Bandito and Charlotte wait outside as Father Roy Snipes sits in the dark hall of La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) The La Lomita church sits a few hundred yards from the banks of the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Left, Bandito and Charlotte wait outside as Father Roy Snipes sits in the dark hall of La Lomita church. Right, the La Lomita church sits a few hundred yards from the banks of the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Even the dogs hushed. An 83-year-old Korean War veteran whose parents had sung at Father Roys ordination rose to sing. The priest had forgotten his aspergillum, the holy water sprinkler, and used a backup bottle to bless the assembled. I always carry a little in my pocket, he said. You never know when the devil might come around. You know, he was here last week. Father Roy was referring to President Trump, who visited the Rio Grande Valley on Jan. 10 for a roundtable in which he called exclusively on local border wall proponents after having partially shut down the federal government until Congress agrees to fund his border barricade. Sister Norma was there, but they say she never got to talk, the priest said, referring to Sister Norma Pimentel, who runs the areas largest migrant shelter. The priest spoke and prayed, as many do here, in a mix of Spanish and English. Thats how he was raised in San Antonio. Its how he endeared himself to a mostly Latino congregation who call him in Spanish our father from baptism to burial. The priest has also attracted Midwestern retirees, known here as winter Texans. Former coal miners and police officers at the chapel who consider themselves political independents say there is no need for a border fence. Were honored to gather here, where so many of our ancestors did, Father Roy told the crowd. Watch over refugees and migrants, those separated and searching for a home. You have to respect your brother, whether he has papers or not, he said. He knows migrants frequent the chapel. Theyre drawn by the bells to the sanctuary. Some leave notes in the guest book, praying to receive their immigration papers or to reunite with their children after being separated by immigration officials. Bandito stands in front of La Lomita church long after sunset. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Last fall, Bandito, the Rhodesian ridgeback mix, discovered a group of Guatemalan men cowering at the back of the chapel, below a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Father Roy gave them water and fried chicken. But when they asked for a ride into town, he knew better. Border Patrol agents park just down the levee, keeping watch. Theyd be on me like a chicken on a June bug, he figured. Better walk, he told the men. By the time he returned the next day, they were gone. If the priest was caught with migrants, he worried, he could be charged with smuggling, that agents might lock him up, confiscate his dogs or his battered SUV with its No walls between amigos sticker. So he leaves the chapel doors open for migrants, and when he sees them emerge from the river, hes apt to toss a blessing over the water. The priest grew up idolizing Rogers, Gene Autry and John Wayne, whose likeness adorns just about everything in the church kitchen where Father Roy started his day with machacado con huevo and campfire-black coffee. Courage, the Duke reminds him from a photo on the wall, is being scared but saddling up anyway. Father Roy trained to be a grade-school teacher like his mother. When he graduated from Texas A&M in 1967, a professor urged him to move to the Rio Grande Valley. He loved the ranch town where he taught. But when he decided to become a priest in 1974, his father who worked installing heat and air-conditioning systems warned that he might chafe at the restrictions. You come from a long line of rugged individualists, he said. And youre joining the biggest bureaucracy in the world. The young priest found kindred spirits in his order of missionary priests, the Oblate Cavalry of Christ. They had traveled the border on horseback in the 1800s, building missions including La Lomita, from which the nearby city of Mission draws its name. Father Roy first served at a church to the east in Roma, Texas, then at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mission, which is affiliated with the chapel. As the Catholic Church evolved, Father Roy felt more at home, especially after the ascension of Pope Francis, with his down-home ways. Sometimes, Father Roy wishes he could return to a simpler time. Hell put on Alan Jackson or Tim McGraw, kick off his boots, maybe watch The Andy Griffith Show. He longs for Mayberry, where even a dopey deputy can become a hero. I imagine Im John Wayne, he said. But Im really Barney Fife. The sun sets behind La Lomita church. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Years ago, the parish started leasing riverfront land near La Lomita for a summer camp. Some of the children Father Roy hosted grew up to become Border Patrol agents. He still calls them our boys. And he still holds weenie roasts, bonfires, tugs of war and fishing trips there on a rusty motorboat he calls Ole Blue. Cruising the foggy river this month, he thought about the people on the Mexican bank, who some Americans demonize and despise. They see the U.S. as a country club to be protected, he said. He sees it as a field hospital for the wounded. Hes as concerned about American hatred as he is about the fence. Our problems are much more profound, he said. On Jan. 16, he had received a letter from a woman in Arizona who read about his defense of the chapel. She wrote that she hoped migrants would cross the river and kill him. And she was a Catholic lady, he said. He jokes that she was probably drinking when she wrote him. Maybe shed regret it when she sobered up. But he knew better. Hes considering extending the series of Friday Masses at La Lomita, where he returns to pray each day at sunset. The evening of Jan. 18, he found a full moon rising above the chapel behind a screen of clouds. Cicadas hummed in the mesquite, stirred by a cool breeze. On the nearby levee, a Border Patrol agent had parked his truck, lights blazing. Father Roy stepped inside the chapel and sat in one of the empty pews. Peace flooded him. He thought about what La Lomita stands for, of the missionaries who came before him and the challenges they faced. He felt sure they would side with him against the government. We have survived Nazism, McCarthyism, plagues, floods, hell and high water, he said. Never did we think we needed a wall. [email protected] @mollyhf [email protected]@latimes.com @rgaut999 | https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-border-wall-church-20190130-htmlstory.html |
What To Expect From Diageo's Results For The First Half Of FY 2019? | Diageo (NYSE: DEO) is set to report its first half of FY 2019 earnings on January 31, 2019, wherein it is expected to carry on its growth, albeit at a slower rate than that reported by the company recently. Whiskey sales are expected to continue to drive overall growth. Additionally, revival is expected to be seen in the companys APAC business with rising sales in China and India, after receiving clarity on the legality of liquor sales in the vicinity of highways in India. Revenue growth coupled with the productivity initiatives undertaken by Diageo are expected to result in operating margin expansion. Consolidated net sales for the first half of FY 2019 is expected to be around $8.73 billion, which is 5.3% higher than net sales in 2H 2018, and marks a 1.2% y-o-y growth. Cost-reduction and productivity enhancement measures would help increase margins, which, in turn, would lead to higher sequential EPS. However, EPS is expected to be a bit lower on a year-on-year basis, mainly due to a strong report a year ago. You can view our interactive dashboard Diageos 1H 2019 Results Preview and modify our assumptions to arrive at your own estimates for revenue, EPS, and share price. Key Factors affecting First Half 2019 Results Legal Clarity in India: India, the second largest market in terms of revenue for Diageo, where it operates with a 54.78% stake in United Spirits, saw a slowdown in 1H 2018 after the countrys Supreme Court banned liquor sales within 500 meters of a highway. However, subsequently it was clarified that only liquor shops would be banned, whereas all the pubs and hotels can continue to function normally. This has led to a strong second half of FY 2018 and we expect the momentum to continue in 1H 2019. India, the second largest market in terms of revenue for Diageo, where it operates with a 54.78% stake in United Spirits, saw a slowdown in 1H 2018 after the countrys Supreme Court banned liquor sales within 500 meters of a highway. However, subsequently it was clarified that only liquor shops would be banned, whereas all the pubs and hotels can continue to function normally. This has led to a strong second half of FY 2018 and we expect the momentum to continue in 1H 2019. Timing of Chinese New Year: Like last year, the Chinese New Year falls in February this year as well (it was in January in 2017). This occasion, which is a time for increased liquor sales, will drive higher sales in the second half of the current fiscal instead of the first. However, increased advertising would likely lead to an increase in revenues in the first half of FY 2019. Like last year, the Chinese New Year falls in February this year as well (it was in January in 2017). This occasion, which is a time for increased liquor sales, will drive higher sales in the second half of the current fiscal instead of the first. However, increased advertising would likely lead to an increase in revenues in the first half of FY 2019. Growth In North America: Net sales of US Spirits in the North American segment grew by 3% in FY 2018 in spite of vodka sales declining during the year. Margins for the segment were slightly down due to increased marketing spending. We expect the benefits of the new marketing campaigns to continue to drive higher sales for Bulleit, Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Baileys, and Captain Morgan. As the company incurred a major marketing outlay in the previous year, margins are expected to inch higher in the first half of 2019 as the company has taken a number of steps in that direction improving the digital content, leveraging partnerships with Drizly, Uber, and Tasty, launching new variants of its brands, and driving efficiencies to cut down costs. Net sales of US Spirits in the North American segment grew by 3% in FY 2018 in spite of vodka sales declining during the year. Margins for the segment were slightly down due to increased marketing spending. We expect the benefits of the new marketing campaigns to continue to drive higher sales for Bulleit, Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Baileys, and Captain Morgan. As the company incurred a major marketing outlay in the previous year, margins are expected to inch higher in the first half of 2019 as the company has taken a number of steps in that direction improving the digital content, leveraging partnerships with Drizly, Uber, and Tasty, launching new variants of its brands, and driving efficiencies to cut down costs. Scotch to continue to drive growth: Scotch, which accounts for 25% of Diageos net sales, grew by 2% in the previous year, in North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. We expect it to continue driving higher sales and margins, largely benefiting from new marketing campaigns. Also, focus on gifting as an option would likely increase sales of the companys expensive scotch variants, especially with Christmas and New Year falling in the first half of the year. Korea is expected to be a drag on net sales as the geography is seeing a contraction in the scotch category with consumers switching to lower alcohol content categories. Full Year Outlook For FY 2019, we expect net sales to be approximately $17.2 billion, which marks a 2.0% rise over net sales in the previous fiscal. Revenue growth will mainly be driven by revival in the APAC segment and strong growth in Latin America. North America will continue to contribute the largest share to net sales.The recently implemented productivity program which focuses on everyday efficiency and driving out cost across its business, is expected to deliver 175 bps operating margin improvement over three years ending June 30, 2019. The cost-reduction measures, along with increased sales, would drive margins higher and lead to a healthy growth in earnings per share for the year. We have a price estimate of $157 for Diageo, which is higher than the current market price. In July 2018, management approved a new share buyback program to return approximately $2.6 billion to shareholders in FY 2019. Along with better financial performance, the share repurchase program, and a rising dividend pay-out per year is expected to support the stock price and increase returns for the shareholders. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/30/what-to-expect-from-diageos-results-for-the-first-half-of-fy-2019/ |
Is Bifacial Technology About To Enter The Mainstream Of Solar Power Generation? | Solar photovoltaic (PV) power led the increase in renewable energy generation around the world in 2017, with capacity growing by as much as a third during the year. In theory, bifacial technology can deliver this. Unlike traditional monofacial panels, bifacial panels are capable of capturing solar irradiation from the front and back. This means they have the capacity to generate power from the sun by capturing the sunlight reflected from the ground, as well as direct sunlight, therefore increasing the total energy generation. As standard crystalline solar cells used during the past 30 years are reaching their physical limits, the PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) structure is enabling manufacturers to achieve higher efficiencies. As the technical know-how to introduce PERC technology has become available along the value chain, it constitutes a new viable platform to manufacture high-power and high-efficiency solar panels. The number of manufacturers producing bifacial panels is increasing, and there is a corresponding increase in the number of installations. There is no standard design as yet, with varying design criteria from framed and frameless, monocrystalline and polycrystalline designs. There are a number of important considerations as to the viability of deploying bifacial panel arrays. Most important is the ground albedo or whiteness which affects the amount of underside light that is reflected. This could be light-colored stone, reflective paint, foil or even grass. In trials, a foil surface, which has an albedo of 80%, contributed an additional 20% power, compared to grass, which has an albedo of 30% and contributed only a 9% power gain. Added to this, each surface will need a different maintenance profile and be affected by a range of factors, including the prevalent weather conditions. In addition, the panel arrays pitch, height and tilt, as well as the mounting system design, cable management and inverter selection, all impact the amount of shading, hence the available active surface of the back of the panel. This means bifacial technology is best suited for flat rooftops and ground-mounted arrays to allow for room to optimize the tilt to bounce the reflected light on to the rear of the panels. So far, the uptake of bifacial technology has been inhibited by the difficulty in predicting performance with a level of certainty. In 2015, bifacial modules had only a 5% market share. Test facilities are in operation around the world to observe the yield gain of bifacial modules from New Mexico (the Sandia Lab experiment was conducted in Albuquerque in 2012) to Japan (a 1.25 MW demonstration plant in Asahikawa, Japan, saw a 21% annual yield gain after 32 months in operation in 2013). Another inhibitor has been the cost of the panel production, due to the complex cell structure and amount of silver paste required. But even considering potential increases in installation and panel costs, bifacial technology plays an important role in further reducing the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) through increased power yield and extended lifetime. Bifacial modules are becoming a commercial reality: Most module manufacturers are switching to PERC module production lines and starting bifacial production, and the total installed bifacial capacity is estimated to reach 5 GW by 2020 and 40% market share by 2025. There are still challenges that need to be overcome, including the lack of global standard testing procedures for rating bifacial modules, capex increases, difficulties in modeling the power gain with accuracy, the need for field testing, the risk of potential induced degradation and the lack of uniform back irradiance, among other factors. Yet the prize appears worth it. Power can be generated from a smaller footprint; plus, as manufacturing costs continue to decrease and the module quality improves, the increased generation and lower LCOE point to bifacial technology entering the mainstream. Overall, the potential impact of bifacial technology is fivefold. With the technology innovation taking hold, we should expect to see a significant growth in market share over the next five years. Continued trials will crystallize performance predictability and show us how to maximize the yield increase, which in turn will drive uptake. Bifacial technology may have a slight additional installation cost over monofacial PV systems, but even a conservative bifacial gain should outweigh the risk. Bifacial technology is an important enabler in reducing LCOE through increased power yield. And finally, this potential for a smaller footprint could unlock new, unexpected uses for solar. It will be interesting to watch. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/01/30/is-bifacial-technology-about-to-enter-the-mainstream-of-solar-power-generation/ |
Is Iron Mountain a Buy? | REITs can make excellent investments for growth and income. The property portfolios of most real estate investment trusts, or REITs, fall nicely into a specific category of properties, such as shopping malls, office buildings, or apartments. One exception is Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM), which is somewhat in a category of its own. Its combination of specialized storage facilities, data centers, and a thriving service business is unique among REITs. With that in mind, here's a rundown of what this 6.7%-yielding REIT does, what its future growth catalysts might be, the risks involved, and whether it's a buy. Stacks of cardboard storage boxes. More Image source: Getty Images. Iron Mountain isn't a household name for many stock investors, so here's the quick version of what Iron Mountain does. The company specializes in records storage and security for a variety of clients. It owns a massive real estate portfolio, mainly consisting of records-storage facilities -- think self-storage properties, but instead of individuals storing their belongings, customers are corporations storing records and other documents. In all, Iron Mountain has more than 680 million cubic feet of hard-copy records in its facilities. And, in an effort to adapt to the new business climate, Iron Mountain has quietly started to amass a portfolio of data centers and build on its digital-solutions and data-protection business. When it comes to secure records management, there's Iron Mountain and there's everyone else. I'd even go so far as to refer to the company's business as a near-monopoly. Ninety-five percent of the Fortune 1000 are among Iron Mountain's 225,000 customers. The company has an impressive 98% customer retention rate, and its brand name is unmatched in its core business. Iron Mountain also has a thriving service business, especially when it comes to secure disposal of records. If you think about it, you've probably seen an Iron Mountain document-shredding truck at some point. Reasons to buy I already mentioned that Iron Mountain has incredible loyalty among its vast customer base, which I view as a massive competitive advantage. More than half of records boxes stored at Iron Mountain facilities 15 years ago are still there, for example. Furthermore, although Iron Mountain has a massive market share in its record storage business, that doesn't necessarily mean there's no room for growth. Even in this digital age, there's still a big need for physical records -- documents with original signatures are still highly important in many industries, for instance. Iron Mountain believes there's roughly 720 million cubic feet of currently untapped records storage opportunities, based on BCG market research. To illustrate this point, in 2017 alone, net storage volume grew by about 7 million cubic feet. As I mentioned, Iron Mountain has been quietly building a data center portfolio -- it's now in the top 10 worldwide by capacity -- and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon. In fact, Iron Mountain sees its "growth portfolio," which consists mostly of its emerging markets and data center businesses, growing from 19% of the total revenue currently to 30% by 2020. Finally, Iron Mountain has been doing an excellent job of increasing its margins in recent years. Adjusted EBITDA margin has expanded from 29.6% in 2013 to 34% currently, with improvement every year in between, and the company believes there's more room to grow. | https://news.yahoo.com/iron-mountain-buy-133200756.html |
How Did Ford Manage to Lose Money Last Quarter? | Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said last week that it lost $116 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, despite good sales of high-profit trucks and SUVs in North America. Ford said that problems in its overseas regions were part of the story, that it's working to fix those problems, and that investors should expect improvements in time. But there was more to the story, including a hefty pension-related charge and some other factors, and it's worth taking some time to understand exactly what happened. Fortunately, Ford gave us some help in that effort. This chart from Ford's fourth-quarter earnings presentation shows how different parts of the company performed in the quarter, and how those performances stack up against their year-ago results. A bar chart showing how each of Ford's business segments contributed to its overall fourth-quarter result, as detailed in the article below. More Data source: Ford Motor Company. If we look at the last item on the right, at the bottom of the chart, we see that Ford's result was a net $2.636 billion decline in net income from a year ago, when it posted net income of about $2.5 billion. Below, we'll take a more detailed look at how each of the items shown on the chart contributed to that decline. A red Ford F250 Lariat, a heavy-duty full-size pickup, towing a boat trailer up a mountain road. More Sales of Ford's highest-profit trucks boomed in the fourth quarter, but its net income swooned. The answer is a little complicated. Image source: Ford Motor Company. Auto: Down $504 million Ford's automotive earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) -- its profit from building and selling vehicles -- fell by $504 million in the fourth quarter from a year ago, to just over $1.1 billion. | https://news.yahoo.com/did-ford-manage-lose-money-131600411.html |
Can LyondellBasell (LYB) Sustain Earnings Streak in Q4? | LyondellBasell Industries LYB is set to release fourth-quarter 2018 results before the opening bell on Feb 1. In the last reported quarter, the companys profits rose roughly 5% year over year to $1,113 million or $2.85 per share. Adjusted earnings came in at $2.96 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.73, translating into a positive earnings surprise of 10.8%. Revenues went up roughly 19% year over year of $10,155 million. It also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9,564 million. Notably, LyondellBasell surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 10.8%. The companys shares have lost 26.7% in the past year, underperforming the industrys 23% decline. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider LyondellBasell, in its third-quarter call, stated that it expects to drive operational and business improvements in Refining, Technology as well as Intermediates and Derivatives businesses in the fourth quarter. The company is poised to benefit from increased access to markets, incremental synergies from the integration of A. Schulman acquisition and formation of the Advanced Polymer Solutions segment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total fourth-quarter revenues is pegged at $9,222 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 1%. At the company's Olefins & Polyolefins Americas segment, revenues are expected to rise 2% from the year-ago quarter as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at $2,857 million. Revenues from the Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Asia, International division are likely to decline 10% year over year as the Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at $2,772 million. Revenues for LyondellBasells Intermediates and Derivatives segment is projected to rise 1.1% from the prior-year quarters tally as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2,256 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues at the Refining segment is pegged at $1,863 million, reflecting a 11.8% decrease on a year-over-year basis. The Technology segment sales are expected to fall 4.8% year over year in the to-be-reported quarter as the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pinned at $119 million. LyondellBasell is executing its expansion projects to leverage the U.S. natural gas liquids advantage. The companys operational improvement initiatives are expected to drive earnings in the December quarter. Continued strong demand is also expected to support results in the Olefins & Polyolefins Americas segment. The buyout of A. Schulman is also expected to create significant synergies. The buyout doubles the size of LyondellBasell's existing compounding business. The company is making progress with the integration of the acquisition and expects to realize $32 million in annual run-rate synergies. However, LyondellBasells operations are subject to maintenance outages, which are affecting results. The company expects roughly $25-million impact from downtime associated with planned maintenance at its German cracker in the fourth quarter at its Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Asia, International segment. This may impact volumes at the segment. Moreover, maintenance at one of LyondellBasells propylene oxide plants in Texas reduced EBITDA by roughly $20 million in the third quarter at the Intermediates and Derivatives unit and is expected to lower margins by roughly $25 million in the fourth quarter. Planned maintenance at the companys refinery also impacted EBITDA by around $20 million in the third quarter and is expected to hurt margins by $45 million in the fourth quarter. The company is also seeing a rise in feedstock costs, which is hurting margins in the Olefins & Polyolefins Europe, Asia, International division. Moreover, LyondellBasell faces challenges in the European markets for polymers with sluggish demand growth and ample supply. It expects market pressure to continue in the fourth quarter along with a lower demand due to typical seasonal effects. | https://news.yahoo.com/lyondellbasell-lyb-sustain-earnings-streak-125312481.html |
Will Arizona schools lose out on extra cash because of GOP tax bills? | CLOSE Education funding has been a hot-button topic in Arizona since the Great Recession. Here is what you should know before the 2018 midterm election. The idea has been pushed by a few different state education organizations, including the Arizona Education Association, the state's teacher union. Republicans in the Legislature have advanced two bills to ensure Arizona taxpayers don't face higher state taxes due to changes made at the federal level, part of President Donald Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The bills are barreling through the Legislature at warp speed as some Arizonans wait to file their taxes to see how lawmakers will act. READ MORE: New Ariz. schools chief vows to fight for educator pay, school funding Education leaders say the extra money could help fund everything from new textbooks to fixes for broken school buildings, while a Republican behind one of the bills argued that more dollars may not fix Arizona's education crisis. Estimates of how much more Arizona taxpayer money could come in from the tax changes have varied, from more than $100 million to more than $200 million, according to information from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. "Arizona stands to gain anywhere from $150 million to $230 million," David Lujan, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, said. "We should be investing those dollars in our underfunded education system or using them for the next recession." His organization estimates that the Republican legislation would mostly result in tax cuts for the state's highest earners, the top 20 percent of incomes. State Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler. (Photo: Sean Logan/The Republic) State Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, said the bill he's sponsoring to offset the tax changes is "revenue-neutral," meaning it wouldn't hurt the state's coffers. The measure he's sponsoring would only be in effect for a year, so next year, lawmakers would have to tackle tax conformity again, he said. His hope is for a complete "income-tax overhaul" next year. "Im going to emphasize, this is not a tax cut," he said. "I dont know how a revenue-neutral bill turns into a tax cut." Mesnard also wondered if increasing funding for schools is the answer to the state's education woes. He warned that the state might soon bump up against education constitutional spending limits. Part of the problem?" he asked. "I think its a mistake to think it all comes to spending." Governor doesn't align with GOP lawmakers Gov. Doug Ducey's office indicated in a statement that the governor supports keeping the tax code in step with the federal code and will push to put the extra money in the state's rainy day fund. The fund is meant as a cushion in case of future revenue shortfalls or a recession. "The governor has been clear we need to conform and any additional revenue should be put in the rainy day fund," read the statement from his office. READ MORE: What Ducey's budget proposal adds in Arizona education spending Rep. Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, said the impact of the federal tax changes is marginal for any taxpayers. She opposes the Republican legislation and said she would prioritize steering the extra revenue to education. "Thats the fiscally responsible thing to do," she said. Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Go to connect.azcentral.com for a staff list, for more information about the newsroom and for details about upcoming events. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona-education/2019/01/30/arizona-schools-lose-out-extra-cash-because-gop-tax-bills/2715580002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona-education/2019/01/30/arizona-schools-lose-out-extra-cash-because-gop-tax-bills/2715580002/ |
Are Headlines Suggesting That The U.S. Midwest Is Colder Than Mars Accurate? | It is cold right now in parts of the midwestern United States. This has been well-documented. The National Weather Service (NWS)-Twin Cities warned that being stranded in such conditions could be life-threatening. Another tweet from the same office pointed out that temperatures in parts of the Midwest United States will rebound by about 75 degrees F by the weekend, which will bring temperatures into the 30-40 degrees F range. That's perspective folks. Many headlines have latched on to the viral "It's Colder Than Mars in The Midwest" claim. It depends. An intrusion of Arctic air is the culprit for the extreme cold conditions. Unless you have been living under a Martian rock, you know that this cold outbreak is related to a split in the Polar Vortex, a swirling cyclonic system above the polar region. When there is a breach, cold air can "spill through the fence" and plunge into the continental United States. My colleague Eric Mack has an excellent discussion in Forbes on Polar Vortex 101. The NWS-Chicago morning forecast discussion captures the magnitude of this cold outbreak: About as frigid and dangerous of wind chills as can be experienced in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana early this morning with values of -35 to -50 as of 230 a.m...The true Arctic front of this system has lived up to its name, with west-northwest winds gusting 25 to 35 mph early this morning having surged continental polar air in. Temperatures continue to tumble into the -20s and should be for most is not the entire area by 9 a.m. as the peak cold pocket at 925mb of -33C rotates overhead. The cold advection will likely cause the minimum not to be reached until mid-morning. It truly is impressive to have these temperatures with these winds. By the way, Mars (and other planets) have a Polar Vortex, too, but that is not why it gets so cold on that planet. As Colorado State University Professor Scott Denning often points out, we know that Earth has a Greenhouse Effect because we survive the night. Greenhouse gases and clouds absorbs heat and radiates it back toward the surface providing a temperature range comfortable enough for humans to not require a spacesuit (graphic below). Mars, on the other hand, has a very thin atmosphere, no water bodies, and a barren landscape. All of these factors conspire to present a very interesting temperature profile on the Red Planet. The Martian atmosphere also includes carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen, oxygen and traces of water vapor. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the dominant component (~95%), but the atmosphere is very thin compared to Earth. In fact, it is about 100 times thinner than the Earth atmosphere. According to a Space.com article about Mars, Mars' thin atmosphere and its greater distance from the sun mean that Mars is much colder than Earth. The average temperature is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 degrees Celsius), although it can vary from minus 195 F (minus 125 C) near the poles during the winter to as much as a comfortable 70 F (20 C) at midday near the equator. The thin Martian atmosphere also lacks a significant concentration of methane and water vapor, relatively speaking, to reinforce the Greenhouse Effect. Earth's average temperature, by comparison, is around 57 degrees F. The temperature on Mars can also plummet rather quickly. The surface pressure on Mars is about 6 millibars. By comparison, Earth's average surface pressure is about 1013 mb. Because Martian pressure is about 1/6 of the Earth's pressure, temperature can drop rapidly. Additionally, the rocky and sandy surfaces of Mars do not retain heat as well as other surfaces. With rather low heat capacity, they release heat rather quickly compared to water. We see this on Earth in deserts too. At night, deserts can actually cool down pretty rapidly for similar reasons. Mars also lacks water. Water has a higher heat capacity than sand and is why ocean water may be quite cold in May while sand is hot. Water regulates temperature, and Mars has no large oceans or seas. Even with all of these factors, the thin Martian atmosphere is the dominant factor controlling its temperature. Temperatures in the Midwest are quite cold right now. The headline, "It's colder in Chicago than on Mars" is cute, and the type of thing that media organizations love. I suppose it is even technically correct for some snapshot measurements of temperature on Mars. However, Martian temperature certainly varies as a function of where the measurement is taken, what season it is, and the altitude above the surface. Therefore, when I see that headline, I am hoping the article gives the proper context on the Martian temperature being used as a comparison. Stay warm, Earthlings. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2019/01/30/are-u-s-midwest-is-colder-than-mars-headlines-actually-true/ |
Whats the difference between table salt, Kosher salt and sea salt? | I am sure you have had dishes that are too salty or not salty enough and you wonder about the taste buds of the cook. Heres the thing. All salt is created equal. It is the size of the flakes that matters. Regular table salt is ground very fine and has anti-caking ingredients to make sure it runs freely. Kosher salt, on the other hand, has larger crystals that dissolve easily, so 1 teaspoon of kosher salt has the same saltiness as teaspoon of table salt. (By the way, all salt is kosher by Jewish law, but when a package says kosher on it, its referring to the larger flake size.) I prefer not to use table salt. Kosher salt is superior my strong preference for cooking is Diamond Crystal Kosher, which is readily available in the supermarket and its also best for brining. Story continues below advertisement Salt is either mined from salt mines or from the sea. Most salt is from salt mines. Pink Himalayan salt is gorgeous, but it is no different from other mined salts. Its beautiful pink colour is due to some copper in the mines. Sea salt is formed by allowing the water to evaporate in salt pans until large flake crystals remain. The less refined the salt, the higher the proportion of minerals. French fleur de sel, one of the most expensive salts in the world, falls into this category. Generally, sea salts have natural properties and their larger crystals give a crunchiness and flavour when used as a finishing salt. Finishing salt is sprinkled over a dish just before serving to add crunchiness and salinity. My favourite finishing salt is the English Maldon. Its lacy, pyramid-like crystals dissolve perfectly over a steak, vegetables and eggs. Dont use fancy salt to cook youll get the same level of saltiness and flavour from a cheaper salt. Save the more expensive salts for finishing. Ground down sea salt works well, too. Have a salt dish beside your stove and, using your fingers, scatter the salt over the dish. I also use salt dishes on the table. This is where the pink salt looks so impressive. Use small spoons at the table for sprinkling, but not silver; salt tarnishes silver. And use caution when reading recipes. Recipes that dont specify the type of salt can be a problem, due to the differences in flake size. Recipes that give the exact amount of salt can also be an issue. The size of your saucepan, narrow or wide, will make a difference; ingredients in wider saucepans will reduce more and could taste saltier. Always start with less salt and taste as you go along so you can adjust the seasonings yourself. You must learn to trust your palate to do this, but a little practice does wonders. Send your questions to [email protected]. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article-whats-the-difference-between-table-salt-kosher-salt-and-sea-salt/ |
Why are Americans in so much pain? | (Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: AP, Getty) More Brian Whitfield sat on the floor of his office, back against the wall, gun in hand and a heavy-duty garbage bag nearby. The gun was intended to kill himself. The garbage bag was meant to help whoever had the misfortune of finding him clean up the aftermath. His wife, he assumed. He had contemplated suicide multiple times in the months leading up to this moment, even drawing up a last will and testament. But the day with the gun was the only time he signed and sealed the detailed letter to his wife. It was the first time he actually held the gun in his hand, and it was the first time he considered a garbage bag. He loved a clean house and hated the idea of creating such a mess. Whitfield says he still cant pinpoint why he felt so intensely depressed or abandoned in those moments. The chaos began about five years before, in 2011, when Whitfield visited multiple doctors for pain from knee and back injuries he had sustained while serving in the Marine Corps several years earlier. Despite surgery, the pain had worsened over time. Both Veterans Affairs and private doctors he saw agreed that long-term pain management with opioids was the only way of giving him relief. The overprescription and pervasive abuse of opioids has become well-worn news, as the nation grapples with millions addicted to both legal and illicit opioid drugs (mostly heroin), which have been the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. for several years. In 2017, the drugs killed more than 70,000 people more than any year on record, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were released in December. Overdose deaths in the most recently recorded data were so high that they contributed to a decrease in overall life expectancy in the U.S. for the third year in a row, depressing the average to 78.6 years. Despite being aware of the addictive properties of the drugs, Whitfield says he felt little hesitation about taking the medication. He read the required pamphlets of information about side effects and risks, and signed the form acknowledging and accepting them. Becoming dependent on the drugs, he says, was something that would never happen to me. After signing the forms, Whitfield says the risks of addiction were never mentioned again by doctors. The opioid epidemic is a uniquely American problem. While the U.S. accounts for about 5 percent of the global population, its residents consume about 80 percent of the global supply of prescription opioids. Its not that Americans experience severe injuries or suffer from chronic pain at notably higher rates than, say, Europeans, according to experts. In fact, a 2018 report published by BMC Public Health found that Europeans report similar rates. In France, Italy and Ukraine, individuals report even higher rates of chronic pain (around 40 percent) than in the United States, where about 20 percent of the adult population (or 50 million people) report some sort of chronic pain. The explanation for Americas prodigious opioid consumption is complicated, involving both personal expectations and societal norms, medical practices and the influence of powerful pharmaceutical companies whose marketing practices take advantage of a fast-paced lifestyle and a get-it-fixed culture, while the medical community in, say, Europe is arguably more open to alternative and natural therapies than that in the United States. Big Pharma has spent billions on marketing to physicians, including offers of free vacations, dinners, speaking fees and other perks. Just last week, a new study published in JAMA Network Open examined more than 400,000 marketing payments in the U.S. for a potential link between physician-focused marketing and opioid-related deaths. The results showed that counties where marketing to doctors was heaviest had the greatest incidence of over-prescribing of opioids, as well as subsequent abuse and related deaths. | https://news.yahoo.com/americans-much-pain-141918964.html |
Is SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (EDIV) a Strong ETF Right Now? | Designed to provide broad exposure to the Broad Emerging Market ETFs category of the market, the SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (EDIV) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 02/23/2011. The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market. A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns. If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies. Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics. Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns. Fund Sponsor & Index EDIV is managed by State Street Global Advisors, and this fund has amassed over $535.83 M, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. Before fees and expenses, EDIV seeks to match the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets Dividend Opportunities Index. This Index generally includes 100 tradable, exchange-listed common stocks from emerging market countries that offer high dividend yields. Additionally, stocks must have positive 3-year earnings growth and profitability. Stocks are weighted by annual dividend yield. To ensure diverse exposure, no single country or sector has more than a 25% weight and no single stock has more than a 3% weight. Cost & Other Expenses Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same. Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.49%, making it on par with most peer products in the space. The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.18%. Sector Exposure and Top Holdings Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. Looking at individual holdings, China Mobile Limited (941-HK) accounts for about 2.72% of total assets, followed by Public Joint-Stock Company Gazprom Sponsored Adr (OGZPY) and Ultrapar Participacoes S.a. (UGPA3-BR). The top 10 holdings account for about 20.93% of total assets under management. Performance and Risk Year-to-date, the SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has added roughly 7.17% so far, and is down about -7.60% over the last 12 months (as of 01/30/2019). EDIV has traded between $27.94 and $36.54 in this past 52-week period. The ETF has a beta of 0.83 and standard deviation of 18.24% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 139 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. Alternatives SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Dividend ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Emerging Market ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) tracks MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index and the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) tracks FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China An Inclusion Index. IShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has $55.91 B in assets, Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has $58.78 B. IEMG has an expense ratio of 0.14% and VWO charges 0.14%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Emerging Market ETFs. Bottom Line To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO): ETF Research Reports Gazprom OAO (OGZPY) : Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/spdr-p-emerging-markets-dividend-142502225.html |
Why has Belgium banned Fifa points? | Fifa/EA Games Gamers in Belgium won't be able to buy Fifa 19 Ultimate Team player packs anymore after a government ban on in-game purchases. EA Sports - who make the game - have agreed to remove the in-game purchasing option after talks with the Belgian government. In Belgium, in-game purchases are illegal because they are seen as a form of gambling. They see buying player packs as an "illegal game of chance", because gamers don't know exactly what's in a box when they buy it. EA Sports said in a statement that they don't believe buying player packs is gambling. You can tell you what you think about this in the comments. PEGI In Fifa 19's 'Ultimate Team', gamers have the opportunity to earn coins, which can then be used to buy packs of new players. However, players also have the option of paying for points to put towards player packs, using real money. These player packs are known as 'loot boxes'. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. EA Sports EA argue that Fifa's Ultimate Team packs are the equivalent to buying a packet of Panini football stickers - because just like with Fifa's player packs, you aren't sure what 5 stickers you'll get in the sticker pack. EA Sports boss Andrew Wilson says he doesn't agree that its games could "be considered as any form of gambling". He argues that because players "always receive a specified number of items in each pack", and "don't provide or authorise any way to cash out or sell items or virtual currency for real money", they are not "an illegal game of chance". There are currently no plans to ban Fifa points in the UK. Tell you what you think about this in the comments below. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47057859 |
Can accused killer, kidnapper Jake Patterson get a fair trial in the explosive Jayme Closs case? | CLOSE Patterson is accused of kidnapping Jayme Closs and killing her parents in Barron County. Jim Rosandick, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin BARRON If Jake Patterson stands trial on charges arising from the kidnapping of Jayme Closs, finding jurors who havent formed an opinion about the explosive case will be difficult at best. And not just in Barron County, where the shocking crimes happened. It will be pretty tough to get (an impartial) jury anywhere in Wisconsin, said Milwaukee attorney Ray DallOsto. Its been pretty much branded on peoples minds. Jake Thomas Patterson, accused in the kidnapping of Jayme Closs. (Photo: Barron County Sheriff's Department) Pattersons arrest in Douglas County on Jan. 10 led to a torrent of media coverage and an avalanche of online commentary about the Oct. 15 abduction of the 13-year-old girl and the murders of her parents, James and Denise Closs. Media coverage and social media interest also were intense in the months before Jayme escaped and was reunited with her relatives. The criminal complaint went into painstaking detail about Pattersons confession to the murders and the kidnapping, including how he targeted Jayme and carefully planned her abduction, how he avoided detection for nearly three months, how he kept Jayme captive in a cabin in Douglas County and how he brutally killed her parents with shotgun blasts to the head. More: Wisconsin DA says he has no plans to file charges related to Jayme Closs' 88-day captivity More: Jake Patterson, accused of abducting Jayme Closs, isolated himself after high school The case could be resolved short of trial with a plea deal, or by a guilty plea to the murder and kidnapping charges. Patterson, a 21-year-old unemployed man who was discharged from the Marines five weeks into boot camp because of "character issues," also could enter a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. If there is going to be a trial, it will be on his mental status, said former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske. I cant imagine they will try it on the facts. Jayme Closs (Photo: Barron County Sheriff's Department) Defense attorneys Richard Jones and Charles Glynn have not disclosed their strategy or if they will request a change of venue. If that happens, the judge would have the option of conducting the trial in another county, or bringing the jurors to Barron County and holding the trial there. If the case does get to trial, finding an impartial jury could be extremely difficult, legal experts say. I could certainly imagine a defense lawyer arguing that Mr. Patterson cannot receive a fair trial at this point, said Michael OHear, a professor at the Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee. Publicity about the case has been quite intense. It will probably be hard to find jurors in Barron County who have not heard something about the case, either from the mainstream media, or social media or just from casual conversation with friends and neighbors. More: Jayme Closs to receive $25,000 reward after escaping captor, company cites teen's 'bravery' More: Church of Jayme Closs' mother holds service to honor Wisconsin teen's return OHear said cases involving a horrific crime and extensive pretrial publicity may expose potential jurors to information that is not allowed to be used as evidence at trial. Ideally, jurors should be basing their decisions only on admissible evidence. Confessions can be a big problem in this regard. Sometimes, a confession is ruled inadmissible for one reason or another by a judge before trial," he said. "However, if jurors are aware from media coverage that a defendant has confessed, it may be hard for them to disregard that fact. Prospective jurors will be questioned in court about the extent of their knowledge about the case, a common practice during jury selection. Strictly speaking, the law does not require jurors to be entirely ignorant about a case before the trial starts, O'Hear said. The key question is whether they can set aside what they have heard about the case and approach the trial with an open mind. It may take a lot of time and effort in high-publicity cases, but it is normally possible for the court to seat 12 jurors who meet the legal requirements. Another option is to transfer the case to a different county, but judges may be reluctant to do so because of the inconvenience to witnesses, the victim, police and the public, he said. The judge could order that an outside jury be brought to Barron County to hear the case. Jake Thomas Patterson makes his first appearance before Judge James Babler at the Barron County Justice Center on Monday, January 14, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Patterson was charged, Monday, with the kidnapping of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and the murder of her parents in October. (Photo: Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin) With a case like this one that has received extensive statewide and even national publicity, it is not clear that trial in another county would actually offer much of an advantage to the defendant, OHear said. Daniel S. Medwed, a professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University in Boston, said moving the Patterson trial to a highly populated county might be the best solution. "It strikes me that the high-profile and incendiary nature of the case makes it virtually impossible to have a fair trial in or near Barron, he said. The key question is whether it could move to another county in Wisconsin, maybe those in the vicinity of Madison or Milwaukee, where, because of population density, there might be a better chance of finding jurors who havent formed predetermined views of the case. Regardless of how the defense proceeds, it faces a monumental challenge, Geske said. Theres not much for the defense to work with, she said. Its going to be a big mountain for (Patterson) to climb. More: Jake Patterson hosted a Christmas party while Jayme Closs was imprisoned in the same house, sources say More: Jayme Closs suspect Jake Patterson's motivations will become clear, defense attorneys say Follow Andy Thompson on Twitter: @Thompson_AW Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/30/jayme-closs-kidnapping-suspect-jake-patterson-fair-trial/2719475002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/30/jayme-closs-kidnapping-suspect-jake-patterson-fair-trial/2719475002/ |
Can Digital Medicine Improve Drug Adherence? | Lack of proper adherence to medications has been called a national epidemic. To help address the adherence problem multiple digital health solutions have been proposed with some concerns that there has been limited large-scale evidence to support adoption. A new program focused on oncology patients is attempting to make a difference using a value-based payment structure between a health system and technology company. Silicon Valleys Proteus Digital Health has developed a digital medicine program for patients with colorectal cancer. The company says it is the first of its kind using sensor-enhanced chemotherapy. The technology provides personalized feedback for drug usage and was previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. The new treatment consists of an oral chemotherapy pill placed within a small gel capsule that contains a tiny ingestible sensor. The product is made of dietary minerals and gets activated when swallowed. It emits a signal to the patients smartphone app that can be shared with physicians and caregivers. Proteus is so confident its program will be effective that it has negotiated an arrangement where it only gets paid when patients comply with the treatment plan. Adherence challenges Studies indicate that between one third and one half of patients who are prescribed medications will not stay on treatment. These trends increase disease burden and result in poor outcomes as well as avoidable hospitalizations. Suboptimal medication adherence along with inaccurate prescribing and diagnosis cost about $290 billion per year according to the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI). Insurers must pay for all filled prescriptions and estimates for wasted drugs alone are in the tens of billions of dollars. The numbers are surprisingly bad for oncology drugs as well. Cancer patients might be considered more motivated to comply with medical plans given the catastrophic consequences of missing treatments. However, adherence to oral chemotherapy drugs has been documented to be as low as 20% in some groups such as adolescents, with others reporting rates between 50 and 100%. There are multiple reasons for patients to not take medications as prescribed. For example, complexity and frequency of taking pills for serious conditions can be confusing. Some oncology treatment plans require patients to consume 8 to 10 pills per day for cycles of two weeks followed by a week off. Additionally the side effects of these drugs can be quite serious such as pain, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even cardiac arrhythmias. Digital chemotherapy program Proteus and Fairview Health Services of Minnesota have entered into a value-based program to treat patients with stage 3 and 4 colorectal cancer using a common chemotherapy drug in combination with the digital medicine. Under the arrangement, Fairview only pays if patients take the combination at least 80% of the time. The health system reimburses typical costs for the medication with no additional fees for the digital component. Health systems often need to resort to cumbersome interventions in order to help patients stay on their chemotherapy schedule. For example, Fairview uses frequent phone calls from pharmacists and other reminders. Therefore, it believes that the digital combination can be cost effective if it delivers better drug adherence as well as improved patient and provider satisfaction. The ingestible sensor is embedded in a placebo tablet that pharmacists combine with the chemotherapeutic and appear together as a standard drug capsule. The sensor is made of natural food-based materials that release a low-power signal when encountering acidic fluid in the stomach. Patients wear a disposable patch that time-stamps drug ingestion and then transmits a message to their mobile device enabling encrypted transmission to a secure online portal or the electronic medical record. According to Proteus, patients are more engaged with their treatment plans when they are able to receive personalized feedback and behavioral cues that help them keep track of taking mediations. Reminder alternatives There have been multiple previous attempts to create electronic interventions that help address drug adherence problems. Mobile apps such as Medisafe, MyMeds and Care4Today were developed to alert patients regarding dosing. Pill packages such as Medminder, AdhereTech, and MyFellow generate text and email reminders and have been called electronic patient assistants. Some solutions focus on specific diseases such as Propeller Health or Cohero Health which are designed for respiratory conditions. There are video digital adherence strategies for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Others provide incentives through gift cards such as Mango Health or gamification and rewards such as HealthPrize Technologies. However, there has been skepticism from some payers and health systems that novel high-tech interventions are superior to office visits or scheduling high-touch nurse and pharmacist appointments. Some have expressed concerns about the reliability of data security and patient confidentiality. Digital medicine early track record The ingestible sensor technology does have data which suggests adherence benefits in complex medical conditions. A study in hypertensive and diabetic patients who were prescribed multiple drugs showed 80% adherence over a 12 week period with significant improvements in blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c when compared to usual care. There have been studies assessing the performance of the digital medicine in combination with the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole, approved under the name Abilify MyCite. Safety of the digital medicine has been well documented by research trials and FDA approvals. This new oncology program does not carry additional regulatory costs because both the ingestible sensor and oral chemotherapy have been previously approved by the FDA and are re-packaged together. Typically, new drug applications for combination products need to go through lengthy review processes. However, some state pharmacy boards specifically delineate the safe encapsulation of drug-device combinations and such regulations apply in this case. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greglicholai/2019/01/30/digital-medicine-improve-drug-adherence/ |
How many people will drink beer on Super Bowl Sunday? | CLEVELAND, Ohio As the Super Bowl nears, seemingly every number and statistic is crunched and analyzed. Including beer. A Beer Institute poll says 76 percent of those planning to celebrate on Super Bowl Sunday will be drinking beer. The poll also found 86 percent of 21- to 29-year-olds were most likely to say they intended to buy or drink beer as part of their Super Bowl celebration. It's probably no surprise to the folks at Anheuser-Busch InBev, whose Budweiser ads are ubiquitous on Super Bowl Sunday. (Expect the iconic Clydesdales to make a return appearance.) The game is expected to be the biggest ever for AB's advertising presence; Adweek says between ads and plugs the brewer will have 6 minutes, 25 seconds of time for several products. The poll was conducted by Quadrant Strategies this month on behalf of the Beer Institute, a trade association for the American brewing industry. The survey did not ask the remaining 24 percent if they were drinking and, if so, what they would sip. The game - between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams - kicks off 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/how-many-people-will-drink-beer-on-super-bowl-sunday.html |
Will Meghan Markle Return for the Final Season of Suits ? | Suits is coming to an end, and likely welcoming back many familiar facesexcept for one. "We're not currently pursuing asking [Meghan Markle] to leave her position with the royal family and join us," Suits creator and executive producer Aaron Korsh told press about the possibility of Markle reprising the role of Rachel Zane for the upcoming ninth and final season. "I would love it, but I think it's pretty close to zero," he said while promoting the USA spinoff Pearson at the 2019 TCA winter press tour. Markle left the legal drama at the end of season seven after announcing her then-engagement to Prince Harry. Her character married Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and the two went off together to start a new life in Seattle. Korsh previously said the decision to write the characters out came before Markle's engagement to Prince Harry was announced. | https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/1009846/will-meghan-markle-return-for-the-final-season-of-suits?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
What's Driving The High End Comic Market To Multi-Million Dollar Heights? | In yet another sign that there is an awful lot of cash sloshing around the upper echelons of the global economy, auction house Heritage Auctions reported record sales of $58,544,323 in their comic and comic art category in 2018. Thats a 32 percent increase over the departments previous record, set in 2017. Most of the biggest movers were in the comic art category, including the original drawings and paintings that artists created for reproduction as covers or interior pages. Once disdained by the fine art world as commercial art and illustration, comic art is increasingly seen as culturally and aesthetically significant, with more work now exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. Its also attracting the attention of well-heeled collectors and investors, who are sending prices skyrocketing. Heritage reports this years biggest sale as Frank Frazettas original oil painting Death Dealer 6 (1990), published as the cover to Death Dealer #2 from Verotik in 1996. The canvas brought $1,792,500 at Heritages May auction, nearly tripling the highest price paid for a piece of US-published comic book artwork. It should be noted, however, that Frazetta, who died in 2012, is something of a special case. Though he started out as a comic book artist, he is best known for his book covers, album covers, posters and other works usually depicting dark and/or sexy sword and sorcery themes that define a specific pop culture aesthetic. He also frequently worked in oil paint, a medium with long-standing appeal to art collectors. Prices for his work has been in the high six-low seven figures for some time, and this sale, while impressive in exceeding the pre-auction estimate by 3x, is typical of the trend in prices for this artist. A sale with broader implications for the typical comic art market is the cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #100, drawn on illustration board in pen and ink by veteran Marvel hands John Romita, Sr. and Frank Giacoia, which brough $478,000, establishing a new record for Marvel artwork from the classic 1960s-70s era. Though this cover is iconic to fans and appeared on a landmark issue of a key Marvel title, its design and execution are not exceptional, and the artists do not have much of a reputation beyond comic fandom. One of the peculiarities of the comic art market is that factors that tend to predict value and price in other areas of the art world can fall by the wayside if a particular collector has a personal attachment to the work. Bidding at auction is often driven by emotion and competitive impulses, which can reach fever pitch if combined with nostalgia. The kids who grew up reading comics in the 1960s and 70s are now in their 50s and 60s, with established careers and empty nests. In todays luxury economy, those with the disposable income to afford a $100,000 piece of artwork tend to have the income to afford a $4-500K piece of artwork, leading to bigger and bigger sales. Eventually, the sums changing hands attract the interest of outside speculators and investors looking for new asset classes that deliver high rates of return. New money brings more competition, which means higher prices and higher commissions, a trend that sellers and auction houses like to call attention to. Thats definitely a dynamic that has affected the market for collectible vintage comics, particularly key issues (featuring first appearances of characters or other notable story events) in pristine condition, and/or genuinely rare comics from the 1930s-60s, the era before they were highly collected. Heritage, along with other marketplaces, dealers and auction sites, has seen a booming market in these blue chip issues, which are usually professionally graded and sealed into tamper-proof plastic slabs by a third party service like CGC. This makes it impossible to handle and appreciate the comics as story and art though doing so risks diminishing their condition, and thus their value, by significant amounts and turns them into pure objects of commerce. Prices that were once set on the basis of factors of interest only to fans and collectors are now driven by expectations of appreciation and pure supply and demand. A scene in the 2016 movie The Accountant shows an international criminal, played by Ben Affleck, matter-of-factly hoarding slabbed Golden Age comics along with gold, jewels, artwork and other tradeable commodities that he takes as payment in lieu of cash for his off-the-books transactions. Thats basically what these totems of American popular culture have become now that their contents are ubiquitously available in reprints and online, while the originals are out of reach of all but one-percenters. In 2018, Heritage reported that sell-through rates exceeded 99% by value and by number of lots. According to the company, business is also booming at its weekly Sunday and evening sales, which used to attract less interest and action than the big quarterly events. The days of Heritage Auctions weekly auctions offering lower-value lots exclusively are over, said Heritage Auctions co-founder Jim Halperin. We average about 800 lots per week, and it no longer is a rarity for some lots to crack the five-figure plateau. The feeding frenzy driving up prices in comics and comic art is now spreading to adjacent pop culture segments. A piece of concept artwork from Walt Disneys Cinderella (1950) by animator Marty Blair drew $60,000 at a Heritage auction in June, setting a new record for the artists work. A month later, the original artwork to a gaming card from Wizard of the Coasts Magic: The Gathering (1993) by fantasy artist Kaja Foglio realized an astonishing $72,000 at a weekly auction in mid-July. For millennia, the value and status of art has been determined by the tastes of the wealthy. Today, the people with piles of disposable income for luxury purchases and high-end collecting are the products of 1960s, 70s and 80s popular culture, at a moment when the rich have more money than ever and fewer attractive places to invest it. Those factors, plus the ubiquity of comic-themed content in the wider entertainment world, have created a perfect storm for the once small and insular world of comic and comic art collecting. And as long as those trends continue, its hard to see this market going anywhere but up. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2019/01/30/whats-driving-the-high-end-comic-market-to-multi-million-dollar-heights/ |
Is There Really A Best Time To Send Marketing Email? | Theres never a good time to send a bad email. And theres no shortage of debate over the best time to send a good email with content thats relevant and timely. Too many variables make a tidy proclamation on perfect timing reckless. Variables range from the relationship between the marketer and the people on the list to noteworthy shifts in how and when we read our emails. Were seeing growth in the number of emails that are saved and read later, says PowerInbox CEO Jeff Kupietzky. The rise of Googles tabbed email display has correlated with people time shifting and opening emails significantly after they are sent and/or re-opening and interacting with them later. It makes it easier to stay organized and go back and find emails that you wanted to read, but maybe didnt have time for the moment they arrived. When To Hit The Email Marketing Send Button Research from PowerInbox helps us understand why there is no witching hour, no ideal time of day or day of the week to send marketing emails. Our data shows theres a significant difference in the days and times when people most often open emails versus when they actually interact with the content in the newsletters, says Kupietzky. Where the most popular days and times for opening are weekdays around mid-morning, the weekends are when people are more apt to engage and take action, by clicking on content in those emails. The Weekend Effect It may be easier for us to tuck an email away to read and react to later, but the inconsistencies of our behavior fuel the uncertainties of email response. A subject line which captures our attention on Tuesday runs the risk of losing its appeal and becoming irrelevant on Saturday. One of the core principles of direct marketing involves getting an immediate reaction and attaching little or no hope to a delayed response. This principle is challenged by weekend clickthrough rates, which have been relatively strong since the dawn of email marketing. It seems to be a consistent finding, says Kupietzky. The theory is that people not only have more leisure time on the weekends to actually read emails, but also there are fewer emails sent on the weekends because most publishers plan their sends based on the most popular open times, during the workweek. This data shows that they should be rethinking that strategy. Fine Tuning Email Marketing Tactics Wondering when to send an email is probably not as important as looking for ways to improve the email content. Marketers from J. Peterman to Sur La Table email their lists on both weekends and weekdays. Delivering fresh, personalized content contributes directly to higher engagement, says Kupietzky. Content that is updated on the open will be more relevant. In addition, using email as a unique identifier is important as it gives us a much clearer picture of the individual user - their demographics, click behavior, interests and more - than other types of personalization and audience segmentation. Having that richer, more accurate knowledge of the individual helps publishers deliver more relevant email content and creates more opportunities for monetization. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultalbot/2019/01/30/is-there-really-a-best-time-to-send-marketing-email/ |
Where Does XR Go From Here? | 2018 has been an interesting year for the XR industry. While many people try to separate the fates of VR and AR, those that work in the industry know these devices will inevitably merge into XR devices capable of both. AR and VR would struggle if they both tried to convince consumers about either or rather than and. The long-term truth is that VR and AR devices will become XR devices and this has been a known fact for quite some time by most in the industry. Were already starting to see it happen, as some of the more mature VR devices like the HTC Vive and Lenovo Mirage Solo start to take on AR capabilities. The journey The truth is that XR has to go down the same path that every previous major computing platform went in the past. During the first phase, early devices are clunky, expensive, and lack content. However, select businesses see clear ROI and business opportunities for the technology and adopt it regardless of cost and clunkiness. We see that today in XR, where enterprises utilize AR for training and repair and VR for training, engineering, and sales purposes. These businesses eventually pull everyone else in their direction as the industry caters to their operational needs and chases enterprise dollars. After that happens, manageability, scale, and services start to appear. These devices start to be offered as a service, usually tied to a specific location like the PC cafes of the 90s. Todays equivalent is the location-based entertainment solutions like The VOID or SPACES, in which people walk around a virtual world with a content-rich story. These location-based VR experiences help to solve one of the biggest problems with VRnot enough people have tried it, to decide for themselves if they want or need it. AR doesnt have that problem thanks to smartphone-based technologies like ARKit and ARCore. With these technologies, Google and Apple are populating the market with AR apps before either of them launch an AR headset. Yes, theres Google Glass, but that too has morphed into what is today almost an entirely enterprise solution. It takes experience with the technology for users to get excited enough about the platform to invest. By that point, the technology will, in theory, have had enough time to develop and reduce costs to the point where consumers can purchase it. This didnt happen immediately with the Smartphone or the PC, and nor will it with XR. It can take a decade or more for new technologies to fully come to fruition. The smartphone didnt start when the iPhone was introduced and the PC didnt launch with Windows 95, people always seem to forget this. Big things take time. They always do. They also never happen with one player dominating the spaceit takes competitors fighting it out with each other to deliver the best possible product. Right now weve got Facebook , Google, Apple, and Magic Leap vying for leadership, and its anyones guess who will come out ahead (though theres a trend of Apple always finding its way to the top of the field for nascent platforms). I suspect that the XR platform war wont be a two-dog race. Failures XR is still an emerging market and that means there will be a lot of companies that get into financial trouble and go under or get acquired. We saw plenty of this in 2018. IMAX VR announced it would be shutting down both of its locations and abandoning the concept. IMAXs approach was very movie theater-esque, and made you pay per experience with show times and curated content. It had a good diversity of content, but its IMAX brand was almost entirely wasted with close to zero marketing effort after launch. Many location-based VR businesses that have seen success relied on tried and true IP to drive users curiosity and excitement about XR. One of the earliest and arguably most innovative companies in the space, ODG (Osterhout Design Group), struggled to gain a foothold in the market and deliver a product that makes the company money. It is still struggling to get its R-9 and R-8 glasses into the market, which is a shamethe company has been showing them off for quite some time and they look very promising. The current state of ODG itself is unknown, but it is a known fact that the company is shopping around its mountain of IP. Ultimately, ODGs problem is a lack of ecosystem support for what it is doing. It simply doesnt have the relationships or distribution to get its headsets in the right enterprise or consumer hands. There are plenty of mixed, merged, and augmented reality platforms in the enterprise that could have benefitted from ODGs hardware. Last year, Blippar also announced it would be shutting down. This came as little surprise to manywhile it was one of the earlier companies in XR, its star had faded in the last few years. Blippar was a platform, which made it heavily reliant both on developers (to build apps for it) and the overall growth of AR (which remains at a steady, but slow pace). There were rumors that Blippar turned down acquisition offers from some pretty big players. This could explain why it failed to raise any more funding and had to shut down. However, Blippars IP may still live on through asset sales as a new venture which will likely be run by different people but funded by one of Blippars investors. One of the more curious cases right now is StarVR. The companys current status is unknown, having gone virtually silent since it announced its new StarVR One headset. After the announcement that it was putting its StarVR development program on hold, rumors swirled that the company was being shopped around or that it may have already gone private. StarVR was originally a joint venture between Acer and StarBreeze studios, but Acer now owns the majority of shares. Whats peculiar is that Acer just invested more money into StarVR in late 2017 to increase their share, and is now rumored to be looking for a suitor. Theres talk that this is due to a collapse in location-based VR revenues, but that seems like a weak excuse given the small part of that market StarVR had, compared to HTC and Oculus. If StarVR wants to be successful, it must push forward with its StarVR One headset. I believe it has potential for a major enterprise use case, as well as entertainment and other secondary uses. Yes, the StarVR One is an expensive headset. However, if a piece of technology is good enough, companies and developers will find a way to make use of it. StarVRs story is not over yetits headset was one of the best things I saw in 2018, and I hope that it is able to pull through and bring a final version of the StarVR One to market. Meta is yet another AR company that went under recently, I had been tracking Meta since I first saw them appear in the space and they were compelling at least for an early piece of hardware. The company made many improvements to image quality, tracking and hand tracking but failed to ship headsets fast enough to get enough developers onboard to really drive adoption and sales. Trying to perfect the headset ultimately drove the company into a place where it was no longer viable and while I respect the need to get a piece of hardware out there thats perfect, you still have to actually ship the thing too. Metas original folly was that it had to be tethered to a PC, which as an AR headset doesnt really benefit users as much as a standalone headset, which they also had in development. That headset could have had a lot more potential, and I believe that may have been a better play for the company from the outset, but it may have also been what caused the company to run out of resources faster than they had anticipated. Looking forward, the industry finally has the tools for success. Companies like Epic, Unity, Vuforia, Magic Leap, Facebook, Google, and Apple help developers build the XR apps of the future with their tools and capabilities. The hardware still has limitations, but I firmly believe that the optics and display problems are slowly being solved. In 2019, I believe VR will continue to chug along and grow into an industry with a standard cadence of new products and content. The new hardware, such as Oculus Quest, and content will help to grow the industry and entice more people to buy into the platform. VR and AR will likely continue to merge into one XR platform. With the introduction of 5G in 2019, more services will be delivered to VR headsets for content streaming at high bitrates, which translates to better quality VR experiences. The Oculus Go recently announced multiple TV streaming partnersI honestly cant wait to see what VR content platforms like NextVR can do once they get enough bandwidth to work with. In 2019, I believe we will see a significant boost to the AR industry in ways we didnt in 2018. The hype always seems to come a year before the real big launches happen. I am seeing more AR companies secure funding to expand production and more new technologies that promise to improve user experience. AR already has a good niche in the enterprise (as does VR) and I expect this to continue. Meanwhile, companies like Apple, Facebook, and Snapchat are helping to democratize AR with their SDKs and familiarizing people with how to interact with the platform. Long term, I believe that for AR to really succeed, headsets must become highly portable and ultra location-aware. Without location awareness, AR is not that much different or better than VR and, in some ways, its worse. All of the mass-market business cases for AR are dependent on location, which is why companies like Google and Mapbox are working aggressively to improve location awareness in AR. I believe that Microsoft is going to play a major role in ARs growth this year, with the company's expected Hololens 2 announcement at MWC 2019 in Barcelona, which I will be attending. Considering it already has a $500 million contract from the U.S. government, I expect that Hololens 2 will gain a lot of traction--especially if its priced better than the original. The Windows Holographic platform is still the default hardware/software ecosystem that enterprise developers consider when building enterprise apps. I expect that this could eventually translate to the consumer realm, with future versions of the Hololens or other compatible partner devices. Ultimately, Microsoft doesnt want to be the only one building hardware for its mixed reality platform, but if it has to be the first one to establish the platform, it will be. I believe that the Japan 2020 Olympics and the deployment of standalone 5G NR networks in 2020 will likely help to propel both AR and VR further into the mainstream. I have a strong feeling that many companies will use the 2020 Olympics as an opportunity to showcase their technologies, and the Japanese operators will likely be excited to show off their shiny new 5G networks. Olympics are a very prestigious event and host countries spend lots of money to maximize on the positive PR. For this reason, I expect the next Olympic games to be by far the most technologically advanced weve seen yet. Well probably get some sneak peeks in 2019. Beyond 2020 Long term, looking past 2019 and 2020, I expect well see a gradual growth of the XR market, which will most likely crescendo when Apple announces its own device. Were currently in a phase where Apple and other smartphone manufacturers build AR experiences on phones and tablets, which serves to build an application base for eventual headsets. I dont know when Apple will release a headset, but I suspect that will be the event that finally brings the market into the mainstream. Apple has proven time and time again that its size and branding alone are market-making, and I believe the companys patience with bringing an XR device to market will ultimately pay off in a big way. Judging by the IP and patents that Apple has filed for, we could see a very capable device. It will undoubtedly carry a significant price tag, but with the current price of smartphones, this is less of a concern than it might have been 2 or 3 years ago. Global macroeconomic factors could also affect the pace of innovation in 2019 and 2020, but I believe that exciting new industries like XR will still be prioritized. Even in the event of a recession, I believe were on pace for a mainstream XR market by around 2025-2026. No market was made overnight; it takes roughly a decade for any new platform to mature into what can be considered mainstream. The promise of XR is very real, and it will be worth the wait. Disclosure: Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided research, analysis, advising, and/or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Lenovo, Microsoft, and Google. The authors do not hold any equity positions with any companies cited in this column. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2019/01/30/where-does-xr-go-from-here/ |
What Was The Most Important Revenue Driver For Revlon Over The Last 3 Years? | Revlon (NYSE: REV), one of the worlds top cosmetics companies, operates under four global brand teams reporting its results under four segments: Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, Portfolio brands, and Fragrances. Of these 4 segments, the Elizabeth Arden segment has been the major contributor for Revlons top line in the last 3 years. During the last few years, Revlons performance has been modest where net sales have been on and off positive driven by strong growth in the North America region with the majority of growth in its Elizabeth Arden segment. Revlons earnings growth has been a reflection of their continuous effort toward strengthening their business strategy and putting forth efforts to stabilize their business operations. We are seeing strong growth prospects in their strategic focus areas as they continue to work toward building momentum across their businesses. In the previous annual earnings, Revlons Elizabeth Arden segment brand has performed well driven by new launches and a strong digital presence. Its net sales rose 116% to $952 Mn, primarily driven by higher net sales of Elizabeth Arden skin care products, including Ceramide and Prevage, principally in international markets. Revlon is on track to attain integration synergies of $190 million by 2020 in restructuring and related charges in connection with implementing actions under the Elizabeth Arden Integration Program in 2019. Revlon has been very aggressive in digital and e-commerce initiatives by setting up a new team of digital professionals realizing the importance of digital progress and social media in a brands reach and popularity among its clientele. Along with increasing ad investments, the company is also shifting most of its campaigns to the digital platform. Recently, Revlon collaborated with a leading digital consultancy, Sapient Razorfish, to create a stronger digital presence. These factors are positively working in its favor as an increasing number of customers are buying beauty products online. For 2019, Revlon plans to continue to focus on strengthening their brands and enhancing the avenues through which they communicate and connect with their consumers. They are focused on ensuring broad availability of their products where the consumer shops in both brick and mortar and online. With the appointment of Debra G. Perelman as their new CEO, Revlon is sure to get new energy and will advance on the path of brand transformation and will come out stronger in the coming years. We have created an interactive dashboard on Important Revenue Driver For Revlon Over The Last 3 Years that shows Revlons key revenue source and the past performance in the last 3 years. With the initiatives adopted by Revlons top management for a brand makeover, the company is positive that the new changes will now steer Revlon toward higher growth. We believe that Revlon has the key advantages in terms of innovation, brand power, digital prowess, and the quality of its teams all over the world to continue to drive growth and hold on to its position in the Beauty market. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/30/what-was-the-most-important-revenue-driver-for-revlon-over-the-last-3-years/ |
Will Muzzin be the greatest to wear No. 8 as a Maple Leaf? | When he suits up Friday for the first time as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jake Muzzin will wear No. 8. He used to wear No. 6 for the Kings, a number long retired in Toronto (Ace Bailey) and now one of 13 Leaf numbers out of circulation. ( File Photo ) Muzzin will be the 52nd player to wear No. 8 for Toronto (though some, like Bailey and Tie Domi just wore it passing through to other numbers). But Muzzin has a chance to be the greatest player to wear No. 8 in Leaf history. This is not to put pressure on him. It is to say that as far as numbers go, eight has a pretty low bar. With apologies to Carlo Colaiacovo, the list of players who wore the number does not endear itself to a Greatest Of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Consider Aki Berg the last defenceman from the Los Angeles Kings the Leafs traded for -- is on it. Article Continued Below The last player to wear No. 8 in Toronto was Connor Carrick. Some of Torontos best Eights: Captain Rob Ramage and a couple of former rookies of the year: Gus Bodnar and Brit Selby. Sid Smith won the Stanley Cup three times, the Lady Byng twice. ... After that, were into Rocky Saganiuk, Walt Poddubny, Mike Komisarek, Todd Warriner territory. CRAZY EIGHT Funny, but for a number thats been around as long as the rest, No. 8 hasnt had that many great players. A few, to be sure: Alex Ovechkin has the chance to surpass Teemu Selanne and down as the greatest to wear eight (if he hasn't alread). Drew Doughty Muzzins ex-partner -- might go down as the greatest defenceman to wear No. 8. Mark Recchi and Cam Neely are Hall of Famers who wore it. But it doesnt hold the awesomeness of the numbers on either side: No. 9 retired 15 times in the NHL, No. 7, retired 11 times. Even the Montreal Canadiens, who seemingly will retire any number of a player who got his fingerprints on the Stanley Cup, havent retired No. 8. The Habs have retired 14 numbers. TWICE FOUR Article Continued Below Small Aside: Muzzin and the Maple Leafs, by the way, will be in Detroit to see the banner raising of Red Kellys No. 4 on Friday. The Leafs have already retired Kellys No. 4. He won four Cups with both teams. With the Wings, he did it as a defenceman. With the Leafs he did it as a centre. (I can already see the Jake Gardiner questions churning in your mind. Answer: Times were different.) TOP 10 Eight has been retired six times, and two of them are from teams that no longer exist. Setting aside No.99, retired across the league, heres the top 10 retired numbers (According to my chicken scratch of a Wikipedia page): No. 9: 15 times No. 7: 11 times No. 3: Nine times No. 4: Nine times No. 19: Nine times No. 2: Eight times No. 5: Eight times No. 11: Seven times No. 1: Seven times No. 8: Six times No. 1o: Six times (No. 6 Muzzins original number weirdly doesnt make the top 10. Its only been retired twice (Leafs, Ace Bailey; Red Wings, Larry Aurie). Email me at [email protected] and Ill answer it in Fridays Mailbag. | https://www.thestar.com/sports/breakaway_blog/2019/01/30/will-muzzin-be-the-greatest-to-wear-no--8-as-a-maple-leaf-.html |
Is Nikki Haley, Former UN Ambassador, Building a Campaign War Chest? | Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor, says she isnt planning a 2020 run for the White House, but shes getting a lot of attention, and money, as a rising GOP political star. Whatever she might do in the realm of politics, it appears she could be on the path to amassing sizable campaign coffers. A CNBC report claims Haley, who resigned last October, is commanding a domestic speaking fee of $200,000 per appearance, along with use of a private jet. International speaking engagements cost even more. The reported speaking fee, puts Haley in rarified air, alongside the likes of former presidents, first ladies, and former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who charged $225,000 per speaking fee, raised a reported $22 million between 2013 and 2015. Of course, making money as a speaker isnt just for candidates. For example, former president Bill Clinton still makes a lucrative living making public appearances. Haleys departure from the Trump administration was notably different than many others because she left on good terms. She sat at Trumps side as her resignation was announced and pledged her loyalty to him in 2020. Her relationship with the president didnt even sour after she joked about Trump at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation dinner before her departure. Haleys decision to resign surprised several senior White House aides, including then-Chief of Staff John Kelly and Vice President Mike Pence. Haley was a strong advocate of Trumps foreign policy. On her first day as UN ambassador she warned, for those that dont have our back, were taking names. We will make points to respond to that accordingly. | http://fortune.com/2019/01/30/nikki-haley-speaker-fee/ |
Should the NFL encourage more male cheerleaders? | Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies represent the first male cheerleaders to ever ply their trade on the Super Bowl stage and will be pumping up Los Angeles Rams fans at the big game. While they might be the first to do it at the Super Bowl, the New Orleans Saints had a man leading cheers all year, and the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts have stuntmen on the field. Some want to see more men cheer on the sideline. Others don't think men should be taking jobs away from women. PERSPECTIVES The NFL has had a bad run of press lately, getting bashed for not protecting female cheerleaders from exploitation. When the league announced male cheerleaders would be part of the league in 2018, it was a genuine first step in addressing the league's image and promoting actual diversity. While fans now associate cheerleading with women, men were actually the first to pioneer the practice in the late 1800s. Even now, men are important pillars of support for their female counterparts, lifting and creating bases to elevate their teammates. Getting more men to be cheerleaders brings a fresh element and more versatility to the sport. It also is proof the league is making the right moves towards diversity. Encouraging more male participation will only result in good things for the NFL. The SUPER BOWL just got even more SUPER, as the Los Angeles Rams will be the first NFL team ever to bring a MALE CHEERLEADER to perform at the SUPER BOWL! [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/TcF77Yqk8A -- Shawnasaurus Rex (@ShawnG927) January 25, 2019 No one asked for male cheerleaders on NFL sidelines. It's great that four teams have male cheerleaders, but there's no need to encourage more men to participate. In fact, it could be bad for the NFL because it may take away jobs that would have gone to women. That's less diversity, not more. Adding more men to the mix is bringing in another element that will divide fans and make the league look bad. Don't fix something that isn't broken. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2019/01/should_the_nfl_encourage_more.html |
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