question
stringlengths 11
179
| article
stringlengths 522
97.6k
| url
stringlengths 35
310
|
|---|---|---|
Why was Victor Pena on the street? | Victor Pena is accused of kidnapping Olivia Ambrose from a public street and holding her captive for three days. Starting in 2004, public records show numerous women reporting Pena for physical and sexual abuse. One said Pena hit her and forced her to have sex. Another said he hit her repeatedly in the head and covered her mouth and nose so she couldnt breathe. At least five restraining orders were issued on behalf of women who feared for their safety. Pena has been a menace to women for a very long time, but the guy, incredibly, has no criminal record related to those incidents because charges werent filed, or were dismissed. Not prosecuting guys like Pena always leads to an escalation of violence. They learn quickly that they can do what they want and get away with it. The revolving door at the courthouse is a disturbing commentary on the value of womens lives, and a reminder to abusers that they can do it again and again, without repercussion. In a civilized legal system, a first-time offender would at least be ordered into batterers treatment. If he did it again, he would go to jail. If he didnt get the message after that, he would be labeled a high-risk offender and incarcerated for the longest period of time possible, whenever the opportunity presented itself. Had Pena been handled that way, he would have been behind bars, rather than hunting for women leaving bars. This is what criminal justice reform should look like. Not refusing to prosecute shoplifters, but aggressively prosecuting high-risk offenders. Lots of people do and they dont hurt anyone. Pena sucked his thumb, cried and talked to himself after he was arrested, but his ex-girlfriends didnt say he was mentally ill, and the court psychologist suggested he might be exaggerating. He wouldnt be the first criminal to conveniently develop a psychiatric condition on arraignment day. The police report indicates Pena managed to transport an incapacitated Ambrose across town on the MBTA, and through the streets of Charlestown to his apartment. There, he had installed a special inside lock he previously had used to entrap another woman. These tactics require mental competence and planning thumb-sucking notwithstanding. It feels better to think guys like Pena are sick, but the reality is, most men hurt women because they dont fear the consequences. Thats not a mental illness problem thats a gender discrimination problem. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/01/24/wendy-murphy-why-was-pena-on-the-street/ |
Is the development academy killing Arizona high school girls soccer? | CLOSE U.S. Soccer is not allowing academy players to play for their high school. Now-former Xavier standout Kyla Ferry talks about it. Richard Obert, azcentral sports Kyla Ferry led Phoenix Xavier Prep to a 6A soccer championship the last two years. Last season, she was named the azcentral Sports Awards Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She was also the state Player of the Year by Gatorade. She committed to the University of Colorado. "It was always fun to go down the hallway, and people would say, 'Good game, I heard you on the announcements, scoring,' '' Ferry said. Kyle Ferry exercises before practice with the SC del Sol girls soccer club at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex on Jan. 22, 2019 in Phoenix. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports) But now, when she walks down the school's hallways, she sees former teammates chatting up their last game. When she helps Xavier coach Barb Chura as her teacher's assistant, she can only hear what happened in their games. "Those are the things she looks back on," said J-Michael Ferry, Kyla's father and still an avid Xavier soccer supporter. "It validates why you play, being recognized. She spent a good part of her life playing this sport." Choosing academy over high school team Tuesday night, when Xavier has Senior Night, Ferry won't be able to take part in it. "Its tough," J-Michael said. "You want your kids to do it all. But the DA rules are set. It's this way. I think she's happy with her choices." In the second year of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for girls, this year the national federation made a rule that girls who choose to play on their high school teams can't play for the development academy team. Ferry chose to ramp her game up another notch and get the year-round training to get herself ready to make an instant impact in her first college season next fall at Colorado. She practices most nights at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix, wearing the orange-jersey girls meet up for training under Les Armstrong, who leads the SC del Sol U-18/19 team that is 13-1-1 and ranked No. 1 in the Southwest Division. Ferry has had a big impact on the team. At the biggest showcase of the year in Florida in December, she scored four goals, including three game winners in front of more than 100 college coaches, including her future Colorado coach. "Playing here at del Sol, the competition is at a much higher level than high school," Ferry said. "Everybody is going to top D. I schools around the country. We play against almost all California schools, which a higher-intensity level for us, which is the best competition to get us ready for our colleges. Which is the most important thing for thing for now, getting prepared, especially for me. I want to be prepared when I get to the University of Colorado." 'This is a HUGE issue' This is great for Ferry and other girls who have chosen the development academy route. "This is a HUGE issue," Chura wrote in an email. "The Development Academy has kill HS Soccer. Especially at my school. So many good soccer players no longer playing. Really sad." Kyle Ferry exercises before practice with the SC del Sol girls soccer club at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex on Jan. 22, 2019 in Phoenix. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports) Chura didn't just lose the state's best player, but five potential starters on this year's team that is hoping to capture a third consecutive state title. Injuries have taken a toll on Xavier's depth. But the Gators are hanging in. They are 7-3-2 and have outscored their opponents 39-8. Academy has 197 total clubs, comprised of teams across six age groups in the boys program and U-18/19 and four age groups in the girls program. In the fall of 2017 the academy expanded to include a girls development academy. Last year, girls could take a break from the academy to spend the three or four months with their high school teams. But in 2018, the national federation made a rule that girls who leave the academy to play high school can't return to the academy once their high school season is over. The academy program advertises on its Web site that the club "environments assist in maximizing youth player development across the country." "The Academy values individual development of elite players over winning trophies and titles," it says. "The Academy sets the standard for elite environments for youth soccer clubs nationwide and is a part of U.S. Soccer's global leadership position in youth soccer that will impact thousands of players." So every grade in high school is impacted by the academy, which is pulling some of the most elite players from the high school game. "If we could have done both, we would have loved to do both," Ferry said. "But we couldn't and it's best for us to play for the DA. People were saying, 'Please play, you're really big for the team.' I was like, 'I just can't. It's not what's best for me.' "It's really hard for me, because I'm a TA for Barb. Having to see her every day and her just being, 'I know I'm going to see you on the sideline and we're going to be accepting.' But she understands that's what's best." Kyla Ferry exercises before practice with the SC del Sol girls soccer club at the Rose Mofford Sports Complex on Jan. 22, 2019 in Phoenix. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports) In an October story by SoccerNation, Mirelle van Rijbroek, director of talent indentification for US Soccer, was asked why the federation does not allow DA players to play for their high school teams. Imagine you get into Harvard," van Rijbroek told SoccerNation. "You go to Harvard, and youre in a very high-level environment. There are big group projects to work on that are crucial to your education. Those projects are going to help you learn how to handle huge stressful situations later in life. But then you want to take a few months off to go to a different school for a while. Furthermore, youll be leaving the members of your group without an important member of the team, while you take a few months to go do something else. Its not fair to the group left behind. Additionally, its not going to be good for your own education. You cant just leave for a few months. Ferry was stuck in tough spot. The high school soccer season ends in mid-February. Had she committed to high school soccer her senior year, she'd be out, as far as playing in weekend tournaments in California with the top development academy team in the Southwest. "She wants to be here," Chura said. She's with one of the top-ranked teams in the country. She's a premier player, an elite player. "That's where we have no leverage as high schools, because these colleges are going to showcase tournaments and mobbing the sidelines to watch these kids play. They don't go to high schools." More high school blowouts High school scores have been predictably lopsided this season. Gilbert Perry, which arguably has the best team in the state at 17-0-2, outscoring opponents 86-1, won back-to-back games in January by scores of 10-0 and 21-0. "I am sure that a lot of schools have several kids that have opted to play with their club teams," Perry coach John Roberts said. "As coaches, we need to focus on the kids that we do have. Club soccer is a grind. "High school soccer is fun for the kids and keeps their passion for the sport with the few months off of club that they do get while still competing in the sport. It is our job to make their experiences fun, while still learning and progressing in the sport. Kids get to represent their schools and play with their friends and create lifelong memories. That is what we are about at Perry." Armstrong said his team is just following U.S. Soccer guidelines, and he gives the girls the option. "You can play the first half of the season, but you can't come back after that (if they choose to join their high school teams)," Armstrong said. "If you play high school, you're ineligible. "Generally, the most competitive players continue to play in the academy. My personal thought is, you get better by good competition and good coaching. That's not to say you don't have good high school coaching. But the level of play is inferior compared to the level of club. Kids make the choice. I feel bad for it. "The other disheartening thing for high school kids, they play during the time when major tournaments are going on with the academy. In December, we had one game with 145 college coaches around the field. That doesn't happen at a high school soccer match." Still cheering for Xavier Ferry was going to commit to being one of Chura's team managers at Xavier Prep this year. But it's been tough to get out to the high school matches, because they conflict with her academy practices and games. J-Michael said he left the decision to his daughter this year. "At the time, Kyla said, 'I'm not sure,' '' he said. "In the end, she felt what's important is Colorado and being ready to play. She had to look at the next level for this." "I went to Brophy," he said. "I graduated from Brophy. I support both. I love going to Brophy games, too. They have a lot of girls still there at Xavier. I think it's about supporting the school. It's a cool environment. It's fun." Kyla still is Xavier's No. 1 fan. But she knows her game is that much farther advanced since committing to the development academy. "(My dad) loved watching me play high school but he also loves watching me play club," she said. "He just wants me to be playing when I go to Colorado, because he's going to be go up every single weekend, even when we're traveling." READ MORE: To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/01/24/development-soccer-hurt-arizona-high-school-girls-soccer/2671102002/ |
Why did somebody send Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg a blue king cake? | Its a story of rejection, reversal and reconciliation. The folks at a king cake-focused website called King Cake Snob have sent a king cake to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Zuckerbergs king cake which is decorated in Facebook blue - includes an especially large, custom-made king cake baby clothed in a Facebook T-shirt and what appear to be tiny black athletic shorts. Heres the backstory. On Jan. 7 the King Cake Snob management attempted to pay Facebook to increase the distribution of a post on the King Cake Snob Facebook page that called attention to the start of the Mardi Gras season. Boosting a post, as its called, is routine. The trouble was, the post in question included a photo of king cake babies. Facebook declined to boost the King Cake Snob post because the photo of the tiny plastic babies included excessive skin or nudity. KCS appealed to Facebook to reconsider, but the social media Goliath refused. Facebook censors king cake babies for nudity. No kidding. Word of Facebooks prudishness leapfrogged from one media outlet to another until Jan. 18 when Facebook relented and allowed KCS to boost the previously banned post. UPDATE: Your voices have been heard! Facebook has reversed its decision to deny our King Cake baby ads, allowing the... Posted by King Cake Snob on Friday, January 18, 2019 King Cake Snob spokesman Andrew Alexander said that the whole problem underlying Facebooks erstwhile censorship may have been the California companys lack of king cake awareness. So KCS enlisted Caluda King Cake bakery to produce a custom cake for Mr. Zuckerbergs enjoyment and edification. Members of the KCS website design team created the huge, clothed king cake baby with a 3-D digital printer. Alexander said he is sure the cake has reached its destination, though Facebook has not responded. Alexander said the gesture is meant to tie a ribbon on the whole censorship incident. It is not, he avows, an effort to tease Mr. Zuckerberg or the management of his mega-company. King Cake Snob is published by the Innovative Advertising agency. The website management uses its Facebook account to draw attention to king cake reviews and news. King Cake Festival 2019: Taste Mardi Gras confections from 27 vendors Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music and culture in New Orleans. Contact him via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment stream. | https://www.nola.com/entertainment/2019/01/why-did-somebody-send-facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-a-blue-king-cake.html |
Who Needs To Beef Up Their Permian Portfolio? | The challenge is always to present a complex story simply. Every once in a while, a visual aid nails it and the reader frankly doesnt need much more. In this particular case, its about what will drive tight oil consolidation in 2019 and beyond. More on this shortly. US tight oil has been the biggest theme in the upstream M&A market over the last three years. A total of U.S.$60 billion was spent acquiring tight oil assets in 2018, of which almost 50% was in the Permian. A clear pattern has emerged since 2015 its the big players dominating the tight oil deal making. Smaller independents valued at under U.S.$5 billion are still active, but there is a changing of the guard. The big money is coming from Big Oil Majors and large independents. Over two-thirds of the capital spent buying tight oil assets in 2018 was from companies with a market value of more than U.S.$5 billion. Nearly half was companies of U.S.$10 billion or more, including BP, which acquired BHPs assets. This reflects the industrialization of development in the Permian. ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and now BP are among the biggest investors shaping the way the basin is being exploited. Scale is a means of creating value access to a bigger inventory of pre-drill wells, especially in contiguous acreage. High grading inventory and selecting well sites are key to the logic of doing deals. There are those who dont have exposure but who want to get it. There are plenty of these have-nots many of them sizeable players, including Asian national oil companies, Asian independents and, perhaps, even majors like Total. Not all may want to buy big, but some want in on the action as a platform to build an understanding of whats going on, how it all works, and as a spring board for future expansion. Then theres a bigger group of Permian haves, some of whom may not have enough. That brings us back to our visual, shown below, which ranks existing positions in the Permian who needs to buy and who may consider selling out. Ryan Duman, principal analyst, and team mined our U.S. Lower 48 database of companies exposure to the basin, making a judgment on the depth and quality of portfolios by ranking metrics such as production growth, experience, productivity, variability, capital efficiency, asset size and location. By combining historical actuals and forward-looking metrics were able to take a more holistic review of how each operator stacks up. Three things stuck out. First, few Permian operators have enough high-quality inventory to support growth much beyond five years (and many production profiles start plateauing sooner than that). We found that approximately 60% of Permian operators could be considered as either future buyers or sellers. Second, some candidates stand out as the potential buyers that might lead another wave of acquisitions. These may be operators looking to the Permian for significant growth and more productive inventory, among them Anadarko and Devon. Soaring Permian acreage costs means the likely buyers club will be a tight-ish group, including the larger independents and majors. Capital discipline will be a limiting factor industry-wide. Third, companies with less certain longevity might choose to sell while the going's good. An example of this visual in action is Resolute's sale to Cimarex late last year. Others might opt to improve their position if they have organic upside potential from exploration and appraisal or shift to industrialized development. Operators like QEP and Encana are actively testing cube- or tank-style development, which could help them exploit Permian resource more efficiently and effectively. We may be in for a fresh bout of consolidation. The recent sharp sell-off in shares has opened up steep discounts to our valuation for some independents, an opportunity for the big to get bigger. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/woodmackenzie/2019/01/25/who-needs-to-beef-up-their-permian-portfolio/ |
Is it time for a unified African transfer window? | In 2017, world governing body Fifa says that African clubs spent a total of $16m on international transfers - a sum that represents around 6% of the amount Paris Saint-Germain spent on Neymar that year. The figure is dwarfed by other continents - with South America's spend totalling $180m, Asia's $452m while Europe outdid all the other continents put together with purchases of some $5.6 billion. While Africa earned nearly four times as much through its sales, which amounted to $58m two years ago, the paucity of its spending is not just linked to the financial challenges affecting its largely cash-strapped clubs. Instead, many have told Sport Africa that the continent's irregular transfer window system is a major hindrance - despite 74% of all African club's international sales taking place on the continent itself. OUT OF SYNCH Fifa allows two transfer windows per country per year - one in the break between seasons that can last up to 12 weeks and one in the middle of a season that can last four weeks. Of the 52 African countries whose transfer windows are listed with Fifa, some are similar but no two use exactly the same dates. "The issue for Africa is that our leagues run over different times," says South African sports journalist Nick Said. "So in some countries they run from March to November/December and in some countries like South Africa - a great many countries actually - they run along the European calendar of August to May." The best time of year for African clubs to do business is January when transfer windows are open in 39 countries, which represents 72% of the continent. The graph shows how many African countries have open transfer windows per month (Source: Fifa) Yet January is an outlier because the next best month is August when 27 are open - which, with 54 countries in Africa, means half the continent is closed for business. No other month can even match half, which leaves clubs facing very limited opportunities when they can engage in essential regeneration of their squads. THE ISSUES When to sell is the big dilemma clubs face because although they cannot buy players when their windows are shut, they can offload players all year round. Karim Abdulkarim, the CEO of 2014 Tanzanian champions Azam FC, outlined in December how Africa's uneven transfer windows affect his side. "We have an offer with one club in Egypt who want to sign one of our players but we can't sell now because we can't get a replacement because the transfer window here in Tanzania is already closed," Abdulkarim told Sport Africa. Another factor that is seen to limit the intercontinental movement of African players is the varying dates of the league schedules, which means a player's fitness can be rusty when he moves to another league. Former Real Madrid star Geremi cites the example of an out-of-season player from his country - whose last championship ended in July - trying to impress a club in North Africa, where many seasons are midway through. Because he's been over three months without playing," Geremi, who now heads up Cameroon's players union, told Sport Africa. "He won't be in competitive shape and even if he goes there to be evaluated, it won't be a realistic evaluation because he's not fully fit. Former Chelsea star Geremi is in favour of a unified African transfer window "So it's up to Caf to try to organise all the championships at the same date - so that the period of the transfer windows will be the same dates." Abu Azeez, a Nigeria-based league player, backs up the views of two-time African champion Geremi. "The transfer windows should be working together so that when a player is moving, he is fit and ready." "When you are not playing because your league hasn't started, it's very, very hard for you to adapt when you go there. So one way or another it affects movement of players to other countries." "This is exactly what we need in Africa," says Azeez. "100%," agrees Azam FC's Abdulkarim. "I would like it all to be the same." Yet achieving a unified window is far easier said than done. For if the leagues across the continent don't start at the same time, a transfer window that cuts across all league on the continent is very unlikely to be achievable. To get leagues running simultaneously would mean finding a way to overcome one of the main factors that affects a continent that straddles two hemispheres - namely, the weather. Caf vice-president Amaju Pinnick says African football's ruling body may look into the issue Southern Africa's summer months of June and July are when North Africa has its hottest temperatures, so prompting a near-impossibility that leagues - which tend to be played across winter - will synchronise. "I don't think you can have a uniform transfer window on the African continent because it's just such a big place," South African journalist Mark Gleeson told Sport Africa. "Let's celebrate its diversity, as it's a massive continent with so many disparate things about it. Any attempt to create any sort of uniformity in African has failed miserably in the past and I think it will do so in the future." "If a uniform transfer window will enhance this game, why not?" Amaju Pinnick, Caf's 1st vice president, told BBC Sport Africa. "If I have a very good case, I will bring it up in our executive committee meeting, present it to the president and let's see if it will enhance. Whatever we have to do to enhance the fortune of the game, we will." Additional reporting by Ian Williams. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/46978691 |
Does gum disease have a key role in Alzheimer's? | Scientists believe this may be the case after their study found further evidence of the link between bacteria in a common type of gum disease and people with dementia. Researchers say their findings offer hope for a new way of tackling the illness, for which there is no cure and no effective treatments. Scientists analysed brain tissue, spinal fluid, and saliva from dead and living patients with diagnosed and suspected Alzheimer's. Their study, published in the journal Science Advances, found bacteria associated with chronic gum disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis, in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Tests on mice confirmed the bacteria could travel from the mouth to the brain and showed the toxic protein they secrete, called gingipain, destroyed brain neurons. The bacteria also increased production of amyloid beta, a component of the amyloid plaques commonly associated with Alzheimer's. Following this, scientists tested drugs in mice aimed at blocking the toxic proteins and found they were able to halt degeneration in the brain. The authors of the study concluded: "The findings of this study offer evidence that Porphyromonas gingivalis and gingipains in the brain play a central role in the pathogenesis [development] of AD [Alzheimer's disease], providing a new conceptual framework for disease treatment." The team has now developed a new drug they hope could form the basis of a human treatment and plan to test it in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, in a clinical trial, later this year. Scientists not involved in the research said it added to the evidence of the link between gum disease and dementia, the umbrella term for brain conditions that include Alzheimer's. But they say it is still not clear what role gum disease bacteria has in the development of Alzheimer's. People with Alzheimer's are more susceptible to getting infections in their brains, so it may be that the gum disease bacteria and the toxic proteins they secrete are a by-product of Alzheimer's rather than a cause. There was also caution about the fact the drug tests had been in mice. Prof Tara Spires-Jones, from the UK Dementia Research Institute, at the University of Edinburgh, said it was "great news" that the study provided evidence these drugs may affect Alzheimer's-related proteins. "However, we will have to await the larger clinical trial to see if it will be beneficial to people living with Alzheimer's disease," she said. Studies have previously linked gum disease and dementia. Last year, a Taiwanese study found that people with a 10-year or longer history of chronic periodontitis (CP) were 70% more likely than people without the condition to develop Alzheimer's. Another study found people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's who had gum disease experienced a quicker rate of cognitive decline compared with those without. The researchers of this new study say one explanation for the link is that bacteria from gum disease may access the brain by infecting immune system cells or spreading through cranial nerves passing through the head and jaw. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption One expert says oral health should be more of a priority - particularly for older people But, alternatively, it may be that people with Alzheimer's have poorer oral hygiene, perhaps because the condition makes them less able to look after their teeth and gums. The charity Alzheimer's Society, responding to this study, said the research it had been involved in had not found gum disease to be a key risk factor for Alzheimer's. And Alzheimer's Research UK said the presence of a single type of bacteria was "extremely unlikely to be the only cause of the condition". But given that the condition of teeth and gums is important for overall health anyway, Prof Clive Ballard, from the University of Exeter, said the study suggested oral health should be a "much higher public health priority, especially in older people". | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46986709 |
Could women solve the global pilot shortage? | Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption 'The perception was women didn't fly aircraft' Claire Banks is about to fulfil her childhood dream of flying planes for a living. After almost a decade as a physiotherapist, her aviation career is now ready to take off. The 36-year-old from Lancashire in the north of England has just been offered a job as a pilot by UK carrier EasyJet, joining a small but growing number of women around the world flying commercial aircraft. Once seen as a very male job, Claire says that attitudes have thankfully changed over the past two decades. "On leaving school it [becoming a pilot] wasn't really an option for me, there was very little information, and the perception was that women didn't fly aircraft," she says. "But the industry is now working hard to change that perception, and they're making the career accessible to absolutely everybody." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Easyjet wants 20% of all its new pilots to be women by the end of next year With the global aviation industry warning of a shortfall of pilots as demand for air travel rises strongly, recruiting more women could go a long way to solving the problem. Worldwide air passenger numbers are expected to increase by 6% in 2019, to a record 4.59 billion, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Looking further ahead it predicts that levels could reach 8.2 billion by 2037, led by demand in China, India and Indonesia. Boeing, the world's largest plane-maker, says that if passenger numbers do rise to that amount, an extra 635,000 commercial pilots will be needed over the next 18 years. At the moment just 5% of airline pilots are women, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots (ISWAP). That number will need to increase to meet the industry's expected growth, says Robin Glover-Faure, president of L3 Commercial Training Solutions, one of the world's biggest trainers of pilots. L3 trains pilots for more than 40 airlines, including British Airways and Qatar. Mr Glover-Faure says that to meet the requirement for new pilots "we're going to have to appeal to a more diverse group of people that have got the talent but come from backgrounds where maybe they haven't considered being a pilot before". Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Air France is one of few airlines that pays for the training of new pilots The company is also putting money into finding more female pilots through a scholarship scheme. It is now helping 10 women a year fund the training, which normally costs in the region of 100,000, and can take up to 24 months. Most airlines now require would-be pilots to pay to do such courses, but often with the guarantee of a job once they have completed it. Recruits such as Claire Banks use savings, or borrow money from parents. Other people take out loans. Some carriers, such as Air France, however, cover the cost of training new pilots. Mr Glover-Faure says that in the long term, finding more female pilots means breaking down "some of the perception barriers" by going to schools and recruitment fairs to explain that being a pilot is an option for a "very diverse group of people". Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Only 5% of commercial aircraft pilots around the world are female EasyJet, which is one of Europe's biggest airlines, is also actively trying to recruit more women as pilots. David Morgan, its director of flight operations, is in charge of pilot recruitment. He says there is currently "an acute shortage of females coming into the industry". To do its bit to rectify this, EasyJet is now aiming for 20% of its new pilots to be female by next year. Currently only 5.4%, or 215 of its total 4,000 pilots, are women. Another carrier that is working hard to get more female pilots is Virgin Australia. It has set itself one of the toughest targets for new recruits - aiming to have a 50:50 gender balance for its cadet pilots. Lucinda Gemmell, head of human resources at Virgin Australia, says that out of its latest intake of 16 pilot cadets, nine are women. The airline says it is proud to have improved on two women out of 10 in its previous class, and Ms Gemmell adds that Virgin Australia wants "to ensure that our workforce is representative of the communities in which we live, work and fly". At the last count only 5.7% of its pilots are women. Speaking in a personal capacity, ISWAP's Kathy McCullough says that more has to be done across the industry to help female pilots balance their careers with motherhood. She adds that change is needed to lower the number of women who give up flying so that they can take care of their children. EasyJet's David Morgan says that his airline offers flexible working patterns. "Many of our female pilots are on part-time contracts, or on a flexible working pattern where they can accommodate both their professional life and also their home life," he says. Global Trade More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade: Kathy McCullough adds that a more serious industry-wide problem is that some female pilots have reported sexual harassment. For widespread change to happen she thinks the aviation industry needs its own #MeToo moment, and that "more women need to speak out about the harassment that they've received". However, she adds that the problem they face is that "it's perceived as whingeing". It wasn't until the mid-1970s that major American airlines began recruiting female pilots, and Mrs McCullough says the "dismal numbers" of female pilots 40 years later is the proof that issues have not been adequately addressed. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption More than half of Virgin Australia's latest trainee pilots are women While the wider societal #MeToo movement started in the US, its airlines lag behind many around the world when it comes to numbers of female pilots. At the biggest three US carriers by passenger numbers, 4.2% of American Airlines' pilots are female, compared with 4.7% at Delta and 3.6% at Southwest, according to ISWAP. By comparison, at least 10% of pilots are female at eight major Indian airlines. Other carriers that reach double figures are Qantas Link in Australia (11.6%), Iceland Air (10.9%) and South African Express (12.1%). IATA is now working on what it calls a "major study" that aims to identify the best ways to recruit, retain and promote women in aviation. New EasyJet pilot Claire Banks says: "The fact that there is a pilot shortage provides a really good opportunity to get that information out there, and really drive the initiative that females can be commercial pilots." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46876007 |
How is Qatar coping with its economic embargo? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Qatar's vast natural gas supplies have made it resilient to the embargo When four of Qatar's neighbours hit it with an economic and diplomatic embargo back in June 2017, one expert says it faced two big problems. "The Qataris had a two-fold battle to fight," says Michael Stephens, Middle East research fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute. "One was to convince world opinion that they weren't these horrid terrorist-supporting Bin Laden types. "And the other was to show that the economy was robust, that it was a good place to invest, and that the Qataris were creating conditions that will make it easier for foreign direct investment to thrive." The embargo was introduced by four countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates - who accused gas-rich Qatar of supporting terrorism, a charge it strongly denies. They also made 13 demands, including ending economic cooperation with Iran, and closing down TV station al-Jazeera. Qatar refused to meet any of these, and so 19 months later the blockade remains in place. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The blockade includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates not allowing Qatar Airways planes to cross their airspace While the question of whether Qatar supports terrorism is no longer in the headlines - superseded by Saudi Arabia's woes following the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul - Qatar is still working hard to show that its economy is open for business. Prior to the blockade, as much as 60% of Qatar's imports are estimated to have come through the countries now boycotting it, particularly its food supplies, so the government had to act fast to secure alternative supply routes through Turkey and Iran. It also moved quickly to ramp up domestic production, even importing tens of thousands of cows to ensure milk supplies. "Qatar has managed to cope quite well," says a former economic adviser to Qatar, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But he wonders whether it would have been easier, and better, for Qatar - the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) - to have used its vast wealth to instead buy stakes in Western food companies so as to better guarantee supplies in the longer term. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, addressed a global economic forum in the country's capital last month Akber Khan, a senior director at Qatari investment fund Al Rayan, says that the government "has done a far better job in handling this extraordinary crisis than most could have expected". He adds: "Importantly, and to their considerable credit, they ensured the lives of residents were virtually unaffected. The blockade has affected sentiment, but not our ability to conduct our business." Qatar has also been helped by timing, in that in September 2017, three months after the blockade started, it officially opened the $7.4bn (5.8bn) deep-water Hamad Port, which has enabled the country to receive much larger cargo ships. Previously, Qatar was greatly dependent on re-exports - goods from around the world that were first sent to ports in neighbouring countries, such as Dubai in the UAE, before then being shipped to Qatar on smaller vessels. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Qatar imported tens of thousands of dairy cows to avert a milk shortage In addition to ensuring supplies of food and consumer goods, Qatar has been working hard to increase economic ties outside of Middle Eastern region, particularly with the US. The country's Ministry of Commerce website details meetings last year with the likes of US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin. It also highlights Qatar Airways' multi-billion dollar ordering of Boeing passenger planes, and overall Qatari investments in the US. Global Trade More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade: Qatari trade officials have also been working hard to increase economic ties with Germany. "The diplomatic and economic overtures are all part of a new Qatar engaging more fully with the world outside the Gulf," said Mr Khan. "These meetings are partly to educate that it's business as usual despite the blockade. Trade works both ways, so it's not just about showing off Qatar's very considerable financial muscle, but also to highlight the growing opportunities for foreign companies to set up in Qatar." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Centered on its capital Doha, Qatar has a population of 2.6 million, but only about 300,000 of these are Qatari nationals To try to boost overseas investment in Qatar, the government has announced economic reforms related to labour laws, privatisation, special economic zones, and higher foreign ownership limits that it says will make it easier to invest and operate in the country. Many are still unconvinced though, with structural problems potentially deterring large-scale foreign activity. "The bureaucracy is absolutely horrendous in Qatar - that's why you have a very small marketplace, little competition and very high prices," said the anonymous former Qatar advisor. Ultimately though, it is Qatar's vast gas reserves - the third largest in the world - that is enabling it to shrug off the blockade after the initial scramble to secure alternative supplies of food and consumer goods. The world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, it shipped 81 million tons in 2017, or 28% of the global total. Qatar also exports 600,000 barrels of oil a day, but it left oil producers cartel Opec at the start of this year to focus more on gas. It said the move was unconnected to the boycott. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Qatar is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas Such is Qatar's hydrocarbon wealth that its economy has continued to expand despite the embargo. Its economy grew by 1.6% in 2017, and that rate of expansion is expected to rise to 2.4% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "Compared with other Gulf countries, the case for Qatar to diversify its economy is much weaker," says Jason Tuvey, Middle East economist at London's Capital Economics. "There are only about 300,000 Qatari citizens and the government can easily afford to employ all working Qataris in the public sector." Mr Stephens adds that, "Qatar doesn't have to have a diverse business-friendly economy unless it wants to". "Ultimately, the Qataris can survive if they need to just by pumping out more gas," he says. "The gas money can prop everything up." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46795696 |
How does Felix Tshisekedi's poll victory in DR Congo add up? | Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Joy and dismay at DR Congo election results Felix Tshisekedi has been named as the provisional winner of presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a historic victory for an opposition leader. But questions have been raised about the accuracy of the results amid accusations that Mr Tshisekedi is planning a power-sharing deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila. The electoral commission said Mr Tshisekedi had received 38.5% of the vote on 30 December, compared to 34.7% for Martin Fayulu, another opposition figure. Ruling coalition candidate Emmanuel Shadary took 23.8%. Those raising doubts about the results include the country's influential Catholic Church, international experts based in the US, and the French and German governments. The accusations of fraud are based upon two partial sets of data, leaked from two distinct sources, that are said to corroborate each other while contradicting the official results. The data sets have been analysed by journalists from three outlets - including the Financial Times newspaper - working alongside a New York-based think tank, the Congo Research Group (CRG). The first set is said to have been drawn from the electronic tally collected by the National Election Commission (Ceni). The data here is believed to represent 86% of the total votes cast. It indicates Mr Fayulu won 59.4% of the vote and Mr Tshisekedi came second with 19%. A third candidate, Emmanuel Shadary, representing Mr Kabila's governing coalition, seems to have polled 18.54%. The set was leaked by a person inside Ceni who is close to Mr Fayulu's camp. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Felix Tshisekedi leads DR Congo's largest opposition party, founded by his late father in 1982 The second set was leaked from data collected by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco), a Catholic Church body whose observers are said to have visited all 75,000 polling stations. The data in this leak represents 43% of the turnout. It indicates that Mr Fayulu secured 62.8% of the votes against Mr Tshisekedi's 15%, while Mr Shadary polled 17.99%. Jason Stearns, the director of the CRG, told the BBC that the second leak gave a "real indication" that the data was plausible. The two sets of data are "almost identical, not exactly identical, but uncannily identical", he said. Cenco has not officially released any data, saying only that its findings did not match the official results. When contacted by the BBC, it refused to authenticate the data in the leaked set. Ceni representatives have meanwhile rejected the fraud claims as fake. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Catholic Church organised one of the main election observer missions Data from opinion polls conducted before the 30 December election also cast doubt on the official results, according to Pierre Englebert, a professor at Pomona College and senior fellow at US-based think tank, The Atlantic Council, who has studied DR Congo. "The probability Tshisekedi could have scored 38% in a free election is less than 0.0000," he wrote, pointing to polling data by Berci and Ipsos for the CRG. In an article for online magazine African Arguments, Mr Englebert said the data predicted: A 95% chance that Mr Tshisekedi would get somewhere between 21.3% and 25% of the vote Mr Fayulu would have obtained between 39% and 43% of the vote Mr Shadary would get between 14% and 17.4% Mr Englebert acknowledged that opinion polls could be wrong, saying the official results could be correct if turnout was as high as 90% in Mr Tshisekedi's strongholds and really low, around 30%, in Mr Fayulu's strongholds. But he argued that this was extremely unlikely. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Controversial e-voting machines were used for the first time There are many ways to rig an election. Academic Nic Cheeseman, who has written a book on how to do just this, told the BBC that if the election was rigged it probably happened during the collation of the results. He said very few people would have to be involved in this. "It's very easy. You can have a small number of people in a central office who release the result. "You can have one person just adding a 1,000 votes to one candidate and subtracting 1,000 from another on an Excel spreadsheet." He said the risk of fraud was normally avoided by observers tabulating the results in parallel. That did take place, but we do not have the data. Throughout the election campaign, the use of electronic voting machines was a major source of contention. Voters used the tablet-like devices to select candidates, and then it printed their ballot paper with their choices. The machines were also meant to keep an electronic tally to help verify the results. But Mr Englebert says that in the days following the vote, election observers reported that some of these machines went missing. The observers were prohibited by law from releasing their findings before the electoral commission had announced the official results. It is not clear whether the law applies after the official announcement. But the Catholic Church knows from the experience of past crackdowns that leading people on to the streets can have tragic consequences - and the ruling coalition has warned against "preparing the population for insurrection". Sverine Autesserre, author of the book The Trouble with Congo, says the Congolese police have been brutal in their dealings with protesters in the past. She told the BBC that if the Church, whose followers make up about 40% of the country's 80 million population, were to announce that Mr Fayulu had won - the consequences could be dire. Image copyright AFP Image caption Riot police are out in force in some opposition strongholds of the capital, Kinshasa "You would have huge, violent protests. You would have riots," she told the BBC. "The police would crackdown on the protesters and that would result in a lot of deaths." Last Friday, Catholic bishops urged the UN Security Council to put pressure on the Congolese electoral commission to publish the full results from each polling station. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Polling was postponed until March in three areas but these people in Beni queued for a symbolic vote Yes, according Mr Englebert. The election has been postponed until March in three areas: Beni and Butembo in eastern North Kivu province and Yumbi in the west of the country. An Ebola outbreak and insecurity were given as the reasons for the delay. That amounted to more than 1.7 million voters, more than the number of votes separating the leading candidates. Some of the those disenfranchised were in Mr Fayulu's strongholds, he says. Mr Fayulu filed his challenge to the result in the Constitutional Court on Saturday. Judges have seven days to deliberate. Constitutional expert Jacques Ndjoli told the BBC that there were three possible outcomes: The court could confirm Mr Tshisekedi's victory It could order a recount Or cancel the results altogether and call fresh elections. International pressure to resolve the dispute may play a role but members of the UN Security Council are split. Countries like Belgium and France believe there has been fraud but Chinese and Russian diplomats have stressed that DR Congo's sovereignty and the authority of the electoral commission must be respected. Corneille Nangaa, head of the electoral commission, has defended the results and accused Cenco of bias. He told the Security Council about the difficulties the commission had overcome to register 40 million voters for the vote that had taken place amid relative calm, and noted the huge achievement made by those resisting attempts to allow Mr Kabila to run for a third term. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Martin Fayulu's supporters may still see his defeat overturned He urged the international community to support the new leader, reminding the Council that for first time in nearly 60 years there would now be a transfer of power at the highest level. A full breakdown of votes would be released if the Constitutional Court requested it, he said. The court has never overturned results before, and some think most of its judges are close to the ruling party. Mr Tshisekedi, the leader of largest opposition party which had faced repression at the hands of the Kabila regime, has denied the allegations of rigging. If he is confirmed as the winner, he can be expected to be inaugurated on Tuesday 22 January. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46839291 |
How Will Tech Nation's Upscale Programme Help 30 Startups To Scale Up? | Founders of startups have opened up about the impact that whirlwind growth brings as they join Tech Nations Upscale 4.0 programme. Its like climbing Mount Everest, is how Tessa Clarke, cofounder of OLIO puts it. She is one of the 30 participants, see the full list below, on a programme kicking off today for rapidly growing startups run by the government-backed, U.K. network for entrepreneurs. As startups get traction and investment, it puts a lot of pressure on the founder and its executives, says Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech Nation. And the extent of that strain became yet more apparent to Grech while reading James Silvers Upscale, published by Tech Nation last November (see Forbes.com review here). Its a fascinating book because you would think it was about finance but a lot of it is about mental health and the pressure points. Crossing a chasm Of the 30 participating startups, a total of 188 million of investment has been raised averaging a not insignificant 6.2 million each. Investors might expect a handful of failures from a portfolio but founders dont want to be the one to fill that particular slot. Certainly not just as all the hard work theyve put into the early stages of their business' development is beginning to bear fruit. We want to make sure it is not Death Valley and that they all get to the other side, reassures Grech, recognising that it has always been a challenge to scale but its getting fiercer and fiercer. The very success of startups that scaled before them - alumni of earlier Upscale programmes include Monzo (see its CEO Tom Blomfield on scaling here), Blub, Bloom & Wild - has made it easier for those that come after. More and more founders have exited but then they stay and become investors and mentors leading to a stronger scaleup ecosystem, continues Wood, one of the non-executive directors of Tech Nation and cofounder of Unruly. Virtuous circle Its an evolution that Upscale 4.0 has plugged into. Our scaleup coaches tend to be founders who have scaled and exited, ready to give advice they have not yet shared, says Wood. This years six-month programme has been further reshaped following feedback and data from previous years. One of the biggest problems of scaling is loneliness - whom to talk to and from whom to get timely advice. So we reduced the number of participants from 37 to 30, says Wood. "By reducing the scale of the cohort, it will provide the environment to share. Inevitably the types and sectors from which the startups are drawn will shift and the make-up of the teams more diverse by ethnicity, gender, race and neural spectrum. There are stereotypes around a founder wearing a hoody, an extrovert and someone full of braggadocio. But not every founder needs to be able to stand up in front of a group and not just those with swagger become a founder, says Wood. Upscale itself is already changing with 27% of its founders now women, up from 24% last year, while 33% are from outside London, up from 26%. And the interests of founders will evolve, becoming keen to digest taboo subjects whereby diversity, mindfulness and mental health will be important, concludes Wood. After all, a diverse healthy workforce is a competitive advantage. The 30 startups in Upscale 4.0. 1. Put simply, the point at which the business becomes a rocket ship! To give great ideas a chance. Too many to mention. The most critical (and rewarding!) has been investing in 100 happy people to bring the Futrli vision to life. A ground-breaking shift in the success rate of small business - currently 50% fail by year five. The positive effect on families and global economies if we can help more small businesses succeed will be staggering. It's a daunting task, but we are enthused that what we are building is a world first. Funding Friends, family and bootstrapped to profitability (2014-2018), 4 million Series A (Sep 2018). Know your business, understand all of its moving parts and use the data to make sure that every small decision you make takes you to where you want to be. 2. Adam Hyslop, cofounder, OpenRent Finding, advertising and managing rental property for both landlords and tenants. Four and half million households rent. We want to reach every landlord and tenant with a better way to rent property and create new products to solve every problem they might face. The more users we have, the more functionality we can create to improve the lettings industry. Were already the UKs largest letting agent, the first to complete an entire rental transaction online and weve never charged tenants any admin/agency fees! Enact genuine change in the rental market, whether advocating for legislative reform (as we did for the Tenant Fees Bill), or by disrupting the businesses that make renting painful for landlords and tenants. After being cited by Lord Bourne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as the future of the industry, were full of hope and excitement! Funding Media for Equity Deal Series A (2014), 4.4 million Series A (2017). Put the customer at the centre of everything you do. Many claim to do this, but the focus is so easy to lose as incentives change! 3. Our mission is to profoundly impact a million families in the next five years. It's so exhausting being a working parent. What gets me out of bed in the morning is making their lives easier by helping the whole family. Every family can access their perfect childcare. Exhilarating, exhausting, all-consuming! Funding: 600,000 Pre-seed (2017), 3.5 million Seed (2018). Be a sponge. Read, ask questions, listen. 4. Growth without falling into a trap of complexity and spiralling costs. To expand into new markets. We set up an office in New York last year. We aim to supercharge our growth! It's tough and exciting at the same time as we realise it's a break-out opportunity. Funding 1.2 million in revenue (2018). Hire great people and get the right partners on board early. 5. Having the operational layer in place to facilitate rapid, sustainable growth. When you dig deep into the unit economics of your business, you start to work on improving all metrics. We have overhauled our sales processes, worked on automating our sign-up and payment processes and upgraded internal operations. We are looking to build a trusted, global review platform for healthcare and to work with hospitals and clinics around the world by helping them collect and act on patient feedback data. My first business trip to a new market reminded me of the earliest days of the company; that amazing excitement that founders have in the first months of a business. Funding: 0.5 million Angel (2016), 1.2 million Seed (2017), Series A (2018). Cutting corners can feel like a necessity in the beginning but those savings will be lost very quickly as you scale. 6. Transitioning to a high-growth business where you can drive revenue growth and take advantage of the investment youve made. To create significant shareholder value and benefits to the broader stakeholder group, including aiding small businesses to grow. From inception, weve had robust and scalable infrastructure including tech, FS and regulatory experience. To become a significant player in the investment and funding landscapes in the UK and potentially international stage. Depends on the day! Funding: 1.5 million Founder Seed (2014), 1.5m Angel (2016), 2.2m Angel (2018). There will be a lot of knocks, a lot of meetings and youll never switch off. 7. Having product market fit while building the team and infrastructure to enable the business to grow to the next level. We want to make the legal industry clear, connected and collaborative. The bigger we are, and the bigger our reach, the more impact we will have. A strong focus on getting the foundational elements right, i.e. team, culture, values, and of course the product! To be the market leader in legal tech, in all of our markets. Exciting and exhausting! Funding: 1.8 million Seed (2016), 7.5m Series A (2018). Hire people smarter than you. 8. Scaling means taking OLIO mainstream so that it becomes inconceivable to chuck good food in the bin. Were solving one of the biggest problems facing humanity today food waste necessary if we are to stand any chance of mitigating climate change. From a pilot in five postcodes in North London to a global movement of 825,000 people who have together shared well over 1.2 million portions of food. From 1 million to 1 billion OLIOers in 10 years time. It's like climbing Mount Everest! Funding: $2.2 million Seed (2016); $6 million Series A (2018). Dream big but start very small. And make sure you have the right cofounder(s). 9. Being a truly global company, solving challenges for hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers and doing this sustainably. Getting our solution into the hands of over 1 billion globally. More than 1.3 million farmers use our service in East Africa. A global eco-system with the farmer at the centre through which to obtain information, products, services and trade their crops. A sense of responsibility to our users, team, investors and partners. Funding: $1.8 million Pre-seed (2016), $5 million Seed (2017). Dont be afraid to surround yourself with people who challenge you and are better than you at key things. The other 21: Airsorted, Automata (see Forbes.com), BookingLive Software Ltd, Cleo AI (see Forbes.com), Fertility Focus, Fluidly, Funding Options, Healthera Ltd, Hubble, Immersive Labs, MoveGB, Open Cosmos (see Forbes.com), Oxehealth, Patch Gardens Ltd, Previse, Shepper, Sweatcoin, Tessian, The Plum Guide, Voxpopme, Wazoku Ltd | https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwelsheurope/2019/01/25/how-will-tech-nations-upscale-programme-help-30-startups-to-scale-up/ |
Can stars ever shake off their famous TV characters? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington are famous for their roles in GOT while Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons are stars of The Big Bang Theory Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, Orange is the New Black and Homeland are just some of the huge TV hits that are coming to an end in 2019. On screen, they don't have much in common but off screen many of the actors will be leaving behind the role that's made them famous. Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow in GOT, says he will never try to distance himself from his much-loved character. But he's "looking forward to whatever the next thing is". "I think it's best not to try and plan or predict, just see what comes around the corner," he says. We've taken a look at previous big TV hits to find out: Friends Image copyright Getty Images Image caption David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc were the stars of Friends Back in the early 90s we were introduced to a group of friends - Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey - whose lives we followed for 10 years. It was a massive series which saw more than a third of UK viewers (8.6 million people) tune in for the last episode in May 2004. Reruns on Comedy Central, Netflix and Channel 5 have meant the characters have remained in our lives ever since. Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, is probably the one who's gone on to have the biggest on-screen career - starring in films such as Horrible Bosses and Marley and Me. Image copyright Jeff Kravitz Image caption Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox have remained firm friends But arguably none of the stars have done much to make you forget they were in Friends. Scott Bryan, TV editor of BuzzFeed, says how much you've seen an actor in a role can play a part in whether they'll find it hard to move on in their career. "If your show is not repeated that much then it allows you to move on from the role in a big way. "Friends is repeated a huge amount, so are shows like The Big Bang Theory and will be for years after they end. "So those actors can't really escape from those roles as easily." Downton Abbey Image copyright FILM COMPANY ITV Image caption Dame Maggie Smith, left, and Hugh Bonneville were already big names before Downton Abbey Downton Abbey was a smash hit for ITV during its run from 2010 to 2015 and propelled most of the cast into global superstardom. A lot of the cast were already well-known so there was no fear of the likes of Dame Maggie Smith or Hugh Bonneville being typecast. But for the younger stars like Dan Stevens, who played Matthew Crawley, and Michelle Dockery, who starred as Lady Mary Crawley, it's opened the doors to Hollywood. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Dan Stevens appeared alongside Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast Dan went on to star as the Beast in Disney's recent adaptation of Beauty and the Beast and bagged the lead role in US TV series Legion. While Michelle Dockery has starred in US dramas Godless and Good Behaviour. Scott points out that the reason they've been able to carve a path in Hollywood is because the show is treated "differently here than in the US". "People here think of it as a Sunday night teatime show while internationally it's so highly regarded that they can go and have a very different career abroad." The Inbetweeners Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Inbetweeners ran for three series on E4 and also was made into two feature-length films A decade ago, The Inbetweeners took four relatively unknown young actors - Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas - and made them famous. Simon Bird has previously said he's so closely associated with his character Will McKenzie, people still shout affectionate obscenities at him. But he's managed to find other roles in everything from West End plays to the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner. All of the actors have kept working but you could argue their roles since have been pretty similar to their characters in The Inbetweeners. Image copyright Kevin Winter Image caption David Tennant was able to shake off only being known as The Doctor The quickest and easiest way to be typecast is to take on the same type of role. But you can break out of it. "Doctor Who is quite a poisoned chalice because it sticks around that you were one of the doctors for the rest of your career," Scott explains. "But then David Tennant was in Broadchurch for so long and that was a completely different character. "So choosing a role that is so far removed from the one he had before, you kind of forget that he was in Doctor Who." Breaking Bad Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Aaron Paul, left, and Bryan Cranston have moved on with their careers but are still embracing their Breaking Bad roles The show was on between 2008-2013 but if you're like me, you'll have binged watched the lot on Netflix. Bryan Cranston was already a household name for his role in Malcolm in the Middle. So although he will be remembered as crystal meth producer Walter White for all time, he hasn't struggled to move on with his career. As for Aaron Paul, he wasn't as famous beforehand so probably had a bigger challenge. He's been a voice in the animated show Bojack Horseman since 2014 but hasn't been in many other big hitters. Bob Odenkirk, who played Saul Goodman, was a comedian and writer before Breaking Bad - but he's made the most of the popularity of his character with the spin-off series Better Call Saul. Giancarlo Esposito was nominated and won awards for playing Gus Fring, he has been in the business since 1979 and has continued to do well with roles in the Maze Runner films and Westworld. Skins Image copyright Todd Williamson Image caption Dev Patel, right, won the Bafta for best supporting actor for Lion Nicholas Hoult was already known as the adorable star of About A Boy, but he was all grown up when he starred in Skins as Tony Stonem. But the rest of the young cast were all found through open casting calls. And from that, the show has produced some of the best British young talent. Dev Patel was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the film Lion while Jack O'Connell was picked to star in Angelina Jolie's epic war film Unbroken. Joe Dempsie and Hannah Murray have both had big roles in Game of Thrones while Nicholas has starred in the X-Men film franchise. Then there's Daniel Kaluuya, another Oscar nominee for his role in Get Out. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Daniel Kaluuya, centre, is now a Hollywood star Jack O'Connell has previously credited the whole Skins team for the actors' future successes. "I think they knew if they were going to identify that genre, that era, that generation, they needed people on the ground level," he said. "A writing team that understood, they got that right first and then I guess they chose to cast exciting people. "I feel very fortunate to be involved in the show but I don't think it was a coincidence that we all came through there." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, is the highest paid TV actor in the US Now if you are starting to worry about your favourite actors from Game of Thrones or The Big Bang Theory and what they can do next, please don't. According to Forbes magazine, The Big Bang Theory cast are among the highest paid actors in the US - and the GOT cast aren't doing too badly either. So if you don't see them acting anymore, maybe they've taken early retirement. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-46866154 |
Which financial service institutions are helping workers affected by the shutdown? | The partial U.S. government shutdown is on its 35th day, and with it, a looming second consecutive missed paycheck for hundreds of thousands of workers. Add Government Shutdown as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Government Shutdown news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest Some financial services institutions are offering relief by advances on direct deposit, no interest loans and waiving some fees for affected government workers. Here are some notables. Navy Federal Credit Union Credit union members can get an advance on direct deposit. This is a tiered program which is essentially a zero-interest loan covering paychecks ranging from $250 to $6,000 in each pay period. For members making up to $500, $250 is deposited. For those making $501 to $6,000, the amount deposited is rounded down to the nearest $500, and maxes out at $6,000. Customers must enroll and need an account that has already enabled direct deposit. "This is just a stopgap so members don't feel the full effects of the shutdown and we hope they use this loan to live with their day-to-day finances as intact as possible," a Navy Federal spokesman told ABC News. "We encourage everyone who is eligible to enroll," he said. Scott Mason/AP, FILE State Department Federal Credit Union Affected workers may be eligible for: an emergency Visa Platinum Credit Card furlough for a zero interest furlough loan for the first two months, delayed loan payments on a case-by-case basis, a refund on late fees on loan payments, a waived penalty for cashing in Share Certificates early and get refunds on cash advance fees for Visa Platinum or Premium Cash Back+ credit cards when using an ATM, according to the credit union's website. The credit union did not immediately respond to a request to clarify whether these programs apply to all impacted government workers or just those who are furloughed. Aflac An Aflac spokesperson told ABC News the company can't legally waive premium payments, but the insurance company is offering a grace period for impacted federal employees. Customers will not have to pay any premiums until the shutdown ends but will receive payouts from their plan as if its "business as usual." Aflac is only supplemental insurance, so this only affects federal employees who have opted to sign up for it in addition to the insurance offered through their job. Win McNamee/Getty Images American Express "American Express is ready to assist its Card Members who are facing financial difficulties as a result of the U.S. Government shutdown. We will work with consumer, small business and corporate Card Members who request assistance by ensuring we provide them with the best possible service and support, which can include financial relief by waiving late fees, return check fees, and future interest charges," spokeswoman Ashley Tufts wrote ABC News in an email. PayPal The original fintech company is offering "an interest-free one-time cash advance, up to your available credit line for a maximum of $500 (with a minimum amount of $250) to existing or new PayPal Credit customers who are U.S. federal government employees impacted by the shutdown," according to its website. ABC News' Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report. | https://abcnews.go.com/US/financial-service-institutions-helping-workers-affected-shutdown/story?id=60595406 |
Can the SDLP and Fianna Fil avoid the curse of history? | Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Colum Eastwood accepts that the SDLP's pairing with Fianna Fil could be "uncomfortable for some" "Don't underplay this," an SDLP insider implored me as I arrived for the launch of the party's new arrangement with Fianna Fil. "It's an unprecedented partnership between two parties on this island." "Are you sure?" I countered. "What about the time the Ulster Unionists got together with the Conservatives?" "I said on this island," the insider responded. A fair point, geographically. But politically I find it hard to think of this partnership without turning my mind to other recent examples. In these days of the DUP-Conservative confidence and supply agreement, who remembers UCUNF (possibly politics' most unfortunate sounding acronym?) That was the brain child of, amongst others, David Cameron and Reg Empey. A 'gradual process' It was meant to deliver the charismatic Tory leader a few extra vital seats in his bid to remove Gordon Brown, whilst re-invigorating the Ulster Unionists in their quest to claw back lost ground. In the end the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists New Force failed to take their primary target of South Antrim in the 2010 general election. When the dust settled, the only tangible result of their partnership was the loss of the Ulster Unionists' most senior female representative, Lady Sylvia Hermon. Always close to New Labour, the North Down MP quit her party, holding on to her constituency as an independent. SDLP strategists say they have learned from the failed UCUNF experiment. Instead of throwing the kitchen sink at one election, the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Fianna Fil's Michel Martin envisage a far more gradual process. The two parties will try to develop common approaches on social and economic issues, Brexit and Irish unity. Perhaps this gradual approach is wise. But from the perspective of nationalist voters in May's local elections it might seem underwhelming. The SDLP will maintain they have a unique all-island partnership, but they are up against a disciplined centralised 32 county force in Sinn Fin. One ominous echo of the UCUNF debacle is the evident alienation of a high profile female politician. The South Belfast MLA Claire Hanna was notable by her absence at the launch of the two parties' partnership. But she had already made clear to The Belfast Telegraph that she doesn't believe the arrangement brings any added value to the SDLP. UUP left adrift by Conservatives For the anoraks, there is much to ponder. But the overall impression is that it isn't any easier now than it has ever been for the parties who led the field back in 1998 to recover their relevance. Image copyright David Young/PA Image caption Last October Fianna Fil headquarters disciplined two members who announced Sorcha McAnespy would stand as a candidate in council elections in Omagh In 2010 the Ulster Unionists looked to the Conservatives as a life raft, but they were left adrift. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the SDLP partnered up with Mike Nesbitt's Ulster Unionists. The poor performance of the big two parties in government appeared to provide them with an opportunity for a breakthrough. However the strategy ran into trouble when the leaders were questioned over whether their supporters should transfer their votes to fellow unionists and nationalists or vote on a cross-community basis. Two years ago it was "Vote Colum and get Mike". Now it's "Vote Colum and get a partnership with Michel". Maybe it will prove to be as "historic" as both leaders claimed at their launch in central Belfast. But on the basis of recent precedents, I remain sceptical. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46986981 |
Why is everyone talking about antibiotics? | Getty Images You might have heard of a type of medicine called antibiotics. Maybe you've even been given them by a doctor. Antibiotics are in the news today. Here's everything you need to know. Antibiotics are a special group of medicines that can kill bacteria or prevent it from spreading. The first antibiotic was penicillin which was discovered 90 years ago by a chemist called Alexander Fleming. Since then, more than 100 new antibiotics have been developed. The drugs are responsible for killing the bacteria that causes many serious infections such as tonsillitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. They're also used to prevent infections when people have surgery. An antibiotic is a substance that destroys or limits the growth of micro-organisms, like bacteria. Natural antibiotics are produced by living organisms (like penicillin, which is produced naturally by mould), but they can also be man-made in a laboratory, in which case they are called synthetic antibiotics. Antibiotics do not work on viral infections like colds and flu. The name antibiotic comes from Greek, where 'anti' () means 'against' and 'bios' () means 'life', as they kill the life of bacteria. Bacteria can learn to change so that the antibiotics no longer work to kill them off . This is called antibiotic resistance. At the moment, if one type of antibiotic drug doesn't work, trying different types can make a difference. But as bacteria learn to block the different types of medication, the options for treatment go down. Experts say doctors could be prescribing antibiotics too often, and sometimes giving them to patients who don't really need them. They warn that the more that antibiotics are used, the quicker the bacteria can learn to resist them. For several years the NHS and other health organisations around the world have been trying to use antibiotics less often. The issue of antibiotic resistance will be discussed at a big meeting called the World Economic Forum today. The UK's Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, will appeal to other leaders from around the world to take action on the over-use of antibiotics. In his speech he will call antibiotic resistance as important as climate change as he reveals a plan to tackle the problem. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46984427 |
What is a hagfish, and why is its slime so amazing? | Yes, yes it can. Scientists have discovered the fossil of an ancient hagfish with traces of its slime still preserved. The hagfish is a spineless creature that lives at the bottom of the ocean. It's been around for 500 million years and looks a bit like a swimming sausage. It doesn't have jaws but does has a special way of defending itself - by letting out slime! In the creepy video below, you'll see a hagfish defending itself against a shark. When the shark bites the hagfish, its mouth and gills are quickly covered in slime and the shark has to back off, or face suffocation. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. Watch the hagfish slime in action Fun facts about the hagfish: A bit like Doctor Who, the hagfish has more than one heart. In fact, it has four hearts. It also has twice as much blood in its body as other fish. Don't underestimate the hagfish. It's known as the scavenger of the sea because it sometimes feeds on whale carcasses. The hagfish can literally tie itself in knots. It uses its knot tying ability to help bite through tough flesh It absorbs some of its food straight through its skin. The hagfish's slime is so strong and stretchy that scientists believe it could be turned into tights, breathable athletic wear or even bullet-proof vests in the future. That's the power of slime... Reuters It's not good to crash a car at the best of times, but imagine doing it with 3,400kg of hagfish in the back. The picture above shows a slime covered car in Oregon, America back in 2017. It was covered in hagfish slime after a truck overturned on the road. The truck was helping deliver hagfish to South Korea where they are considered a delicacy. No one was injured in the crash but 3400kg worth of hagfish goo was released all over the cars and road. Oregon State Police | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46987007 |
Who was Anne Frank? | AFP/Getty Images The diary of Anne Frank - a young teenager who documented her life in hiding during the Holocaust - has become one of the most famous books in the world Anne Frank was a young teenager in the Netherlands during the Holocaust. She lived in Amsterdam with her family, but - in 1942 - the Franks were forced to go into hiding from the Nazis who wanted to get rid of Europe's Jewish population. During this time in hiding, Anne kept a diary, which would go on to become one of the most famous books in the whole world. But she would never live to see her dream of becoming a writer a reality, as she was tragically killed in the Holocaust. It was her father who published her writing, as he survived World War Two and her diary was passed on to him. Watch Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding - A Newsround Special Find out more about the amazing teenager who told the world her story of one of the most terrible events in modern history. Annelies Marie Frank - better known as Anne Frank - was born in the German city of Frankfurt in 1929 to a Jewish family. She had a sister called Margot who was three years older than her, and her parents were called Edith and Otto. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. Anne Frank's friend Eva: 'Anne was a big chatterbox!' (Taken from Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding - A Newsround special) In the aftermath of World War One, Germany was very poor and life was tough for many people. The Nazi party (led by Adolf Hitler) was growing in popularity and it blamed Jewish people for a lot of the country's problems. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 after elections, they began to persecute Jewish people and made life incredibly difficult for them. The Franks decided they needed to get out of Germany, so they moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands where they thought they would be safe. Anne went to school, made new friends, learnt to speak Dutch and settled into her new life here. She was just 10 years old when - on 1 September 1939 - Germany invaded Poland and World War Two was declared. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. How Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust Less than a year later, on 10 May 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands and the Nazis set out to persecute Jewish people there too. On her 13th birthday, Anne was given a diary, which she called Kitty. Her first entry is dated 12 June 1942. At the time, the Nazis had increased their persecution of Jews in the Netherlands. In the summer of 1942, Anne's sister Margot was ordered by the Nazis to go to work in a camp. But fearing what would really happen to her and the rest of the family, the Franks went into hiding in a secret annex behind Otto's business, which Otto had been preparing for a few weeks. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. (Taken from Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding - A Newsround special) Four other people hid with them - the Van Pels family (Hermann, Auguste and their son Peter) and Fritz Pfeffer. The hidden group were helped by loyal friends of Otto, who would bring them food and news of the outside world. Reuters The secret annex where Anne and her family hid during the Holocaust was hidden behind a special bookcase Anne enjoyed writing throughout her time in hiding, both entries in her diary and other poems and stories. Writing provided her with a form of escape and a great source of comfort. One day, she heard a feature on the radio by the Minister of Education of the Dutch government in England asking people to hold on to war diaries and documents. It inspired her to rework her diaries into a book. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. Anne Frank's diary: Life in the annex (Taken from Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding - A Newsround special) She set to work on her novel Het Achterhuis ('The Secret Annex'). But before she could finish, the family's worst fears were realised. After two years of hiding, the Nazis discovered the secret annex. To this day, nobody knows how they did this. On 4 August 1944, they arrested everyone who had been hiding in the apartment and sent them to the concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The final entry in Anne's diary was just three days earlier, on 1 August 1944. When they arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Franks were deemed to be in relatively good health so they were all put to work. Otto was separated from his wife and two daughters. Later, Anne and Margot would be separated from their mother too. Getty Images A famous gate at the Auschwitz camp reads 'Arbeit macht frei', which means 'work sets you free' in German Back in Amsterdam, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl - two of Otto's friends who had helped the family while they were in hiding - had found Anne's writing and held on to it, in case she ever came back. But tragically this was not to be. Anne and Margot were sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in early November 1944, but their health deteriorated. In February 1945, they both died of typhus - movingly, just a few days apart from each other. Their mother Edith was also killed. Her father, Otto, was the only member of the family to survive the Holocaust. Miep and Bep passed Anne's writing on to him. When he read it - and saw just how much writing meant to her, and how she wanted "to go on living even after [her] death" - he organised her writing into a book and had her diary published. On 25 June 1947, just over 3,000 copies of Het Achterhuis ('The Secret Annex') were printed. It wasn't long before the book was translated into many different languages, turned into a play and a film, and millions of people around the world heard Anne's story. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. How Otto Frank made his daughter Anne's dream come true (Taken from Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding - A Newsround special) Her dream of becoming a writer and publishing a novel about her life in hiding had been made a reality. Getty Images Anne's diary has been read by millions of people all over the world In 1960, the site of the secret annex in Amsterdam became an official museum called the Anne Frank House, where the original diary is kept on display. You can still visit it today. Let us know in the comments below. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46972704 |
Could a two-per-cent sales tax solve Torontos budget woes? | Torontos shrunken city council faces ballooning financial headaches Monday when deliberations start on 2019 spending plans totalling almost $40 billion. Residents demands on homeless shelters, the overtaxed and malfunctioning TTC services, anti-violence youth programs, policing, affordable housing and more are surging in a city that is booming for some and getting more difficult and expensive for others. City manager Chris Murrays expected answer to Torontos budget woes is to shift next years expected revenue shortfall from the citys operating budget, which funds current services and operations, to its capital budget. ( Barry Gray / Hamilton Spectator file photo ) Meanwhile, the annual gush of land transfer tax revenues that has, in recent years, kept the budget afloat, as Mayor John Tory expanded some services, while keeping a tight lid on property taxes, is slowing along with Torontos real estate market. City manager Chris Murrays expected answer to surging demand and shrinking resources is essentially accounting shifting over time the shortfall in expected revenues from the $11-billion-plus operating budget, which funds immediate, continuing services and operations, to the $26-billion-plus capital budget for roads, equipment and projects that are more easily delayed. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a left-leaning think tank, will release a report Friday that suggests another solution, lucrative, long-term, politically risky and unlikely to find support from the right-leaning Tory. Article Continued Below The best answer, say the economists who wrote the report, is a new sales tax, either just in Toronto or across the Toronto-Hamilton area, piggybacking one or two percentage points on top of the 13-per-cent harmonized sales tax, with revenues flowing directly into the coffers of cash-starved cities. A two-per-cent sales tax in the city of Toronto would raise a billion dollars (a year) and a one-per-cent sales tax would raise half a billion dollars, said study co-author Sheila Block. A two-per-cent sales tax in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area would raise $2.5 billion (shared by municipalities annually) and a one-per-cent sales tax across the GTHA would raise more than $1.3 billon. Sales tax revenues increase with economic activity and population growth, Block added, while the impact on low-income earners pocketbooks could be offset through the existing Ontario sales tax credit. The city of Toronto is reaching a breaking point in terms of a low-tax strategy, Block said. If Mayor Tory has dug in so deep in his position on property taxes, maybe another approach will see a political opening. Ontario municipalities around Toronto, including Mississauga, have lobbied the province for the right to impose a sales tax. When Councillor Josh Matlow suggested Toronto follow suit during 2018 budget deliberations, Tory supported the idea of asking senior governments for a slice of the existing HST, but voted against asking the province for new sales tax powers specifically to fund transit and housing. Article Continued Below Asked Thursday about the idea of Toronto imposing a sales tax, Torys budget chief, Councillor Gary Crawford, said, I try to keep any tax increases that impact residents to a minimum. Im generally not in favour of those overall tax increases. Crawford described 2019 as a tough budget year thanks to land transfer revenues, and said the administrations focus will be protecting past investments in anti-poverty initiatives, TTC improvements such as the two-hour transfer, and more, without big new spending plans. The budget chief said the expected shortfall in revenue from the municipal land transfer tax, which, in previous years, has been a significant help in balancing the budget, would be $80 million to $85 million. There will be no service cuts, Crawford said, and the proposed property tax hike will likely be just over two per cent, depending on the inflation rate. He noted much of the budget will be crafted by city staff, because 2018 was an election year, so his budget committee wasnt sitting for months. The city managers expected suggestion for gradually weaning the operating budget off land transfer revenues makes sense, Crawford said, because operating is sometimes month to month or year to year, but (with) capital, theres a lot of flexibility in when we can do projects, so we can absorb changes in the land transfer tax. Councillor Gord Perks, a frequent critic of Torys administration, said slowing down spending on infrastructure, rather than raising more revenue through property taxes or other taxes, is reckless. The mayor has widened and deepened a hole caused by eight years of austerity (under Tory and predecessor Rob Ford) by refusing to look at a property-tax increase, Perks said. Slowing down capital spending means less money to repair Toronto Community Housing units, less money to keep the transit system operating in its current rickety state, less money for libraries and all the services Torontonians depend on while the population of Toronto continues to explode. David Rider is the Star's City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering Toronto politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/01/25/could-a-2-sales-tax-solve-torontos-budget-woes.html |
Should the Los Angeles Angels trade Mike Trout? | The Los Angeles Angels are trying to hand an extension to Mike Trout, but reports are that it seems unlikely. With Trout being arguably the best player in the entire league, many feel hitting the reset button and trading him would be the best option if the Angels are unable to retain him long term. However, Trout has been vocal about how much he enjoys playing for the team, and two years is enough time to build a winning squad around him. PERSPECTIVES Trout is languishing on a team that isn't competitive against the top teams in the league. For arguably the best player in MLB, that is a travesty. He needs to be with a team willing to surround him with top talent. The roster the Angels has built around Trout has not panned out and keeping Trout will not solve all of their problems. If the team wants to get back on track, they need to trade Trout and build from the ground up with cheap, but talented players in the minors -- or get young stars ready to explode. The Angels' thinning farm system is not doing well and Albert Pujols' huge contract is a financial albatross for the front office. The worst thing the Angels can do is wait and see. They need to trade him now. If the Angels can't extend Trout, they need to trade him Trout is a generational talent and the Angels would be fools to even consider trading him. Los Angeles has two years to improve its farm system and build a competent roster around him. The team already proved it was willing to shell out money by nabbing Shohei Ohtani, who has proven to be a monster at the plate, and on the mound, in his rookie year. The Angels are only going to get better, and once Pujols' contract expires in two years, the team will have even more payroll to invest in talent. Keeping Trout is the only option for Los Angeles. 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/should_the_los_angeles_angels.html |
Is the Stock Market Closed on MLK Day? | Both stock traders and bond traders have the day off on Monday to celebrate the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Neither the stock market nor the bond market is open for trading on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which in 2019 falls on Jan. 21. The stock and bond markets will re-open on Tuesday, following the three-day holiday weekend that commemorates the birthday of the civil rights leader. While King was born on Jan. 15, the federal holiday falls on the third Monday in January. MLK Day is also a federal bank holiday. The following is a schedule of all stock market and bond market holidays for 2019. Please note that regular trading hours for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq Stock Market are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern on weekdays. The stock markets close at 1 p.m. on early-closure days; bond markets close early at 2 p.m. SEE ALSO: 101 Best Dividend Stocks for 2019 and Beyond 2019 Market Holidays DateHolidayNYSENasdaqBond Markets Tuesday, Jan. 1 New Year's Day Closed Closed Closed Monday, Jan. 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Closed Closed Closed Monday, Feb. 18 Presidents Day/Washington's Birthday Closed Closed Closed Thursday, April 18 Maundy Thursday Open Open Early close (2 p.m.) Friday, April 19 Good Friday Closed Closed Closed Friday, May 24 Friday Before Memorial Day Open Open Early close (2 p.m.) Monday, May 27 Memorial Day Closed Closed Closed Wednesday, July 3 Day Before Independence Day Early close (1 p.m.) Early close (1 p.m.) Early close (2 p.m.) Thursday, July 4 Independence Day Closed Closed Closed Monday, Sept. 2 Labor Day Closed Closed Closed Monday, Oct. 14 Columbus Day Open Open Closed Monday, Nov. 11 Veterans Day Open Open Closed Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Day Closed Closed Closed Friday, Nov. 29 Day After Thanksgiving Early close (1 p.m.) Early close (1 p.m.) Early Close (2 p.m.) Tuesday, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Early close (1 p.m.) Early close (1 p.m.) Early Close (2 p.m.) Wednesday, Dec. 25 Christmas Day Closed Closed Closed Tuesday, Dec. 31 New Year's Eve Open Open Early Close (2 p.m.) Holiday observations When a holiday falls on a weekend, market closures are dictated by two rules: If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the market will close on the preceding Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the market will close on the subsequent Monday. SEE ALSO: 7 Stocks Getting Hit by the Government Shutdown EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors | https://news.yahoo.com/stock-market-closed-mlk-day-133549297.html |
Is The Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF a Buy? | The Schwab Broad Market ETF (NYSEMKT: SCHB) is a low-cost exchange-traded fund that is designed to allow investors to passively invest in the entire stock market through a single investment vehicle. The fund can be a smart choice for investors who want to benefit from the long-term compounding power of stocks, or investors who want to form a "base" to their portfolio before branching out to individual stocks. With that in mind, here's an overview of the ETF's investment strategy, the costs associated with it, and whether it could be a smart investment for your portfolio. Stock quote page in a newspaper. This ETF can help you get it. Image source: Getty Images. As the name implies, the Schwab Broad Market ETF is an exchange-traded fund that is designed to give investors exposure to the U.S. stock market. Specifically, the fund tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index, which includes a variety of both small- and large-cap stocks. At the end of the third quarter of 2018, the fund owned 2,429 different stocks. The index is market-cap weighted, just like the S&P 500 and most other market-tracking indexes. This means that larger companies make up a larger proportion of the portfolio. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that top holdings of the fund include Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and other large U.S. companies. The stock market as a whole has generated annualized total returns of about 10% over long periods of time. Investors who simply want to sit back and let the long-term compounding power of the market do all of the heavy lifting can do just that by investing in index funds, especially those that track the performance of broader-market indexes. And the Schwab Broad Market ETF tracks the stock market's performance at a bare minimum of expense to investors. Mutual fund and ETF ongoing fees are known as the expense ratio, which is the fund's management and administrative fees expressed as a percentage of the fund's overall assets. For example, a 1% expense ratio is about the average for an actively managed mutual fund, and means that you'll pay $100 in fees for every $10,000 invested, each year. The Schwab Broad Market ETF has a minuscule 0.03% expense ratio, meaning that for every $10,000 you have invested in the fund, your annual expenses are a mere $3. When you consider that these types of market-tracking funds have historically produced annualized returns in the 10% ballpark, this is virtually nothing. In other words, the Schwab Broad Market ETF can help you track the stock market's performance without giving up much of your returns in the form of fees. In other words, if the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index's total return is say, 8% this year, you can expect that your investment's total return will be 8% as well. As far as passive index funds go, the Schwab Broad Market ETF is one of the best products on the market. It should do an excellent job of tracking the overall performance of the stock market over time, and will do so at a bare minimum of expense, so investors will get to keep most of the gains. | https://news.yahoo.com/schwab-u-broad-market-etf-131700168.html |
Will ExxonMobil Raise Its Dividend in 2019? | ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) has been an energy leader for decades, and it's been generous in the way that it's shared its profits with shareholders in the form of dividends. As a Dividend Aristocrat, ExxonMobil has delivered well over a quarter-century of annual dividend increases to its investors, demonstrating its ability to do so despite huge volatility in the prices of crude oil and other energy products on which the giant relies for its profitability. Lately, oil prices have performed poorly, and that's been a cause of concern among many dividend investors. ExxonMobil hasn't let falling crude get in the way of its dividend growth thus far, but there's always the chance that persistently bad conditions could require a change in the company's philosophy. Below, we'll look more closely to see whether ExxonMobil is likely to reward dividend investors in 2019. Dividend stats on ExxonMobil Metric Current Stat Current quarterly dividend per share $0.82 Current yield 4.5% Number of consecutive years with dividend increases 36 years Payout ratio 60% Last increase May 2018 Data source: Yahoo! Finance. Last increase refers to ex-dividend date. A brief look at ExxonMobil's dividend history Over time, ExxonMobil has been consistent in how it's treated its shareholders. Dividend increases have come at regular intervals, most often during the second quarter of each year. That's made it fairly easy to predict when the oil giant would make its move to extend its long streak of rising payouts. However, ExxonMobil hasn't always made increases of the same magnitude. During periods of favorable conditions in the energy industry, Exxon's been more generous. For instance, in 2012, it delivered a huge 21% boost to its dividend, and increases of about 10% per year followed in 2013 and 2014. During tougher times, it has often limited its increase to just $0.02 per share, which worked out to less than a 3% rise in 2017. XOM Dividend Chart More XOM Dividend data by YCharts. Note: Downward spike in early 2000s is misleading, as it reflects a supplemental dividend payment in addition to regular quarterly payments. Most recently, ExxonMobil has split the difference. In 2018, the company made a $0.05-per-share boost to its payout to $0.82 every quarter. At the time, that reflected some enthusiasm that energy prices looked to be moving higher, helping to restore some of Exxon's lost profit growth. The danger with ExxonMobil's dividend From a fundamental perspective, ExxonMobil does have some challenges to overcome. Declining production rates have plagued the energy giant in recent years, indicating that management is having trouble finding the highly lucrative projects that it prefers to emphasize in allocating capital resources. Although Exxon's cost structure is fairly resilient to falling oil prices, it doesn't make the impact on profitability any less severe when crude drops significantly. | https://news.yahoo.com/exxonmobil-raise-dividend-2019-131600000.html |
What role does nuclear power play in UK and what are alternatives? | Britains old nuclear power stations supply around a fifth of electricity supplies and are a key part of the energy systems backbone. However, their share of the mix has been gradually shrinking as renewables have grown and energy demand has fallen. More significantly, seven of the eight nuclear sites will have shut by the end of the 2020s as they reach the end of their lifetime, with only Sizewell B in Suffolk continuing to operate. The government has also committed to shutting the countrys last seven coal plants by 2025 at the latest. So far the only nuclear project to be given the go-ahead is EDF Energys Hinkley Point C, a 3.2 gigawatt plant in Somerset, which will power around 6m homes when complete. The power station is officially due to begin supplying electricity to the grid in 2025 but similar projects in Finland and France have run many years over schedule. EDF Energy has already warned that the plant may not be generating until 2027. Originally there were concrete plans for five nuclear plants in the running to meet the UKs new nuclear ambitions. But three of those Moorside, Wylfa and Oldbury have been shelved. That leaves the 3.2GW Sizewell C in Suffolk, led by EDF Energy and backed by the Chinese state firm CGN, and the 2.3GW, Chinese-led Bradwell B in Essex, which EDF has a one-third stake in. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Construction work at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Photograph: EDF Energy The government negotiated a guaranteed price for power for 35 years with EDF Energy for Hinkley. Hitachi was trying to do the same, with the additional support of the government taking a multibillion-pound stake, but could not make the numbers work. Attention will turn to a new method of financing known as the regulated asset base (RAB) model, which the government plans to give more details on this summer. The RAB approach would mean a regulator setting fixed costs and fixed returns for a nuclear developer, to overcome the huge upfront cost of nuclear plants and years-long delay for investors reaping a return. If new nuclear plants do not materialise it will pose a challenge to tough carbon targets for 2030. It is unlikely to threaten energy supplies, given the speed with which gas plants and windfarms could be built. The main technology that has the scale to fill the nuclear gap is offshore wind power. More inshore windfarms and solar power would also help. The intermittent nature of those technologies could be addressed to a degree by more batteries and other storage, imports and technologies such as demand side reduction. That results in big energy users and maybe one day homes reducing their electricity consumption at peak times in return for a financial incentive. | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/17/what-role-does-nuclear-power-play-in-uk-and-what-are-alternatives |
Can the Tennessee-built XT6 be part of Cadillac's re-invention? | DETROIT For many Americans, Cadillac is an adjective used to describe something luxurious. Despite Cadillac's aura of refinement, the General Motors premium brand has been losing customers for the last several years and now it's embarking on yet another turnaround plan. The latest roadmap calls for scrapping struggling cars, investing in electric vehicles, introducing new body styles, redoing ads and moving the brands headquarters. Part of that re-invention includes the XT6, a seven-seat SUV unveiled at the Detroit auto show this week. The new three-row Cadillac crossover will be built at the Spring Hill, Tenn., manufacturing plant and GM is investing nearly $300 million to accommodate the XT6. It's expected to be available this spring. More: Tennessee gains auto sector momentum as industry faces global headwinds The SUV targets large families. The auto critic for the Detroit News called the XT6 the "stylish little brother" of the bulky Escalade. A 2020 Cadillac XT6 Sport sits on display during the 2019 North American International Auto Show held at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. (Via OlyDrop) (Photo: RYAN GARZA, Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY Network) The XT6 comes as the automaker discontinues two sedans, the Cadillac ATS and CTS, hoping to capitalize on a preference for SUVs over cars in todays luxury market. Cadillac must remake its image in the eyes of shoppers who arent even considering the brand right now despite better-than-ever products, analysts say. Measured in total U.S. sales, the brand lags luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Tesla and Acura, according to Kelley Blue Book. Cadillac sold 154,702 vehicles in the U.S. in 2018, trailing luxury leader Mercedes' 354,144 and just ahead of Nissan luxury brand Infiniti's 149,280. Cadillac sales slump Cadillac began to end a quarter-century drought in appeal around the turn of the 21st Century, Carlisle said. Vehicles like the ATS and CTS won acclaim from critics in the last decade. But it hasn't paid off in the form of U.S. momentum. In China, the brand has flourished, leading Cadillac to its best global sales ever in 2018. But in the U.S., sales fell about 15 percent from 2013 to 2018 despite a 10-percent increase in overall industry sales. GM CEO Mary Barra ousted Carlisles predecessor, Johan de Nysschen, in April after his turnaround plan didnt generate enough results during his four-year tenure. The de Nysschen plan included moving Cadillac from metro Detroit to New York City, marketing Cadillacs to urban coastal customers, and adopting a letters-and-numbers naming strategy used in German luxury brands. The problem is Cadillac doesnt need to be a German luxury brand. It needs to be an American luxury brand, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at Portico Analytics. They have great products in the showroom, but the marketing was completely unrelatable and failed to break through. For example, she said, advertising images of Cadillacs in New York City's tony Greenwich Village were out of step with the brand's core customers. After replacing de Nysschen, Carlisle pivoted quickly to move the brand back to metro Detroit to be closer to engineers and decision-makers, and to begin overhauling the marketing strategy. Cadillac must find ways to appeal to people who have false impressions of who we are and people who dont know us at all, including millennials, Carlisle said. The brand has the features of industry-leading luxury vehicles, but many people don't know it, he said. Cadillac will focus on new technology and new models that fill gaps in the lineup, he said. It will deliver a remade or new vehicle every six months through 2021. That includes the XT6, which is smaller than the hulking Escalade SUV but larger than the XT5. It will also include a redesigned Escalade at some point soon, GM President Mark Reuss hinted last week. Gov.-elect Bill Lee and Gov. Bill Haslam pose next to the Cadillac XT6 Sunday at the Detroit Auto Show. The SUV will be produced at the Spring Hill, Tenn., plant. (Photo: Jed DeKalb - State of Tennessee) They need more SUVs," said Stephanie Brinley, auto analyst at IHS Markit. "Theyre adding the right products, but theyre adding them a few years too late in the sense that several other automakers have already done that. The future Next up: Cadillac will become GMs lead electric vehicle brand, Barra told investors last week. Its too early to tell how that plan will shape up. But Carlisle said its likely to involve advanced self-driving capability in vehicles available for sale at dealerships, not ride-sharing networks. That continues a trend of GM debuting its most advanced technology in Cadillacs. GM picked Cadillac for its recent introduction of automated highway driving technology called Super Cruise, which has impressed critics with its high-tech functionality and safety features. Enthusiast site Autoblog named Super Cruise its 2019 Technology of the Year. The system steers, brakes and accelerates on its own in highway driving, and keeps a camera trained on the driver's eyes to alert them if they become sleepy while relying on the autonomous technology. Luxury rival Lincoln, which is owned by Ford, has already revived the Lincoln Aviator SUV, for example. And Lincoln has gained ground on Cadillac in the sales race. Past vehicles waiting to be dusted off could include the Cadillac Eldorado or the Cadillac Fleetwood. Carlisle said hes very open-minded about resurrecting the brands historical names. But I think weve got to be really good custodians of where we apply those names, he said. You dont want to just throw them out there. But he hinted that past could be prologue. Special cars or engines should have special names, he said. The question, however, is whether Cadillac itself remains special to car buyers. Tennessean staff contributed to this report. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2019/01/17/cadillac-xt-6-suv-crossover-tennessee-general-motors/2601643002/ | https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2019/01/17/cadillac-xt-6-suv-crossover-tennessee-general-motors/2601643002/ |
Will Solid Premiums Push Up Travelers (TRV) in Q4 Earnings? | The Travelers Companies, Inc. TRV is slated to report fourth-quarter 2018 results on Jan 22 before the market opens. In the last reported quarter, the company came up with a positive earnings surprise of 14.41%. Lets see, how things are shaping up for this announcement. The property and casualty (P&C) insurer is likely to report premium growth, driven by an improved pricing environment, high levels of retention, a positive renewal premium change as well as substantial growth across its businesses. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for premiums in fourth-quarter 2018 is pegged at $6.9 billion, up 7.6% from the year-ago quarters consensus mark. When it comes to Personal Insurance business, the probable uptick in premiums came on the back of a continued successful execution in Agency Auto and growth in Agency Homeowners. Further, the insurers Business Insurance segment is anticipated to deliver a more than modest performance, primarily fueled by higher earned premium volume and a lower tax rate. Travelers commercial businesses are projected to perform well in the yet-to-be-reported quarter on the back of better pricing, prudent strategy execution as well as market stability. Riding on rising interest rates, the company might have experienced solid investment results in the fourth quarter. Higher private equity returns as well as average level of fixed maturity investments have likely driven investment income. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the insurer estimates the metric to increase in the $60-$65 million range compared with the band recorded in the same period of 2017. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the metric is pegged at $654 million, representing an 8.8% increase on a year-over-year basis. On the back of higher premiums and investment income, the company is likely to witness top-line growth in the quarter to be reported. Also, a consistently successful execution of marketplace strategies coupled with strong production results might have led to this probable upside. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at $7.7 billion, reflecting a year-over-year rise of 4.1%. Further, a lower tax incidence and steady share buybacks are likely to have boosted the P&C insurers bottom line in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter is expected to bear the brunt of Hurricane Michael (occurring in October) and California wildfires (in November). With the P&C insurer's presence in California, the company is estimated to incur a certain level of catastrophe loss in the yet-to-be-reported quarter. Exposure to catastrophe loss might induce volatility and hamper the companys overall performance. However, with the reinsurance coverage in place, Travelers anticipates to mitigate the losses suffered in the aforementioned time period. Nonetheless, underwriting results are projected to benefit from higher levels of earned premium. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the combined ratio in the Insurance segment during the fourth quarter is pegged at 96%, flat from the prior-year quarters figure. However, a higher debt-level causing a probable escalation in interest expenses can put pressure on the margin expansion. What Our Quantitative Model States Our proven model does not conclusively show that Travelers is likely to beat on earnings this to-be-reported period. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Travelers has an Earnings ESP of -4.61%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged at $2.16, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.26. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. The Travelers Companies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise The Travelers Companies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | The Travelers Companies, Inc. Quote | https://news.yahoo.com/solid-premiums-push-travelers-trv-144002510.html |
What Is Plaguing The Cryptocurrency Market? | Despite current challenges in the crypto market, global interest in cryptocurrencies has continued to rise. At the last count, there were 2076 coins and tokens on the market. Coinbase has also reported that 70,000 to 100,000 new crypto trading accounts were being opened every day on their platform. This exciting rise has mainly been the result of the efforts of early proponents and builders of the blockchain technology who have strong convictions regarding their ideology. Idealists, liberalists, cypherpunks, and independent thinkers have been at the forefront of developing the technology and ensuring that people come to realize its potential. Additionally, the current cases of cryptocurrencies have continued to generate more interest in the technology. The most popular methods for making money on the crypto market such as mining, day trading, and ICO flipping, have already been exhausted. As a consequence, there are little to no new ways to pique the individuals interest in digital currencies. More importantly, people now have limited ways through which they can store and preserve their assets. In this regard, a comprehensive solution needs to be developed if the market is to grow and achieve wider acceptance. Another issue plaguing the market is risk diversification. Investors may lose interest in the market since it is easy to lose ones assets and investments. Currently, the most preferred method of diversification is having a portfolio of more than one digital currency. For instance, an individual can have both Bitcoin and Ethereum in their digital currency portfolio. However, since both currencies are interconnected, instability and volatility that have been common occurrences in the market recently and this will affect them both. Therefore, the diversification approach may not be suitable in the long term since it is now likely that both currencies (Bitcoin and Ethereum) can be affected at the same time. Investing in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is another approach that has been used by individuals to diversify risk and expect high returns. While there have been a number of ICO projects since 2017, now known as the Year of the ICOs, it is now estimated that 78% of them were a scam. Fraudulent ICOs have been on the rise since individuals are being promised a good return on investment. However, very few have succeeded in paying their investors money that has been promised. Therefore, while ICOs make it easy to earn money from digital currencies, current trends show that ultimately, most of them fail to deliver. Additionally, the return on investment in cryptocurrencies has been a matter of speculation rather than a deliberate strategy. This means that there is no guarantee or surety that the high returns would likely be achieved due to lack of regulation and insurance as is the case with traditional investments. On the negative side, the speculation could go a different way where decline, rather than growth, is anticipated. Growth which is tied to a deliberate strategy can guarantee a return on investment. Attempts to solve the problem of cryptocurrency volatility have been made through the creation of stablecoins. Stablecoins are designed to minimize price volatility by pegging their value on fiat currencies and exchange-traded commodities. However, the solution works only on the currency plane. As a result, other benefits such as having access to financial instruments and banking services cannot be enjoyed. Thousands of businesses across the world are accepting crypto payments for their services. There is absolutely nothing that you cannot buy with good old Bitcoin these days. All of the above-mentioned challenges along with high transaction fees, poor security, and non-availability of fiat gateways to on-ramp new customers hamper seamless trading in cryptocurrencies. The challenges of the crypto market may have inadvertently started a vicious circle. The problems will turn potential traders away along with their money (that could have brought liquidity). Unless a radical approach is developed, the problems will not only persist but will eventually worsen. This will clearly jeopardize crypto adoption in the long run. In a refreshing development, the Blockchain Exchange Alliance (BXA) has partnered with ONEROOT to develop a technology to create a network of decentralized exchanges (DEX) that share a single, large liquidity pool and order books within the BXA ecosystem. To begin with, Bithumb, Koreas largest, and the worlds preeminent, decentralized exchange is the controlling shareholder of the BXA and a member of its ecosystem. This includes its massive liquidity pool. BXA has acquired licenses in multiple jurisdictions around the world, including the United States, Australia, Peru, New Zealand, and Canada, to open DEX. We arent fighting fiat. We realize that the crypto movement has a lot to gain if it partners strategically with the fiat-powered system. And that is why we are creating multiple fiat-to-crypto exchanges with many currencies as the backbone of a global payment network, says Dr. Byung Gun Kim, global co-CEO of BXA. BXA is not just solving the biggest problem of crypto trading platforms globally but is also creating an integrated digital asset financial institution. We are creating technology that seeks to blur the lines between fiat and crypto, says Tony Sun, Chairman of the ONEROOT Foundation and BXA global co-CEO. ONEROOT is the blockchain technology service provider. BXA is the largest institutional shareholder of ONEROOT. Parting thoughts While cryptocurrency exchanges have sprung up left, right and center with no regard to the challenges already facing the larger players, it is time for a fundamental shift in thinking. Getting on the crypto bandwagon is one thing. But doing precious little to ease trading is another. It is time for exchanges to pool their resources and create a seamless entity that provides massive liquidity, cuts down on arbitrary pricing and provides top-notch security measures to protect traders assets. Only then can we expect more traders to enter the crypto scene thereby creating a substantial capital influx into the markets. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/geraldfenech/2019/01/17/what-is-plaguing-the-cryptocurrency-market/ |
Will The STB Resist The Urge To Re-Regulate The Railroads? | While the media likes to focus on the turmoil amidst the shutdown, work still gets done between Congress and the Executive Branch. One of the last acts in the Senate before the 115th Congress adjourned was to confirm two commissioners to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The commission now has 3 of 5 members. Joining Chair Ann D. Begeman (R) are Patrick Fuchs (R), former senior counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the agency and Martin Oberman (D), former Chicago rail system chairman and city alderman. Two slots remain, which could include recently renominated Republican Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority attorney Michelle Schultz, and Democrat Deb Miller, a Commissioner from 2014-2019 until her term fully expired. The STB is a little-known regulatory agency overseeing a rail shipping industry that drives $219.5billion annually to the US economy. It is charged with resolving railroad service disputes, reviewing railroad mergers, and regulating certain transportation rates. Like many regulatory agencies that were established without an exit strategy or sunset clause, the STB is grappling with how to be relevant in the information age when technology has made its purpose all but obsolete. Not having the agency at full strength has tabled the forced switching regulatory proposal, blunt force regulation that enables the federal government to control how third parties use privately owned freight networks, potentially rewarding politically favored shippers which otherwise would have to engage in bona fide negotiation for shipping rates. Similar to how the largest internet platform companies have used net neutrality to win free and reduced transit costs at the expense of consumers, Americas largest rail shippers have banded together to see whether they can squeeze price reductions and traffic controls from the railroads. As Lawrence J. Spiwak, president of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies, explains, it is merely backdoor rate regulation intended to evade existing statute regarding direct rate regulation. While the consumer benefits of deregulation of surface transportation have been repeatedly documented--todays shipping rates are about half of what they were 40 years ago when adjusted for inflation--regulators frequently seek to expand, not contract, by bringing new functions under their jurisdiction. The question now is whether the STB follows the path demanded by the voters in electing a President who promised to break the choke hold of regulation on the economy, or whether it finds a new constituency that can breathe life into an agency that should be decommissioned altogether. The STB is grounded a 19th century mindset in which the rail network performed a single service, and the authority regulated railroads, networks with the same technology. Today, however, railroad companies compete on a range of technologies, ship a plethora of products, and plow tens of billions annually into infrastructure to improve safety, sustainability, and service. Technologies such as positive train control will prevent accidents with sensing that automatically stops trains and precision railroading which offers greater efficiency through just-in-time and intelligent scheduling. While coal was once the primary commodity shipped by rail, carrying strict rate oversight due to its connection to electricity prices, the industry has remade itself in recent years, offsetting heavy losses at the hands of dwindling coal electrification with the movement of "intermodal" truck containers at the heart of the American ecommerce boom. Moreover, the market for shipping is global, forcing Americas railroads to compete not only with planes, drones, and ships, but international transport logistics providers which build bespoke transport solutions that select individual transport elements and repackage them as end to end service solutions. As such, the STB is regulating a single part of a growing global industry that tops $1 trillion as if it is 1999, not 2019. Nevertheless the 3-person STB will have to stake out a position on forced switching. At a recent industry event, former chief counsel for the agency and economist Raymond Atkins observed that rail rate regulation is increasingly untenable, particularly as the airlines and trucking have been deregulated for decades. The US re-regulating the railroads is not only out of step with changing technology, but other countries which no longer use price regulation for railroads. Congress needs to finish the job in started. The STB was established in 1996 as a modernization of the Interstate Commerce Commission from 1887. The STB's agenda should be about winding down the agency, not inventing a new purpose for its existence. As long as the STB is around, regulatory opportunists will use it to win favors rather than compete on the market. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/roslynlayton/2019/01/17/will-the-stb-resist-the-urge-to-re-regulate-the-railroads/ |
What will be Oregon softballs offensive identity in 2019? | EUGENE Oregon softball has ranked no worse than 16th in runs scored in each of the last seven years, but could rely heavily on speed and small ball to manufacture runs this season. The Ducks lost their six top home run hitters and seven of their top eight players in RBIs to graduation and transfers in the offseason, but return outfielders Alexis Mack and Haley Cruse, UOs top two in batting average last season. Mack and Cruse hit at the top of the order in five of eight fall games, an early indicator of how first-year coach Melyssa Lombardi plans to construct Oregons lineup. Our job at the top of the lineup is to set the table and get on base and rely on our power hitters to bring us in, said Cruse, who hit a team-high .377 with a .430 on=base percentage last season. We want to wreak some havoc on the bases." Mack was 24 of 27 on stolen base attempts last season and Cruse was 10 of 13. But those numbers, as well as Oregons bunting and situational hitting strategy, could change with returning players combining for just 11 home runs and 76 RBIs compared to more than 60 homers and 270 RBIs that seven top hitters no longer with the team contributed last season. I think were really going to be built on speed and stealing bases and working with the short game, first baseman Mia Camuso said. It could be a bit of a shift for Oregon strategically. The Ducks have ranked in the top 50 nationally in stolen bases just twice in the last eight years and both instances were in the last four years. The highest Oklahoma has been ranked in stolen bases during that same span was 35th, with 78th being its next-highest finish, though thats more indicative of Sooners coach Patty Gassos strategy than Lombardis. But even if the top of the order gets on and moves around, someone still has to drive them in. Cruse said April Utecht, who had four home runs in 28 at-bats last season, Camuso, Oregons leading returning players in doubles (12) and RBIs (24) as the No. 9 hitter last season, and freshmen Rachel Cid and Terra McGowan can all provide power. I think we are going to have to make things happen a lot more on offense," Cruse said. We have a lot of speed this year. I think were going to need to really focus on getting on base because we have a lot of versatile players who can make things happen on offense. | https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2019/01/what-will-be-oregon-softballs-offensive-identity-in-2019.html |
Are there dangers to low cholesterol levels? | A cardiologist we know likes to say you cant have too low a golf score or cholesterol level. That certainly is the prevailing view. Q: I am 46 years old. For as long as I can remember, I have had low cholesterol on my bloodwork. I donated blood last week, and my total cholesterol was 107. While most people would say, Wow, thats great, I heard that too-low cholesterol could be bad. A: A cardiologist we know likes to say you cant have too low a golf score or cholesterol level. That certainly is the prevailing view. There is research, however, suggesting that very low cholesterol may increase the risk of hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke (Neurology Clinical Practice, June 2018; Stroke, July 2013). Fortunately, such strokes are relatively rare. Heart attacks are far more common. That said, you should discuss your concerns with your doctor. It is unlikely, though, that you will be advised to eat foods that might raise your cholesterol levels. A recent review found that when Japanese people eat more saturated fat, their risk of stroke drops (Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, May 1, 2018). This does not appear to hold for people who are not Japanese. If you ever experience possible symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke, including sudden severe headache, dizziness, one-sided weakness, nausea and vomiting, and trouble speaking or swallowing, treat it as a medical emergency. Q: My tennis elbow has come back with a vengeance. It has been bothering me for quite a bit longer than it ever has in the past. I cant use oral NSAIDS because I take Eliquis, but my primary-care physician says I can use the diclofenac sodium topical gel (1 percent) for as long as I need it. She knows I take a blood thinner. A: You are right to avoid oral pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen, since these NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal irritation. With apixaban (Eliquis) in your system, you could end up with a bleeding ulcer. Drug-interaction experts Drs. John Horn and Philip Hansten have written about NSAID and anticoagulant interactions. They note that The use of topical NSAIDs is not considered to increase the risk of bleeding (Pharmacy Times, Dec. 21, 2017). We discuss the pros and cons of topical diclofenac (Voltaren Gel) as well as salsalate and nondrug approaches in our eGuide to Alternatives for Arthritis. You can find this online resource at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Q: My husband and I returned from a trip to Europe with a strain of the flu apparently not covered by our flu vaccine. We took Xofluza and after three doses, both of us developed diarrhea and abdominal cramping. We stopped taking the meds, and the symptoms stopped. The headache, congestion and body aches of the flu were bad enough without adding the diarrhea caused by expensive meds. A: Baloxavir (Xofluza) is a brand-new anti-viral flu medicine. This oral medication shortens the duration of flu symptoms when taken within 48 hours of getting sick. We are puzzled why you took three doses. The advantage of this medicine is that it is given as a single dose. The triple dose might have increased your risk for diarrhea, a recognized side effect of Xofluza. The clinical trial data showed that 3 percent of people taking one pill suffered this complication. | https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/are-there-dangers-to-low-cholesterol-levels/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Who is Singing The National Anthem at Super Bowl LIII? | When Atlanta hosts Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, one of the city's hometown stars will be taking center stage to kick off the biggest game of the NFL season. Seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer Gladys Knight will sing the national anthem before kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the NFL and CBS announced. "I am proud to use my voice to unite and represent our country in my hometown of Atlanta," she said. "The NFL recently announced their new social justice platform Inspire Change, and I am honored to be a part of its inaugural year." Knight, an Atlanta native, rose to stardom between the 1960s and 1980s, when she dropped her best-known classics and Billboard No. 1 singles, "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "That's What Friends Are For." Knight also has 11 No. 1 R&B singles, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Knight is recognized as one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Knight joins a celebrated list of Super Bowl anthem singers, following in the footsteps of performers like Cher, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel and others. | https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/who-is-singing-national-anthem-super-bowl-liii-performer-gladys-knight |
Is the Booming Dow Why Trump Wont End the Shutdown? | With the US partial government shutdown now entering its 27th day, this funding standoff is already the longest in federal history. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has expressed no qualms about extending the shutdown for a long time if Democrats refuse to budge on border wall funding. According to sources close to the president, that may have something to do with the strong performances that the Dow and other stock market indices have recorded amidst the shutdown. Strong Dow, S&P 500 Bolster Trumps Shutdown Stance That illuminating theory comes courtesy of Politico, which reports that Trump more than previous presidents judges his policies based on immediate stock market feedback. Per the article, which was drafted by Ben White, Trump tends to gauge economic risks by market reaction, so the lack of any big drops on Wall Street could be among the reasons he does not yet feel significant pressure to change his wall demands in ways that could end the shutdown. dow jones More Indeed, US stocks have made wild recoveries since the government shutdown began on Dec. 22. On Friday, Dec. 21, the Dow closed at 22,445.37, knee deep in a pullback and on the verge officially entering a bear market. One month later, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq are all riding high. Jan. 16 saw the Dow close at 24,207.16, more than 1,761 points higher than it was on the first day of the shutdown. The broad S&P 500 index has made a similar climb, closing on Jan. 16 at 2,616.10 after entering the shutdown at 2,416.62. S&P 500 government shutdown More Mainstream media outlets, which tend to lean left and assign more blame to Trump than congressional Democrats for the shutdown, have focused their coverage on its tangible effects: federal workers missing paychecks, longer lines at TSA airport checkpoints, and national park closures. However, if Whites sources are correct, then reports like these probably arent going to change the presidents commitment to exercising his veto power to twist the arms of Democrats into allocating him his desired $5.7 billion in border wall funding which, politics aside, is a drop in the bucket of federal spending. Rather, Trump is likely paying more attention to the stock tickers on his favorite TV channels than he is to New York Times features designed to tug at readers heartstrings. Stock Market Crash Would Put Pressure on Trump nancy pelosi chuck schumer government shutdown More This being the case, it may be that the stock market would have to see a stark reversal a pullback on par with the one seen in Q4 last year for Trump to start having second thoughts about his shutdown stance. Of course, even then Trump might not accept responsibility for the correction. Throughout last quarter and into 2019, the president has been sharply critical of the Federal Reserves recent interest rate hikes. Trump blamed those rate hikes for putting the brakes on a what had been a booming economy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has indicated that the bank intends to take stock market conditions into consideration when mulling future rate increases, but that doesnt mean that Trump wont blame him or someone else if the Dow crawls back further into correction territory. Regardless, a stock market reversal could tip the scales in the Democrats favor, making it more likely that Trump will feel pressure to cut a deal or at least take the escape hatch of declaring a national emergency. In the present, though, it seems that the US must choose between a strong economy and a fully-funded federal government. appeared first on CCN. | https://news.yahoo.com/booming-dow-why-trump-won-163642572.html |
Are Tory remainers pondering a conscious uncoupling from the party? | The fightback starts here. Maybe. That could be putting it a bit strongly. On the morning after Theresa May had celebrated surviving a no confidence vote by declaring her new Brexit plan would be pretty much the same as the one that had been defeated by 230 votes on Tuesday, a handful of Tory MPs gathered in the basement room of a central London hotel to launch their own self-help group. My names Philip and Im in favour of a second referendum, said Philip Lee. There. Hed come out and said it. Already he felt so much better about himself. Hed taken the first step by admitting his powerlessness over the Conservative party. And he knew he wasnt alone. There were 4 million like-minded Tory voters out there who were fed up with being lied to, who recognised the prime ministers deal was dead and wanted to take back control of their lives by having another say on leaving the EU. It was a bold claim to make when the total membership of Right to Vote seemed to be limited to the same few Tory MPs Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston, Dominic Grieve, Heidi Allen, Justine Greening, Sam Gyimah and Lee whose views on a second referendum were already well known. But small steps and all that. Right to Vote Anonymous might now be a bit too niche and too anonymous, but if you build it, people will come. Just give it time. They had been expecting one more MP to appear but hed pulled out at the last minute. Allen was the next to share. My names Heidi, she began. It hadnt been easy to come out in favour of a second referendum as a Conservative. But she had hit rock bottom and was ready to collect her P45 if necessary. The Tories had to realise they were in sales and that what was currently on offer was a product that no one wanted. People recognised that Brexit was an unholy mess, that the government had no coherent plans for sorting it out and that a second vote was the only realistic solution. Its time to be less tribal, she said. To an audience made up entirely of Conservatives. My names Sam, said Gyimah. His story was the most harrowing of all. He had been a minister on the verge of a promotion to the cabinet. Life had been sweet mainlining power. But then he realised hed been ripped off with a dirty hit. It had been May who had been orchestrating an establishment stitch-up by trying to keep parliament out of the loop over her shabby deal. Her only interest was in delivering a third-rate future so she could claim bragging rights for having delivered some kind of Brexit. Though all three were happy to offer their experience, strength and hope they were short on details of where they went from here as they hadnt yet got round to writing steps two to 12 of their 12-step programme. There would be an extension to article 50 and more people would come along to their meetings. For now it was enough for them to have provided a safe space where no one could be harassed or bullied. They realised it was a tough call to get others on board, but if people felt shy about sharing in meetings they were welcome to just come along and listen. The second referendum could be won by spiritual osmosis. And if that was still a bit too scary there were mindfulness weekend starter packs on offer and some hot yoga complete with Gwyneth Paltrows Goop patented Namaste scented candles that were guaranteed to aid conscious uncoupling from the Tory party. Special discounts available for those taking part in Dry Second Referenduary, with key rings handed out to those who got to 30 days clean. Right to Vote Anonymous might have had the air of a Peoples Front of Judaea tribute act, but it was no less of an alternative lifestyle to any of the others on show. Despite having lost his no confidence vote in parliament the previous evening, rather than chatting to May a tough gig, but someones got to do it Jeremy Corbyn had headed off to Hastings to launch a general election campaign for an election that wasnt happening. Call it a dry run. Meanwhile back in Downing Street, the prime minister was having talks about Brexit in which nothing she didnt want to talk about could be mentioned. We are now in a dystopia of parallel worlds in which everyone is pursuing their own personal growth programme for which there is no parliamentary majority. Wed have more chance sorting the whole thing out with tarot cards. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/17/tory-remainers-second-referendum |
Is Bitcoin Building Support Above $3,500? | Bitcoin has been trading within a reasonably tight range for the last several weeks, fluctuating primarily between $3,500 and $4,000. Over the last week, this range has tightened, as bitcoin prices have been moving between $3,500 and $3,700, CoinDesk bitcoin price data reveals. Amid this relative malaise in the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization (market cap), several analysts weighed in on whether bitcoin has been building up support above $3,500. [Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.] Establishing Support The digital currency has been accumulating support, according to some market observers, including Mati Greenspan, an analyst who works for social trading platform eToro. "Over the last three weeks, we've seen a mini range emerge from $3,500 to just above $4,000 as bitcoin consolidates," stated Greenspan. However, he emphasized that "The wider range is $3000 to $5000." Jon Pearlstone, publisher of the newsletter CryptoPatterns, offered similar input. "Since mid-november, bitcoin has built a clearly defined bullish inverse head and shoulders pattern with a target in the $5000 range," he stated. "The most recent move back down to retest key support at $3500 was expected as part of this pattern, and the current consolidation continues to offer an edge for the bulls as long as support holds above $3500." Warning Signs Pearlstone identified out some warning signs that could point to trouble for bitcoin, emphasizing the cryptocurrency's lackluster trading volume and describing it a "red flag." He also spoke to the difficulty bitcoin has faced in breaking free of its current price range, labeling it a serious cause for concern. Eric Ervin, CEO of Blockforce Capital, also spoke to bitcoin's modest volatility, stating that this measure of the digital currency's price fluctuations recently fell to its lowest in more than a year. "Despite bitcoins recent volatility spikes in December and early January, its rolling 14 day volatility has been steadily declining -- trending downward from a peak of 140 on November 28th to todays value of 60," he stated yesterday. "This is the lowest volatility weve seen since mid-November 2018." Breakout Potential Bitcoin could soon break free of this range, noted Ervin. "In the roughly six days bitcoin has traded above $3,500, weve witnessed what looks like an early stage pennant formation," he stated. "We therefore expect there is a high likelihood of a decent breakout in the near future, although its still too early to tell which direction the market will go," said Ervin. Pearlstone also spoke to a potential breakout, stating that: "If price doesn't move up soon back to the $4000 level, which would then put the $5000 target into play, a break of $3500 and retest of the $3000 level become the highest probability next move." Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2019/01/17/is-bitcoin-building-support-above-3500/ |
Is it time to retire the Women's March? | As the third annual Women's March approaches, many are wondering if its time to move away from the fraught event. The march, which has been criticized for its predominant focus on the concerns of white feminists since its inception, has come under even more scrutiny in the past few weeks -- including accusations of anti-semitism. National organizers deny these claims and say the event is still vital and important. PERSPECTIVES NBC News reports many local organizers are canceling their events due to concerns over turnout and the national turmoil. New Orleans was not alone in that decision; a group in Eureka, California, scrapped its march over concerns that it would be "overwhelmingly white," and organizers in Chicago replaced their January march with an event in October before the midterms and a day of action planned for March. Some longtime critics of the event, like writer Shikha Dalmia, say the lack of enthusiasm is a clear sign the Women's March has moved past its usefulness. Dalmia writes in the Week: In the wake of Trump's victory, a collective "yuck" gave the Women's March a spectacular turnout for its first event in 2017, when about one million women showed up just in Washington, D.C., making it the largest single-day protest in history. However, as I noted at the time, this was clearly unsustainable. If you cut through the hype, it was evident even then that the march was a "feel good exercise in search of a cause" that would run into problems for the simple reason that the fear and loathing of Trump isn't a sufficiently strong glue to keep the movement together. As Refinery29 reports, the march has lost many of its original sponsors over the last few years. However, those that remain, like Planned Parenthood, maintain the event continues to effect positive change. "Over the last two years, we've seen unprecedented attacks on our health and rights from the Trump-Pence administration. The Women's March has become a symbol of our collective resistance to these damaging and discriminatory policies and Planned Parenthood is proud to once again, join our progressive partners for the #WomensWave mobilization to protect and advance the progress we've made as a movement dedicated to equity and justice for all people," Erica Sackin, senior communications director for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement to Refinery29. Carmen Perez, one of the March organizers, told Elle the mission has been and always will be one of inclusion and empowerment. Our work is a continuation of the Unity Principles that have guided us since 2017. The agenda does not come from the three of us; it was created by 50 organizations and individuals with deep policy expertise who we brought together over a four-week period. The Women's Wave is about transforming our principles into policies: protecting the rights of immigrant women, ensuring pay equity, standing for LGBTQIA rights, disability rights, and ending state violence. And so those are just some of the issues that we have selected, and we've taken 50 organizations through this process, and this agenda will be released on January 19th at the Women's March. 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/nation/index.ssf/2019/01/is_it_time_to_retire_the_women_1.html |
Should Cronos Group Scale Up Its U.S. Business? | Cronos Group had a relatively solid 2018, driven by the legalization of recreational marijuana in its home market, Canada, and a $1.8 billion investment from tobacco major Altria group. While Cronos has been focusing its retail efforts on Canada as well as international markets such as Germany, Israel, and Australia, where its medical marijuana products are gaining traction, the U.S. could potentially be a significantly larger market for the company in the long run. In this note, we take a look at whats driving the cannabis market in the U.S. and how Cronos could potentially scale up its U.S. operations in the long run, subject to regulations. We have created an interactive dashboard analysis on whats driving Cronos Groups valuation, which allows users to modify any of our forecasts and drivers to arrive at their own valuation estimates for the company. The U.S. Marijuana Market As of November 2018, 32 U.S. States had laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, while 10 states (namely Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts) allowed the use of the marijuana for recreational purposes. Other states including New Jersey have been closely considering the legalization of recreational marijuana. Sales of medical and recreational marijuana in the U.S. are projected to climb to roughly $22 billion by the year 2022, per the 2018 edition of the Marijuana Business Factbook, up from levels of between $5.8 billion and $6.6 billion in 2017. While much of the growth in the market will hinge on regulatory developments, the increasing interest from major corporates in the tobacco and alcoholic beverage space could also drive the industry. Overall, its safe to assume that the U.S. market for cannabis will be significantly larger than the Canadian market in the long term. The U.S. also took some steps towards the legalization of hemp a variety of cannabis that does not produce the psychoactive component of pot after it was removed from the controlled substance list post the passage of the 2018 farm bill. Hemp-derived cannabidiols were also legalized. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a popular extract used in beverages and health products. Per New Frontier Data, the hemp-derived CBD market will grow from a $390 million in 2018 to a $1.3 billion market by 2022. Cronos Could Leverage Altria Deal While Cronos is still in the process of scaling up its overall business (total revenues stood at just $3.8 million in Q318), the company will likely wait until marijuana is legalized at a Federal level in the U.S. before it moves into the mainstream market. However, its possible that the company could make a play in the hemp space, like its Canadian rival Canopy, which was recently granted a license by New York to process and produce hemp. Cronos partnership with tobacco major Altria, which is the producer of Marlboro cigarettes, could also help the company if it decides to scale up in the U.S. Altria has an extensive distribution reach, as well as significant experience on the regulatory front. Cronos could also use the sizable cash infusion from the Altria deal to double down on the construction of greenhouses and processing facilities. While annualized capacity stood at just about 6,650 kilograms as of Q3, the company is in the process of adding about 110,000 kilograms of capacity in the near term. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/17/should-cronos-group-scale-up-its-u-s-business/ |
Should I allow my kids to follow their own instincts when it comes to food? | Im not really into New Years resolutions, because a) Im contrary by nature and b) I cant think of any unique ones. So instead of the usual be healthier standby, Ive decided on an anti-resolution: this year, I will try to be honest and accept my familys food choices. I have written in the past about meal planning and my obsession with Excel spreadsheets. Author Virginia Smith-Sole says kids should not be forced to clean their plate, or eat all their vegetables. Boy plugs his nose in response to a bowl of vegetables. ( Dreamstime ) Yet despite my lists of menu options, I still feel like a food failure because, at the ripe old age of 11 and 13, my sons still dont like vegetables. Ive waited in vain for those mature taste buds to kick in, cooled my heels hoping for if you keep introducing healthy food they will eventually cave to work, and nothing. Mustafa still doesnt like tomatoes and most fruit. Ibrahim still negotiates his vegetable consumption like hes haggling on Kijiji: Mom, Ill trade you three green beans and two slices of red pepper for five mushrooms, and thats my final offer. I really have to work on my strategy. Last round, I ended up eating his vegetables for him. Article Continued Below All of this has been on my mind, especially after I read an article by writer and author of The Eating Instinct Virginia Smith-Sole https://www.mother.ly/child/9-ways-to-teach-your-kids-to-trust-their-instincts-about-food. She writes about our unhealthy relationship with food, the way that diet and healthy eating culture has ironically left kids without a natural eating instinct. Fed is best, Smith-Sole argues. How your kid eats matters more than what they eat; nutrition is not gospel. She also counsels that kids should not be forced to clean their plate, or eat all their vegetables. Her advice raises many questions. Like most people, my husband and I try to make healthy choices. We buy Brussels sprouts, broccoli, fruit and plastic tubs of salad greens. But I cant claim we eat all of it, every week. Sometimes, I dont make salad to accompany my lasagna. I usually dont have a platter of freshly sliced fruit to offer my kids as after-school snacks. I have been known to (hangs head in shame) allow soda pop with meals. The truth is, some weeks the healthy stuff sits neglected in the fridge. The reasons for this are plentiful were having a busy week, or someone (read: definitely my husband) brought home a few too many snacks on the last grocery run, or someone (read: possibly me) went on a holiday baking blitz and now we have eight dozen gingerbread cookies taunting us from the kitchen. So we overindulge. And then we cut back, look up keto-paleo-vegan recipes, decide to cut out pop, sugar and maybe wheat. Because trust me, trying to bribe a stoic teenager is an exercise in exaggerated sighs (his) and existential despair (mine). Maybe Smith-Sole is right. I should let my type-A Excel spreadsheets off the hook and let my kids follow their own eating instincts. Because the truth is, thats how I grew up. My mom was an indifferent (albeit unintentionally excellent) cook. She nightly produced healthy dinners with plenty of vegetables, pulses and protein but other meals were mostly forage-as-you-will. I ate a lot of bagels for breakfast. Yet as an adult I have developed a taste for cauliflower, homemade soup, various salads and even the occasional bit of fruit, if there arent any other options. Perhaps the best thing I can do for my kids is to continue to cook, and pass them bananas and strawberries to munch on when theyre distracted by YouTube. And try to ignore that there are now only three dozen cookies left. Dont judge me; Im only following my instincts. Uzma Jalaluddin is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributor for the Star. Reach her via email: [email protected] | https://www.thestar.com/life/2019/01/17/should-i-allow-my-kids-to-follow-their-own-instincts-when-it-comes-to-food.html |
Which Character From The Office Should Cross Over to Steve Carell's Space Force ? | Fans of The Office got great news earlier this week when it was announced that Steve Carell AKA Michael Scott from The Office is teaming up with the show's creators for a new workplace comedy. According to Netflix, which will bring this new comedy to life, Carell will work with executive producers Greg Daniels and Howard Klein once again for the new show, Space Force. The show won't be about a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but it will be about the employees tasked with creating a sixth branch of the armed services called The Space Force. It loosely stems from the idea that President Donald Trump discussed back in summer of 2018, about having a team responsible for protecting us in space/from things in space, but it will be totally fictional and with The Office team at the helm, totally funny. Even though Space Force isn't The Office reboot fans have been wanting, and the characters from the show don't exactly make sense in this new comedy world, it doesn't mean we can't dream about seeing a few characters crossover to the Netflix comedy someday. | https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1006151/which-character-from-the-office-should-cross-over-to-steve-carell-s-space-force?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
Who could be next on private equity's shopping list? | Cashed up private equity investors were very active buying up New Zealand companies last year and are expected to remain on the hunt this year. Apax's $2.56 billion offer for Trade Me is still to be finalised with a vote due in April amid other regulatory approvals but industry players widely expect the deal to go ahead. While Restaurant Brands shareholders have until March 12 to accept the $881 million bid for up to 75 per cent in the Kiwi company being made by Mexican investment company Finaccess. Slade Robertson, managing director of Devon Funds Management says he expects merger and acquisition activity to remain at an elevated level this year. Advertisement "This will be driven by the very low levels of interest rates globally and by the significant levels of liquidity that exist across the private equity networks," he told Stock Takes this week. There is plenty of talk around the markets on which company could be the next potential target. Fletcher Building has already attracted speculation with its beaten up share price prompting some to suggest it could be open to a takeover. But another company which is being talked about is Z Energy. The fuel retailer has been a bit unloved by the share market in recent times. In November, the share price hit $5.18 - its lowest point since May 2015 - after suffering a 21 per cent decline in first half earnings and announcing a dividend that was five cents less than investors were expecting. The stock has bounced back a little since then, trading at $5.74 yesterday. Despite being out of favour with investors, Craigs Investment Partners has retained a "buy" recommendation on the stock, based on its assessment of Z's earnings prospects. "We have raised our 2019 EBITDA forecast from $414m to $429m and dividend from 34c to 40c," Craigs research analyst Grant Swanepoel said in an industry update. Z Energy suffered a poor performance in the first half because of margin compression and oil-driven negative accounting impacts, forcing management to downgrade the company's EBITDA guidance to a range of $400-435m. "Since then the oil price has fallen, reversing the accounting impacts and easing the pressure on retail margins," Swanepoel said. "While we have reduced our target price from $7.42 to $6.69 to reflect lower expected industry margins over time, due to upside to our target price we keep a 'buy'. "Since last guidance, the metrics have improved," he said. He noted that since the November guidance, the Brent oil price has fallen 35 per cent. The retail margin has also been far stronger than anticipated a $6m improvement on prior expectations. This has been partially offset by the recent fall in refining margins, hence a lower Refining NZ rebate and dividend, Swanepoel said. Refining NZ is 15.4 per cent owned by Z Energy. Swanepoel told Stock Takes that it was difficult for Z Energy to manage investors' expectations given the wild swings in oil prices over the last few months. "The organic performance of the business is improving again," he said. Among the downside risks to its valuation and estimates, Craigs said an increase in competition could leading to lower sector margins being achieved. A Government-ordered review of the fuel prices could also damage industry margins. Z Energy is expected to issue an operational update over the next week or two. | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12191802 |
Was The Facebook "10 Year Challenge" A Way To Mine Data For Facial Recognition AI? | Last week a new Facebook challenge went viral asking users to post a photo from 10 years ago and one from today captioning how did aging effect you? Now being called the 10-Year Challenge. Over 5.2 million, including many celebrities, participating in this challenge. It follows closely after the Bird Box Challenge and the Top Nine Photos of the Year Challenge but this one has caused quite a stir and some concern from users. Speculation arose about the motive behind this viral challenge and had users questioning if this was a ploy by Facebook to use for facial recognition data. Kate ONeill, a writer for Wired, wrote an op-ed exploring the possibility that this was more than just a fun challenge to share with friends. Imagine that you wanted to train a facial recognition algorithm on age-related characteristics and, more specifically, on age progression (e.g., how people are likely to look as they get older). Ideally, you'd want a broad and rigorous dataset with lots of people's pictures. It would help if you knew they were taken a fixed number of years apartsay, 10 years, said ONeill. However, many people have argued that Facebook already has access to these photos since the challenge often asked people to share their first profile picture to their current. ONeill argued that people dont always upload in chronological order and many people have profile pictures other than themselves like cartoons, family members, animals, political statements, etc. This challenge gives Facebook the opportunity to have a clean version of who you are by the context you add such as telling your age in the photo, year or other given information that you share in the post. According to NYU Professor Amy Webb, this photo challenge is a perfect storm for machine learning. Webb is currently working on an upcoming book on how AI can manipulate humans. Facebook insists that they were not involved in the start of this challenge and had no benefit from it going viral. "This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook," the company said. "Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time." However, with 2.2 billion users uploading hundreds of millions of photos a day, its not to say that the algorithm for facial recognition will not benefit from a challenge like this adding more to their already robust database of faces. Facebook has been working with facial recognition technology for the past few years with things like tagging photos and now recognizing photos you may be tagged in, even if you are not connected with the person who posted the photo on the social platform. So even if you do turn it off, your face still lives somewhere in the platform. "You can delete cookies. You can change browsers. And you can leave your smartphone at home," says facial recognition expert Alvaro Bedoya, executive director of Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology. "But you can't delete your face, and you cant leave it at home." While the most likely scenario for Facebook to use this technology is for targeted advertising and personalized experiences, since this is where their profit comes from, the concern is with how it could be used outside Facebook if they were to sell or share this technology. Facebook currently says that it has no plans to make peoples facial recognition data available outside of the platform, there is no law stopping them if they want to and therefore they can change their minds at any time. This is not an unlikely case since both Amazon and Google have been caught sharing their technology. Google photos use their technology to recognize not just people in the photos but can categorize by objects in a photo. For instance, if you search car in your photos it will bring up every image in your library that the algorithm recognized as having a car, even in the background. Google recently faced a lawsuit for scanning and saving the biometric data of a woman who was unwittingly captured in 11 photos taken by a Google photos user on their Android phone. The lawsuit was dismissed by the claim that the plaintiff didnt suffer concrete injuries but it raised concerns about privacy when there are camera phones everywhere now. Imagine being able to find the person who was in the background of your 2004 vacation photos at the beach in a matter of seconds online. Amazon took some heat from The American Civil Liberties Union for selling facial recognition technology to the government, specifically law enforcement agencies, such as police departments in Orlando and Washington County, Oregon. She mentions how this could be a major concern for the privacy of citizens. The police could use the technology not only to track people who are suspected of having committed crimes, but also people who are not committing crimes, such as protesters and others whom the police deem a nuisance, said ONeill. Many people dont realize how their face can be connected to the rest of their available information just like an instant background check, except more accurate. A recent study said that an average American citizen is on a camera an average of 75 times per day and each day the number grows of those that have facial recognition technology. While this benefits crime prevention and can keep people safe, it is an eerie statistic. Retailers are now using the information to identify convicted shoplifters and alert loss prevention agents in just under a second. While this can help prevent loss for companies, this creates a major concern of targeting innocent shoppers and invading the privacy of those shoppers. There are some great use cases to defend the technology. The technology gives social media the opportunity to recognize trans people who have transitioned over the last 10 years and may not be recognized in the facial recognition technology from previous photos. Recently, Uber had an issue where a transgender Uber driver in Iowa had to travel two hours because the apps facial recognition was unable to identify her identity. This technology could help prevent this from happening again. Another best-case scenario, as ONeill points out, is the ability to find missing kids who have aged. Just last year, police in New Delhi tracked down 3,000 missing kids in four days using the facial recognition technology. However, this raises the question of how young we should be doing facial recognition and where is the line between children and adults being tracked with this technology. So individually, all of these facial recognition technologies are innovative and great for certain reasons. However, when combined they can become a dangerous tool for hackers and tracking. Many of us provide more information than we even know to our social media and dont question where that information is going or how its being used. But with all the data breaches and questionable choices from Facebook recently, it is probably a good idea to question these technologies. Especially since there is very little that is public about how this technology is being used and no federal laws governing the use of it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/01/17/was-the-facebook-10-year-challenge-a-way-to-mine-data-for-facial-recognition-ai/ |
What's The Outlook Like For Transocean In 2019? | The last few years have proved challenging for offshore drilling major Transocean, which saw its day rates and contracting activity post significant declines. While things are likely to look up for the company over 2019, driven by a large number of planned offshore projects, the recent decline in oil prices and a continued oversupply of deepwater rigs could still prove a challenge. In this note, we take a brief look at what lies ahead for Transocean and the broader deepwater market in 2019. We have also created an interactive dashboard analysis on the expected outlook for Transocean, which you can use to arrive at your own revenue and EPS estimates for Transocean. Offshore Activity Is Expected To Pick Up This Year Big oil companies are likely to approve about 110 offshore projects this year, up from 96 projects in 2018 and 43 projects in 2016, according to Rystad Energy. While this is likely to increase demand for drilling rigs and drillships over the year, the market is still meaningfully oversupplied, with Wood Mackenzie analysts estimating that about 30% of deepwater rigs could remain idled this year. That said, Transocean should be well-poised to take advantage of the growing activity, as it has been upgrading its fleet, by scrapping older, less sophisticated rigs while taking advantage of the depressed market to acquire newer rigs. In September 2018, the company announced an agreement to acquire Ocean Rig in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $2.7 billion. Ocean Rig has a fleet of 11 high-spec ultra-deepwater drillships (two of which are currently under construction) and two harsh environment semi-submersibles, which are currently much sought-after. Ocean Rigs modern fleet, and its presence in important offshore markets including Brazil, West Africa, and Norway, could allow Transocean to better take advantage of an upturn in the market. Transoceans Dayrates And Utilization Could Improve While Transoceans day rates have taken a beating in recent years (Q3 ultra-deepwater rates declined to $341k from $449k in the year-ago period) the company noted that rates for ultra-deepwater drillships were likely to increase through 2019 and 2020. Contracting activity has also been picking up. In December, the company contracted a newbuild drillship to Chevron for five years in the Gulf of Mexico starting in the second half of 2021, adding a contract backlog of about $830 million. Current Decline In Crude Oil Prices Crude oil prices have declined by close to 40% over Q4 2018, driven by stronger supply and concerns of an economic downturn. However, its possible that prices could recover in the medium term amid potential production cuts by OPEC, Russia and several other producers early this year as well as weaker-than-expected production from existing shale wells in the United States. Moreover, as offshore and deepwater projects have long lifecycles, operators could push forward with investments to bolster their capacity over the long run after multiple years of subdued investments. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/17/whats-the-outlook-like-for-transocean-in-2019/ |
Will US shutdown delay Honolulu police corruption trial? | HONOLULU (AP) - The partial U.S. government shutdown is affecting an upcoming trial on corruption-related charges against a now-retired Honolulu police chief and his former deputy prosecutor wife. Katherine Kealohas attorney is asking to postpone the trial scheduled for March. A judge appointed separate taxpayer-funded attorneys for Katherine and Louis Kealoha after determining they couldnt afford a defense team against allegations including orchestrating the framing of an uncle for stealing their home mailbox in an attempt to discredit him in a family, financial dispute. Attorney Cynthia Kagiwada says shes not being paid during the shutdown, now in its fourth week, depriving her client of adequate trial preparation. Louis Kealohas attorney, Rustam Barbee, says hes also not being paid. He says hell wait to see what happens with the shutdown before also seeking postponement. Copyright 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/17/will-us-shutdown-delay-honolulu-police-corruption-/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Front-TheWashingtonTimesAmericasNewspaper+%28Front+Page+-+The+Washington+Times%29 |
Will 49ers make a play for Antonio Brown? | 49ers players are flirting openly with Antonio Brown. One of the best players in franchise (and league) history has said that Brown wants to play for the 49ers. Scroll to continue with content Ad Theres a belief in league circles that the 49ers have real interest in Brown. With Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. apparently not available this year (he was kind of possibly maybe available in March 2018), the 49ers will be inclined to explore whether they can get Brown. The contract remains a desirable one, at just under $39 million over the next three years, assuming Brown doesnt want to go back to the trough after making $33 million over the past two years. And the 49ers seem to be desperate to load up the cannon and compete with the Rams and Seahawks. With a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon and an emerging star in George Kittle, the 49ers could become immediate contenders if they have Brown on board. Of course, hed have to be fully and truly on board, committed to avoiding whatever behaviors created problems for him in Pittsburgh, whether real, imagined, or some combination of the two. Of course, the 49ers may have competition for Browns services. The Steelers surely hope thats the case, since holding an auction for Brown will be the best way for the Steelers to get the most for his contract. | https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-play-antonio-brown-015322990.html?src=rss |
Will Delivery Sales Constitute A New Source Of Revenue For McDonald's By 2021? | McDonalds (NYSE:MCD) reported a strong quarter Q3 beating consensus expectations, with revenues at $5.37 billion and earnings at $2.10 per share. Global comparable sales increased by 4.2%. The companys long-term goal is for 95% of McDonalds restaurants to be owned by franchisees and this is expected to be completed by the year 2021. This strategy has helped the company cut costs and thus improve margins, and consequently, their earnings. The company is expected to continue its strong performance for the 4th Quarter and finish the year strongly. Delivery is touted to have a huge potential in increasing revenue in the medium and long term for McDonalds. As of now the company has approximately 11,500 (out of 37,800+) restaurants which are capable of Delivery. This number stands at about 30% of Total restaurants. The Delivery sales revenue from these restaurants is 10% of its Total revenue. Thus, Delivery Sales revenue to Total Revenue is a mere 3%. where we estimate the overall revenue for McDonalds and how much of the same can be contributed by Delivery Sales. You can modify our assumptions to see the impact any changes would have on the Total Revenue, segment-wise revenue and Delivery Revenue. We estimate Delivery Sales to reach about 8.6% of Total Revenue as of 2021. This is on the back of the assumption that Delivery will be available in about 50% of the Total stores and it will contribute nearly 17% of the Revenue from that store. Thus, according to our estimates, Delivery Sales would be contributing approximately 9% of overall revenue by 2021. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/17/will-delivery-sales-constitute-a-new-source-of-revenue-for-mcdonalds-by-2021/ |
Can Cadillac ever get its groove back? | DETROITFor many Americans, Cadillac is an adjective used to describe something luxurious. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, GM introduced a new three-row Cadillac crossover called the XT6. It comes as the automaker discontinues two sedans, the Cadillac ATS and CTS, hoping to capitalize on a preference for SUVs over cars in todays luxury market. The latest road map calls for scrapping struggling cars, investing in electric vehicles, introducing new body styles, redoing ads and moving the brands headquarters. Despite Cadillacs aura of refinement, the General Motors premium brand has been losing customers for the last several years and now its embarking on yet another turnaround plan. Cadillac must remake its image in the eyes of shoppers who arent even considering the brand right now despite better-than-ever products, analysts say. Steve Carlisle, Cadillacs new global president, said the comeback must start with an honest assessment of the brands missteps. Measured in total U.S. sales, the brand lags luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Tesla and Acura, according to Kelley Blue Book. Cadillac sold 154,702 vehicles in the U.S. in 2018, trailing luxury leader Mercedes 354,144 and just ahead of Nissan luxury brand Infinitis 149,280. If you look back over the long history of Cadillac, which I have 116 years of it where weve done best, where weve thrived, is when were leading, Carlisle said. We stepped away from that for a long time. Sales slump Cadillac began to end a quarter-century drought in appeal around the turn of the 21st Century, Carlisle said. Vehicles like the ATS and CTS won acclaim from critics in the last decade. But it hasnt paid off in the form of U.S. momentum. In China, the brand has flourished, leading Cadillac to its best global sales ever in 2018. But in the U.S., sales fell about 15 per cent from 2013 to 2018 despite a 10-percent increase in overall industry sales. GM CEO Mary Barra ousted Carlisles predecessor, Johan de Nysschen, in April after his turnaround plan didnt generate enough results during his four-year tenure. The de Nysschen plan included moving Cadillac from metro Detroit to New York City, marketing Cadillacs to urban coastal customers, and adopting a letters-and-numbers naming strategy used in German luxury brands. The problem is Cadillac doesnt need to be a German luxury brand. It needs to be an American luxury brand, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at Portico Analytics. They have great products in the showroom, but the marketing was completely unrelaxable and failed to break through. For example, she said, advertising images of Cadillacs in New York Citys tony Greenwich Village were out of step with the brands core customers. After replacing de Nysschen, Carlisle pivoted quickly to move the brand back to metro Detroit to be closer to engineers and decision-makers, and to begin overhauling the marketing strategy. Cadillac must find ways to appeal to people who have false impressions of who we are and people who dont know us at all, including millennials, Carlisle said. The brand has the features of industry-leading luxury vehicles, but many people dont know it, he said. Cadillac will focus on new technology and new models that fill gaps in the lineup, he said. It will deliver a remade or new vehicle every six months through 2021. That includes the XT6, which is smaller than the hulking Escalade SUV but larger than the XT5. It will also include a redesigned Escalade at some point soon, GM President Mark Reuss hinted last week. They need more SUVs, said Stephanie Brinley, auto analyst at IHS Markit. Theyre adding the right products, but theyre adding them a few years too late in the sense that several other automakers have already done that. The future Next up: Cadillac will become GMs lead electric vehicle brand, Barra told investors last week. Its too early to tell how that plan will shape up. But Carlisle said its likely to involve advanced self-driving capability in vehicles available for sale at dealerships, not ride-sharing networks. That continues a trend of GM debuting its most advanced technology in Cadillacs. GM picked Cadillac for its recent introduction of automated highway driving technology called Super Cruise, which has impressed critics with its high-tech functionality and safety features. Enthusiast site Autoblog named Super Cruise its 2019 Technology of the Year. The system steers, brakes and accelerates on its own in highway driving, and keeps a camera trained on the drivers eyes to alert them if they become sleepy while relying on the autonomous technology. Luxury rival Lincoln, which is owned by Ford, has already revived the Lincoln Aviator SUV, for example. And Lincoln has gained ground on Cadillac in the sales race. Past vehicles waiting to be dusted off could include the Cadillac Eldorado or the Cadillac Fleetwood. Carlisle said hes very open-minded about resurrecting the brands historical names. But I think weve got to be really good custodians of where we apply those names, he said. You dont want to just throw them out there. But he hinted that past could be prologue. Special cars or engines should have special names, he said. The question, however, is whether Cadillac itself remains special to car buyers. | https://www.thestar.com/business/2019/01/17/can-cadillac-ever-get-its-groove-back.html |
Which Character From The Office Should Cross Over to Steve Carell's Space Force? | Fans of The Office got great news earlier this week when it was announced that Steve Carell AKA Michael Scott from The Office is teaming up with the show's creators for a new workplace comedy. According to Netflix, which will bring this new comedy to life, Carell will work with executive producers Greg Daniels and Howard Klein once again for the new show, Space Force. The show won't be about a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but it will be about the employees tasked with creating a sixth branch of the armed services called The Space Force. It loosely stems from the idea that President Donald Trump discussed back in summer of 2018, about having a team responsible for protecting us in space/from things in space, but it will be totally fictional and with The Office team at the helm, totally funny. Even though Space Force isn't The Office reboot fans have been wanting, and the characters from the show don't exactly make sense in this new comedy world, it doesn't mean we can't dream about seeing a few characters crossover to the Netflix comedy someday. | https://www.eonline.com/news/1006110/which-character-from-the-office-should-cross-over-to-steve-carell-s-space-force?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories |
Which high schools received penalties for OHSAA infractions this month? | CLOSE The Enquirer preps writers Shelby Dermer and Jon Richardson discuss the AP boys basketball second statewide poll and how they voted. Melanie Laughman, [email protected] Following the Jan. 17 board meeting, the Ohio High School Athletic Association issued penalties for 27 schools recently committing infractions. The OHSAA imposed the following penalties against Greater Cincinnati schools that violated OHSAA bylaws or sports regulations: Purcell Marian High School had a student-athlete in varsity football violate Bylaw 4-4-1, Scholarship. However, the student met Exception 3 to the Bylaw (Incomplete restored to passing grade) but the school permitted the student to participate prior to receiving an eligibility ruling from the Executive Directors Office. The OHSAA has restored eligibility for the student retroactively but, in accordance with Bylaw 4-1-1, Administrative Error, the school has been fined $100. Princeton High School violated Bylaw 4-9-2, Recruiting, when a boys assistant track and field coach engaged in impermissible activity designed to influence a student to transfer to Princeton High School. In accordance with Bylaw 4-9-7 and Bylaw 11, Penalties, the Executive Directors Office issued the following sanctions: 1) Princeton shall submit an action plan that outlines the education that will be provided to all coaches regarding Bylaw 4-9, Recruiting. 2) Princeton athletic administrator(s) shall attend the OHSAA New Administrators Seminar which is held in early August 2019. 3) Princeton is publicly reprimanded for lack of administrative responsibility in this matter. 4) Should Princeton HS decide to ultimately renew the coach for the 2019 season, Princeton is required to notify the OHSAA office of this decision and, while he is permitted to coach during the regular season, the coach be denied the opportunity to coach Princeton in the 2019 OHSAA tournament. Buy Photo Fans sit at the top of the high school stadium as the sun sets before their team's game last September. (Photo: Tony Tribble for the Enquirer) Aiken High School had a student-athlete in freshman boys basketball violate Bylaw 4-3-1 Enrollment and Attendance, during the 2017-18 season. In accordance with Bylaw 10-2-1, Forfeitures, the school must forfeit the seven victorious contests in which the ineligible student participated. River View East and Woodward High School each had a student-athlete who was reassigned by the district as a result of a specific change of academic program and was eligible to qualify for full eligibility under Bylaw 4-7-6, Intradistrict Transfer. However, the district failed to submit the requests for eligibility to the Executive Directors Office within the first 15 school days of the school year, as stipulated in the Bylaw. The OHSAA has restored eligibility for the students retroactively and prospectively but, in accordance with Bylaw 4-1-1, Administrative Error, the district has been fined $100. River View East High School had a student-athlete who was reassigned by the district as a result of a specific change of academic program and was eligible to qualify for full eligibility under Bylaw 4-7-6, Intradistrict Transfer. However, the district failed to submit the request for eligibility to the Executive Directors Office within the first 15 school days of the school year, as stipulated in the Bylaw. The OHSAA has restored eligibility for the student retroactively and prospectively but, in accordance with Bylaw 4-1-1, Administrative Error, the district has been fined $100. The OHSAA reported that 103 schools violated numerous sport regulations during the 2019 fall sports season. These violations resulted in $8,520 in fines. According to the OHSAA, 34 schools violated General Sports Regulation 3, Mandatory Requirement for Rating/Voting for Tournament Officials; three (3) schools violated General Sports Regulation 5, Penalties for Failure to Conduct Pre-Season Meetings; 110 schools violated General Sports Regulation 6, OHSAA-Sponsored Tournaments Entry/Withdraw Procedures and Draw/Seed Meeting Dates; and 16 schools violated General Sports Regulation 16, Tournaments (Failure to Appear). | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/high-school-sports/2019/01/17/which-high-schools-received-penalties-ohsaa-infractions-month/2607070002/ |
Will DeMarcus Cousins fuel an NBA trend of rehabbing in the G League? | SANTA CRUZ, Calif. DeMarcus Cousins will debut on Friday at the center of the basketball universe, playing in front of a celebrity-sprinkled crowd in Los Angeles and a global television audience that still cant believe he signed last summer with the back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors. To prepare for this moment after missing nearly a year with a torn left Achilles tendon, the four-time all-star center traveled to a funky outpost on the central California coast whose downtown is dotted by surf shops, bong emporiums and wellness studios. There, he found the Kaiser Permanente Arena, a no-frills, 2,500-seat gym surrounded by the San Lorenzo River, an auto shop and a Walgreens. The arena was built in 2012 and, according to local lore, went up in just 78 days. Unlike the half-billion-dollar palaces of professional teams, it cost roughly $10 million and once housed a womens roller derby squad. For the past two and a half years, the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden States G League affiliate, have played to a packed house. Its a mini-Oracle Arena, said guard Damion Lee, who has logged time for both Golden State and Santa Cruz this year. Lees name is included on a banner near the buildings main entrance: Santa Cruz Warriors: NBA Call-Ups. The nondescript sign is a badge of honor for the minor-league franchise and a naked reminder to its players: The G League is intended to be a launchpad, not a destination. For the undrafted prospects and journeymen who live in a nearby hotel for the six-month season, the road to the NBA runs through here. In recent years, though, G League teams have increasingly hosted high-profile NBA players returning from injury such as Cousins, whose $18.1 million contract in 2017-18 was more than 500 times greater than the standard G League salary of $35,000. These rehab assignments are a marriage of convenience, pairing NBA players coming off injuries with pro-level competition that can mimic the speed and physicality of the big league without taxing actual NBA players during the middle of their season. This rise in rehab assignments is a helpful barometer for the G Leagues growth. Since its founding in 2001, the G League has expanded from eight teams to 27 teams, and formalized the relationships between NBA teams and their minor-league affiliates. Rather than sharing far-flung affiliates with other teams as they did in the past, most NBA teams now operate their own G League teams in one-to-one relationships. This trend has allowed NBA teams greater control over style of play on the court, sales and marketing off the court, and even the location of the franchises. Meanwhile, the NBA has expanded roster sizes and added new player designations, such as two-way contract players who can shuttle back and forth between the NBA and G League, to encourage greater investment in the minor-league product. The G League will expand to 28 teams in 2019-20 and expects to have 30 affiliates to match the 30 NBA franchises within the next 18 months. As the G League has added and relocated franchises, the convenience factor has sharply increased. The Santa Cruz Warriors, who relocated from North Dakota in 2012, are a prime example. Good luck. No problem. Proximity has mattered for other franchises, too. The Los Angeles Lakers assigned guard Rajon Rondo to their South Bay affiliate, which plays its home games at the teams El Segundo practice facility. The Chicago Bulls have placed Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker with their Windy City affiliate, which plays just 25 minutes from downtown. When the Los Angeles Clippers sent Blake Griffin to practice with their Agua Caliente affiliate last season, they hand-delivered the competition to their star by bringing in the G League players from Ontario, California, to practice at their Playa Vista training facility. According to data provided by the G League, the average distance between an NBA team and its G League affiliate this season is 142 miles down sharply from 452 miles in 2013-14. That geographical shift has led to a corresponding spike in rehab assignments, which have long been common practice for Major League Baseball teams and their farm clubs. From 2013-14 to 2016-17, an average of five NBA players per year were sent to their G League affiliates to aid in their recoveries. Over the past 18 months, 19 players have undertaken rehab assignments, including six all-stars. Rehab assignments are another value-add for the G League, said Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who began his tenure as G League president on Monday. You can use the G League to develop your young players and coaches, but you can also give players like Cousins the opportunity to get practice and game time. Weve seen Tony Parker and Brandon Knight do it, too. Location is one-half of the equation; commitment is the other. The Warriors have purposefully merged their NBA and G League operations whenever possible, utilizing similar strategies, play calls and terminology. Santa Cruz coach Aaron Miles joined the Warriors staff during the playoffs and training camp, Santa Cruzs strength coaches are in regular contact with their NBA counterparts, and the Warriors employ a coach who is dedicated to handling the franchises two-way contract players. The G League affiliate also mimics Golden States marketing approaches, utilizing the same blue and yellow color scheme and handing out the same bobbleheads and replica championship rings to Santa Cruz fans that the Warriors dispense at Oracle Arena. This comprehensive organizational synergy, as Santa Cruz President Chris Murphy termed it, has enabled Santa Cruz to operate at a profit and cultivate 1,200 season ticket holders. It also perfectly set the table for Cousins rehab stint, which occurred over three sessions in December during a quieter stretch of Santa Cruzs schedule. Up at Golden State, DeMarcus was doing a lot of two-on-two stuff, Miles said. [Warriors coach] Steve Kerr told me he wanted DeMarcus to get up and down. Golden State practices, but they dont do a lot of scrimmaging, its more fine details. We wanted to give Cousins what he needed. It was big for him to just play because its been a year or so since he was in an NBA game. Cousins, who tore his Achilles tendon in January 2018 as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, went through full-court, five-on-five scrimmages that featured elongated halves to test his conditioning. The Warriors sent down Rick Celebrini, their director of sports medicine, to monitor his performance and members of their digital team to capture highlights for their website. Because Golden State tapes and analyzes all of Santa Cruzs practices and games using the PlaySight and Second Spectrum video services, Kerrs management had complete and immediate access to Cousins workouts. While its tempting to picture Cousins barnstorming through Santa Cruz, laying waste to the overmatched competition in front of gawking crowds, thats not what happened. Instead, he teased his younger brother, Jaleel, a 6-10 center for Santa Cruz, and impressed his temporary teammates with his passing skills and outside shooting. The practices occurred in a near-empty gym and received little media attention. It was business as usual, Murphy said. We could have sold hundreds of tickets to the practice, but it was pretty cool to have a player of his caliber have a very comfortable experience. Many of the players knew Cousins from Warriors training camp, which lightened the mood and made his appearance feel routine. It wasnt like our team is a bunch of high school kids in awe, Jaleel Cousins said. Santa Cruz is a professional setting, and this was a professional thing. DeMarcus was trash-talking, trying to motivate guys. Like with your friends playing backyard ball, you talk (expletive). He said, D-up. You cant guard me. Miles and his players saw Cousins moving easily as he began to work his way back into game shape. He tested his leg in various situations: setting screens, rolling to the hoop, popping to the three-point line and pivoting through traffic. Miles eyes lit up as he described how Kerr can use Cousins: by running split cuts off the big man to utilize his passing skills, and by dumping it to him in the post to set up an inside-out game for the Warriors shooters. When Santa Cruz huddled after practice, Cousins addressed the team, praising their collective talent and offering encouragement. He said to keep grinding and he thanked everybody for playing five-on-five and doing extra for him, Jaleel Cousins said. His message was, You guys could have said that you have a game coming up and you wanted to focus on yourselves, but I appreciate you allowing me to join you and helping me to get back to where I was. Although the Warriors elected not to assign Cousins to play in a G League game, his Santa Cruz teammates still dreamed about the possibility. Guard Kendrick Nunn laughed at the idea of Cousins intimidating G League opponents, while forward Kevin Young imagined Miles force-feeding Cousins for crazy numbers. To Abdur-Rahim, the concept is no joke. After all, New York Knicks guard Courtney Lee logged 32 minutes in a December game with their Westchester affiliate while on a rehab assignment, another sign that minor-league stigma is fading. I can absolutely see NBA players playing in G League games becoming a trend, said Abdur-Rahim. It takes just one star who wants to play and get his rhythm. Then it would turn commonplace. The structure and the resources support it right now. Without question, Cousins return represents one of the key mileposts of the 2018-19 season. Kerr plans to start him at center, giving Golden State a starting five composed entirely of all-stars from a season ago (the last team with such a luxury was the 1975-76 Boston Celtics). If Cousins fits in and looks healthy, the Warriors are overwhelming favorites to claim their third straight title. If there are bumps or setbacks, the mercurial Cousins known for his arguments with officials and occasional emotional outbursts will become a lightning rod. Santa Cruzs players noted that Cousins wont need to carry as heavy of a burden with the Warriors as he shouldered with the Sacramento Kings and Pelicans earlier in his career. Lee said that Cousins repeated trips to Santa Cruz showed how humble of a person he is, and Miles spoke positively of Cousins demeanor and leadership during his visits. Jaleel Cousins said his brother is in a good place mentally because the Warriors have given him a lot of downtime during his rehabilitation and because his comeback represents a chance to rewrite his reputation. Hes mingled with the team and meshed with them perfectly, Jaleel said. Hes not the monster everybody tries to make him out to be. The Santa Cruz Warriors, like the rest of the basketball world, will be tuning into Cousins first game, but only after they try to beat the Salt Lake City Stars in front of their 68th straight home sellout. Ive played in Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Iceland, Young mused. In Argentina, we had seven fans in the stands at one game. Some places, basketball isnt everything. Here, its like a family and we try to mimic the Warriors organization in every way. We all want each other to succeed. | https://www.denverpost.com/2019/01/17/demarcus-cousins-g-league-rehab/ |
Is It Time to Stock Up on Hudson Shares? | Following a February 2018 initial public offering, shares of North American airport retailer Hudson (NYSE: HUD) experienced mild appreciation, then succumbed to the general stock market malaise in the back half of the year. The stock finished down roughly 10% in 2018. However, while the overall market environment for equities has stabilized slightly in early 2019, the selling in Hudson shares has accelerated: HUD Chart More HUD data by YCharts. The catalyst behind Hudson's continued price decline is a press release issued on Jan. 14, which contained preliminary fourth-quarter 2018 sales results. Penciled-in numbers revealed 4.5% year-over-year revenue growth to nearly $460 million. Organic revenue (i.e., reported revenue adjusted for currency effects and the effects of acquisitions and dispositions) advanced 4.6% against the prior-year quarter. The fourth-quarter numbers place Hudson's full-year top-line expansion at 6.9% against 2017, to $1.89 billion. Organic revenue growth improved by 7.1% against the prior year. These numbers proved problematic for investors, as growth had already exhibited signs of curtailment in the third quarter. While a quarterly organic top-line improvement of nearly 5% is credible performance for a retailer in the current economic climate, it's below Hudson's long-term growth trajectory. As I discussed in September, Hudson averaged annual organic growth of 9.4% in the eight years before it went public. The company's financial framework going forward also assumes vigorous top-line improvement, as seen in this slide from an investor presentation released earlier this week: Graphic depicting target revenue and earnings growth rates for Hudson Ltd. More Image source: Hudson investor presentation dated Jan. 15, 2019. In order to achieve long-term net income growth in the high teens, Hudson is relying on "high single-digit" annual organic sales expansion. Most investors likely interpret this number to be in the ballpark of 9%, which Hudson has hit yearly for the better part of the last decade, hence the unsavory reaction to a report hinting at more tepid near-term growth. The selling in Hudson stock has probably also intensified because of the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. The impasse in Congress has created the longest shutdown in U.S. history, and increasingly long security-screening lines in U.S. airports due to reduced Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) personnel are a visible manifestation of the potentially chilling effect on commerce. | https://news.yahoo.com/time-stock-hudson-shares-204500761.html |
Is there a way forward from Brexit? | Brexit is hard to take your eyes off, and not just in a slo-mo train wreck way. The issues are difficult, and the more you try to position yourself, I find, the spikier they get like sliding puzzles that taunt you after every clever move you make. Or its like a game between two teams neither of which is yours; so you can recline and enjoy the spectacle with no direct stake. Ive liked watching the U.K. House of Commons debate. Everyone tries to be eloquent and witty, and some succeed. A combination of video grabs from footage broadcast by the U.K. Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow speaking in the House of Commons regarding the selection for a vote of an ammendment to the Brexit withdrawl bill in London last week. ( AFP/GETTY IMAGES ) Their speaker, John Bercow, is clearly having the best time of his life. At the grimmest, tensest moments, theyre still expected to banter. They sit on upholstered benches (ah, so thats where backbenchers comes from), cheek to cheek as it were, without desks or space to hold their papers and laptops. It echoes a distant, largely oral era when Parliament began. Its a form of Elizabethan theatre. But I digress, for a reason: Im still unsure where I stand on Brexit. That was so in 2016 during the leave/remain referendum. The EU had become a torture device for imposing neo-liberalism and austerity, especially on little guys like Greece, so it has been agreeable seeing smug peckers like Macron discomfited. Article Continued Below But the EU wasnt always that way; it began with a noble desire to avoid further carnage between European nations. And Ive never known why leftists like Jeremy Corbyn think theyd be the only ones to capitalize on getting out, when the movement to leave was actually led by reactionary buffoons like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. I feel comparably conflicted over whether they should now hold a second referendum or peoples vote, as if the first one involved aliens. PM Theresa May says it would betray democracy. I sympathize. Its also the only area where she and Corbyn may converge. So one side or the other is going to feel stiffed democratically. Plus, theres been little movement in the polls, though passions have intensified all around. How nice it would be to find some ground to move forward on distinct from whos right and wrong. I think this was the stunning achievement of Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper this week. He started from somewhere else. He probably belongs to the right-thinking folk who want to remain in the EU so he posited a useful distinction re the Leave side: between equality leavers like Corbyn who are fixed on finding space to break free of neo-liberalism, and Little England leavers, who are nostalgic for empire and the days when everyone was white. This parallels Trump voters in the U.S. rust belt, whod seen their worlds shattered by free trade, versus racist Trump voters who want to restore Confederate dollars. Then Kuper turned to Nelson Mandela for inspiration. Mandela hated apartheid, spent decades in prison for it, and his mission was to destroy it. But he scrupulously treated his enemies with respect because they were human. He let them know he knew they had minds. They werent just stupid racists, with the emphasis on stupid. In other words, faced with irresoluble political conflict, find some way that allows winners and losers to coexist, no matter who wins. Let me gloss Kuper by saying that Mandela, as Trevor Noah likes to note (and mimic) prefaced his strongest statements with, Ah buh-leev, which is also a form of respect since it acknowledges that however fiercely you hold your view, you know its yours, could be wrong, and others have theirs. Article Continued Below Kupers column amounts to a tipsheet on how to do politics in a populist era. I should add that in his real life Kuper is basically a sports journalist, so he doesnt have to be obnoxiously authoritative as he opinionates on Brexit. It gives him room to meander around and manoeuvre onto previously unoccupied terrains. Good luck to him, hes my new favourite Brit journo. Rick Salutin is a freelance columnist and commentator for the Star about all things current affairs and politics. He is based in Toronto. Reach him on email: [email protected] | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/01/17/is-there-a-way-forward-from-brexit.html |
How Strong Is The Islamic State In Syria? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Delil Souleiman /AFP/Getty Images Delil Souleiman /AFP/Getty Images The Islamic State has jumped back into the headlines by claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed four Americans and more than a dozen civilians at a restaurant in northern Syria. The attack in the city of Manbij on Wednesday came less than a month after President Trump declared ISIS had been defeated and that it was time to bring U.S. troops home from Syria. Many military analysts, and even fellow Republicans, have pushed back against the president's claim that ISIS is a spent force. "I strongly urge the president to forcefully respond [to Wednesday's bombing] and ensure we do not withdraw our troops until ISIS is completely destroyed," said Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The attack raised a host of questions about the future of ISIS, the U.S. withdrawal and the wider war in Syria. ISIS has lost the caliphate, or Islamic State, and almost all the territory it controlled in Syria (and Iraq) at its peak in 2014. However, many fighters are still believed to be in Syria; they've just gone underground. Many are citizens of Syria and have nowhere else to go. In addition, relatively few foreign ISIS fighters have tried to return to their home countries elsewhere in the Middle East or in the West. The Pentagon and others have estimated ISIS may still have 20,000 to 30,000 members in Syria and Iraq combined. For these reasons, many analysts believe ISIS retains the potential to mount a comeback, particularly as a guerrilla force waging small-scale attacks. The president has often boasted that he would hit hard at ISIS, and the U.S. military did step up the bombing campaign he inherited from President Barack Obama. But Trump has also stressed repeatedly that he doesn't want the U.S. to be the world's policeman and that he intends to bring home U.S. troops. The U.S. force in Syria (around 2,000) is smaller than the ones in Iraq (about 5,000) and Afghanistan (about 14,000). The president has not clearly articulated why he wants to pull out of Syria at a time when most of his own advisers appear to favor a more gradual approach. Trump's Dec. 19 announcement on Syria caught nearly everyone by surprise, and caused allies and rivals alike to scramble to figure out how quickly a withdrawal will happen and what it means for those still fighting in Syria. Wednesday's attack showed ISIS could still strike in a place the U.S. and its Kurdish partners felt was under control. The U.S. and the Kurds drove ISIS out of the city in 2016, and its been seen as a relative success since then. Manbij is small, with about 100,000 residents, but has had outsize importance because of its location. Turkey keeps a close eye on the city, which is just 20 miles south of its border. The Syrian government army and its allies are also nearby, and are always looking to reclaim territory the government held before the war erupted. Many analysts point to three things. First, a military defeat that would drive ISIS from its last remaining pockets of territory in Syria's far east. U.S. commanders say they've been making progress but will likely need a couple more months. Second, Syria needs a political settlement that ends the wider war and resolves questions about who will govern the country. The Kurds now hold the former ISIS stronghold in the northeast, but Syrian President Bashar Assad wants it back. At present, there's no prospect for an end to the war. The third big challenge is to effectively end the appeal of ISIS's extremist ideology so that it can no longer keep attracting recruits and resources. The circumstances aren't identical, but there are similarities. Obama removed U.S. forces from neighboring Iraq at the end of 2011, a time when the Iraqi government seemed to have a relatively firm control on the country. But ISIS emerged a couple years later, rapidly seizing swathes of northeastern Syria and northern Iraq. With reluctance, Obama launched the U.S. bombing campaign against ISIS in 2014. The concern is that the U.S. is again pulling out before a radical group has been fully defeated, and that ISIS could regroup. "I saw this in Iraq. And I'm now seeing it in Syria," said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. | https://www.npr.org/2019/01/17/686207495/how-strong-is-the-islamic-state-in-syria?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr |
What Jared Goff learned from Drew Brees, and will it matter with a Super Bowl spot on the line? | THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. When Drew Brees came into the NFL, he had a 39-year-old quarterback in Doug Flutie giving him advice. Back then, Brees was a rookie backup quarterback on the San Diego Chargers whose first NFL start didnt come until his second season. By then, Brees had soaked up all he could from Flutie, whose unselfishness helped Brees learn about being a professional athlete. The next year, Brees became the starter with Flutie as the backup. I always appreciated that, Brees said about his talks with Flutie. I always felt like it made a difference, and I always told myself at the time that hopefully I can play long enough to where there are guys that start asking advice rom me. I want to make sure that I pay it forward just like those guys did with me. One recent opportunity came last January in Orlando, Fla., where a then-39-year-old Brees spent time with Rams quarterback Jared Goff, then 23, while at the Pro Bowl together. Much like how Flutie once told Brees hed be competing with him for a starting position, Goff now is in competition with Brees and the New Orleans Saints for a spot in the Super Bowl. You see just how professional he is and why hes been doing it at such a high level for so long," Goff said. "I think hes not necessarily prototypical with size, speed, strength and all that, but what he has is his professionalism and the way he approaches the game. I have so much respect for him and was able to be around him at that Pro Bowl and pick up a little bit from him. The 6-foot-4 Goff is a third-year starting quarterback whose best play has come in the two seasons with Sean McVay as his coach. His 64.9 completion percentage, 4,688 passing yards and 32 touchdowns passes in 2018 all are career highs. I wasnt going to pry too deeply, Goff said about the questions asked of Brees. But Id ask him a few questions as far as his warm-up and things he does throughout the week. Little things here and there that he was helpful with. New Orleans Saints protect routine, keep locker room pastimes during playoff run One common thread between the two has been their work with Tom House, a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher whose work with quarterbacks began with Brees after his shoulder injury during his final game with the Chargers in the 2005 finale. Theres a lot of physical stuff that puts me in a routine that I learned from (House) that Im sure Drew learned, Goff said. A lot of stuff physically, as far as the warm-up goes which can probably translate to the mental side of it, just getting confident and prepared and ready to play. At this point, being prepared means something different to Goff than it does for Brees. For Brees, the playoff game Sunday will be the 15th of his career and his seventh postseason game inside the Dome, where theyre undefeated with Sean Payton as coach and Brees as quarterback. Goff has never played a postseason game on the road. His Rams lost a in the wild-card round at home to the Falcons in 2017. Last week, they beat the Cowboys at home in the divisional round. Crowd noise will be a challenge. The Rams will go into the game knowing theyll need to rely more on hand signals, or visual communication, as Goff called it. You cant get things changed much at the line of scrimmage, Goff said. So, in the huddle, just making sure everyone is on the screws and knows what theyre doing. The visit to New Orleans will be the third since August for the Rams. Nearly all the teams starters remained on the sideline for the preseason finale in August, before the Rams returned in Week 9 to have their undefeated start stopped at 8-0 in a game the Saints won 45-35. The Rams were scheduled to practice Thursday at an outdoor field in misty, overcast conditions with four loudspeakers lining the field. Not the most authentic replication of what the Rams will face in the Dome, but something different from the usual setting. From afar, Brees has plenty of admiration for Goff. Hes just tremendous, Brees said. Theres not many guys that are just better pure passers, throwers. You watch what they do with their offense, theres a lot of moving parts and I think he handles it very well. With Goff, he sees a bright future. The preference, of course, is that the brigestest moments occur sometime after Sunday. Brees, after all, is now 40. It's Gumbo week, and Marcus Peters has turned into a crawfish | https://www.nola.com/saints/2019/01/what-jared-goff-learned-from-drew-brees-and-will-it-matter-with-a-super-bowl-spot-on-the-line.html |
Could insects be the new staple in our diet? | Due to increasing global demand for protein, insects may become a staple in our diet, but international researchers say we don't know enough about what might happen if we make this shift. As whole-roasted crickets gain traction as a protein-rich snack and restaurants experiment with mealworms on the menu, there's still "an overwhelming lack of knowledge" concerning the ecological sustainability of the emerging, multimillion-dollar insects-as-food industry, say researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. In an opinion article published January this week in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, they explore unanswered questions around insect rearing, safety, and environmental impacts but overall are optimistic that suppliers will rise to the challenge. "As the global demand for protein grows, insect mass-rearing can play an important role in the future of food," says first author Asa Berggren, a conservation biologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Advertisement "We know that we can't keep doing what we're doing in terms of producing food and utilising the land." While insects-as-food provides environmental sustainability potential due to their nutritional qualities and feed conversion ratios, Berggren and her colleagues, Anna Jansson and Matthew Low, note that there are many basic questions that need to be urgently researched before the industry grows to ensure sustainability. "Otherwise, we risk replacing one environmental issue with another," says Berggren. "Though the industry is in its infancy, some companies are getting bigger, and doing well, and the risks will come along with that." Of the several areas where research is needed, one of the more urgent ones deals with unwanted systems products. For example, we don't yet know the full impact of mass-rearing insects in countries where these species do not naturally occur. An escapee could wreak havoc on the ecosystem and be akin to what Berggren describes as a "climate catastrophe." Other areas include species and life history trade-offs, sustainable feed production, food safety, and ethics. But since the industry is so young, (Americans spent $55 million on edible insects in 2017), and it will take time to make insect-rich food attractive to a wider Western audience, the researchers believe there is still time to conduct proper research and shape environmental policy. "Insects have the potential to be a good, sustainable, useful food source, but it's not as simple as rearing them and then that's it," says Berggren. "There is a lot of effort that needs to be put in to research." | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12190544 |
Is the future of N.D.G.'s Wheel Club in jeopardy? | A Facebook post Wednesday suggested the N.D.G. club, home to Hillbilly Night country music sessions Monday nights, will soon be closing its doors. Not so fast, says Dick Hearn, who rents and operates the facility. Hearn says he is still hopeful a deal can be arranged with some interested parties to keep the club open. Deadline for a deal is the end of January. The Wheel Club on Cavendish Blvd. near Sherbrooke St., has hosted Hillbilly Night for the last 23 years. The Monday night gatherings were founded by Bob Fuller and Jeannie Arsenault more than half a century ago at the now-defunct Blue Angel on Drummond St. The jam sessions feature traditional country music and bluegrass performed by an eclectic array of musicians. On Monday, Jan. 21, Hillbilly Night will celebrate its 53rd anniversary at the club. Hearn expects to have a definitive answer next week as to the future of the club. Stay tuned. ALSO IN THE NEWS | https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/is-the-future-of-n-d-g-s-wheel-club-in-jeopardy |
Did former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts make the right choice transferring to Oklahoma? | Jalen Hurts has found a new home, transferring to Oklahoma to play for the Sooners. The former Alabama starter has a 26-2 record and led the Crimson Tide to two national championships. Many feel he made the right choice to transfer to a school where he can show off his talent and develop more. Others think he should have stayed at Alabama where the Tide are championship contenders every year. PERSPECTIVES Hurts has been the good teammate all season. Instead of pouting about losing his starting job, he stayed at Alabama and helped the Crimson Tide earn a berth in the College Football Playoff with an incredible relief performance in the SEC Championship. If anyone deserved to transfer to build their individual resume, it's Hurts. Before Tua Tagovailoa took over during the 2018 national championship game, Hurts earned a 26-2 record as a starter and showed improved touch on his passes. He has a chance to be a legitimate NFL quarterback prospect, but he needs more playing time in order to do that. He won't get that backing up Tagovailoa. He needed to transfer. Oklahoma isn't nearly has talented as Alabama and that was proven at the national semifinal game of the College Football Playoff. He will struggle and his draft stock will drop. Staying at Alabama would have afforded Hurts the best opportunity to improve. Quarterbacks like Matt Cassell have been drafted as a backup, and Cassell never had the accomplished resume Hurts has at Alabama. Plus, he's still a hero in Tuscaloosa where he upheld a standard of loyalty rarely seen in the sport today. He should have stayed in Alabama. 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/did_former_alabama_qb_jalen_hu.html |
Can Nancy Pelosi delay Trumps State of the Union address amid government shutdown? | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has asked President Donald Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, initially scheduled for 29 January, for as long as the partial government shutdown continues. In a letter she sent to the president on Wednesday, Ms Pelosi suggested that Mr Trump reschedules his address, deliver it from the Oval Office, or perhaps send it over in written form to Capitol Hill, citing that the government shutdown compromises security arrangements for the event. The government shutdown is reaching its 27th day, the longest federal closer in American history, impacting more than 800,000 federal employees, including some currently out of work, and others forced to work without pay. In the letter, dated on January 16, Ms Pelosi said that the partial government shutdown brings up security concerns for the State of the Union address. Traditionally, the event gathers senior officials from all three branches of government to Capitol HIll for the presidential address. Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th, Ms Pelosi wrote. The Constitution is pretty straightforwardIt states that the president can, from time to time give to the Congress information on the State of the Union. The founding document does not mention or require that the president to make a formal speech or a presidential address every year. Yes. In fact, a lot of presidents throughout the 19th century issued their State of the Union address in the form of a letter. Indeed President Woodrow Wilson, in 1913, resurrected the practice of delivering a formal speech to Congress, one that was started by George Washington and followed by John Adams. In order for the president to deliver a speech to Congress, they must receive an invitation, and a joint resolution must be passed by both the House and Senate. This process is typically considered a formality, but with nearly a month-long shutdown ongoing, it is being taken more seriously. Several weeks after Ms Pelosi invited Mr Trump to deliver his State of the Union address, Congress has yet to pass a resolution confirming the invitation. No. If Mr Trump, somehow, delivers his State of the Union address to Congress with all senior officials attending, he will be the first to do so. There were, however, other cases when the president delivered their formal presidential address during times of strain. For example, in 1998, former President Bill Clinton delivered his State of the Union address to the Republican-controlled Congress about one week after his affair with Monica Lewinsky was exposed. His following State of the Union address in 1999 occurred during the impeachment proceedings generated from the affair. | https://news.yahoo.com/nancy-pelosi-delay-trump-state-221912771.html |
Could Buckeye Partners Be a Millionaire-Maker Stock? | Last year was a brutal one for investors in Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL). The pipeline- and terminal-operating master limited partnership (MLP) nosedived 41.5% during 2018 as investors grew increasingly concerned about the company's finances. That forced Buckeye Partners to take drastic action to improve its financial profile. After plunging last year, Buckeye Partners could have significant bounce-back potential if it gets its finances back on solid ground and starts growing again. However, it will need to engineer a lot more than a turnaround to turn investors into millionaires. $100 bills on a flat surface. More Image Source: Getty Images. The math to $1 million It's mathematically possible to turn a small upfront investment into $1 million due to the wonders of compounding. For example, $1,000 invested in the S&P 500 should grow into $1 million in about 75 years, assuming the market continues to deliver an average annual return of 10% per year. Investors can speed up that path to $1 million by investing more money or choosing a higher-returning investment, as seen in the examples in the following table: Initial Investment Annualized Return Years to $1 Million $10,000 10% 48 $1,000 16.6% 45 $10,000 16.6% 30 Data source: Author's calculations. The lost decade Unfortunately, investors in Buckeye Partners haven't come close to even matching the market's return over the past 10 years, let alone outperforming. Overall, the company's units have managed to lose more than 10% of their value over the last decade -- though investors haven't performed that poorly since the company's high-yielding dividend over that time frame pushed its total return to more than 80%. However, that still has vastly underperformed the S&P 500, which has generated a total return of more than 285% over that time frame. Buckeye had been outperforming the market for much of that time, but lost its footing in 2017 as concerns started growing about its finances because the company spent heavily on acquisitions and growth projects, which stretched its balance sheet too thin. The company's worst move came in early 2017, when it paid $1.15 billion to buy a 50% interest in VTTI's global marine terminal business. The MLP paid a high price for that deal, which didn't work out as planned. As a result, the company ended up selling its stake last year for $975 million, as well as another package of assets for $450 million, to improve its financial profile. In addition to that, it slashed its high-yielding dividend. The strategic moves Buckeye made toward the end of 2018 significantly strengthened its financial metrics, which should ease the market's worries about its balance sheet. Meanwhile, the dividend reduction will enable the company to retain about $300 million in annual cash flow that it can use to finance expansion projects. These moves should put Buckeye Partners in a better position to grow its earnings at a healthy pace going forward, which, when added to its still-attractive 9.5%-yielding distribution, could help it outperform the market in the future, especially if its valuation improves after last year's crash. However, for Buckeye to turn a small investment into a $1 million payday, it would need to outperform for decades. That doesn't seem likely because the company's bread-and-butter business is moving and storing fossil fuels used mainly for transportation like gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. While demand for transportation fuels is expected to rise 30% by 2040 according to ExxonMobil's latest long-term outlook, accelerated adoption of electric vehicles, as well as continued gains in fuel efficiency, are major headwinds. Meanwhile, growth could stall beyond 2040 as things like autonomous electric vehicles begin disrupting the transportation market and demand for fossil fuels. Because of that, it will be challenging for Buckeye to expand at a fast enough pace in the decades to come so that it can deliver millionaire-maker returns unless it pivots into a rapidly growing market such as renewables. | https://news.yahoo.com/could-buckeye-partners-millionaire-maker-003600197.html |
What is going on with suspended Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa and the NCAA? | Welcome to FTW Explains: A guide to catching up on and better understanding news going on in the world. You might have seen the news about suspended Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa battling for his NCAA eligibility. We're here to help. De Sousa is a 6-foot-9 forward from Angola who first played for the Jayhawks last season. A highly touted four-star recruit, he graduated from high school early and joined Kansas for the second half of the season to boost a thin frontcourt. He broke out in Kansas' Big 12 tournament championship win, scoring a career-high 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting against West Virginia. He saw major minutes in the Elite Eight and Final Four and was expected to be key contributor for the Jayhawks this season. De Sousa's name was at the center of last year's federal trials stemming from the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball. Former AAU coach and Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola testified that he helped arrange payments to De Sousa's guardian in exchange for De Sousa's commitment to Kansas -- Adidas' flagship NCAA partner. There was no indication that De Sousa himself had any knowledge of payments. Still, Kansas elected to sit the star forward before the season and allow the NCAA to review his eligibility. De Sousa still hasn't played, nor has the NCAA ruled on the case. Jayhawks forward Silvio De Sousa is still waiting on the NCAA. A season-ending injury to starting center Udoka Azubuike has since added urgency to De Sousa's case. Coach Bill Self pulled the redshirt on freshman guard Ochai Agbaji and has grown increasingly frustrated on the hold-ups in De Sousa's case. The Athletic reported that in an attempt to expedite a ruling on De Sousa, Kansas has declared the sophomore ineligible, formally acknowledged the infraction ($2,500 in impermissible payments) and, as a result, asked for immediate reinstatement. De Sousa has already missed 17 games this season, exceeding the 13-game suspension that violation would have warranted. According to the NCAA's matrix regarding infractions, an improper payment of $2,500 most likely would yield a penalty that the player is suspended for 30 percent of the team's season. No. On Thursday, attorney Scott Tompsett released a statement on De Sousa's behalf, calling for the NCAA to immediately reinstate him. Tompsett claimed that the NCAA is punishing De Sousa for actions allegedly taken by adults without De Sousa's knowledge. "It's time for the NCAA to be fair to Silvio and immediately reinstate his eligibility," he wrote. That's difficult to say. The NCAA is notoriously inconsistent in dealing with these cases, and the FBI investigation has left the organization embarrassed. But Kansas is doing all it can to get De Sousa back on the court, going all-in by self-declaring De Sousa ineligible. Kansas had a similar situation last season with Billy Preston, and he ultimately left the team instead of waiting on the NCAA. | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2019/01/17/suspended-kansas-forward-silvio-de-sousa-lawyer-asks-ncaa-reinstate/38915791/ |
What Are The Risks Of Radiotherapy? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Gary Larson, Board Certified Radiation Oncologist, on Quora: There are multiple potential risks of Radiation Therapy - hundreds - just as there are with virtually any medical procedure. Other than fatigue, all the side effects and potential complications are limited to the area being treated. For the treatment of many cancer types/areas, there are no side effects at all - and only a few late complications that the patient will never know are there. When someone embarks on a course of treatment, I go over all the side effects that are likely to happen and briefly mention the ones that are not. When I describe radiation myelitis (which can cause paralysis below the level of the spinal cord being treated), I also mention that over my 35 years of treating patients, Ive never had that happen to anyone. I tell them that it is possible they could be the first, but the likelihood is very, very remote. For some types of treatment, such as anal canal cancer or head and neck cancers, I emphasize and re-emphasize how miserable they will feel. I tell them that the only reason we put someone through such an experience is that dying from their cancer would be worse (and most of them will be trading a month or two of misery for the ability to live out the rest of their normal life). Many radiation side effects are amplified by the use of chemotherapy, which is useful in some, but not all cases. If you are going to have Radiation Therapy, your Radiation Oncologist will talk to you about whats involved in treatment. You should ask questions about anything that concerns you. There are many myths about radiotherapy based on old-wives tales about Aunt Mildreds treatment with a Cobalt machine in the seventies, so dont fret about phantom risks - ask your doctor instead. 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/2019/01/17/what-are-the-risks-of-radiotherapy/ |
Could Kent Dick's Drive-In be torn down for Sound Transit facility? | Sound Transit needs a new maintenance building, but can't 'just dismiss one site because we all love hamburgers,' CEO says The Kent location of Dick's Drive-In, which opened in December, is under consideration by Sound Transit as a spot for a new maintenance and operations facility planned along the future south-end light rail path. It's one of six locations proposed by Sound Transit, but Dick's ownership and the mayors of Kent, Des Moines and Federal Way ask that the agency drop the location as an option. 1 / 78 Back to Gallery When Dick's Drive-In opened its seventh location in Kent last month, the 65-year-old Seattle-area franchise didn't imagine it could soon be torn down. The ownership saw its proximity to a future light rail station as a strength with the potential to draw foot traffic. But that very location makes it vulnerable to being replaced by a South Transit maintenance and operations building. The Dick's, along with a Lowe's and a small strip mall in the 24200 block of Pacific Highway South - just south of Des Moines - are located on one of six 30-acre properties under consideration by Sound Transit as they decide where to erect a maintenance facility to serve the south portion of a planned regional light rail system. RELATED: Billions served: Bill Gates photographed standing in line for a burger at Dick's Drive-In in Seattle Jasmine Donovan, Executive Vice President of Dick's Drive-In and granddaughter of founder Dick Spady, said that if Sound Transit picks the Dick's location for its maintenance building, it could delay the franchise's plans to build two more restaurants in the next five years by several more years. "It breaks our heart that Sound Transit is considering taking this away to build a new maintenance facility," she said at a Thursday morning press conference at the Drive-In where customers ordered milkshakes and Dick's Deluxes at the window. More than 170,000 fans voted for the location of the latest south-end restaurant, between Kent, Des Moines, Federal Way and SeaTac. Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, standing alongside Donovan, said that the city will advocate for an alternative location: the former Midway Landfill, just south of Dick's within sight of its parking lot. It's a Superfund site, as designated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and underwent construction and capping to contain environmental damage between 1990 and 2000. Indeed the Midway Landfill comprises two of the six options for Sound Transit, with two configurations being considered on the property. But, being a Superfund site, construction on that lot would cost hundreds of millions of dollars more, Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said during his own press conference that took place shortly after the Dick's event. RELATED: New Kent Dick's Drive-In restaurant gets opening date He says that it could take years to whittle down the six options for the new maintenance facility and other areas could also be thrown into the mix - what Sound Transit needs is 30 acres of flat land along the proposed light rail route. Other sites under consideration include two in Federal Way and one in unincorporated King County, though Sound Transit didn't specify where. But Ralph and Donovan want Sound Transit to take the Dick's and Lowe's site off the table. Ralph said she spoke to Sound Transit officials back in November to request they remove the location from consideration. In addition to eliminating the Dick's, the Lowe's and the nearby strip mall, a maintenance facility at that location would disrupt the city's plans for additional retail in that area. "There's so much potential," she said of the lot, as the prospect of a nearby light rail stop brings new possibilities. "This is just the beginning of that." Indeed Dick's Drive-In owns 6 acres of land behind the restaurant and hopes to sell it to commercial developers, Donovan said. To protect the area for business growth, the Kent City Council reportedly set in motion a process to change the zoning at that location that would prevent Sound Transit from building there. A zoning change would take months, as the city needs to gather public comment on the matter and the council would need to issue a final approval after a more thorough review, Ralph said. RELATED: Dick's Drive-In co-founder Dick Spady dies at 92 But Rogoff said that Sound Transit can't take the Dick's spot off the list because it needs to consider all options. "We here at Sound Transit have as many Dick's Drive-In lovers as any other employer - and I'm one of them," he said. "What we can't do is just dismiss one site because we all love hamburgers." The other options possible would require the demolition of a church or of some residential homes, he added. "We're going to need 30 flat acres if we're going to have light rail expand to Kent and Tacoma," Rogoff said. Sound Transit received letters in the last month from Donovan, King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer and a joint letter from Ralph, Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell and Des Moines City Manager Michael Matthias objecting to tearing up the Dick's area and advocating for the landfill site. Ralph and Donovan invited the public to express their views on the matter at the Feb. 5 Kent City Council meeting. Rogoff was unable to give a timeline for the scoping and review process of the sites, adding that it could take a couple years. About 40 employees work at the Kent Dick's, most of them hired locally. Many use the company's scholarship benefits to attend nearby Highline College, Donovan said. SeattlePI reporter Lynsi Burton can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI. Find more from Lynsi here. | https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Could-Kent-Dick-s-Drive-In-be-torn-down-for-Sound-13542700.php |
What happens to DART's electric buses if D-Link service is shut down? | Dallas Area Rapid Transit's free downtown D-Link service was called a perfect fit for its new electric buses ahead of their July debut. DART has been considering an overhaul of D-Link that involves replacing it with an on-demand shuttle service in a cost-saving move. The DART board will decide in February whether to shut down the downtown route, spokesman Mark Ball said this week. Changes would go into effect March 25. If it is shut down, the seven electric buses will be reassigned to Route 749, which already has a stop at the Convention Center Station where the buses charge, Ball said. The route connects the Dallas Convention Center with the West End Historic District, the Design District, Victory Park, Parkland Hospital and part of Stemmons Corridor. D-Link service costs DART, the city and Downtown Dallas Inc., a total of $11 per rider. It's drawn fewer riders than what DART leaders hoped, DART's vice president of planning and development, Todd Plesko, said in October. D-Link service began in late 2013, when it drew 1,000 riders daily and had a route that extended into Oak Cliff. Its ridership dropped significantly when streetcar service replaced the Oak Cliff connection. In October, DART officials said D-Link averages about 300 riders on weekdays. | https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dart/2019/01/17/happens-darts-electric-buses-d-link-service-shut |
Is there a Democrat who can oust Donald Trump? | Plus: Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai on what she would like to tell the US president about building walls The Democrats are gearing up for the 2020 US election. After being crushed by the 2016 result, this is a party still struggling to define itself with a fierce battle under way between candidates from its more traditional and radical wings. Anushka Asthana talks to the Guardians US political reporter Sabrina Siddiqui about some of the Democrats who are weighing up a presidential run. They discuss whether the US will ever be ready for a female president and the best tactics to take on Trump. Also today: Malala Yousafzai talks about Donald Trump, refugees, and the first time she returned to Pakistan after she was shot in the head on her way to school. | https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/jan/18/is-there-a-democrat-who-can-oust-donald-trump-today-in-focus-podcast |
How common is electronic car theft? | Open this photo in gallery sculpies My brother had his truck stolen from the garage (he thinks he forgot to close the garage door). Hes convinced it was an electronic car theft somebody intercepted his fob signal and used it to take his truck. But he also cant find his spare set of keys. Hes been known to leave them in the truck so he can just get in and start the thing. Jeff, Brampton There are likely crooks out there using tech to steal cars but most dont need to, police say. The No. 1 issue right now is still warm-up thefts, where the cars running with the keys in it, said Sergeant Matt Bertram, Peel Regional Police spokesman. Its when thieves use devices to take your car and there are different ways to do it. One is a wireless relay attack, in which thieves scan the signal from your keyless fob sitting inside the house for instance in your jacket next to your front door. They create a cloned fob that lets them get in your car and start it. Or, if they can get into your car either by breaking in, by jamming your fobs signal so your door doesnt lock or by just opening the door because you left it unlocked they can plug into your cars onboard diagnostic port under the steering column. Then they can use software, which is available online, to program a new fob that will start the car. Were finding that electronic override theft prevalent with luxury automobiles, said Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Daniel Sabadics at a press conference in December. Montreal police said theyve seen electronic theft but didnt have specific numbers. In British Columbia, police say they havent seen it yet. Someone mentioned it on Facebook but there was nothing usually its something else, said Inspector Brian MacDonald, with British Columbias Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT). Im not saying it doesnt happen, but its not very widespread the majority of our thieves arent very sophisticated. Often, electronic theft is suspected when police cant otherwise explain how a car was stolen. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement Its hard to determine if its happening unless you have video coverage, but the evidence is pointing toward that, said Henry Tso, vice-president, investigative services at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). In Ottawa, there were incidents where a Lexus was stolen from a driveway with no signs of a break-in, so it was either an inside job or they used new technology. Old-fangled thefts still common The majority of thefts nationally are either pre-2007 models when Transport Canada started requiring engine immobilizers that prevent hot-wiring or cases where thieves somehow got a key. Some people are lazy and theyll leave a fob in the car so they just get in and start it, Tso said. In Edmonton right now, a quarter of vehicles stolen have keys in the car. Still, if youre worried about thieves intercepting the signal from your fob, you could buy a Faraday box or pouch and keep your fob it in. They shield your fob so it doesnt give or receive signals. Montreal police also suggest storing your fob away from a door or a window. Toronto police suggest old-school tech such as the Club or a wheel boot to deter high-tech thieves. You can also get a lock for the onboard diagnostic port. Story continues below advertisement Usually thieves will follow the path of least resistance, Toronto polices Det. Sgt. Sabadics said. One of the easiest ways to to prevent theft electronic or otherwise is to keep your vehicle locked and inside your garage, if you have one. The risk of your car getting stolen in the garage is far less, IBCs Tso said. Send it to [email protected]. Canadas a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province. Stay on top of all our Drive stories. We have a Drive newsletter covering car reviews, innovative new cars and the ups and downs of everyday driving. Sign up for the weekly Drive newsletter, delivered to your inbox for free. Follow us on Instagram, @globedrive. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/culture/article-how-common-is-electronic-car-theft/ |
Who is Fethullah Gulen? | This week on 60 Minutes, correspondent Steve Kroft interviewed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, the president of Turkey -- an important NATO ally. He made his frustrations with the United States clear. "Let me be very frank in my remarks, and I have been known for my candor," he tells Kroft through a translator. "I wouldn't speak the truth if I said I was not disillusioned. Because I am disillusioned." His grievances stem, in part, from his view that the U.S. policy on Syria hasn't been adequate: that the U.S. has not done enough to address the terrorist threats on Turkey's southern flank or the nearly three million refugees he's taken in from Syria. But another thorn in the relationship between the two NATO allies stems from the events of July 15, when factions of the Turkish military launched a coup attempt to overthrow Turkey's elected government. Erdoan immediately blamed the revolt on the followers of his arch enemy an elderly and exiled cleric named Fethullah Glen. For the past 17 years, Glen has been leading a reclusive life in the United States, on a 26-acre retreat in the Poconos. The Turkish government considers Glen and his supporters terrorists, and Erdoan told Kroft he wants the U.S. to return Glen to Turkey immediately. "This man is the leader of a terrorist organization that has bombed my parliament," Erdoan tells Kroft. "We have extradited terrorists to the United States in the past, and we expect the same thing to be done by the United States." Erdoan says Glen's continued presence in Pennsylvania has damaged Turkey's relations with the United States, which insists the extradition process must be handled by U.S. courts. In 2012, correspondent Lesley Stahl reported on the mystery man who is never seen or heard in public in the 60 Minutes piece above. Glen is an Islamic cleric with an influential force in the Muslim world, known as the Glen movement. As Stahl reports, his disciples compare him to Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. His supporters say he encourages tolerance and interfaith dialogue, and above all, he promotes education. His movement has founded numerous charter schools throughout the U.S., and are largely run by Turkish immigrants who are carrying out Glen teachings. In sermons on the web, Glen tells his followers, "Studying physics, mathematics, and chemistry is worshipping God." In turn, his supporters have built more than 1,000 schools around the world. Lesley Stahl visits a Glen-inspired charter school in the U.S. CBS News But Glen has never visited them, not even those a short drive away from his Poconos home. Rather, he speaks to his followers online from his gated retreat. When he initially came to the U.S. in 1999, it was for medical treatment. But then a video surfaced in which he appeared to order his followers to secretly take over key government positions in Turkey. The Turkish government accused Glen of treason, so he decided to stay in the Poconos even after he was cleared in absentia in 2008. "I think if he were to come back, then there would be such a brouhaha, and I think he would be afraid of being seen as too powerful," Andrew Finkel tells Stahl. Finkel has been a journalist in Turkey for more than 25 years. Glen declined an interview with 60 Minutes in 2012. Today, President Erdoan wants to know why he remains in Pennsylvania. "This failed coup attempted to destroy the very foundation of the state," Erdoan tells Kroft. No. He has a green card; he should be extradited." | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-fethullah-gulen-turkey/ |
Is Marriott in China Barking Up the Wrong Tree? | Last year Marriott International was forced to issue an apology and fire at least one employee after an online guest survey listed Tibet and other areas claimed by China as countries rather than regions, sparking a furious response from Chinese regulators. Business in China can be disconcertingly political. One solution for international hotel chains might be to serve pets as well as people. Fortunately, there is a less political niche market that appears to be doing well, despite a slowing economy and labor market: luxury pet hotels. As Chinese citizens have gotten wealthier, their spending on pets has grown rapidly. Per square foot, pet hotels often charge more than luxury accommodation for humans in wealthy coastal cities such as Xiamen, according to state-run China Daily. An upscale feline suite covering about 85 square feet, equipped with toys and a kitty cam so owners can check in, goes for 350 yuan ($52) a day. Prices often rise ahead of the coming Lunar New Year. Best of all, feline and canine customers usually ignore thorny political questions such as Taiwan, emphasizing issues like walks and mail personnel instead. | https://www.thestar.com/wsj/business/2019/01/18/is-marriott-in-china-barking-up-the-wrong-tree.html |
Is Talking Stick Resort Arena a driver of downtown Phoenix's economy? | CLOSE The proposal for a $230 million renovation of Talking Stick Resort Arena has sparked an intense public discussion. azcentral MEDIA: Speech WHO SAID IT: Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams THE COMMENT: "Im a firm believer that the Suns and the arena is the core of downtown. I think thats how we gain all the business enthusiasm and shops and restaurants I think even the colleges. Because the kids like the activities, whether its a Suns game or a concert Its a generator of income that goes into our general fund that pays for police and fire and parks and all other services that benefit the city." FORUM: Public meeting on Jan. 9 at South Mountain Community Center WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT: Whether a sports arena has a significant impact on a city's economy. OUR FINDING: One Star, Mostly False. ANALYSIS: The proposal for a $230 million renovation of Talking Stick Resort Arena has sparked an intense public discussion. While public response has been mixed at multiplecity-hosted town halls, city leaders and Suns executives have stressed the significant impact of the arena on the growth and revitalization of downtown. The Phoenix City Council planned to vote on the proposal in December, but pushed the vote back to Jan. 23. Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams supports the proposal. She spoke at the end of the Jan. 9 public meeting and made the claim about the arena being an economic and social draw to downtown. The deal and the funding Talking Stick Resort Arena. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports) The total renovation cost for the arena is projected at $230 million. The proposal requires $150 million from the city of Phoenix through the Sports Facilities Fund and bonds. The Suns would pay $80 million. The Sports Facilities Fund is generated from taxes on hotel rooms and rental cars. A report by the Phoenix Department of Community and Economic Development shows the arena has an estimated $182 million in direct economic impact to the city and businesses. The report measures arena attendees' spending on hotel stays and related tourism purchases, such as meals and event memorabilia, and counts tax revenue to the city of Phoenix. The data also include tax revenue the city would receive from the construction of a Suns practice facility. CLOSE A proposal would require Phoenix to pay $150 million upfront, with the Suns kicking in 80 million, to renovate Talking Stick Resort Arena. Arizona Republic Sports arenas and city economies Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackayviews the renovation as necessary to maintain a robust downtown. "It's all about being a well-rounded city, being able to supply amenities and assets to all of our citizens who want them," Mackay said. "The entertainment district is key." Nevertheless, research on sports arenas shows they have a small to negligible effect on the economy and development of a city. It is not facility-dependent but rather city dependent. Geoffrey Propheter, researcher A West Virginia University study published in 2015 analyzed 13 new sports facilities and studied business activity nearby. The research found "no evidence of any effect, positive or negative, of new sports facilities on new businesses around these facilities." Another study in The Journal of Urban Affairs in 2012 by researcher Geoffrey Propheter found that basketball arenas specifically did not spur economic development in a city. Using data from 1979 to 2009, Propheter found basketball arenas are dependent on the growing economic state of the city where they reside, not the other way around. "It is not facility-dependent but rather city dependent," Propheter wrote. "Basketball arenas are economic complements. The present research is generally consistent with the notion that professional sports are not the cause of development so much as they are the effect." If every sports team in Chicago were to suddenly disappear, the impact on the Chicago economy would be a fraction of 1 percent. A baseball team has about the same impact on a community as a midsize department store. Michael Leeds, a sports economist at Temple University A 1997 study by the Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research organization, also concluded that sports facilities had a negligible effect on economic activity and employment in cities. "Regardless of whether the unit of analysis is a local neighborhood, a city, or an entire metropolitan area, the economic benefits of sports facilities are de minimus," the study's authors, Roger Noll and Andrew Zimbalist, wrote. Other economists have reached similar conclusions. Michael Leeds, a sports economist at Temple University, said in an interview with the radio program Marketplace that the negligible economic effect of sports facilities is actually the one thing economists agree on. Leeds studied Chicago, a city with five major sports teams the Cubs, the White Sox, the Bears, the Bulls, and the Blackhawks. His research found the teams did not matter financially to the city. "If every sports team in Chicago were to suddenly disappear, the impact on the Chicago economy would be a fraction of 1 percent," Leeds said. "A baseball team has about the same impact on a community as a midsize department store." Take whatever number the sports promoter says, take it and move the decimal one place to the left. Divide it by 10, and that's a pretty good estimate of the actual economic impact. Victor Matheson, an economist at College of Holy Cross Victor Matheson, an economist at College of Holy Cross, said in an interview with The Atlantic that city officials and sports publicists tend to inflate numbers about economic impact. "Take whatever number the sports promoter says, take it and move the decimal one place to the left. Divide it by 10, and that's a pretty good estimate of the actual economic impact," he said. He also said publicly financed facilities don't create a return on investment if they are not heavily used. One exception is the Staples Center in Los Angeles home to two NBA teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, the WNBA Sparks and the NHL Kings. "But they use it 250 dates a year," Matheson said. Talking Stick Resort Arena also is home to the WNBA Phoenix Mercury, in addition to the Suns. Mackay said she recognized the small to negligible economic impact of sports arenas that economists had found. "I don't disagree, if the (Talking Stick Resort) arena were to close down, $182 million in the economy of Phoenix is not significant," Mackay said. But she said she had a different view on the social and cultural impact of the arena. "The problem with those economic reports is that they tend to neglect to see how the trickle effect moves through to create an attractive place for other companies to invest in the market. In every study they neglected it. Economists looked at cold hard math and numbers. They didn't check on that from an economic development level." Phoenix considers the arena as part of a "branding toolkit," said Julie Watters, the city's public information director. Mackay said from an economic development view, the arena is part of making a competitive city. "I am boots on the ground, in the trenches and see how important it is," she said. She said companies look for such things as education infrastructure, safety, affordable entertainment and nightlife when moving to and investing in new cities. "From an economic standpoint, (the arena) is negligible. From a social impact on what we can attract in the future, it has a significant impact." The economic growth of downtown Phoenix would not be derailed, however, if the arena was vacated. "The arena is not solely responsible for the revival of downtown," Mackay said. CLOSE Mike Dwyer, a Phoenix resident, speaks during a public hearing to discuss the pending renovation cost for Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Nathan J. Fish, The Republic | azcentral.com BOTTOM LINE: Economic research shows that sports arena construction and development has a minimal impact on a city economy and new businesses. Although downtown entertainment venues and sports facilities can shape a city's social and cultural appeal to residents, tourists and future investors, from an overall economic standpoint, the effects aren't significant. SOURCES: Jan. 9 Public Meeting on Suns Arena, South Mountain Community Center; Jan. 10 meeting with Christine Mackay and Julie Watters; Visit Phoenix, "Phoenix Tourism Stats & Facts"; "If You Build It, They Might Not Come," Sep. 2012, The Atlantic; "Do Basketball Arenas Spur Economic Development?" City Lab, Aug. 2012; "Sports, Jobs & Taxes: Are New Stadiums Worth the Cost?" Brookings Institution, June 1997; Phoenix City Council Report: Sports Facilities Special Revenue Fund, May 2016; "Are Pro Sports Teams Economic Winners for Cities?" Marketplace.org, March 2015; "Do New Sports Facilities Attract New Businesses?" ", 2012. READ MORE: CLOSE Phoenix resident Greta Rogers, in a public meeting Dec. 12, 2018, lit into council members over a proposal to spend $150M to help renovate the Suns' arena. 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/fact-check/2019/01/18/economic-impact-talking-stick-resort-arena-phoenix-suns-mayor-thelda-williams/2473561002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/fact-check/2019/01/18/economic-impact-talking-stick-resort-arena-phoenix-suns-mayor-thelda-williams/2473561002/ |
Will the Green New Deal Suck (Carbon Out of the Air)? | Theres just one wrinkle: Theres not a single, official Green New Deal. Much like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal refers more to a few shared goals than to a completed legislative package. (The original New Deal basically worked the same way.) Now, a number of environmental groups are trying to make those goals more specific. But theyre running into a snag: The bogeymen that have haunted old progressive climate policies are suddenly back again. And the fights arent just about nuclear power. Late last week, more than 600 environmental groups published a letter laying out an environmental agenda for the new Congress. The groups did not explicitly describe a Green New Deal, but their sought-after legislative program looked and quacked a lot like one. They demanded an all-renewable power grid, an end to fossil-fuel exports, and a ban on gas-powered cars by 2040. If we are to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, we must act aggressively and quickly, the letter said. Of the hundreds of groups who issued the demands, one stood out: the Sunrise Movement, the new, youth-led activism corps that flung the Green New Deal into national prominence last year. More established organizationsincluding Friends of the Earth, 350.org, and the Center for Biological Diversityalso signed. The letter seemed like the standard collection of progressive climate goals, but upon closer inspection it veered into new and controversial territory, especially in the places where the groups said what they would not support. They promised to vigorously oppose any legislation that promoted nuclear power; hydroelectric power; and carbon capture and storage, a still-experimental technology that could remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. They also forbade Congress from using any market-based mechanism to administer climate policy. The absolute nature of these demands reportedly kept a number of established green nonprofitsincluding the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, and the Environmental Defense Fundfrom signing the letter. And the Sunrise Movement has backed off the letter somewhat. Stephen OHanlon, a spokesman for the group, told me that the letter to Congress is not the full vision of the Green New Deal. It is a set of climate priorities for the new Congress. But the demands point to a broader shift for Sunriseparticularly around the issue of carbon capture and storage. In November, when Sunrise first demanded Nancy Pelosi create a Green New Deal committee, it said that any potential plan must fund massive investment in the drawdown and capture of greenhouse gases. Sunrise seemed, in other words, to endorse carbon-capture research. But the final version of that same document omits capture at all: It calls only for investment in the drawdown of greenhouse gases. This change has not been previously reported, and it appears to have been made quietly. Greg Carlock, who developed a different Green New Deal plan for the left-wing think tank Data for Progress, told me he was not aware of the change. | https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/first-fight-about-democrats-climate-green-new-deal/580543/?utm_source=feed |
Was NBA London 2019 The Final Curtain For UK Basketball Fans? | NBA fans in London were treated to a basketball rarity last night, as the Washington Wizards defeated the New York Knicks 101-100 at the O2 Arena on a goal-tending call. Even Scott Brooks, whose basketball career spans 30 years including a decade as an NBA player and another decade as an NBA head coach, admitted post-game Ive never seen that. It was the culmination of what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at his press conference was essentially a weeks worth of activities [including] clinics, junior NBA programmes, multiple partner events... it feels a little bit like our European All-Star game. Its all part of the NBAs mission to expand internationally and break into new markets. As Silver stated NBA London 2019 was the 91st game that the NBA has played in Europe, before adding to the amusement of the assembled European media that includes both friendlies and fixtures. The explosion of international talent That global expansion has been aided by an explosion in worldwide talent over the last couple of decades. Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, drafted 9th overall in 1998, was arguably the first European NBA superstar. The San Antonio Spurs were able to exploit a market inefficiency by being the first to embrace the potential of international players. They snagged Manu Ginobili with the 57th pick in 1999. Ginobili stayed in Europe until 2002, winning the Euroleague Championship and Euroleague MVP in 2001 with Virtus Bologna, but together with Tony Parker, was drafted 28th in 2001, was at the core of one of the NBAs most successful dynasties of the post-Michael Jordan NBA. But they were just the trailblazers. In his remarks Silver directly referenced the importance of the new generation of international talent coming through now, saying Whats exciting to see... is the development of the enormous talent thats coming out of Europe now into the NBA. And look no further than this years All-Star voting. Of course, Giannis Antetokuonmpo is the number one vote-getter in the East, and Luka Doncic is the number two [in the West]. The sentiment was echoed by Knicks guard, and French national, Frank Ntilikina ahead of the game, who spoke of the growing trend Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Nikola [Jokic] in particular [are] representing Europe so well but it can only get better. One of the most eye-catching ideas floated by Silver at his press conference was the idea of tournaments around the globe to capitalize on and continue to grow, the NBAs global audience. One of the things Im sure well be talking to our players' association over time is should we take a fresh look at the way the season is structured? You could create more space in the season so that we could bring more teams over, maybe open up the possibility of having a tournament in Europe, a tournament in Asia, Latin America, other parts of the world. For now though, the London game has become a fixture for European fans. In every season since 2010/11, bar the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, the NBA has come to O2 Arena. Its an interesting choice given that basketball culture is arguably much bigger in many other European countries from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the Balkan states. Silver explained One of the reasons London is considered to be so important is that it appears to be, for us, a hub for us in Europe. Its easily accessible for people from throughout Europe. This particular facility, the O2 arena, last I looked is the highest grossing arena in the world and they do a fantastic job hosting major events and that has made it very easy for us. However, in comments that will concern NBA fans in the United Kingdom, Silver continued on to say that We are looking at other markets. We recognize that Europe is a huge market, theres enormous interest and that many of the other European markets have a stronger basketball affinity than they do even in England. Its been a marriage in part of convenience but its been very successful for both parties. Top of the list appears to be Paris, with Silver saying Its something were looking very closely at, that is playing a regular season game in Paris next season. It is very important. France has historically been a terrific market for the NBA. We have several players from France as well... we have played many exhibition games in Paris over the years and it will continue to be an important market. Were looking forward to coming back to Paris. Whats not so clear is whether that means a second game in Europe, or moving the NBA away from London for a time. Silver explained Its still a very labor-intensive undertaking to bring regular-season games over to Europe right now were still thinking the format would probably be to have one game next year but its something that our London office is continuing to explore. The concern of UK-based fans Last nights antics on the court may have delighted UK-based basketball fans, with a roaring crowd cheering every bucket down the stretch. But as much as traveling to new cities might help the NBA further grow their brand internationally, the prospect of losing the London game would be a blow to growing the fanbase in the UK. Luke Hatfield, editor of BouncyOrangeBall, a UK-based website focusing on the NBA said "Talk of a game in Paris is something British fans would have welcomed, but dropping the bombshell of claiming that only one game will take place in Europe next year will rightly have them worried. British fans have responded to the NBA well in recent years, and it looks as though its only going to improve with Sky Sports picking up the rights to cover games on British TV." "Paris is more than deserving of an NBA game, and many expected a game to head there in addition to the one played at the O2 Arena - it would make sense given the global focus from the NBA. But doing so by taking a game away from London doesnt seem like the best idea." So despite witnessing one of the more exciting NBA London games in recent years, UK-based basketball fans are left hoping that last nights game-winning goaltending call is the only once-in-a-lifetime basketball experience they will have and that the NBAs visit to London remains an annual tradition. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmurray/2019/01/18/was-nba-london-2019-the-final-curtain-for-british-basketball-fans/ |
Will Detroit auto show's move to June bring back the Germans? | CLOSE Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talks about the freedom of the road during a tour of the 2019 North American International Auto Show. Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press When the Detroit auto show shifts to June next year, it will be A) A good thing B) bad thing C) an opportunity D) risk. Or a big unknown. Before the public has had a chance to descend on Cobo Center beginning Saturday for the final January staging of the North American International Auto Show, the fate of next years show has already been a hot topic among journalists, industry watchers, insiders and politicians, who have offered variations on the opinions above. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, after a tour of the show floor Tuesday, struck an optimistic tone: I think that June will offer us some more opportunities to showcase Michigan, to showcase this region, in, you know, some of our best months. I acknowledge that this has really been a great boost for our economy at this time of year and thats really important, but it is moving and so were going to make it the best auto show ever. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel wondered how Cobo Center in January going forward would fare. How are they going to backfill it? Hackel said during a stop on his own trip to Cobo Tuesday, where he suggested that a June show will face lots of competition from other seasonal activities. On Tuesday, the second day of the press preview, Hackel noted a change in the vibe from his previous trips to the show dating back to his time as Macomb County's sheriff in 2000. The mood was kind of sad. It was weird, he said of the feeling he got walking in the door this year. Part of what stood out for many who visited this week was the array of vehicles parked on the show floor many of them exotic sports cars that were not tied to an automaker display. As eye candy goes, those vehicles are hard to beat, but the impression is of change afoot. To be fair, however, there were empty spaces on the show floor last year that were not necessarily occupied by Ferraris or Lamborghinis. Media preview days with fewer vehicle unveilings than previous years, a clear dip in media attendance and the shifting of a major industry announcement Tuesday to a conference call instead (that was the big Ford/VW collaboration news), did seem to set a tone of a show on the wane, or transition as some have called it. More: Automakers face a series of protests at the Detroit Auto Show More: Kia says 2020 Telluride is its largest SUV ever More: Shelby GT 500, Toyota Supra lead the parade of reveals at the Detroit auto show But a pop into Cobo the day after the Hackel and Whitmer visits, and the gleam of shiny sheet metal and chrome seemed to be pulling in the crowds for the Industry Preview. As visitors poured in on Wednesday, the pall seemed to lift. Whether this years public show helps organizers meet their 800,000-visitor expectation is unclear. Wintry weather is expected to hit metro Detroit ahead of the start of the public show, possibly affecting attendance. But a day off for many on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day could provide a boost. Important vehicles Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst with IHS Markit, said this years vehicle unveilings including those off site did highlight several important 2020 model year vehicles for their brands and segments, including the Ford Explorer, Kia Telluride and Toyota Supra, so the show has not been without news. She said that the industry has been churning out new technologies at a breakneck pace in recent years, and that perhaps, some of that simply needs to work its way through the development process. It doesnt mean nothings happening, Brinley said. Even CES in Las Vegas earlier this month the show that has been blamed fairly or unfairly to some degree for stealing Detroits thunder appeared to have less technology news than in previous years, she said in an echo of comments by other show veterans. Brinley said shes not sure how a June auto show will look. Because were making changes, well come up with challenges that havent been considered. It might come off a bit clumsy just because theyre making change, she said. Brinley noted that what happens in 2020 will not be determined by what is seen at this years show. Brinley said the decision by several German automakers not to attend this years Detroit show had been made before last year's show. Whether brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes return to Detroit will have more to do with how the people behind those brands feel they can best tell the stories of their new products, she said. I think its going to be really difficult to figure out whos going to be here next year, Brinley said. More driving, less sitting Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst with Navigant Research, noticed a change this week. Certainly, during the media days, Monday and Tuesday, the number of media in attendance seemed to be way, way down, Abuelsamid, said, noting that a lot of European journalists appeared to skip the show all together. He suspects, though, that attendance during the public show days will be fine. For Abuelsamid, what will be interesting to watch is whether the automakers who skipped this year choose to come back in 2020. He noted that some companies took advantage of empty show floor space at Cobo this year. Kia, for example, built an off-road course to showcase the Telluride SUV, which was one of the highlights of the show. That could provide a blueprint for 2020 and beyond, especially with new connections to outdoor locations. Auto show organizers in promoting their vision for 2020 have talked about 14 acres of auto-focused space from Cobo to Hart Plaza. If that does not convince automakers to return, Abuelsamid said, it could mean the decline of the Detroit auto show as a major news event. But its a problem not unique to Detroit or even to auto shows, he said. The problem with shows like auto shows is that we rely on relatively few large companies to come in and announce their products, he said. Those companies increasingly dont want to share the limelight. GAC Executive Design Director Pontus Fontaeus, speaks with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Liet. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist as they tour the GAC Motor exhibit during the 2019 North American International Auto Show held at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell) High costs for carmakers Paul Eisenstein, publisher of The Detroit Bureau, noted that a lot of manufacturers are rethinking their commitment to auto shows. Part of that is cost, he said, which can stretch into the millions for a 20- or 30-minute spotlight for a new vehicle. Moving to June could help reduce some of the cost involved in setting up an auto show over the holidays, Eisenstein said, noting also the benefits of a seasonal shift. People who come here can only do so much in the middle of winter, he said. But Eisenstein, who noted that the most recent Paris auto show was a disappointment, will be watching to see if brands such as Mercedes come back. Convincing the Germans, aside from Volkswagen, to return could require some effort, in part because of the market realities of Detroit and the Midwest, he said. Its a Big Three market. People buy Detroit iron (here), Eisenstein said, noting that the Germans ask why come to Detroit if theyre not going to sell product here. Tom Walsh, a former business columnist for the Free Press, noted that the momentum for many of the traditional big auto shows appears to be down right now. In some cases, companies are taking the automotive press to scenic locations to unveil their vehicles. Detroit has had a good, 30-year run as a big-time show, something that would have been hard to predict when it was a nothing burger, back before Lexus and Infiniti came to town and the Germans bought in, he said. This became a top world show. This one got more media than anyplace else. The question is, is all media good media? Walsh said. Where its going to go from here its hard for me to tell. The vision for 2020 is bold, Walsh said, but the organizers knew they had to do something. Theres always been grousing from international visitors about Detroits weather in January, but the impact of losing most of the German brands forced a change. Good for them for trying, Walsh said, noting that the personalities behind the show had looked to a range of other events for possible alternatives. Major festivals, such as South by Southwest in Texas or the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, offer models for something different. Can we capture some of the good weather, really get some buzz turn it into something thats more than this static indoor (show)? Walsh said of the thinking. "Nobody else has tried to do it with an auto show. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/detroit-auto-show/2019/01/18/detroit-auto-show-june-move-questions/2607660002/ | https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/detroit-auto-show/2019/01/18/detroit-auto-show-june-move-questions/2607660002/ |
Are books clutter? | Organizing consultant Marie Kondo is under fire for suggesting people throw away their books. Kondo is the star of Netflix's "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo." The show follows Kondo as she helps tidy up messy homes and preaches the "KonMari method," a style of cleaning that involves eliminating items that no longer bring you joy. Kondo suggests you keep no more than 30 books and Twitter went wild. PERSPECTIVES Some argue that books are important to have because they serve you at different points in your life. Twitter users say they are suspicious of anyone who suggests they throw knowledge out of the window. I just don't trust someone who doesn't understand the magic of books. (This is a Marie Kondo subtweet) Books come to us when they are supposed to and we read them when we are meant to. They are not interchangeable, indistinguishable blocks of text. pic.twitter.com/sW4rEUeute -- Kelli G (@glazebrookgirl) January 4, 2019 But on the other hand, books literally, collect dust. If you are trying to live minimally, books can clutter up your living space. Today, we have e-books and Kindles, so it isn't really necessary to hold onto too many books. "The point of this process isn't to force yourself to eliminate things. It's really to confirm how you feel about each and every item that you possess"-Marie Kondo From now on, this is the only convo that I'll pay attention to when it comes to Marie Kondo https://t.co/g6fUtFGzi4 -- Kat Cho [?] [?] [?] (@KatCho) January 15, 2019 via GIPHY people getting mad at Marie Kondo for suggesting people should get rid of some books are imagining people having a collection of Penguin first editions and T S Eliot not The Dummies Guide to Computers and Dan Brown's Digital Fortress -- florence (@FloPlatford) January 15, 2019 via GIPHY 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/books/index.ssf/2019/01/are_books_clutter.html |
Is term life insurance worth paying for at age 70? | Dear Pete, I have always been good with money, and my wife of 50 years and I have zero debt. Taxes on our home are about $8,000 a year. We have about $700,000 in savings, and are both 70 years old. Our home is worth about $450,000. I am 10 years into a 20-year term policy of $300,000 which costs us $3,600/year. Our pensions and Social Security are about $66,000 annually. Thanks much! Kenny Answer: The day after the factor warranty on my car expired, I opened my car door only to see the rearview mirror had fallen off, hit the gear shifter, and shattered all over the drivers seat. It would be mine. You have paid $36,000 for your policy so far, and in order to secure a chance at a payout of $300,000 over the next 10 years, youd need to part with up to another $36,000. But if you're still alive 120 months from now, youre out $72,000, with only peace of mind and an unknown number of sunrises as your consolation prize. This is a classic case of escalation of commitment. The question youve undoubtedly already asked yourself is, "Does your wife actually even need the $300,000 when you die?" That answer depends on what survivor option you chose for your pension. If the pension payments die when you die, then Mrs. Kenny will likely need your parting gift of life insurance. If the pension payment doesnt change much, or at all, when you die, then you might not need to continue the policy. This is the primary means of making this decision, given that you are currently renting your insurance. More Money: Hyundai, Kia recall 168,000 vehicles due to increased fire risk More Money: These are the best places to retire in every state More Money: 7 tips to make your small business an Instagram star Your life insurance is not guaranteed to pay off. Thats because it will eventually expire or will become too expensive to handle. That means theres a pretty good chance you die without coverage. If your life insurance was some form of a permanent policy, then youd be virtually guaranteed a payout as long as the premiums are paid. Im not suggesting you should have permanent coverage, but if you do have permanent need for life insurance, permanent life insurance is the way to go. Its also important to note that a change is upon you. The year you reach 70 1/2 years old, you'll be introduced to the world of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Whatever portion of your $700,000 nest egg is tied-up in qualified retirement accounts, youll be required to make withdrawals and pay taxes on that money. Because your uncle, Uncle Sam, has not gotten his piece of the pie yet. You contributed money to your qualified plans pre-tax, they grew tax-deferred, and now your not-so-silent partner is coming to collect. For instance, if $600,000 of your $700,000 is in a traditional IRA, 401k, or other like vehicle, you will be forced to withdrawal roughly $22,000 in the year in which you turn 70 1/2. You'll have to pay taxes on that money, but you can do whatever you like with the rest. That means you can easily afford the $300/month your life insurance premium costs you. In fact, your RMD will likely increase every year until you reach your nineties. This is all to say that affording the premium isnt the issue. However, if your $700,000 isnt in qualified retirement accounts, you wont have the sudden influx of income I just described. If youre concerned about any potential medical expenses or other final expenses associated with your passing, then life insurance can certainly help defray those costs. And if you want to pass wealth on to someone or some other entity upon both of your deaths, then life insurance is an effective way to accomplish that. You should strongly consider converting your term life insurance into permanent coverage, especially if your insurance provider has extended you a conversion provision. If you do in fact have a need for life insurance at this point in your life, your need is permanent, not temporary. Nothing is going to be different ten years from now that would affect your current decision. You dont necessarily need $300,000 of life insurance, if you need any coverage at all. You may be able to convert a portion of the term coverage to a permanent policy, say $50,000 or so. This would certainly make the new permanent policy more affordable. Peter Dunn is an author, speaker and radio host, and he has a free podcast: "Million Dollar Plan." Email him at [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. | https://news.yahoo.com/term-life-insurance-worth-paying-120105930.html |
Is FIHBX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now? | High Yield - Bonds fund seekers should consider taking a look at Federated Institutional High Yield Bond (FIHBX). FIHBX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We note that FIHBX is a High Yield - Bonds option, which is an area loaded with different investment choices. High Yield - Bonds funds are often known as " junk " bonds since they are below investment grade. This means they are at an elevated risk of default, at least when compared to their investment grade peers. On the plus side, junk bonds generally pay out higher yields, all while posing similar interest rate risks as we see with their investment grade counterparts. History of Fund/Manager Federated is responsible for FIHBX, and the company is based out of Pittsburgh, PA. Federated Institutional High Yield Bond made its debut in November of 2002, and since then, FIHBX has accumulated about $4.74 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Mark E. Durbiano who has been in charge of the fund since November of 2002. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 3.74%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 6.22%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of -20.52%, the standard deviation of FIHBX over the past three years is 4.38%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 4.81% compared to the category average of -25.69%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Bond Duration Modified duration is a measure of a specific bond's interest rate sensitivity, and is an excellent way to judge how fixed income securities will respond to a shifting rate environment. For investors who think interest rates will rise, this is an important factor to consider. FIHBX has a modified duration of 4.1, which suggests that the fund will decline 4.1% for every hundred-basis-point increase in interest rates. Income It is important to consider the fund's average coupon because income is often a big reason for purchasing a fixed income security. Average coupon is a look at the average payout by the fund in a given year. For example, this fund's average coupon of 6.27% means that a $10,000 investment should result in a yearly payout of $627. If you are looking for a strong level of current income, a higher coupon is a good choice, though it could pose a reinvestment risk; these risks can occur if rates are lower in the future when compared to the initial purchase date of the bond. Because income is only one part of the bond picture, investors should also consider risk relative to broad benchmarks. FIHBX carries a beta of 0.34, meaning that the fund is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. With this in mind, it has a positive alpha of 2.5, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, FIHBX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.49% compared to the category average of 0.26%. FIHBX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1 million and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Federated Institutional High Yield Bond ( FIHBX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now. | https://news.yahoo.com/fihbx-strong-bond-fund-now-120012984.html |
Will Internet User Growth Aid Comcast (CMCSA) Q4 Earnings? | Comcast Corp CMCSA is set to report fourth-quarter 2018 results on Jan 23. In the trailing four quarters, the company delivered average positive earnings surprise of 5.6%, beating estimates in each. In the last reported quarter, the companys adjusted earnings of 65 cents per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by four cents. Moreover, Comcasts top line has beaten the consensus mark in two of the trailing four quarters. In second-quarter 2018, revenues increased 5% year over year to $22.14 billion and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $21.75 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is $25.74 billion, which reflects year-over-year growth of almost 17.5%. Moreover, the consensus mark for earnings has been steady at 62 cents over the past seven days. Comcast Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Comcast Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Comcast Corporation Quote Lets see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement. Factors to Watch Out Comcast is expected to benefit from an increasing number of high-speed internet subscribers. The company has completed rollout of its high-speed gigabit internet service to nearly all 58 million homes and businesses it serves. Notably, total high-speed Internet customer net additions were 334K in third-quarter 2018. Additionally, high-speed Internet revenues increased 9.6% year over year to $4.32 billion. Comcasts strategy to market broadband-only packages to customers is likely to drive top-line growth. Further, expanding Wi-Fi coverage along with innovative xFi control features is improving customer experience. Moreover, the companys Xfinity Mobile is now used by more than one million customers. Per Comcast, addition of mobile service improves broadband retention rate, which is a key catalyst. At the end of the third quarter, 68% of Comcasts residential customers received at least two Xfinity products. Further, growing subscriber base for the X1 platform, addition of new features like the voice remote and Fandango voice activated movie ticketing service, and integration of YouTube, Pandora and Netflix are positives. Moreover, NBC Universals strong content portfolio is likely to drive growth. Additionally, strong political advertising sales are expected to drive advertising revenues. Nevertheless, Comcast continues to lose video subscribers due to cord-cutting and stiff competition from virtual MVPDs. Weakness in the Theme Park business is a headwind. What Our Model Says According to the Zacks model, a company with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) along with a positive Earnings ESP has a good chance of beating estimates. The Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) are best avoided. Comcast has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of -1.08%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Stocks to Consider Here are a few companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post earnings beat in their upcoming releases: Electronic Arts EA has an Earnings ESP of +3.64% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Rogers Communications RCI has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +0.75%. Roku ROKU has an Earnings ESP of +16.67% and a Zacks Rank #3. Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Rogers Communication, Inc. (RCI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/internet-user-growth-aid-comcast-122112867.html |
Is Templeton Developing Markets A (TEDMX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Any investors hoping to find a Non US - Equity fund could think about starting with Templeton Developing Markets A (TEDMX). TEDMX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective TEDMX is classified in the Non US - Equity area by Zacks, and this segment is full of potential. Non US - Equity funds focus their investments on companies outside of the United States, which is an important distinction since global mutual funds tend to keep a sizable portion of their portfolio based in the United States. Most of these funds will allocate across emerging and developed markets, and can often extend across cap levels too. History of Fund/Manager TEDMX finds itself in the Franklin Templeton family, based out of San Mateo, CA. The Templeton Developing Markets A made its debut in October of 1991 and TEDMX has managed to accumulate roughly $925.64 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Chetan Sehgal, has been in charge of the fund since April of 2017. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 0.44%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 11.46%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of TEDMX over the past three years is 14.32% compared to the category average of 9.89%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 14.79% compared to the category average of 9.82%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. In TEDMX's case, the fund lost 63.04% in the most recent bear market and underperformed comparable funds by 4.59%. This might suggest that the fund is a worse choice than its peers during a bear market. Even still, the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.92, so investors should note that it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. TEDMX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -6.39, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, TEDMX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.35% compared to the category average of 1.21%. From a cost perspective, TEDMX is actually more expensive than its peers. Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $1,000; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Templeton Developing Markets A ( TEDMX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now. Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. 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. | https://news.yahoo.com/templeton-developing-markets-tedmx-strong-120012422.html |
Is Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth A (PEEAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth A (PEEAX) is a potential starting point. PEEAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We note that PEEAX is a Mid Cap Growth fund, and this area is also loaded with many different options. Companies are usually considered growth stocks when they consistently report notable sales and/or earnings growth. Thus, Mid Cap Growth funds pick stocks--usually companies with a market cap between $2 billion and $10 billion--that demonstrate extensive growth opportunities for investors compared to their peers. History of Fund/Manager Prudential is based in Providence, RI, and is the manager of PEEAX. Since Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth A made its debut in December of 1996, PEEAX has garnered more than $963.44 million in assets. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 4.3%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 5.14%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 9.86%, the standard deviation of PEEAX over the past three years is 11.95%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 11.76% compared to the category average of 9.72%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. In PEEAX's case, the fund lost 43.85% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 7.81%. These results could imply that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a sliding market environment. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.99, so it is likely going to be as volatile as the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. PEEAX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -3.7, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Exploring the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is primarily on equities that are traded in the United States. This fund is currently holding about 81.13% stock in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $19.06 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Other Industrial Cyclical Turnover is 36%, which means, on average, the fund makes fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, PEEAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.06% compared to the category average of 1.18%. So, PEEAX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100. Bottom Line Overall, Prudential Jennison Mid-Cap Growth A ( PEEAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a great potential choice for investors right now. For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Mid Cap Growth, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. 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. | https://news.yahoo.com/prudential-jennison-mid-cap-growth-120012532.html |
Is Fidelity Select Defense & Aerospace (FSDAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Sector - Other fund seekers should consider taking a look at Fidelity Select Defense & Aerospace (FSDAX). FSDAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. History of Fund/Manager FSDAX finds itself in the Fidelity family, based out of Boston, MA. The Fidelity Select Defense & Aerospace made its debut in May of 1984 and FSDAX has managed to accumulate roughly $2.26 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. Jonathan Siegmann is the fund's current manager and has held that role since October of 2015. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.48%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 13.84%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 13.78%, the standard deviation of FSDAX over the past three years is 15.87%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 14.59% compared to the category average of 14.04%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. FSDAX lost 55.25% in the most recent bear market and underperformed comparable funds by 6.84%. This might suggest that the fund is a worse choice than its peers during a bear market. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.08, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. The fund has produced a positive alpha over the past 5 years of 0.71, which shows that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, FSDAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.75% compared to the category average of 1.15%. So, FSDAX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Fidelity Select Defense & Aerospace ( FSDAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now. For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Sector - Other, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are. 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/fidelity-select-defense-aerospace-fsdax-120012371.html |
Is Vanguard FTSE Social Index Investor (VFTSX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | If you've been stuck searching for Index funds, consider Vanguard FTSE Social Index Investor (VFTSX) as a possibility. VFTSX has no Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, but we have been able to look into other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost. History of Fund/Manager Vanguard Group is based in Malvern, PA, and is the manager of VFTSX. Vanguard FTSE Social Index Investor made its debut in May of 2000, and since then, VFTSX has accumulated about $2.63 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by William A. Coleman who has been in charge of the fund since December of 2015. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 9.12%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 9.72%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of VFTSX over the past three years is 11.28% compared to the category average of 8.51%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 11.26% compared to the category average of 8.93%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. In VFTSX's case, the fund lost 56.56% in the most recent bear market and underperformed its peer group by 11.02%. This makes the fund a possibly worse choice than its peers during a sliding market environment. Nevertheless, investors should also note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.01, which means it is hypothetically as volatile as the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. VFTSX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 0.51, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Examining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is principally on equities that are traded in the United States. Right now, 87.22% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, and these companies have an average market capitalization of $244.99 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Finance This fund's turnover is about 8%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, VFTSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.18% compared to the category average of 0.74%. So, VFTSX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $3,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $1. Bottom Line This could just be the start of your research on VFTSXin the Index category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible. 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/vanguard-ftse-social-index-investor-120012167.html |
Which star NFL player will take over in conference title game to power team to Super Bowl? | CLOSE Chad Millman of The Action Network stops by to help you place your bets heading into the NFL's Conference Championship games. USA TODAY The NFL's conference championship games couldn't have provided much of a better platform for the league's stars. All four of the teams remaining boast a Pro Bowl passer, as the Patriots' Tom Brady, Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Saints' Drew Brees and Rams' Jared Goff will all be in action on Sunday. And yet there's plenty of other skill-position talent that will be on display, including running backs Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara as well as wide receivers Michael Thomas and Tyreek Hill, among others. And there's no shortage of notable names on the other side of ball, led by expected repeat defensive player of the year Aaron Donald. Here are their answers: Justin Houston. Maligned all season and, lets be honest, rightly so Kansas Citys defense was a wrecking crew against the Indianapolis Colts, deserving equal billing with Patrick Mahomes for getting the Chiefs their first-ever AFC Championship Game at home. And no one came up bigger than Houston, who sacked Andrew Luck twice, deflected a pass and had a fumble recovery. Its no secret that pressuring Tom Brady will be the key Sunday, which means the Chiefs are going to need another star effort from their defense. But if Houston can duplicate last weekends performance, especially early in the game to set the tone, itll be a long day for Brady and the New England Patriots. Drew Brees. It's been a long time coming -- and three consecutive 7-9 finishes in the middle of the journey -- for the Saints icon to get another shot at Super Bowl glory. And the support system is set up perfectly: Home Dome advantage. Go-to receiver. Double-barreled running back combo. Big-play defense. Brees will do his part. Knowing how tough it is to get here, he won't blow it. Instead, he'll bring his A-game. Im gonna head off the reservation for a bit its often where Im most comfortable and say Bill Belichick will be the star of the championship round. If I knew, Id probably be comfortably retired or a member of New Englands staff. But Im fascinated to see what BB dreams up to slow down Patrick Mahomes and Co. The Patriots are renowned for their ability to negate an opponents top weapon, but that wont be easy to do as it pertains to Mahomes, the NFLs presumed MVP. I suspect Belichick will search for a way to make the forecasted frigid weather an equalizer. Maybe that means packing in against the run and taking away intermediate seam throws to Travis Kelce, potentially forcing Mahomes to try and throw a potentially slick ball deep and/or make Kansas Citys players run longer routes that might break down amid poor traction. Whatever it is, Belichick is sure to have something unexpected up his (cut off) sleeve. Chris Jones. No team generated more pressures at home this season than the Chiefs 118. To beat Tom Brady and the Patriots, Kansas City will need that. The Chiefs havent shown consistent ability to defend the run (27th) so limiting Brady and returning the ball to their high-flying offense in what could be another shootout will be key. Enter Chris Jones, who led Kansas City with 15.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits. He also beat his block within 2.5 seconds on 35 percent of rushes this season per ESPN, second best pass-rush win rate in the league (the Rams Aaron Donald was first). Jones and fellow defensive linemen will make the difference in a game that, historically, seems to favor the postseason-proficient Patriots. Theyll limit Brady just enough to send the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 49 years. But sorry, Tom: Still no one will think yall suck. After last week, Im not going to doubt Tom Brady ever again. This is his time of year. This is why hes the G.O.A.T. All season long, weve wondered if he and the Patriots were faltering, but whenever it mattered most, they came through. Now, with Bill Belichick having designed a game plan to slow the Chiefs offense, Brady is going to deliver once again and put his team in its ninth Super Bowl since 2000. I'm a little stunned that no one else has gone with Michael Thomas. Yes, the all-pro wide receiver's production is inextricably tied to that of Drew Brees, and Alvin Kamara also could play a pivotal role against a Rams defense that allowed a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry on the season. But the return of Aqib Talib alone won't erase memories of what Thomas did to Los Angeles' defense in Week 9, when he posted 12 catches for 211 yards and a touchdown. Fresh off a franchise-record 171 receiving yards in the divisional-round win over the Eagles, the second-year receiver might operate frequently out of the slot, forcing Talib and fellow cornerback Marcus Peters out of their element, or in tandem with Kamara to stretch the Rams' defense to its limit. It has to be Todd Gurley. The Saints excel at stopping the run, but Gurley is a gifted running back, so the test will be tougher. Not only that, but he also thrives at catching the ball out of the backfield on dump offs or on designed passing plays like screens. But theres one reason why Gurleys rushing production is so essential. It opens up the passing game, and specifically freezes defenders when the Rams dial up play-action passes. Quarterback Jared Goff, according to Pro Football Reference, had 34.6 % of its passes this season come out of play action, the highest rate for any passer in the NFL. That split-second hesitation from defenders offers L.A.s speedy targets just enough time to get open. But if Gurley is bottled up, the efficacy of the play action declines. And it may end the season for the Rams, too. | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/01/18/nfl-playoffs-tom-brady-patrick-mahomes-drew-brees/2612367002/ |
Why do migrant caravans start in Honduras? | Twice in the past four months a migrant caravan bound for the United States has originated in Honduras. The latest caravan left San Pedro Sula on Jan. 15, the same city where a similar caravan set off in October, growing to more than 5,000 people as it traveled through Guatemala, then Mexico before reaching Tijuana on the U.S. border in November. Here are some of the main reasons migrants are fleeing Honduras. Crime has people fearing for safety Honduran migrants walk along the roadside through Esquipulas, Guatemala, as they make their way toward the U.S. border, early Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. The latest caravan of Honduran migrants hoping to reach the U.S. has crossed into Guatemala. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (Photo: Moises Castillo, Associated Press) Insight Crime, a website that tracks organized crime in Latin America, reported that the homicide rate in Honduras hit its peak in 2011, hitting 86.5 murders per 100,000 people. But in recent years, the homicide rate has fallen sharply, to 40 per 100,000 in 2018, Insight Crime reported. Nevertheless, a spate of recent massacres shows Honduras remains a dangerous country. MORE: Border sheriffs: Trump's border wall 'a soundbite, not a cogent public policy position' During this year's first two weeks, 30 people were killed in eight massacres, said Adriana Beltran, director of the citizen security program at the Washington Office on Latin America, which promotes human rights, and economic and social justice. Hondurans often cite homicide, gang violence and domestic violence as reasons for leaving, the Pew Research Center reports. "Many people have noted the overall decrease in the homicide rate in several years," Beltran said. "But the massacres and continued and ongoing violence demonstrates that in many communities people are still feeling insecure." Poverty causes economic misery Honduran migrants walk along the roadside through Esquipulas, Guatemala, as they make their way toward the U.S. border, early Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. The latest caravan of Honduran migrants hoping to reach the U.S. has crossed into Guatemala. (Photo: Moises Castillo, Associated Press) Many migrants fleeing Honduras also cite poverty as a main reason for leaving. They hope to find better economic opportunities in the United States. More than 66 percent of Hondurans live in poverty, according to the World Bank. In rural areas, where many migrants are from, one in five people lives in extreme poverty, or on less than $1.90 a day, according to the World Bank. Surveys of recently deported Central American migrants found that work was a top motivator for their journey, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2016 data. Among Hondurans, 96 percent cited work as the main reason for coming. Government corruption is rampant Honduran migrants walk at dawn along the roadside through Esquipulas, Guatemala, as they make their way toward the U.S. border, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. The latest caravan of Honduran migrants hoping to reach the U.S. has crossed into Guatemala. (Photo: Moises Castillo, Associated Press) Hondurans are leaving also because corruption is deeply embedded in Honduras, the Washington Office on Latin America's Beltran said. Following the November 2017 re-election of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, more than 30 people were killed in violence that erupted from protests accusing Hernandez of stealing the election through fraud. Migrants bound for the United States in caravans frequently carry signs or yell "Fuero JOH," a reference to the president's initials, meaning Out with Juan Orlando Hernandez. Most recently, dozens of politicians and officials in Honduras were charged with diverting millions of dollars in public money for political purposes, including to fund Hernandez's 2013 campaign, according to Insight Crime. "Corruption has extended to the highest levels of politics," Beltran said. One clear example: In November, Juan Antonio Hernandez, a lawyer and former congressman from Honduras, was arrested in Miami and charged "smuggling of tons of cocaine from the Central American country into the United States, weapons offenses involving the use of machine guns and false statements to federal agents," according to NPR. He is the brother of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the Honduran president. In a video that has gone viral on social media, a teen who joined the most recent caravan describes why people are fleeing Honduras in a rap. "Es lamentable lo que pasa en Honduras. Pero que vamos a hacer si vivimos una vida dura," the teen raps. Translation: It's a shame what is happening in Honduras. CLOSE Arizona Republic reporters explain the difference between seeking asylum at the border and attempting to immigrate illegally. 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/immigration/2019/01/18/why-do-migrant-caravans-start-honduras/2606383002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/immigration/2019/01/18/why-do-migrant-caravans-start-honduras/2606383002/ |
What do turkeys have to do with standout Washington linemen Kaleb McGary and Greg Gaines? | The seniors were celebrated for being awarded the Morris Trophy as the outstanding linemen in the Pac-12 and talked about the foundation they helped build for the Husky program as well as hunting trips to Idaho. On a day in which their virtues were extolled to great length, Husky linemen Kaleb McGary and Greg Gaines good-naturedly copped to a shortcoming in their sporting ledger. For the last two springs, theyve gone turkey hunting together on the property of Gaines parents in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. Asked who performed better, McGary replied, I cant say hes any worse than me, because we still havent gotten a frickin turkey yet. One of these days, well get one. Gaines confirmed the shutout. Its frustrating, he frowned, to say the least. But that was about the only down note on an uplifting afternoon in which McGary and Gaines were awarded the Morris Trophy at the Washington Athletic Club. The honor is emblematic of being voted the top offensive and defensive lineman in the Pac-12, with the voting done by the leagues linemen themselves. It means an incredible amount to me, and I know it does to Greg, too, because its a sign of respect and appreciation that other players who are supposed to hate you have for you, McGary said. It just means the world, man. Only four sets of teammates have shared the award in the same year. The only other Huskies to do so were Lincoln Kennedy and Steve Emtman back in 1990. Gaines is the second straight UW defensive tackle honored, following Vita Vea, while Gaines is the first Husky offensive lineman to receive the Morris since Chad Ward in 2000. Contrasting the 6-foot-8, 324-pound McGary with the 6-2, 316-pound Gaines during the ceremony, draft analyst Rob Rang referred to the former as this majestic oak on a mountainside somewhere. He blocks out the sunlight almost. He protects everything around him. Gaines, on the other hand, Rang likened to a stubborn stump in your yard. That may not sound complimentary, I understand that, he said. But from a football perspective, we love stumps. Thats good stuff. You can try to dig it out, try to rip it out, try to drive over it. But after a few hours, that stump is going to be sitting there kind of smiling at you. Rang said he expects both to have productive NFL careers. Accordingly, Gaines and McGary will be headed to Mobile, Ala., later this month for the Senior Bowl, followed by the NFL combine in early March, with the draft scheduled for April. Its a whirlwind, but for Gaines, a more important date looms March 28. Thats when his wife, Sheyeann, is due to deliver their first child, a boy. As they prepared to leave Washington, the two fifth-year seniors reflected on their journeys. Gaines was mostly ignored by Pac-12 schools out of La Habra, Calif., High School, opting to go to Boise State. But when Chris Petersen took the Husky job, Gaines went with him. That was one of things we were scratching our head when he was coming with us to Boise, said Petersen, who attended the ceremony. This guy should be recruited by the world. Hes going to be big-time, we knew. McGary, meanwhile, arrived at Washington as a defensive lineman, but went along with Petersen, a bit reluctantly at first, when he suggested that the O-line was a better fit. He was willing to let me stay at D-line, McGary recalled. He wasnt going to force me. I suck, and they move me back to defense. I think its turned out pretty well so far. It wasnt until his second year, though, that McGary truly felt at home on offense. That first year, it was very evident I was very raw at the position, he said. It was a miracle if I got out of my stance in time, as many of my friends teased me about incessantly. Affectionately, though. In a question-and-answer session with emcee Mike Gastineau, McGary said his greatest pride was his role in elevating the Husky program. We switched the culture, he said. For a lot of years, the culture wasnt right, within the team and in the locker room .We corrected that in the right way, and thats really what led us to be where we are. Earlier, McGary had just one lament about his tenure. I wish dearly that I was here for maybe the pinnacle like if we had won the Rose Bowl and stuff like that, he said. But youve got to start somewhere and I think as seniors, this class has given the guys coming up after us a good foundation to stand on. Gaines listed off the programs accomplishments under their watch two Pac-12 championships, three straight New Years Six bowls, and a berth in the national playoffs. Its cool to help establish it and be a part of it, I guess, he said. I didnt really think of it like that. I was just playing ball. Its been the best five years of my life so far. And Petersen was properly grateful for the five years they gave to him and the staff. I have the most unbelievable stories about those guys, and Im not even talking about as football players, he said. I think that speaks for itself. I remember like it was yesterday when I was recruiting those guys, and the things we went through, as young guys to where they are now, to be team leaders. This is why you coach to see these two guys up here. I think of their playing ability, sure. But I think of a lot of other things. They were two of our team leaders. And we did. Now about those turkeys | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/stone-column-on-morris-trophy-winners/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Have Student Loans Caused A Drop In Home Ownership? | New research from the Federal Reserve suggests that student loan debt may have prevented some people from owning a home. Here's what the Fed found. Student Loan Debt Statistics In November, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said student loan debt is now a 'crisis.' According to the most recent student loan debt statistics, there are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. The average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loan debt, and the average student in the Class of 2017 has almost $40,000 in student loan debt. Today, student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category - second only to mortgages and higher than credit card debt and auto loans. By 2023, 40% of student loan borrowers may default on their student loans. Student Loan Debt and Buying A Home The Fed found that 36% of adults age 24-32 owned a home in 2014, which is a 9 percentage point drop from 2005. This age group experienced a drop that was twice the rate of all other homeowners during the same period. During this time period, the level of outstanding student loan debt approximately doubled. While student loan debt was not the central reason reason for the decline, it did play a factor. According to the Fed, "a $1,000 increase in student loan debt causes a 1 to 2 percentage point drop in the homeownership rate for student loan borrowers during their late 20s and early 30s." The Fed estimates that about 20% of the drop in ownership is attributable to student loan debt. That means that about 400,000 young people could have owned a home in 2014 had it not been for the increase in student loan debt. "This finding has implications well beyond homeownership, as credit scores impact consumers' access to and cost of nearly all kinds of credit, including auto loans and credit cards," the paper's authors wrote. "While investing in postsecondary education continues to yield, on average, positive and substantial returns, burdensome student loan debt levels may be lessening these benefits." The Fed proposed several recommendations to address student loan debt, including: reduce the cost of tuition increase state government investment in public institutions ease the burden of student loan payments, such as through income-driven repayment. 5 Quick Tips To Buy A Home When You Have Student Loan Debt If you want to maximize your chances to buy a home while you have student loan debt, focus on improving your credit score and debt profile. In addition to saving for a down payment, here are 5 tips to focus your efforts to buy a home: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/01/18/student-loans-home-ownership/ |
Will It Take An AdTech Crash To End Digital Ad Fraud? | A Series of Q&A Interviews With Innovators Working at the Intersection of Consumer Behavior and Business Transformation: Dr. Augustine Fou, the noted and some would say controversial, Cybersecurity and Anti-Ad Fraud Consultant and Researcher. Dr. Augustine Fou: I don't necessarily say any dollar amount. I just use ratios: 90/10 and 99/1. So, out of $100 billion spent on digital in the U.S, $10 billion goes to Meredith, Hearst, Conde, and other reputable publishers. So, that's a 90/10 ratio in terms of dollars. Then, in terms of impressions, it's 99/1 because those mainstream publishers have finite human audiences. Out of all the billions of display ad impressions, the quality publishers only generate about one percent of the impressions. The rest, the 99 percent is everything else because there's way more of it and its way lower cost when you buy it on the exchanges. So, I typically use ratios, not any dollar amount, because I only get to see slices of the universe. So, anything that's extrapolated to the whole industry is going to be wrong, including my number. So, I never do that. Rogers: Much has been written about ad fraud over the past few years. Dr. Fou: It's because nobody wants to solve it. I'll lay it out there for you. The middle man: I'll start there. All the ad exchanges, all the agencies that buy media, they want to buy more. If we cut out fraud, there's going to be way less inventory for them to buy. So, they do not want that. So, they will do everything they can to suppress news of fraud. They're going to use all the fraud detection companies like IAS and DoubleVerify and they say, "Oh, well, IAS said it's 0.5% percent fraud. So, everything's fine. Please keep buying." Bad guys are laughing all the way to the bank, because the good guys think, "Oh, well, we use IAS and DV. Therefore, we're safe. Therefore, we're going to keep spending billions." The bad guys will say, "Just bring me the money." You might as well hand it over to them. So, it's a false sense of security. It's not just that it doesn't work. It tricks people into spending more and, therefore, they're getting ripped off more. So, it's doing a disservice and a harm to the entire industry, to the entire ecosystem. That's the middle man. The publishers are the ones who are getting less revenue. Because when the marketers spend the dollars and the dollars get highway-robbed out of the ecosystem into the bad guys' pockets, the good publishers have less revenue left that could go through to them. So, they're getting hurt. But they are powerless in the sense that the fraud is not happening on their sites. But when a bad guy pretends to be a Hearst website, the marketers think they're buying Hearst, but they're actually not. So, in that case, their reputation is getting harmed. Then, finally, the marketer, you would think, would want to stop the fraud because it's their money. They're losing their money and they're not getting the marketing impact that they want. But, again, they want to buy more, and they've been sold on this concept that there's all these tens of billions of impressions in the long tail that they can be buying cheaply through ad exchanges. It would be quite embarrassing for them if they admitted that there was fraud in their campaigns, because they kept telling their boss everything was fine. So, even when we show marketers incontrovertible evidence of ad fraud, they'd rather choose to suppress the researchers and other people trying to help them so that they can tell their boss, "Everything's fine. Let me keep spending my budget." So, none of them want to hear about fraud. That's including the marketers. Long story short, every party in the entire supply chain wants it to continue. Therefore, no one wants to solve it. Dr. Fou: Much of the performance metrics are based on incorrect data. Bots are faking all the clicks, all the impressions and even some conversions. I recently published an article that shows how bots are faking the conversions. So, even those you can't rely on. I'll use the P&G example. If digital were actually driving any business results, then P&G cutting $200 million from their digital budgets, you would have seen a decrease in business outcomes. But they saw no decrease. The only thing that a marketer can and should do to test whether digital is actually driving any business outcomes for them is to start cutting budget. I would recommend most marketers cut $100,000. They can't cut $100 million like P&G. Cut $100,000. Wait for a month. See if there's any change whatsoever. Guarantee you there's no change. That's because the digital didn't drive any of those business outcomes. Those business outcomes would have happened anyway. Dr. Fou: No, I am not. I'm just saying the way it's being used right now is not correct a lot of the big brands are spending in digital trying to achieve reach and frequency. So, they're taking a TV advertising mentality into digital. The key difference is that in TV there is actually limited supply. So, say, for example, Super Bowl ads. There are limited 30 second spots. Therefore, when there's more demand, prices go up. They've been going up for a decade. In digital, however, CPM prices have been going down for a decade. That's because even though a lot of dollars are shifting into digital from TV, increasing demand, the supply side has gone up by orders of magnitude more. So, the supply has just exploded because it's all fake. Therefore, CPM prices have consistently gone down for the last ten years. There aren't enough humans on earth to generate that many ad impressions across display ad impressions, video ad impressions, mobile ad impressions, and now, CTV and OTT impressions. Most of it is made up. I would say 99.999 whatever number of 9 you care to put behind it. Therefore, those brands who are treating digital as a reach in frequency medium are using it incorrectly. Long tail websites, by their nature, should have very few humans. If they're long tail, that means their content is niche. Therefore, few humans would go there. Because they bought all their traffic. So, there's a convenient ecosystem set up with lots of different cogs in the wheel helping support this. All those traffic sellers, all those fake websites. They now combine to generate billions upon billions of impressions you can buy off the exchanges. Theres even fraud in viewability. Starting viewability for a good publisher is 66% because they actually have to array ads on a real webpage when you have 2 ads above and 1 below, youre at 66% viewability. It doesn't mean that that's a bad thing. So, when you say, "Oh, I'm only going to buy 100 percent viewable," you're actually increasing your risk of buying from fraudulent websites that either stack all their ads above the fold to make it all read as viewable, or they use Java Script code to trick the measuring services, just like Newsweek did last year and got caught. There's all this open source code out there that you can just take off the internet and use it to trick the viewability measurement. Rogers: You consult with companies all the time. Dr. Fou: I teach them how to solve the fraud themselves and they can actually discontinue using all the fraud detection tech companies and just look at their own analytics and reduce the fraud in their own campaigns. They can keep doing that. They basically don't have to pay anybody else to do it for them, because it doesn't work anyway. Dr. Fou: Very simple. But it's going to be shocking. So, the number of impressions that they can actually buy goes way down. The click-through rates go way down, because, first of all, they don't have to buy as many impressions because most of it has been shown to be bots anyway. So, that's one thing. The second thing is humans are really not that interested in clicking on a banner ad. Just think about your own habits. I can't remember the last time. It's been years. I'm a researcher and I actually do click on stuff. For the most part, humans don't click on banner ads. So, in that case, it's going to get back into the realm of .1% click-through rates, which is what it's supposed to be for display ads. Not 5%, not 10%, not 80% click-through rates. So, it's really hard for someone who doesn't want to hear it to see that. Rogers: I remember talking to Dave Morgan (serial adtech entrepreneur and current founder and CEO of Simulmedia) several years back about the rebate issue at agencies. He talked about it, wrote about it, but nobody listened. Then, finally, the K2 report came out from the ANA (Association of National Advertisers). It changed the industry fairly quickly. Dr. Fou: People who are actually in the know see this stuff. It's like people don't want to hear it. So, it gets suppressed and covered up for years until it can't be covered up anymore. But then you have an explosive report that comes out. This is going to happen with digital, just like with the financial crisis we have already seen. Dr. Fou: It's a glass house that will come crashing down. I don't think it's going to be a slow-burn kind of resolution to it. Even the VCs (Venture Capitalists) have every incentive to keep this going because the whole concept of hyper scaling, there's not enough humans to spend time online to continue to hyper scale. So, the only way you're going to get hyper scaling is by using artificial means, bots. So, in that case, the VCs don't want this to stop because they need a way to cash out. Everybody wants this to continue. But we have built ourselves a glass house and the only way this is going to get solved is when we have a crash like we did in 2000. Dr. Fou: I sure hope so. Because we're not doing real digital marketing right now. Real digital marketing means you generate your awareness and demand through TV ads, because that's still a very good reach of frequency mediums and make people aware of your product. Digital should be the medium that you use to harvest the demand. So, when they're searching for something, that is the ideal time for you to put an ad in front of them, because not only do you know when they're looking, you also know what they're looking for because they typed it in the keyword. Dr. Fou: I've been a small business owner for most of 23 years. I also worked at American Express. I also worked at Omnicom and IPG. But, for the most part of that 23-year period, I have been a small business owner. So, if I spend $50.00 on digital marketing and it doesn't give me a return, I can't spend the next $50.00 because I have to get returns. I grew up looking at analytics. Then, in 2012, when I left Omnicom, I got back to my own consulting practice and then started asking for data. That was when programmatic was just taking off, 2012, 2013. When I saw something strange, I asked for supporting data. Either they wouldn't give me the data or they'll say, "Trust us; we're correct. You just use our data." I say, "I'm a scientist. That doesn't cut it for me." When I started asking, "How is it possible that we're getting 30% click-through rates on some of these client campaigns," the fraud detection companies will say, "Oh, well, everything looks fine. So, trust us. It's our secret sauce, so we can't tell you how we measured it. Just trust us. The number's got to be right. Because we're MRC accredited, by the way." I knew I had to build my own tech so that I can gather some data and see what the heck is going on. You'll see my slide shares go all the way back to 2012, 2013. We'll see bots are clicking on stuff or visiting sites 24/7, in the overnight hours at the same volume of traffic as in the waking hours. But you know humans go to sleep. So, there should be lower volume overnight. From that point forward, whether it was fake YouTube views done by bots or fake clicks, all that kind of stuff, that's when I started researching and publishing. Despite the rise of all these fraud detection technology companies, they don't solve the fraud. In fact, they rely on fraud to continue so that they can keep making revenue. So, that's why I'm not a fraud detection technology company. I don't make money off of the measurement of fraud. Therefore, I don't have that conflict of interest that all the fraud detection technology companies do. My motive is to show them all the data and, in fact, educate them. Rogers: Yeah, because I've done all this research and work around marketing effectiveness. At the end of the day, it really comes down to having the right data. Yes, you need systems and process and a rigor behind the framework that you use, but you need the right data or else the whole system falls apart. So, I think this is like the last mile of marketing. Dr. Fou: Let me reconcile that for you because I've come across this over and over again and students and clients have asked me about this. "So, are you saying digital doesn't work?" I'm not saying that digital doesn't work. I'm saying it could work orders of magnitude better than what you're seeing right now. So, the way I think about marketing effectiveness is that its relative effectiveness, not absolute effectiveness that we're currently measuring. If we start cutting out the fraud and stop wasting our money buying all these impressions not shown to humans in the first place, the marketing effectiveness could go way, way up. So, just imagine if a company like P&G cut out half of their digital ad spend and just saved that money, that goes straight to the bottom line, I would bet you every single marketer can keep doing that and reduce what they're spending in digital and still get better business outcomes. Rogers: You would think some activist investor would be all over this for companies like P&G. If they could pull hundreds of millions of dollars out of their advertising spend without impacting business results, that would be savings that would drop to the bottom line, improve margins and help with the stock price. Dr. Fou: Yes. So, I think interviews like this will start to put this on the radar of activist investors because most brand marketers within those companies are not really aware. Wait till the CFO and CEO start asking questions, because an activist investor started asking them questions. Hopefully the positive spiral will begin then. Rogers: Thank you. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucerogers/2019/01/18/will-it-take-an-adtech-crash-to-end-digital-ad-fraud/ |
Who should manage Sidewalk Labs digital data? | If Waterfront Toronto gives Sidewalk Labs the green light this year to proceed with its smart city project, the Alphabet/Google-subsidiary will eventually begin installing a network of sensors in the public spaces, private buildings and infrastructure that will be developed at Quayside and perhaps on the Port Lands. These devices will continuously gather and transmit a massive amount of raw data everything from pedestrian traffic at intersections to energy readings. Those countless shards of data will create an ever-shifting pointillist portrait of an emerging urban neighbourhood going about its business. Theres a broad consensus that smart city data gathered by Sidewalk Labs must be shorn of any kind of personal identifying information and must be regarded as a public asset a kind of urban version of a natural resource, like crown forests or mineral deposits, writes John Lorinc. Theres a consensus that such data must be shorn of identifying information. Its also become clear, after all the intensive scrutiny of Sidewalks pitch, that these data sets are public assets urban versions of natural resources, like crown forests or mineral deposits. As such, the data must be governed in the public interest, in this case by a civic digital trust. This institutions mandate: to provide storage, privacy and security while making subsets of the data available to individuals, companies or agencies. In all likelihood, some of those applications will be for commercial uses. Sidewalk officials and Waterfront Torontos Digital Strategy Advisory Panel (DSAP) have been hunkered down for months with the largely unprecedented problem of figuring out how this trust should work, to whom it will answer, and how far its authority extends. Article Continued Below Last fall, MARS prepared a primer on civic digital trusts for WT, Sidewalk and DSAP officials, the contents of which was discussed a series of closed workshops but has now been posted on Waterfront Torontos website in response to a request by the Toronto Star. Earlier this month, the Toronto Region Board of Trade jumped into the fray with a pitch entitled Bibliotech: that the Toronto Public Library should be tasked with storing, managing and making available Sidewalks data, with privacy overseen by the provincial information and privacy commission. The board of trades brief says the library is consumer-facing and has plenty of experience in data management. But the main motivation comes from the librarys reputation. By folding it into a respected agency, this new trust wins public trust from day one. Other jurisdictions testing smart city and digital public service applications, including Barcelona, London and Estonia, have taken very different approaches, situating their data trusts at the centre of government. I dont dispute the librarys capabilities, but if we want to create a trust with the chops to properly oversee the smart city ventures that seem to be coming our way, policy-makers should heed the old architects adage, that form follows function. Tasks like storage, privacy and security are only half the equation. As Sidewalk officials have said, the company sees the sensors to be deployed in Quayside and elsewhere as platforms. The value will come from making the sensor data available to groups and companies that come up with ideas for using it. One need only look how Uber has taken full advantage of free access to a public resource streets to understand the stakes. Article Continued Below Sidewalk, which has scoped out its own vision of what a trust should do, in December revealed various use cases for its urban technology, among them tracking street parking spots. That information, once accessible via mobile apps, will become crucial to ride-hailing companies operating autonomous vehicles. Absolutely. Waterfront Toronto officials say theyve not yet tackled this problem. There are other tough questions. The board of trade acknowledges that scalability is important. Amidst all the debate, one point seems clear: if we want to create a robust digital governance system, we need to dedicate the resources to build it properly. Its about far more than riding the coat tails of a well loved local agency. John Lorinc is a senior editor at Spacing. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/01/18/who-should-manage-sidewalk-labs-digital-data.html |
Is a Beat in the Cards for Allegheny's (ATI) Q4 Earnings? | Allegheny Technologies Incorporated ATI is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2018 results on Jan 22, before the opening bell. In the third quarter, the company reported net earnings of $50.5 million or 37 cents per share, improving from net loss of $121.2 million or $1.12 in the prior-year quarter. Earnings, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 39 cents. The company reported revenues of $1,020.2 million in the quarter, up 17.4% year over year. Sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,001 million. Notably, Allegheny outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 41.4%. Allegheny has outperformed the industry in a years time. Shares of the company have lost around 11.3% compared with the industrys decline of around 15.7% over the same period. Lets see how things are shaping up for the forthcoming announcement. Allegheny Technologies Incorporated Price and EPS Surprise Allegheny Technologies Incorporated Price and EPS Surprise | Allegheny Technologies Incorporated Quote Earnings Whispers Our proven model shows that Allegheny is likely to beat estimates in the fourth quarter. That is because a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is the case here as you will see below: Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP for Allegheny is +3.18%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are currently pegged at 35 cents and 34 cents, respectively. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Allegheny currently carries a Zacks Rank #3, which when combined with a positive ESP, makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Note that we caution against Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Factors at Play Allegheny, in its third-quarter earnings call, stated that it expects year-over-year growth in operating margin and revenues at the High Performance Materials & Components (HPMC) division in the fourth quarter owing to improved asset utilization and higher aerospace market demand. The company also expects a year-over-year improvement in operating margin of 150-300 basis points on strong end-market demand, benefits from Hot-Rolling and Processing Facility (HRPF) utilization and solid rise in differentiated product sales. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter consolidated revenues for Allegheny is $981.4 million, reflecting an expected increase of around 7.8% year over year. Alleghenys Flat-Rolled Products (FRP) division benefited from improved cost absorption through higher operating rates along with enhanced matching of raw material surcharges with changes in prices for ferrochrome, nickel and other metallics in the third quarter. However, the company expects a significant price fall in major raw materials and sequentially lower ferrochrome and nickel prices to lead to weaker fourth-quarter results due to mismatch between input costs and the surcharge index pricing mechanism. Allegheny continues to improve its cost structure with its gross cost reduction initiative. The company expects to generate free cash flow of more than $150 million for full-year 2018 from operational improvement, financial performance and disciplined spending. Alleghenys JV with Tsingshan Group Company will also offer cost competitive stainless sheet products, made for the North American market, through a unique combination of Alleghenys innovative, low-cost HRPF, and Tsingshans unparalleled Indonesian refining, mining and castings assets, along with the JVs unique Direct Roll Anneal and Pickle facility in Midland, PA. Moreover, the JV supports Alleghenys considerable investment in the U.S. manufacturing operations, especially in its HRPF facility, which will provide value addition to the processing services for the JVs finished products. Alleghenys agreement with NLMK USA will also open up an additional growth opportunity in HRPF utilization. Other Stocks Poised to Beat Estimates Here are some other companies in the basic materials space that you may also want to consider, as our model shows these also have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: New Gold Inc. NGD has an Earnings ESP of +166.67% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Ryerson Holding Corporation RYI has an Earnings ESP of +48.34% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. LYB has an Earnings ESP of +2.37% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LYB) : Free Stock Analysis Report New Gold Inc. (NGD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ryerson Holding Corporation (RYI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/beat-cards-alleghenys-ati-q4-135901387.html |
Can Strong Memory Aid Lam Research (LRCX) in Q2 Earnings? | Lam Research Corporation LRCX is slated to report second-quarter fiscal 2019 results on Jan 23. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 4.67%. Lam Researchs surprise history has been pretty impressive. The company surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average being 9.70%. Shares of Lam Research have lost 31% in the past year compared with its industrys decline of 28.5%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider Lam Research has a high exposure in the memory segment, which is likely to witness notable growth in the coming quarters, driven by cloud computing, big data, mobile devices and IoT. The company is doing well of late and expects to flourish in areas such as device architecture, process flow and advanced packaging technology inflections. It continues to witness increased adoption rates for 3D NAND technology, FinFETs and multi-patterning. The company has undertaken cost-reduction activities as well as density scaling for 3D NAND, and new memory technologies. All these factors are likely to positively impact the top line of the company. For the quarter to be reported, the company expects revenues to be approximately $2.5 billion (+/- $150 million). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $2.50 billion. However, volatility in the PC market remains a major concern. Weakness in the PCs may offset the expansion in the 3D NAND, impacting its fiscal second-quarter results. Also, the company faces significant competition in all its product and service categories in the semiconductor capital equipment market. Lam Research Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Lam Research Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Lam Research Corporation Quote Earnings Whispers Our proven model shows that Lam Research is unlikely to beat estimates in the to-be-reported quarter. This 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: The company has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Currently, Lam Research has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider You may consider the following stocks with a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank: Amazon.com Inc. AMZN has an Earnings ESP of +0.68% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. KeyCorp KEY has an Earnings ESP of +0.80% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Waters Corporation WAT has an Earnings ESP of +2.45% and holds a Zacks Rank #3. Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Waters Corporation (WAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/strong-memory-aid-lam-research-135601173.html |
Can Medical Devices Strength Drive Abbott (ABT) Q4 Earnings? | Abbotts ABT Medical Devices business has been going strong of late on solid sub-segmental performance. We expect this strength to get reflected in fourth-quarter 2018 results, which are scheduled for release on Jan 23, before the market opens. Click here to know how the companys overall Q4 performance is expected to be. Medical Devices in Focus Abbotts Medical Devices segment presently comprises the new Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation, Heart Failure, Electrophysiology, Structural Heart, Rhythm Management, Vascular businesses along with the Diabetes Care business. Management expects high single-digit growth in Medical Devices fourth-quarter 2018 sales along with continued double-digit growth in certain sub-segments. Abbott Laboratories Price and EPS Surprise Abbott Laboratories Price and EPS Surprise | Abbott Laboratories Quote The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Medical Devices revenues in the United States of $1.29 billion indicates a rise of 6.6% from the year-ago quarter. Internationally, the consensus estimate of $1.63 billion shows growth of 6.5%. In the last quarter, sales improvement at the segment was driven by double-digit growth in Electrophysiology, Structural Heart and Diabetes Care. Moreover, the company received approvals for a few products alongside achieving clinical trial milestones. Let's see how things are shaping up within these sub-segments before the fourth-quarter results. Electrophysiology, which accounted for 14.4% of Medical Devices revenues in third-quarter 2018, has been gaining strongly from strength in cardiac mapping and ablation catheters. The trend is expected to continue in the fourth quarter. The company is expected to gain from continued solid demand for its Confirm Rx Insertable Cardiac Monitor this quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Electrophysiology revenues of $430 million indicates an increase of 12.9% from a year ago. The company is expected to keep gaining from this business. The Structural Heart business has maintained an impressive top-line performance. In the last reported quarter, this business accounted for 10.8% of total revenues under the broader Medical Devices segment. The upside was led by strong performances from MitraClip and AMPLATZER PFO Occluder. Last September, Abbott presented positive clinical results from its COAPT study supporting the efficacy of MitraClip for select patients with functional mitral regurgitation. This positive development is expected to boost the uptake of the product and top-line contributions from this sub-segment in the to-be-reported quarter. Our estimate for Structural Heart revenues of $345 million indicates a rise of 19% from the year-ago quarter. In Diabetes Care, international sales growth of 42% on a reported basis in the prior quarter was driven by Abbotts FreeStyle Libre. The company has initiated the launch of FreeStyleLibre in the United States as well. Proceeding with initiatives to boost this arm, the company received FDA approval for its FreeStyle Libre 14 day sensor in August 2018. In October, Abbott was granted CE Mark for its next-generation product with optional real-time alarms FreeStyle Libre 2 system. Following the developments, Abbott is expected to keep gaining from the continued uptake of the FreeStyle Libre in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Diabetes Care revenues of $544 million indicates a surge of 31.7% from the year-ago quarter. | https://news.yahoo.com/medical-devices-strength-drive-abbott-134401598.html |
Why Is Greece Such a Hot Spot of Left-Wing Terrorism? | Unlike the groups of the 1980s, the new terror groups that emerged in the mid-aughts lack any ideological vision and are more careless, analysts say. On the bright side, the preference for low-intensity violence and IEDs anyone is capable of fabricating (as one SPF manifesto boasted) means fewer deaths. Its really easy to kill people if you want, so the good news is that they dont want tobecause they have no political message to convey by killing, says Kiesling. Unlike clear and accessible communiques by other far-leftist groups, like The Coming Insurrection by Frances Invisible Committee, available statements by todays Greek terrorist groups are deliberately open-ended, often rambling, pseudo-intellectual, and designed for a very small, like-minded audience. But while less lethal, the attacks are also less targeted. Many small bomb attacks are so-called initiation, or recruitment bombs, by new members eager to show off their revolutionary chops and bomb-making skills. The Kolonaki church bomb was a recruit bomb and was likely placed by an individual who had a personal vendetta against the church. Earlier this month, a bomb went off outside a butcher shop in the working-class neighborhood of Kypseli. It was apparently an animal rights statement, but it severely injured a passerby. Nor are the groups uniformly low-tech: They have years of training and a decentralized power structure, which has led to enhanced operational capacities as well as access to military-grade weapons, often bought through organized-crime ties forged partly through the prison system. In Greece, there isnt a separate prison facility for individuals charged with terrorist-related activity. Instead, members of N17, SPF, and other groups are housed in the countrys biggest maximum-security prison, Korydallos. Within EU countries, left-wing terrorist offences get an average of ten years jail timesignificantly more than the average five for jihadist offences, or four for right-wing terrorist offences. In Greece, its even higher. According to Europol, the average prison sentence for a left-wing terrorist is 17 years. Outside of prison, groups congregate in the anarchist-stronghold of Exarchia, a so-called no-go zone that serves as a recruitment ground, cache for weapons, bomb-building, and safe house location. The mystery of Greek left-wing terrorism, however, is that it persists at all. Fewer than 400 terrorists operate within the country, according to Michaletos, among a population of around eleven million that possesses the third-highest ratio of police officers to civilians worldwide. After the assassination of Welch, the CIA poured millions of dollars into counter-terrorism and training operations in Greece; U.S. financial support continues. Greece is a small country, says Bossis. Its not very difficult [for] the authorities...to know who these people are, to understand them in depth, and to solve the problem. Regardless of whether a left-leaning party, like the current ruling Syriza, or a center-right party, like the main opposition New Democracy, is in charge, left-wing political violence continues. What is lacking is political will, says Michaletos. The right accuses the left of inaction; the left accuses the right of political exploitation. Distorting the discussion of left-wing terror in Greece is an uncomfortable reality, as a much more immediate and tangible threat comes from right-wing violence. Racist hate crimes in Greece tripled in 2017, impacting more people than left-wing terrorism. The state has proved woefully slow to address this, too: A trial of 69 members of the far-right political party Golden Dawn, for various criminal activities including racial violence and murder, that began in 2015 drags on to this day, with lawyers in the trial having been attacked by right-wing gangs. Ultimately, Greece faces an issue in checking extremist political violence across the spectrum. A bloated, inefficient, and selectively violent police force hasnt responded effectively to extremism. 2019 is an election year for Greece, but its unlikely that attacks on either the left or the right will abate by the time Greeks head to the polls in the fall. | https://newrepublic.com/article/152918/greece-hot-spot-left-wing-terrorism |
Will The IRS Be Able To Deliver On Its Promise Of A Normal Tax Season? | Tax filing season is due to begin in 10 days, and the Trump Administration says the IRS will be able to process returns as usual even though the service is subject to the partial government shutdown. It may depend on who you are. If you use a paid preparer or commercial tax software, have no reason to contact the IRS for assistance, and if your return raises no red flags, filing should be routine. By contrast, if you do try to get help directly from the agency, count on refundable tax credits to pay the bills, or if your return contains an error, filing season may get very frustrating, very fast. Many victims will be low-income tax filers who rely on free IRS assistance and whose claims for the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit may run into delays. Pretty normal Practitioners say that for manyperhaps mostfilers, tax season is likely to be manageable, though their refunds may take a bit longer than in the past. By deciding to bring back about 60 percent of IRS employees, the administration may have avoided some shutdown-related problems. The IRS should have sufficient staff to process routine returns, including refunds, relatively quickly. The agency has completed most testing of its systems, and its now-recalled IT teams should keep the computers running. Says one former senior IRS staffer, Filing season will be pretty much normal. But that doesnt mean everything will run smoothly. Filing seasons inevitably hit glitches even in the best of circumstances, and this years tax season is not that. Last year, the agency was unable to process returns at all during part of Tax Day. Limiting some services This year, taxpayers surely will run into problems. And the agencys cobbled-together shutdown plan hamstrings some key services that are important to many do-it-yourself taxpayers. The most obvious will be limited access to any human at the IRS who can answer questions. Last year, staffers at 371 IRS service centers helped 3.3 million taxpayers file their returns, though the centers often have been plagued by long lines and limited hours. But this year, those facilities will be shuttered-- at least until the agency gets funding. By contrast, IRS call centers will operate. However, there is a real question about how useful they will be. In a typical year, the IRS gets roughly 100 million phone calls and the centers are a critical source of help for those without computers or broadband service. Last year, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate,only about 40 percent of taxpayers who called actually got through to a live staffer and the average wait time was 23 minutes. It may be worse this season. Temporary workers In past tax seasons, the IRS hired more than 10,000 temporary workers to answer phones and process some returns. With a tight labor market, it would have been hard enough to hire these low-wage staffers. But this year it will be especially difficult because the IRS wont be able to pay them until the shutdown ends. The agency could fill the gap by reassigning permanent staff (who currently are not being paid) to respond to phone calls. The agency also must train these workers, a process that has been delayed, and one that is even more difficult because of the many changes made by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. IRS morale has been low for years. This is likely to make it worse. Adding to the challenge: Many taxpayers with very simple tax situations used to file Forms 1040 A or 1040 EZ. The IRS has dropped both, so that these filers will have to learn the Form 1040. Refundable credits Taxpayers who cant get answers from the IRS are more likely to make mistakes, and if their returns have errors, staff shortages may slow processing and delay refunds. Already, it appears that those claiming the EITC and CTC will have to wait longer than in the past to receive refunds. The law requires the IRS to hold their refunds until mid-February, but this year the delay may last at least a month. Volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) sites are another source of assistance for many low-income taxpayers. While those IRS-certified programs will be open for business, fewer than 5 percent of the IRS staffers the volunteers rely upon for support are being recalled to work. The IRS should be able to process uncomplicated e-filed returns with relatively few problems. But if your return includes data that does not match what is reported on information returns such a W2, if it is bounced due to errors, fraud, or because it is caught by an identity theft filter, the IRSs ability to process those returns may be delayed. By figuring out a way to get 60 percent of its staff back to work, despite the partial government shutdown, the IRS will process returns and deliver refunds this year, but dont be surprised if taxpayer services slow and filing is tougher, especially for those least able to rely on professional assistance. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2019/01/18/will-the-irs-be-able-to-deliver-on-its-promise-of-a-normal-tax-season/ |
What is open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? | Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday falling on the third Monday of every January. The day, also celebrating King's birthday, honors his legacy and shines a light on civil rights. King was assassinated in April 1968 on a motel balcony in Memphis. On Nov. 3, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill marking the third Monday of every January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King was born on January 15, 1929. The holiday was approved as a federal holiday in 1983, becoming the first federal holiday honoring an African American. Since then, many individuals and businesses have used to day to give back through public service. The U.S. Postal Service is closed in observance of MLK Day. UPS will remain open. FedEx will be operational, with modified service to FedEx Express and FedEx SmartPost. Most likely not. Federal Reserve Banks, TD Bank and Wells Fargo are among many banks nationwide that will be closed. Most ATMs and customer support centers will still be operational. The New York Stock Exchange is closed and most U.S. exchanges will also close. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. Most schools will be closed. Yes, most are open. Yes, most are open and some offer sales on the holiday. Most Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the U.S. will be closed. No. Check your local service. | https://news.yahoo.com/open-closed-martin-luther-king-160555606.html |
Have autonomous vehicles been overhyped? | Welcome to Friday Tech Crawl, where we highlight some of this weeks biggest tech stories. The race for autonomous vehicles has slowed down A few years ago, when automotive and technology executives began boasting about a near future where driverless cars would flood streets, a large amount of hype began growing around the concept. Recently, that hype has slowed down, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. After saying autonomous cars would be market ready in coming years, the automotive and tech world has taken a more realistic approach, the Journal wrote. Experts now believe it will be decades before driverless cars significantly replace human drivers on roads. Developers of the technology are still struggling with basic scenarios such as making unprotected left-hand turns and car robot confusion. Most tests completed by autonomous vehicles have included safety operators in the cars, with companies taking more cautious approaches after a fatal crash last year involving an autonomous vehicle operated by ride-hailing firm Uber. More headlines: Netflix says it has 10% of all TV time in the US and discloses some colossal numbers for its shows Netflix reported fourth quarter earnings on Thursday. Tim Cook calls for data-broker clearinghouse in push for privacy rules The Apple CEO asked the Federal Trade Commission to track data brokers and monitor how they use peoples digital information. Facebook blocks accounts linked to Russian state-owned Sputnik Facebook said on Thursday it had deleted hundreds of Russia-affiliated accounts. Elon Musk says that Tesla will end its buyer referral program on Feb. 1 The Tesla chief announced the news on Twitter. | https://www.statesman.com/news/20190118/have-autonomous-vehicles-been-overhyped |
Why is winning different to a New Orleanian? | The last time the Saints made a deep run in the playoffs like this, my daughter was not yet born. She turns 8 next week. Its funny how a kid can change your perspective by asking a simple, yet thought-provoking question. Why is it so important? After attempting to parent on the run, I dropped her off at school and have been pondering this philosophical inquiry since. Like many New Orleanians, I grew up as a Saints fan. Fittingly, the first Saints game I can recall attending was with my dad and brother on Dec. 18, 1983, against the L.A. Rams. The Saints were 8-7 and needed to win to advance to the playoffs for the first time and achieve their first winning season ever. The Rams didnt score a single offensive point until there were six seconds left in the fourth quarter. It was then that I experienced the first of many sports-related heartbreaks, when Mike Lansford kicked a 42-yard field goal to beat the Saints 26-24. I was devastated as I walked down the ramps of the inner belly of the Dome. Decades later, in the post-Katrina fog, the Saints became an emblem of hope for New Orleans and our region. Saints football was for all of us, for each other we needed it. Now I realize those wins had less to do with Katrina, with tragedy and rebirth, and more to do with who we really are as a community. Winning is important to a New Orleanian not because we want to brag about having a great football team but because of something much bigger. Make no mistake. Eagles fans, Giants fans heck, even Falcon fans are just as passionate about their teams. Every NFL franchise has a loyal fan base. But to those fans, football starts and ends with winning or losing, and then its over. In New Orleans, however, everyone who makes up the fabric of our community embraces this experience year-round. The Saints touch everywhere, from schools and the clergy to workplaces and governmental bodies. The Saints, especially when they are winning, enrich our community and human experience. In New Orleans, it isnt uncommon for a total stranger who has season tickets in the row behind you to become a close family friend, attending family funerals, weddings and major life events. The Saints have a new anthem. For Choppa, it's a whole new world When opponents come to town, were known to welcome them to the Dome by buying them a beer and giving them friendly advice about where to eat. We almost always thank them for spending the weekend and their money in our charmed city. We dance together. We celebrate together. Saints fans caravan out to Airline Drive after road games to thank our players, even if its after midnight, even if its freezing and even if we lost. We get to know the players personally, and they get to know us. Saints fandom is a true family in every sense of the word. When I think about it, I cant name another NFL city in which the players are more a part of the everyday fabric of the community than the Saints are in New Orleans. Our team does New Orleans they ride in our parades, they frequent our local establishments, they hold up our culture and celebrate our musical legends, they go to church with us and they even participate in debates about how to make New Orleans better. Then they retire, and many continue to live here, invest here and grow their families here. The spirit of community around the Saints is infectious. Or consider recent Congressional Gold Medal honoree and New Orleans legend Steve Gleason, a man who embraced being a New Orleanian and its virtues by showing the world what that means through his transformative fight against ALS. Many professional athletes have done incredible things with their fame and fortune, dont get me wrong. The difference is that our gridiron heroes do so as New Orleanians first, and in such a way that brings fans and the entire community along for the experience. To be a New Orleanian and experience what she has to offer is not a birthright. We welcome non-natives; we have no walls, just levees. Some people, like my dad, come for a weekend and stay for a lifetime. Others, like my mom, have New Orleans roots spanning generations. There are no social or economic requirements to dance at an impromptu second line before, during or after a Saints game. We are capable of celebrating multiple genres, such as Jimmy Buffett and Choppa, in the same collective breath. That is what makes us who we are, and that is ultimately what makes us different. We dont want this experience to end. The togetherness with new and old friends. The dance-offs some good, some not so good, but we dont care. The random post-touchdown hugs with complete strangers. We want two more weeks of it. Then well find a way to celebrate for another 10 years. Because dat is who we are. Christopher J. Kane is an attorney in New Orleans. | https://www.nola.com/opinions/2019/01/why-is-winning-different-to-a-new-orleanian.html |
Did pregnant Jessica Simpson just win the #10yearchallenge with a foot photo? | An expecting Jessica Simpson in New York City on Oct. 11, 2018. (Photo: Brian Ach/Getty Images) No doubt your social feeds have been inundated with #10yearchallenge posts, where people post photos taken a decade apart, mostly, in our opinion, to show how they are immune to the ravages of time. I mean, just look at Reese Witherspoon. Its amazing. Time sure does fly when you are having fun!! #10YearChallengepic.twitter.com/gruONFaDDn Reese Witherspoon (@RWitherspoon) January 15, 2019 MORE: Mariah Carey, Ellie Kemper and more stars share shocking transformations with the #10YearChallenge We, however, are partial to those who are making us chuckle with this annoying viral challenge. And Jessica Simpson just made us laugh out loud. The celebrity used her #10yearchallenge post to poke fun at the unpleasant pregnancy symptoms shes been dealing with. A week ago, Simpson, who's pregnant with her third child, posted a photo of a severely swollen foot and asked her Instagram followers, Any remedies?! Help!!! ! (According to the Mayo Clinic's website, foot and ankle swelling is common for pregnant women and typically goes away after the woman gives birth.) MORE: Pregnant celebrities 2019: Who's due, baby bump pics and gender reveals Now, the singer posted the same photo next to an older one showing her wearing daisy dukes shorts with non-puffy feet daintily tucked into sky-high wedges. She captioned it simply, #tenyearchallenge. Well played, Mama. Well played. Connect with us on Facebook. MORE: Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/01/18/pregnant-jessica-simpson-10-year-challenge-foot-photo/2613287002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/01/18/pregnant-jessica-simpson-10-year-challenge-foot-photo/2613287002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-lifetopstories |
Can the Twins upend the Indians in the AL Central in 2019? | The AL Central should be baseballs easiest division to predict. The Cleveland Indians have captured three division titles in a row; last year, none of their competitors finished within a dozen games of first place. And so far, there hasnt been any seismic winter activity to change the divisional landscape. But there have been a few small tremorsmost of them coming out of Cleveland, though none have been particularly promising for the team. The Indians have let essentially all of their free agents walk (Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller, Lonnie Chisenhall), and executed trades primarily to cut costs (Yan Gomes, Yonder Alonso, Edwin Encarnacion). None of these deals was bad, and taken the team doesnt look dramatically worse. But it certainly doesnt look better. Clevelands cushion in the division is large enough to pull off this kind of lull: The team may not have improved, but itll almost certainly still win the AL Central. Its easy to imagine the potential for a different approach hereusing the security of a weak division as a green light to go all the way in and build a team designed to play not just in October, but through Octoberbut Clevelands front office and ownership apparently hasnt decided to play that way. After being swept out of the first round in 2018, the team hasnt done much to avoid a similar fate for 2019. DICKEY: Adam Ottavino Bolsters the Yankees' Incredible Bullpen Its still far more likely than not that Cleveland wins the AL Central. Its not probable, but its possible, and Cleveland certainly hasnt done much this winter to guard itself against any surprises. There arent enough miracles around to bring anything real out of the ongoing rebuilds Kansas City or Detroit. The White Sox are lined up to start making a splash in 2020 or 2021, but even if they manage to secure their dream of Manny Machado, its hard to imagine them competing 2019. This leaves the most likely potential challenger as the Twins, who finished in second place last yearand played in the wild card game in just 2017, although that was easy to forget with a 78-win 2018. It seems like it might! The Twins havent lost much this winter, but theyve added a little. Most notably, they signed a one-year deal with slugger Nelson Cruz; theyve also brought on pitcher Blake Parker, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, first baseman C.J. Cron and, of course, a new manager in Rocco Baldelli. Individually, none of these seems like a transformative upgrade, but collectively, they might end up feeling fairly significant. Minnesota isnt pushing all its chips in to go for something big, but its trying to do something. The 2019 Twins seem likely to be better than the 2018 Twins. The question is just by how much. First, heres what was working last year: Outfielder Eddie Rosario has had back-to-back seasons with a 115 OPS+ or above. Shortstop Jorge Polanco missed most of the first half with a PED suspension, but when he was on the field, he had his sharpest performance yet. Backstop Mitch Garver was quietly solid at the platejust above average, which put him in the top third of hitters among catchersand Jake Cave had a promising rookie season in centerfield, with a 113 OPS+. On the mound, Jose Berrios emerged as the staffs ace in his second full year in the big leagues; Kyle Gibson rebounded from abysmal performances in the two seasons prior to have the best year of his career with a 121 ERA+; and Taylor Rogers stepped forward as a bright spot in the bullpen. VERDUCCI: How Bryce Harper Could Change His Carrer in Philadelphia Obviously, taken together, this talent still wasnt enough for a winning team. But it was and is enough for a decent foundation, which should only be strengthened by the fact that most of the above players are developing young talents. And if the teams offseason additions perform roughly in line with what theyve done in the last few seasons, they stand to add a few more wins. (In particular, Cruz can still rake even as he approaches 40, and Parkers last two seasons have given him a quiet reputation as a steady bullpen talent.) With modest improvement from the aforementioned young players, along with a boost from winter acquisitions Minnesotas probably still not quite at the level of legitimate contention. It might be close, especially if injury and underperformance come for Clevelandespecially if the team doesnt do anything to acquire the outfield and bullpen help that it desperately needsbut Minnesota could likely use an extra boost. A Breakout or Two Some moderate improvement by a set of individual players could help bump Minnesota from 78 wins toward the even mark of 81. If a handful of guys can produce something more than moderate improvement, obviously, the teams picture might look considerably rosier. Two players who havent been mentioned so far are the two who were once expected to lead the team into the future: Byron Buxton and Miguel San, both of whom faced significant setbacks last year. Theyd each been on the rise in 2017; Buxton was a down-ballot candidate for MVP, and San was named an All-Star. But in 2018, Buxton spent much of the year injured and struggled even while healthy. San, meanwhile, was sent down to the minors after a miserable stretch at the plate that followed a hamstring problem. If either can bounce back and move forward, it could pay off in a big way for Minnesota. A Little Investment In Pitching The Twins have hardly any payroll committed beyond next yearwhich could make it a perfect time to invest in their pitching, a long-standing weak spot for the team. A splashy signing like Dallas Keuchel or Craig Kimbrel doesnt seem especially likely for this front office, but hey, with the way that the markets been shaken up, maybe its not so crazy! (A pair of more realistic options might be Wade Miley and Cody Allen.) At any rate, an upgrade of some sort is needed hereMinnesotas 98 ERA+ last year, 20th in baseball, shows thatand there are still several decent possibilities on the market. The Twins path to contention isnt clear; again, nor is it super likely. But Clevelands recent complacency means that, even if you have to squint to see it, the road is more visible than it was a few months ago. | https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/01/18/minnesota-twins-offseason-jose-berrios-byron-buxton |
How Much Can Apple Gain By Partnering With Insurers To Sell Apple Watch? | Apple is reportedly in talks with multiple insurers, discussing possible ways to subsidize the cost of the Apple Watch for seniors on Medicare Advantage plans. If the discussions come to fruition, it could prove to be a win-win, allowing Apple to bolster Watch sales while potentially helping insurers lower their healthcare costs. In this note, we try to size up the potential market for the Watch among seniors on Medicare Advantage plans. View our interactive dashboard analysis How Much Revenue Can Apple Watch Garner From Medicare Advantage Market By 2020?. You can make changes to our projections to arrive at your own estimates. Win-Win For Apple, Insurance Companies With the latest Apple Watch Series 4, Apple has added features such as fall detection and the ability to detect irregular heart rhythms, helping seniors better monitor their health and wellbeing. Moreover, as the watch collects real-time data relating to a users heart rates and movement, it could allow insurance companies to put together a more accurate picture of a patients health, enabling them to refer patients to requisite care in a timely fashion, reducing the chances of emergencies and lowering costs. The Apple Watch could also motivate users to lead more active lives. While these features could be very useful to many senior citizens, the price of the latest Apple Watch starts at about $400, making it unaffordable to many seniors. By working with insurance companies, Apple could figure out a way to get its wearable device onto the wrists of more senior citizens in a cost-effective manner. Medicare Advantage Is A Large, Fast Growing Market While some insurers such as UnitedHealthcare have worked with Apple in the past, offering free Apple Watches to customers who meet walking goals, deploying the Apple Watch in the Medicare market could add more value to both Apple and insurers. Medicare Advantage plans typically allow senior citizens to receive their Medicare benefits through a private, Medicare-approved insurance company. Moreover, Medicare members enrolled in private plans typically have lower churn levels, giving insurers more reason to invest upfront to leverage longer-term gains from these customers. There were 20.4 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans as of 2018. These plans accounted for 34% of Medicare beneficiaries as of 2018, up from 22% in 2008, and the number could expand further with major insurers announcing expansion plans. If we assume that there are 21 million enrollees on Medicare Advantage plans by 2020, and that Apple is able to sell watches to about 20% of them, it would translate into about 4.3 million incremental Apple Watches shipped. If we assume an ASP of about $350 per watch, it could imply additional revenue of about $1.5 billion for Apple. While this is a drop in the bucket compared to Apples $250 billion-plus in annual revenue, breaking into the market could potentially help Apple expand deeper into the healthcare space with new products and services. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/18/how-much-can-apple-gain-by-partnering-with-insurers-to-sell-apple-watch/ |
Is It Considered Unethical For Doctors To Profit From Pharmaceutical Companies? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by David Chan, MD from UCLA, Stanford Oncology Fellowship, on Quora: Many doctors work directly for biotech and pharmaceutical companies as well as medical device companies full time. They are doing research, product development or management. In fact, some of them are owners of the companies. Thats fine. They are not in the practice of medicine. For other doctors, they are sometimes consultants who are paid for their time in advising a company about drug or device development. I think that is fine too as long as the reimbursement is standard rates per hour of work. Its unethical for doctors who are paid as consultants to not reveal that relationship prior to presenting data at scientific meetings or education symposia. Doctors definitely should not be getting kickbacks or fees for using a medical device or for prescribing a drug. Doctors should also not be making money by withholding treating. There are small areas of the US in an HMO system where cancer drugs are completely capitated. That means the contracted oncology group is payed a global fee for care that is all inclusive including the cost for any cancer drug used. These drugs are incredibly expensive. Any given treatment is a direct cost to the cancer specialist and withholding a treatment is a direct financial benefit. Most people find that kind of arrangement disturbing. Probably the most ethical financial arrangement is salarying physicians. A large number of medical specialists are now affiliated with healthcare delivery systems and are salaried. This takes the financial incentive to treat or not treat out of the equation. 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/2019/01/18/is-it-considered-unethical-for-doctors-to-profit-from-pharmaceutical-companies/ |
What Is Netflix's Outlook For Q1 And 2019? | Netflixs Q4 earnings per share beat consensus estimates but revenues fell short of market expectations. The company reported net streaming additions of 8.86 million in the quarter. In Q4, the companys revenues grew a robust 27% year-over-year (y-o-y) to $4.2 billion, driven by growth in subscribers across both the U.S. and international streaming markets. The international subscriber base continued to increase at a rapid pace (40% y-o-y) once again, while the domestic subscriber base growth stabilized in the low double digits. Further, the streaming giants operating margin fell to 5.2% in Q4 from 7.5% from an year ago quarter, as higher marketing costs and more titles being introduced were absorbed. For the full-year 2018, Netflix recorded $7.5 billion in content amortization and expects this amount to grow further. The company also reported negative cash flow of $3 billion for 2018 and expects a similar level in 2019. Netflix saw its stock gain nearly 20% over the course of 2018. We have a $376 price estimate for Netflixs stock, which is almost 10% ahead of the current market price. We have created an interactive dashboard on what to expect from Netflixs Q1, which outlines our forecasts for the company in the next quarter. You can modify our forecasts to see the impact any changes would have on the companys earnings and valuation. Below we outline the key takeaways from Netflixs Q4 as well as its outlook going forward. Streaming Business Continues To Grow Streaming revenues increased 30% y-o-y to $4.1 billion as the companys subscriber base grew across both U.S. and international streaming services. U.S. Streaming revenues increased by 22% y-o-y to $2 billion. U.S. streaming memberships grew by 11% to 60.5 million (5.8 million addition y-o-y, 2 million sequentially), while the contribution margins for the U.S. Streaming business decreased to 29.6% from 30.9%. International Streaming revenues grew 36% y-o-y to 2.1 billion. In Q4, total memberships for international streaming services grew to 87.9 million (25 million addition y-o-y, 9.3 million sequentially), while paid subscribers grew to 80.8 million (22.9 million addition y-o-y, 7.3 million sequentially). Additionally, the contribution margins grew to 3.9% from a 2.5%, largely due to the timing of content deals that have been pushed back to later quarters. Overall, Netflixs paid memberships were 139.2 million at the end of the quarter, while its total memberships grew to 148.4 million. Q1 Expectations In Q1, Netflix expects 8.9 million global net additions (1.6 million net adds in the U.S. and 7.3 million internationally), compared to an 8.5 million consensus estimate. The company also expects an operating margin of 8.9% in Q1. Further, the company is also raising its prices in Q1 in the U.S. and some Latin American markets. We forecast Netflix to reach 62 million subscribers in the U.S. with an average monthly fee per subscriber of just over $11, translating into $2.1 billion in domestic streaming revenues for Q1. In addition, we also estimate close to 95 million subscribers in international markets with an average monthly fee per subscriber of $8.28, translating into about $2.4 billion in international streaming revenues in the same period. Netflix has been growing its subscribers by leveraging its original content slate, and we expect this to continue in the near term as well. On the other hand, Netflixs DVD business is expected to continue to lose steam, and its revenues will likely decline to just below $80 million. Overall, we expect the company to report revenues of around $4.5 billion, based on strong adoption in international markets. Furthermore, we anticipate that the total subscriber base for both international and U.S. streaming services could grow to over 157 million during the quarter. Netflixs new pricing in the U.S. will be phased in for existing members over Q1 and Q2, and its U.S. prices for new members are increasing across the board the Standard plan (two HD streams) is increasing from $10.99 to $12.99 per month; the Premium plan (up to four Ultra HD streams) is increasing from $13.99 to $15.99 per month; and the Basic plan (with a single non-HD stream) is increasing for the first time, from $7.99 to $8.99 per month. This will help boost the companys average revenue per customer over the coming quarters. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/18/what-is-netflixs-q1-outlook/ |
What Are The Most Common Mistakes First-Time Entrepreneurs Make? | originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Patrick Mathieson, software investor at Toba Capital, on Quora: The most common mistakes made by first time entrepreneurs: Over-weighting the opinions of investors/VCs. Raising money from investors you dont trust/raising money from investors who dont truly believe in the founding team. Not impacting the market frequently enough (for example, waiting to start selling until v1.0 is completely finished). Over-complicating their messaging (assuming that the average person will give them more than 0.1 seconds of their attention). Not thinking enough about sales velocity & whether their clients have the desire & ability to buy quickly. Not identifying the types of customers who will buy at a high enough price point to support the business model. Thinking that selling to one enormous client will solve all of their problems. Poor prioritization & working on way too many initiatives at once. Not spending enough time cultivating allies (its better to have 1 industry ally who is obsessed with your product/service than 10 who are merely aware of you). Over-obsessing about PR and looking like a hot startup in general. Waiting too long to fire people. Hiring risky or mediocre people among your first dozen hires. Working somewhere that is inherently distracting. Not getting any sleep. 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/2019/01/18/what-are-the-most-common-mistakes-first-time-entrepreneurs-make/ |
Will federal shutdown delay $1.3 million Covington lead project? | CLOSE Lead is a naturally occurring element in our environment. Its past and current use in several products mean we can be exposed to it from several sources. Lead is particularly dangerous for children under 6 years old. The Enquirer/Mike Nyerges Covington won a $1.37 million grant that will fund a program later this year to protect children from lead-based paint in older homes. That's the good news. The ongoing federal shutdown could delay the start of the project. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Program, and Covington is the only local government in Kentucky to be awarded money under the grant. The city expects to receive the funds by March 31 and begin implementing a program later this summer, said Jeremy Wallace, the citys federal grants manager. But the program could hit a delay if the shutdown continues, according to city spokesman Dan Hassert. As soon as the government reopens, HUD will contact us to begin negotiating the final terms of the grant. That will take approximately three months, he said. There shouldn't be any risk of losing the grant unless the government never reopens. Covington has a large number of housing units at risk for lead poisoning, based on the age of the paint and the condition of the house. (Photo: Provided) Breathing the lead-paint dust or swallowing tiny chips of lead paint can cause health problems in young children, including damage to the brain and other vital organs. Factors such as the age of citys housing stock and the number of children under age 6 living in low-income households, helped the city qualify for the grant. HUD estimated that 1,760 housing units in Covington - or over 10 percent of those in the city - would be eligible for the program. SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Subscribe now and get access to all our coverage Its a big problem in Covington because we have so many older homes, because some of them are in bad condition, with the paint chipping and peeling, and because we have a large number of children in low-income households living in such homes, Wallace said. The cost for making any individual housing unit lead-safe is typically about $15,000 to $20,000, Wallace said. He said the city estimates the program will remove lead hazards at about 45 homes during the three-year program, he said. The city will work with outside partners to identify houses and rental units where children are already suffering from lead poisoning, based on elevated blood levels, and to assess other homes at high risk for the presence of lead-based paint. Outside partners working with the city are: Northern Kentucky Health Department Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Children Inc. The Center for Great Neighborhoods Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky The Covington Neighborhood Collaborative Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/18/federal-shutdown-delay-1-3-million-covington-lead-project-hud-grant-award-protect-children/2613922002/ | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/01/18/federal-shutdown-delay-1-3-million-covington-lead-project-hud-grant-award-protect-children/2613922002/ |
Why is a Meter missing from the Jazz Fest 2019 poster? | The 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster is intended as a sort of family portrait of the New Orleans musical stars whove appeared at the fest, plus a few forefathers of jazz. I count 55 faces in the colorful crowd. From the start, the poster producer art4now acknowledged that there would be some omissions. Thats no surprise. But a colleague of mine pointed out a particularly head-scratching absence. Though four members of the legendary funk band The Meters are present (Art Neville, Cyril Neville, George Porter and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste), the fifth member, guitar maestro Leo Nocentelli is missing. It was no accident. Nocentelli said that he was originally included among the musicians on the 2019 poster, but was later removed. Nocentelli declined to go into great detail about why he was erased, except to say: They took me off because what I stood for was self-respect and respect for all the other great artists. We werent going to receive that respect. Its not about me; I was fighting for all the great artists in New Orleans. Nocentelli believes that his omission makes the poster historically incorrect. You do not put the Meters in that setting incomplete, Nocentelli said. Just like you dont put in the Beatles without Paul McCartney. Leo Nocentelli performs with the Meters on the Gentilly Stage during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday, May 7, 2017. (Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune) Worse yet, Nocentelli said, is the crucial absence of R&B pioneer David Louis Bartholomew. Nocentelli said that the original concept for the poster, as he understood it, was something similar to Art Kanes 1958 historic group photo, a Great Day in Harlem that gathered so many of the master musicians of the era. Nocentelli said he admires the artistry of the new poster, which was designed by Scott Guion, but the underlying concept went off the rails. In a peeved Instagram post, Nocentelli called the poster a fake and accused the artist of misrepresenting the reason he was removed. Im not telling anyone not to buy this poster, Nocentelli wrote, However you will be buying a disgrace to the musical heritage of my great city and the heritage of the great New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival." Nocentelli pointed out that his personal relationship with Jazz Fest goes back to before there was a Jazz Fest. Nocentelli said that festival producer Quint Davis discussed the concept of a jazz and heritage festival with him and Modeliste before helping found the event. NOLA.COM See every Jazz Fest poster from 1970 to 2019 Weve written to art4now for an explanation of the absence but havent heard back. NOLA.com readers who commented on the poster suggested that Deacon John, Bobby Blue Bland, members of the Batiste family, Marcia Ball and Bruce Brice (the artist who drew the very first Jazz Fest poster) should have been included. Others suggested that placing Jimmy Buffett in the New Orleans musical pantheon was a bit of a stretch. Id add that Big Freedia is representing a whole lot of New Orleans rap and bounce heritage all by herself. The 2019 Jazz Fest poster includes everyone from Buddy Bolden to Big Freedia Heres a list of all the stars on the 2019 poster, as provided by art4now. Left top: Philip Frazier, Kermit Ruffins, Joseph Pierre "Big Chief Monk" Boudreaux, Uncle Lionel Batiste, Big Chief Theodore Emile, Big Chief "Bo" Dollis and Matthew Fats Houston. Riding the streetcar: Ellis Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Mahalia Jackson and Ernie K-Doe. Second line (left section): Charles Neville, Aaron Neville, Cyril Neville, Ivan Neville, George Porter, Jr. and Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, with Art Poppa Funk Neville in front. Front line: Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint, Antoine Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, Henry Roeland Professor Longhair Byrd, Malcolm Dr. John Rebennack, and Harry Connick Jr. Line above front line: The Dixie Cups (Barbara Ann Hawkins, Rosa Lee Hawkins and Joan Marie Johnson), Ben Jaffe, Alois Maxwell Al Hirt, Louis Prima, Stanley Joseph Buckwheat Zydeco Dural Jr., and James Booker III. Second line (right section): Jon Batiste, Pierre Dewey Pete Fountain LaFontaine Jr., Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews, Freddie Big Freedia Ross, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, James William Jimmy Buffett, and Clifton Chenier. Balcony: Documentary photographers Jules Cahn and Michael P. Smith, festival progenitors Allison Miner, Quint Davis, Joyce Wein and George Wein. Statues: Buddy Bolden, Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe Jelly Roll Morton. The prints (an edition of 13,600) sell for $95 to $995 dollars, depending on the autographs included). The publisher art4now began accepting orders for the print at 12:01 a.m. Friday (Jan. 18). Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music and culture in New Orleans. Contact him via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment stream. | https://www.nola.com/entertainment/2019/01/why-is-a-meter-missing-from-the-jazz-fest-2019-poster.html |
Will Washington pass the "10 Year Challenge"? | A lot can happen in a decade. We compile and lose memories, plus we add 10 more birthday candles to the cake. But when we think about our lives a decade ago, there is more to ponder than simply how we used to look, and what we used to wear. Like many of you, I spent some time this week in January of 2009. I took the "10 Year Challenge." I posted a picture from 10 years ago and one from more recently. It's not really a challenge to post pictures of yourself on social media; you don't need grappling hooks. It's not that hard to climb Mount Vanity. A lot has changed in those 10 years. The t-shirt I'm wearing is for a band that no longer exists. The girl I'm holding my daughter was recently mistaken for my wife. Social media usually distracts us with the immediate, but this challenge injects perspective. My notebooks say that 10 years ago I was covering the inauguration of the first African-American president. A snapshot of January 18, 2009 shows that the most popular story on the internet said Republicans were giving the new guy the benefit of the doubt. President Bush called Obama's inauguration "a moment of hope and pride." That snapshot of good relations in Washington looks nothing like today. Though the story also quoted a congressman from Iowa who said Obama's inauguration meant "Al Qaeda ... (would be) dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11th." That congressman, Steve King, was sanctioned this week by his Republican colleagues for questioning why terms like "white supremacist" should be considered offensive. That's the challenge I see in those pictures and it's the challenge for Washington, too. If you took a snapshot of Washington today it would be grim. We hope that the picture in 10 years will be brighter, and that leaders will focus on that picture and not the next tweet or photo-op. Otherwise, they will have failed their challenge. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-washington-pass-the-10-year-challenge-john-dickerson-reporters-notebook/ |
Is the stock market open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day? | Monday was a positive day for the broad U.S. markets. All of the major exchanges had a solid performance despite the Dow and the S&P 500 starting out negative. Crude oil made another solid gain in the session. The S&P 500 sectors were almost entirely positive. (Photo: xijian / Getty Images) U.S. stocks markets will be closed Monday, Jan. 21, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Foreign financial markets will be open. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will resume normal trading hours on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association also recommends that the U.S. bond market close on Monday. The next market holiday is Washington's Birthday, which falls on Monday, Feb. 18. CLOSE After 19 years covering the stock market for USA TODAY, Adam Shell gives his best advice on how to successfully invest in the market. USA TODAY Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/01/18/stock-market-mlk-day-closed-holiday/2613060002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/01/18/stock-market-mlk-day-closed-holiday/2613060002/ |
Could Tottenham's Season Implode Without Harry Kane? | In the final seconds of Manchester Uniteds 1-0 win over Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday evening the England defender managed to tread on Harry Kanes ankle. As the final whistle blew, Kane slumped to the turf and was quickly attended to by the Tottenham physio, but the striker could not help but wear an expression of weary resignation. He knew. It soon transpired Kane had damaged ligaments in his ankle and was ruled out for an estimated six weeks until at least the start of March. Kane will now be on the sidelines for a crucial phase in Tottenhams season, missing up to seven fixtures in the Premier League, both legs of their last sixteen tie against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, the fourth round FA Cup tie at Crystal Palace, and the second leg of their League Cup semi-final against Chelsea next week. Should Tottenham triumph at Stamford Bridge, Kane appears destined to miss the League Cup final against Manchester City at the end of February, which would represent the clubs best chance to win a trophy for over a decade. It is undeniably grim for Tottenham and Kane, who will now be on crutches when his club needed him on the pitch in these four competitions. The fear inside Tottenham is the inopportune timing of this injury could undermine their whole season, which until now had looked very promising. By the time Kane recovers from his injury Tottenham might be out of the FA Cup, Champions League, League Cup, and have even slipped out of the top four in the Premier League. Kanes absence really could make that big a difference. Since Mauricio Pochettino became Tottenham manager in 2014, Kane has scored 119 Premier League goals, more than a third of the clubs total of 333. To add insult to Kanes injury, Tottenham will also be denied the services of Son Heung-min, who is now at the Asian Cup with South Korea in the UAE, and could be there until the final at the beginning of February. Between them, Kane and Son have scored 22 goals in the Premier League for Tottenham this season, which equates to nearly half of the clubs goals. Tottenhams visit to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on Sunday will have a strange feel to it for since Son joined the club in the summer of 2015, either he or Kane has featured in every Premier League game. The task of coping without these players, especially Kane, will severely test Pochettino over the coming weeks. After failing to spend any money in the transfer market last summer, Tottenham do not have a squad equipped to deal with such crucial absences. When Romelu Lukaku was out injured, and then out of form, Manchester United could turn to Alexis Sanchez and latterly Marcus Rashford, who scored the winner last Sunday, but Tottenham do not have that luxury. Instead Pochettino must decide between Tottenhams cast of back-up strikers Lucas Moura, Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen. The Tottenham manager has already dismissed the claims of Janssen, who has not played for the club since August 2017, and tersely announced that he was not in his plans. The forgotten man will stay forgotten. Spanish striker Llorente represents the most obvious stand-in for Kane, having scored 4 goals in 13 games so far this season, and scored a hat-trick for Tottenham against Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup two weeks ago. Llorente is a threat in the air, and can be clinical in front of goal, but simply lacks Kanes guile, work-rate and awareness around the penalty box. The Brazilian Lucas is another obvious option; he has already played through the middle as a striker this season, and has scored 8 goals, but he is currently unavailable and coming back form a knee injury at the moment. As we are now in January, Pochettino could enter the market to boost his options, but any striker knows they would only be handed a stand-in role until Kanes return, and this naturally limits the quality of any signing. Were always were open to improving our squad but I think Harrys injury is not going to put pressure on us to sign players, the Tottenham manager has said to dampen expectations. We know very well the market now is so difficult, and the circumstances that we have. It is clear Tottenham will not carry the same threat in Kane's absence, and now will be desperately hoping they can safeguard their season until his return. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/sampilger/2019/01/18/could-tottenhams-season-implode-without-harry-kane/ |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.