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Are superheroes actually more violent than villains? | by Deron Dalton Superheroes are more popular than ever, but CNN recently revealed in a surprising movie study that our favorite derring-doers actually cause more damage than you might think. Heroes are known to commit violent acts in order to take down villains. These violent acts cause collateral damage that may actually endanger civilians. But heroes are self-aware and typically try to ensure civilians are safe and away from the danger. A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition revealed superheroes actually cause more damage than villains, according to CNN: "We actually found the protagonists were performing a greater amount of violence per hour than the antagonists. Protagonists were performing 22.7 violent events per hour, while the antagonists, or bad guys, were performing 17.5 events per hour," said John Muller, a medical student at Penn State College of Medicine and lead researcher of the project. The findings have not been published or peer-reviewed. The research looks at 10 superhero films from 2015 and 2016: "Suicide Squad," "Batman: The Killing Joke," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows," "X-Men: Apocalypse," "Captain America: Civil War," "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Deadpool," "Fantastic Four," "Ant-Man" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron." To work out who was committing the violent act, "each major film character was classified as either a protagonist ('good guy') or antagonist ('bad guy')," the research says. But on the flip side, superheroes go up against violent villains all the time, and the difference is that heroes typically think about the safety of civilians, even while committing collateral damage. Also, in the Marvel Universe, there's Damage Control, a construction company that cleans up after fights between heroes and villains. Damage Control is a representation of realistically acknowledging that superheroes must perform violent acts to get the job done, and beyond ensuring that civilians are safe, they help to repair collateral damage they might cause. The self-awareness and significance of Damage Control has been highlighted by Marvel in the animated series "Ultimate Spider-Man." DC devoted an entire show called "Powerless," focused on an insurance company that deals with repercussions of civilians being hurt in violent acts between heroes and villains. Unfortunately, the comedy was canceled too soon after just one season. Check out a clip of Damage Control on Ultimate Spider-Man below, and let us know what you think by voting on if you think superheroes are just as guilty, or worse, than the villains in regards to creating collateral damage. Superheroes cause so much damage that it was the premise of two superhero blockbusters in 2016: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Captain America: Civil War." Both films focused on holding heroes accountable for their violent actions, and the civilian impact of collateral damage caused by superheroes. Below is the synopsis of BvS, per Rotten Tomatoes. Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) share the screen in this Warner Bros./DC Entertainment co-production penned by David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio, and directed by Zack Snyder. Amy Adams and Diane Lane return as Lois Lane and Martha Kent, respectively. Check out a clip from BvS where Batman decides Superman is a powerful force who is a menace to society. Below is the synopsis of Captain America: Civil War, per Rotten Tomatoes. Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War" finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps-one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark's surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability. The heroes in the film were split on if they should have to answer to government forces in response to their power. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition's study, maybe superheroes should have to answer to the government. In the film's opening scene, Scarlett Witch accidentally blows up civilians. In response to the vast collateral damage, violence and civilian harm over the yearsthe government enacts superhero regulation called the Sokovia Accords. Watch the clip below. But true heroes know the power they hold with immense superpowers and enhanced abilities. They also know that they must kick villain butt and that may cause collateral damage. Hence, they do their best in making sure civilians are out of harm's way. It's like Superhero 101. Spider-Man is a perfect example of a hero who, yes, causes collateral damage. But he also has saved civilians numerous times from villainous collateral damage. In "Spider-Man 2," the web-slinger stops a train from going off the rails and crashing, completely exhausting himself in the process. New York civilians carried the hero into a subway car and tried to protect him from Dr. Octopus. Forget this talk of superhero collateral damage. That's called civilian gratitude because a superhero saved the day! Watch the clip of Spider-Man saving the day in Spider-Man 2 below. And have we forgotten about the sacrifices heroes make like with their lives?! Some heroes die in order to help others. Then, we appreciate them after they are gone! Again, Spider-Man is not only a hero who puts his life on the line, but he's also a hero who saves the day regardless of not always getting the recognition he deserves. Just watch this scene of Spidey trying to keep a split-in-half ferry together, saving civilians in "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Okay, it's with the help of Iron Man, but still... Watch the clip below. 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, wed love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.nola.com/tylt/2019/03/are-superheroes-actually-more-violent-than-villains.html |
What is a St. Josephs Day altar, and where can I find one in New Orleans? | St. Joseph Day altars are ubiquitous in New Orleans. You find them in churches, community centers, bars, hotels -- even grocery stores. For many of us who grew up in the heavily Catholic New Orleans area, the altars are an annual custom. Many of the altars, which are built near or on the saints feast day, March 19, are rich displays of culinary artistry and deep faith. Find one near you by clicking on this link: St. Joseph Day altars 2019 -- More than 75 to visit in New Orleans area. For the uninitiated, here is the background on this practice that is rich in cultural and spiritual tradition. Dozens of St. Joseph Day volunteers began working at St. Cletus in Gretna on Jan. 17, 2017. This biblical figure is described in Scripture, including the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as a carpenter and the husband of the Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. He is considered the earthly father of Christ on earth. He figures prominently in the story of the birth of Christ. In a custom called "tupa tupa" or "knock knock," children dress as the Holy Family to re-enact knocking on doors seeking shelter, as the holy family did before Christ's birth until, finally, they are welcomed to a special table set with small portions of food from the altar. St. Joseph's Day altar at St. Joseph Church in Gretna. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared him Holy Patriarch Joseph, patron of the Catholic Church, and set his feast day as March 19. The tradition of building an altar, laden with seafood, breads, pastries and citrus to honor San Giuseppe, the father of Jesus, began in Sicily. In the Middle Ages, residents there prayed to St. Joseph, the island nation's patron saint, to provide for them during famine. On the saint's feast day, March 19, they built altars in thanks. People line up to view the St. Joseph's altar at St. Joseph Church and Shrine on the West Bank on Saturday, March 19, 2016 in Gretna. In the 19th century, many Sicilians immigrated to New Orleans, with many settling in the French Quarter, which was even given the nickname "Little Palermo." With these immigrants, came the tradition St. Joseph altars. Some say that the tradition grew more popular during World War II when many Italian-Americans went to war and their families back home made altars to pray for their safe-keeping. In New Orleans, altars were once more commonly held in private homes. Now, the altars are found in many public places as well. Hundreds of volunteers spend hours making the foods and building the displays. Visitors go to give thanks for answered prayers or to ask for healing or other petitions. St. Joseph Day altars 2019: More than 75 to visit in New Orleans area St. Joseph's Day is March 19, but a smattering of the altars in the New Orleans area will open over the weekend. As is natural, the Sicilian altar tradition has blended with other parts of New Orleans culture. New Orleans population includes many of Irish descent, so St. Patricks Day observances may overlap with St. Joseph Day. Mardi Gras Indian tribes parade for the last time of the season on St. Josephs Day, or Chiefs Day. St. Lucy's eye pies are common on St. Joseph day altars: St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and visually impaired and also came from Sicily. Some of the foods and objects on St. Joseph day altars have obvious ties to faith and tradition. The altars feature displays of candles, fruit, flowers, vegetables as well as sweet and savory dishes. The altars, traditionally, do not feature meat, but will have seafood dishes and vegetarian dishes, such as stuffed artichokes. Many dishes would be right at home on any Italian supper table, such as baked fish or fig cookies. Some are whimsical, such as the sweet little coconut lamb cakes, and others, can be a bit startling. Consider the St. Lucy's eye pie (pictured above). St. Lucy hailed from Sicily and is the patron saint of the blind and visually impaired. Breads are baked shaped into carpenter's tools, crosses and fish. Cuccidata, or pastries with fig filling, are made in the shape of chalices, wreaths, hearts or other Christian symbols. Also, on many altars, expect to find elaborate cakes and displays that serve as memorials to family members who have died. Read more about the symbolism in this feature story -- "Religious symbols behind St. Joseph altars reflect faith and tradition" -- from food writer, Judy Walker. Everybody is welcome to visit St. Joseph Day altars. Just before and, especially on the feast day itself - March 19 -- the faithful make pilgrimages, visiting altars at churches, schools and in homes. These altars welcome all. Many people pray at the altars. You don't have to be a Christian, but most altar celebrations do feature blessings, Masses and praying the rosary, so attendees are expected to be respectful of these practices. Most organizations ask for a small donation and give out goodie bags that contain a holy card, a dried fava bean and Sicilian treats, such as fig and sesame cookies. Many serve meals. Look for slips of paper, if you wish to write and leave a petition to St. Joseph. Most donations collected at altars go to the organizer's charities, the poor or to support those in religious life. Many bags given to visitors also contain a small piece of blessed bread. Tradition holds that you put that small piece of bread in your freezer and when a hurricane threatens the city, you toss it into your yard to send the storm way. | https://www.nola.com/food/2017/03/what_is_a_st_josephs_day_altar.html |
Should alcohol be banned on flights? | Since commercial airlines took to the air, drinking and flying have tended to go hand in hand, with drink seeming to add to the pleasing sense of disembodiment at 36,000ft. In the face of a rising tide of drink-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour, highlighted by a boozy confrontation on a flight from Glasgow to Tenerife over the weekend that ended with one man badly injured, there are increasing calls for booze on flights and at airports to be restricted. The government is reviewing licensing laws at airports as part of a broad rethink of aviation policy. It has yet to report, but World Duty Free has pre-empted any official announcement with its own initiative selling duty-free booze only in sealed bags that, in theory, cannot easily be opened on the plane. Rob Griggs, a spokesman for Airlines UK, welcomes the move, but thinks more will be needed. Our priority is airside licensing, he says. The establishments that sell alcohol should be subject to the same licensing conditions as elsewhere. It would then be up to the local authority, rather than the airport, to decide whether the 5am pint was acceptable. Suzannah Robin, an alcohol and drug specialist at AlcoDigital, accepts Griggs argument that most drinking is done in the terminal rather than on the plane, and advocates breathalysing passengers who display signs of intoxication before they board. She says the Civil Aviation Authority has to take the lead. They dictate that its illegal to be drunk on board an aircraft. They now need to establish what being drunk means and to have a fixed number. In the same way as you have a drink-drive limit, you would have a passenger limit, and as an authority they need to enforce the airport having a method of checking passengers before they board an aircraft. She doubts whether the relationship between booze and flying will ever be broken completely. Id be surprised if drinking was ever banned on flights, she says. The events that happen obviously become very well known very quickly because of social media, but it is a tiny percentage of the population that cause these issues. The airlines benefit because they sell alcohol on board; the airports benefit because they have establishments selling alcohol within their terminals; I cant see them wanting to back down. Youre asking an entire nation to change what they do when they go on holiday because of the behaviour of a tiny minority. Being able to manage it would be better. | https://www.theguardian.com/travel/shortcuts/2019/mar/18/should-alcohol-be-banned-flights-drunken-brawl-plane |
Are BLACKPINK about to drop a new album? | Getty Images Calling all BLACKPINK fans, the band could be about to drop a new album. The K-pop superstars have just started working on a music video for a brand spanking new single. It'll become the first single they've released since June 2018. YG Entertainment, who represent the group, say the new song will be released at the end of March. And now fans think that the band's much hoped-for second album won't be far behind it. BLACKPINK are have broken all sorts of records since debuting in 2016. Their song, Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, is currently the most watched K-pop video on Youtube. In the summer, they're going to become the first ever K-pop act to play at American music festival Coachella. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47615646 |
Is It Time For The Four-Day Working Week? | The idea of the entrepreneur as an obsessive who works every hour of the day and night is a well-trodden stereotype. But if you really want your small business to deliver sustainable drive, maybe there is another route to optimising productivity: working fewer hours rather than burning the midnight oil. This is the approach taken by an increasing number of small businesses in the UK according to a report in The Guardian newspaper. It profiles a number of small and medium-sized enterprises now pioneering a four-day working week and points out that Wellcome Trust, a much larger organisation with 800 employees, is planning to trial the same idea. These businesses arent giving staff more time off out of the goodness of their hearts. Rather, their motivations reflect a belief that the key to getting the best out of staff lies in ensuring they have a decent work-life balance that those employees who are happy at home and in the workplace will work more productively. This isnt some far-out idealistic notion and may be set to become more mainstream. The Labour Party has just commissioned Robert Skidelsky, the renowned economist, to conduct a study of the value of four-day working. The Scottish Nationalist Party is having a similar discussion. Academic research will fuel the debate. For example, a study published in 2014 by the Institute for Labour Economics found that once staff have worked 35 hours during a week, their productivity tends to decline steadily in other words that asking them to work longer is not economically efficient. Advocates of a shorter working week also point to the experience of a handful of businesses that have tried it. One of the most-often quoted examples, the New Zealand-based financial services company Perpetual Guardian, says it has increased its productivity by 20 per cent since switching 240 employees on to a four-day week. Companies in The Guardians report claimed gains of up to 30 per cent. That suggests businesses that get it right could move staff on to four-day working, continue paying the same salaries as they currently offer, and produce exactly the same commercial results as today, or even better. That doesnt even take into account potential savings from less frequent working examples might include lower heating bills in the office or reduced spending on childcare provision. Increases in productivity likely go hand-in-hand with a more engaged workforce that feels healthier and less stressed. Certainly, the links between long working hours and elevated staff absence rates both for mental and physical health problems are well established. A shift to a four-day week also feels compatible with the move to more flexible methods of working, embracing trends such a greater home-working, self-employment and project work. Critics of the so-called gig economy have often complained that these trends have not benefited individual workers, with large corporates enjoying the gains instead. Against that, we have seen predictions of reductions in working hours for many years not least thanks to technological advances yet these have yet to materialise, particularly in the UK. British workers continue to work significantly longer hours than their peers elsewhere in Europe. Still, entrepreneurs setting up from scratch or managing relatively small enterprises haven an opportunity to try a different approach. Trialling a four-day week and reversing it if necessary will certainly be easier for a start-up than a large business. In which case, small businesses may now have the chance to prove this is an idea whose time has come. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidprosser/2019/03/18/is-it-time-for-the-four-day-working-week/ |
Can UW, which struggled to score in the Big Ten tournament, solve Oregon's defense? | Oregon's Kenny Wooten (14) and Francis Okoro converge on Washington's Noah Dickerson in the Pacific-12 championship game. The Ducks' defense has been stellar during an eight-game winning streak. (Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images) MADISON Wisconsin enters the NCAA Tournament struggling to score efficiently and consistently. Oregon enters the tournament having smothered shooters in its last eight games. On the surface, that appears to be a less-than-desirable matchup for the fifth-seeded Badgers (23-10), who face the 12th-seeded Ducks (23-12) in the first round of the South Region at approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday in San Jose, California. Defensively you can tell they are pretty good, UW coach Greg Gard said. And obviously theyre coming in hot, having won the Pac-12 tournament. Oregon brings an eight-game winning streak into the tournament and is 12th nationally in three-point field-goal defense (29.6 percent) and 26th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (40.6 percent). RELATED: NCAA Tournament bracket The winning streak began after a 90-83 loss to UCLA on Feb. 23, a game in which the Bruins shot 63.6 percent from three-point range and 50.9 percent overall. They wiped out a 16-point halftime deficit by scoring 62 points in the final 20 minutes. In the eight games since that debacle, Oregon opponents have shot 23.1 percent from three-point range (42 of 182) and 35.2 percent overall (127 of 361) and averaged 54.3 points per game. I really appreciate the way the guys have responded, knowing that we needed to change some things, knowing that we needed to get more focused, communicate a lot better, Oregon coach Dana Altman said. The guys really did a great job making some adjustments and we are playing our best ball. The No. 1 adjustment, with two freshmen and one sophomore in the starting lineup, has been better communication within the teams defensive structure. In watching film, through so many of the games you could just tell they werent talking because wed have two guys going to make the same play and leaving somebody wide open, Altman said. It really made for us giving up some uncontested shots inside and out. Uncontested shots were killing us. NEWSLETTERS Get the Packers Update newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Daily updates on the Packers during the season Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-844-900-7103. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Packers Update Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters That hasnt been the case late in the season, and with Altman starting one guard and four mobile forwards who are 6-foot-9 the Ducks have been able to run shooters off the three-point line and challenge shots near the basket. Sophomore forward Kenny Wooten leads the team in blocks with 62. He had four in a 68-48 victory over Washington in the title game of the Pacific-12 tournament. Washington hit just 5 of 23 three-pointers and 18 of 54 shots overall in the 20-point loss. I thought Oregon did a really good job, Washington coach Mike Hopkins said after the loss. The three or four times we got the ball around the basket, the Kenny Wooten factor came out. UW shot 23.7 percent from three-point range (9 of 38) and 40.7 percent overall (48 of 118) in two Big Ten tournament games. Senior Khalil Iverson, who hit 9 of 15 shots for a 60 percent clip, was the lone starter over 50 percent. Ethan Happ was at 50 percent (12 of 24), with too many misses at the rim. Nate Reuvers shot 37.5 percent (6 of 16). Guard Brad Davison hit 10 percent from three-point range (1 of 10) and 21.1 percent overall (4 of 19), and guard DMitrik Trice shot 30 percent from three-point range (3 of 10) and 33.3 percent overall (5 of 15). If we have those opportunities again I think wed shoot the same shots," Trice said. "Hopefully hit a couple more. We wont miss many more of those. I think we have the talent to get the job done. The numbers were particularly troublesome in the 67-55 loss to Michigan State in the semifinals. UW hit 2 of 19 three-pointers and just 20 of 40 shots in the lane area. Trice hit 1 of 6 three-pointers and Davison missed all five of his attempts. Happ, Reuvers and Iverson struggled against the Spartans size and length. The 19 threes, youd probably take 16 of them any day of the week, Gard said. We understood we had good looks. We did some good things to get good looks. But weve got to convert both inside and out. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2019/03/18/wisconsins-struggling-offense-meets-oregons-smothering-defense/3199020002/ |
Can Google create the Netflix of gaming with Project Stream? | This week, more than 25,000 members of the video game industry are scheduled to descend on San Francisco for the geeky, and often sleepy, annual gathering known as the Game Developers Conference. This year, though, more people than usual are paying attention. Google is set to unveil a video game service, code-named Project Stream, that will reportedly allow people to play Fortnite and other modern titles in a web browser or on a television using inexpensive hardware. If its successful, the system might herald the biggest shift in the $180 billion a year global gaming market since Super Mario jumped from arcades to the living room. Google has been privately testing Project Stream since last fall and just touted its announcement planned for Tuesday with a video trailer. ( SEBASTIEN BERDA / AFP/GETTY IMAGES ) Google has been privately testing Project Stream since last fall and just touted its announcement planned for Tuesday with a video trailer. The service will deliver games on demand, rather than as downloads, and is expected to support even the most fast-twitch and graphic-rich games, without the need for a PlayStation, Xbox or other high-end game console. Its unclear whether it will work with existing Google devices like Chromecast or Google Home, or whether it will require players to buy new hardware. Nevertheless, the project is already being heralded as a portent of the industrys future, where games are streamed over the internet and a new phalanx of heavyweights could dominate not just Google but Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc. and maybe even telecoms. The major cloud providers control massive data centres, lightning-fast content delivery networks and other assets that allow them to reduce the lag associated with playing games over the internet. Cloud gaming creates this moment in the industry where the multi-billion-dollar companies like Google and Amazon have a chance to buy their way in, in the same way theyve done in video and music, says Joost van Dreunen, a managing director at market research firm Nielsen. Google isnt the only company that sees an opportunity in creating a sort of Netflix for video games. Nvidia Corp., a chipmaker not known for its consumer products, was one of the first to sell a streaming-games console based on Googles Android. Amazon, meanwhile, has been busy hiring gaming veterans like the man responsible for the Command & Conquer franchise. Article Continued Below The game industrys current juggernauts are looking to fortify their positions from a possible shift to streaming. Sony Corp. has offered a subscription service for years called PlayStation Now. Electronic Arts Inc. acquired a streaming business last year and is building a platform called Project Atlas. Last week, Microsoft Corp. showed off a demo of something called Project xCloud, which will allow gamers to play cutting-edge games like online racer Forza Horizon 4 from just about any device with a screen and an internet connection. Analysts suggest companies with technical expertise in cloud infrastructure will be better-equipped to compete. One lingering question is around business models. Well find out for sure on Tuesday, but Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter believes the major game publishers arent quite ready to sacrifice profit margins to try something new. Like movie studios, game makers will likely view subscription revenue as cannibalistic to their main business of selling games, he says. Publishers typically offer up older games or lower-profile releases through the current crop of streaming products. As the tepid response to those services show, gamers want access to the newest, hottest titles. Everyone wants to be the Netflix of games, but Im utterly confident it wont work, Pachter says. However, he hastens to add that new cloud gaming services could expand the market, rather than steal shares from existing options. There are a couple billion people out there with internet access and only 250 million consoles, Pachter says. This could at least double the industry. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/business/technology/2019/03/18/can-google-create-the-netflix-of-gaming-with-project-stream.html |
Will Sean Miller be back as Arizona Wildcats head coach next season? | The Arizona Wildcats basketball program won't play in a postseason tournament this season, meaning their offseason has begun. It could be a very long offseason for Sean Miller and his program. Speculation that he could be done as the coach in Tucson intensified after Miller gave an emotional talk to fans after Arizona's regular-season finale loss to ASU. "Theres no place that is more magical than McKale Center," Miller said. "There (are) no fans in the world that are more loyal. It has been an amazing honor to coach at McKale Center for the last 10 years. Thank you for everything." A few days later, Miller said that it wasn't a goodbye. It certainly wasnt a goodbye speech. I meant everything that I said," the Arizona coach told the media. "You have to take into consideration the context. I think part of me in that speech is you are overwhelmed by the fact that there is a crowd still in attendance and we lost to our rival, that's a small part of it. "Obviously we finished our season. It's not a successful season by any standards other than to a large extent I think we did about the best that we could ... "It's not like I am pointing fingers to anyone on our team. If anything, I am pointing fingers at myself. "I meant what I said in terms of I can't imagine a fan base treating a coach any better than this fan base has treated our staff and me." The speculation, however, continues for Miller and his program. MORE: Wildcats have a lot on the line in April with Sean Miller subpoenaed to court Miller has been one of the main faces of college basketball's pay-for-play scandal dating back to late last season. Late last month, Yahoo Sports reported that Miller will be subpoenaed in court in April. He has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, which includes Pinnacle High standout Nico Mannion, coming to Tucson next season. Get crucial breaking sports news alerts to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters The Arizona Daily Star's Bruce Pascoe summed up the questions surrounding Miller's future at Arizona: "Millers future could be more clear after the federal college basketball bribery trial in April," he wrote. "Miller has reportedly been notified he will be subpoenaed to the trial, in which aspiring agent Christian Dawkins is expected to try to show he was not bribing coaches as much as brokering deals with them. "ESPN reported that Miller was captured on a wiretap talking with Dawkins about paying Deandre Ayton $100,000 to play for Arizona, an allegation both Ayton and Miller have denied. If there is a wiretap of Miller discussing a pay-for-play scheme, it could be played in court and/or Miller could be asked about it on the witness stand. "Dawkins' attorney, Michigan-based Steve Haney, has promised a street fight in April, and has vowed to get as many coaches as he can into the courtroom. The attorney said he's fully committed to going to trial and not taking a plea agreement, which could forever seal any evidence involving coaches. 'In the second trial, were going to pull back the curtain,' Haney said. "Millers attorney, Stephen Thompson, has declined to comment to the Star. He could try to quash the subpoena on grounds it is not relevant. Should that fail, Miller would have two choices: plead the fifth or take the stand. "Conversely, if the trial occurs and there is no evidence or testimony linking Miller to violations, the clouds that have hung over the Arizona program would likely clear for a while. "Miller is under contract through the 2021-22 season, and is scheduled to receive a $100,000 raise next season that would bump his guaranteed pay to $2.9 million plus incentives. If he is fired without cause at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, UA would owe him $3.7 million 50 percent of his remaining guaranteed pay. Things get murkier if the UA tries to fire him for cause. Miller's contract says he would still be paid his $7.4 million guaranteed salary. The UA maintains he would be paid only through the date of termination, and has said it is confident that precedent in Arizona law would honor that intent." MORE: Sean Miller 'knows how to handle all situations,' ex-Wildcat Allonzo Trier says The Arizona Daily Star's Greg Hansen also shared his thoughts on the uncertainty of Miller's future with the program. "If the UA chooses to separate from Miller or he from the UA it would likely include a settlement of such financial significance that it could limit Arizonas search for a successor. "These transactions carry far more weight than any Pac-12 basketball game. "Every move Miller makes before a scheduled April trial regarding corruption in college basketball will be examined with forensics-type scrutiny. "Until Aprils corruption/FBI trial is complete, Arizonas basketball future remains in limbo. The speculation begins now." So far, University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins and Athletic Director Dave Heeke have been supportive of Miller publicly. (Photo: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports) Other issues for Wildcats Even if Miller does return to Arizona next season, there is a possibility that the coach could face a suspension or that his program could face NCAA sanctions, Pascoe wrote. He added that recruiting restrictions could also be placed on the Wildcats. Pascoe wrote: "The NCAA has been incorporating evidence and testimony from the federal investigation and trials into its own investigations of Arizona and the other schools involved in the federal probe. "Yahoo has reported that the NCAA is already investigating Arizona and several other programs. (The Star filed a public public records request in November seeking any communication from the NCAA involving an investigation. More than two months later, UA said it had no such records.) "Even if the NCAA clears Miller of any direct wrongdoing, he could be penalized under bylaw 11.1.1.1, which says a head coach is presumed to be responsible for the actions of all direct or indirect reports unless he can rebut the presumption of responsibility. All three of Millers assistant coaches during the 2016-17 season have been implicated in federal proceedings or found to have broken NCAA rules. MORE: Why Arizona Wildcats' Sean Miller can't shake FBI college basketball scandal "Former assistant coach Book Richardson has pleaded guilty to taking $20,000 in exchange for a promise to steer UA players toward Dawkins for professional representation. Prosecutors said he planned to use $15,000 of it to lure a top recruit to Arizona. "Another ex-UA assistant, Joe Pastnernack, was named during Octobers fraud trial. The father of five-star recruit Brian Bowen said he was told Pasternack offered $50,000 in exchange for his son's commitment to the UA. "A third assistant, Mark Phelps, has been twice suspended for breaking NCAA rules. The UA suspended him for two games at the beginning of the 2017-18 season, though it would not say which rule he broke. On Feb. 4, Arizona suspended Phelps indefinitely, with the intent of firing him, for an unspecified rules violation that ESPN said involved the academics of former UA recruit Shareef ONeal." The Arizona Daily Star's Bruce Pascoe contributed to this story. READ MORE Arizona basketball photos: | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/ua/2019/03/18/sean-miller-arizona-wildcats-coach-ncaa-basketball-recruiting/3202186002/ |
Have Pitino's Gophers overachieved, underachieved or properly achieved? | Welcome to the Monday edition of The Cooler, where at a certain point they just have to play the games. Lets get to it: *The achievements of a team within a season stand on their own as a cumulative body of work, complete with ebbs and flows some that we see, some that are invisible except to a team that combine to tell a story. But within that story, there is sometimes the desire to quantify not just how a team performed relative to other teams but how it performed relative to what should have been expected of that team itself. The Gophers mens basketball team this season offers an interesting test case for that set of questions and perhaps a case where perception doesnt quite match reality. In a couple of ways Richard Pitinos Gophers can be seen to have outpaced expectations and overachieved. Big Ten media members voted on the order of finish for teams in October. Minnesota was picked to finish ninth, so the Gophers topped that by two spots when they finished seventh. I dare say a ninth-place pick wasnt accompanied by much confidence the Gophers would reach the NCAA tournament, either. Maybe its not a huge difference from where they were picked to where they wound up, but a little better than expected is a lot better than the alternative. Minnesota was also one of the luckiest teams in this years field, according to data from KenPom.com (which I wrote about in more detail here). Basically, by winning a lot of close games, the Gophers finished with a better won-loss record than their overall performance through the season would indicate. Pulling out an extra win or two above expectations was probably the difference between an NCAA bid and an NIT bid and can be viewed as overachieving or at least getting a lot out of what the Gophers had to give. Then again, if you think the Gophers could have been even better that they didnt take enough advantage of their close wins or their talent you might argue they underachieved. But overall, Id say projections and performance suggest Pitinos Gophers overachieved some this year enough to make the difference of getting an NCAA bid and perhaps saving the coachs job. In a Twitter poll usual disclaimer: unscientific but useful you tended to think more of the season-to-date as about right. Theres a pretty even split between those who thought the Gophers overachieved vs. underachieved, but about two-thirds of you said they properly achieved. I wont argue with you, even if the numbers might. *The Twins enter Monday with 42 home runs this spring, No. 2 in all of MLB and just one behind the Yankees. Theyre also second in team slugging percentage at .505. That probably doesnt mean a ton, but it could be a sign of things to come. *If youre a Wild fan, youre hoping Tampa Bay comes up with a strong home performance Monday night against Arizona and keeps the Coyotes just one point ahead of the Wild for the last playoff spot. After tonight, both of those teams will have just nine games remaining including a huge one March 31 against each other in Arizona. | http://www.startribune.com/have-pitinos-gophers-overachieved-underachieved-or-properly-achieved/507302692/ |
Is a Community Still a Community Without a Bookstore? | My time spent on campus created a barrier against the boroughs realities of poverty, violence, and generational disenfranchisement. But at the bookstore, I was inculcated with the hard-nosed attitude and dogged persistence that allow Bronx residents to persist, if not always succeed. These patrons loved reading, and didnt take shit from anyone: They didnt care if there was only one independent bookstore left in the borough, so long as there was at least one. Bronxites have made due for decadesdoing more with less than any other residents in New York City. When the the Bronxs last bookstore threatened to close this week, the tragedy was in the message it sent to the rest of the citythat the borough is still a cultural desert, bereft of the eminently accessible intellectual pursuits of Brooklyn, or the savvy worldliness that comes from living in Manhattan. The loss of a chain bookstore provided a discomfiting narrative of a low-income, crime-ridden borough so uncouth as to eschew such cultural necessities as a bookseller. The Bronx has never been known for having a bustling literary culture on par with Brooklyn, but we had, within our bookstore, a culture of our own. Our authors might not have been our neighbors, as they are throughout the community bookstores of Boerum Hill and Park Slope, but we still read their stories with vigor. We might not have had the luxury of bespoke reading lists curated by MFA-wielding staffers, but we always made sure to custom-order a title we could not stock. We strived to serve our community, if for no other reason than the acknowledgement that no one else would. And when Paperbacks Plus had to close its doors, we made due with a chain store when others would turn their noses up to such an encroachment. The Bronx has its rough reputation for reasons Ive witnessed first-hand. Ive lived alongside the Major Deegan Expressway, near bars that have shut down after narcotics raids, and heard apocryphal stories of local crackheads getting high in my buildings foyer during blizzards. Despite the unavoidable challenges the borough has faced since the 1980s, there is a commercial and industrial re-emergence. Blocks away from the apartment where I heard a man get shot to death lies a brand-new shopping center, built on the ashes of the shuttered Stella DOro factory after labor relations broke down and the baker moved operations to a union-free factory in Ashland, Ohio. A mere ten blocks away, a new mega-mall opened this week alongside the elevated Broadway subway tracks. The dilapidated gas station on the corner has been supplanted by a Party City, a TJ Maxx, and an Aldi. A bookstore has yet to replace Paperbacks Plus up the hill in Riverdale, but not for lack of want. Former State Assemblyman Stephen B. Kaufman resorted to shaming Barnes & Noble when they expressed reluctance to move into the borough in 1998, all but daring them to finally serve a borough with a thirst for literary culture. Its tempting as an outsider to see the Co-Op City Barnes and Noble's struggle to stay open as a sign of literary culture's importance in its impoverished, maligned borough. Much harder, however, is the acknowledgment that the boroughs lack of a literary institution is due to neglect, rather than disinterestmade all the more unavoidable due to the swift backlash to remain open at least another two years. As we do with the novels we cherish, we must seek a deeper understanding of the characters behind this narrativeto provide the same reverence for this boroughs socioeconomic, sociocultural complexity as we would for the books we live to examine and understand. So often in literature, we love an underdog and make allowances for the personal imperfections they embody. So too must we do so for a community strugging to regain its cultural and economic footing. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119967/last-bookstore-bronx-closes-reflections-bronx-bookseller |
Why Can't the Media Give Obama Credit for Crisis Management? | The second category includes crises where the president had limited tools at his disposal, such as the conflict in Ukraine and the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. In both situations, the administrations response was too slow, but has proven effective given limited options. The U.S. was not going to go to war with Russia, for instance, so Obama worked with the European Union to impose harsh sanctions on the Kremlin while seeking a diplomatic solution. That strategy seems to be working. The ceasefire between the Ukrainian government and rebel forces has so far held. Its not a perfect solution, but faced with a hostile Russia, its a pretty good result. In fact, Ukrainian parliamentary elections this past weekend boded well for the country. A similar situation has unfolded with Obamas response to the Islamic State. He does not want to put U.S. forces on the ground, giving him limited ability to combat the terrorist organization. Instead, he has used airstrikes in Iraq and Syria while building an international coalition to fight the group. He also asked Congressand received authority from itto arm the moderate Syrian rebels. The majority of Washington and the country approves of the strikes. This policy response wasnt controversial. Finally, there are the crises the administration has had the power to address. Once again, the record is much better than the headlines suggest. The most apparentand least talked aboutis the border crisis. Over the spring and early summer, the number of unaccompanied minors crossing the Southwest border skyrocketed. Immigration courts faced a significant backlog and the Department of Homeland Security was running low on funds to house and transport the kids. Obama and Senate Democrats correctly ignored GOP legislative proposals that would have caused more harm than good. Instead, the administration created a major public relations campaign to inform families in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala that their children would not be allowed to stay in the U.S. The administration also pressured the Mexican government to crack down on human trafficking. The summer heat also likely deterred children from making the journey north. By the end of the summer, the number of kids crossing the border had fallen dramatically and the crisis had disappeared. The administration has also handled the current Ebola outbreak far better than the media has given it credit for. Despite the CDCs initial errors, both Dallas nurses have been cured of Ebola. A doctor returning from Guinea to New York who tested positive for Ebola last week followed CDC protocols and there is almost no chance that he infected anyone else. The administration also resisted substantial political pressure to implement a travel ban, which nearly all infectious disease experts agree is a bad idea. This is, to be fair, only part of the story. The other part is in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea where the disease has killed thousands of people. The administration was too slow to respond there, although it has now taken unprecedented action in sending 3,000 American soldiers to West Africa to build hospitals. It is sending aid as well. The Obama administration is not blameless for the creation of these crises. The VA scandal grew under the watch of Obama and Eric Shinseki, the former head of the VA. The federal government was slow to help West African countries combat Ebola. There are good arguments that the White House was also too slow to respond to the Islamic State and Russia. These are fair criticisms, but Obamas slow responses were not just a result of indecision. They were part of a careful strategy to get the policy response right. | https://newrepublic.com/article/120022/obama-better-crisis-manager-media-gives-him-credit |
Why Won't Elizabeth Warren Reveal Her Foreign Policy Positions? | The media's response to Warren's remarks is telling: They were glad to finally have something, anything, to chew on. To an extent, that's the media's problem, not Warren's. The press treats her (almost hopefully) as a presidential candidate. Unless she declares for 2016, she shouldn't be expected to have a detailed opinion on every single foreign-policy issue facing America. Warren is as aware of this as anyone, and that's why her silence on almost everything except Israel is the most convincing evidence yet that Warren has no immediate designs on the White House. In February, Warren gave the 2014 Whittington Lecture at Georgetown University in front of a supportive, yet quiet crowd. It was her first and so far only speech on foreign policy and she emphasized the moral and strategic costs of civilian casualties. Every Afghan civilian death diminishes our cause, she said. If we use excessive force or operate contrary to our counterinsurgency principles, tactical victories may prove to be strategic setbacks. She called for training programs that directly address civilian casualties and greater transparency when they happen, including efforts to better track them. It was a pragmatic and realistic address, almost Obama-like. But to no one's surprise, she didn't mention Obamas favored counterterrorism tool: drone strikes. Warren, who had three brothers who served in the military, has long avoided the topic. Its not the only issue that the freshman senator has been quiet on. She has said little about U.S. policy toward Russia, for instanceor Africa or Latin America for the matter. On Asia, shes been equally quiet. Shes one of only a few senators not to have taken an overseas trip while in office. (She has a trip to Israel planned for after the midterms.) She has always supported President Obamas timetable for withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan, but has not said whether she supports leaving residual troops there. In 2012, MassLive posed 10 questions to her and then-Senator Scott Brown on different foreign policy issues. Her responses were full of generic platitudes, offering almost no insight into her positions. The United States must continue to stand up for the universal values this country was founded on, including free speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement, Warren answered when asked about Chinas human rights abuses. I support the U.S. governments efforts to connect with the Chinese government on these issues, and I hope that both governments will continue to build those connections in the future. Her website is no less illuminative. On Iran, she takes the radical position that United States must take the necessary steps to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Even her one clear foreign policy position, on Israel, doesn't shed much light on her broader worldview. Some liberals may be dismayed that her moderate stance, but as Paul Waldman points out at The American Prospect, her position is similar to that of almost every other politician on Capitol Hill. Its boilerplate language from a senator who doesnt spend much time thinking about foreign policy. [Y]ou can call these comments conservative, in that they justify the Israeli government's actions without questioning the resulting civilian deaths, Waldman writes. But the stance she articulates is essentially that of the entire American political elite, both Democratic and Republican. As for the $225 million in aid she supported, the measure passed unanimously in the Senate and 395-8 in the House. Its not like her position sets her apart from the Democratic Party. As a senator, though, Warren must vote on legislation that betrays her views. In September, she made her most consequential vote on foreign policy since taking office when she voted against the continuing resolution to fund the government because it authorized military aid to the moderate Syrian rebels. Even if we could guarantee that our support goes to the right people, I remain unconvinced that training and equipping these forces will be effective in pushing back ISIS, she said. It was her first significant break from the White House on the issue, and set herself apart from Hillary Clinton, who has long supported giving military aid to the Syrian rebels. The media noticed this was well. Warren uses Syria measure to draw contrast with Clinton, The Hill reported. MSNBCs The Daily Rundown ran a segment on it as well. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119965/elizabeth-warrens-foreign-policy-positions-are-mystery |
Why Did the Ultra-Religious, Anti-Gay President of "God's Harvard" Suddenly Resign? | But others saw a different side of Walker. He often recounted his denial of tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, attributing it to anti-gay comments he'd made to colleagues and students during an orientation event. "I thought the freshmen needed some ability to resist the indoctrination that was going on," Walker once said. Walker recounted this story again last year in a speech in Uganda shortly before Parliament passed the notoriously draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act (which was later struck down). Several former Patrick Henry students recalled Walker making fun of gays in chapel. He openly mocked gay people all the time. He used to do what the students called 'gay hands,' where he would make them floppy at the wrist while talking in a stereotypical lisp," remembered Rachel Leon, a 2010 graduate. "I definitely do remember Walker (repeatedly) doing the limp-wristed 'gay hands' thing, while speaking in a lisp," added Tim Raveling, who was expelled from Patrick Henry in 2009 for writing a paper declaring himself no longer a Christian, in an email. In a statement from the school, Walker denied mocking gay people, saying it was a hideous accusation. He continued: Someone must have remembered, I suppose, that I have at times affected the tone of voice of that of a 'cool, surfer dude' from my home state of northern California, to humorously caricature the stereotypical West Coast point of view about some issue or another. And then there's Walker's response when details emerged about Patrick Henry professor John Montgomery's past. In May of 2008, PHC journalism students happened upon a 1989 Los Angeles Times article about Montgomery. The Times quoted court documents in which Montgomery's wife accused him of bigamy and "severe beatings and kicks in the back." In the court filings, Montgomery denied the abuse allegations and countered that his wife was prone to "provoking conflicts." Furthermore, Montgomery explained, "She has refused to cook any of my meals for the past several years and for the past 18 months has rejected all marital intimacy." According to Leon, Walker gathered the journalism students in a classroomalong with Provost Gene Veith and journalism Professor Les Sillarsand threatened them, saying that spreading the Times article constituted slander and libel. In a statement, Patrick Henry acknowledged the meeting: Given the datedness of the information and the inappropriateness of circulating an uncorroborated press story about a professor solely with the intent of painting the professor in a negative light, the College sought to ensure that students understood the impropriety of replicating such a communication. Over the years, some studentsand especially alumnistarted to see Walker as an authoritarian leader. This came out, for example, in 2009 when Walker stripped the Student Body President of his responsibilities. Delivering a speech that quoted sociologist and pastor Tony Campolo talking about poverty, saying, Most of you dont give a shit. Whats worse is that youre more upset with the fact that I said shit. "You had to be pretty drunk on Kool-Aid to like that guy," one alum, who asked to remain anonymous, said of Walker. The friction between the alumni community and Walker during the Alumni Committee Review was an escalation of tensions thatd already been building. "Alumni are generally happy [with Walker's resignation], but there are certainly the hold-outsespecially the younger alums, like those who graduated in 2014," said the anonymous alum. "Conservative homeschooled kids are taught to respect authority instinctively. In a private Facebook group, one member of the class of 2014 wrote of his heartbreaking shock at Walkers resignation. Many students, he wrote, "speak of Dr. Walker as a close friend and spiritual mentor." On the Friday following Walker's announcement, Patrick Henry students wore bow ties in homage to their departing president. When authority is placed in the hands of someone who loves control and believes their religion justifies almost any use of that control, you create a toxic environment," said the anonymous alum. "That's what happened under the Walker administration." And so the Walker era comes to a close. Meanwhile, Sandra Corbittthe dean who directly handled the sexual assault allegations raised by The New Republicremains at the head of Patrick Henry's Office of Student life. | https://newrepublic.com/article/120038/patrick-henry-president-graham-walker-resigns-inside-story |
Does The Fate of the Navajo Nation Depend on Its Language? | EPY: I havent heard him speak. I met him once, but because there were non-Navajos in the room, he spoke in English. He greeted me in Navajo, and his greeting was nice. I didnt detect any sign of an accent. A lot of people, when theyre just beginning to pick up the language, they have an accent in their Navajo. I didnt detect that at all. Had I known he was going to be challenged in this way, I would have chatted with him. Hes a very respectful young man. He has a really wonderful command of the English language, which is what we also need. We need new ideas, new blood coming into the Navajo Nation. ET: He seems very qualified, having been in the Marines and the Arizona State House of Representatives. Other than the language requirement, he seems like a very good candidate. EPY: I believe he is, and I hope that the Navajo youth and the non-fluent Navajos challenge this and say that we want him as a write-in candidate, and show the people: We want to be represented, too. Were Navajos as well. I think a lot of young people who are willing to take a political stance for their people are really confused right now because we didnt count on two very important issues. They [the Navajo Nation Council] didnt listen to our wishes, and now theyre pushing us out even more, so our voices dont mean anything. We need somebody who can interface at the state and national level, and you dont need Navajo fluency for that. These people who created the dispute are not looking down the road. Theyre looking right before their noses, and thats it. And its just so, so sad. EPY: Its still being spoken at home quite a bit. If you travel across the reservation, you can hear parents speaking to their children, elders speaking to children, and you hear children speaking past as well. Its taught in the schools quite extensively across the reservation. The youth themselves are creating a new dialect, which is pleasing. A dying language is one that stays completely the same. A language that is still alive is constantly changing, so thats encouraging. EPY: More people are moving off the reservation for economic reasons. Theyve applied for jobs and theyve been told, Sorry, you dont speak Navajo. Youre highly qualified, but were going to hire this less qualified person [because they speak Navajo], so sorry. Ive taught twenty-four years. The youth want to come back, but they go back to the university to work on a masters degree because they were not wanted on their own reservation because they couldnt speak. Were really doing a disservice to ourselves, to our wholeness as a people, and to our own economic system. We chase the youth away just for the sake of understanding. I feel for Mr. Deschene, but on the other hand I feel for the elders who have that expectation that he needs to communicate with us. Because they are the majority of the voters. The median age was 21 in the 2000 Census, I believe. We are an extremely young nation. The people who brought about this dispute are discriminating against the majority of the population, and thats scary. The language needs to be protected, but it shouldnt be used to discriminate against people. This interview has been edited and condensed. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119795/qa-navajo-identity-amid-chris-deschene-language-dispute |
Are Political Beliefs Predetermined at Birth? | Some researchers have focused on single genes, but the leading researchers have increasingly rejected that. Certainly, there is not a gene for liberalism or any political trait, political scientists Peter K. Hatemi, and Rose McDermott write. They have endorsed Alford, Funk and Hibbings contention that different combinations of genes can create broad but distinct political phenotypes that entail specific attitudes toward specific political questions. These phenotypes consist of a suite or cluster or package of political attitudes that can also be handed down genetically from parent to child and perpetuated over generations, as people choose husbands and wives who have a similar genetic makeup and similar social and political attitudes. The political scientists dont deny that the environmentwhich includes parents, school, work, campaign debates, and the mediainfluences peoples political judgment, but according to Hibbing, Smith, and Alford, the embodied predispositions constitute inertial psychological and physiological set points that serve as baselines for behaviors and attitudes. According to Alford, Funk, and Hibbing, only genetics can account for the durability of the liberal-conservative spectrum in the United States. In other words, one cannot understand contemporary politics without understanding its genetic foundations. There are two kinds of questions that have been raised about genopolitics. One kind is scientific, and has to do with its methodology, particularly its use of twin studies, and with the assumptions it makes about genetics. The most notable responses have been by Duke political scientist Evan Charney, with whom I consulted on this piece, Harvard political scientist William English, Harvard geneticists Corey Morris and Jon Beckwith, and Tel Aviv Medical School professor Doron Shultziner. The other kind of question concerns the social scientists assumptions about politics and political history. Researchers have been using twin studies for over 80 years to prove that certain beliefs or behaviors are inherited. In using these studies, social scientists have to assume that identical and fraternal twins are raised in similar environments, and to the extent there are differences, they dont affect the prevalence of the trait in question. This is termed the equal environment assumption. If the identical twins were more likely than the fraternal twins to have been raised in the same environment (same friends, experiences, treated the same way by parents and others), then it is possible that their greater political agreement is the result of their experiencing more similar environments rather than of their having more similar genes. Critics of the twin studies point out that it is likely that identical twins were raised in a more equal environment, and that these more equal environments led to greater similarities in behavior. Morris and Beckwith write of identical twins that because of their identical appearance [they] are treated and interacted with by parents and the outside world much more similarly than are [fraternal] twins or ordinary siblings. They also share closer bonds. These factors, they write, could well influence the behavioral development of the children in the direction of great similarity. Some researchers have demonstrated that twin studies can lead to perverse results that undermine the equal environment assumption. Mimicking the methodology of the advocates of genopolitics, they have shown that identical twin teenagers spend more time texting on a cell phone than fraternal twins or that identical twins are more likely to adhere to the same religious faiths. If you follow the methodological assumptions of genopolitics, you would have to conclude that these traits are the products of genetic inheritance. The social scientists also make assumptions about the relationship between genetic and environmental causes. They assume that they can isolate genetic from environmental influence, and assign genetic influence a specific quantitative effect on peoples political beliefs. But geneticists do not believe that genes act in a single determined way. Instead, they think genes interact with other genes and with innumerable environmental influences. A person, for instance, might be genetically predisposed to incur an illness, but will only do so if exposed to a certain virus. It is implausible to assume that a gene, or set of genes, taken by themselves, can dictate a certain attitude or belief. The social scientists acknowledge that genes function interactively with the environment, but in their theories, they treat them as independent variables and assign certain percentages to genetic and environmental influence. They also believe that the combination of genes will produce a consistent political view. But that flies in the face of genetic theory as well as political history, which is a record of constant change. Shultziner writes, When the environment changes, as is often the case, the expression and content (e.g. political preference) of the trait in question could easily change as well. Finally, the proponents of genopolitics assume that there is a dichotomy in American politics today between conservatives and liberals that can be projected backwards and globally and that can be explained genetically. The package of attitudes, Alford, Funk, and Hibbing write, held, for example, by conservatives in the modern United States is remarkably similar to that held by conservative in other culture and at earlier times in American history. That assumption is highly questionable. The current division between liberals and conservatives can be overstated. While the proponents of genopolitics might try to divide Americans into liberals and conservatives, the electorate is much more complicated. Pew has recently divided the electorate into eight different categories. At a minimum, one can conjure up leftwing and rightwing populists, libertarians, and moderates, as well as liberals and conservatives. And these questions only bear on the present. The political scientists might respond that they are seeking a deeper divide between mindsets that isnt necessarily reflected in current or past terminology. In this sense, their theory depends on defining a conservative or liberal phenotypean underlying attitudethat entails specific positions that conservatives and liberals are supposed to take, but is not defined by them. The defined attitude itself would entail specific liberal or conservative positions on issues that fall unambiguously on one side or another of the great dichotomy. But they fail to do that. In specifying what absolutist or traditionalist or contextualist attitudes are, the advocates of genopolitics offer definitions that are far from unambiguous politically. For instance, the researchers say that the conservative phenotype includes a yearning for in-group unity. But for this formulation to work, this group cant be a union, and must be something like a church congregation. But the church congregation cant be that of black Pentecostal church whose members are loyal Democrats, but a white evangelical megachurch. Similarly, if the suspicion of outgroups is to define a conservative phenotype, it must apply to suspicions of immigrants, but not of corporate CEOs, rightwing thinktanks, or billionaire oil barons. To get around these objections, Hibbing, Smith, and Alford have recently introduced a new underlying essence that distinguishes the conservative from the liberal mindset, which they call a negativity bias, which characterizes conservatives, and which they claim goes back at least to Sparta and Athens. A negativity bias, they write, is the principle that negative events are more alien, potent, dominant in combinations, and generally efficacious than positive events. They speculate that this negativity bias could have arisen in the Pleistocene epochevidence, perhaps, that many conservatives are really cavemen in modern garb. But as Evan Charney points out, what is perceived as negative depends on the eye of the beholder. Liberals regard conceal and carry gun laws as a threat; conservatives do not. Liberals regard global warming as a threat; conservatives do not. Some of the most contentious debate in political life, Charney writes, are over whether the very same things are negative or positive. One could, of course, make a case that certain kinds of attitudes such as a fear of death or of the unknown can be found across cultures, and one could argue, as I have, that these kind of attitudes can have an unconscious influence over peoples political opinions. But that is a different point from saying that there are specific attitudes or mindsets that are genetic or that yield, depending upon their predominance, liberal or conservative (or for that matter socialist, anarchist, libertarian, fascist, and monarchist) political outlooks and judgments. How attitudes, fears, and hopes play out in politics depends on the objects of fears or hope; and the objects themselves are given by the environment not by genetic inheritance. One reason may be strictly professional. Academics in the social sciences are always on the look out for ways in which they can ground their squishy subjective speculations in the hard terrain of science. The more mathematical symbols and complicated flow-charts or arcane graphs a journal article contains the better. Even literature professors have looked toward obscurantist continental philosophers to turn novels and poems into texts that can be analyzed and charted. Twentieth century philosophy is littered with attempts to reduce language to mathematic formulations. The drive to reduce human behavior to neurons and genes is only the latest expression of this drive to turn social scientists into real scientists. The other reason may have to do with contemporary politics. Political scientists have been understandably puzzled by the polarization and paralysis that has afflicted American politics since the 1990s. They dont understand why in the late 20th and early 21st century, a conservative movement has gained traction, particularly among working class voters who would appear to have an economic interest in siding with liberals. Conservative success in the 2004 election seems to have been particularly puzzling and prompted several attempts at geopolitical speculation, including an essay, Two Genes Predict Voter Turnout, by political scientists James Fowler and Christopher Dawes. Like Thomas Frank, the political scientists want to answer the question, Whats the matter with Kansas? Frank found it in the deceptive practices of the Republican right. The political scientists have looked for it in neuroscience and genetics. But this recent attempt to answer difficult questions of political history by means of biology has led these political scientists down an ideological rabbit hole once populated by phrenologists and racial theorists. They need to come up for air and to recognize that history, with all its complicated and unexpected plot lines, still offers the best clue to what the past means and the future may hold. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119794/genopolitics-social-science-and-origin-political-beliefs |
Was the Vatican Shift on Same-Sex Marriage Really An 'Earthquake'? | The Vatican made news on Monday for not condemning same-sex marriage. Catholic leaders struck their most conciliatory tone yet on the issue, following a week of closed-door meetings called a synod. In a preliminary document summarizing the deliberations, the leaders said that, "Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community. Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?" CNN and Reuters called this a "stunning" and "dramatic" shift in tone. John Thavis, a Vatican expert, called it "an earthquake." To understand this reaction, consider how far the Papacy has come on LGBT issues in what is, by Church standards, a short span of time. John Paul II said in 2005 that the "family is often threatened by legislation whichat times directlychallenges its natural structure, which is and must necessarily be that of a union between a man and a woman founded on marriage." His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, took many occasions to condemn gay marriage publicly. On World Peace Day and Christmas, Benedict equated gay marriage to an attack on the "essence of the human creature" and presenting a "serious harm to justice and peace." He even called gay couples "intrinsically disordered." In September of last year he famously said, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?" That doesnt mean Francis or the Vatican is ready to condone homosexuality. Reportedly, in a private conversation with a bishop in December, Francis said he was shocked at gay adoption. The synod document also maintained that same-sex marriage "cannot be considered on the same footing as matrimony between man and woman." | https://newrepublic.com/article/119817/vatican-synod-calls-welcome-gay-people |
Is an Exodus of Ph.D.s Causing a Brain Drain in the U.S.? | It is widely known that federal research funding cuts are spurring science Ph.D.s to look for greener pastures abroad, especially in countries with growing science funding. The National Institute of Healths budget, for example, is about 25 percent smaller than it was 10 years ago, in inflation-adjusted dollars. In a Chronicle of Higher Education survey of more than 11,000 researchers, 36 percent expect an increase in the number of their graduating students who will seek positions abroad. And more than 20 percent say they are outright telling their students to pursue careers outside the U.S. Alan Weber, an expert in Gulf education and an English professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, says the trend is clear. At least 80 percent of the faculty members at U.S. branch campuses in Education City in Qatar are American, i.e. citizens trained in the U.S. who went abroad, he says. Data is beginning to show that arts, humanities, and social science Ph.D.s are following their counterparts in science and fleeing the U.S. for better opportunities overseas. For recently minted Ph.D.s in English and literature, the number of full-time university jobs in the U.S. has been in long-term decline for years. Opportunities abroad, however, seem to be on the upswing. On the Modern Language Association Job Information List, which contains job listings for full-time positions for people with Ph.D.s in English, advertisements for positions outside the U.S. and Canada have increased steadily over the past 13 yearsfrom 35 in 2000 (about 2 percent) to 50 in 2013. The number of history Ph.D.s who went on to academic jobs in other countries has increased, too, from 7.1 percent (in the 02-05 cohort) to 11.6 percent (in the 06-09 cohortthe most recent data available), according to research by Robert B. Townsend, Director of the Washington Office of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In more difficult job markets, it makes sense that graduates with a commitment to teaching would look elsewhere, Townsend says. These hard numbers only confirm what Ph.D.s have already been talking about for years. In 2010, a piece by Ph.D. student Brett Bennett encouraged history Ph.D.s to start looking for jobs abroad. Many Ph.D.s will look to the Middle East, one of the regions of the world hiring foreign Ph.D.s., he wrote in in Perspectives on History, the American Historical Associations signature publication. Tenure is not particularly secure in this region due to political pressure and a different social system. However, the pay packages in the Middle East, and particularly in the [United Arab Emirates], are quite attractive. But in some cases, what seems like a solution may actually amount to career sabotage. Many passport professors are stigmatized in certain fields if they decide to return to the U.S. for academic employment. In my field, theres a definite sense that taking a job abroad is a sort of terminal decision, says history Ph.D. Rachel Applebaum, a postdoctoral scholar at Tufts University. Standard wisdom at least implies that if you work in, say, Singapore, Turkey, or Kazakhstanall places where Ive seen job ads in my fieldyou will no longer be competitive in the U.S. market. Applebaum has also worked in Italy. She describes her job search as never-ending and nomadic. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119668/exodus-phds-causing-brain-drain-us |
Can Science Fiction Writers Predict Technologys Future? | Future trends are even more important to the money markets. There, chance is squeezed out of the equation as much as is humanly possible. Statistics rule. Its not just banks that have departments of analysts, there are whole companies who employ nothing but analysts pouring over every detail released by companies in their annual reports and profit warnings. What all of them want is a method that will get them one, or preferably ten, steps ahead of the opposition. State intelligence agencies, NHS managers, transport authorities, insurance companies. All of them live by scrutinizing evidence from different sources and putting it together to try and gain that glimpse which clairvoyants have been claiming for centuries. With one interesting omission. In 1939, Robert Heinlein, published his first short story, called Life-Line. It was about a man, Professor Piner, who builds a machine that will determine how long a person will live, by sending a signal along the temporal line of that person and detecting the echo from the far endsort of like a psychic radar. It was infallible, and even knowing the outcome there was no avoiding it. But it's the rest of the future with its quirks, inventions, wars, and triumphs, that we are obsessed with. As science fiction writers, we design our future fictional worlds by extrapolation. It doesnt matter what kind of book were writing, satire, military, space opera, dystopia, the fundamentals of the society have to be in some way believable. To do this we take what we see around us today, and run with it. The advantage I have over Heinlein and others of his era is that the twentieth century saw a huge acceleration in technological and social development. For us that change has become the norm, we understand and accept our lives are in a constant fluxcertainly towards shinier consumer gadgets, and hopefully aiming at a better society. Pre-1940, because valves were the heart of all electrical devices, people assumed valves would remain at the heart. They didnt have the looking-ahead reflex we seem to have acquired. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119880/can-science-fiction-predict-technologys-future |
Is 'Dracula Untold' An Islamophobic Movie? | In the Age of Enlightenment, Turk, Moor, and Mohammedan were interchangeable terms which basically meant Muslim. When an Englishman adopted the Islamic faith (and records hint that there was an influx of apostates during the Jacobean period) he was said to have turned Turk. Europe wasnt merely compromised by the economic and military might of the civilized Muslim world. It was compromised by the reality of Islam as a fast-spreading faith which bore alarming similarities to the Judeo-Christian revelation. It was appealing. Glamorized even, by wealthy, cultivated Muslim travelers hailing from exotic lands. The wide use of Turk then, was an attempt to tribalize the Islamic faith and associate it with foreign, potentially threatening powers, which were the common enemy. Ill fill you in on some more history. Vlad Dracul II of the house of Draculesti sought support from the Ottoman Sultan in his claim to the Wallachian throne. To put him on it, the Ottomans waged war with Draculs enemies. In return, Dracul willingly offered them not one, but two of his sons: Vlad Tepes Dracula and Radu cel Frumosaka Radu the handsome. While Vlad Tepes went on to become the progenitor of the vampire myth, his brother would remain loyal to the Sultan, and his childhood friend, Mehmet II. A skilled and celebrated general, Radu proved invaluable in the conquest of Istanbul. And when Vlad Tepes started wreaking carnage across the Balkans, Mehmet II dispatched Radu to quell his brothers blood-thirst. Vlads insurrection was not dissimilar to the terror tactics of the so-called Islamic State. He killed indiscriminately: Men, women, and children; Turks and Bulgarians; Muslims and sympathizing Christians alike were put to the stake. He boasted of his cruelty to the horror of his foes and allies. And having been raised among Muslims, he had the advantage of disguise. During their guerilla attacks, his men were dressed in Ottoman uniforms. He talked Turkish, walked Turkish, and burned villages to the ground. The brothers battled long, but Radu was victorious. Vlad Tepes fled to Hungary, where he sought sanctuary with the Corvinus clan. But frankly theyd also had enough of his grizzly antics, so they imprisoned him on charges of treason. True story. Fast forward to the 21st century. In Dracula Untold, Mehmet II seals his demands on Vlad with a bloody thumb-print, and the scenes final shot is of the Sultans thumb on an imperial edict, alongside a stamp bearing the name of God in Arabic script. The Sultans cruelty then is the will of the Muslim god, who is out to get your children. Today, vilification of Islam has reached such heights, that even when the Sultan is cast opposite historys bloodiest-psycho-tyrant, its Dracula who emerges as the tragic hero. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119991/dracula-untold-islamophobic |
Will eating CBD-infused foods cause me to fail a drug test? | Jelly beans infused with a marijuana chemical are just the last food to be laced with cannabidiol, known as CBD. Theres already cannabis-infused soda on the market, and a craft beer brewery in Colorado has federal approval for CBD-infused beer. Thats in addition to ice cream sandwiches with CBD oil and cannabis-infused smoothies. The CBD-infused jelly beans were just launched by Jelly Belly inventor David Klein through his new company called Spectrum Confections, Business Insider reported. The cannabis-infused beans come in 38 flavors, including strawberry cheesecake and roasted marshmallow, Klein told Cannabis Aficionado. Spectrum Confections says you must be 18 to buy the jelly beans that are currently sold out, and each bean has 10mg of CBD. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram The jelly bean is perfect for the proper dosage (of CBD), Klein said, according to Cannabis Aficionado. All jelly beans have added sweetness to the outside to enhance flavor to mask the CBD, the company website says. CBD is a marijuana chemical that wont make you high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thats because CBD acts on different parts of the nervous system than THC, the CDC says. THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is an active, mild-altering component in marijuana. CBD oil is made when cannabidiol is dissolved into an oil made from hemp or coconut, Time Magazine reported. CBD products should not make you fail a drug test as long as the product is completely free of THC, Forbes reports. VeryWellHealth says that if there is any cross contamination with THC, or if the CBD is mixed with THC, the consumer could fail a drug test. To ensure you do not flunk the drug test, the health website recommends that you do thorough research to ensure the CBD product youre using is pure and that the company is legitimate. Spectrum Confections CBD candies are not made to include THC, Klein said, according to Cannabis Aficionado. Scientists think this chemical might help children who have a lot of seizures (when your body starts twitching and jerking uncontrollably) that cant be controlled with other medicines, the CDC said. Some studies have started to see whether it can help. CBD is also being marketed as a way to relieve pain and anxiety symptoms, CNBC reported. Its also in early clinical trials for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia, according to Time. | https://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article228079559.html |
Why Doesn't MIT Trust Its Own Students to Recognize Sexual Assault? | The hysteria surrounding campus sexual assault reached a new pitch yesterday when MIT released the results of a survey on the subject. The university reported that 17 percent of female undergrads and 5 percent of male undergrads had been sexually assaulted, unleashing a flurry of articles and hand-wringing. Activists against sexual assault have argued that such campus climate surveys are crucial to exposing the extent of the problem, and such surveys were among the steps proposed this year by both a White House task force and a bipartisan group of senators, the New York Times reported. Only 35 percent of the student body opted to complete the survey, though all 11,000 graduate and undergraduate students were asked to. While there is no way to tell how the results may have differed had the entire student body completed the survey, its certainly reasonable to believe that the respondents were a self-selecting group, a big no-no in scientific research. The organizers certainly seemed to expect a certain kind of respondent, based on the gifts it offered as compensation for the 10-15 minutes they estimated the survey required: Your choice of $10 TechCASH, a $10 donation to Violence Prevention and Response at MIT Medical, or a $10 donation to Stop Our Silence, a student group dedicated to bringing awareness to the problem of sexual assault. While its possible that these 3,844 students are a perfect sample set for MITs 10,831 students, its also possibleeven likelythat those who have been assaulted are more likely to respond to a survey about that topic. Self-selection is usually suspect in scientific studies, because people with opinions tend to care more. The survey itself struggles throughout to contain what might be called its tonal bias. It starts off with a statement some might call unscientific: TRIGGER WARNING: Some of the questions in this survey use explicit language, including anatomical names of body parts and specific behaviors to ask about sexual situations. This survey also asks about sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence which may be upsetting. Resources for support will be available on every page of the survey, should you need them. While the organizers of the survey might be commended for their intense desire to help students with the emotions the survey may evoke, the trigger amounts to a leading question. Its very easy to imagine that the results of the survey might be in some way affected by being told its questions are very likely to upset you. | https://newrepublic.com/article/120018/mit-sexual-assault-survey-discrepancies-sexual-assault-numbers |
What channel is truTV? | TruTV will broadcast the entire First Four as well as several games during the round of 64 for the 2019 NCAA tournament. CBS, TNT and TBS will also broadcast games. It's that time of the year when college basketball fans find themselves scrolling through the TV guide and channel listings to locate where the first few games are being shown. Have no fear! Here's where to find truTV on your television. DirecTV: Channel 246 Dish Network: Channel 242, 9430 for HD Time Warner Cable: Search your area code Comcast/Xfinity: Search your code search Verizon FiOS: 183, 683 for HD AT&T: Search your area code here Cox Communications: Search your area code here You can also stream the games on FuboTV. Sign up today for a free seven-day trial. First Four Schedule: Tuesday, March 19 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Praire View A&M (6:40 p.m. ET) Belmont vs. Temple (9:10 p.m. ET) Wednesday, March 20 North Dakota State vs. N.C. Central (6:40 p.m. ET) Arizona State vs. St. John's (9:10 p.m. ET) March Madness 2019: Print the complete NCAA tournament bracket | https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2019/trutv-channel-listings-march-madness-bracket-schedule-dates-watch-ncaa-tournament-games |
Where are the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the No. 1 pick? | The eyes of many New Orleans Pelicans fans have drifted away from the court in the final month of the season and onto the standings. For many of those same fans, its time to embrace the tank. With the Pelicans out of the playoff race and Anthony Davis looming trade in the summer, the next date circled on the calendar is May 14 the date of the NBA lottery. Every Pelicans loss puts New Orleans closer to possibly getting the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Its not a likely scenario for the Pelicans to win the lottery, but the NBA has improved the odds for teams no longer in the top three. This is the first season of the NBAs new lottery odds where the top three teams each have a 14 percent chance at the top pick instead of the 25 percent chance for the team with the worst record, 19.9 percent chance for the team with the second-worst record and the 15.6 percent chance for the team with the third-worst record from last years lottery. That means the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers all have the same 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and earning the right to draft Dukes Zion Williamson. The Pelicans currently have the eighth-worst record in the NBA this season. Last year, that meant a 2.8 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick. Its jumps up to 6.0 percent. Alvin Gentry cant survive after Pelicans mind-boggling meltdown against Suns Stunning last-second loss to Phoenix Suns will seal the fate of Pelicans head coach's fate. Also, previously, the lottery not only decided the No. 1 overall pick but also the top three picks. That will change to the top four picks this season and at the No. 8 spot, the Pelicans have a 26.3 percent chance of landing a top-four selection. Of course, with 10 games to go, theres a chance the Pelicans wont finish where they are now. The Pelicans cant finish with one of the worst four records and its highly unlikely they catch Atlanta for the fifth-worst record. The Hawks are 24-47, 5.5 games ahead of the Pelicans in the lottery race. There is a chance the Pelicans could get to the sixth-worst record currently held by Memphis at 28-42. That would improve New Orleans odds at the No. 1 pick to 9.0 percent and the odds of a top-four pick to 37.2 percent. The Pelicans are a game behind Memphis and a half-game behind Dallas at No. 7. On the other side of the Pelicans are Washington (No. 9, 30-40), the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 10, 31-39), Charlotte (No. 11, 31-38), Minnesota (No. 12, 32-38), Orlando (No. 13, 33-38) and Sacramento (No. 14, 34-35). The Sacramento pick is likely to confer to Boston. However, if the 0.5 percent chance of that pick winning the lottery hits, it goes to Philadelphia. That pick could be critical as Boston is one of the teams to make a major play for Davis in the offseason. | https://www.nola.com/pelicans/2019/03/where-are-the-new-orleans-pelicans-in-the-race-for-the-no-1-pick.html |
How far did LSU drop in the polls after its upset loss to Florida? | The LSU Tigers fell three spots to No. 12 in the final Associated Press Top-25 after it lost a heartbreaker to Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The USA Today Coaches poll will be released later. The No. 12 ranking is the highest finish in the AP poll for the Tigers since 2000. LSU went 28-6 under John Brady that year, finishing the season at No. 10 in the final poll. Since 2000, LSU has now been ranked four times in the final AP poll as ranked in the final AP poll. The Tigers were No. 19 in 2006 before their Final Four run. LSU finished the 2009 season at No. 21. LSU (26-6) was No. 9 in the both AP Top 25 and the coaches poll last week. The Tigers have now been ranked in the AP poll for 12 weeks this season, starting off in the rankings at the beginning of the year and then coming back into the polls after their hot start in league play. The 12 weeks in the rankings are tied for the the most for the program history achieving the same feat as the 2006-07 team. LSU is one of four SEC teams ranked in the final AP poll. Tennessee came in at No. 6, Kentucky was No. 7 and Auburn skyrocketed to No. 14. Mississippi State also received votes. No. 3 seed LSU will play its first game of the NCAA Tournament at 11:40 a.m. Thursday against No. 14 seed Yale in in Jacksonville, Florida. | https://www.nola.com/lsu/2019/03/how-far-did-lsu-drop-in-the-polls-after-its-upset-loss-to-florida.html |
Can Turkish Multiculturalism Survive the Islamic State? | Indeed, even if Erdogan publicly announced that Turkey has joined the anti-IS coalition, the risk of upsetting the AKPs conservative base, who perceive recent airstrikes as Western intervention against Muslims, is a real one. It may explain, at least in part, why the Turkish military has yet to take action against IS despite parliamentary authorization to do so. Many Kurds see the AKPs ambivalence toward IS as evidence of where its true priorities lie. "If four Kurds get together, the state will break them apart. Of course they can stop [IS] if they choose to, said a Kurd living in an Istanbul suburb known to be a IS recruitment hotspot. Prominent journalists are even questioning whether Turkey's support to IS actually stems from a desire to crush the Kurds once and for all. PKK leader Murat Karayilan speculated recently that the Turkish government allowed IS to capture Kobane, one of three cantons administered by the PYD (PKKs Syrian affiliate), in order to secure the release of its hostages. But tensions have now metastasized from rhetoric to full-on violence. This week, over twenty people were killed when Kurdish protestors took to the streets to demand more assistance from the Turkish government in Kobane. These developments now risk upending the entire peace process. The Kurds were the first group seriously fighting IS on the ground. In the face of the jihadist threat, notoriously fractious Kurdish groups from throughout the region have unified to fight together. And with the U.S. arming the Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga, the PKK (a U.S.-designated terrorist organization) is now asking for weapons from the West as well. Amid the tumult in the region, Turkey has ignored its previous red lines, like Kurdish control over Kirkuk in Iraq or potential independence of Iraqi Kurdistan. But when it comes to its own Kurds, after a 30-year war that has cost more than 40,000 lives, Turkey's giving weapons to the PKK may be a step too far. The AKPs willingness to deal with the PKK will not only depend on the partys own identity crisis, but on the outcome of a crisis within the PKK itself. Journalists still regularly describe the PKK as a Kurdish independence movementand for decades, it was. But more recently it has moderated its demands, often relying on sophisticated theoretical critiques of nationalism to do so. Rather than seek Kurdish independence, the group, along with its Syrian affiliate the PYD, has promoted the idea of Kurdish autonomy within federated Turkish and Syrian states. Some skeptics suspect this conciliatory rhetoric is just a negotiating ploy, but Kurdish leaders insist their about-face is simply in keeping with the realities of history as proven by recent scholarship. Indeed, some statements from Abdullah Ocalan sound more like the pronouncements of an eager graduate student than a terrorist leader: In isolation I grasped the alternative modernity concept, that national structures can have many different models, that generally social structures are fictional ones created by human hands, and that nature is malleable. In particular, overcoming the model of the nation-state was very important for me. For a long time this concept was a Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist principle for me. It essentially had the quality of an unchanging dogma... When you said nation there absolutely had to be a state! If Kurds were a nation they certainly needed a state! However as social conditions intensified, as I understood that nations themselves were the most meaningless reality, shaped under the influence of capitalism, and as I understood that the nation-state model was an iron cage for societies, I realized that freedom and community were more important concepts. Realizing that to fight for nation states was to fight for capitalism, a big transformation in my political philosophy took place. I realized I had been a victim of capitalist modernity. In this light, when Ocalan declares through his intermediaries that more Kurds should learn Turkish, he is merely reflecting a reality obvious to many observers. Anyone who has ever watched PKK propaganda videos has seen militants joking with each other in fluent Turkish, while Kurdish nationalists in Diyarbakir complain that popular Turkish soap-operas have done more to teach the younger generation Turkish than state oppression ever could. Moreover, with Turkeys economy booming, many Kurds have found work in the Western Turkish cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. They and their relatives still in the region they call Kurdistan realize that independence would just mean a new set of borders dividing families. The real opportunity for the Kurds today is not, as many pundits excitedly predict, that they finally have a shot at complete independence. Instead, they finally have the good sense and intellectual foundation to pursue much more modest but pragmatic goals. While the heroic defense of Kobani has won the PKK and PYD a new wave of Western support, Kurdish leaders would do well to remember that their evolution from Stalinism to liberalism has also been crucial to this newfound legitimacy. More importantly, the temporary consensus amongst various Kurdish factions cannot hide the long history of Kurdish infighting. This fractious past, along with the dispersion of Kurds within Turkey, mean that a loose affiliation of the semi-autonomous Kurdish parts of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey might actually be a lot closer to what Kurds really want and need than a nominally unified but unstable and isolated Kurdistan. The real question now is whether the AKP and PKK can find common ground. Here is where the nightmare of the Islamic State is instructive. Much has been made about how the AKP wants to replace an old-fashioned version of Turkish nationalism with that of a religious community built around the Muslim idea of the Ummah. So does IS. But when you compare the vision of post-nationalism the AKP spent the last decade promotingbreaking down regional borders through free transit, low tariffs, and trade promotionit sounds a lot more compatible with the PKKs newly endorsed secular post-nationalism than the savagery of IS. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119771/turkeys-kurds-caught-struggle-over-islamic-state-syrian-border |
Should Religion Be Blamed for the World's Bloodiest Wars? | Again, the Spanish Inquisition is a notorious example of the violence of religion. There can be no doubt that it entailed hideous cruelty, not least to Jews who had converted to Christianity, often in order to save their lives, but who were suspected of secretly practising their faith and consequently, in some cases, burnt. Yet in strictly quantitative terms, the Inquisition pales in comparison to later frenzies of secular violence. Recent estimates of the numbers who were executed during the first 20 years of the Inquisitionthe most violent period in its long history, according to Armstrongrange from 1,500 to 2,000 people. By contrast, about a quarter of a million people were killed in the Vende (out of a population of roughly 800,000) when a peasant rebellion against the French Revolution was put down by republican armies in 1794. And some 17,000 men, women, and children were guillotined in the purge that ended in July that year, including the man who had designed the new revolutionary calendar. It is indisputable that this mass slaughter had a religious dimension. In 1793 a Goddess of Reason was enthroned on the high altar at Notre Dame Cathedral; revolutionary leaders made great use of terms such as credo, sacrament, and sermon in their speeches. As Armstrong puts it, No sooner had the revolutionaries rid themselves of one religion than they invented another. Consistently surprising and illuminating, Fields of Blood should be read by anyone interested in understanding the interaction of religion with violence in the modern world. Relying on detailed historical analysis, Armstrong argues convincingly against the prevailing idea that religion is uniquely prone to acting violently. She is less sure-footed in her account of secular faith and the violence that has been committed on its behalf. When she refers to the secularist bias of modern thinking, she seems to endorse the conventional perception of the modern world as having moved away from religion. Yet the logic of her argument pushes in another direction. Few movements have been as single-minded in their commitment to modernization as Lenins Bolsheviks, and few have been so virulently hostile to mainstream faiths. Yet as Bertrand Russell observed in his forgotten 1920 classic The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism, written after he travelled to Russia and talked with Lenin, Soviet communism was from the beginning as much a religion as a political project. Oddly, though it was a rerun on a vaster scale of the French revolutionary terror that she analyzes so penetratingly, Armstrong says practically nothing about the Soviet experience, or about Maoism. Yet, together with Nazism, these 20th-century state cults plant a question mark over the very idea of secularization. Certainly there has been a decline in the old authority of churches, but that does not mean religion is becoming weaker. Simultaneous with the retreat of the mainstream faiths, there has been a rise of a plethora of political religions and an explosion of fundamentalism, sometimes fused in a single movement. The ambiguities of secularization are especially prominent in the Middle East. Clearly, it represents both. Armstrong provides some of the background to the emergence of IS when she discusses Wahhabism, the 18th-century Islamic movement whose founder, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, helped establish the first Saudi state. Since the influx of oil wealth, the Saudis have promoted Wahhabism worldwide. IS is one of the offspring of this project: an ogre that is now a deadly threat to the Saudi state. A potential for violence was present in Wahhabism from the start. But Armstrong tells us that it was not inherently violent; indeed, Ibn Abd al-Wahhab had refused to sanction the wars of his patron, Ibn Saud, because he was simply fighting for wealth and glory. As an argument for the peaceful character of the movement, this is less than compelling. The clear implication of the founders statement is that war would have been justified if it had been waged in the service of faith. Armstrong performs an invaluable service by showing that religion is not the uniquely violent force demonized by secular thinkers. Yet neither is religion intrinsically peacefula benign spiritual quest compromised and perverted by its involvement with power. The potential for violence exists in faith-based movements of all kinds, secular as well as religious. Evangelical atheists splutter with fury when reminded that a war on religion was an integral part of some of the 20th centurys worst regimes. It is a feeble-minded and thoroughly silly response, reminiscent of that of witless believers who ask how a religion of love could possibly be held to account for the horrors of the Inquisition. Conventional distinctions between religious and secular belief pass over the role that belief itself plays in our lives. We are meaning-seeking creatures, Karen Armstrong writes wisely, and, unlike other animals, fall very easily into despair if we fail to make sense of our lives. We are unlike our animal kin in another way. Only human beings kill and die for the sake of beliefs about themselves and the nature of the world. Looking for sense in their lives, they attack others who find meaning in beliefs different from their own. The violence of faith cannot be exorcised by demonizing religion. It goes with being human. | https://newrepublic.com/article/119698/religion-not-blame-all-bloodiest-wars |
How did Mecklenburg County, NC change its bond policy? | He had been accused of misusing a relatives credit card, spending a few dollars on a minor purchase. She had broken her agreement with a judge to avoid prosecution a way to keep her record clean of a small larceny charge. Both of them spent two weeks in jail awaiting trial. For Kevin Tully, Mecklenburg Countys chief public defender, they are both examples of how some defendants usually poor, often charged with minor offenses have been locked up in Charlotte because they were unable to post bail. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer Under the countys new bail policy, though, Tully hopes that might be changing. Since it went into place earlier this month, judges are required to explicitly decide whether they want to release someone and cash bail can only be used if they dont. Its a policy, criminal justice officials say, that aligns the county with a longstanding but unenforced state law: Any defendants charged with non-capital offenses must be released while they await trial unless theres a reasonable chance they might flee, destroy evidence, or put someone in danger. This tries to make sure that we as a county are aligning ourselves with what the statute says, Khalif Rhodes, the countys chief magistrate, said. In doing so, it also makes Mecklenburg County one of many jurisdictions across the nation taking steps to reform its criminal justice system one that critics say has long been racially unjust and stacked toward defendants who can pay their way to freedom. The countys answer is a data-informed matrix that gives defendants two scores: one representing the probability they will show up to court, and the other for the probability that they will re-offend before their trial. If a judge wants to release a defendant, that matrix uses both scores to suggest a condition to do so none of which require money to be paid up-front. There are a lot of people who sit in our jail awaiting trial simply because they cannot pay the money bail and not because they actually pose a public safety risk, said District Judge Elizabeth Trosch, who served on a committee of criminal justice officials to write the new policy. We now have this tool that helps give judges really reliable information: Will you show up and will you harm the community? A broken system Under Mecklenburg Countys previous policy, a defendant who had just been arrested would go before a judge or magistrate, who would use a bond schedule that suggested bail amounts for possible charges. A judge could also choose to issue less restrictive options: a written promise to appear in court; an unsecured bond, where defendants only pay if they fail to come to court; or pre-trial supervision from the county. But most defendants had to pay in cash or through a bail bondsman to be released before trial. In 2017, that was true for 64 percent of all Mecklenburg cases including 55 percent of all those involving only misdemeanors, according to a News and Observer data analysis. If you pay that, whatever I was concerned about is going to be OK? After receiving a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a Houston nonprofit that works on criminal justice reform, officials pulled a sample of 10,000 Mecklenburg cases that had gone from arrest to case closure. They found that Mecklenburgs system in fact did little to accurately tell whether someone would appear in court or commit another offense after they were released. Instead of keeping the riskiest people in jail before trial, it locked up the defendants who could afford the bail amount being set: If they could pay, they could get out. If not, they were stuck behind bars which sometimes meant losing their homes, jobs, or custody of their children. After defendants are charged, they are taken before a judge or magistrate, who must consider nine factors in choosing whether to release or detain them before their trial including the nature of the offense, strength of the evidence, time living in community, and the results of the public safety assessment itself. Kristie Puckett-Williams, a regional field organizer for the ACLUs Smart Justice campaign, said that even those metrics which include questions such about family ties, mental conditions and character can be stacked against the most marginalized defendants in court. How do you measure stable community? she asked. Does living in a housing project count as a stable community? Under the new policy, judges are supposed to issue a secure bond, which requires paying in order to be released, only when they want to detain a defendant. Magistrates must explain why in writing. If judges want to release the defendant, they must look to a matrix developed by Mecklenburg County as part of the new policy: Each score on the risk assessment suggests a condition for release from a written promise to appear in court to intensive supervision that does not involve paying money up-front. In circumstances with limited risk, supervision has proven to get the job done. About 96 percent of people who are released into pretrial services appeared for court, according to Trosch, and less than one-fifth got arrested again in fiscal year 2017. Sonya Harper, the countys director of criminal justice services, said the public safety assessment is a proprietary tool that belongs to the Arnold Foundation. Factors such as the defendants age, prior convictions, and past failures to appear in court are entered into an algorithm, which assigns them the score. But those algorithms which are used in several dozen counties across the country, as well as all of Arizona, Kentucky and New Jersey have also come under fire for what critics say is a baked-in racial bias. Because African-Americans and other people of color are already disproportionately targeted by police, Puckett-Williams said, relying on factors like past convictions only keeps skewing the system against them. Likewise, she said, one missed court date should be considered a failure to appear because extenuating circumstances such as a lack of transportation, or an emergency-room visit could have kept someone from making it to court. David Hebert, a spokesperson for the Arnold Foundation, said in an email that unlike similar algorithms, the public safety assessment does not rely on demographic information. And in a preliminary study in Yakima County, Wash., it was found to have reduced racial disparities between black and white defendants. You have to be very careful Others, ranging from bail bondsmen to sheriffs, say that relying so much on an algorithm to make decisions as well as so rapidly encouraging release may pose a threat to public safety. Nationwide, police and prosecutors have blasted the algorithm for releasing people charged with gun crimes, domestic violence and repeat offenders. In New Jersey, one mother sued the Arnold Foundation after her son was killed by a man who had been released under the foundations algorithm. And locally, public safety watchdogs are quick to point out when defendants commit crimes after being released: In 2016, a man was involved in a Charlotte shootout after being let go by the county before his trial. For Tony Underwood, a spokesperson for the Union County Sheriffs Office, it represents the risk that comes with releasing someone before trial. If youre talking about your more violent offenders, you have to be very careful before you can consider some low bond or a written promise type of thing, he said. As part of Mecklenburgs policy, individuals charged with capital offenses do not qualify for unsecured bonds, while those who have been charged with other serious crimes from rape and other sex crimes to manslaughter and murder cannot be put into pretrial supervision by the county. And Rhodes, the countys chief magistrate, said he takes the possibility of defendants committing further crimes seriously. Every time I set a condition for release, I have to contemplate that something could happen, he said. Like most of the other criminal justice leaders behind Mecklenburgs policy, he pointed out that cash bail and other forms of secured bonds allow dangerous criminals to get out of jail before their trial if they can afford to post bail. Money is a false proxy for public safety and for likelihood of appearance, Trosch said. Somebody who is actually violent is not any less of a danger to the community because they can afford to post bail. Looking forward Two weeks into the policys implementation, most say its too soon to evaluate how well it is working. Merriweather, the district attorney, said that the new bail policy alone cannot bring more equity or safety to the criminal justice system. Its not just a matter of sticking this thing into a matrix or machine and being thoughtful, he said. You have to make sure youre intentional about what you present to the court. On a domestic violence case, for instance, the algorithms score may not reflect just how grave a threat is. And Tully, the public defender, said he has not been shy about letting his staff know that the score assigned by the algorithm to a defendant can be contested by lawyers in court. Puckett-Williams of the ACLU, meanwhile, wants to see an end to cash bail entirely. Money should not be a consideration for someone to receive justice, she said. | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article227109254.html |
Why Has The College Admissions Scandal Touched Such A Nerve? | This past Sunday morning, anyone reading the venerable Sunday New York Times could choose from any of at least six separate full-length pieces on the college admissions scandal. If they tuned into the popular comedy news quiz on NPR Wait, Wait, Dont Tell Me, the first subject covered, at quite some length (and admittedly pretty hilariously) was the college admissions scandal. The featured opinion piece on Fox News website was What Lori Laughlin could have learned from Aunt Becky. (Is there really any need to explain here that Laughlin is one of the parents charged in the scandal?) Examples of the breathless coverage could go on and on. This exhaustive coverage is happening at the end of a week with a major terrorist attack, a tragic airplane crash, and the announcements from Beto ORourke and Kirsten Gillibrand that they running for President. There is probably no single explanation, but the scandal seems to strike at the intersection of some of Americans worst tendencies. One such tendency is deep anti-intellectualism in American culture. This is not a new phenomenon. Richard Hofstadter wrote about it in his 1964 Pulitzer-prize winning book, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. One of the consequences of this anti-intellectualism is a distrust, even hostility, towards institutions of higher education. America is a society in which the phrase its academic is literally a synonym of its irrelevant. Public opinion of higher education is increasingly negative. As The New York Times Frank Bruni has written: A Gallup poll found that only 44 percent of all Americans had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the countrys colleges and universities, while 56 percent had only some or very little. College once a great aspiration was now a polarizing question mark. Thats not so surprising, given Americans intensifying resentment of anything that smacks of elitism and given Republicans attacks on science and intellectuals. As Ron Daniels, the president of Johns Hopkins University, recently told me, Even if we were completely unblemished in the way in which we pursued our mission, it would be hard to imagine that in Trumps America, we wouldnt be targets for scorn. Given this climate, it isnt surprising that the public is lapping up a story about how the smarties at elite colleges were duped by cheap schemes like photoshopping applicants faces onto athletes bodies. This may be why so much of the coverage has been critical of the elite institutions who, after all, are among the victims of the scandal. Another reason for the saturation coverage has been Americans love of takedowns of celebrities. The appetite for this sort of thing is visible in everything from the continued success of supermarket tabloids to the ratings for Celebrity Apprentice. Especially during the first several days after the scandal broke, it was near impossible to read or view coverage that didnt highlight the fact that two fairly well-known actresses were among those charged. In fairness, there has also been plenty of substantive coverage to go along with the shallow moralizing and finger-pointing. Some have connected the scandal to the legal means that the super-wealthy use to help their children get into schools. Others have reasonably questioned whether Americans really benefit from the existence of elite universities. Hopefully, as the temperature of criticism lowers, but the issue remains in the public eye, we can have a more empirically based public discussion on making the college admission process fairer and more accessible to non-elites. Educational mobility (defined as the probability that kids with parents from the bottom half of the education ranks will out-learn their parents and reach the top education quartile) is in serious decline in this country. There are many reasons for this including, of course, the high cost of college. But at least on this front elite colleges are moving in the right direction. At Harvard, for example, families earning less than $65,000 per year are not expected to contribute any money towards their childrens higher education. As discussed in a previous post, many elite colleges are working towards a goal of increasing enrollment of lower-income students by 50,000 over the next several years. More money, while great, isnt enough. Ironically, a lot of colleges are terrible communicators about the financial aid they offer students. A study by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found: letters often use acronyms and abbreviations, and they may lump together scholarships and loans in ways that are difficult for students and families to understand. Variation in financial aid letters from school to school can make it difficult for students and families to compare offers. Moreover, colleges have many challenges besides financial aid if they want to be truly open to deserving students across the economic spectrum. To begin with, they must end their emphasis on Advanced Placement exams. These exams are far less available to students in poorer and more rural areas, and even when schools in those areas have them, they often dont adequately prepare their students for those tests leading to counter-productive results. Further, the evidence is far from clear that AP exams actually do anything to accurately predict future success in college. Colleges should also re-think the way they evaluate extra-curricular activities. Volunteering at a non-profit, or summer study abroad may indeed be enriching activities, but many less well-off students are too busy babysitting younger siblings while their parents work the night shift or working part-time jobs to help parents pay the rent. A recent report from the Harvard School of Educations suggests that College admissions officers should value contributions to ones family, such as caring for younger siblings, taking on major household duties or working outside the home to provide needed income. This is an excellent suggestion. In conclusion, the saturation coverage of the admissions scandal provides a much-needed opportunity for a constructive public discussion on how to make elite institutions more genuinely open to talented children of the non-rich. We need to move past the schadenfraude and look to the future. Elite colleges are not the villains of the admissions scandal, and, as discussed above, they are taking some major steps to be fairer. But, of course, they need to do better. The suggestions for a better process discussed above are not onerous to implement. If elite colleges want to gain more trust and move past this scandal, they should see this moment as an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to a fair process for applicants from middle and lower class families. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/03/18/why-has-the-college-admissions-scandal-touched-such-a-nerve/ |
What To Expect From Seagate In Fiscal 2019? | Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX) saw low single-digit top line growth while its adjusted earnings were up in the high twenties percent for the first half of fiscal 2019. This can be attributed to higher demand for the high capacity HDD product portfolio. However, price erosion adversely impacted the overall sales growth. There is a slowdown in overall HDD demand, and this will likely impact the companys near term growth. You can adjust various drivers to see the impact on the companys earnings and price estimate. In addition, here is more Information Technology data. Expect Revenues To Decline In Mid-Single-Digits In Fiscal 2019 Seagates revenue growth in the first half of fiscal 2019 was primarily led by its client non-compute group, which was up in the high teens. The segment includes revenues generated by sales of hard drives for consumer electronics, including gaming consoles, along with the sales of branded external hard drives sold via the retail channels. Demand for increased capacity in gaming is aiding the segment growth. However, the overall softness in HDD demand could result in a slower growth rate for the full year. Client compute group, which includes sales of hard drives for laptops and desktops, saw sales down in mid-single-digits in H1 FY19. The overall PC market saw a low single-digit decline in shipments in calendar year 2018, marking it to be the seventh consecutive year to witness a decline in shipments. However, looking at calendar year 2019, the PC market is expected to see modest growth. Looking at the enterprise business, revenues were down in high single-digits in H1 FY19. However, the transition to higher capacity storage should drive the demand for the enterprise business. The current slowdown is likely to be more of a near-term issue, with the longer-term fundamentals of the storage market remaining strong. The near term headwinds can be attributed to the trends in NAND memory pricing, which have seen significant declines over the last year, as major vendors largely completed the transition from planar NAND to 3D NAND, boosting supply. Moreover, prices for DRAM have been trending lower, and they are expected to correct further. This has resulted in an overall reduction in pricing, but at the same time many customers are now willing to upgrade their storage capacity. For Seagate, the contribution of flash-based storage to its overall revenues is minimal, and it has thus not seen any significant impact on its top and bottom line, unlike its peers, such as Western Digital (See ~ What To Expect From Western Digital In Fiscal 2019?). Also, the foreign tariffs imposed primarily on China have resulted in weaker demand, and the economy is seeing slower growth. Chinas growth is projected to decelerate from an estimated 6.6% in 2018 to 6.2% in 2019. Note that Asia Pacific accounts for half of the companys revenues, and a slowdown in China will have an impact on Seagates performance as well. The company has guided for a slight decline in its adjusted margins, amid weaker demand. We forecast the adjusted earnings to be $4.48 per share in fiscal 2019, reflecting a decline in the high teens. Our price estimate of $52 for Seagate is based on a 12x forward price to earnings multiple. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/03/18/what-to-expect-from-seagate-in-fiscal-2019/ |
What has John Bercow done now? | He has told the government that it cannot send Theresa Mays Brexit deal back for a third vote in parliament immediately unless there have been substantial changes made to it. He has based his decision on Erskine May, the officialparliamentary rulebook. This work was begun by Thomas Erskine May, a constitutional expert who in 1844 published a work on the proceedings of parliament. He later became clerk of the Commons and regularly updated the work, as did others in later years. It is now into its 24th edition. Page 397 of the document states that a motion or amendment which is the same, in substance as something already voted on should not be brought forward again in a session of parliament. No. The Speaker said he was responding to questions on the issue from MPs, among them Labours Chris Bryant, who last week tabled an amendment to the second meaningful vote on Mays deal making such a point. It was withdrawn without a vote, but the point was made. The Speaker said the general principle, as outlined by Erskine May, dates back to 1604. In his speech last Tuesday about his amendment, Bryant gave a series of examples where Speakers had refused MPs permission to raise issues which had already been decided that session, including about extra funding to nursery schools in 1864, limiting rail workers hours in 1891, and on womens suffrage in 1912. Yes according to parliamentary rules, as Speaker he is the highest authority of the House of Commons, and has final say over how the business is conducted, as well as other key choices, for example: which tabled amendments are selected for votes. In theory, yes. Amid a series of points of order by MPs to Bercow after his announcement, Conservative Alex Burghart asked if the Commons could simply suspend the standing orders which prevent repeat votes. This was, the Speaker replied, up to the house. Whether or not MPs would vote to pass such a measure is another matter. Yes and this is one raised as a possibility by the solicitor general, Robert Buckland. It would be the idea of circumventing the rules around not repeating a vote in the same session of parliament by simply calling a new session of parliament. This would mean the government would prorogue parliament the technical term for ending its session and then call it to sit again. There is a part-precedence for this in the passage of the 1949 Parliament Act, which reduced the powers of the House of Lords in delaying certain legislation. The law was blocked by the Lords twice, over two parliamentary sessions. Since the existing law which the new act was replacing the 1911 Parliament Act required three parliamentary sessions to pass before the Commons could overturn the Lords, the Attlee government prorogued parliament ending the session and began a new special session lasting from 14 to 26 September 1948, complete with its own Kings speech. Asked by MPs if this could happen, Bercow said it would be an unusual step but confirmed it was possible. You cant at least not yet. Currently Erskine May, all 1,097 pages of it, will cost you 439.99 for a hard copy from the parliament bookshop. However, change is afoot. it is already digitised and available on the parliamentary intranet. In December the leaders of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, said it would soon be available to all for free. This is expected to happen with the upcoming 25th edition. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/18/what-has-john-bercow-done-now |
Are Democrats Facing Their Own Tea Party-Style Reckoning? | Tom Davis was a seven-term congressman from Virginias 11th district. A wave election in midterms leading to a new House majority, won with victories by moderates in swing districts. A few freshman members in some of the safest seats in the country pursuing an ideologically pure agenda that riles up the partys base but could endanger the moderates who were essential to winning the majority. Its all so familiar. And I would know. Story Continued Below In 1994, I was part of a Republican wave that retook the House for the first time in four decades. I represented Northern Virginia, where many voters are centrists and expect their representatives not to be beholden to the extremes in either party. And over my seven termsincluding a stint leading the National Republican Campaign Committee for two election cyclesI saw my conservative credentials questioned and denied by some on the ideological right. It was a prelude of things to come. After I left the House in 2008, I watched as the Tea Party wave crested in 2010, the House Freedom Caucus formed, and a new GOP House majority succumbed to infighting where members from the most safely deep-red Republican seats set the terms of the debate, held legislation hostage and endangered the reelection of moderates and more pragmatic members. I witnessed the transformation of my party into one increasingly challenging for centrists. And now, Im seeing the same thing happening to the Democrats. Just as her Republican predecessors had to manage the Freedom Caucus demands for legislation that would endanger more vulnerable Republicans, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has to govern around the lefts highly energized and emergent Herbal Tea Party segment. That wing, led by vocal freshmen, is rooted in solidly Democratic, highly urbanized areas where incumbents only worry is securing their partys nominationand to do that, they need to appeal only to the base. Meanwhile, the many freshmen Democrats elected in traditionally red districtswho must hew to the center to have any chance of being reelected in 2020get painted with the same brush, imperiling the partys majority. For Democrats, letting the tail wag the dog is a no-win formula. And already, Republicans are seeing a resurgence of sorts. In special elections held this year, the GOP has flipped state Senate seats in Connecticut, Kentucky and Minnesota, and a state House seat in Connecticut. This is in stark contrast to the run-up to the 2018 midterms, when the GOP was losing special election after special election in reliably Republican districts. If Pelosi wants to turn things around before its too late and prevent the Democratic Party from melting down, she needs to learn from what Republicans didand didnt doover the past decade in responding to their own insurgents from within. Lesson 1: Dont mistake your partys opposition to the president for unity. Pelosi has room to maneuver that her Republican predecessor did not have. One significant differentiator is that House Democrats are not saddled with protecting and defending President Donald Trumps actions. As speaker, Paul Ryan had to walk a tightrope in the first two years of the Trump presidencytrying not to alienate the president, his congressional allies or his supporters in the base, all while making progress on the House GOPs own longtime legislative priorities, which didnt always overlap with those of the administration. Now, Democrats and their voters are united in opposition to Trump. Still, House Democrats need to cobble together majorities to pass appropriations bills and raise the debt ceiling and would be well advised not to overdramatize these issues, as Republicans did. But on other issues, they are free to maneuver and to assess blame on the president or the Senate Republicans for public policy failures. That said, simply opposing a president from the opposition party doesnt, in itself, mean your party is going to stick together. You can unite the opposition enough to paper over intraparty differences some of the time, but eventually those differences will come to the fore. Heres why: Members from safe districts will be more likely to want endless theatrical investigationssometimes of dubious meritthat can detract from the proactive message the party would prefer to send. Members from moderate or swing seats benefit from pursuing the policies and messages that resonate strongest in voters lives. A constant focus on stymying the president detracts from that goal. Fissures will develop. The activist base will get angry at the moderates they feel arent doing enough to oppose the president. Moderates will be pressured to abandon what made them electable in the first place. And if they dont, theyll face expensive, competitive primariesusually against an ideologically pure candidate who can excite the base and potentially win the primary, but cannot hold the seat in the long term. Lesson 2: Realize that you are unlikely to get the president to sign any major legislation, and figure out how that should shape your message. In Congress, a leaders success generally stems from the ability to do two things: move legislation and reelect members. Pelosi has no equal in the first category. However, with no realistic chance of enacting laws without a Trump signature, her ability to do anything besides messaging is limitedwhich makes it more complicated to do the second category. Lacking some sort of bipartisan legislative accomplishment to point to, theres a good chance the partys message will be aimed at the base instead of swing voters. Just ask some of the Republicans defeated in 2018 how that worked. It will jeopardize the majority. A similar dynamic was at play after Republicans took the House in 2010. They were not able to pass any major legislation that President Barack Obama was interested in signing into law. Instead, they voted to repeal Obamacare over a dozen times and shut down the government when unable to get their riders on appropriations bills. Republicans might have been better served finding some common ground with Democrats and exhibiting some talent for governing. The Republican class of 1994 did exactly that in reforming welfare. Finding common ground on an infrastructure bill would be helpful for Democrats in this Congress. Lesson 3: Do not let the most vitriolic and uncompromising members of your party set the policy agenda. Under Speakers Boehner and Ryan, Republican leadership bowed to pressure from the most conservative, safe-district members, unsuccessfully attempting to repeal Obamacarea move popular with the base, but unpopular among the broader electorateand enacting tax reform which, in eliminating the ability of some taxpayers to deduct state taxes above a certain threshold, turned California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other high-tax states into killing zones for Republicans in the 2018 elections, denying the GOP a majority they thought redistricting had ensured. One lesson to be learned from the Republican failures is that the public airing of intraparty disputes, while helpful in party safe havens, has a damaging effect on the partys brand in swing districts. Even Republicans who voted no on party initiatives were held liable on Election Day for what the rest of the party did. (This was also true for Democrats in the 2010 election; half of all the House Democrats who voted against Obamacare were defeated by Republicans anyway.) On this front, Pelosi is not likely to get help from the partys presidential contenders, as the race to win over the activist base emphasizes liberal litmus tests on controversial proposals like Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and reparations. Individual House members in more conservative districts will (and should) try to separate themselves from these issues. But as voting habits become more parliamentary in nature and less localized (with help from the earmark ban, which has made the localization of House races more difficult, as members have no tangible project to bring home), party branding dominates. Lesson 4: Do not mistake a wave election in the midterms for momentum in the upcoming presidential race. As is often the case, parties misread their mandates. Voters elected Democrats in 2018 to put a check on the president and balance government rather than giving President Trump a blank check. But midterms rarely indicate how the next presidential election will turn out. One has to look no further than 1994 and 2010 to see that those midtermsboth tidal waves for Republicansin no way predicted the outcome of the presidential elections two years laterwhen Bob Dole lost to Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama, respectively. Democrats over-investigating the administration, or discussing policies outside the mainstream do not help their cause for 2020, in the swing districts that delivered their majority. The midterms were a referendum on Trump. But the 2020 will be different! It will be about the competing visions of the two presidential nominees. These potential nominees need to woo activist Democratic voters in order to be nominated. Playing to swing voters in the primary season is unlikely. This further complicates Democratic branding efforts among independent voters. Going into 2018, Republicans ignored the early signs of voter unrest at their peril. They let their tail wag their dog. Now, its happening to the Democrats. Two months into the new Congress, the exuberance of her most progressive members is a challenge to Pelosis majority. And it will remain so. But if the early returns from recent special elections are to be given credenceand, looking at historic trends, they shouldthe atmospherics of the 2018 elections are gone. | https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/18/democrats-aoc-ocasio-cortez-socialists-pelosi-congress-left-tea-party-225813 |
How Important Is Oncology For Pfizer? | Pfizers (NYSE:PFE) oncology business contributes more than 10% to its overall top line. This can be attributed to its breast cancer drug ~ Ibrance ~ which has been doing well of late, and it has a large addressable market. The contribution of oncology drugs to the companys overall sales will likely increase in the coming years, with new compounds, such as Bavencio, getting the regulatory nod, and more drugs in its late stage pipeline. In this note we discuss the importance of oncology drugs for Pfizer. You can adjust various drivers to see the divisions impact on the companys overall earnings. Also, heres more Healthcare Data. Oncology Revenues Are On An Upward Trajectory Oncology revenues have seen rapid growth from close to $1.5 billion in 2012 to around $6 billion in 2018. This can be attributed primarily to the success of its two drugs ~ Ibrance and Sutent. While Sutent is a $1 billion plus drug, Ibrance generates over $4 billion in annual sales. Ibrance has been approved for the treatment of breast cancer, and is currently being tested in phase 3 for another three variants of breast cancer. The drugs peak sales are expected to be as high as $8 billion. This is possible given that breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer type in women. Nearly 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. Most of the breast cancer cases are HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), an indication for which Ibrance has secured approval. This means that Ibrance targets a very broad set of breast cancer patients. However, last year Novartis saw its breast cancer drug Kisqali getting approvals for multiple indications. As more drugs are approved for different forms of treatment, Ibrance could face the risk of sales slowing in the coming years. For now, Ibrance is the leader in CDK 4/6 (cyclin-dependent kinase) inhibitor class in the U.S., with 90% share in terms of new prescription volume. The future growth will likely come from expansion in international markets, primarily Europe and Japan. Oncologys Contribution To Pfizers EPS We use adjusted net income margin of around 32%, similar to that of Pfizer overall, to arrive at $0.36 contribution to Pfizers total earnings. To understand the contribution to Pfizers stock price, we use around 18x forward price to earnings multiple, and arrive at a $6 figure, which accounts for roughly 15% of the companys current stock price. Our price to earnings multiple for Pfizer is slightly above most of the other pharmaceutical companies, given the growth visibility in Pfizers sales from 2021, especially from biosimilars, anti-infective drugs, and a strong late stage pipeline. In fact, oncology sales contribution is expected to increase from 11% currently to close to 20% by the end of our forecast period in 2025, led by its new compounds. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/03/18/how-important-is-oncology-for-pfizer/ |
Is Hamilton Torontos Brooklyn? | You may have heard the comparison that Hamiltons booming arts and foodie scene has made it the Brooklyn of Toronto. Its an analogy that often makes Hamiltonians cringe, resenting the implication that their existence is dependent upon that of their Toronto neighbours. But its not the misguided idea that Hamilton and Brooklyn are where people end up when they can no longer afford the big city that has sparked this connection; rather, its Hamiltons rapid growth journey. Much like Brooklyn, a determined group of young urbanites have worked to transform the city before our eyes. ( Contributed ) Years ago, Hamilton may have been the place where a distant relative lived growing up, and like Brooklyn, it may have once been the butt of a joke one of those you live where? locations. But much like Brooklyn, a determined group of young urbanites have worked to transform the city before our eyes. While respecting the blue-collar labourers of the steel industry that made the city what it is, Hamilton has accepted and invested in new employment sectors that allow residents to live and work within its borders. Institutions like McMaster University and the Hamilton Health Sciences Corp., as well as a growing tech sector, have the economy legs in a way that a single-industry town couldnt have achieved. As the city has grown, so has its infrastructure. A second GO station opened in 2015, and the once-neglected Gore Park is now a lavish public square. And as growth continues, an emerging arts and culture scene has attracted young talent. These are real, relatable artists eager to share their talents with locals and newcomers alike and prove that Hamilton has always had the sturdy bones of a vibrant metropolis. Article Continued Below And dont be fooled Hamilton is not looking to become Toronto. Instead, it stands for the everyman, the go-getter with no desire to wait in line on Thursday night just to grab a drink after work. It has a strong sense of identity rooting it down. As Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, Carlo Scissura, advised on his 2015 visit, Dont lose your grittiness in the fight for all that gleams, Hamilton Be who you are Be gritty, be cool. Hamilton pride has even become its own industry, sparking the sales of neighbourhood wall art and t-shirts that feature the popular #HamOnt hashtag. Even Torontonians who make the move out of necessity find themselves gradually moving their lives over to Hamilton and warming up to their surroundings faster than expected. The areas surrounding Hamiltons downtown core are also profiting from the citys renaissance. No longer just small-town suburbs, places like Stoney Creek and Binbrook have welcomed the vibrancy of new growth. With restaurants, cafs, breweries and more peppering Hamiltons downtown core and surrounding communities, the old west-end of big-box chains and dilapidated industrial stretches are dissipating into an artisan scene worthy of exploration. And while theres still a long way to go, a new era has already struck, and the surrounding communities of Hamiltons suburbs are reaping the benefits. Take Empire Communities Life Reimagined Quiz to find out what small town best suits you. | https://www.thestar.com/sponsored_sections/homeessentials/2019/03/04/is-hamilton-torontos-brooklyn-.html |
Who is Ian Shugart, the man who will replace Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick? | OTTAWA Ian Shugart, the man tapped to replace Michael Wernick as Canadas top civil servant after Wernicks resignation on Monday in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal, is a longtime public servant who once served in Brian Mulroneys Tory government. He has served as deputy minister of Foreign Affairs since 2016, and has also held top spots at Employment and Social Development Canada and at Environment Canada, working with Conservative and Liberal governments. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Monday, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to name Shugart the next Privy Council clerk, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said her deputy is a fantastic choice. I have found him to be a tremendously effective deputy minister, someone who I trust completely, and someone who is 100-per-cent devoted to the Canadian national interest, and someone with excellent judgment, she said. Wernick announced his retirement Monday after nearly 38 years in the public service after becoming embroiled in the SNC-Lavalin controversy, with former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould naming him as one of several officials who she says inappropriately pressured her to negotiate an agreement with the Quebec engineering giant that would have allowed it to avoid criminal prosecution. In her testimony before the House of Commons justice committee last month, Wilson-Raybould accused Wernick of making veiled threats about what would happen to her career if she didnt comply. Wernick has testified twice before the same committee and denied that anything inappropriate occurred, claiming that Wilson-Raybould experienced only lawful advocacy. Shugart comes to the Privy Council Office after nearly 30 years in the public service. He was named deputy minister of Environment in 2008, under the Harper government, and was moved to Employment and Social Development in 2010. He became Freelands deputy in May 2016, replacing Daniel Jean, who was tapped to become Trudeaus national security adviser. His appointment to the Foreign Affairs role has been criticized by some because of his lack of international experience, though he defended his resume in a 2017 interview with Open Canada. Im not just an import from some other department, as a senior deputy minister, he said. No, but I know some things that some people in this department dont know, and its useful for them to have access to that. Shugart has previously occupied senior positions at Health Canada and was the executive director of the Medical Research Council, the precursor to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, from 1993 to 1997. He has a bachelors degree in political economy from the University of Torontos Trinity College. Someone who is 100-per-cent devoted to the Canadian national interest Ian Shugart will bring with him a wealth of experience to the role of clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the cabinet, Trudeau said in a statement. Having served as a deputy minister in three different departments, Mr. Shugart is well-placed to lead the federal public service as it continues to implement the Government of Canadas agenda and deliver high-quality service to Canadians. Prior to joining the public service, Shugart worked in the leaders office of the Progressive Conservatives when they formed the official opposition in the early 1980s, under Joe Clark and then Mulroney. He went on to work for the federal health and energy ministers under Mulroneys Tory government, between 1984 and 1991. Shugart has not made many public statements in recent years, but he did give a speech last May at a conference in Ottawa about Canadas international interests, in which he talked about how Canada should deal with countries that are hostile to Western interests and established rules. The number of countries that we could reliably say and assume were like-minded with Canada and our closest allies, its a smaller group than it was before, he said, adding that Canada must be guided by a belief in multilateralism in addressing such threats. Speaking to a parliamentary committee last June about an auditor generals report on consular services to Canadians abroad, Shugart also provided some perspective on his role as a public servant. Under both (Harper and Trudeau) governments I have personally had the experience many times of giving ministers unwelcome advice and welcome advice, good news and bad, he said. That is our responsibility, and deputy ministers are very well aware of that. It is not always a comfortable responsibility to carry, but we do understand and, in my experience, follow that basic responsibility to tell the truth to our political masters, to follow their direction but to tell them the truth and give them our very best advice. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: MauraForrest | https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/who-is-ian-shugart-the-man-who-will-replace-privy-council-clerk-michael-wernick |
Should mass shooters remain nameless? | A few months after teen shooters killed 12 classmates and her father at Columbine High School, Coni Sanders was standing in line at a grocery store with her young daughter when they came face to face with the magazine cover. It showed the two gunmen who had carried out one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history. Ms. Sanders realized that few people knew much about her father, who saved countless lives. But virtually everyone knew the names and the tiniest of details about the attackers who carried out the carnage. In the decades since Columbine, a growing movement has urged news organizations to refrain from naming the shooters in mass slayings and to cease the steady drumbeat of biographical information about them. Critics say giving the assailants notoriety offers little to help understand the attacks and instead fuels celebrity-style coverage that only encourages future attacks. The 1999 Colorado attack continues to motivate mass shooters, including the two men who this week stormed their former school in Brazil, killing seven people. The gunman who attacked two mosques in New Zealand on Friday, killing at least 49 people, was said to have been inspired by the man who in 2015 killed nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. Adam Lankford, a criminologist at the University of Alabama, who has studied the influence of media coverage on future shooters, said it's vitally important to avoid excessive coverage of gunmen. "A lot of these shooters want to be treated like celebrities. They want to be famous. So the key is to not give them that treatment," he said. The notion hit close to home for Ms. Sanders. Seemingly everywhere she turned the grocery store, a restaurant, a newspaper, or magazine she would see the faces of the Columbine attackers and hear or read about them. Even in her own home, she was bombarded with their deeds on TV. Everyone knew their names. "And if you said the two together, they automatically knew it was Columbine," Ms. Sanders said. "The media was so fascinated and so was our country and the world that they really grasped onto this every detail. Time and time again, we couldn't escape it." Criminologists who study mass shootings say the vast majority of shooters are seeking infamy and soak up the coverage as a guide. Just four days after the 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting, which stands as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Mr. Lankford published a paper urging journalists to refrain from using shooters' names or going into exhaustive detail about their crimes. These attackers, he argued, are trying to outdo previous shooters with higher death tolls. Media coverage serves only to encourage copycats. Late last year, the Trump administration's federal Commission on School Safety called on the media to refrain from reporting the names and photos of mass shooters. It was one of the rare moments when gun-rights advocates and gun-control activists agreed. "To suggest that the media alone is to blame or is primarily at fault for this epidemic of mass shootings would vastly oversimply this issue," said Adam Skaggs, chief counsel for the Giffords Law Center, which works to curb gun violence. Mr. Skaggs said he is "somewhat sympathetic to journalists' impulse to cover clearly important and newsworthy events and to get at the truth.... But there's a balance that can be struck between ensuring the public has enough information ... and not giving undue attention to perpetrators of heinous acts." Studies show a contagion effect from coverage of both homicides and suicides. The Columbine shooters, in particular, have an almost cult-like status, with some followers seeking to emulate their trench-coat attire and expressing admiration for their crime, which some have attributed to bullying. The gunman in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting kept a detailed journal of decades' worth of mass shootings. James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings, said naming shooters is not the problem. Instead, he blamed over-the-top coverage that includes irrelevant details about the killers, such as their writings and their backgrounds, that "unnecessarily humanizes them." "We sometimes come to know more about them their interests and their disappointments than we do about our next-door neighbors," Mr. Fox said. Law enforcement agencies have taken a lead, most recently with the Aurora, Illinois, police chief, who uttered just once the name of the gunman who killed five co-workers and wounded five officers last month. "I said his name one time for the media, and I will never let it cross my lips again," Chief Kristen Ziman said in a Facebook post. Some media, most notably CNN's Anderson Cooper, have made a point of avoiding using the name of these gunmen. The Associated Press names suspects identified by law enforcement in major crimes. However, in cases in which the crime is carried out seeking publicity, the AP strives to restrict the mention of the name to the minimum needed to inform the public, while avoiding descriptions that might serve a criminal's desire for publicity or self-glorification, said John Daniszewski, the AP's vice president and editor-at-large for standards. For Caren and Tom Teves, the cause is personal. Their son Alex was among those killed in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater in 2012. They were both traveling out of state when the shooting happened, and it took 15 hours for them to learn the fate of their son. During those hours, they heard repeatedly about the shooter but virtually nothing about the victims. Not long after, they created the No Notoriety movement, encouraging media to stick to reporting relevant facts rather than the smallest of biographical details. They also recommend publishing images of the shooter in places that are not prominent, steering clear of "hero" poses or images showing them holding weapons, and not publishing any manifestos. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy "We never say don't use the name. What we say is use the name responsibly and don't turn them into anti-heroes," Tom Teves said. "Let's portray them for what they are: They're horrible human beings that are completely skewed in their perception of reality, and their one claim to fortune is sneaking up behind you and shooting you." This story was reported by The Associated Press. | https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2019/0318/Should-mass-shooters-remain-nameless |
Is BTS Already Headed For Another No. 1 Album? | Its been less than a year since K-pop outfit BTS made history by becoming the first act from their genre to score a No. 1 album in the U.S. with their full-length Love Yourself: Tear. That one accomplishment would have been a career high for most groups, but the Bangtan Boys (another name theyve been known by) didnt rest on their success, instead prepping another album almost immediately. The follow-up record, Love Yourself: Answer, was released in August, and it, too, went straight to the peak of the Billboard 200, making them one of the few acts that have landed a pair of leaders in the same calendar year. As is their typical way of working, BTS is already back with new music, and the vocal group has announced a new album entitled Map of the Soul: Persona, which will drop on April 12. Three albums in less than a year is an incredible amount of music for any musicians to create, but is it too much for fans...or will BTS collect a third No. Perhaps their greatest competition when it comes to claiming the No. 1 with their upcoming release is pop/jazz singer-songwriter and pianist Norah Jones, whose new record Begin Again is slated to be made available the same day. Jones has released half a dozen records now, and the lowest position shes had to settle for when it comes debuts is No. 3, while three of them have topped the Billboard 200. Most of her records open with over 100,000 units, though her most recent effort, 2016s Day Breaks, didnt even make 50,000 in its first frame. Even if she inches back toward her usual selling figures, it might only move about half as many units as BTS most recent No. 1, which launched with 185,000 equivalent units, most of which were sales. Behind Jones, a handful of titles could begin their time on the Billboard 200 inside the top 10Anderson .Paaks Ventura, Melissa Etheridges The Medicine Show and perhaps even LSDs (the supergroup featuring Sia, Labrinth and Diplo) self-titled debutbut none of them will challenge BTS for the throne. When predicting future chart-leading albums, its also smart to look not only at what else will be released on the same day, but what came out in the week(s) prior. The frame before Map of the Soul: Persona arrives, only Khalids Free Spirit, which has a good shot at going to No. 1 upon arrival, will likely hold on inside the top 10 for a second stint, though its second-week figures shouldn't be enough to hold powerhouses like BTS back. Perhaps the only thing that could derail BTS chances of scoring a third No. 1 album in less than 12 months is a surprise release from one of the music industrys superstars, and thats always nearly impossible to predict. If, say, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift or a hip-hop favorite like Drake or Eminem came out of nowhere with another full-length, they may have a shot at winning the week...but at the moment, there arent enough rumblings and rumors to give the K-pop heavyweights reason to worry. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2019/03/18/is-bts-already-headed-for-another-no-1-album/ |
Can Belmont win an NCAA Tournament game? | CLOSE Belmont has gotten into the NCAA Tournament seven times in the past, but always on automatic berths. Mike Organ, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Belmont is back in the NCAA Tournament. Getting into the field of 68 remains a huge accomplishment for the Bruins. But getting in on an at-large bid brings with it a completely different feel along with added expectations. "That's what I'm most nervous about now, is living up to this choice (by the NCAA Tournament selection committee)," coach Rick Byrd said. Belmont (26-5) plays Temple (23-9) at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday (TruTV) in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio. The winner will play No. 6 seed Maryland in the East Region. The selection committee elected to put Belmont in the tournament this year rather than being required to do so as it had been the seven times in the past when the Bruins earned automatic berths by winning conference tournaments. The Bruins never have won an NCAA Tournament game. The closest they came was in 2008 when they gave Duke a scare before losing 71-70. Belmont also played well against Virginia the last time it was in the NCAA Tournament in 2015. The Bruins cut a 14-point deficit in the second half to two with 4:30 minutes remaining before falling 79-67. Better equipped On several occasions Byrd has said this team is one of the very best he has coached in his 33 years at Belmont. Dylan Windler, a 6-foot-8 forward, is an NBA prospect. Fellow senior Kevin McClain, a guard, and freshman center Nick Muszynski joined Windler on the All-OVC first team. Muszynski missed the OVC tournament championship game against Murray State with an ankle injury but Byrd said Monday he will play Tuesday. Freshman point guard Grayson Murphy from Independence is 12th nationally in assists per game (6.6). NEWSLETTERS Get the Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Top and trending sports headlines you need to know for your busy day. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-342-8237. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters "Even the team that played Duke to a point, that team didn't have the capability this team does to compete with those kind of athletes and skill players that we're going to have to face in this tournament," Byrd said. "I think we are more ready in that regard." The only component this team lacks is a history in the NCAA Tournament. "We don't have as much experience as that (2008) team had in playing in the NCAA Tournament; we have none," Byrd said. "But I've seen teams win first-round games that have never been there before, and that's what we will try to do." Peaking down the stretch The selection committee has made it clear in the past it favors teams that are playing well heading into the tournament, and Belmont fits that template. The Bruins struggled at the start of the Ohio Valley Conference season when they lost twice to Jacksonville over a two-week span. The second loss came on Jan. 17. Belmont didn't lose again until March 9 in the conference tournament championship. "The fact that we won 14 straight at the end of the year helped," Byrd said. "They always talk about picking teams based on how they are playing late in the season. We certainly played well. Not only did we win those games, (but) we won all but one of them by double-figures." Belmont's average margin of victory during the 14-game win streak was 20 points. The past matters After going to the NCAA Tournament seven times in 10 seasons, Belmont gained a reputation as one of the nation's top mid-major programs. The Bruins also have been in the National Invitation Tournament four times. They advanced to the quarterfinals in 2014 and second round in 2017. That past success also could have played a role in Belmont earning the at-large bid. "They're supposed to look at each team separately on its own merits for each year, and I've got to trust that's what they tried to do," Byrd said. "And if there was any part of the consistency of our program or any other part of the program that swung things our way, that's great." Temple's tournament history Like Belmont, Temple is led by a veteran coach in Fran Dunphy, 70. This game could be Dunphy's last. He is in his 13th season with the Owls and already has announced his retirement at the end of the season. Dunphy replaced John Chaney in 2006. Temple is in the NCAA Tournament for the 33rd time. The Owls' last appearance came in 2016 when they lost to Iowa 72-70 in overtime. Belmont's NCAA NET ranking is 48th. Temple is 56th. More: What to know about Temple, the Bruins' First Four opponent More: First Four: Belmont vs. Temple TV, Game time, Odds, Streaming More: Belmont's Rick Byrd brought to tears after Bruins get NCAA Tournament at-large bid Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter. | https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/2019/03/18/ncaa-tournament-belmont-temple-fran-dunphy-rick-byrd-first-four/3202396002/ |
How Did the F.A.A. Allow the Boeing 737 Max to Fly? | With virtually every day that has passed since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which killed a hundred and fifty-seven people, more disturbing news has emerged. On Sunday, a spokesperson for Ethiopias ministry of transport said that the black box that was recovered from the wreckage of Flight 302 indicated that clear similarities were noted between Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Indonesian Lion Air Flight 610, which crashed last October, killing a hundred and eighty-nine people. The plane involved in the Lion Air tragedy was also a Boeing 737 Max 8, and investigators suspect that the cause of that crash was a malfunctioning automated-flight-control feature, which caused the aircrafts nose to dip repeatedly during its initial ascent out of the airport in Jakarta. The automated-flight-control feature on the 737 Max, which is called a Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), was designed to prevent a high-speed stall. It works by tilting part of the horizontal stabilizer in the tail of the plane, and investigators at the Ethiopian crash site have found physical evidence that this part of the plane was, indeed, configured to dive. Radar data has indicated that both planes jerked up and down in erratic fashion after takeoff. The captain of the Ethiopian Airlines flight reported a flight control problem to the air-traffic control tower. Data from the black box of the Lion Air plane showed that its pilots repeatedly pulled back on the control yoke to try to disengage the MCAS and level the flight path of the plane. The pilots fought continuously until the end of the flight, an official from the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee said in November, after the planes black box was recovered. This is all frightening enough, and it raises serious questions about why Boeing didnt tell airlines and pilots much more about the MCASin particular, how to disengage it in an emergencybefore the 737 Max was put into service in 2017, the Washington Post reported. Boeing has delivered three hundred and seventy-six of these planes to airlines around the world. Practically all of them have now been grounded out of safety concerns. Boeing has promised a software fix to address some of the potential problems created by the MCAS. Thats too little, too late, of course, and it doesnt address the even larger issue of how the 737 Max was allowed to fly in the first place. On Sunday, the Seattle Times, the home-town newspaper of Boeings commercial division, published the results of a lengthy investigation into the federal certification of the 737 Max. It found that the F.A.A. outsourced key elements of the certification process to Boeing itself, and that Boeings safety analysis of the new plane contained some serious flaws, including several relating to the MCAS. The Boeing analysis understated the power of the new flight control system, the Seattle Times article said. When the planes later entered service, MCAS was capable of moving the tail more than four times farther than was stated in the initial safety analysis document. The Boeing analysis also failed to account for how the system could reset itself each time a pilot responded, thereby missing the potential impact of the system repeatedly pushing the airplanes nose downward. In the case of the Lion Air flight, investigators suspect the MCAS was reacting to faulty data gathered from a single flight sensor mounted on the fuselage. It turns out that the F.A.A., with congressional approval, has over the years delegated increasing authority to Boeing to take on more of the work of certifying the safety of its own airplanes, the Seattle Times said. In the case of the 737 Max, which is a longer and more fuel-efficient version of previous 737s, Boeing was particularly eager to get the plane into service quickly, so it could compete with Airbuss new A320neo. Early on, employees of the F.A.A. and Boeing decided how to divide up the certification work. But halfway through the process we were asked by management to re-evaluate what would be delegated, a former F.A.A. safety engineer told the Seattle Times. Management thought we had retained too much at the FAA: There was constant pressure to re-evaluate our initial decisions, the former engineer said. And even after we had reassessed it there was continued discussion by management about delegating even more items down to the Boeing Company. Even the work that was retained, such as reviewing technical documents provided by Boeing, was sometimes curtailed. There wasnt a complete and proper review of the documents, the former engineer added. Review was rushed to reach certain certification dates. The new revelations dont stop there. Federal prosecutors and Department of Transportation officials are scrutinizing the development of Boeing Co.s 737 MAX jetliners, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. A grand jury in Washington, D.C., issued a broad subpoena dated March 11 to at least one person involved in the 737 MAXs development, seeking related documents, including correspondence, emails and other messages, a source told the paper. (The Justice Department and Department of Transportation declined to comment on the Journals reporting.) The criminal investigation began well before the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight. Its not clear yet whether it is focussing on the MCAS system, the report in the Journal said. But, that article added, In the U.S., it is highly unusual for federal prosecutors to investigate details of regulatory approval of commercial aircraft designs, or to use a criminal probe to delve into dealings between the FAA and the largest aircraft manufacturer the agency oversees. Probes of airliner programs or alleged lapses in federal safety oversight typically are handled as civil cases, often by the DOT inspector general. In a statement to the Seattle Times, Boeing said that the F.A.A. considered the final configuration and operating parameters of MCAS during MAX certification, and concluded that it met all certification and regulatory requirements. The F.A.A., in a statement issued on Sunday, said that the 737 MAX certification program followed the FAAs standard certification process. Given that two brand-new 737 Maxes have plunged to earth, befuddling their pilots and costing three hundred and forty-six people their lives, these statements are hardly reassuring. We need to know a lot more about how the FAA allowed this plane to take to the air. | https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/how-did-the-faa-allow-the-boeing-737-max-to-fly |
Who spent the most on lobbying in Minnesota last year? | Calgary-based energy company Enbridge was Minnesotas biggest spender on lobbying in 2018, according to a new report. The company spent nearly $11.1 million, the vast majority of the money used to advocate in front of the Public Utilities Commission for the right to build a massive oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. The PUC approved the 340-mile pipeline, called Line 3, in June of 2018. The $2.6 billion project is still wending its way through the regulatory process after more than three years. Enbridge still must get several additional permits. The administration of Gov. Tim Walz is appealing the PUC approval. Other energy companies including Xcel, CenterPoint and Freeborn Wind Energy also spent heavily, mostly on lobbying the PUC. The total spent to influence the PUC by all interested parties nearly $15.3 million is the highest amount ever, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Other kinds of lobbying of the Legislature and the executive branch by companies, trade associations, unions, nonprofits and other groups totaled more than $60 million, which is the lowest since 2012. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Business Partnership which represents the states largest companies like 3M and Target were the next two biggest spenders on lobbying after Enbridge, together shelling out about $3.3 million as they tried to improve the states tax and regulatory climate for their members. Rounding out the top 10 in spending were local government lobbying groups League of Minnesota Cities and Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities; and tobacco giant RAI Services. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees and Education Minnesota two large unions representing public workers both made the top 20 in lobbying spending, in the face of a GOP-controlled Legislature. | http://www.startribune.com/enbridge-spent-most-on-lobbying-in-2018/507324972/ |
Did Indianapolis Motor Speedway flex its muscle to get billboard taken down? | CLOSE Almost every year since 1947, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has released thousands of balloons on race day morning. Now, they're catching heat for a practice critics say endangers wildlife. Emily Hopkins, [email protected] An effort to draw attention to the environmental impacts of the Indy 500 balloon release has been cut short. A billboard decrying the race day tradition was unveiled this week in Indianapolis, and was scheduled to be on display until April 14. But this afternoon, Danielle Vosburgh, co-founder of Balloons Blow and the Florida woman behind the campaign, received a message from someone asking why the billboard was already gone. "Initially, I was like what the heck, but its kind of funny," said Vosburgh, who added that she's not deterred and is looking for a different avenue to publicize her cause in Indianapolis. The billboard showed an image of a balloon as well as a photo of a balloon hanging from the beak of a bird. The text read "BALLOONS POLLUTE AND KILL. #StopLitteringIMS BalloonsBlow.org." Vosburgh told The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, that a representative from OUTFRONT Media, which owns and operates the billboard, told her that someone from Indianapolis Motor Speedway called the billboard company's office and claimed that the billboard's message was an attack ad. OUTFRONT Media then took down the billboard. A billboard message calls on Indianapolis Motor Speedway to retire its decades-old tradition of releasing thousands of balloons on race morning, seen on 16th street, just west of the intersection with Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis on Monday, March 18, 2019. The billboard, commissioned by environmental activism and education website BalloonsBlow.org, was funded by donations and a grant from the Fund for Wild Nature. (Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar) IMS spokesman Alex Damron, though, would only say Monday that, "We did not reach out to the billboard company to ask for it to be taken down." But he did not say whether someone from IMS contacted OUTFRONT to otherwise discuss the billboard. OUTFRONT Media did not respond to a request for comment. The Indianapolis Star first reported on the billboard on Monday afternoon. A few hours later, it received reports that it had been taken down. This is third billboard that Vosburgh has funded to raise awareness about balloon releases and their danger to wildlife. Her first was stationed outside of Disneyworld in Orlando, and the second was debuted in August near the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Vosburgh said she was also preparing to fund a billboard near Clemson University, until the college announced last year that it was abandoning its balloon release. According to Vosburgh, U-NL and IMS are the last two instiutions to orchestrate large-scale balloon releases. Vosburgh grew up cleaning the shores of southeast Florida. Over the last decade, she said she's noticed more and more balloons washing up on the beach. She and her sister founded Balloons Blow, a website dedicated to educating the public on the risk balloons pose to wildlife and the environment. A billboard message calls on Indianapolis Motor Speedway to retire its decades-old tradition of releasing thousands of balloons on race morning, seen on 16th street, just west of the intersection with Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis on Monday, March 18, 2019. The billboard, commissioned by environmental activism and education website BalloonsBlow.org, was funded by donations and a grant from the Fund for Wild Nature. (Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar) The problem, Vosburgh said, is that after balloons are released, they ultimately make their way back to earth where they're not much different than any other kind of litter. "We need to dispose of our garbage properly," she told The Star last week. "You wouldnt throw balloons on the ground so why would you let them into the air where theyre going to land somewhere else?" The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has released thousands of balloons as part of its opening festivities almost every year since 1947. Damron, the Speedway's director of communications, told The Star in 2018 that the balloons were made of an organic, biodegradable rubber, and that IMS had no intention of abandoning the release. NEWSLETTERS Get the Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Sports news, no matter the season. Stop by for the scores, stay for the stories. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-0001. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters "We have not considered an alternative. The balloon release is a cherished piece of our pre-race ceremony and will continue to be part of Race Day," he said at the time. In response to the latest development, Damron last week emailed this statement to IndyStar: The balloon release remains a part of the Indianapolis 500 pre-race program. However, we continue listening to and evaluating feedback from multiple perspectives on the topic. Were reaching out to several stakeholders and talking with experts to fully understand the impact of this practice and determine its status in the years ahead. Experts told IndyStar that the balloons can take years to degrade and pose a real threat to wildlife, which mistakes the latex for food. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also routinely requests the public not to release balloons. Emily Hopkins covers the environment for IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter: @_thetextfiles. | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/indycar/2019/03/18/indy-500-indianapolis-motor-speedway-get-protest-billboard-removed/3207967002/ |
Why are Venezuelans seeking refuge in crypto-currencies? | Image copyright Megan Janetsky Image caption Eli Meregote uses crypto-currencies to send money home to Venezuela Crypto-currencies have faced a lot of criticism since Bitcoin first came on the scene 10 years ago. But for one group of people, they're proving very useful. Venezuela has seen its currency rendered practically valueless after suffering one of the worst periods of hyperinflation since World War Two. A cup of coffee now costs 2,800 bolivars (21p; 28 cents), up from 0.75 bolivars 12 months ago - an increase of 373,233%, according to Bloomberg data. And that's after a 2018 devaluation that knocked five zeros off the currency. More than three million Venezuelans have left the country, as essential goods such as toilet paper and medicine have become unaffordable and crime has soared. As a result, many are turning to digital assets such as Bitcoin as an alternative to the Venezuelan bolivar. And given how volatile Bitcoin is - its value has plunged from nearly 15,000 in 2017 to less than 3,000 now - it's an indication of just how desperate people have become. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Bitcoin may be volatile but the Venezuelan bolivar has been losing value much faster Even the government has launched its own crypto-currency, the Petro, supposedly backed by oil, to provide a solution to the economic crisis. But critics say it is a sham and there is no evidence of anyone using it. Eli Meregote, 28, has been using Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies as a way of sending money home from Colombia where he now lives and works, avoiding the fees usually associated with money transfer services such as Western Union. "I first discovered crypto in 2017 when I lost my job in Venezuela," the CCTV technician says. "Even if I had my job, it would've been useless anyway, because the minimum wage was $4 a month." Cryptos offered him "total control" of his money "without banks or third parties", he says. "With Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies, I can send money home faster and without obstacles." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Venezuela blackout crisis: "It's like living in the apocalypse" Bitcoin was designed to be a global, digital currency that governments and banks couldn't interfere with. Like many other crypto-currencies it works by recording all transactions permanently on a distributed ledger called the blockchain. Critics say Bitcoin and other cryptos - there are more than 1,600 globally - are unstable, use too much energy, and are used by money launderers or those wanting to buy illicit goods on the web. But for Venezuelans, storing their money in a digital wallet in the form of Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dash or any of the others, is still a better option than holding on to the national currency. Adoption has rocketed, with trading volumes on Localbitcoins.com - a person-to-person Bitcoin trading platform - rivalling those of the US. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Much of the country, including Caracas, was plunged into darkness Although trading volumes dipped in March due to a power cut that plunged the country into darkness for days, February saw trading levels reach 6.84m ($8.76m) per week and nearly 1m per day, according to crypto-currency data tracker Coin Dance. "Many Venezuelans are using Bitcoin to convert their bolivars, which are being permanently devalued by hyperinflation, to keep something of value," says economist Asdrubal Oliveros of Caracas-based consultancy Econanalitica. "It is practically a vehicle for buying foreign currency and to conserve value, as it is relatively easy and you can keep small amounts which do not involve large investments." Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Venezuelan bolivar notes are now useful only for making handicraft gifts Mr Oliveros points out that in Venezuela many people work as freelancers, receiving their pay in bitcoin since in most cases they do not have accounts abroad that allow them to make transfers in dollars. "Receiving payments in bolivars does not make much sense," he says. Matt Aaron, who works for Bitcoin.com, the Bitcoin news and trading platform, in Venezuela, says: "We pay our team members in Caracas in Bitcoin Cash. Transactions are instant and cost less than a cent to make." Ricardo Carrasco, 29, an IT engineer who is paid in bitcoin, is a fan of the crypto-currency. "It has given me access to the financial world outside Venezuela," he says. "We are not free to exchange our currency for US dollars or any other currency. We don't have access to the banking services of the world, so crypto allows you to bypass those barriers." Image copyright Ricardo Carrasco Image caption Ricardo Carrasco likes Bitcoin's borderless nature Mr Carrasco sells small amounts of Bitcoin on Localbitcoins.com and other exchanges, and receives money in bolivars to his Venezuelan account. He is then able to buy goods with his card as and when he needs to. "It is a pretty simple, straightforward process," he says. But Venezuela's government is intervening, recently launching a remittance service that caps the amount of crypto-currency someone inside the country can receive. It has started earning commissions from the transactions. More Technology of Business One thing is certain: despite the Bitcoin crash and loss in value of other crypto-currencies, Venezuelans have more interest in digital assets than ever before. In the Colombian border town of Cucuta, which sees tens of thousands of fleeing Venezuelans arrive every day, a new crypto-currency cash machine (ATM) was opened in March. It is designed to make carrying funds safer and more convenient. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Security services have clashed with looters panicking about short supplies of goods "With the ATM, Venezuelans can receive bitcoin from anywhere in the world and cash out in Colombian pesos right away," says Matias Goldenhrn from Athena, the company that installed the machine. "A Venezuelan family of four, getting on a bus in Cucuta to emigrate to Argentina, was carrying all their life savings in cash on their 14-day bus journey," he recalls. "They just exchanged all the money into bitcoin and, once they arrived at their final destination, sold the crypto for the local currency, hence not risking travelling with the money on them. "It made life a lot easier for them." At least there is one country in the world where Bitcoin is serving a practical value for ordinary citizens rather than speculators. Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter and Facebook | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47553048 |
Who's joining the Huskies in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament? | The Huskies are a nine seed in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are a nine seed in the NCAA tournament. 1 / 83 Back to Gallery The Huskies are dancing. We haven't heard that in a while. For the first time in eight years, Washington (26-8) is headed to the NCAA tournament. The Huskies were able to nab an at-large bid despite falling to Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game on Saturday. RELATED: Huskies choke, fall to Oregon 68-48 in Pac-12 title game The Huskies, awarded a nine seed, will face eighth-seeded Utah State (28-6) out of the Mountain West in Columbus, Ohio in a Midwest Region showdown Friday. RELATED: Washington holds off Colorado 66-61 in Pac-12 semifinals Browse through the gallery above for the other teams in the Midwest Region, and the rest of the field of this year's NCAA tournament. Ben Arthur is a sports reporter for the SeattlePI. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter at @benyarthur. | https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/college/article/UW-Washington-Huskies-NCAA-midwest-region-13697698.php |
Will Giants chase Russell Wilson? Carr? Mariota? Rosen? | Giants general manager Dave Gettleman made the rounds on Monday, confronting the Odell Beckham Jr. trade and a few other controversial offseason moves. By the time he was deep into conversation with local radio show host and melting bleu cheese statuette Mike Francesa, it was hard not to feel bad for the guy. Gettleman has a plan that most of us cant see and hes not going to reveal it (who would?). In the meantime, hes got to defend a move that half the fan base was hoping he would do anyway. The one interesting thread to come out of his mini-tour, though, was the fact that the Giants arent going to let themselves be handcuffed into taking a rookie quarterback. Gettleman is legitimately high on the way Eli Manning played at the end of last season and seems like hes in no hurry to cut ties with the potential Hall of Famer. Reports also surfaced suggesting the Giants arent in love with the one rookie many assume theyll pick at No. 6 anyway (our Kalyn Kahler tracks down that rumor here). It would rationalize some of the win-now deals hes made in addition to saving the prime years of Saquon Barkley. Much would be forgiven (and understood). Russell Wilson is going into the final year of his contract. Even the franchise tag number is relatively affordable in 2020, when a good deal of the Giants cap starts to open up. While it would be hard to imagine Seattle letting him walk (Wilson admitted as much during a recent Late Show appearance), the offer and subsequent extension could be too good to refuse. This is especially true if talks break down between Wilson and the Seahawks before the start of the 2019 season, since he is due a mammoth extension. Derek Carrs contract is wildly enticing on the back end. Lets say it doesnt work out this year and Jon Gruden wants to pivot to a hand-picked quarterback while continuing to accumulate draft capital. Carrs family has a history with the organization and some familiarity with the area. Hed be 29 with three amazingly affordable years remaining on his deal and could be looking for a little more stability amid a move to Las Vegas. Marcus Mariota is playing under his fifth-year option in Nashville and the Titans just signed former first-rounder Ryan Tannehill, reportedly to push him a bit. While Mariota has been dinged up, the prospect of playing with a workhorse back like Barkley could be enticing. Josh Rosen is still lingering over this entire draft. The Giants have an extra first-round pick and a boatload of middle-round picks they could package together. The Giants did their homework on the UCLA product coming out last year and may decide, closer to draft day, that they want to pull the trigger. Sign up for The MMQBs Morning Huddle. ... The five best (and worst) signings of free agency so far ... The five inevitable storylines born out of this years free agency ... and more. WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: Robert Kraft and the NFLs disciplinary double standard Kyler Murray throws! ... ... and more. PRESS COVERAGE 1. 2. Former first-round pick Ereck Flowers has landed back in the NFC East. 3. The Salt Lake Stallions are this weeks AAF team of the week. 4. 5. THE KICKER Welcome to what is hopefully the greatest Tuesday of your life. Dont let em get you down. Let the team know at [email protected] | https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/03/19/new-york-giants-dave-gettleman-eli-manning-qb-russell-wilson-derek-carr-marcus-mariota-josh-rosen |
What's Next If Even Our CSOs Think Strategy Is A Mess? | I started my previous article on The Ten Myths Of Strategy with stating that strategy is a mess. That is not just my own observation. A recent study by Strategy&, PwCs strategy consulting practice, shows that our Chief Strategy Officers (CSOs) think the same. For their 2018 global CSO benchmarking study, PwC conducted a survey amongst 187 CSOs across the globe. The results of that study are as evident as they are astonishing. Even though they are not using exactly the same words, the implications are identical: strategy as we know it is a mess. To see how, let me summarize some of the main findings of that study: 25% of CSOs say they are very successful at creating value for their company 65% admit their priorities arent very clear 68% admit they need to get more in front of and drive change, rather than react to it Despite the vast effort put into the strategic planning process (82% say that it is a very important area), most CSOs are dissatisfied with its output 27 % fully agree that their corporate plans are of high quality 10 % fully agree that their business unit plans are of high quality 86% are concerned that their top teams are not addressing their companys fundamental strategic questions This is bad. Really bad. For the first three one could still argue that they just reflect an identity crisis amongst CSOs, or that the role of CSO might not be as clear or relevant as they would hope for themselves. The picture we get from these three findings is that CSOs are very dissatisfied with what they do, are not really clear about what they are supposed to do, but don't really take action to make improvements either. These findings might just suggest that the invention of a C-suite strategy officer role is perhaps not such a good idea. That's bad for them, but doesn't say too much yet about the state of strategy. The remaining four findings, though, are really bad. Of course, they reflect just the CSO's perspective. But the picture is so clear and widely shared that we can't deny its message. These four findings show that, even though organizations spend large amounts of time and money on the strategic planning process, the results are gravely disappointing. Not only the corporate and business unit plans themselves are of low quality, they are also not addressing the right questions. Assuming CSOs know what they are talking about, this means organizations waste a tremendous amount of resources on strategic planning. This is already bad if these findings were new. But the point is they aren't. If they were new, I imagine we would be alarmed and running around in despair looking for better solutions. But we don't. And these findings just confirm what other consulting and academic studies have shown over the past decades already: that the way we approach strategy, and the strategic planning process as we know it in particular, doesn't work. This shows exactly what I already mentioned in my previous article: We are stuck with an approach of which we know it doesn't work, but that we keep on using anyway. There I referred to our textbooks and teaching. But as PwC's survey shows again, this also applies to the way strategy is done in practice. Apparently our belief in the strategic planning processand its underlying mythsis so strong that we just can't let it go. Therefore, I invite you to join me in challenging these myths one by one in the coming series of articles. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeroenkraaijenbrink/2019/03/19/whats-next-if-even-our-csos-think-strategy-is-a-mess/ |
What if Kyle Busch's 200 NASCAR wins is just the beginning? | On Sunday, Busch earned his 53rd win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and combined with his 53 Truck Series win and 94 in the Xfinity Series, leaves him with 200 victories across NASCARs three national series. Read Also: Kyle Busch overcomes penalty to capture NASCAR win No. 200 Scroll to continue with content Ad Social media and talk radio have been filled with debate in recent weeks about what that accomplishment means and how it compares to the 200 wins Richard Petty amassed only in the Cup series during his remarkable career. Both are Hall of Fame-worthy accomplishments and should be judged on their own merits. At the time each of them raced, they were the best in the business. It may sound somewhat silly, but consider Busch is just 33 years old. birthday. Six of the late Dale Earnhardts seven titles came in his 30s. birthday. The point is, while many are stuck contemplating the significance of what Busch has already accomplished and where it ranks in NASCAR history, Buschs entire story may be nowhere near written. Should he want to and his health allow it, Busch could well have another decade or more of NASCAR competition ahead. In his most recent 10 years, Busch collected 41 of his Cup wins, 73 in Xfinity and 44 of his Truck Series victories. Simply matching his previous 10 years of Cup wins over the next decade would put Busch very near the 100 win mark in that series. Story continues When asked about measuring the greatest of all time on Sunday, Busch said: Jimmie Johnson, he should be the GOAT, the greatest of all time. He won the most championships in the most different ways of having to win a championship, in the most different cars he had to be able to drive to win races. Yes, Johnson has. The same could also be said for Busch considering he has spent far more time than Johnson in the other two other series, each of which has their own differences in competition. A dramatic new aero package also debuted in the Cup series this season and Busch has already won two of the first four races that have utilized it. Busch has a Hall of Fame list of achievements in his NASCAR career. Although a scary thought to his competition, the best of Kyle Busch the race car driver may still be yet to come. | https://sports.yahoo.com/kyle-busch-apos-200-nascar-231350480.html?src=rss |
Why Is It So Hard To Have Honest Conversations About Sex? | To kick off NPR's "Let's Talk About Sex" series, NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with two sex educators, Emily Nagoski and Dominick Quartuccio, about where people learn about sex and how that affects them. AILSA CHANG, HOST: We're going to spend the next eight minutes on a topic you don't hear a lot about on this program, sex - not sexual assault, not harassment, just sex and the role it plays in our lives, our relationships and society. EMILY NAGOSKI: Sex is, first and foremost, a social behavior for humans. By watching. We don't do that with sex. The closest most of us come is watching porn. And learning about sex by watching porn is like learning how to drive by watching NASCAR. CHANG: That is Emily Nagoski. She's the author of a book on female sexuality called "Come As You Are." We talked with her and another sex educator who's focused on male sexuality about where we learn about sex and how that affects us. It's all part of a series we're doing called, Let's Talk About Sex. And just a quick warning, this is not intended for kids. We are going to be talking about sex, which means we'll be using some words and phrases parents might not want them to hear. We started with Dominick Quartuccio, the founder of a sex education group called The Discerning Dick. He says his ideas about sex came down to three major influences. DOMINICK QUARTUCCIO: My family, my faith and then my friends. And my family is an amazing, loving family, but we didn't talk about sex at all. It was like, when - when there was a movie on television, it was simultaneously one of the best nights and also one of the most terrifying because anytime there was, like, a sex scene that started to unfold, my parents would lunge across the couch and be like, cover your eyes. CHANG: Oh, God, yeah. QUARTUCCIO: And physiologically, I wanted to see that. But it felt like it was bad because of the way... CHANG: Shameful. QUARTUCCIO: ...That it was handled. Yeah. CHANG: Yeah. I like how you put it - family, faith, friends. NAGOSKI: Oh, it's absolutely a process of unlearning. It's funny. My students, when I was teaching a college-level class - I always do the anatomy class first. And every single semester at least two students would approach me and say, wow, even just in the anatomy lecture I really learned a lot. CHANG: Right. NAGOSKI: Like, people feel like they know a lot about sex. And they do. And almost everything they know is wrong. CHANG: So I'm curious, Emily. NAGOSKI: This is not a misconception that women have about their sexuality. It's a misconception people have about sexuality. CHANG: OK. NAGOSKI: Which is when we talk about it, we totally don't disentangle the concepts of pleasure, desire, arousal and consent. We sort of treat those four as if they were exactly the same thing. CHANG: Yeah. NAGOSKI: And they're not even close to the same thing. CHANG: Like, if I'm aroused, I'm obviously consenting. NAGOSKI: Yeah, and that gets used against survivors of any gender and any genital configuration. Well, your body was responding, so you must've really liked it. Nope, there's actually not that strong a relationship, necessarily, between how aroused your genitals are and how turned on you as a person feel, how much you want or like. CHANG: Right. NAGOSKI: They're different systems in our brains. CHANG: Right. QUARTUCCIO: You know, it's interesting. I've found it's not as much about misconceptions. It's just, like, this genuine lack of interest in exploring the forces that have shaped their sexuality. So what I've found is the most shocking is that this is something that's center to many men's lives, many women's lives as well. But there's so little interest or even awareness that there should be some discussion or some thought around how to unpack why they have ended up in the situation that they're in. NAGOSKI: Oh, my God, that is so fascinating. That is the exact opposite of my experience with women, is that they cannot wait to delve deeper, find out what it is about their history... CHANG: (Laughter). NAGOSKI: ...And their lives that have gotten them to where they are. QUARTUCCIO: Yeah. CHANG: Right. NAGOSKI: They're fascinated by the ways they've been shaped by their family history and their religious messages and the porn that they've seen. They can't wait to dive deeper into all of those questions. QUARTUCCIO: Yeah. And, Emily, there's more women at my events than there are men. NAGOSKI: Yeah. QUARTUCCIO: It fluctuates between 50 to 70 percent because women are... CHANG: That is so interesting. QUARTUCCIO: ...What they've told me is they're fascinated to hear what men are actually thinking because there's so few forums where men are opening up about this stuff. And let me give you some context for this. I was running just a regular men's group. We didn't just focus on topics of sexuality. CHANG: Yeah. I do want to point out that so much of our conversation so far has been about cisgender people. NAGOSKI: One of the ways that they are different is with the beginning of it. When I'm talking with cisgender folks, my primary message is I want you to get to know the names of your parts. We still live in a world where people call their vulvas their vaginas, which is the equivalent of calling your face your throat. So I want cisgender women to know what their parts are. I want them to go and look at their parts. I want them to feel a friendly, loving, compassionate relationship. I want them to enjoy their bodies. And that's not a safe ask... CHANG: Yeah. NAGOSKI: ...Of transgender and nonbinary person, necessarily. So the very starting point for understanding how to access maximal sexual pleasure is entirely different when you're working with trans and nonbinary folks. NAGOSKI: Pleasure is the measure. Pleasure is the measure of sexual well-being. It's not how often you have it or who you have it with or what you do or even how many orgasms you have. It's whether or not you like the sex you are having. QUARTUCCIO: For me, I would say get curious, and stay curious. Like I said before, most of the men that I work with have never really even thought that this conversation was worth their time, worth their energy, could provide any value to them in their sex lives. And what I've found, for anyone who's gotten curious around the subject, they have better sex. They have more sex. They feel more empowered about their sexual desires. They feel less guilt or shame around expressing them. They find more partners who are into the things that they're into. They're able to talk about it and establish connections much more quickly. But without any level of awareness around how to talk about how to create a safe space for your partner to want to enter and talk about it with you, then all of these desires that you have, all these feelings that you want, all these experiences you want to have will elude you unless you take that first step of getting curious and asking new questions and educating yourself. CHANG: I am going to be thinking about this conversation for months and months. And I'm going to make my boyfriend listen to this conversation again and again. (Laughter). QUARTUCCIO: (Laughter). CHANG: And then we're going to talk about this. Thank you guys both so much. NAGOSKI: Thank you. QUARTUCCIO: Thank you, this was fun. CHANG: Emily Nagoski is the author of "Come As You Are," and Dominick Quartuccio is the founder of the sex education group The Discerning Dick. Copyright 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. | https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/704562419/why-is-it-so-hard-to-have-honest-conversations-about-sex?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allthingsconsidered |
What is the significance of Friday prayers in Islam? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Rose S. Aslan, California Lutheran University (THE CONVERSATION) Following the terror attack on two New Zealand mosques last week, many Muslim communities across the world gathered as usual for their most important weekly ritual Friday prayers. In the past few years, Muslims have been attacked and killed while praying, many a times on a Friday. Worshippers have been targeted in countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Iraq and Kuwait. Muslims pray five times a day every day, but the most important prayer of the week is jumah, or the day of gathering, on Friday. The religious significance Im a scholar of Islam who researches and writes about Muslim ritual practices. The Quran invokes the importance of Friday as a sacred day of worship in a chapter called Al-Jumah, meaning the day of congregation, which is also the word for Friday in Arabic. It states, O you who believe! When you are called to congregational (Friday) prayer, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off trade. That is better for you, if you but knew. Muslims believe Friday was chosen by God as a dedicated day of worship. In addition to the prayer itself, which is shorter than the usual midday prayers, Friday services include a sermon, usually given by a professional male Muslim clergy member in Muslim majority countries, but in the West, they are also given by a male lay community member. Muslim men are required to attend Friday prayers as long as they not traveling, while women are given the option to attend, given their traditional role in the household when Islam was established. In some countries, such as India, Pakistan and Tajikistan, women are not usually permitted to pray in mosques whereas in countries like Iran and Kenya, they attend in larger numbers. In almost all mosques, men and women pray separately. In some places women are behind the men in the same room and in others, women are in a different room or behind a barrier. In the West, many women choose to attend prayer if they can get time away from work or other duties. In Los Angeles and elsewhere in North America and Europe, women lead their own Friday prayer services. To prepare for prayers, Muslims bathe, apply perfume and brush their teeth to make their appearance pleasant to their fellow worshippers. The Prophet Muhammad spoke of the value of praying in congregation rather than individually, promising spiritual rewards, such as answered prayers and forgiveness for ones sins. Attending Friday prayers, the Prophet said, is equivalent to one entire year of praying and fasting alone. A song by U.S. Muslim singer Raef Haggag describes how Muslims prepare and perform jumah prayers and their benefits. It provides a light but serious message about the significance of Friday prayers, especially for Western Muslims. The tradition of prayer Some Muslim majority countries, such as Egypt, Iran and Pakistan, include Friday as part of the weekend, with Saturday sometimes being a holiday, and Sunday being a regular workday. On this day, many Muslims spend the day with their families, attend the prayer and also relax, although practices can vary. Commercial activities always continue after Friday prayers, but in Muslim-majority countries, most people get the day off. Many people who do not have time to attend the mosque during the week will make a special effort to attend during Friday prayers. In countries where the call to prayer is projected from loudspeakers, entire cities will be saturated with their sounds. Sermons too are often publicly broadcast, and in many cities, including in Western countries such as France, congregants overflow into the streets around mosques. Crowded cities are often empty and quiet, up until the prayers, after which they are full of people enjoying their day off. In the United States, Muslims have to receive special accommodation from their workplace to visit a nearby mosque. Some workplaces such as universities, hospitals or corporate offices, allow employees to organize their own Friday prayer on site. As a religious ritual that goes back to the practice of the Prophet, Friday prayers hold a special place for Muslims. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/what-is-the-significance-of-friday-prayers-in-islam-113702. | https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/What-is-the-significance-of-Friday-prayers-in-13699168.php |
What Is The Best Way To Conquer Global Markets? | These days, whether you already have a relatively well-established business, are in that exciting (if sometimes nerve-racking) fast growth phase or are still operating out of your back bedroom, then its no exaggeration to say that the world is your proverbial oyster. The digital communication revolution has created markets that are genuinely global and which are open to any ambitious player, whatever their size or age. I did my graduate work in Sweden and, while I was there, couldnt help but be struck at how adept Swedish businesses are at international expansion and how long theyve been doing it. Just look at examples like IKEA, Ericsson, Spotify and Volvo. Of course, there are particular drivers about the country that enable this. So, working with colleagues from the universities of Villanova and Jnkping, I looked at the track records of nearly 700 Swedish start-ups in this case ones operating in the manufacturing sector - to try to find out what makes for a successful exporting strategy. And, what I was specifically interested in pinning down, was which path to global markets was the best one. The results of the research couldnt have been clearer expending within one region at a time definitely seems to be the best bet. If you think about it, the reasons are fairly logical. Sticking to one defined region at a time allows a start-up to build up in-depth expertise of what it takes to operate there effectively, thus reducing failure risk. It also delivers economies of scale in terms of transportation, logistics, distribution, promotion and dealing with product returns, which can be quickly dissipated if a global strategy gets too ambitious too quickly especially for resource-constrained firms such as start-ups. On the other hand, spreading across different international regions or pursuing an interregional geographic diversification strategy can easily spread a new companys resources too thin, and lead to failure. Of course, some of the challenges and opportunities faced by manufacturing companies will not necessarily apply to those that, for example, produce software or other virtual goods. But I suspect the basic principle will still be valid. Such businesses may face fewer logistical problems than their manufacturing peers, but they will still experience other challenges such as regulation or deep understanding of their customer base. At the heart of the findings is something that all too often gets ignored or at least is not given its full importance, namely the human factor. No matter what financial resources a start-up has, it should always keep asking itself whether it really has the human resources to manage the outreach it is trying to achieve. Because, even though it might seem counter-intuitive in this age of instant global communication and artificial intelligence, we must not lose sight of the fact that businesses are still run by people and, no matter how able and committed those people are, they will always have finite resources of energy, attention and time. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rsmdiscovery/2019/03/19/what-is-the-best-way-to-conquer-global-markets/ |
What's it like to go to school on a remote island? | Whitney went to find out what school life was like on the remote Scottish island of Muck Everyone lives in different places - maybe you live in a city, in a small village, out in the countryside or on an island. But one thing that everyone has in common is we all have to go to school! In July 2017, Whitney travelled for two hours on a boat to visit an island called Muck in the remote Scottish highlands to see what school life is like there. Before finding out more about what school life is like there, watch the video below to learn a little bit more about the island. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. WATCH: Find out more about the isle of Muck Six facts about what school life is like Getting to school - The island is very small and there is no school bus, so the students can walk or cycle to school. Class - As there are only nine pupils in the whole school (one who is in nursery), everybody is in the same class - even though everybody is different ages. This is different to most schools. Teacher - One teacher teaches everybody! So Mrs M gives everybody different activities to do, depending how old they are. Lessons - With such lovely natural surroundings, the class can enjoy lessons outside and use the environment to learn and do activities. Lunch - As there are no shops on the island, all of the food for everybody's packed lunches has to arrive on the island by boat! After primary school - There is only one primary school on the island but no secondary school. Once students are 12, they have to take a boat and go to secondary school on the mainland. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. We asked some of the children where the best place at school was. Click here to find out what they said! Then, watch the video below to discover their favourite things about island life, whether it's playing outside or having to get food from a boat. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. Let us know in the comments below! | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/46432270 |
Is Arizona Theatre Company keeping its diversity promises? | Keith Contreras and Arlene Chico-Lugo in Arizona Theatre Companys Native Gardens, which opened the 2018-19 season. (Photo: Tim Fuller) Last Friday the Ides of March was the final day for David Ivers as artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company. I assume there was cake accompanied by heartfelt farewells, but also, just maybe, a whiff of we hardly knew ye in the air. Previously head of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Ivers arrived in 2017 bursting with enthusiasm to restore a brand tarnished by years of financial turmoil and back-office strife. He promised to build bridges to underserved communities and bring a party atmosphere to the companys productions in Tucson and Phoenix. Then, after less than two years, he was hired away by South Coast Repertory in California, a top-tier company in his home state. It was his dream job, he said. And so this week, Arizonas leading theater producer is moving on. On Monday Ivers replacement, Sean Daniels (currently still at Merrimack Repertory Theatre outside Boston), announced his picks for the final two slots in 2019-20 The Royale, a historical play about the African-American boxer Jack Johnson, and the feminist comedy Women in Jeopardy! And hell be making trips to Arizona this spring to get going on yet another transition. David Ivers became artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company on July 1, 2017. He previously held the same title at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City. (Photo: Karl Hugh) But the fact that Ivers tenure was short does not mean it wasnt impactful, and theres no doubt he delivered on his central promise to bring more diversity to the stage and backstage as well. A detailed review of Arizona Theatres productions over the past three years tells the tale in hard numbers. In 2016-17, under the last longtime artistic director David Ira Goldstein, the companys six-play season featured zero female playwrights, and two-thirds of actors playing named characters (36 out of 54) were men. Nearly 95 percent of those actors were white. Those numbers are even worse than the previous seasons, in part because the one play by and about people of color La Esquinita, USA was a one-man show. But there also seemed to be little effort to improve those numbers through colorblind casting in shows like Fiddler on the Roof and Holmes and Watson. The following season, chosen by Goldstein but overseen by Ivers, showed improvements: Two women playwrights were represented and 37.5 percent of named roles went to women. Most strikingly, about 40 percent of roles were performed by actors of color (largely due to the Latino-themed play The River Bride and a production of Man of La Mancha featuring many Hispanic artists). Amelia Moore (left), Michelle Dawson and Louis Tucci in Arizona Theatre Companys "Man of La Mancha." (Photo: Tim Fuller) The current season is the only one fully chosen by Ivers, and his claim that it is the companys most diverse ever is backed up by the numbers. On the stage, at least, there is real gender parity, with women getting 25 out of 49 named roles. And fully half of those roles are going to minority actors, with 12 Latino and seven African-American characters (thank you, August Wilson) and additional gains through colorblind casting. Backstage, two of six directors were women this season, compared with only one for each of the previous years. Two directors were minority. Not that there isnt more progress to be made, or conversation to be had. As advocates such as the Kilroys push for equal representation of female playwrights, only two of six plays, both this year and next, represent womens voices. The focus on equity for women and people of color is important, but there are many other underrepresented communities, including LGBT and disabled characters/actors, that are fighting for a place at the table. NEWSLETTERS Get the Things to do this weekend newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Best Things to do this weekend Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Thurs Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Things to do this weekend Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters But as Arizona Theatre Company starts a new chapter a little earlier than expected Ivers has left a foundation to build on. Talk to the writer about arts and culture at [email protected] or 602-444-4896. Follow him at facebook.com/LengelOnTheater and twitter.com/KerryLengel. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Subscribe to azcentral.com for guides, reviews and expert advice. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/03/19/diversity-in-theater-arizona-theatre-company-makes-big-strides/3204577002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/03/19/diversity-in-theater-arizona-theatre-company-makes-big-strides/3204577002/ |
Can blazing Washington wideout Andre Baccellia improve on a breakout Rose Bowl in 2019? | Andre Baccellia has a clock tattooed onto the outside of his right forearm. Maybe thats appropriate. After all, the redshirt senior wide receiver set some stopwatches ablaze at the Husky Combine on Friday, notching a 4.38-second 40-yard dash that finished second on the team, behind only running back Salvon Ahmed (4.32 seconds). That number marked a .01-second improvement over Baccellias 40 at the same event last spring. The goal was to deliver the same speed in a different package. I think this whole winter season has just been about getting that extra step faster, more explosive, and then also putting on a little bit of weight, said Baccellia, who also finished fourth in the vertical jump (38 inches) and fifth in the 3-cone drill (6.70 seconds). I think I was a little light towards the end of the season and I want to just be able to put on a little more weight. Baccellia who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 173 pounds may have been a little light, but that didnt impact his bottom line. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native enjoyed the most consistent success of his career at the end of the 2018 season. He piled up five catches for 89 yards in a snowy Apple Cup win over Washington State, then added eight more catches for 65 yards en route to being named the Huskies offensive player of the game by his coaches in the Pac-12 championship win over Utah. Advertising Baccellia literally saved his best for last, setting a UW bowl-game record for receptions with 12 catches for 109 yards in the Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. It would be reasonable to expect another leap in Baccellias redshirt senior season, particularly with strong-armed transfer quarterback Jacob Eason setting up under center. I think its going to be about having that Dawg mentality, whether its catching a hundred balls in a game or pancaking a hundred dudes in a game, Baccellia said in the Dempsey Indoor Center on Friday. We just have to go out there and be that dominant force as a receiving corps. Its Junior Adams job to deliver those results. Washingtons first-year wide-receivers coach made an immediate impact after being hired in January, helping the Huskies land four-star wideout and former USC commit Puka Nacua in the 2019 class. Those answers are coming, starting in September. For now, Adams and his new pupils are still making introductions. Advertising We did a little bit of film (with Adams this winter), Baccellia said. We talked a lot about his expectations of the room, just being that dominant force as a receiving corps on offense. But other than that, hes a really good dude. He has really good morals and values. So were really excited to have him. Of course, it would be understandable if Baccellia who has compiled 78 catches for 869 yards and one touchdown in 36 career games was not so excited to embrace his fourth wide-receivers coach in four-plus seasons in Seattle. But the rotating door hasnt resulted in any lack of buy-in. To be honest its been a little bit tough, Baccellia said. But to look at it in a lighter point of view, I think its just been good to have many guys coming with different tools. They all have their own little tool set, their own teaching abilities and stuff like that. So being able to learn from multiple people is kind of an advantage in a way. Thus far, Baccellia has proven to be a fast learner. Better yet, hes just fast. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/can-blazing-washington-wideout-andre-baccellia-improve-on-a-breakout-rose-bowl-in-2019/ |
Who Will Profit From The Revolution In Computer Vision? | Self-driving vehicles, weather forecasting drones, fulfillment robots and robotic surgery are already transforming the lives of millions of people. It is deep learning computer vision (DL CV) -- visual sensors coupled with the ability to make instantaneous, human-like sense out of streaming video -- that make these applications possible. One might think that acute focus on DL CV applications would be sufficient to yield the necessary breakthroughs and successful industry applications. But, surprisingly, a lack of product-development and specific operation management tools are hindering companies from rapidly delivering transformative products. To gain the most value from their growing DL CV investments and to gain a competitive edge, companies must investigate ways to improve their development tools, methodologies and workflows. Learning Like A Human A toddler just met his Uncle Joe for the first time. He focused first on the facial features that distinguish Joe from all other people. Tomorrow, Uncle Joe might show up in different clothes. Next week, he might arrive wearing a hat, but the child will be able to recognize him without a problem. Deep learning computer vision mimics the human learning process. As deep learning data scientists capture, classify, label and present to an artificial neural network (aka deep learning model) masses of images and videos of peoples faces like Uncle Joes (in different expressions, positions, etc. ), the model learns to correctly pick Joes face out of a crowd. Data scientists continue training the model until its ability to identify Uncle Joe (and, perhaps, thousands of other people) reaches a human-or-better level of accuracy. The DL model can then be used in a camera-equipped car, smart city, drone or security system to identify people automatically. A Challenging New Paradigm Of Product Management Deep learning is significantly different from traditional software/IT projects that focus on software algorithms. Rapid development in the field has made it relatively easy to obtain an untrained deep learning model for certain problem sets, but like a newborn babys brain, the model is full of potential yet lacking in experience. To acquire the experience that will enable it to achieve human-like capabilities, the model must be exposed to hordes of data from which to learn. Therefore, most of the work of a DL CV project is not concerned with software engineering techniques but with obtaining, refining and correctly labeling masses of relevant images and using them scientifically to train the model. Model-training is awfully tedious and time-consuming -- and expensive. Data scientists and engineers enter into an unpredictable, dreary, and iterative series of training exercises, tweaking the model each time and refining the data, throwing away inferior results in favor of improved outcomes. Computationally intensive and usually tying up pricey GPUs (and sometimes lots of them), each iteration can take hours, days or even weeks. If you are you undertaking a research project, you may have enough time to wait for the basic training of your deep learning computer vision model. If so, you can suffice with just a couple of data scientists and engineers armed with a modest quantity of expensive equipment and a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. However, if you are creating an actual product and want to achieve a competitive time-to-market edge by producing a state-of-the-art DL CV model, you will have to scale up significantly with many more experts who will be working in parallel. You will have to keep scrupulous track of the outcomes of each training iteration across the team, calculating what works and what does not, making incremental progress, iteration by iteration, using up an awful lot of people, budget and compute time -- and probably falling behind your competitors who have found a better way. Costly In More Ways Than You Think Getting into the deep learning computer vision race will make or break careers and companies -- not necessarily in the distant future but very soon. However, the ante is steep. Companies have to commit to building a first-class team of DL CV talent, which can be especially difficult to acquire because such people are scarce, high-priced and hard to evaluate for quality. Companies also have to make a serious investment in on-premise or cloud-resident GPU clusters. But DL CV also demands a lot more. Companies have discovered that traditional software engineering techniques, versioning tools, repositories and other teamwork-supporting infrastructure are not applicable to DL CV. They must develop an entirely new infrastructure that essentially compresses decades of development of the traditional software engineering tool chest into a couple of years or less. This is no easy task. Big technology companies like Google or Amazon, which have made the most progress, have ended up investing years of precious time not on actual DL CV applications but on constructing the enabling technologies, services and workflows needed to create actual solutions. In my experience founding and building deep tech companies and working with artificial intelligence development teams, I have witnessed tremendous investment in the creation and maintenance of comprehensive platforms, often at the cost of product and time-to-market momentum. If youre not able to match Google or Amazons significant drawing power and endless bucks for top talent, you are going to be hard-pressed to create a best-of-breed platform. Build Solutions, Not Infrastructure Companies that want to enter the DL CV market dont have to build these supporting platforms. Instead, they should examine such productivity-boosting facilities as project scalability, economic use of compute infrastructure, native support for images and video with contextual understanding, teamwork orchestration and workflow, job distribution, annotation tools for ground-truth creation and debugging, and automatic network optimization. Progress in this market is really fast. Focusing resources, talent and attention on end solutions rather than supporting infrastructures is key for staying ahead. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/03/19/who-will-profit-from-the-revolution-in-computer-vision/ |
Is The Crypto Winter Coming To An End? | Questions are being asked constantly when it comes to Bitcoin's battle with the $4000 mark. The result of this battle sets the tone for a bullish or bearish trend. Since December 14, 2018, there have been several battles between bulls and bears at the price level of $4K. In each of this battle, bulls have lost the war because, after the first attack at the $4K level, the bears have been able to gain enough strength to push the price back below this critical mark. It is in this essence, that the $4K level has become a matter of death or life for crypto traders . If you are a long-term investor, you will not really worry about these short-term levels. In my keynote speech at Coinadvice conference, I talked about risk premium, it is of critical importance here and I find this immensely interesting. For simplicitys sake, consider this as a premium that one is willing to pay over the previous low which would have been a better entry price. For instance, the price of Bitcoin at the time of writing this article is trading at $3962 and the recent meaningful low was formed on March 4 when the price touched the price level of $3671. The difference between the two is your risk premium. We all know that it is extremely arduous to catch the extreme low. It is all about making an intelligent choice and buying when the price is still close enough to its bottom. For investors who are buying at these levels, they usually have a target of previous high, and for Bitcoin, it needs to be the level of 20K. This is because there is a high chance that the next bull run has a minimum potential of pushing the price 5 times higher. That is over $100K. I personally believe that each Bitcoin can go up as much as $400K and if history repeats itself, this number is not a fools paradise. This is a simple math calculation: approximate percentage projection of the price which we experienced during the last bull run. Well, before I go and talk about fundamentals, the below chart shows the percentage drop for the Bitcoin price after its major rallies. Back in 2011, the price plunged nearly 93 percent and in 2014, it dropped 84 percent. As for the most recent price crash, we have experienced the smallest price crash, 79 percent from its recent high. The most important part is that the price has started to rally back up. This argument becomes even more clear when we look at the bottom panel of this chart. The drawdown percentage curve is much higher now (shown in green circle) as compared to what happened back in 2011 (shown in red circle). Similarly, if we look at the monthly gains of Bitcoin and plot this on a chart (as I have done this in the chart below), it becomes clear that Bitcoin has broken its longest streak of monthly losses. This is the strongest signal for the bulls that crypto winter is no longer as cold as it was back in December or November. Another major bull signal comes from the weekly chart as I discussed before, the 200-week moving average (shown in green) has saved the day for the bulls. The 50-week moving average (shown in pink) is moving fast towards the price to close the distance between them. Now, if the price kisses the 50-week moving average goodbye and moves above it at that stage, all bets would be in favour of the bulls. Looking at the chart, when the price breaks above the 50-week moving average, it sends the strongest bull signal and so far it has worked really well. But this is something that we would have to wait and see. It may take a couple of months for this to happen. Heslin Kim, VP of business development at Polymath said "liquidity in this market is sparse and has dried up in many exchanges. I think we can all agree this is a good thing, if temporary." As for the fundamental aspect, there is absolutely no shortage of positive news. We are seeing more actual use cases of blockchain technology now than ever before. For instance, TreeCoin is one of the strongest projects out of Switzerland which is using an asset class that has performed extremely well, timber. The project is geared to resolve two main issues: liquidity out of the illiquid asset class, a highly desirable product for pension funds, and more importantly, save the environment with their German technology of reforestation trees. The action is not only limited to start-ups, but more and more major firms are jumping in this space. The battle to own the custody space has become even more intense with IBM also stepping into this space. Dr. Stef Savanah, a blockchain researcher with over 100 patent applications to his name added "2018 saw a much-needed correction in a market driven by speculation, misused ICOs, and gross misunderstanding of appropriate blockchain usage. The recent stabilization in bitcoin prices heralds a return to prudence. 2019 will see the original bitcoin vision re-emerge with killer applications such as properly implemented asset tokenization." In summary, the momentum has changed and the headwind isn't that strong, it is only a matter of time and more adoption before we see an actual bull run. Disclaimer: I hold digital assets in my portfolio | https://www.forbes.com/sites/naeemaslam/2019/03/19/is-the-crypto-winter-coming-to-an-end/ |
Why On Earth Would Giants Fans Trust Dave Gettleman? | Dave Gettleman wants you to trust him. Nevermind that that he's done nothing to earn your faith. Forget that his tenure as Giants general manager has led to Big Blue's rapid ascension up New York's competitive list of dysfunctional teams. Ignore the fact that every time he opens his mouth he sounds more clueless and leaves those listening more confused. "Very honestly, it's not my responsibility to tell you guys what I'm doing," Gettleman said on a Monday conference call, evoking Philadelphia-esque buzzwords while offering his first public comments since trading Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. "Just like it's not my responsibility to respond to every rumor that comes down the pike. That's not my responsibility. "Trust me, we've got a plan. You've got to be patient. Everyone wants the answers now. We're in an instant-gratification world. Over time, you'll see it. You've got to trust it." While Gettleman is technically right about the first part there are times when it's best to keep details to oneself in this business he's sorely mistaken if he thinks people are just going to take his word when it comes to having a plan. The last two offseasons have shown zero semblance of one. This offseason has especially been a disaster. The trade for Beckham Jr., which left the Giants with an underwhelming package of the 17th overall pick, a third-round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers and $16 million in dead money, has Giants fans up in arms and experts scratching their heads. There was also the decision to let star safety Landon Collins walk for nothing when multiple asset-fetching options were on the table. Meanwhile, Gettleman has taken every possible opportunity to prop up a declining Eli Manning, whose play and salary is hamstringing New York's ability to look toward the future. "The narrative that Eli is overpaid and can't play is a crock," Gettleman insisted despite abundant evidence to the contrary. Forget trusting Gettleman's plan. Those who root for and cover the team shouldn't trust that he watches the games based on comments like that. It was with the media that Gettleman spoke with on Monday, but it was the fans that he was talking to. It's their trust that he's trying to earn or demand, rather but that's not going to come blindly. Neither will tolerance for phrases such as, "You've got to be patient." Rarely has that been this city's style; it takes a certain level of credibility to play that card in New York, and Gettleman doesn't have it. In fact, the more he speaks, the deeper a hole he digs. He says he's alright with that, though. At the end of the day, you guys gotta say Gettlemans out of his mind' or 'He knows what hes talking about when he evaluates players," he said. "And Im okay if you disagree with me. Maybe he is personally. We'll see about that. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/garyphillips/2019/03/19/giants-fans-trust-dave-gettleman-eli-manning-odell-beckham-jr/ |
Did The Industry Deliver On 5G At MWC 2019? | This year is shaping up to be the year of 5G, with virtually every single company talking up their 5G game in one way or another. Since many of the first 5G smartphones and networks are expected to launch in 2019, MWC Barcelona 2019 was a prime opportunity for everyone to make their announcements and show off what they had been working on. Lets take a look at what all was announced, and when to expect it. 5G modems and more One of the fundamental aspects of 5G is the modem. Sometimes this is lost on people, but you need a good 5G modem and RF front-end to make 5G happen. Intel showed off its 8160 modem, announced in December of last year, which is due to ship at the end of this year and will be in devices next year. Qualcomm followed up its current X50 modem (shipping in phones this quarter) with its new X55 modem, which is shipping now and will be out in devices by the end of the year. In addition to that, Qualcomm also announced it would have a next-generation smartphone SoC with an integrated modem (which it calls a mobile platform) next year. An integrated 5G modem will create significant power and space savings and should enable Qualcomms partners to extend their 5G leadership into 2020. Qualcomm spent most of its time and effort at MWC 19 showing off its 5G modem and using it to power real 5G demos with their partners (including OnePlus, LG, OPPO and Sony ). Theres no question that Qualcomm has 5G modem leadership, but the 5G modem race is no longer a two-horse race. In December, MediaTek also announced its first 5G modem, the M70. At MWC, MediaTek showed off its modem and demonstrated it operationally running 5G with partners equipment, including Nokia . The company demonstrated a throughput of 1.1 Gbps over 3.5 GHz on 5G NR, as well as a simulated mmWave demo (since it doesnt have a mmWave RF front-end for 5G quite yet). Using Anritsu test equipment, the mmWave demo peaked at 4.1 Gbpscomparable to what Qualcomm and Intel demonstrated at last years MWC. Huawei always has a large presence at MWC, and this year was no exception. The company had its 5G modem, the Balong 5000, on display, but it was not accompanied by any 5G demos as far as I could see. Huawei made a lot of inaccurate claims about the Balong 5000 during its launch eventspecifically that it was the first with a 7nm multi-mode modem and the first with NSA and SA network architecture. Neither claims are trueQualcomms X55 5G modem already does these things. Huawei also claims to be the fastest on mmWave, at 6.5 Gbps, but that doesnt beat Qualcomms claimed 7 Gbps. I am happy with how quickly Huawei brought a consumer 5G modem to market but making such inaccurate claims dont help the companys credibility with those in the know. We reached out to Huawei for comment but didn't receive an answer by the time of publication. While Intel did not announce any new modems at MWC 2019, it did announce its first mmWave RF Front-end module, which is what will enable Apple and others to utilize the high frequency and high-bandwidth 5G bands of spectrum. The ability to support both mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G is key to ensuring full 5G coverage and speeds and bringing a complete 5G device to market. The expectation is that this will be available in late 2020 to early 2021, which lines up with where I believe Intel is currently in its 5G development process. This means we most likely wont see any PC or smartphone with Intel mmWave 5G inside until 2021. I was impressed by Intels live 5G Spiderman VR gaming demo at the show, but I was disappointed to see that it used the same Intel 5G hardware as the companys first 5G NR demo from last September. 5G phones 5G phones were the primary focus of the show. Qualcomm was at the center of the 5G phone launches, with its partners (including Xiaomi , Sony, OPPO, Vivo and LG) all announcing 5G devices or prototypes for 2019 and beyond. There is still a bit of uncertainty from many manufacturers when it comes to mmWave 5G phones. Samsung without a doubt was the most confident with its Galaxy S10 5G, but those capabilities will vary by geography and by what operators have available. Many European and Asian operators are pushing for sub-6GHz 5G launches before they start talking about mmWave, which is more difficult. Korea and the US, however, appear much more prepared for mmWave, so I expect thats where well see the bulk of mmWave 5G devices. Huawei talked up its 5G phone capabilities, taking the opportunity of the show to announce the new Mate X. Still, there was no inclination that it would necessarily be a mmWave device. In fact, on Huaweis site, it only claims four supported 5G bands2.5 GHz (same band as Sprint), 3.5, 3.7, and 4.7 GHz. This most likely means that Huaweis Mate X will have slower downlink speeds than Samsungs Galaxy Fold (also showcased at the show). Since Samsung is already showing its 5G mmWave version of the Galaxy S10, I expect that the 5G version of the Fold will have it as well (especially considering the price point Samsung is targeting). 5G beyond phones Now that we know 5G is coming to phones in both Sub-6GHz and mmWave, the next phase is expanding the ecosystem beyond phones. After all, if 5G is going to be as omnipresent and relevant in the future as weve been promised, theres going to have to be more devices than phones on 5G networks. Both Intel and Qualcomm took steps in that direction at MWC 19 in Barcelona, introducing modules that allow their 5G modems to be used in fixed wireless deployments. Intel announced a partnership with Fibocom to enable these M.2 modules and in addition to multiple gateway partners that will be upgradable to 5G. Qualcomm announced it was creating a 5G reference design for Sub-6GHz and mmWave wireless broadband. This reference design will help operators to more easily deploy fixed wireless 5G for their customers to deliver high-bandwidth connections that utilize their new 5G networks. Companies like Verizon have already deployed fixed wireless, but not using the 5G NR standard; I expect that more operators will use these new platforms for fixed wireless from Qualcomm and Intel. Due to the bevy of information and announcements at the show, some things slipped under the radar that are worth mentioning. Qualcomm announced a 5G version of its 8cx SoC for PCs, which means that we should see a 5G PC powered by Qualcomm as early as this year. Qualcomm says it is shipping the 8cx 5G to customers already and will have commercial devices in late 2019. Qualcomm also announced its next generation of 4G and 5G automotive platforms with support for C-V2X and HP-GNSS (high-precision multi-frequency global navigation satellite system). The new Snapdragon Automotive 5G Platform will also support DSDA (dual SIM dual active) which enables simultaneous 4G and 5G connectivity for maximum compatibility with early cellular networks. These new automotive platforms are expected to sample later this year and ship in production vehicles in 2021. This means 2021 will likely be the earliest well see 5G integrated into a car since nobody else has made any announcements in the area. SES Networks gave us a look at the potential future of 5G deployments in rural areas with its 5G satellite capabilities. I for one am excited to see what its rapid 5G cell prototype could do for rural deployments of 5G. I believe that if governments and operators work together, they can use technologies like satellite-supported 5G to narrow the digital divide between cities and rural areaswhich is wider than it likely has ever been. Currently, SES Networks offers Mobile Network as a Service Anywhere, which helps operators and cloud providers broaden their reach in rural areas with significantly less work than before. Moving forward The industry delivered quite a bit on what it promised with 5G at MWC 2019 and answered many of the questions weve had for the technology moving into the future. However, there are still some unanswered questionsspecifically about what carriers networks will look like, what they will charge, and when we can expect true 5G networks to drive these devices to their full potential. Many operators talked about 5G deployments and supporting devices, but few of them gave specific details about what kind of performance users can expect on their devices now and into the future. This has always been a concern of mine because the expectations for 5G are already quite highoverpromising and underdelivering wont go over well. Deploying 5G in sub-6GHz will deliver the coverage users expect and are used to but wont provide the significant speed improvements over 4G that users are expecting. Conversely, operators launching mmWave first will be able to deliver on the high-performance claims, but coverage will initially be limited, and users will struggle to find service or stay on mmWave service for very long. The ball is now in the operators courtits their turn to deliver. Disclosure: Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided research, analysis, advising, and/or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Qualcomm, Intel, Huawei, Samsung Electronics, and Sony. The authors do not hold any equity positions with any companies cited in this column. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2019/03/19/did-the-industry-deliver-on-5g-at-mwc-2019/ |
Whats Really Happening to Uighurs in Xinjiang? | Human Rights Watch reported violations on a massive scale in September 2018 in Xinjiang, Chinas most northwesterly region, targeted primarily at Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighurs, Kazakhs, and Uzbeks. The Chinese authorities denied the allegations and insisted they were combating radicalism and terrorism fomented by the Uighur-diaspora opposition and by foreign powers. Muslim nations kept quiet. Ad Policy Translated by George Miller. This essay continues our exclusive collaboration with Le Monde Diplomatique, monthly publishing jointly commissioned and shared articles, both in print and online. To subscribe to LMD, go to mondediplo.com/subscribe. It is beyond doubt that measures known as transformation through education devised in the 1990s to reeducate members of the Falun Gong sect have been adapted and applied to all members of Muslim minorities whose loyalty the regime suspects. Without official data it is impossible to know exactly how many have been affected. According to researcher Adrian Zenz, who uses public-sector data on the construction or expansion of internment facilities, as many as a million people, more than 10 percent of the Uyghur population, may have been subjected to this program or be currently interned. Under this regime, unlike the labor-camp system (laogai), suspects do not get a trial and may be detained indefinitely. Zenzs work and that of human-rights organizations shows that the system of repression operates on multiple levels, from open reeducation classes to closed camps with rigid discipline, all underpinned by the pathologization of dissidence. The system aims to eradicate ideological viruses and treat individuals according to their degree of obduracy. In December 2018 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights requested official access to Chinas Uighur reeducation camps. The Chinese authorities eventually acknowledged the camps existence, but claimed they were places of patriotic education and occupational-training centers intended to help minorities integrate, where education and self-criticism sessions and interrogations are combined with Mandarin-language courses. Accounts in the foreign press by former detainees who have fled the country paint a darker picture than that presented by Chinese media; they describe often harsh detention conditions, strong pressure, and even physical and psychological torture. In February the Turkish government, a staunch supporter of the Uighurs, issued a public condemnation of Chinas treatment.This wave of repression may have reached a new peak, but Xinjiang has experienced many violent episodes, always followed by repressive crackdowns, a dynamic in which the Chinese government is still trapped. Control of the Silk Roads Xinjiang is bordered by huge mountain ranges and was for centuries a vital crossroads on the Silk Road. Under the Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties during the first millennium AD, it was periodically under Chinese domination as Chinese rulers wanted to prevent confederations of the steppes, which threatened their empires northern flank, from controlling the Silk Road and the wealth it generated. Related Article How the Left Should Respond to Ethnic Cleansing in China Daniel Bessner and Isaac Stone Fish After the Portuguese circumnavigated Africa, around 1500, overland routes went into a long, slow decline as maritime routes expanded. In the mid-18th century, Xinjiang (which had converted to Islam between the 10th and 17th centuries) was conquered by the Qing dynasty (16441912), but by this time it had already lost its central importance. After China cut itself off from the world, the region became an enclave, and Chinese leaders saw it as even more of a backwater because of the Sino-Soviet conflict. The fortunes of Xinjiang, one of Chinas poorest provinces, changed again as its regional and international importance grew. Mao stationed troops there in 1949 and began to align it with the rest of China through state investment. This was increased in the early 2000s as part of the Great Western Development Strategy. It coincided with massive internal migration by Han Chinese, the ethnic majority, which led to the building of new cities in the north from the 1950s and later the reshaping of the old oasis towns in the south. Xinjiang is now connected to the rest of China by high-quality motorway and rail networks. Through the driving force of state-owned enterprises and production units developed by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, or Bingtuan for short, it has specialized in mining and agriculture (cotton, tomatoes, fruit). Current Issue View our current issue The province, which is three times the size of France, has also become a strategic center for energy production as it has 25 percent of Chinas hydrocarbon reserves and 38 percent of its coal. China wants to reduce its need to import energy, so Chinese companies extract 15 percent of its oil output and almost 25 percent of its natural gas in Xinjiang. Oil and gas pipelines linking it to central and coastal regions were built from the 1990s to transport the huge volumes of hydrocarbons that have powered Chinas economic growth. Now the authorities are turning their attention to infrastructure for liquefied coal as well as wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the launch of Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative, the opening up of Central Asia has turned Xinjiang into a key asset in Chinas strategy of projecting its power in Asia. Bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and former Soviet republics, Xinjiang has a network of road, rail, and energy-transport links on which Beijing depends to guarantee supplies and also extend its economic influence as far as Europe. The regime needs stability in this region and is ever watchful for any sign that it might succumb to Islamism or too great a US influence. Fear of insurrection Though the Chinese state has consolidated its control over the region, it remains worried about insurrection, which in the past has led to brief periods of independence, recurrent riots, and, more recently, an increased incidence of violence, including terrorism. This mainly Turkic-speaking region, which in the West used to be called East Turkestan or Chinese Turkestan, is strongly individual and was known for its instability even in imperial times. When the Qing tried to make it their new frontier (Xinjiang in Mandarin), those nostalgic for its previous Sufi theocracy used the call to defend Islam as a way of mobilizing against non-Muslim Sino-Manchu power. Until the early 20th century, Xinjiang was divided into an area dominated by Kazakh and Kyrgyz nomads in the north and the Pamir mountains, and oases inhabited by sedentary Uighurs in the south and east. After the fall of the last Chinese dynasty in 1912, Chinese warlords faced an unprecedented rise in autonomist and separatist opposition. Fresh blood flowed into this opposition from a new generation of activists: On the right were the supporters of pan-Turkism and on the left a communist movement supported and funded by the Soviets until the late 1940s. The victory of Mao and the Communists in 1949, then the repressive policies before and during the Cultural Revolution (196676), led to these networks being dismantled. In the 1980s, with the reformist branch of the Communist party (PCC) in power, people from minorities were recruited to increase engagement with the machinery of the state. New spaces for cultural and religious freedom emerged, and there was new anti-colonial nationalist activism on campuses and in Uighur intellectual circles. After the ban on Islam during the Cultural Revolution, some Uighurs turned again to religion, and in the south created madrasas, centers for groups of talibs (students of religion). Some advocated adopting Muslim social values or even creating an independent Islamic state. In 1990 the Turkestan Islamic party, a recently created network, staged an insurrection in Baren. In 1985, 1988, and 1989, in the regional capital Urumqi and other oasis towns, there were protests against colonization by immigration, and against ethnic discrimination and inequality, and the lack of political autonomy. These were led by student organizations; they degenerated into attacks on government buildings, in particular in 1989. Tibet had violent riots in March 1989 and Tiananmen Square happened in June, so the PCC feared it might lose control of the situation in Xinjiang. This fear was heightened by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when independence for other Turkic-speaking peoples became a reality. Return of PCC hardliners Autonomists and separatists hopes of inclusion in regional policy-making ended with the return to power of PCC hard-liners. The Communist party, Xinjiangs Islamic Association (a liaison organization representing Muslims), the regional authorities, the religious teaching system, schools, and universities, were all brought back into line. Administrators deemed wayward, overly religious, or sympathetic to separatism or independence were sacked or punished. A policy of gradual tightening of control over society was put in place. To avoid arrest, the most committed nationalist activists joined the formerly pro-communist or pan-Turk Uighur diaspora in Central Asia, Turkey, or the West, and with local organizations pursued a campaign for human rights on the Tibetan model. This nonviolent strategy adopted by nationalists led in 2004 to the creation of the Washington-based World Uyghur Congress. In Xinjiang, repression brought rising tensions. Angry Uighur crowds took to the streets in Khotan in 1995, in Yining in 1997, and elsewhere. The madrasas in the south were broken up and some in Islamo-nationalist circles considered the PCC to be at war with Islam and Uighur Muslim identity. Some talibs and nationalist cells went underground, where they formed small groups advocating violent action, including terrorism. Between 1990 and 2001 the Chinese authorities claim 200 terrorist incidents caused 162 deaths. But these groups were gradually dismantled. Between Us, We Cover the World Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Chinas Social-Credit System Ren Raphael and Ling Xi A European Spring Is Possible Yanis Varoufakis Chagos Islanders Want to Go Home Abdelwahab Biad and Elsa Edynak In March 1996 the PCC published a list of harsh directives to eradicate potentially subversive activities. This was followed by several Strike Hard campaigns (1997, 1999, 2001), which led to the creation of patriotic-education classes, an increase in actions legally classed as subversive, and waves of arrests. The same document emphasized the necessity of encouraging the influx of Han within the Production and Construction Corps. The building of mosques was severely restricted, patriotic officials were appointed as heads of places of worship, and anyone who had received unauthorized instruction in a religious school had to be registered, and tough measures were taken to prevent religion becoming involved in social and political life. Amnesty International estimates that at least 190 executions took place between January 1997 and April 1999. During this period, connections formed between a small number of Islamo-nationalist activists who had relocated to the Pakistan-Afghan region and the Taliban networks led by Jalaluddin Haqqani. This group, which Beijing refers to as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), had a harder time gaining the attention of the rich Al Qaeda networks, which had recently relocated to that region. With limited means, ETIM struggled to make much impression in Xinjiang, where sleeper networks had mostly been eradicated. The Chinese authorities took advantage of the post-9/11 environment and US forces capture of some ETIM members in Afghanistan, and developed the rhetoric of the three evil forces (sangu shili): terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism. This lumped together nonviolent democratic nationalist and autonomist groups, promoters of Islamic values in the social and political realm, ETIM jihadists, and all dissenting voices. Violent clashes in Urumqi What remained of the ETIM networks, which had withdrawn to Waziristan, adopted the name Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), having become part of Al Qaedas global brand. They promoted violence on social networks, though Chinas Internet surveillance made their message hard to disseminate. But after a long period of calm, there were attacks in southern Xinjiang and its capital Urumqi, which began in 2008 as the Beijing Olympics approached, and spread in 2009 with violent clashes between Uighurs and Han in Urumqi. The official death toll was 197, three-quarters of them Han. The ensuing crackdown was severe. The Internet was cut off for several months, but the attacks continued. The TIP seems to have planned some of the attacks, such as in Kashgar in 2011, but many, such as the knife attacks on police and ordinary citizens, appear unplanned and were perpetrated by youths who had simply seen videos from the TIP or other jihadist movements. Some violence occurred outside Xinjiang and shocked the Chinese public: a car attack in Tiananmen Square in October 2013 (five people were killed: two tourists and the three attackers), a knife attack at Kunming station in March 2014 (31 dead, 143 injured), and an attack on an Urumqi market in May 2014 (43 dead, more than 90 injured). Other smaller-scale attacks followed; in 2014 there were more than 300 victims of terrorism in China, compared to just a handful each year in the previous decade. Chinese concern grew over the TIPs renewed involvement in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban, and especially in Syria, where it had formed links. Its participation in the Syrian conflict boosted its ranks and its support network. Having proved itself fighting alongside other constituents of the Al-Nusra Front (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) in northwest Syria, it gained access to heavy equipment and the ability to mobilize several hundred fighters. The TIP is a greater threat to Chinese interests in some parts of the world where it is able to conduct operationsPakistan, Afghanistan, and the Middle Eastthan in Xinjiang. Uighur society seems disinclined to embrace its hard-line brand of Islam, and the great wall of steel that President Xi wants to build around Xinjiang reduces its room for maneuver in China. End of the golden era However, the arrests and convictions (including capital sentences) that followed the 2009 riots proved a turning point for the people of Xinjiang. Many saw it as clear proof that the golden era of the 1980s, when mediators could still be found to resolve conflicts between communities, was over. Uighur resentment of Beijing turned into resentment of the Han, seen as arrogant colonizers. The PCCs recipe for community harmony is based on demographic and cultural homogenization (in reality sinicization) and tight Han control of Xinjiangs institutions. This means the replacement of the Uighur language with Mandarin in the education system, ever-tighter control by the police and the authorities, and increasing Han migration, which exacerbates the local populations sense of being overwhelmed by the Chinese. At the start of this decade, Han represented 40 percent of the regions population of 22 million (up from 6 percent in 1949) and Uighurs 45 percent (down from 75 percent). Han dominance of the economy and administration, coupled with their distrust of indigenous people, contributes to keeping a significant percentage of Uighurs at the bottom of the social pyramid. While it is true that the state provides over half the regional budget and has long guaranteed double-digit growth through massive investment, many Uighurs are less qualified or discriminated against because of their ethnicity. As Chinas new strongman, Xi promised to eradicate the terrorist threat and redefined the security approach. Antiterrorist forces were reorganized and came under closer government control. Supervision of minorities and religious affairs, which had been the responsibility of a range of authorities but also of representative organizations, was transferred to the highly centralized United Front Work Department. The judicial apparatus was also reorganized. In November 2014 Xinjiangs regional assembly had already passed a law reforming the 1994 regional religious regulations, adding 18 new articles to modernize the accreditation system for imams, mosques, and what remained of religious-teaching institutions, which were already closely monitored. In 2017 a new set of measures was passed, ostensibly to fight religious extremism. Many Muslims saw them as intrusive, as they forbade abnormal beards and wearing the veil in public. Unite as one family Control increased when Chen Quanguo was appointed secretary of the local Communist party in 2016, a post he had previously held in the autonomous region of Tibet. According to Adrian Zenz, the security budget expanded hugely. Special police units and anti-riot measures were strengthened. Police recruitment peaked between summer 2016 and summer 2017 at nearly 90,000 new officers, 12 times more than in 2009, the goal being to have a branch of the Public Security Bureau in every village. Chen also strengthened the Unite as one family program, in which state officials live with families, sometimes for several days, to identify subversive behavior, encourage denunciations, and carry out patriotic education. More than a million state officials may be involved, with southern rural areas a particular target. Xinjiang has also become a testing ground for high tech and big-data security. Smartphones can be checked at any time at police and other roadside checkpoints. A vast system of facial-recognition video surveillance has been upgraded. Most Uighurs have had to surrender their passports, destroying the hopes of those who want to emigrate. Beijing remains focused on surveilling society and punishing those who transgress. The collection of data using the Integrated Joint Operations Platform, in tandem with studying unusual behavior, aims to predict behavior and class individuals according to their degree of loyalty and perceived security risk. Among the many grounds for suspicion is having visited any of 26 countries deemed risky. Other behavior considered suspect includes contact with foreigners or people who have been abroad, downloading the banned WhatsApp social-media app, wearing a beard, not drinking alcohol or smoking, eating halal, observing Ramadan, not eating pork, and giving children Muslim first names that are considered subversive, such as Muhammad. Well-known academics, artists, and sports stars have suddenly disappeared and are probably in prison or under house arrest. In the past few months, exceptionally harsh sentences have been handed down. The former director of the Xinjiang Education Supervision Bureau and the former president of the University of Xinjiang have been sentenced to death for separatist tendencies. One of the last critical figures in Uighur intellectual circles, Ilham Tohti, who was arrested in 2014, has been sentenced to life in prison. The authorities claim these measures have been highly successful, with a sharp reduction in violence. They are proud of their security model, which combines cutting-edge technology and a level of repression that recalls the Cultural Revolution. Local party officials, religious, state employees, and intellectuals, who a few decades ago might have been able to defuse misunderstandings and conflicts with the state, are obliged to keep silent. Given the high levels of frustration among Xinjiang Muslims, this could be a dangerous approach. | https://www.thenation.com/article/china-xinjiang-uighur-oppression/ |
Why are friends avoiding asking about childs illness? | Sometimes people dont know what to say. Its best to tell them exactly what you need. Dear Carolyn Adapted from a recent online discussion. Hi, Carolyn: One of my kids is facing a life-threatening illness and surgery and if a big if everything goes perfectly, their recovery is going to be months long and arduous and the underlying health issues will be lifelong. I am having trouble with my friends avoiding asking me about it. I see people who are in full awareness of the situation and they brightly ask how my summer is going. Its not as though my mind can be kept off it. I try to be generous around other peoples awkwardness, but as crucial dates approach, I actually need the people in my life to not pretend nothing is happening. Hoping DEAR HOPING: Im sorry about your situation it must be terrifying and all-consuming. I dont want to say youre hoping for too much, but not because what youre asking for is reasonable. (It is, by the way.) I just dont want to encourage framing this in terms of hope at all, because the too-much/too-little/just-right business even hope in general is so slippery that it will only become a distraction. Plus, the awkwardness you describe could have different sources. One person might be avoiding the topic out of cowardice, and another might be making a thoughtful attempt to give you room and follow your lead. Lets say Friend X is levelheaded and a good listener. You can choose X to be the person you tell exactly what you need. X may not even be your best friend, but the best for the job its not unusual for someone surprising to come through in a crisis (and even recede again, naturally, when its over). If you need more than X can give you, then ask X to be your spokesfriend with other friends as you enter this difficult time. Be specific. If you think youve already been specific, then be more so. If X says no, then give props for honesty and move on to your friend Y. Or talk to X and Y together, or include Z, too. Put the effort into this one clear push, where you articulate your position and choose your people. After that, I still would caution against hope, and advise sticking to business. Im dealing with [blank] and wondering if you could help me with [blank]. People are sooo much better when they know what to do. And when the (expletive) fairy finally leaves you alone and moves on to someone else, which it will someday, then you can be helpful in the same ways to them. Thats one of the many eye-openers that a crisis brings: For many people, at least, it takes one to know one and to have any idea what caring bystanders can do. | https://www.seattletimes.com/life/why-are-friends-avoiding-asking-about-childs-illness/ |
Is no-deal Brexit still possible next week? | As they watch the mayhem in parliament, investors could be forgiven for wondering whether some sudden twist is about to happen that sends Britain over the cliff-edge. But while caution is understandable, its hard to see how an Article 50 extension wont now happen. It looks pretty certain that Theresa May wont bring her third meaningful vote (MV3) to the Commons this week. Thats partly because of Speaker John Bercows ruling yesterday but mainly because its still not clear she has the numbers to win. Instead, Mrs May will go to the EU heads of government meeting in Brussels, try to extract some extra change to the backstop and put MV3 to the Commons next Monday or Tuesday. First, we need to gauge what the EU will do at its summit on Thursday. As Alex Barker reports today, the EU will probably agree, in principle, the conditions and length of any extension. The EU will either signal a short extension of up to three months to allow for ratification of Mrs Mays deal if it passes next week; or a longer extension if she fails. Once they know what has happened to MV3, the EU and UK will next week give formal approval to an extension (long or short) through a written procedure. Theres a recognition among senior EU officials that an extension requires a degree of flexibility on their part and that it would be counterproductive to force the UK to accept one or the other, adds Mujtaba Rahman of Eurasia Group. This isnt a particularly contentious view in capitals or in Brussels. Once the EU-UK agreement on an extension has happened, thats not the end of the story. The new end date for Article 50 still has to be approved by votes in the Commons and Lords in what is called a draft affirmative procedure. According to Maddy Thimont Jack, researcher at the Institute for Government, these votes would likely be preceded by 90-minute debates. Its hard to see how. In the Commons, hard Brexiter Conservatives might vote against the date change. But the extension is bound to be backed by the clear majority of MPs who reject no deal. In the Lords, there is always a risk of filibustering. But a Labour official tells me: The Lords will follow the lead set by the Commons. The House is overwhelmingly pro-European and I cant see them allowing filibustering to happen. In short, the only question now is whether Mrs May gets her deal over the line next week in what will be the third and probably final try. No deal at least at this stage looks pretty much impossible. Keep up with the daily manoeuvres in the UK and EU by signing up to our UK Politics and Brussels Briefing newsletters Further reading Bercows bombshell cannot mask Mays Brexit failure Narrow, rigid, unimaginative, sly, secretive and wholly lacking in the political skills necessary to win over voters or build alliances, rarely can a leader have looked less suited to the task before them. This is the consensus view of the British prime minister. (Robert Shrimsley, FT) Hats off to Bercow The ancient practice, going back to 1604, is there for a good purpose. It stops the Commons going round and round in circles and getting nowhere exactly our current problem. On the other hand, it is important that MPs can debate what they want to. So if there was a clamour to vote again on the prime ministers deal, a way would be found to do it. The same goes for any other proposition that the Commons might want to re-examine. Parliamentary procedure isnt frozen in time. (Hugo Dixon, InFacts Stop Brexit) Queen could be drawn into Brexit debate after Speakers ruling In the hours before the Speakers intervention, the Prime Minister was trying to win over the DUP and those efforts reportedly included offers of both extra funding for Northern Ireland and a role in negotiations on future trade relations. That rightly prompted immediate demands that Scotland too should be given a role in trade talks. The devolved governments have been allowed precious influence on the Brexit process so far. (Ian Swanson, The Scotsman) Hard numbers Sterlings 2019 bounce adds to Brexit nerves Betting that a softer Brexit will drive sterling even higher could prove dangerous. Read more | https://www.ft.com/content/409675a6-4a46-11e9-bbc9-6917dce3dc62 |
Can Food And VR Combine To Create Art? | At her interactive dinner series, Asian in America, Chef Jenny Dorsey is making a pretty compelling case that it can. What counts as art is highly subjective, but high-end food increasingly resembles it. From Enrique Olvera's iconic mole at Pujol to the out-of-body experience that is dining at Alinea and inhaling helium from an edible balloon, modern fine dining resembles dinner and a show more than a mere meal. Jenny, whose diverse career has taken her everywhere from Columbia business school to Atera and Atelier Crenn, is highly aware of this. But while her food is objectively fantastic, Dorsey pushes the envelope through narrative. Asian in America incorporates spoken word poetry, animation, edible symbols and striking plating to invite you to attack uncomfortable questions like what American society expects of its Asian cooks in the same breath that Dorsey surprises your palate with a lamb-fat washed whiskey cocktail full of chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. To say that this combination of intellectual questions and unexpected flavors engenders lively conversation is to do her a disservice. Jenny's diners, myself included, were abuzz for the whole experience. I sat at a table full of strangers in the gift shop of The Museum of Chinese in America, and by the end of the night, we were exchanging information, getting drinks together and making plans to talk again soon. Asian in America is the kind of modern fine dining meal that immerses you in itself, distracting you from the events of your day and strategically using a combination of technology, food, and poetry to spark the aforementioned conversation amongst the diners. That's pretty refreshing, given how tech often keeps us distracted and disconnected from both our food and each other. At the beginning of the evening, Dorsey passed out little pork buns to guests and encouraged us to download an app to our phones as we sipped cocktails her husband prepared. The Chinese takeout boxes Dorsey served the buns in had stickers on them, and upon taking a photo of one, you triggered a small, poetic preview of what was to come, with information about how the filling inside the buns was comprised of pork off-cuts Jenny had first combined as homemade dog food. From there, the meal got more intense. Every course was accompanied by a menu card with a lyrical description of the dish and a short poem questioning things like the stereotypes Asian Americans encounter in their daily lives, but every few courses we were asked to pick up a VR headset and immerse ourselves in a virtual world. The VR experiences were short animations combined with Jenny's voiceover, and each was thought-provoking and metaphorically linked to the course in front of us. This, as mentioned before, sparked intense conversation. Every table was full of animated folks talking about what they were eating and hearing, excited and intellectually stimulated by the things they were tasting - all of which were fabulous bites on their own, but when combined with these questions and writings, they became more than that. No one seems to have a truly good description of what counts as art, but more than anything, art should engage our minds, our imaginations. Technology has a tendency to isolate us, to keep us from having human interactions and to make us more easily distractable, but I can honestly say that during this meal, nobody was paying attention to their phone unless they were taking an obligatory Instagram photo. Nobody knows what technology will bring us in the future, but this kind of connection, this kind of human experience is definitely what I'm looking for. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizzysaxe/2019/03/19/can-food-and-vr-combine-to-create-art/ |
Is It Moral And Ethical To Pay For An Advantage In The College Admissions Process? | Much of what goes on in college admissions may not be illegal, but it is immoral, writes Brookings Institute Fellow Richard V. Reeves in a scathing op-ed about this weeks college admissions scandal, a $25 million cheating ring, that raised all kinds of questions about how far the wealthy will go to protect and elevate their elite status. This scandal involved dozens of people, including actresses and business leaders, who agreed to pay tens of thousands of dollars to participate in a criminal cheating ring led by Edge College & Career Network (a sham college consulting company) in coordination with SAT test proctors and college athletic coaches. Applicants who participated in the ring managed to dupe the college admissions offices at USC, UCLA, Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and Wake Forest into admitting them when they may not have otherwise qualified to gain acceptance. Cigus Vanni, an independent educational consultant who formerly worked at Princeton, Swarthmore and University of Pennsylvania says that unfair advantage happens even when families dont cheat. These wealthy and privileged families have always had their way with college admissions through athletic recruiting, legacy status and the early decision pool. As Vanni notes, it's been well-documented that the college admissions process favors the wealthy. The admissions review is also allegedly discriminatory against certain groups, which is the subject of the case of Students for Fair Admissions lawsuit against Harvard University. Dr. Eric Endlich, founder of Top College Consultants believes that the focus of discussion around this cheating ring should be on the legal implications of criminal actions. There are many controversial practices in college admissions that are not illegal, but this scandal is about breaking the law, not about whether privilege helps. Vitaly Borishan, cofounder of Solomon Admissions Consulting agrees that there is a clear line in the sand on what kind of help is okay to seek out. It is one thing to hire a tutor to prep for an exam or get help on a college application; its quite another to cheat on the exam or have that tutor bribe people on your behalf. Theres also the question about what role universities should take in holding students and families accountable for illegal and immoral behavior. Borishan believes that a place to start is for universities to examine the "outsized influence" that athletic coaches have in determining admissions results. Dan Lee, the other cofounder of Solomon Admissions Consulting, believes that students will pay for the damage of their actions by being underprepared and under-qualified for their next steps after college. Students who cheat to gain admission end up cheating themselves out of post-college opportunities by being an environment where they can't keep up. Ultimately, the students involved in the indictment will face consequences, as will many students and parents who focus on the loopholes at all costs. Lets hope that those cheating in the college application processand those cheating themselves out by hyper-focusing on loopholeswill learn from the mistakes of the indicted and change directions. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivalegatt/2019/03/19/is-it-moral-and-ethical-to-pay-for-an-advantage-in-the-college-admissions-process/ |
Is the hunt for a white chocolate Creme Egg making Britains kids obese? | Cadburys Easter promotion has been criticised for encouraging children to eat hundreds of chocolates and then theres the row over their attempt to get kids active Name: The Creme Egg hunt. Age: The season starts in January and runs until Easter. Appearance: Exciting, festive, sweet. You go to the shops, you buy a load of Cadbury Creme Eggs and you open and eat them all. It seems to be missing an element you normally associate with hunting the thrill of the chase, maybe. Technically, youre searching for an elusive white chocolate Creme Egg. Because they are redeemable for prizes of up to 10,000. In that case: tally ho! Before we set off, you should be aware of the danger. Childhood obesity. Let the children worry about childhood obesity. The National Obesity Forum disagrees and has attacked Cadbury for its promotion. We should be trying to wean children off sugar, said the NOF chairman, Tam Fry, not enticing them to wolf down huge quantities of chocolate. Nonsense. If either of them were real, I think you probably would, yes. Its US parent company, Mondelz International, insists the promotion is targeted at adults. Thats somehow even more depressing. Indeed. Mondelz/Cadbury has been found to have twice breached rules protecting children from junk food marketing in the past 12 months. Meanwhile, kids have been posting videos on YouTube of themselves opening piles of Creme Eggs. Just over six teaspoons; the maximum recommended daily intake for children is between seven and 10. Thirty. Tesco has just ended an offer selling two boxes for 2, or 20p an egg. I feel a bit sick. This year it falls on 21 April. It already tried that. When it launched a real treasure hunt, telling children to grab your metal detector and go hunting for Roman riches on a number of suggested sites in the UK and Ireland. There are strict regulations in place to protect archaeological finds, so it could be against the law. Oops. Dont worry. It pulled the campaign on Monday. Do say: Good news! You won! Dont say: Your prize is more Creme Eggs! | https://www.theguardian.com/food/shortcuts/2019/mar/19/is-the-hunt-for-a-white-chocolate-creme-egg-making-britains-kids-obese |
Who Still Buys Wite-Out, and Why? | One sign of the cultural impact of the Wite-Out brand is that, like Kleenex, it has become a generic term. But it wasnt the first. Liquid Paper dates back to the 1950s, when Bette Nesmith Graham, a struggling divorced mother, took on typing jobs to make money. The problem was that she wasnt a good typist, and kept making mistakes. So she began experimenting with ways to cover up errors, enlisting her sons to help her. (This creative streak would help one of those sons, Mike, in his career as an artistfirst as a member of the Monkees, and later as a producer of films including Repo Man.) In 1958, she patented Liquid Paper. Read: A corrected history of the typo There were other products that achieved the same goal, like strips of sticky paper that covered up errors, but Liquid Paper quickly eclipsed themso much so that it soon drew imitators. In 1965, Tipp-Ex began producing its own fluid in Germany. A year later, George Kloosterhouse and Edwin Johanknecht, searching for a product that wouldnt show up when a document was photocopied, developed Wite-Out. Its difficult for anyone raised in the age of computers to grasp how useful correction fluids must have been when typewriters were a dominant technology in offices and classrooms. Of course, correction fluids are useful for things other than typewriting. In the pre-laser-printer era, it was often easier to correct a document from a dot-matrix printer by hand than to reprint it. Handwritten documents in ink are also more easily Wited-Out than rewritten. But today, even printer sales are down, casualties of an era when more and more writing is executed on screen and never printed or written out at all. In fact, office supplies as a whole are slumping. According to a report by the analysis firm Technavio, the U.S. stationery and office-supply market is essentially flat, projected to go from $86.4 billion in 2015 to $87.5 billion by 2018. The paper industry has had it especially bad. Yet correction fluid remains remarkably resilient. As early as 2005, The New York Times pondered the products fate with trepidation. Somehow, more than a decade on, it has kept its ground. According to the NPD Group, which tracks marketing data, sales of correction fluid grew 1 percent from 2017 to 2018, though they fell 7 percent the year before. (Correction tapes were flat, while correction pens are fading.) From 2015 to 2016 to 2017, Bic, which makes Wite-Out and Tipp-Ex, reported that correction products increased in share from 5 to 6 to 9 percent of the global stationery market. Its a little less clear how Liquid Paper is doing. Newell, which owns the brand, doesnt break out earnings enough to tell, and the company didnt respond to a request for comment. All the best answers are mostly conjecture. AdWeek suggested that sales might be buoyed by artists using fluid like paint. A Bic spokesperson pointed to a series of weird and entertaining interactive YouTube ads for Tipp-Ex in Europe, and said that Wite-Out is launching colored dispensers that will appeal to younger consumers. | https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/who-still-buys-wite-out-and-why/567311/?utm_source=feed |
Could a commuter train service to Central Hawke's Bay be on the cards? | KiwiRail is keen to work with councils in the Hawke's Bay region on a potential commuter train service from Central Hawke's Bay to Hastings and Napier. CHB Mayor Alex Walker said she had been approached by "a good number of residents" who had suggested the start up of a train service to accommodate a booming population of commuters in the district. KiwiRail spokesman Alan Piper said the company was interested in building stronger connections within regional New Zealand. "Commuter rail services are typically the result of KiwiRail working with NZTA and relevant regional councils to ensure that the service is appropriately aligned to the wider regional transport, employment and housing needs," Piper said. Advertisement "Currently regional councils determine what commuter services they want, and KiwiRail acts as a supplier of services. "We are keenly interested in running commercially viable rail services that connect customers to experiences, employment and housing." Walker said concept made logical sense but research would need to be conducted to make sure it was a viable and affordable option for the region to invest in. "The connections between the different parts of the region both economically and socially are getting stronger and closer, so there's an opportunity to strengthen some key links between working population in Central Hawke's Bay with places like the Hastings CBD, EIT and the hospital. "I think there's some real positive economic and social spin offs from that too. Families are spread across Hawke's Bay as well and I think this is a very forward thinking suggestion." Walker said she had already done some exploration in terms of what the concept would look like through regional public transport plans, connections with KiwiRail and the provincial growth fund. "The questions we're asking at the moment is what is the business case, what is the support and what technically could it look like." Walker also said environmental factors also came into play when it came to a regional train service, as it would mean fewer vehicles on the road as well as a reduction in carbon monoxide. "Those are certainly benefits of having a public transport model, but we need something that economically and commercially stacks up - so we have to have a good understanding of people who could move by train and I imagine it would be a pretty long term investment to get it up and running." A spokesperson from the NZ Transport Agency said they had not been in any active discussions with KiwiRail about a passenger rail service in Hawke's Bay. Hawke's Bay regional councillor and chairman of the Regional Transport Committee Alan Dick said the concept was mentioned in the Regional Public Transport Plan which was now open for public consultation. "It's not a confirmed plan, but it is in there - it would probably be considered as a bus service rather than rail. "Rail sounds attractive but there are some practical difficulties, for example a lot of people who commute from CHB work at the hospital, they wouldn't be able to get there easily by train - they'd had to use another mode of transport. "On the other hand a bus service - if it was viable - could go from point to point. That's a reservation I have, but people may think differently." Dick said about six years ago they trialled a bus service from CHB to Hastings and Napier, but it wasn't much of a success. "But it is there as an option and things have changed in the last six years. We will look at these options with an open mind and see what happens." | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12214114&ref=rss |
How prevalent is far-right extremism? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits mourners at the Kilbirnie Mosque in New Zealand The shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, which left 50 people dead and dozens wounded, have led to renewed questions about the extent of far-right extremism. The British security minister has said it is "perfectly possible" a far-right attack could happen in the UK and has raised concerns about the radicalisation of individuals online. Australia and New Zealand Before the latest attack, both New Zealand and Australia said their main security risk was from Islamist terrorism. And New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service's most recent annual report makes no reference to far-right extremism. A report in 2017 by Australia's Security Intelligence Organisation says that although the country "experiences low levels of communal violence", one person was charged with far-right terrorism in 2016. The report did not dismiss the possibility of attacks but stated that any attacks by far-right extremists would "probably target the Muslim or left-wing community, be low-capability, and be more likely to be perpetrated by a lone actor or small group on the periphery of organised groups". European far-right extremism Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, recorded five right-wing terror plots in 2017, all of which were in the UK. This was out of a total of 205 potential or successful attacks recorded by European intelligence agencies, with 137 "separatist", 24 "left-wing" and 33 "jihadist" plots among them. In 2017, a total of 1,219 terror suspects were arrested. Of these, 20 were classified as far-right extremists (705 were "jihadists"). Failed, foiled and completed terror attack by affiliation Terror attacks in EU member states The Global Terrorism Index, an annual report compiled from an open-source database at the University of Maryland, also monitors incidents relating to the far-right in Western Europe. Its number of right-wing terror "incidents" is higher than the official figures from intelligence agencies, which it says is down to differing interpretations between countries as to what constitutes a terror incident. Across Western Europe, the database shows 28 right-wing terror incidents in 2017 compared with just one in 2007. Far-right extremism incidents The United Kingdom Sara Khan, the UK's anti-terror commissioner, told the Observer that UK-based far-right activists were "organised, professional and actively attempting to recruit", although the numbers being monitored were not released. The intelligence agencies have revealed, however, that of the 18 attacks foiled in the UK since March 2017, four came from the extreme right wing. And referrals to the government's anti-extremism programme, Prevent, from this group have increased in recent years. In 2017-18, there were 7,318 referrals across the country, 1,312 of which related to the extreme right. The number actually going on to receive so-called "Channel" support has increased as well. Since 2012-13, the number of extreme right wing individuals receiving support has almost tripled, while the number of Islamist extremists has increased by 80%. Individuals recieving counter-extremism support Germany and the Netherlands In Germany, "politically motivated" crimes are recorded by the government In 2017, 39,505 such offences were recorded, of which half were attributed to people with right-wing ideologies, including 1,130 acts of violence (although more acts of violence were attributed to the far left). Number of politically-motivated crimes in Germany Right-wing individuals also committed 300 attacks on asylum centres in 2017, although this was a two-thirds decrease from the previous year. In the Netherlands, the Ministry of the Interior says: "The extreme right has manifested itself primarily with non-violent or minor disruptive actions. "Although a limited number of right-wing extremists activists are prepared to resort to violence, this intention is hardly if ever acted upon." Despite this, the Anne Frank Foundation, an organisation that conducts research with the Ministry of Interior, says it has identified a rise in active members of right-wing extremist groups, increasing from 90 in 2011 to 250 at the end of 2016. The United States of America Between 2002 and 2017, there were 86 far-right terror incidents in North America, with 62 deaths, according to the Global Terrorism Index. Most of these deaths were in the past three years, with nine killed by a gunman at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015 and 11 killed in the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings in 2018. Number of deaths caused by right-wing terrorism In 2011, to counter extremism of all types, the US Department of Homeland Security announced a national strategy, called Counter Violent Extremism (CVE), which included a $10m (7.5m) grant. One of the groups to have received funding is Life After Hate which says it has helped de-radicalise "hundreds, if not thousands of people involved in the white-supremacist movement". Image copyright Getty Images Image caption An American police officer crosses the street outside the Tree of Life Synagogue, where 11 people were killed At the end of 2018 - 11 days after the massacre in Pittsburgh - this funding for the programme was cancelled. Detecting far-right extremism Historically, it has been more difficult to detect right-wing terrorism in the West because of its scattered nature, according to Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute. His organisation's research highlights the tendency for right-wing terrorists in Europe to be "lone actors" who are less likely to exhibit noticeable changes in behaviour or discuss plans with friends or family than their Islamist extremist counterparts. In its dataset, 40% of far-right "lone actors" had been detected primarily by chance, compared with 12% of Islamic extremists. "We are seeing more isolated individuals connecting with each other through online communities," he says, which could help intelligence agencies tracking far-right terrorism. But, he adds:"[The intelligence agencies] still see it as a lesser threat and the scale of it is not as big as Islamic extremism." Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47626859 |
What does the speaker of Britain's parliament do, and who is John Bercow? | LONDON (Reuters) - The speaker of Britains House of Commons threw Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plans into further turmoil this week by ruling that she could not put her divorce deal to a new vote unless it was resubmitted in fundamentally different form. FILE PHOTO: Speaker of the House John Bercow speaks in Parliament, in London, Britain, March 18, 2019, in this screen grab taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS Below is an explanation of the speakers role in parliament, and information on the current speaker, John Bercow. The speaker of parliaments lower chamber, the House of Commons, chairs debates, calling members of parliament to speak and keeping order. He or she can ask lawmakers to be quiet so members can be heard, direct lawmakers to withdraw their comments, and suspend lawmakers who are deliberately disobedient. The speaker is the highest authority of the House of Commons and is required to remain politically impartial. Therefore he or she is not a member of a political party while in office. The speaker also represents the House of Commons to the monarch. Speakers are elected by secret ballot. They do not take part in debates or votes in parliament, except in the event of a tie, when the convention is that they cast the deciding vote. The speaker stands in national elections but is traditionally not opposed by the major parties. John Bercow, 56, is the 157th speaker of the House of Commons. He was elected on June 22, 2009, after 12 years as a Conservative member of parliament. The grandson of Jewish immigrants from Romania, he went to school in north London and was a keen tennis player. He is still an avid fan and regularly mentions his admiration of Switzerlands Roger Federer during debates. Bercow studied government at the University of Essex, and as a young Conservative activist was a member of the right-wing Monday Club. He has since been quoted as saying his membership of the group was utter madness. His move to a far more socially liberal position even prompted a rumor that he was going to defect to the Labour Party. His wife, Sally, a former Conservative member, now supports Labour. He has said that he voted Remain in the 2016 referendum on EU membership. REFORMER Bercow has gained a reputation as a reformer and modernizer. He abandoned the traditional speakers robes, knee breeches and tights in favor of a simple gown over a business suit, and has ended the requirement for Commons clerks to wear wigs, saying it would convey to the public a marginally less stuffy and forbidding image of this Chamber at work. He has also overseen a change in the sitting hours of parliament to make them more family-friendly, turned one of parliaments many bars into a nursery for the children of lawmakers and staff, and even invited lawmakers to bring their young babies into the chamber during votes. Bercow has made it his business to assert the power of parliament, reviving the little-used Urgent Question procedure, which allows lawmakers to request that a minister come to answer questions on an important issue. On more than 570 occasions over the last nine-and-a-half years, I have seen fit to grant urgent questions ... so that the government can be legitimately questioned, probed, scrutinized, challenged and held to account, he said on Monday. BULLYING ACCUSATIONS In May last year, a committee of members of parliament voted against launching an investigation into allegations of bullying by Bercow, which his office rejected. In October, Bercow resisted pressure to step down after an independent report found the House of Commons had allowed a culture of bullying and sexual harassment to thrive, and said its top officials might need to be replaced to restore confidence. Labour lawmaker Margaret Beckett dismissed calls for him to go, saying that the constitutional future of this country ... trumps bad behavior. NOTABLE INTERVENTIONS Trump visit In February 2017, Bercow said he was strongly opposed to U.S. President Donald Trump addressing parliament during a planned state visit to Britain. Our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary are hugely important considerations, he said in parliament, to applause from opposition Labour lawmakers. Brexit legal advice In December 2018, Bercow helped force the publication of the legal advice that the government had commissioned on Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal, by ruling there was an arguable case that the government had acted in contempt of parliament. Brexit next steps In January, Bercow angered many pro-Brexit lawmakers by allowing one of their pro-EU colleagues to seek to force the government to come back to parliament to set out its next steps within three days of its deal being rejected. The uncomfortable conclusion ... is that many of us will now have an unshakeable conviction that the referee of our affairs, not least because you made public your opinion and your vote on the issue of Brexit, is no longer neutral, pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Crispin Blunt, said at the time. Bercow refused to deny reports that he had ignored the advice of parliaments clerks, saying: If we were guided only by precedent, manifestly nothing in our procedures would ever change. | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-bercow-factbox/what-does-the-speaker-of-britains-parliament-do-and-who-is-john-bercow-idUSKCN1R026J |
Will Christchurch be our wake up call? | On Sunday I met my cousin, although he was killed in cold blood a few days befor, at the Christchurch terror attack in New Zealand. I met him upon visiting his aunts house and learned much more about this ambitious 33-year-old whose life was cut so short. While my cousin Atta Elayyan lived in Kuwait and later New Zealand, I was born in Toronto and lived between Jordan and North America. We never crossed paths. During my visit, I heard about how kind and supportive he was to his family, how intelligent and ambitious he was as a tech entrepreneur establishing his own company, and how energetic and athletic he was as a member of New Zealands national futsal team. A photograph of New Zealand futsal player Atta Elayyan, victim of the Christchurch mosque attacks, sits amongst floral tributes near the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch on Monday. ( DAVID MOIR / AFP/GETTY IMAGES ) His father, Mohammed Elayyan, who founded the Alnoor Mosque in Christchurch, was also injured in the shooting. I struggled to hold back my tears as I saw a video of Attas father speaking from his hospital bed about Islam being a religion of love and the need to love one another. Mohammed had spearheaded efforts to assist the local community during the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake, providing food and shelter in the mosque to many. These past couple of days, Ive been reading news items addressing this terror attack, including reports analyzing how the media disproportionately blames terror attacks globally on Muslims. This propaganda is effectively brainwashing many, and increasing hate and distrust between people. Yet these reports fall short not only in their scope of what they cover but also what they fail to mention. The reports and news items mostly discuss individual terror attacks like the one committed in Christchurch. Yet in many instances they fail to mention several important points. First, Muslims have been the biggest victims of such attacks globally. One such contrast I remember includes the January 2015 terror attacks in France, which killed 10 to 20 people. This was followed by a global outcry with dozens of world officials gathering in France and leading a massive march in Paris in protest. Article Continued Below Yet in July 2016, a single terrorist attack killed close to 400 people, mostly Muslims, in Baghdads Karrada district. For the most part, this barely made a blip on the radar of media globally, with the victims dying silently, since this was once again just one terror attack among hundreds of others against Muslims. Second, the fact is that many terrorist groups in the world today including Daesh (also know as ISIS), who have killed so many Muslims as they did in the aforementioned attack, have been created and supported by Western intelligence agencies. Ironically, even the name given to such groups i.e. Islamic State of further divides East and West, giving non-Muslims the illusion that this is being done under the name of Islam itself or somehow with the implicit consent of Muslims. Third, and perhaps most significantly of all, is the terror perpetrated by various Western governments notably the U.S. and its client puppet states, which continue to kill millions of people globally and throughout history. When looking at individual terrorist attacks, like those committed by a white supremacist in Christchurch, we must not forget that the wars and oppression waged on places like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Palestine and elsewhere, are the epitome and manifestation of terror, practiced against civilian populations. We must never be nave enough to accept the actions of governments when they attempt to shroud the massacres, wars and terror they perpetrate and perpetuate in a false cloak of legitimacy. And yet, despite all of this and despite the millions of Muslims who continue to be killed by mostly white Christian men in positions of power, the vast majority of the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims do not hate the West or people from other religions. This sentiment manifested itself clearly when one of the first victims to be killed at the Alnoor mosque greeted the terrorist coming to kill him with words of love saying Hello brother. The attack has backfired on this white supremacist, and the love shown towards the Muslim community has exemplified his failure. My cousin leaves behind his wife and two-year-old daughter. Hopefully, if we all work together hard enough, she can grow up in a world better than ours. Rifat Audeh is a human-rights activist and filmmaker. | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/03/19/will-christchurch-be-our-wake-up-call.html |
How Do We Create Artificial Intelligence That Is More Human? | On February 11, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and in February 2019, a survey called Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning indicated that only 16% of business leaders surveyed are getting significant value from advanced artificial intelligence (AI) in their companies. The report also found that companies of all sizes and across industries are investing heavily in advanced AI with an average of $36M spent in the fiscal year 2018. Of those same companies surveyed, 10% plan to increase their budgets over the next two years. The survey also found that businesses in Asia-Pacific have adopted advanced AI faster than the rest of the world. Twenty-two percent of Asia-Pacific companies in 2018 were at the advanced stages of machine learning compared to only 11% in North America and seven percent in Europe. On March 4, 2019, UNESCO held a conference on creating core principles around AI with an emphasis on a more humanist approach to AI. The goal was to foster dialogue between the public and private sectors, technical community, media and academia, civil society, international and regional organizations and look at how much machines should be allowed to decide for us as a society including who writes what values and priorities into the algorithms of machines. In a statement, Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO said that AI is humanitys new frontier. "The guiding principle of AI is not to become autonomous or replace human intelligence. But we must ensure that AI is developed through a humanist approach, said Azoulay. Ajay Bhalla, President, Cyber & Intelligence Solutions, Mastercard, says AI is already impacting most of the industry conversations today. "Over the next few years, there wont be a single sector of the economy untouched by AI. It will massively increase the value and speed of data transactions, interactions, and decisions," said Bhalla. "AI is therefore critical to the business of the future building systems through AI will be essential for remaining competitive," said Bhalla. H.E. Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director-General of Smart Dubai and CEO, Smart Dubai Data agrees. "Artificial intelligence has become a sector of its own [ ..] and as an increasingly growing part of our everyday life gets automated, we can only look forward to many more AI-powered breakthroughs and services, and this calls for setting principles to regulate and guide the sector," said Nasser That said, the field is not mature enough yet to draft laws to govern it [..], so we developed an Ethical AI Toolkit to set clear guidelines on the ethical use of the technology, and prevent having a fragmented, incoherent approach to ethics, where every entity sets its own rules," said Nasser. "We look forward to seeing the Toolkit evolve into a universal framework that determines ethical requirements for AI design and use, offering informed solutions to help stakeholders adhere to ethical principles, and, eventually, serving as a blueprint for governments to draft pragmatic AI laws and regulations. When it comes to trust, Mastercard's Bhalla does believe there's a lot of talk about trust in technology today whether its the use of consumer data, privacy or the proliferation of new platforms and technologies in the sharing economy. "The payments and financial services industries have tended to lead the way in building more secure systems as peoples money is at stake," said Bhalla. "Theres a growing understanding that ethics encompasses more than regulation and compliance, with conversation moving from 'we are compliant' to 'we are doing the right thing,'" said Bhalla. "Ethical considerations provide competitive differentiation, and this is a principle we follow [..]," said Bhalla. "We talk about privacy by design and security by design - a value proposition based on trust. If we consider AI, we need to be thoughtful about how AI technology can be used and create standards that define where AI can be used, when it can be used and what it can access." According to Rajan Sethuraman, CEO, LatentView Analytics, ethics in AI is a wide sweeping topic because it is an attempt to apply what are often contextual and cultural norms and guidelines to virtually endless theoretical applications. "When AI is used to automate the most mundane repeatable human tasks, then ethical considerations may not run that deep," said Sethuraman. "But the more we train and ultimately expect machines to emulate us as social beings and attempt to integrate fundamentally human ideas like judgment, empathy, or fairness into an AI equation, the more we're faced with the same ethical issues that accompany human interactions." The 'rights' of sentient automatons is a theme we've seen over and over in popular sci-fi movies - and while we're not yet at the level of a HAL 9000 - ethics are something we must deeply consider as we develop more and more advanced AI with less and less predictability," added Sethuraman. Shekhar Vemuri, CTO, Clairvoyant believes that ethics in AI needs to be viewed as a coin with two equally important sides. "Anyone developing AI technology - from big tech to small startups - needs to ask themselves if they have permission to use whatever data they have to power the AI. If not, everything else that follows will be tainted with that initial ethics breach," said Vemuri. "On the other side of the coin is transparency. A lot of companies just focus on how powerful and scalable their AI is. That's important, but AI is a bit like a government - or anything people turn power over to - its authority and ability to grow must be checked by transparency," said Vemuri. Can the algorithm be audited to uncover the flaw, or is it all a black box?" Vemuri believes that not addressing and solving these privacy and transparency questions will result in a backlash which will translate into regulatory brakes being applied to the adoption of AI. "It's our social and ethical responsibilities as AI practitioners to ensure our natural human biases aren't amplified in the solutions we build - and if they do creep in and tip the scales - that there's a transparent process to root out and fix the problem," added Vemuri. But Bhalla believes that AI can have a valuable role in fighting fraud which affects consumers. "Mastercard has been investing in AI technology for the past decade, and AI is proving invaluable in fighting fraud, particularly anti-money laundering," says Bhalla. "Seventy billion transactions a year pass through our AI-enabled fraud and decision platforms have helped prevent more than $50 billion of fraud in the last year." The company acquired AI specialists Brighterion in 2017. Bhalla says this allowed Mastercard to push the limits of what they can do with detection towards prediction. "Theres simply not a single part of our business that will remain untouched by AI, from loyalty and reward schemes through fraud prevention and user experience to new channels," said Bhalla. "In the future combining AI with biometrics will be an important way of transferring the intelligent recognition we use in the physical world to the digital realm. Identifying people and their devices online is currently a major challenge were addressing." Sethuraman returns to the ethics of AI. "Ethics in AI must increasingly consider potential outcomes and attempt to keep humans as involved and in touch with the input and design as possible," said Sethuraman. "This is humanist intelligence - or the augmentation of humans by machines and machines by humans, and is in fact how most AI will most likely play out over time." | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2019/03/19/how-do-we-create-artificial-intelligence-that-is-more-human/ |
Whats next for Vontaze Burfict? | The Bengals have released linebacker Vontaze Burfict, making him a free agent five days after free agency began. Last year, conflicting reports emerged regarding whether the Raiders were trying to trade for Burfict, a move that would have reunited him with former Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Now that the Raiders have traded for receiver Antonio Brown, adding Burfict would become delicate and popcorn-inducing. Scroll to continue with content Ad It was an illegal hit from Burfict on Brown that helped the Steelers snatch victory from the Bengals in a playoff game to cap the 2015 season, prompting both Burfict and former Bengals cornerback Pacman Jones to suggest that Brown faked the concussion he suffered. The league suspended Burfict for the first three games of the 2016 season in response to the blow to Browns head. The Vikings, in theory, could be a destination for Burfict, given that coach Mike Zimmer served as defensive coordinator in Cincinnati before Guenther. And how about the Browns, where G.M. Burfict, despite his obvious flaws, has consistently been viewed as a guy who can get his teammates properly focused and motivated. However, Burficts habit of losing his focus has cost the Bengals dearly, including most importantly a play that kept them from winning their first postseason game since January 1991. | https://sports.yahoo.com/next-vontaze-burfict-165558141.html?src=rss |
Why are there suddenly so many natural wine bars specializing in tinned fish? | At Bar Sardine, a pop-up wine bar inside Berkeleys Bartavelle cafe, good things come in small aluminum packages. A tin of squid in its gooey, turbid ink ($12) gets along swimmingly with La Stoppas opaque 2016 Trebbiolo, a rustic Barbera blend ($14/glass). Fatty, flaky mackerel bathing in oil ($12) arrives in a tin with its lid peeled back, surrounded by a pat of butter and Calabrian chiles. The mackerel responds positively to a glass of 2017 Catherine & Pierre Breton Aussi Sec ($14/glass), a murky Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc that tastes sour and salty. I guess people have been doing this forever in Portugal and Spain, says Sam Sobolewski, who owns and operates Bartavelle and Bar Sardine with his mother, Suzanne Drexhage, of the synergy between these wines and tinned fish. I happen to like a lot of salty, mineral wines from islands, from coasts, from high elevations, he says, and those kinds of wild, edgy wines are really good with fishy things. Sobolewskis hardly alone. We appear to be in the midst of a full-fledged wine-and-tinned-fish bar boom in the Bay Area and beyond. Not just that: natural wine and tinned fish. Oaklands Ordinaire has long served imported sardines and mackerel. The new Verjus in San Francisco has an entire conserva bar, featuring the colorfully packaged tinned fish from Portuguese importer Tricana. You can now find tins of Don Bocarte anchovies for $25 (!) at the natural wine-fluent Tartine Manufactory. In Boston, Haley Fortier pours natural wines alongside Da Morgada tinned fish at her Haley.Henry wine bar. Seattles Bar de Soif and Portland, Ore.s, Sardine Head both, like Bar Sardine, pop-ups are on the tinned fish bandwagon, too. This is a thing. A strangely specific thing. Certainly, there are practical explanations for the rising popularity of tinned fish in these sorts of establishments. Theres the obvious consideration: Opening a can of fish doesnt require intensive labor, and these high-end imports can be a fancy menu item in bars that dont have full kitchens. Theyre an adventurous alternative to the cheese and charcuterie plate. And theres more, and better, tinned fish available now than there used to be. For a long time these really high-quality tinned fish werent being distributed everywhere, Sobolewski says. According to Supermarket News, the global market for canned fish is expected to grow by $7 billion over the next five years. The pairing also just happens to make perfect sense. Fish like sardines, mackerel and anchovies naturally have a high oil content, says Verjus beverage director Matt Cirne. Acidity in the wine often serves well to cut through the oiliness of the fish. At Verjus, Cirne serves these tins with high-acid sparkling wines, and also plays around with aromatic whites with some of the more assertively flavored tins: a curried mackerel, for example, with a dry Muscat from Le Petit Domaine Gimios. At Bar Sardine, though, Sobolewski is tapping into an additional aspect of the wine-and-tinned-fish pairing logic. Whether natural wine is the best term for it or not, the sort of wines that many of us are finding at forward-thinking bars these days are savory, funky, even briny. More and more, when Im out drinking, Im tasting wines that recall for me other preserved comestibles Chardonnays with notes of sourdough, Syrahs with hints of cornichons, pet-nats that smell like kombucha. You might say that wines like that are the vinous equivalent of a tin of sardines. The concept for Bar Sardine was in Sobolewskis head long before this trend took hold. This was what we always wanted to do, he says. When he and his mother opened Bartavelle in 2012, the intention was a coffee bar by day and a wine bar by night. In fact, on paper, the cafes business name has always been Bar Sardine LLC. The coffee bar part of the business kept him and Drexhage, who is the cafes chef, plenty busy. Theyve always served wines at Bartavelle, but when they experimented with staying open through the evening, business was slow. The vibe just isnt an evening vibe, Sobolewski says. I dont think people think about going to get toast at 6 p.m. Sobolewski did his homework. He worked one day a week at Ordinaire, learning about natural wine (and eating a few sardines). He took a sabbatical to New Orleans, where he worked at the wine bar Bacchanal a sprawling garden thats several times the size of Bartavelles snug enclosure, but nevertheless inspired Sobolewskis approach. I liked the idea at Bacchanal of drinking really great wine but in a totally nonpretentious backyard-party environment, he says. And so Bar Sardine was born in December, open only on Friday evenings. To eliminate any of that toast-related confusion, Sobolewski and Drexhage make a point of transforming the space from day to night. After closing Bartavelle at 4 p.m., they take everything off the counter, remove the pastry case, light some candles, dim the lights, put out paper menus and viola! a wine bar is born. Although Sobolewski wears the natural wine badge somewhat reluctantly Im not super dogmatic about it, he says, which is what almost every sommelier has been telling me lately its useful to think of Bar Sardine as a natural wine bar. Upward of half of the wine selections change from week to week; recently, for International Womens Day, Sobolewski poured only wines made by women. Natural (or at least -ish) wineries Broc Cellars, Inconnu, Martha Stoumen and Elisabetta Foradori have all made multiple appearances. Most choices are available by the glass, half bottle and bottle. Theres more to Bar Sardine than sardines, of course. Drexhage makes a dreamy salt cod brandade ($11). Cured anchovy appears on crostini ($7; so maybe people do want toast after 6 p.m.!) and with an almost hard boiled egg ($4). If youre a fan of the Persian breakfasts Drexhage makes at Bartavelle, youll recognize her sensibilities in Bar Sardines winter veg plate ($11), a platter with carrot hummus, house-made pickles and zaatar. More Information To order: Wines by the glass including Breton Dilettante sparkling ($13), Foradori Fontanasanta ($16), Inconnu Lalalu ros ($11); tinned fish ($12), salt cod brandade ($11) Where: Bar Sardine, inside Bartavelle Coffee & Wine Bar, 1603 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. 510-524-2473 or www.bartavellecoffee.com When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday. Read More Hes not pouring it anymore, but a few weeks ago I enjoyed a delicious Catarratto, a Sicilian white grape long used to bulk up bland blends, from Marco de Bartoli ($16/glass). It was viscous, lushly fruity and reminded me, on the nose, of Pez candy. That might not sound like an ideal tinned fish pairing, but trust me, it was. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob | https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/Why-are-there-suddenly-so-many-natural-wine-bars-13700563.php |
Why Wont These Democrats Reject Fossil Fuel Money? | Refusing money from the oil, gas and coal industries may seem, at first glance, like a politically risky move. If the eventual Democratic nominee is to beat Donald Trumpthe most likely eventual Republican nomineetheyll need all the resources they can get. The fossil fuel industry doesnt generally have a major role in presidential elections on the Democratic side, and hasnt for awhile, said Sarah Bryner, the research director at the Center for Responsive Politics. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, only got about $1 million from oil and gas interests over the course of her campaign; Barack Obama received about the same amount in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Thats a fairly minuscule amount, given that Clintons campaign raised about a $1 billion and Obamas 2012 campaign raised even more. Even a Democratic candidate like ORourke, whos historically benefitted from oil and gas industry money, wouldnt be giving up that much if he gave it up in 2020. As a congressman in 2018, he received $476,000 from the industry, second only to Senator Ted Cruz in all of Congress. But ORourke raised $6 million online in the first 24 hours of his campaign alone. So the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge isnt very costly for Democrats. (The No Hollywood Celebrity Money Pledge would be another story.) And any money a Democratic candidate gives up by signing is more than offset by the credibility theyd earn on the issue of climate changenot to mention that it might attract big-money environmental donors. The eventual Democratic nominee surely will be expected to champion the Green New Deal, or a similar plan to transition the countrys fossil fuel economy into a renewable one. Democratic voters ought to be able trust that their nominee isnt corrupted by the very industries that are making the planet unlivable. The Democratic field is large, and nearly every candidate has made a grand statement or two about the dire threat of global warming. But right now, voters can truly trust only five of them to decarbonize the economy. Bryner expects that to change, eventually. This is a signaling game, and it ends up punishing candidates who wont make the same pledges, she said. Hopefully it doesbecause if the next president doesnt have the guts to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, then they certainly dont have what it takes to prevent a world of hurt. * A previous version of this article misstated the organization that is administering the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. | https://newrepublic.com/article/153336/democrats-refuse-sign-no-fossil-fuel-money-pledge |
What Is The Point Of New Teaching Tools If We Are Going To Cling On To Outdated Teaching Methods? | The conclusive success of Google Classroom in terms of adoption in American schools is not only due to its characteristics as a product or to the platform strategy adopted by Google that allows the integration of a growing range of applications, but also because the company provides it free for institutions and students. This level of adoption makes now possible to see some thought-provoking contradictions related to an educational model that has not changed, despite the big shifts in our social context, and instead has undergone just a slight incremental innovation for generations. Despite the efforts of its competitors, Googles product is way ahead in terms of adoption and stands out as being much more suitable for an active teaching model than others based on devices that involve mainly passive interaction. Some experts are saying that Google Classroom is the model for the classroom of the future: it is easy to configure, allows the development of all kinds of activities without using paper, connects with other tools such as Google Docs or Google Drive, enables instant and simple collaboration between students and teachers both inside and outside the classroom, and enables teachers to follow the individual development of each student. Needless to say, creating a tool, distributing it freely and expecting it to work perfectly was never going to be simple, and in recent weeks we have seen articles describing Google Docs as the most popular chatting app among students, the new default way to pass notes in class, or a sneaky messaging app right under their parents (and teachers) noses. Such articles highlight a clear contradiction: we want to give students a modern education based on collaboration, an approach that reflects how we work today across a growing range of environments, but we are alarmed when we see those students use these tools to communicate with each other. Obviously, the problem derives from the adoption of a tool based on its convenience or its qualities while not accepting its fundamental operating principle: as anyone who has used Google Docs will know, in addition to its use for collaborative writing, it also allows you to open a chat window to comment on the document, but which can, of course, be put to other uses. The result of widespread adoption of a tool such as Google Class is the immediate appearance of a huge and unstoppable number of possibilities for students to communicate with each other. Many teachers or parents, accustomed to an educational model that restricted communication during class are immediately alarmed and try to prevent it, then realizing to their horror that this is impossible. What they see as a bug, a problem or a system error is actually a key operating feature of the model. In a sense, an application that teachers or parents educated under the old model believed was simply some sort of word processor has turned out to require a change of philosophy toward our educational model. The problem is that many of them are not prepared for that change of philosophy. Educational transformation is not just about using new tools. It is a change of the philosophical principle and requires rethinking everything, from classroom format to accessing information, working methods and assessment. It is much deeper than simply giving students a new tool and expecting them to repeat what we did in the past. In fact, as has been clearly shown, trying to do so is a losing game, because the tool practically boycotts you and seems to work against the old ways of doing things. Unless we rethink the model radically, education methodologies from the past dont fit into the tool. Collaboration means communicating. Education consists of making students understand that a tool can be used for various ends. Of course, the problem lies not only with administrators, teachers and parents: students must do their bit as well, and finding a solution means a new mindset for them as well. There are ways and means to achieve this, and what we must certainly avoid going down the pass that France has in banning smartphones and upholding the old ways at any cost. The educational tools of the future will be provided by Google or some other company: I have no ax to grind here. But when the context changes, and it is evident it has, then education must adapt to the new context and hanging on to old models makes no sense. We need to understand this and rather than grudgingly adopting new technological tools, embrace instead a radical change on how we teach. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2019/03/19/what-is-the-point-of-new-teaching-tools-if-we-are-going-to-cling-on-to-outdated-teaching-methods/ |
Could Decreasing Silver Revenue Play Spoilsport In Wheaton Precious Metals' Q4 2018 Results? | Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE: WPM), one of the worlds largest precious metals streaming companies, is set to announce its fourth quarter results on March 20, 2019, followed by a conference call the next day. The market expects the company to report revenue of $1.9 billion in Q4 2018, 21% lower than in Q4 2017. Adjusted earnings for the quarter are expected to be $0.06 per share in Q4 2018 compared to $0.19 per share in the year-ago period. The lower revenue and EPS for the quarter is likely to be the result of lower shipments and a decline in the price of silver, slightly offset by higher gold revenue and the addition of Palladium sales in Q4. In addition, here is more Materials data. Key Factors Affecting Earnings Decreasing Silver Revenue: Revenue from silver is expected to decline by about 6.6% to $392 million in 2018 from $419 million in 2017, driven by lower shipments and declining prices. In its preliminary operations report, WPM reported a decrease in silver volume to 24.5 million ounces in 2018 from 24.6 million ounces in 2017, due to weaker than expected silver production at Penasquito mine and expiry of the streaming agreement related to the Lagunas Norte, Veladero, and Pierina mines in March 2018. Additionally, the termination of the previous San Dimas PMPA in mid-2018 has contributed toward lower output and is expected to lead to further reduction in shipments going forward. Price realization is also likely to be lower as silver prices declined in 2018 on the back of a stronger dollar and rising interest rates in the US, which made the greenback a much more lucrative investment option compared to precious metals. Increasing Gold Revenue: Revenue from gold is expected to increase by close to 12% to $474 million for the year 2018, compared to $424 million during the previous year. This increase is likely to be primarily driven by a 10.7% increase in volume sold. WPMs acquisition of a new gold stream at Stillwater and the new agreement with First Majestic at the San Dimas mine would add to the gold sales and production volume. Under the new San Dimas agreement, the silver production would be converted to gold at a fixed ratio, which would, in turn, lead to higher gold volume attributable to WPM. Gold prices saw some volatility during 2018 due to a stronger dollar and rising interest rates in the US. However, toward the end of the year, prices increased with higher retail and institutional investment in the yellow metal, with many Central Banks buying gold as a hedge against rising economic uncertainty. Addition of Palladium: As per its preliminary report, WPM sold about 14.7 million ounces of palladium in 2018. We expect the company to realize a price of $1,050 per ounce sold as prices increased during the second half of the year, which benefited the company. Palladium is a new addition to WPMs revenue streams with the company having entered into an agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater to acquire palladium at an agreed ratio of total production at the site. Higher Margins: The companys net income margin is expected to witness a sharp increase in 2018. However, higher margins would be driven by a one-time benefit of gain from the termination of the previous San Dimas silver purchase agreement, which amounts to approximately $245.7 million. This gain would be slightly offset by higher interest expense on the back of rising interest rates and increased amount drawn under WPMs revolving credit facility. Growth Prospects We expect the declining silver production to be completely offset by rising gold output, which would be driven by the new San Dimas agreement and Stillwater acquisition. Additionally, the company has announced the expansion of its Salobo III mine, thus ramping up its total gold production. With the addition of Palladium to its portfolio, WPM is expected to reap benefits of this diversification as palladium prices have increased sharply in the last couple of months. Thus, rising production of gold and palladium, along with a positive price outlook and expansion projects in the pipeline, is expected to support WPMs stock price going forward. We have a price estimate of $24 for the companys share price, which is higher than its current market price. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/03/19/could-decreasing-silver-revenue-play-spoilsport-in-wheaton-precious-metals-q4-2018-results/ |
Can Fox Corp. Outsmart Competition With News And Sports? | Fox Corp. a new company headlined by juggernaut Fox News, Fox Sports and Fox Broadcasting, began life as a standalone Tuesday just hours before its former entertainment businesses were set to be absorbed by Walt Disney. Fox has retained the FOXA and FOX stock symbols on the Nasdaq previously shared with film and TV assets under the name Twenty-First Century Fox. Shares of the renamed and smaller company fell 4% at the opening and hovered there for most of the trading day. It closed down 3.26% at $40.34. Disney will officially absorb the Fox entertainment assets just after midnight, capping the end of a saga that started with a bidding war against Comcast and ended in a $71.3 billion-deal that will hand Disney control of two Hollywood studios and expanded content for its widely anticipated streaming service. This is also a milestone for the family of Fox patriarch Rupert Murdoch, 88, whose love life and children by three wives had obsessed journalist for much of the last two decades. Despite jitters about the rising costs of sports rights and a competitive media landscape, the new Fox has its fans. Research firm Moffett Nathanson initiated coverage with a buy rating last week, saying the slimmed-down combination of Fox News and Fox Broadcasting creates an unrivaled pair of must-have live sports and news content that will drive strong, industry-leading top line growth for years to come. In a note on Tuesday, analyst Michael Nathanson attributed the first day stock decline to guidance from the company in a 10-Q report published Monday indicating a deceleration in cable affiliate fee growth through the second half of fiscal 2019. He also noted a high market value (about $25 billion) on day one equates to a higher spin tax and thus, a bigger bill owed to Disney in the form of a one-time special dividend. But he doesn't think either should impact the long-term view of the company and put a target price of $50 on the stock. Helping guide the company will be a board with four new members, including Paul Ryan, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Chase Carey, the CEO of Formula 1 racing and longtime advisor and executive to Rupert Murdoch. The first was a surprise, the second wasn't. Carey started working with Murdoch in the 1980s, serving in a variety of top roles at what became a sprawling, international media, entertainment and print empire under the News Corp name. That company split in half in 2013, creating News Corp. and Twenty-First Century Fox. Anne Dias, founder-CEO of global media, tech and telecom investment fund Aragon Global Holdings, and Roland Hernandez, founder of Hernandez Media Ventures and former CEO of Telemundo, also joined the board Tuesday. They will flank Rupert, his oldest son and now Fox chairman-CEO Lachlan Murdoch, and Jacques Nasser, an Australian businessman who has been chief executive of mining company BHP Billiton and Ford. "We are thrilled to welcome our new colleagues to the Fox board. We look forward to working with and being guided by them as we begin a new chapter, steadfastly committed to providing the best in news, sports and entertainment programming, Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement. Lachlan's younger brother James Murdoch, who has been CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox, is striking out on his own and launched an investment firm called Lupa. Systems. Their sister, Elisabeth Murdoch last year founded the start-up Vertical Networks, which creates app-based video series for mobile devices. She had founded the cutting-edge non-scripted production company Shine Group, now part of Endemol, in 2001. Questions about which of the three would end up running what pieces of their fathers empire may have finally been put to rest. One of the Fox boards first moves was to approve a temporary stockholder rights agreement, effective immediately and running through the next annual shareholders meeting. In a statement, Fox said it was meant to protect the new company during what it anticipated would be a period of trading volatility around the distribution of shares of the new company. These plans allow existing stockholders to purchase additional shares at a discount in order to dilute the ownership interest of a potentially hostile party. Also called poison pills, these shareholder agreements are usually triggered when one entity obtains a certain percentage of total ownership. Fox insisted the agreement is not intended to interfere with any merger, tender or exchange offer, share acquisition or other business combination transaction approved in advance by the board of directors, and does not prevent the board of directors from considering any offer that it considers to be in the best interest of the company's stockholders. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillgoldsmith/2019/03/19/can-fox-corp-outsmart-competition-with-news-and-sports/ |
Are Republican lawmakers TRYING to tick off young voters? | Opinion: Pushing a plan to lower the minimum wage for students working part-time jobs doesn't sound like a strategy for expanding your political base. Republicans want you to gut the minimum wage law you approved. (Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images) Im trying to imagine a scene at the Goldwater Institute in which a fellow in a well-tailored grey suit bursts into a room filled with other fellows in well-tailored blue or black suits sitting around an elegantly designed conference table and says something like, I know, lets help the Republicans down at the Legislature to put together a bill that would anger and alienate young voters! And all the fellows in the well-tailored dark suits lean back in there comfy conference room chairs, rub their chins with manicured fingers, smile and nod in agreement. And then theres the scene when the Goldwater fellows in the nice suits talk this over with Republican Rep. Travis Grantham, and the lawmaker rubs his chin and nods along with them and then takes House Bill 2523 to the Republican delegation at the state House and they all rub their chins and nod. A way to make Democrats cheer And out of this comes a bill that would allow businesses to pay a lower minimum wage to part-time workers younger than 22 if they also are full-time students. I dont recall hearing a loud cheer coming Democrats when HB 2523 was introduced, but then I tend to keep my distance from the State Capitol and use noise-cancelling headphones when in the vicinity of talking politicians. Still, Id guess the Democrats were overjoyed. In the 2016 election Arizona voters by a wide margin passed Proposition 206, which was called the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act. It raised the states minimum wage to $10 in 2017, $10.50 in 2018 and $11 this year. It will raise the minimum wage to $12 in 2020. This nod to fair wages did not go over well with some members of the chamber of commerce or their friends at places like the Goldwater Institute. So they decided to find a way around it. The litigation director at Goldwater argues that HB 2523 does not violate the law dictating minimum-wage increases because it creates a whole new classification of workers. NEWSLETTERS Get the Opinions Newsletter newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Our best and latest in commentary in daily digest form. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Mon-Fri Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Opinions Newsletter Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters Yes, it does. It creates a category of workers perhaps best described as: Angry young voters. Like many young people I didnt pay much attention to politics until I began working, first following my grandfathers, father, uncles and brother into the steel mill. Then with two simultaneous part-time jobs while at college. I was a relatively new voter at the time and if it had come to my attention that lawmakers in my state were working on a plan to circumvent a voter-approved law in order to lower my wages while I was dealing with college and living expenses I might have been a little ticked off. Minimum wage, maximum resentment I might actually have voted against such lawmakers. HB 2523 passed in the House in a party-line vote, all the Republicans in favor. The Democrats against. It appears to have stalled in the Senate, where more savvy Republican lawmakers may be disinclined to alienate future voters and decide in the end to kill the proposal. That would be very wise. Meaning, I wouldnt exactly count on it. Reach Montini at [email protected] Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/03/19/republican-lawmakers-minimum-wage-arizona-senate/3215467002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/03/19/republican-lawmakers-minimum-wage-arizona-senate/3215467002/ |
What is elderflower and why is it everywhere right now? | Both the flowers of the elderberry plant (Sambucus canadensis) and the berries (when cooked), are edible, says Daniel Cunningham, a horticulturalist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension. Im into the flowers for infusing cocktails or dressing up a dish, or foraging the berries for syrup or jelly, he says. But the berries are toxic raw, as well as the leaves, bark and wood. The elderberry is thought to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties as well as immune-boosting benefits, often used to treat swollen sinuses, colds and bronchitis. The plant grows well in Texas, with seeds and small plants readily available at nurseries or online. The low-growing deciduous shrub produces delicate white flower heads from mid-May to July, followed by elderberries later in the season. The early blooms, with hollow stems and divided or compound leaves, are reminiscent of fennel or dill. | https://www.dallasnews.com/life/cooking/2019/03/19/elderflower-everywhere-right-now |
Will the University of California expel students implicated in scandal? | SACRAMENTO With at least three current and former students under investigation for allegedly obtaining entry to a University of California campus through fraud, the systems top academic official would not commit Tuesday to expelling or rescinding the degrees of anyone who participated in a far-reaching college admissions scam. No one has a good taste in their mouth about that kind of situation, Michael Brown, UC provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, told state lawmakers during a committee hearing on university funding. Federal prosecutors alleged last week that two students were admitted to UCLA through bribes paid to the mens soccer coach and that the father of a UC Berkeley graduate paid for someone to take the SAT on his sons behalf. Brown said campus officials are reviewing those cases and conferring with federal prosecutors to determine whether any other UC students or applicants are implicated in the scandal. He said he is working with campus chancellors and faculty representatives to anticipate what we do about that. Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat and UC Berkeley alumnus, said he hoped the university would decide very swiftly and very quickly how to respond. I think the university has to take some extraordinarily strong action to expel these students, to take back those degrees, Ting said. Because otherwise, what is the disincentive for doing this? Brown told lawmakers, Cheating, fraud, deceit should not be rewarded. But he added, We dont know what will be uncovered. William Rick Singer, an Orange County businessman, pleaded guilty last week to orchestrating a massive scheme to help rich families secure slots at top colleges, including Stanford University and the University of Southern California, for their children through bribes and phony test results. UC President Janet Napolitano said Friday that the university would take swift and appropriate disciplinary actions to address misconduct once we have all the facts. She ordered an internal review of the admissions process to look for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Alex Bustamante, UCs senior vice president and chief compliance and audit officer, told lawmakers that he hoped the review would recapture some of the faith with the public that we are doing in fact what we say we are doing. Were going to look at both the campus side and athletic side, he said. University officials told lawmakers that wealthy alumni and donors did not have special access to get their children admitted. About 1 to 2 percent of students who enroll each year are accepted through a process for applicants who do not meet the minimum admission criteria, according to UC. That system is meant for athletes, artists, homeschooled students and applicants from rural areas or other underrepresented communities. There is a process for faculty or for athletic coaches to make recommendation for admission for these students. There is no process for the alumni office or development office to make any sort of recommendation, said Han Mi Yoon-Wu, director of undergraduate admissions. To my knowledge, that doesnt occur. In 1996, the Los Angeles Times reported that then-UCLA Chancellor Charles Young and his top aides had intervened in the admissions process to help less-qualified or rejected applicants who were sponsored by major donors and other supporters. No single individual is able to pull the trigger on a decision, Brown said at the hearing Tuesday. That goes through vetting, internal to the admissions office. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @akoseff | https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Will-the-University-of-California-expel-students-13701099.php |
Will the 2019 Kansas City Royals stick to the game plan? | Royals general manager Dayton Moore stood behind a curtain in January, waiting to take the main stage at the teams annual FanFest at the convention center, when I spotted him and walked over to ask a question. Just in case you showed up late to the party, heres what I meant: In 2014 and 2015, the Royals were known for speed, defense and a great bullpen. Some thought they got off track in 2018 when they signed free agents Jon Jay, Lucas Duda, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Kansas City Star Until those signings, I thought the 2018 game plan was to play the kids and get them big-league experience. That would have made sense, because the Royals had done it before and it worked: The core of the team that went to two World Series first showed up in 2011. That year the Royals went 71-91, and critics were calling them the same old Royals. Most of us couldnt see it at the time, but the team was on right on track. Ask players how long it takes to figure out how to succeed in the big leagues and the answer hovers around three years. It made sense that the players who showed up in 2011 had a winning record in 2013 and went to the World Series in 2014. It also made sense that if the Royals were going to let their prospects play in 2018, theyd talk about being ready to win again in 2021. But before the 2018 season the Royals signed those aforementioned free agents and appeared to get caught with one foot on the dock and another one in the boat a great way to get wet. Signing veterans to prevent a 100-loss debacle didnt work. It was the worst of both worlds, actually. The Royals still lost 104 games and those veterans cost the prospects at-bats and innings. Last seasons Royals actually got better when some of the veterans departed and Adalberto Mondesi took over as the full-time shortstop. They had just one winning month in 2018: September. That was also the month that the Royals stole their most bases: 39. For comparisons sake, the Royals stole nine in April. Its never just one thing the Royals also pitched better that last month but their stolen base totals showed the team was getting younger and more athletic after the departure and reduced playing time of some of the older guys. Boys just want to have fun Outfielder Alex Gordon told The Stars Sam Mellinger he just wants to have fun in 2019. Gordon was also quoted as saying the first half of 2018 was terrible: Then, I dont know why, but it just switched. We were having fun, he said. Heres a theory: The clubhouse atmosphere got better after some of the veterans departed. We talk about the importance of veteran leadership, and thats 100 percent true, but it also matters which direction the veterans are leading. If the veterans are positive and upbeat, that helps immensely. But if the veterans are grumpy about losing and stressed about being traded, they can make a clubhouse worse. By September it was pretty much the kids clubhouse and they seemed happy just to be in the big leagues. That might be part of why the team had more fun, played with more energy and won more games in the final month of the season. Eliminate power If youve forgotten where we started, it was me asking Moore a question about the Royals style of play. Heres what he said back in January. You can eliminate power, but speed and defense show up every day. Thats an unusual attitude in a sport thats gone home-run crazy, but its how the Royals have to look at it. When you play half your games in a park the size of the Grand Canyon, power is a poor investment, and speed is a good one. SHARE COPY LINK Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore wants to continue to rebuild the farm system by being aggressive in the Rule 5 draft, and expects to also acquire young talent through the baseball draft. In 2018, despite ranking next-to-last in team ERA, only four American League teams allowed fewer home runs and only five American League teams allowed fewer home runs in their home park than the Royals. Even when facing below-average pitching, it wasnt easy for opposing teams to hit the ball out of Kauffman. So The K can do its part to eliminate power and the Royals pitchers can do the rest: If a power hitter comes to the plate with a chance to do damage, walk him. Thats what Moore was suggesting. A few seasons ago, the Toronto Blue Jays were loaded with power threats and Ned Yosts Royals beat them. In one sense, the Royals did so despite walking seven batters. But look at who they walked and it was clear the Royals beat the Blue Jays because they walked seven batters. The Royals didnt pitch to the guys who were hitting home runs. You can eliminate power by refusing to let power hitters hit. And most power hitters dont run well, so that walk can clog the bases and force a power-hitting team to play the game 90 feet at a time. Take advantage of the herd mentality Buy low, sell high is a simple and logical philosophy and yet people cant bring themselves to use it. Theres comfort in being part of the herd; surely all these people running in the same direction cant be wrong. Going it alone is scary, but oftentimes thats exactly what smart investors and smart baseball teams do. Largely because of analytics, teams are currently overvaluing home runs; theyll put up with strikeouts and lousy defense as long as a player hits enough homers. If everybody else is investing in power, the Royals can find value in speed. If everybody else is striking out, the Royals can find value in making contact. If everybody else is playing power hitters who cant catch the ball, the Royals can find value in defense. Now guess which World Series Championship team had terrific pitching, a great closer, was below the league average in walks and home runs, above the league average in stolen bases and struck out less often than 17 other big-league teams. If you said the 2015 Kansas City Royals, you were in the ballpark, but it was the 1985 Kansas City Royals. Its no surprise that similar teams had success in Kauffman. And when the Royals get away from being that type of team, things dont seem to go well. I once heard Dean Vogelaar, a Royals front office executive at the time, talk about the difference between good and bad teams. He said bad teams will not stick with a game plan. It takes years to draft and develop players that fit a particular style of play, and bad teams are not patient. Someone panics the owner, the GM, the fans and bad teams abandon their current game plan, fire people and start over. Constantly switching course is a good way to go nowhere. Good teams have a philosophy and stick with it. They know they wont win every year, but they also know what works in their ballpark and settle in for the long haul. The Royals have won two World Series championships with similar teams, and if they want to win a third it would seem logical that they need to put together a new team with the same qualities. But to do that, the Royals need to stick to the plan. | https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article228145844.html |
Should the NBA shorten the regular season? | by Daniel Tran At the end of the NBA season, teams and players are limping into the postseason with injuries. Every year, fans and experts propose shortening the regular season in order to prevent injuries from marring the playoffs. However, part of succeeding the NBA is being able to survive a grueling season. Plus, the league would miss out on a lot of money if it took away games from the broadcast calendar. 82 NBA games are excessive no matter how many exciting plays there are. Bodies break down with exhaustion and late-season injuries affect playoff fortunes. Important players like Malcolm Brogden and C.J. McCollum may miss significant time after getting hurt in the last quarter of the year. Both of those teams might be eliminated sooner because of it. A shortened season would at least prevent athletes from pushing their bodies past the limit before a championship push when the games actually matter. Consequentially, coaches are now resting players for load management. Thats not fair to the fans, who dont get a chance to see their favorite players even though they paid the same price for the tickets. The NBA needs to shorten its season. Only casual fans want fewer games. True NBA fans can't get enough of the crossovers, dunks and high scores that occur during the season. Shortening the season takes away more opportunities for unforgettable highlights. NBA teams will also be leaving money on the table if the league switched to a shorter season. The revenue teams generate from games is significant and fewer games means less money, and less money means fewer dollars for free agency contracts. 82 games is perfect! 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, wed love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/03/should-the-nba-shorten-the-regular-season.html |
What must Josh Rosen must be thinking as hype swirls around Kyler Murray and the Cardinals? | Josh Rosen is the Cardinals incumbent starting quarterback. (Photo: Michael Chow/The Republic) Youve got to wonder what its like to be Josh Rosen. The last time we heard his voice or saw him in a video on social media, the Cardinals quarterback was in Daytona Beach, Fla. He was picking up garbage and plastic waste from the ocean as a celebrity volunteer for the environmental clean-up group, 4ocean. Its sort of ironic that ever since that weekend, Rosen has been getting treated like garbage himself. Someone wrecked his brand new Tesla last month in a car accident in Los Angeles. His Twitter and Instagram accounts both have been breached by hackers. Hes been the subject of never-ending trade gossip after only one NFL season. And hes had his character and playing ability besmirched by the NFL Networks Charley Casserly and others. But with every new report or rumor that has the Cardinals trading Rosen and selecting former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in next months draft, Rosen has remained silent. He hasnt responded to any of the incessant talk that hes about to be shown the door and get dealt to the highest bidder. Instead, hes gone dark, turned invisible and hasnt really been seen or heard. Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. It begs the question: Have the Cardinals privately reassured Rosen that he isnt going anywhere and the team is simply trying to increase the value of the No. We have to assume they did. The Cardinals certainly arent going to tell us and Rosen isnt saying anything. Maybe theyve told him they just arent sure what theyre going to do yet and asked him to try and stay patient. We dont know. Publicly, the Cardinals have tried to say all the right things, suggesting Rosen knows how it works in the NFL this time of the year. Speculation always swirls around the No. 1 pick, after all. Coach Kliff Kingsbury has said Rosen is our guy and that the quarterback has the keys to the castle. But then General Manager Steve Keim made a now-famous comment at the NFL scouting combine that Rosen is the teams quarterback for now. The next day, there was a rumor Kingsbury was telling people Murray to the Cardinals at No. 1 was a done deal. Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray gets set to throw a pass during his Pro Day. (Photo: Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports) Kingsbury has since denied ever making such a statement, but Kingsbury and Keim were in Oklahoma on Tuesday meeting privately with Murray, and not coincidentally, almost every recent mock draft now has the Cardinals taking Murray first overall. That, in turn, has further drummed up the speculation that Rosen is on the trading block and could be moved any day now from here to the start of the NFL draft on April 25. Its interesting to note two developments that surfaced back on March 6. On the same day a conspiracy theory began floating around that Nike stores in Arizona were slashing prices of Rosen jerseys, signifying a coordinated effort that had many thinking the team secretly put out word that the quarterback will, indeed, soon be traded, ESPNs Adam Schefter reported the Cardinals were not actively shopping Rosen and havent responded to any overtures they might have received about him. Get crucial breaking sports news alerts to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters But the Cardinals interest in Murray seems genuine. Kingsbury has loved his game since the kid was a sophomore in high school. He tried recruiting him. Back in October, while praising an incoming opponent, he said hed draft Murray with the No. 1 pick. Makes you wonder what its like to be Rosen. The Cardinals traded a third- and a fifth-round pick a year ago to move up five spots in the draft to get him at No. 10 overall. He was immediately anointed by the team as its franchise quarterback. Yes, he did. But Tom Brady would have struggled behind the offensive line the Cardinals kept rolling out week after week. Arizona went through 10 different starting combinations on the offensive line. That didnt help Rosen. Neither did the fact that outside of Larry Fitzgerald and rookie Christian Kirk, Rosen got next to nothing from his receivers. Running back David Johnson couldnt help, and as for the play calling, well, both of his last two offensive coordinators were canned. Kingsbury said he loved the way Rosen hung tough and kept pressing forward. Hes also said he cant wait to get started with Rosen. But Kingsbury seems so enamored with Murray, and the Cardinals appear so connected to him, you get the feeling Rosens days in the desert are numbered. Though the Cardinals number of potential trade partners may have shrunk a little now that the Jaguars have acquired Nick Foles, the Broncos have landed Joe Flacco and the Dolphins have settled on Ryan Fitzpatrick, there has been no shortage of trade rumors following Rosen. Various suggestions have him going to the Giants, the Redskins and, most recently, the Patriots as Bradys eventual successor. The Raiders could still be in play and teams such as the Bengals, Chargers, Lions and Steelers will be eyeing future starting quarterbacks. So, so long Josh. Good luck. Unless you arent going anywhere, which will make this entire mess all the more interesting. Imagine the reaction of the Cardinals fan base if Arizona trades out of the No. 1 slot, passes on Murray and keeps Rosen. After all the hype and build-up surrounding Murray, there probably will be a mini rebellion if Rosen returns as the starter. As if the expectations on his shoulders werent heavy enough. Imagine the critics and the catcalls if the Cardinals start off 0-4 again like they did last season. Even if he stays and wins, it might not be enough for some fans who have already cozied up to the whole Murray thing. Especially if Murray goes elsewhere and lights it up like he did last season for the Sooners. I think that anything you may be hearing out of Arizona whether its Kingsbury or whoever else saying that theyre not going to draft him and theyre going with Josh Rosen is a complete lie, FOX Sports analyst Tim Brando said recently during an interview with Scott Ferralls "On the Bench." Kyler Murray is going to be the next quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. Book it. Brando insists that as soon as the Cardinals hired Kingsbury, the wheels were in motion for the Cardinals to draft Murray, adding, Theres absolutely no doubt. Brando also cautions that anything we hear to the contrary from here until draft day is balderdash. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, he said. Its Kyler Murray now, its Kyler Murray tomorrow, itll be Kyler Murray on draft day. Better start packing, Josh. Reach McManaman at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac. Listen to him live every Tuesday afternoon between 2-5:30 on AM 1060/SB Nation Radio on Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch and every Wednesday afternoon between 1-4 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash. News and information you can trust. Start your online subscription. Watch the Shot Clock | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2019/03/19/whats-it-like-for-cardinals-quarterback-josh-rosen-right-now/3215557002/ |
What led Garner North Carolina father to shoot son? | A Garner man told investigators he had been drinking alcohol before he shot his 14-year-old son in the chest last month, according to newly released court documents. James William Johnson, 45, told investigators he was horse playing with a handgun by pointing the lazer and flash light [attachments], according to the warrant. When he entered his daughters room where his son and a friend were sitting, he said say good bye to my little friend and fired the gun, striking his son in the chest, the warrant says. Johnson was charged with negligent child abuse causing serious injury, Garner police say. The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. Feb. 16 at a home at 919 Powell Drive, police say. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer Johnson initially drove his son to WakeMed Garner, before he was transported to WakeMed Raleigh for more extensive treatment of the gunshot wound, the warrant says. When police interviewed Johnson, he told them he had accidentally shot his son with a 9mm handgun, the warrant says. | https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article228147644.html |
Has Stanichs burger bar reopened? | More than a year after it first closed, Northeast Portlands Stanichs is quietly staging a comeback. The nearly 70-year-old burger bar and Northeast Fremont Street institution has been opening for a couple of hours at a time every other week or so for regular customers" at least since January 30, according to signs posted in the front door. Until now, those openings have been severely limited and seemingly random, with hand-written signs posted in the door announcing short evening hours and ongoing training for new hours. But the openings appear to be ramping up. The restaurant was briefly open last Wednesday. Today, Portland Mercury reported that the restaurant would be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. this evening. (Note for anyone craving a burger tonight: The sign in the door shouldnt be treated as a burger guarantee. A reporter from The Oregonian/OregonLive.com has attempted to visit the restaurant several times in the past two months, only to find it closed.) Its not exactly a grand reopening, but it is the first signs of life for the burger bar, which closed in January, 2018, less than a year after one of the restaurants house burgers was improbably named the best burger in America by Thrillist. At the time, second-generation owner Steve Stanich told The Oregonian/OregonLive.com that the burger award was the worst thing that ever happened to us. Subsequent reporting by Willamette Week showed that Stanich had racked up a number of personal legal problems, including a reckless driving charge and a lawsuit for dodging child support payments. If you do, drop us a line or a comment and let us know how it goes. -- Michael Russell @tdmrussell | https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2019/03/has-stanichs-reopened.html |
What next for the Borderlands' 345m? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The UK and Scottish governments announced the level of their support last week The first projects backed by a recently announced 345m funding package for southern Scotland and northern England could begin before the end of the year. The UK and Scottish governments revealed their levels of support for the Borderlands Growth Deal last week. The local authorities involved are now working towards a full business case for projects they want to take forward. However, it is hoped some of the more "shovel-ready" schemes could start within a matter of months. Image copyright Billy McCrorie Image caption Dumfries and Galloway Council is one of five local authorities covered by the proposed deal The proposed deal covers the council areas of Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City. They are now working on how to take it forward. "The governments have given an indication of the amounts of money that they are prepared to spend," said the leader of the Dumfries and Galloway authority Elaine Murray. "So, in Scotland, between ourselves and Scottish Borders Council, the Scottish government will provide up to 85m over the 10 years and the UK government will provide up to 65m. "But, at the moment, we haven't had the final negotiations on what they will spend that money on." Image copyright Richard Sutcliffe Image caption The Carlisle Station Gateway project is one of the proposed schemes for the Borderlands investment She said they hoped to agree heads of terms - an outline business case for its key projects - before the end of this Scottish Parliament term ahead of working up the full business case. "However, the governments have said that if there are projects which are ready to go they would probably release the money earlier," she added. "So we have to try to identify those ones which we could actually make a fairly rapid start on and make a bid for those first. "We would hope that if we have projects which really are shovel-ready we may be able to make a start on them later in the year. "Some things will take longer because there will be more detail that needs to be worked out in the full business case but some things we may be able to progress later towards the end of the year." Among the specific projects already on its agenda are Carlisle Station Gateway, the Chapelcross Energy Park near Annan, Berwick Theatre and Conference Centre and a Mountain Bike Innovation Centre in the Borders. A feasibility study into extending the Borders Railway beyond Tweedbank to Carlisle is also being examined. Key themes Image copyright Magnox Image caption It is hoped investment "themes" will help spread benefits beyond site-specific projects Ms Murray said that there was no set order for carrying out the projects, although some might be more complex to achieve than others. However, she said they had also identified key themes for investment which would benefit the wider area. "The themes are the ones which may produce the projects which assist in other areas. "For example, one of our themes is digital connectivity - if we are successful in achieving that one that would be something which would benefit the whole of the region rather than just one part of the region." Cross-border co-operation Image copyright Tim Heaton Image caption The growth deal hopes to look at extending the Borders Railway beyond Tweedbank She also outlined how the spending would be split from UK and Scottish government sources. "In Scotland, obviously, the Scottish government will fund things which are devolved and the UK government will fund things which are reserved," she said. "Obviously some things may be partially reserved and partially devolved so they would get money from both and some things will cross the border." One such issue would be the Borders Railway feasibility study. "That would be something that would be partially funded by both because it would be a UK and Scottish government responsibility on either side of the border," she said. Quick progress Image copyright Ann Cook Image caption The council leader said the Borderlands money was not sufficient to make the A75 dual-carriageway along its entire length Although there has been some frustration at the pace things have moved at, the council leader said they had accelerated recently. "It has actually progressed fairly quickly compared to the other city region deals across the country," she said. "Ours has actually progressed a lot more quickly - partly because the five local authorities put a great deal of effort into trying to progress it fast. "We knew that we were coming up against the end date for this type of funding to be made available so we had to get it in quickly." 'No panacea' Ms Murray added that they would now be working to ensure they maximised the benefits of the support. "On the Scottish side it is exciting because it will coincide with the introduction of the new enterprise agency and part of what we are going to have to do is to work out how we align those best so that we get the best bang for the money that is available," she said. "It is an exciting time for the region - it is not going to be a panacea for everything. "It is not the sort of money that could dual the A75, for example, it is not money of that magnitude but it is money that if it is used wisely and it is used together with other sources of funding to produce the maximum effect it could make a real difference to our region." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-47626744 |
Is Russell Wilson sending the Seahawks a message? | With Seahawks coach Pete Carroll telling PFT Live two weeks earlier that talks between the team and Wilson, whose contract expires after 2019, on a long-term deal are ongoing, Wilson quite possibly was making it known that the time is now to get it done, and that the goal is a dollar more than the $33.5 million per year paid to quarterback Aaron Rodgers by the Packers. Scroll to continue with content Ad Last May, PFT reported that Wilson intended at the time to resist signing a long-term deal and playing on a year-to-year basis under the franchise tag. While hed be carrying the risk of injury, the rules make playing quarterback safer than ever (subject to the ever-present possibility of a fluke injury like the badly broken leg suffered by Alex Smith last season), which makes it far easier to refuse the security of a long-term deal and to activate a process that would result in $30.34 million in 2020 for Wilson, $36.41 million for 2021, and (if the Seahawks tag him a third time) $52.43 million for 2022. Including the $17 million Russell is due to earn this year, thats $136.41 million over four years, which equates to $34 million per year over the next four. Whatever it would take to sign Wilson now, its only going to get more expensive as he more time goes by. And Fallons question, coupled with Wilsons answer, could be a clear and unmistakable sign to the team that the time has come to make him the highest-paid player in football history. | https://sports.yahoo.com/russell-wilson-sending-seahawks-message-002252281.html?src=rss |
Will Viacom Channels Go Dark On DirecTV? | Viacom is warning subscribers to AT&Ts DirecTV service that their access to the companys cable networks including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon may end unless a disagreement over fees can be resolved before their contract expires Midnight Friday. According to a memo from Viacom CEO Bob Bakish that was distributed to the press, AT&T is abusing its new market position by favoring its own content -- which significantly underperforms Viacoms -- to stifle competition. The memo goes on to accuse the telecom giant of wanting to charge its customers higher prices for an "inferior" product. Viacom started a public relations campaign aimed at DirecTVs subscribers with some of the companys biggest stars including Trevor Noah of The Daily Show. It also is running a crawl on its channels on the bottom of the screen of DirecTV subscribers and has launched a website called http://www.keepviacom.com/. Viacom has made many offers to AT&T-DirecTV that would: Keep these channels on the air; Enable AT&T-DirecTV to lower bills now (and) give consumers more choice, Keepviacom says. Rather than work on their customers behalf, AT&T-DirecTV continues to raise prices while taking away channels. AT&T, for its part, doesn't want customers to lose access to Viacom's channels but believes that it needs to take a hard line on the media company's fees. The telecom giant was "disappointed" that Viacom chose to put DirecTV customers in the middle of negotiations. "The facts speak for themselves: several of Viacoms channels are no longer popular," according to an AT&T statement. "Viacoms channels in total have lost about 40% of their audience in the past six years. Viacom is a serial bad actor in these business negotiations and has repeatedly used these tactics with other distributors." Both companies are under pressure to strike a deal. As Variety notes, if Viacom significantly cuts the retransmission fees that it charges DirecTV, other pay-TV providers would demand similar treatment. AT&T, on the other hand, needs as many distribution partners as it can get to pay down its heavy debt load from its $67.1 billion acquisition of DirecTV in 2015. More than 1 million subscribers dropped DirecTV in 2018 thanks to the rise of cord-cutters and increased competition. Interest in the company's DirecTVNow "skinny bundle" also is starting to wane. Customer defections will increase if the DirecTV can't offer Viacom's channels. As advertising spending shifts online, retransmission fees are becoming increasingly important for media companies. Market research firm Kagan expects them to hit $12.8 billion in 2023. Disputes over retransmission fees are becoming increasingly contentious. Subscribers to DirecTVs main rival DishNetwork havent had access to HBO and Spanish language network for months after the satellite provider failed to come to term on new distribution agreements. As a result, nearly 1 million net customers dropped DirecTV last year. HBO is part of AT&Ts WarnerMedia business it acquired last year in its $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner. More people are expected to drop Dish when the new season of Game of Thrones starts in April. We have successfully renewed a series of distribution relationships representing more than half our subscriber base over the last two years and have not had a disruption in our service since 2014, Bakish wrote. While we continue to make every effort to reach a new carriage agreement, AT&Ts unwillingness to engage in constructive conversations, unfortunately, could force a disruption in service. Updates story to add comments from AT&T. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanberr/2019/03/19/will-viacom-channels-go-dark-on-directv/ |
What happened to Seattle? | Four years ago, my family had to relocate to Kansas. Our plan: Return to the Pacific Northwest as soon as our daughter graduated from high school. We left our boat in Anacortes, paying moorage and maintenance that supports the local economy, and we return every summer. This past week, we returned for a brief trip and did not recognize our city. Why would anyone want to visit and step over the homeless, worry about human waste, used drug paraphernalia or be concerned about crime (we found ourselves in the middle of a police chase of an armed robbery in the middle of the day). My daughter loves Seattle, the mountains, the sea and of course the Hawks. Help the homeless, give them opportunity off the streets and clean up our city! David Naro, Overland Park, Kansas | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/what-happened-to-seattle/ |
What is TikTok, and am I too old to use it? | Hello, person who is, statistically speaking, a human adult aged approximately millennial to boomer. The analytics suggest a high likelihood that youre aware there is an app named TikTok, and a similarly high likelihood that youre not totally sure what its all about. Maybe you asked someone younger in your life, and they tried to explain and possibly failed. Or maybe youve heard that this new, extraordinarily popular video app is a refreshing outlier in the social media universe thats genuinely fun to use. Maybe you even tried it, but bounced straight out, confused and sapped. Fear of missing out is a common way to describe how social media can make people feel like everyone else is part of something a concert, a secret beach, a brunch that theyre not. A new wrinkle in this concept is that sometimes that something is a social media platform itself. Maybe you saw a photo of some friends on Instagram at a great party and wondered why you werent there. But then, next in your feed, you saw a weird video, watermarked with a vibrating TikTok logo, scored with a song youd never heard, starring a person youd never seen. Maybe you saw one of the staggering number of ads for TikTok plastered throughout other social networks, and the real world, and wondered why you werent at that party, either, and why it seemed so far away. Its been a while since a new social app got big enough, quickly enough, to make nonusers feel theyre missing out from an experience. (Not a coincidence that Snapchats audience skewed very young, too.) And while you, perhaps an anxious abstainer, may feel perfectly secure in your choice not to join that service, Snapchat has more daily users than Twitter, changed the course of its industry, and altered the way people communicate with their phones. TikTok, now reportedly 500 million users strong, is not so obvious in its intentions. But that doesnt mean it doesnt have them! The basic human explanation of TikTok TikTok is an app for making and sharing short videos. The videos are tall, not square, like on Snapchat or Instagrams stories, but you navigate through videos by scrolling up and down, like a feed, not by tapping or swiping side to side. Advertising Video creators have all sorts of tools at their disposal: filters as on Snapchat (and later, everyone else); the ability to search for sounds to score your video. Users are also strongly encouraged to engage with other users, through response videos or by means of duets users can duplicate videos and add themselves alongside. Hashtags play a surprisingly large role on TikTok. In more innocent times, Twitter hoped its users might congregate around hashtags in a never-ending series of productive pop-up mini-discourses. On TikTok, hashtags actually exist as a real, functional organizing principle: not for news, or even really anything trending anywhere else than TikTok, but for various challenges, or jokes, or repeating formats, or other discernible blobs of activity. TikTok is, however, a free-for-all. Its easy to make a video on TikTok, not just because of the tools it gives users, but because of extensive reasons and prompts it provides for you. You can select from an enormous range of sounds, from popular song clips to short moments from TV shows, YouTube videos or other TikToks. You can join a dare-like challenge, or participate in a dance meme, or make a joke. Or you can make fun of all of these things. TikTok assertively answers anyones what should I watch with a flood. The result is an endless unspooling of material that people, many very young, might be too self-conscious to post on Instagram, or that they never would have come up with in the first place without a nudge. It can be hard to watch. It can be charming. It can be very, very funny. It is frequently, in the language widely applied outside the platform, from people on other platforms, extremely cringe. So thats whats on TikTok. TikTok can feel, to an American audience, a bit like a greatest-hits compilation, featuring only the most engaging elements and experiences of its predecessors. This is true, to a point. But TikTok known as Douyin in China, where its parent company is based must also be understood as one of the most popular of many short-video-sharing apps in that country. This is a landscape that evolved both alongside and at arms length from the U.S. tech industry Instagram, for example, is banned in China. Advertising Under the hood, TikTok is a fundamentally different app than American users have used before. It may look and feel like its friend-feed-centric peers, and you can follow and be followed; of course there are hugely popular stars, many cultivated by the company itself. Theres messaging. Users can and do use it like any other social app. But the various aesthetic and functional similarities to Vine or Snapchat or Instagram belie a core difference: TikTok is more machine than man. In this way, its from the future or at least a future. And it has some messages for us. Consider the trajectory of what we think of as the major social apps. Instagram and Twitter could only take us so far Twitter gained popularity as a tool for following people and being followed by other people and expanded from there. Twitter watched what its users did with its original concept and formalized the conversational behaviors they invented. (See: Retweets. See again: hashtags.) Only then, and after going public, did it start to become more assertive. It made more recommendations. It started reordering users feeds based on what it thought they might want to see, or might have missed. Opaque machine intelligence encroached on the original system. Something similar happened at Instagram, where algorithmic recommendation is now a very noticeable part of the experience, and on YouTube, where recommendations shuttle one around the platform in new and often lets say surprising ways. Some users might feel affronted by these assertive new automatic features, which are clearly designed to increase interaction. One might reasonably worry that this trend serves the lowest demands of a brutal attention economy that is revealing tech companies as cynical time-mongers and turning us into mindless drones. These changes have also tended to work, at least on those terms. We often do spend more time with the apps as theyve become more assertive, and less intimately human, even as weve complained. Whats both crucial and easy to miss about TikTok is how it has stepped over the midpoint between the familiar self-directed feed and an experience based first on algorithmic observation and inference. The most obvious clue is right there when you open the app: the first thing you see isnt a feed of your friends, but a page called For You. Its an algorithmic feed based on videos youve interacted with, or even just watched. It never runs out of material. It is not, unless you train it to be, full of people you know, or things youve explicitly told it you want to see. Its full of things that you seem to have demonstrated you want to watch, no matter what you actually say you want to watch. It is constantly learning from you and, over time, builds a presumably complex but opaque model of what you tend to watch, and shows you more of that, or things like that, or things related to that, or, honestly, who knows, but it seems to work. TikTok starts making assumptions the second youve opened the app, before youve really given it anything to work with. Imagine an Instagram centered entirely around its Explore tab, or a Twitter built around, I guess, trending topics or viral tweets, with following bolted onto the side. Imagine a version of Facebook that was able to fill your feed before youd friended a single person. Thats TikTok. Its mode of creation is unusual, too. You can make stuff for your friends, or in response to your friends, sure. But users looking for something to post about are immediately recruited into group challenges, or hashtags, or shown popular songs. The bar is low. The stakes are low. Large audiences feel within reach, and smaller ones are easy to find, even if youre just messing around. On most social networks the first step to showing your content to a lot of people is grinding to build an audience, or having lots of friends, or being incredibly beautiful or wealthy or idle and willing to display that, or getting lucky or striking viral gold. TikTok instead encourages users to jump from audience to audience, trend to trend, creating something like simulated temporary friend groups, who get together to do friend-group things: to share an inside joke; to riff on a song; to talk idly and aimlessly about whatever is in front of you. Feedback is instant and frequently abundant; virality has a stiff tailwind. Stimulation is constant. There is an unmistakable sense that youre using something thats expanding in every direction. The pool of content is enormous. Most of it is meaningless. Some of it becomes popular, and some is great, and some gets to be both. As The Atlantics Taylor Lorenz put it, Watching too many in a row can feel like youre about to have a brain freeze. Its the machines All of this goes a long way to explain why, at least at first, TikTok can seem disorienting. Youre not actually sure why youre seeing what youre seeing, said Ankur Thakkar, the former editorial lead at Vine, TikToks other most direct forerunner. On Vine, a new user might not have had much to watch, or felt much of a reason to create anything, but they understood their context: the list of people they followed, which was probably the thing letting them down. Its doing the thing that Twitter tried to solve, that everyone tried to solve, he said. How do you get people to engage? Apparently you just show them things, and let a powerful artificial intelligence take notes. You start sending daily notifications immediately. You tell them what to do. You fake it till you make it, algorithmically speaking. U.S. social platforms, each fighting their own desperate and often stock-price-related fights to increase user engagement, have trended in TikToks general direction for a while. It is possible, today, to receive highly personalized and effectively infinite content recommendations in YouTube without ever following a single account, because Google watches what you do, and makes guesses about who you are. And while Facebook and Twitter dont talk about their products this way, we understand that sometimes maybe a lot of the time we use them just to fill time. They, in turn, want as much of our time as possible, and are quite obviously doing whatever they can to get it. | https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/shop-northwest/what-is-tiktok-and-am-i-too-old-to-use-it/ |
Who do Jared and Ivanka think they are? | As political actors, the couple are living exemplars of the Dunning-Kruger effect, a psychological phenomenon that leads incompetent people to overestimate their ability because they cant grasp how much they dont know. Many high achievers, particularly women and people of color, suffer from impostor syndrome, the fear that they dont belong in the rarefied realm to which theyve ascended and that they will soon be found out. Even Michelle Obama, who is, according to a Gallup poll conducted in December, the most admired woman in America, has said that she feels it. I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is, she told students in London in December. Well, maybe not all of us. Ive just finished Vicky Wards Kushner, Inc., a scintillating investigation of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trumps White House sojourn, which comes out on Tuesday. Its full of damning details: contempt for the entitled, venal couple may be the one thing that unites all of D.C.s warring factions. Still, the first daughter and her husband remain psychologically mysterious, at least to me. According to Kushner, Inc., Gary Cohn, former director of the National Economic Council, has told people that Ivanka Trump thinks she could someday be president. Her fathers reign in Washington, D.C., is, she believes, the beginning of a great American dynasty, writes Ward. Kushner, whose pre-White House experience included owning a boutique newspaper and helming a catastrophically ill-timed real estate deal, has arrogated to himself substantial parts of U.S. foreign policy. Share your thoughts on the news by sending a Letter to the Editor. Email Share your thoughts on the news by sending a Letter to the Editor. Email [email protected] and please include your full name, address and telephone number for verification only. Letters are limited to 200 words. As political actors, the couple are living exemplars of the Dunning-Kruger effect, a psychological phenomenon that leads incompetent people to overestimate their ability because they cant grasp how much they dont know. Partly, the Jared and Ivanka story is about the reality distortion field a term one of Wards sources uses about Kushner created by great family wealth. She quotes a member of Trumps legal team saying that the two have no idea how normal people perceive, understand, intuit. Privilege, in them, has been raised to the level of near sociopathy. Ward, the author of two previous books about the worlds of high finance and real estate, has known Kushner slightly for a long time; she told me that when he bought The New York Observer newspaper in 2006, he tried to hire her. She knocks down the idea that either he or his wife is a stabilizing force or moral compass in the Trump administration. White House sources told her they think it was Kushner who ordered the closing of White House visitor logs in April 2017, because he didnt want his frenetic networking exposed. Ward reports that Cohn was stunned by their blas reaction to Trumps defense of the white-nationalist marchers in Charlottesville, Virginia: He was upset that they were not sufficiently upset. Still, even if you assume that the couple are amoral climbers, their behavior still doesnt quite make sense. Ward writes that Ivankas chief concern is her personal brand, but that brand has been trashed. The book cites an October 2017 survey measuring consumer approval of more than 1,600 brands. Ivankas fashion line was in the bottom 10. A leading real estate developer tells Ward that Kushner, now caught up in multiple state and federal investigations, has become radioactive: No one will want to do business with him. (Kushner resigned as CEO of Kushner Cos. in 2017, but has kept most of his stake in the business.) To make sense of their motivations, Ward told me, you have to understand the gravitational pull of their fathers. Husband and wife are both really extraordinarily orientated and identified through their respective fathers in a way that most fully formed adults are not, she said. Among the most interesting parts of Kushner, Inc., are the chapters about Charles Kushner, Jareds felonious father, and his plan to restore his reputation, with Jareds help, after getting out of prison in 2006. Part of that rehabilitation project was the purchase of a flagship building in Manhattan, 666 Fifth Ave., for which the family paid a record amount at the height of the real estate market in 2007. When the recession hit, the building became a white elephant, its debt threatening the family fortune. Wards book suggests that the search for someone who would bail out 666 Fifth has played a significant role in foreign policy during the Trump administration. Since the completion of her book, weve learned that Trump overrode intelligence officials, who were concerned about Kushner and his familys ties to foreign investors, to give Kushner a security clearance. In the end, the Kushner family seems to have gotten what it wanted. In 2018, Brookfield Asset Management, which has substantial investment from the government of Qatars sovereign wealth fund, came to the Kushners rescue. (The Qataris have denied any advance knowledge of the deal.) Youll notice that the U.S. position toward Qatar changes when the Qataris bail out 666 Fifth Ave., said Ward, adding, We look like a banana republic. Maybe thats why Jared and Ivanka appear so blithely confident. As public servants, theyre obviously way out of their depth. Theyre naturals. | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/who-do-jared-and-ivanka-think-they-are/ |
Will Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Viacom go dark for AT&T's DirecTV subscribers? | CLOSE Even if you cut the cord with Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and others all vying for your dollars, it can feel like death by 1,000 video subscriptions. Buzz60 DirecTV customers may soon find themselves with fewer channels. At midnight Friday, the contract between AT&T and Viacom is set to expire, meaning popular stations such as Nickelodeon and Comedy Central could go black. Viacom is warning AT&T's DirecTV subscribers that they may lose access to 23 channels if a dispute over fees isn't resolved before the contract expires. Viacom also is encouraging customers to contact AT&T. "Unfortunately, AT&T is abusing its new market position by favoring its own content which significantly underperforms Viacoms to stifle competition," Viacom said in a statement Tuesday. However, AT&T is hoping "to avoid any interruption to the channels some of our customers care about," the company told USA TODAY in a statement late Tuesday. Streaming TV: Cord cutters feel weight of subscription fatigue as video, TV streaming options multiply Prices on the rise: DirecTV Now increases prices for new streaming video packages with HBO included CLOSE There are thousands of free streaming movies and TV shows out there, but rarely any are commercial-free. USA TODAY Were disappointed to see Viacom put our customers in the middle of their negotiations," AT&T said in the statement. "We are on the side of customer choice and value and want to keep Viacoms channels in our customers lineups." AT&T is the largest pay TV provider in the U.S., with 24.5 million subscribers. Viacom is posting updates on its website, www.keepviacom.com, and airing ads that urge customers to contact AT&T. The media company has done the same in other contract negotiations. Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Centrals "The Daily Show" stars in one of the ads. If you think government shutdowns are bad, get ready for something worse," Noah said. "AT&T-DirecTV might drop Comedy Central and up to 22 other Viacom channels." In its statement, Viacom says it is "the No. 1 cable family serving key customers and communities on AT&T-DirecTVs services across kids, teens, 18-49, African Americans and Hispanics." AT&T said several of Viacoms channels are no longer popular. Viacoms channels in total have lost about 40 percent of their audience in the past six years, AT&T said in the statement. Disputes between content providers and cable and satellite providers aren't uncommon as companies try to negotiate new deals. Both AT&T and Viacom say they are looking for a resolution. "We have made a series of offers that are good for consumers and good for AT&T giving subscribers more access to the Viacom channels they love, including Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount, while enabling AT&T-DirecTV to lower customers bills in the process," Viacom said. AT&T said it's also the company's goal "to deliver the content our customers want at a value that also makes sense to them. Weve always fought to get the best deal for our customers, delivering the content they want at a great value," AT&T said. "Well continue to fight for that here. Sometimes the negotiations are extended to allow the parties to reach an agreement. In many situations, the stations don't go black. One ongoing dispute that has lasted several months is between Dish Network, HBO and Cinemax. HBO and Cinemax went dark for Dish Network subscribers in November as part of a programming dispute between Dish and AT&T, owner of the two premium cable companies. Charlotte Russe closings: All stores expected to close by end of March, discounts now up to 70% off Free Cone Day: Dairy Queen and Rita's Italian Ice welcome spring with frozen freebies Contributing: Eli Blumenthal Follow Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/03/19/viacom-and-at-t-direct-tv-contract/3218751002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/03/19/viacom-and-at-t-direct-tv-contract/3218751002/ |
What makes the spring equinox so special? | Image copyright neirfy Wednesday marks the spring equinox, the midway point between mid-winter and mid-summer. It takes a year for the earth to orbit the sun, and as it does so our planet spins on its own axis, each revolution taking a day. If the axis of the earth was at 90 or perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, our planet would be very different. Sunrise and sunset would occur at the same time every single day. We would also have no seasons and there would be a huge impact on weather patterns around the globe. The reason that that is not the case is because the earth is tilted by 23.5 degrees in relation to its plane of orbit. It's that tilt which gives rise to the seasons. In the northern hemisphere summer we're tilted towards the sun and in winter away from it. However the equinox is an important staging post on the annual orbit of the earth around the sun, particularly if you live at 54.5N like we do in Northern Ireland. In Belfast on the winter solstice, 21 December 2018, there were seven hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Image caption The earth's tilt of 23.5 degrees gives rise to the seasons On the summer solstice this year, 24 June, the sun will rise at 04:48 (BST) and set at 22:04 (BST), giving Northern Ireland 17 hours and 16 minutes of daylight. By contrast in Singapore - which is is just 1N of the equator - the shortest day was 12 hours and three minutes of daylight, and the longest just nine minutes more. During an equinox the earth's north and south poles are not tilted towards or away from the sun and the duration of daylight is theoretically the same at all points on the earth's surface. Hence the name, equinox, which is derived from the Latin meaning equal night. The northern hemisphere spring equinox - the mid-point between mid-winter and mid-summer - occurs on 19, 20 or 21 March and is also known as the vernal equinox. The name is derived from the Latin word 'vernalis,' which means "of the spring". Image copyright david010167 Image caption The extra daylight each week is the reason why spring is the season when the garden bursts into life In Northern Ireland at this time of year there is a real stretch in the day. Each day this week we're adding an extra four minutes 26 seconds of daylight; a difference of more than half an hour from the start of the week to the end. Because plants need water, light, and warmth to grow, the extra daylight each week is the reason why spring is the season when the garden bursts into life. The showery weather gives plants the water they need to thrive. The longer days mean they have more daylight and warmth from the sun which raises the temperature of both the air and the soil. So with the grass going crazy at least the evenings are getting longer and when the clocks go forward at the end of March there will again be plenty of time to get out and cut the lawn after work. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-47631820 |
Who is Andrew Yang, 2020 Democratic candidate for president? | Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, 44, is a venture capitalist who launched his bid for president in November 2017. He began gaining traction when he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in February, prompting a boost in his Twitter followers and a flood of donations. Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee Here are five things you need to know about Andrew Yang as he campaigns in the Golden State: 1. Hes all about universal basic income California is paving the way on the issue, as Stockton launched an experiment earlier this year to provide $500 a month over the next year and a half to 130 adults living in the citys lower-income neighborhood. Yang has pushed a proposal he calls the freedom dividend. Under his plan, all American adults over the age of 18 would get a $1,000 check from the federal government each month a cost of about $3-4 trillion per year. Yang said his plan aims to end poverty and grow the economy. He said a lot of the money would be pulled from welfare programs and a value-added tax on large corporations who dont currently pay their far share in taxes. Yang said people who are currently on welfare or social programs would have the option of keeping their existing benefits or receiving $1,000 per month without restrictions. 2. Yangs family has California ties His parents were born in Taiwan and came to the United States for graduate school at UC Berkeley in the 1960s. Yang himself was born and raised in New York. According to his campaign, Yang still has close family living in California. 3. Hes generally pro-immigrant The Democratic presidential hopeful has mixed views on the issue of immigration. He wants to offer people a pathway to citizenship to undocumented immigrants and said he is pro-immigrant, generally. He added that his parents would have been allowed to stay in the country under his presidency because they came to the country as students. He doesnt thinking rounding up and deporting immigrants is an option, but he wants to reward people who enter the United States legally or come to the country for college. One of the things I would do is staple a green card to the diploma of any international student who graduates from one of our universities, he said. It doesnt make sense to educate someone and then send them away to compete against you. 4. He has no shortage of ideas On Yangs campaign website, he outlines his positions on more than 75 issues, ranging from making Puerto Rico a state to providing everyone with access to free marriage counseling. If elected, he said a top priority would be forgiving a significant chunk of student loan debt because that is crippling the next generation. He also plans to tackle the opioid crisis by decriminalizing certain drugs to encourage people to seek treatment. His most interesting stance may be his personal opposition to circumcision. 5. Yang has a funny side Both Yang and President Donald Trump are wealthy, have business backgrounds, went to Ivy League colleges and grew up in New York. The opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math, Yang told supporters at a March 15 San Francisco rally. He also may have already made an unrealistic campaign promise. In early March, he vowed to unify the country by offering to give everyone an HBO GO password so we could all watch Game of Thrones. It would cost nearly $5 billion a month for every American to gain access to the streaming service. | https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article228090709.html |
What age should children be allowed their own smartphone? | Getty Images Children nowadays are given their first smartphone at the age of 11, according to new research. It is often at around this age because this is when many children start secondary school. Having a smartphone is often one of the first devices on which you might you have independent access to the internet. The survey done by money services company OneFamily found that around one in three parents worry about the age at which their children should be allowed to use the internet unsupervised. So we want to know what you think. Let us know below. Oops you can't see this activity! To enjoy Newsround at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. If you cannot see the interactive activity on this page, click here. A lot of parents debate at what age you should be allowed to do certain things, and everybody has different opinions. In some families, younger siblings are allowed to do things for the first time at a younger age than their older brothers and sisters. The research said that, on average, a second child is allowed to get a computer or laptop a year earlier than their older sibling. Let us know in the comments below! | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47618141 |
Did Bob Stinson create the first NCAA tournament bracket pool? | Bob and Debby Stinson were an active couple in 1970s Louisville, regularly participating on co-ed softball and volleyball teams in the area. Each season would end with a single-elimination tournament laid out bracket-style. It was from one of those rec league sheets that Bob Stinson a man who grew up in the shadow of Churchill Downs and always enjoyed a small wager came up with an idea that seems so glaringly obvious now but qualified as an indelible stroke of genius for 1978. He looked at the brackets and said, I can do this for college basketball and we can bet on it and the winner can take the jackpot, Debby Stinson remembers. I thought it was great, she says. I love jackpots. [Best bracket wins $1M: Enter our free contest now! | Printable bracket] When they got back home, Bob Stinson sat down at the kitchen table with a ruler and a sheet of paper and went to work placing all 32 teams in the 1978 NCAA tournament into his carefully drawn bracket. He wrote up rules and devised a points system. When he was done, he made copies and started passing them out to friends and family. Fifteen people entered that first pool for the princely sum of $1 per sheet. Bob Stinson (R) is believed to be the first person to start an NCAA bracket pool. (Courtesy of the Stinson family) No one can quite remember who won the first edition, but it was a rough first time out for the pools creator. Stinson picked defending champ Marquette to repeat, but the Warriors were upset in the first round by Miami of Ohio. Kentucky, the biggest rival of his beloved Louisville, ended up winning the whole thing. Still, Stinson, who died at 68 last fall after a long battle with prostate cancer, felt like hed discovered something big. And maybe even invented the modern-day March Madness pool in the process. Story continues He was always proud of making that claim, Debby Stinson says with a chuckle. Its a bold claim, one that he first made in 1997 and has gone unchallenged since. Filling out a blank bracket has become so elemental to March that it seems like the tradition has always existed. Suggesting that someone came up with the idea to do it first seems like suggesting someone was the first to eat chicken wings or hate Duke. Yet there are two things impossible to ignore here: Someone had to run the first pool. Like picking a perfect bracket, its darn near impossible to figure out who that person was. Do a bit of research and youll find that two different sources have been credited for the birth of the bracket pool. The first and most widely cited ground zero is a bar in Staten Island named Jodys Club Forest. As the legend goes, proprietor Jody Haggerty started the contest around 1978. The contest among patrons grew into a much bigger phenomenon, with the purse reaching a reported $1.5 million in the early 2000s. The contest eventually met its demise in 2006 when the IRS stepped in to see where its take had been going. The Jodys Club Forest pool, however, was not a traditional bracket pool in the truest sense. Haggerty only asked entrants to correctly pick the Final Four and overall champion (with the final score of the championship game as a tiebreaker) instead of all the games in the tournament. The second source is Stinson, who believed he might have had something to do with the contest showing up in Staten Island. Stinson worked for the U.S. Postal Service and traveled extensively at the time. Hed show up to different offices on the East Coast with his photocopied brackets in tow. College basketball wasnt the religion in some of these places like it was back in Kentucky, and Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were still a year away from making the tournament a true national phenomenon. Still, those sheets were received well. He took it to New York, he took it to Philadelphia, he spread it around, says Damon Stinson, Bobs son. This was the late 70s and early 80s and people were like, This is the coolest thing ever. While theres no way to verify Stinsons tie to Jodys Club Forest Haggerty died in 2016 the spread of Stinsons pool back home is a little easier to trace. Each year, more and more family and friends would join what Debby called Bobs Jackpot. Eventually, the Louisville Courier-Journal started printing its own bracket in the paper, which Stinson loved because it meant he could put away his ruler and paper. Running the pool did not get much easier, though. While the prize amount never grew big enough to attract the attention of the IRS (entry fees never went much higher than $5), more and more loved ones wanted in on the fun. Stinson, who helped the USPS integrate computers into its offices and sorting systems, responded by designing a spreadsheet to keep track of entries first on Lotus 1-2-3, then later on Microsoft Excel. Tracking bracket entries electronically would soon become big business for places like Yahoo Sports, ESPN and even ncaa.com. I remember being a kid and being like, Why cant we take this out of the paper and fill it out like we always do it? Now I have to sit down and fill it out at the computer? Damon Stinson said. But Dad was doing what everybody was doing before everybody was doing it. He had it all figured out. Bob Stinson loved college hoops, even making the trek to Cameron Indoor Stadium. (Courtesy of the Stinson family) A claim that has gone unchallenged As NCAA tournament pools began to grow bigger and bigger, Stinson began to wonder if he was truly the first to organize one. So in 1997 he sent an overnight letter to Bob Hill, a columnist with the Louisville Courier-Journal, laying out his case. Stinson figured that if someone else had done one earlier than 1978, Hill would soon hear about it. Hill figured the same. Somebody is sure to call with the claim that he or she invented the NCAA Office Pool in 1939 the first year of the tournament, Hill wrote. But at least we now have a starting place, a legitimate nominee for Office Pool Hall of Fame even if only in the Postal Service Division. Hill wrote the column 22 years ago and still remembers receiving the letter from Stinson, even if he cant remember the details. He said he never heard from anyone disputing Stinsons version of events. At one point, I think he just wanted some vindication on it, Damon Stinson says when asked why his dad wrote the letter to Hill. My dad felt like if he made the claim that someday someone would claim against him, but it never happened. Bob Stinson eventually lost interest in running his pools in the early 2000s. He was a man of many hobbies he wrote novels and poems, won wood-turning competitions and loved being outdoors and coaching youth sports and there were other things vying for his attention. Once it got big on the internet, he really kind of stopped doing it at that point. It just ruined it for him, Damon Stinson says. It was his thing for the longest time and once it got out of his reach, he just kind of let it go. Why the first pool was most likely in the late 70s Even if Bob Stinson wasnt the first to organize a bracket pool, the yet-to-come-forward suspect was likely only a year or two ahead of him. Though the NCAA tournament was first held in 1939, a number of factors made the mid-to-late 70s a prime spot for the idea to germinate. The NCAA tournament increased in popularity:When it was first established, the NCAA played second fiddle to the NIT, which was held in Madison Square Garden. Its likely no one was lining up to wager on a regional sport played on a handful of college campuses. Additionally, only one team per conference was allowed to make the NCAA tourney until 1975, limiting the amount of interest in each geographical area. The fall of UCLA: John Woodens Bruins won 10 of 12 national titles from 1964-75, making the prognostication game a lot less entertaining. The rise of photocopiers and office culture: Imagine running a pool without a way to duplicate entry forms or an easy way to recruit participants. (It still took magazines and newspapers awhile to catch onto the trend and make it easy for readers to copy their pages. The first bracket didnt appear in Sports Illustrated until 1983, smack dab in the middle of an ad for Camel cigarettes.) A consistent number of teams: From 1953 to 1974, the NCAA tournament featured anywhere from 22-25 teams with seven to 10 byes, making for a convoluted bracket. The field stayed steady at 32 from 1975 to 78 before getting a bit crazy in the early 80s (between 48 and 53 teams with 16 byes) and finally settling into a symmetrical 64-team field from 1985-2000. While those four areas wouldve greased the skids for Stinson or someone else, consistent coverage of the tournament on ESPN and CBS, however, didnt start until 1982, making it logical that the first pool would spring up in an area that was well acquainted with college basketball and its leading teams. With its two powerful programs, Kentucky would have certainly fit that bill. Stinsons name lives on This is the first March the Stinson family is having without Bob and they say its been a rough one. Bob loved rooting on Louisville as well as his alma mater Bellarmine, a Division II program that won the national title in 2011. He was so avid about it and we watched all the games together, Debby Stinson said. Now Im a little disheartened. The Stinsons say theyre OK if someone sees this article and says they were running a bracket pool before 1978 because Bob would have been OK with it. They were overjoyed, however, when Yahoo Sports contacted them. Not only would this story keep Bobs memory alive, but itd allow them to help fulfill a promise that Bob made them make to raise awareness for prostate cancer. The disease is much easier to fight with early detection, something that Bob did not benefit from. He fought a long five-year battle, opting for as many trials and experimental treatments as he could. He died on September 20, 2018, but not before penning his own lengthy and accomplished obituary that never even mentioned his role in possibly inventing the bracket pool. He didnt want to die, says Damon Stinson. He was mad that he got it. He hated that he got it. My dad always said at the end, whatever you can do to get the word out, spread the awareness. Because if people get screened, they wont have to go through what Im going through. So maybe Bob Stinson is the father of the March Madness bracket pool. Or maybe he isnt. Either way, if hes the starting point for a talk about prostate cancer screenings, Debby Stinson would consider it a bigger jackpot than Bob could have ever arranged. More NCAA tournament coverage on Yahoo Sports: | https://sports.yahoo.com/did-bob-stinson-create-the-first-march-madness-pool-222011733.html?src=rss |
Why oysters so important to UK seas? | To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. How moving oysters can protect the marine environment These oysters are taking an epic journey. They're going from Loch Ryan in south-west Scotland down to Spurn Point in Humber in Yorkshire. Well the Humber used to have lots of oysters of its own but with too many being caught, they've now become almost extinct in this part of the country. But the shellfish play a vital role in keeping the water clean. When oysters feed they take in nutrients like nitrogen, absorbing it into their shells and tissue. While nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants and animals, too much of it leads to a growth in algae, which can overwhelm and reduce oxygen levels in the water. So when the Oysters reduce these nitrogen levels, they're actually improving the water quality so other fish and sea creatures can live there too. It'll be a few months before scientists will be able tell if the oysters here have made an impact - with this special robot camera taking a trip down to the seabed to keep an eye on things. Let's hope they little guys settle into their new home quickly and get down to work! | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47635912 |
What Was It Like When Oxygen Appeared And Almost Murdered All Life On Earth? | Although it was more than 4 billion years ago that planet Earth formed, it was just a few hundred million years later, at most, that life arose on our world. For all the years since then, it's thrived and evolved, enabling it to find a way to exist in practically every environmental niche that Earth possessed. But 2 billion years after Earth first took shape, life almost ended. The atmosphere had slowly been altered by the gradual addition of oxygen, which proved to be fatal to the most common type of organism present on Earth at the time. For hundreds of millions of years, the Earth entered a horrific ice age which froze the entire surface: known today as a Snowball Earth scenario. It was a disaster that almost ended life on Earth entirely. Here's the story of our near-death and ultimate survival. One of the simplest experiments you can do in biology class is to put a group of cells into a nutrient solution, like yeast in molasses. The organisms will initially become very successful, as food is abundant, there's no competition for resources, and they can easily survive and reproduce. If you count the living organisms inside, that number will start growing exponentially. But, in short order, all of that will change. Yeast consume food through the process of fermentation. The cells feed on sugar by converting it into alcohol, ATP (which gets used for energy), and carbon dioxide as a waste product. But if you have a liquid water solution and you add carbon dioxide to it, it forms carbonic acid. At some critical point, it becomes too acidic for yeast to survive, and the population crashes. This might be a simple biological scenario, but its results are nearly universal. In the presence of virtually no competitors or predators, and given practically unlimited resources, a living population will grow at an exponential rate. It will consume the available resources, produce whatever metabolism products it produces, and then reproduce in greater-than-replacement-level numbers. The next generation will then consume more, produce more of its metabolites, and reproduce in even greater numbers. So long as resources are freely available, this process will continue. Until, that is, the metabolic processes it has been undergoing build up to a critical level where it poisons its environment. If this sounds like what the yeast did or what modern humans are doing with CO2 you've put the pieces together correctly. Organisms, if left unchecked, will poison their habitat with the waste products of their own success. But we are not the first to encounter this problem, nor were the much more primitive yeast cells. In the very early stages of our Solar System, a simple form of prokaryotic life arose: unicellular organisms. Although we don't know the properties of the hypothesized protocells that theoretically gave rise to the first unicellular organisms, there is clear evidence of unicellular bacteria by time the Earth was perhaps 500 million years old: around 4 billion years ago. Evolution then went in many different directions, as expected, to fill every available ecological niche. Archaea arose, able to survive in the deep sea around hydrothermal vents. Plasmids, which carry genes responsible for novel abilities, arose as independent DNA molecules, unattached to the bacterial chromosome itself. And, hundreds of millions of years later, the first fully photosynthetic organisms came to be. By the time we fast-forward to 3.4 billion years ago, the first evidence for photosynthesis in living organisms starts to appear. There are a number of different ways that photosynthesis can occur, but all involve sunlight of a particular wavelength striking a molecule that can absorb it, exciting an electron that can then have its energy used in life processes. Many organisms, such as green and purple sulfur and nonsulfur bacteria, make use of a variety of molecules to provide the electrons in their reactions, such as hydrogen, sulfur, and numerous acids. But organisms also evolved that use water as electron donors: the cyanobacteria, known as blue-green algae. Unlike the other (generally, but not universally, thought to be earlier) organisms, cyanobacteria produce molecular oxygen as a waste product. Cyanobacteria still survive today, and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes that produce oxygen. They seem to be more evolved than the other, non-oxygen producing photosynthetic prokaryotes. These blue-green algae possesses internal membranes (unlike the others), and are known to have arisen no later than 2.5 billion years ago. The evidence we have is straightforward: right around that time, Earth's atmosphere began to display evidence for having free oxygen present within it. Slowly but surely, the oxygen content began to build, and an organism with a seemingly unlimited resource sunlight began to poison its environment. Oxygen, you see, is not just corrosive and flammable; it's also the cause of the greatest climate disaster in history: the Huronian Glaciation. Considering that the Sun's energy output was much lower in the early stages, this large amount of methane was the only thing keeping Earth as a relatively temperate planet. With the oxygen destroying that powerful greenhouse gas, the planet couldn't retain its heat as well. The greatest ice age in history, which led to Snowball Earth conditions for approximately 300 million years, was now upon us. The evidence is overwhelming for incredibly cold conditions covering the entire planet at this time. Glacial deposits throughout northern North America (but also found as far away as Australia) display multiple sediment deposits found between layers of glacial deposits between 2.5 and 2.0 billion years ago. Evidence for past glaciation events, where glacial deposits were made at then-tropical latitudes, has been very strong for more than half a century. Forming a Snowball Earth is unfortunately very easy, as it appears to be a runaway process. If ice sheets advance far enough out of the polar regions, it increases the total reflectiveness of the planet, meaning less solar energy is absorbed by the Earth. This leads to further cooling and the formation of more ice, eventually covering the entire surface of the planet continents and oceans both included in ice. As catastrophic as this was for life on Earth, though, it didn't end it. The cyanobacteria continued to thrive, while smaller populations of other organisms, facing tremendous selection pressures and a changing environment, evolved in a different direction. More complex creatures, accumulating large numbers of genes and novel abilities, stood better chances of surviving, as they were more resilient to change. Meanwhile, volcanoes continued to erupt beneath the ice. These build-ups of carbon dioxide could increase the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere, while the simultaneous production of ash could decrease the reflectivity of Earth, allowing us to eventually break out of this glaciation era. While it lasted for approximately 300 million years, the end of the Huronian Glaciation coincides with the first evidence we have for eukaryotic life. Cells now existed that had enclosed, separated organelles that could carry out independent functions. Eukaryotes would later give rise to all the extant protists, plants, fungi and animals that exist today; it's arguable that human-like life would never have arisen if oxygen had never destroyed our methane-rich atmosphere and led to this ancient, Snowball Earth scenario. This period of time in Earth's history may have been the greatest mass extinction our planet has ever faced. Yet even at this primitive stage, life remained ubiquitous and resilient, and the destruction of the existing, dominant species allowed other, new organisms to evolve and rise to fill the vacant ecological niches. The Great Oxygenation Event was a transformative occurrence in Earth's history. Without it, life may never have become complex, differentiated, and capable of giving rise to intelligent organisms like us. Further reading on what the Universe was like when: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/03/20/what-was-it-like-when-oxygen-appeared-and-almost-murdered-all-life-on-earth/ |
Why did P&O use a shuttle bus on our cruise to Amsterdam? | A group of us booked a four-day P&O cruise from Southampton on 22 March, docking in Amsterdam early Saturday until late Monday giving us direct access to the city. Last month, we learned the ship will dock at a location 40 minutes away by shuttle bus. P&O did not contact us about this. Anyone wishing to take three daily meals on board (part of the package) and spend the rest of the day in Amsterdam, would spend at least six hours daily on the bus. P&O says there was nothing it could do. I suspect its because the cost of docking at Amsterdam increased substantially in January. GM, Mere, Wiltshire Disgracefully, P&O was still advertising the package as a cruise to Amsterdam this month. Only in the itinerary, below the sales blurb extolling the attractions of the city, was the port of IJmuiden mentioned. Passengers would have to Google it to discover its 30km from Amsterdam. P&O would not comment on the advert and only after two weeks of pressing did it disclose that agents and passengers had been told of the change on 12 February. It says you were not told directly as you booked via an agent. It refuses to be drawn on why, citing merely operational reasons. Clearly, you are not going to receive the holiday you booked as the original berth was a short walk from the city centre. However, your options are limited. P&O, in line with other cruise operators, absolves itself from responsibility for itinerary changes in their terms and conditions. Under Package Travel Regulations, you could ask for a refund but only if the change is significant. Given that Amsterdam is the only port of call on this short trip, I would say this is pretty significant. But P&O is not conceding the fact and says passengers would have to abide by its cancellation policy which withholds 90% of the deposit for those who cancel within 15 days of departure and 60% if you had backed out the day the company says it informed passengers. A court would have to decide what counts as significant. One doughty reader, Mark Gripton, has decided to go down the legal route after TUI curtailed the time its Cuban Fusion cruise would spend in the Cuban capital by a third making some of the pre-booked excursions impossible. Ill report back on how his case goes. In the meantime, beware of booking a cruise specifically to see a particular sight or city because itineraries are unreliable and cruise operators, unlike airlines, arent automatically obliged to offer a refund if they change a destination. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/mar/20/amsterdam-p-and-o-cruise-berth-moved-bus |
Who is William Rick Singer, the college admissions cheating scandal's alleged ringleader? | William Rick Singer, founder of for-profit college prep business Edge College & Career Network also known as "The Key," is allegedly the mastermind behind one of the largest college admissions scams to ever hit the U.S. and went to great lengths which included pricey fees to ensure his clients' demands were met. Singer, 58, has been called the "ringleader" behind the scheme, purportedly collecting roughly $25 million from dozens of individuals including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin over the course of nearly a decade to bribe school coaches and administrators into pretending their children were athletic recruits to ensure their admission into top tier colleges, prosecutors say. The Newport Beach, Calif., businessman agreed to plead guilty in Boston federal court Tuesday to charges including racketeering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. As a part of his guilty plea, Singer said he would pay at least $3.4 million to the feds, The Boston Globe reports. 3 OF THE MOST BIZARRE DETAILS OF THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CHEATING SCANDAL On his website for The Key, Singer describes himself as a dedicated father and coach who understands the pressure put on families surrounding college acceptances. The Key calls itself "the nations largest private life coaching and college counseling company." "As founder of The Key, I have spent the past 25 years helping students discover their life passion, and guiding them along with their families through the complex college admissions maze. Using The Key method, our coaches help unlock the full potential of your son or daughter, and set them on a course to excel in life," Singer stated online, providing biographies for seven other "coaches." Andrew Lelling, U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, reportedly claimed Singer's clients paid him "anywhere between $200,000 and $6.5 million" for his unique services. FELICITY HUFFMAN, LORI LOUGHLIN AMONG 50 SNARED IN ELITE COLLEGE CHEATING SCAM, AUTHORITIES SAY Parents of prospective students conspired with a college entrance consultant to beat the system and ensure their students were admitted or had a better chance to be admitted to certain colleges or universities, including Yale, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Wake Forest and others. "According to the charging documents, Singer facilitated cheating on the SAT and ACT exams for his clients by instructing them to seek extended time for their children on college entrance exams, which included having the children purport to have learning disabilities in order to obtain the required medical documentation," the U.S. Justice Department explained, in part, in an online statement. "Singer would accommodate what parents wanted to do." Andrew Lelling However, that was just one of many ways Singer ensured the students got accepted to elite schools such as Yale, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, Wake Forest and others. "Singer would accommodate what parents wanted to do," Lelling said, adding that it "appears that the schools are not involved." Prosecutors say the consultant represented to parents that the scheme had worked successfully more than 800 times. Singer also served as CEO of the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), a non-profit he claimed was a charity. Bribery payments were disguised as donations to KWF in sums up to $75,000 per SAT or ACT exam, the Justice Department said, noting that many students didn't realize their parents had staged anything. "This is a case where [the parents] flaunted their wealth, sparing no expense to cheat the system so they could set their children up for success with the best money can buy, Joseph Bonavolonta from the FBI Boston Field Office said in a Tuesday news conference. In total, 50 people including more than 30 parents and nine coaches were charged Tuesday in the scheme. Fox News' Katherine Lam,Travis Fedschun and The Assocaited Press contributed to this report. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/who-is-william-rick-singer-college-admissions-cheating-scandals-alleged-ringleader?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fnational+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29 |
Do Americans care about Britain's next royal birth? | Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, leaves King's College after joining a panel discussion convened by The Queen's Commonwealth Trust to mark International Women's Day in London, Friday, March 8, 2019. Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, leaves King's College after joining a panel discussion convened by The Queen's Commonwealth Trust to mark International Women's Day in London, Friday, March 8, 2019. 1 / 7 Back to Gallery NEW YORK (AP) Gwynne Wilcox jokingly calls herself a duchess because she celebrates all things Meghan Markle. The New York attorney wore a Markle mask in the office for Halloween and served scones to colleagues. If not for work demands, she would have been one of those people standing outside a Manhattan hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the pregnant Duchess of Sussex when pals threw her a recent baby shower. Wilcox's interest hasn't waned a bit since the American actress wed Prince Harry last May 19, announcing her pregnancy nearly five months later. While some admirers in the U.S. lost their must-see royal fervor after the big nuptials, plenty remain hanging on every tidbit about Markle. For Wilcox, it has a lot to do with race. "I think it will be hard to beat the excitement of the royal wedding, but I do believe the royal birth is going to be very exciting on this side of the pond," said Wilcox, who is African-American. "The birth of the royal baby, whose mother is African-American, will be intriguing worldwide, especially given the history of England," Wilcox added. "People will be excited to see who the baby looks like from birth and how the earl or lady's personality will develop over time. " Markle, as a divorced, American, Roman Catholic-raised woman of color, has shaken up the British royal family tree with her modern sense of style and reported eco-friendly touches to her nursery. Her baby, expected in April, will fall seventh in line for the throne, right behind Harry. There's plenty of baby fever, to be sure, but the royal family warned recently it will block internet trolls on its social media channels and may report offenders to police amid concern about online abuse aimed at Markle and Kate Middleton, the mother of three as wife of Harry's big brother, William. Lately, much of the social media abuse has centered on rival fans of Markle and Middleton. Colleen Gwen Armstrong, a publicist and pop culture blogger in New York, said she was very excited for the birth of Prince George, the first baby Cambridge and third in line for the throne, especially since "Waity Katie" took so long to snag William. But it's Markle she's really interested in. "In my mind I picture her and Prince Harry having a girl and naming her Diana. That would be lovely. With all of her mystique, I'm very curious about what type of mother Meghan will be," Armstrong said. "Part of Meghan's allure is the fact that she's done everything untraditional, which also includes her holistic approach to pregnancy, according to reports." The data analytics company Crimson Hexagon, which crunches data on public conversations playing out across the internet from Twitter and Reddit to comment threads on blogs counted more positive sentiment than negative in the U.S. since announcement of the birth last October: 56 percent to 44 percent of more than 104,634 posts analyzed. "While Meghan Markle is an American, the conversation surrounding the royal baby and her pregnancy is smaller overall than that of Kate Middleton, but the U.S. is much more interested in Meghan than they are in Kate, evidenced by the fact that U.S. volume doubles U.K. volume about Meghan, but U.K. volume about Kate was much higher," the company said in a statement. Best-selling novelist Emily Giffin, whose books include "Something Borrowed," is a lifelong Anglophile and royal watcher, having been drawn in by her mother growing up. Now, she has twin 15-year-old boys, George and Edward, along with an 11-year-old daughter, Harriet. Giffin, who lives in Atlanta, said she's "so excited about this baby," but she was more so about the three arrivals of Will and Kate. "That's the future," she said. "They'll be in the history books. Hundreds of years from now, Harry and Meghan will be a footnote." Count New York singer and musician Tessa Lena among indifferent Americans. "I absolutely do not care! No, no, no. I don't see why anybody should care," she said. "Is anyone going to get richer, healthier or happier because somebody whom they have never met had a baby whom they will also never meet?" Some who admired Princess Diana, the late mother of Will and Harry, have continued their warm embrace of the sons. Other fans of the Duchess of Sussex are close to her age, which is 37. David Demko, a first-generation American born to Czech immigrants, is none of those things. He's 70 and the Orange Park, Florida, grandfather of seven. He wishes all young couples well, including those expecting children, in celebration of the universals of the human experience. "What is not universal about a 'royal' birth is its opposition to our cultural notions about equality and equal opportunity," he said. "We in the U.S.A. live in a culture where social status is earned, not ascribed at birth." Nicholas Corlis, 24 who lives in Houston, Texas, is among those not captivated. "I do not care about what the royal family does because they have little to no effect on me, and U.S. politics are already wild enough for me to keep up with," he said. "I just see them as another rich family. I think keeping up with the royal family is often more appealing to women because they can picture themselves in Markle's shoes." He holds no ill will, however: "I'm happy for Markle and relate to her being American, I suppose, but I don't think that really matters. I don't see their marriage as some kind of achievement representative of our country." | https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/In-the-US-interest-in-Britain-s-next-royal-birth-13681848.php |
Why was Zulu a no-show at a forum to discuss blackface? | There was no expectation that Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club members would show up to a forum to discuss blackface and agree with activists on their contention that their masking tradition is bygone, even a symbol of white supremacy. The group Take Em Down NOLA, which led the call to remove Confederate monuments in New Orleans, has pushed for the organization to move on from the facial paint the group finds reminiscent of denigrating minstrel shows. The black makeup" Zulu members use was never intended to insult or degrade African-Americans," the club had said in a statement three weeks before they applied the black and white colors to their face for their Mardi Gras parade. Club members seemed intent on leaving it at that. What organizers with the NOLA Black Owned Media Collaborative had expected, however, was that Zulu members would show up to a forum they hosted Monday night (March 11) at Carver Theater and listen to the community. Organizers saw the forum as an opportunity for the public to weigh in, and Take Em Down NOLA explain its position. The problem was, Zulu never showed up. After confirming to organizers he would represent Zulu, club President Elroy James was a no-show, saying in an interview that he ultimately decided that he did not think the forum would serve a useful purpose. Zulus statement, James added, was out there and we arent changing it." James also said he had a schedule conflict. WBOK general manager Susan Henry, one of the forum organizers, said she had numerous conversations with James and secured his commitment. The event would not have taken place without his participation, she said in a statement. That didnt mean the forum didnt feature someone defending Zulu. David Belfield, a former King Zulu and club president, took the stage with a folder packed with Zulu materials. He spent 90 minutes explaining the clubs traditions and members reticence about changing its ways, and he insisted Zulu never intended mock black people. Belfield made it clear that he was in no position to speak for Zulu; the clubs constitution only allows its president or the archivist to speak on its behalf. But Belfields status with the club also wasnt clear. In 2013, according to Belfield, he was expelled from the club after being accused of theft, a charge he denies and says was really about a rivalry with then-Zulu President Naaman Stewart. Those facts didnt emerge until the next day. It was a bizarre turn of events after a mostly civil forum that some seemed to think had yielded some understanding, even if it didnt move Zulu or Take Em Down NOLA closer to a resolution. However, forum organizers were challenged to explain why Belfield took part in the discussion. He was courageous and shared his opinion passionately," said forum moderator Jeffrey Thomas, who publishes the website Think504.com. I had no knowledge that he was expelled," adding that Belfield made it clear he was not speaking officially for Zulu. Belfield said in an interview that he was not prepared to take part in the panel discussion when he arrived at the theater. He said he was approached by WBOKs Henry after it became clear Zulu might be a no-show. Belfield said he informed Thomas he was no longer a member of Zulu before agreeing to take part. Told that Thomas had no memory of discussing his membership status, Belfield said, There had to be a misunderstanding. Belfield, who was a Zulu member for 40 years, said he never intended for the audience to think he was a stand-in for the organization. But he added that, had he been president, he would have attended the forum. I wouldve tried to fill up the auditorium with Zulu members, Belfield said. Were part of the community, we get our sustenance from the community. We dont run from the issue. Take Em Down Nola calls for Zulu to stop having riders use black makeup. This was Zulus response. pic.twitter.com/d9o3lVcilt Danny Monteverde (@DCMonteverde) February 22, 2019 During the discussion, Take Em Down NOLA members provided Belfield with ideas for updating Zulus makeup. Angela Kinlaw gave Belfield images artists had created of what the new design could look like, noting that Zulu members paraded without makeup briefly in the 1960s after the NAACP raised concerns. Its not about the paint. Its about the configuration of the paint on the face, Kinlaw said. This blackface theme you did let go in 65, 66. After adopting a 'new look' in 1965 and '66, Zulu pushed back at those trying to fancy them up. Belfield rejected the notion that Zulus makeup is inappropriate. He also stressed the amount of money Zulu donates to various causes around the city, saying that critics dont give the group enough credit. To us we dont see an issue, Belfield said. It seemed like what you were looking for was a confrontation rather than a conversation. Belfield accused Take Em Down NOLA of trying to force Zulu to do something it doesnt want to do. TEDNs Malcolm Suber pushed back on that, saying the group is not trying to force anyone to do anything except come to their senses. We know as social revolutionaries that the only thing constant is change," Suber said. Zulu has the possibility of change. Quit beating people over the head with tradition, tradition, tradition. Zulu explained: The club, the costumes, the coconuts 'Originally painted silver, gold or black the Zulu Coconut was meant to depict a chunk of silver, gold or coal.' Panelist John Slade, a host on radio station WBOK, said he thought Zulu should explore alternatives, such as making its floats more satirical about issues affecting the black community. While he acknowledged Zulus makeup goes back to a time when the club was making fun of more formal krewes that excluded black people, Slade said he thinks the joke may be lost on modern audiences. I dont see any mocking now. I dont see a Black Lives Matter float, Slade said, or a float mocking gentrification. "Maybe make it controversial. While he stressed that he did not speak for Zulu, Belfield said he thought it was possible current leaders might be at least open to discussing alternative face paint designs. I think the suggestion of an alternative design on the facial makeup, it might work, he said. | https://www.nola.com/politics/2019/03/why-was-zulu-a-no-show-at-a-forum-to-discuss-blackface.html |
What did the Trail Blazers learn about themselves with Evan Turner out? | originally appeared on nbcsportsnorthwest.com Evan Turner has been out of the lineup for the Portland Trail Blazers since mid-February, only recently playing sporadically thanks to left knee soreness. He's the leader of that second unit, so him missing time was slated to be a big deal. Scroll to continue with content Ad But the Blazers have largely been winners over this recent stretch with Turner out, and that's perhaps raised some eyebrows about his value in the face of new additions in Rodney Hood and Enes Kanter. What's really been happening is an interesting adaptation by Terry Stotts when it comes to his lineups, one that could have an effect on the team once Turner returns to full strength. Turner was typically checking into games with around four minutes left in the first quarter, and he would typically take a larger role in handling the ball with Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum still on the court. The difference lately has come in the lack of staggering for Lillard and McCollum in the first quarter. That's been coupled with a platooning of Rodney Hood, Enes Kanter, and Jake Layman, who in recent games have come in as a group around that four minute mark to play with Portland's star guards. The result is that Portland is now giving opponents a smaller, better-shooting lineup earlier in the game than they were with Turner. His role as a strict bench player has helped our eye test, one that tells us that he is a better fit this year on this Blazers team despite his limitations in the modern NBA Story continues The takeaway from these past couple of weeks is that we now know that the Blazers have options for some dynamism heading into the playoffs they didn't have before. Add a hungry Moe Harkless and solid minutes from Jake Layman, and I'm definitely going to be interested in seeing the kinds of looks Portland throws at opponents come playoff time. | https://sports.yahoo.com/did-trail-blazers-learn-themselves-032733997.html?src=rss |
Are Doctors Overpaid? | Enlarge this image picture alliance/Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images picture alliance/Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images NOTE: This is an excerpt of Planet Money's newsletter. You can sign up here. Every year, medical students apply for residencies at hospitals around the country through the National Resident Matching Program. It's like a dating app for med students and hospitals, and it culminates this Friday, which is Match Day, when more than 30,000 students find out who they've got a really long date with. Enlarge this image Constanza Gallardo/Creative Commons/NPR Constanza Gallardo/Creative Commons/NPR Some people view Match Week as a beautifully engineered dance between supply and demand that ensures the best and brightest learn how to be good doctors at top hospitals. Others, like Dean Baker, Senior Economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, say this residency system makes health care dramatically more expensive for Americans. A 2011 study in Health Affairs found American doctors, who make an average salary of almost $300,000, are paid around twice as much as doctors in other rich countries. Baker says "doctors are seriously overpaid" and a big reason is rules that restrict the number of people who can get residencies. He calls these rules the work of "a cartel," and in economics, those are fighting words. A cartel limits the supply of something in order to increase the amount of money they can charge. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, is a classic example. The residency bottleneck Baker argues that the U.S. residency system turns away thousands of perfectly qualified students every year. These include many foreign doctors, who are barred from practicing here unless they complete a residency within the country. While the number of residencies has increased about 26% over the last decade, Baker (and the Association of American Medical Colleges) argues it's a bottleneck preventing an adequate supply of doctors. Most of the funding for residencies comes from the Medicare program, and Congress capped the number of residencies the program funds in 1997. "It was originally frozen as a response to lobbying from doctors who were complaining that there were too many doctors," Baker says. Trade groups for doctors have also been lobbying against allowing nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other medical professionals to play a larger role in treating patients. The result of policies like these, Baker argues, is a market with less competition, driving up prices for everyone. Baker estimates that the salaries of the roughly one million doctors in the U.S. account for about eight percent of total healthcare spending. He estimates that allowing an increased supply of doctors to lower their salaries to competitive levels would save Americans $100 billion a year or roughly $300 per person. A second opinion There are strong arguments that doctors aren't overpaid. They are highly skilled professionals who save lives and have the brains and work ethic to make lots of money in other sectors, like law or finance. On top of that, many work long hours and are saddled with lots of student debt after years of education. The American Medical Association, one of the main organizations representing U.S. doctors, says the total number of doctors has more than quadrupled since 1965, greatly outpacing population growth. The association says it's "actively working to alleviate a maldistribution of physicians that is responsible for [a doctor] shortage in many states." This includes increasing the size and number of med schools and funding for residencies. It currently supports the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019, which would increase the number of Medicare-funded residency slots by 15,000 over five years. But, Baker argues, just because the AMA now supports expanding the number of residencies doesn't mean they and other doctor organizations don't have their fingers on the scale. "OPEC sometimes votes to increase the supply of oil," Baker says. "That doesn't mean that OPEC isn't restricting the supply of oil and pushing up the price." But what about economists... Awkwardly, it did occur to us that there might be another cartel of professionals limiting their supply in order to increase their incomes. It's a group we talk a lot about at Planet Money: economists. "It is somewhat of a cartel," Baker says about his profession. "So, yeah, there's a natural tendency for any profession to try to limit its supply and push up wages for its members, but really none have been as successful as doctors." Well, it looks even better in your inbox! You can sign up here. | https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/03/12/702500408/are-doctors-overpaid?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=healthcare |
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