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Is it not crazy to execute a mentally ill killer? | In 1992, Donald Harding, a triple murderer, became the first person executed in Arizona in 29 years. He convulsed his way to the next life during an 11-minute nightmare in the states gas chamber. He was mentally ill. No. Its not. But, me personally, Im very tired. But his well-documented pathology went all the way back to his childhood. Abuse. Suicide attempts. Etc. When he was 11, Harding was sent to the Arkansas State Hospital, where a doctor wrote of him, There seems little hope that we can give this boy what he needs, and without doubt, he is headed for serious trouble, which we cant stop. It is amazing the degree of psychopathy contained in a boy of this young age. Don't sink to the level of murderers Lets not, for now, discuss the pros and cons of having a death penalty. Lets say, for now, it is the law, and the law should be enforced. That was the argument made recently by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in The Arizona Republic. He wrote in part, The victims and their loved ones have waited far too long for justice and some extended family members have passed away without the closure or resolution that they had sought and deserved. This is unacceptable. It is societys responsibility to enforce our laws and respect court-ordered sentences. Jurors have done their civic duty and we must all do ours. There are other responsibilities, of course. The most recent execution in Arizona took place in 2014, when Joseph Wood was injected 15 times with an experimental lethal drug cocktail and spent nearly two hours heaving and gasping before he died. In enforcing the law we cant sink to the level of the killers who broke it. We must be better than that. Clarence Dixon is case in point There is a least one clearly mentally ill convict on Brnovichs list of death row inmates he wants executed. His name is Clarence Dixon. His history of mental illness is long and unchallenged. His lawyer, Dale Baich, said in a statement, In light of Clarence Dixons severe mental illness and debilitating physical disabilities, including blindness, it would be unconscionable for the State of Arizona to execute him. The American Psychiatric Association and the American Bar Association, among others, have called for a ban on the death penalty for those with severe mental illness. Not too long ago, the state of Ohio banned the death penalty for defendants who were severely mentally ill at the time of the offense. Theyre locked up, just not killed. He has a long and ugly criminal past, and was sentenced to death for killing Arizona State University student Deana Bowdoin, only 21. Just two days before Bowdoin was murdered Dixon was in court facing charges that hed attacked another woman. The Superior Court judge hearing the case was eventual Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor. She ruled Dixon not guilty by reason of insanity. There was a failure to follow-up by the state and he simply was released from a state hospital. We know Dixons mental state. Reach Montini at [email protected]. For more opinions content, please subscribe. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2021/04/08/arizona-crazy-use-death-penalty-mental-illness/7140425002/ |
Are water softeners worth it? | Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content Anyone who has stood fully dressed in the shower, scrubbing away annoying calcium build up, knows Calgary has hard water. The high concentration of minerals in the water is also responsible for spotty dishes, stiff laundry, icky soap scum and eroded tea kettles, not to mention dry skin and limp hair. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Back to video Luckily, hard water isnt unhealthy, but it can be a drain on the pocketbook. Calcium builds up in dishwashers and washing machines, choking the portals and hoses every place water has to squirt through. Soft water will prolong the life of all plumbing equipment and fixtures, says Pete Archdiken, known in Calgary as Pete the Plumber. The longevity of your appliances will be 10 to 12 years compared to the five or seven years if you dont have soft water. Laundering with soft water will help fabrics last longer. Your whites will be whiter, your brights brighter. Youll also use a lot less detergent, so that will save money, he says. | https://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/new-homes/are-water-softeners-worth-it |
Should the U.S. rejoin the Iran nuclear deal? | The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. Whats happening The United States and Iran on Tuesday agreed to a framework for discussions on bringing both countries back into compliance with the Iran nuclear deal. The indirect talks mediated by envoys from Russia, China, Germany, France, Britain represent the first step in what will likely be lengthy and delicate negotiations to revive the agreement. The Iran nuclear deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, was signed in 2015 after years of negotiations between the Obama administration, Iranian leaders and representatives from other world powers. In joining the deal, Iran agreed to severely limit its nuclear development and allow regular inspections of its nuclear facilities. In exchange, the United States and other signatories lifted economic sanctions that had crippled Irans economy. Despite reports from the U.S. and United Nations that indicated Iran was complying with the restrictions of the deal, then-President Donald Trump formally withdrew the U.S. and reinstated harsh sanctions on Iran in 2018. In response, Iran has begun to violate the restrictions of the deal, including enriching uranium at levels well beyond the limits set by the agreement. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated in the years after Trump left the deal, hitting their peak with the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. President Biden has said he wants to bring the U.S. back into the deal. Iranian leaders also want to come to an agreement. But talks had been at a stalemate until recently, with the U.S. calling on Iran to suspend its nuclear activities before any sanctions would be lifted and Iran insisting the U.S. make the first move. Why theres debate Advocates for rejoining the nuclear deal say Trumps maximum pressure strategy has backfired. They argue that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a grave threat, and evidence suggests that the country is much closer to producing a nuclear bomb today than when the agreement was in place. Raised tensions have also emboldened the country to escalate its support of militia groups throughout the Middle East, many say. Others say harsh economic sanctions are causing severe suffering among the Iranian people while doing little to curb Irans nuclear pursuits. Story continues Many Republicans echo Trumps belief that the original deal was severely flawed and rejoining the agreement would mean wasting an enormous amount of leverage that sanctions have given the U.S. over the Iranian regime. Another group, which includes a bipartisan group of senators, has called for Biden to pursue a much broader agreement that addresses a wide range of illicit Iranian behavior, including its support for terrorist groups and human rights abuses of its own citizens. Whats next Early discussions of a return to the nuclear deal were successful but are in their early stages and will take some time, according to a Russian representative who participated in the talks. Some diplomats have expressed a sense of urgency to find common ground before the upcoming Iranian presidential election in June. Sitting President Hassan Rouhani supports the deal, but term limits mean he cant seek reelection and he could be replaced by a new hard-line leader who opposes any agreement. Perspectives Supporters A nuclear Iran would pose an extraordinary threat A nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the region, provide the Islamic Republic with dramatically more influence and likely inspire other nations in the region to pursue their own nuclear ambitions. Finally, if Iran possessed nuclear weapons, it might be tempted to use them in a crisis or the fear that it could do so might lead other countries to launch a preemptive strike. Editorial, Los Angeles Times The U.S. withdrawal from the deal backfired Despite the JCPOA's limited scope, the Trump administration's withdrawal in favor of the maximum pressure policy was an abject failure. Iran wasn't forced back to the table for broader negotiations, it simply got more aggressive and now has over eight times the uranium stockpile the JCPOA allowed. Tyler Koteskey, Newsweek Without a nuclear deal, war becomes more likely The nuclear deal that many on Bidens national security team helped negotiate is a ready-made solution to the crisis with Iran. If Biden misses this opportunity to revive the deal or Congress ties his hands, the diplomatic door with Iran will close and the prospect of full-blown war will grow exponentially. Sina Toossi and Yasmine Taeb, USA Today As long as sanctions are in place, Irans citizens will suffer With Washington and Tehran caught in a diplomatic standoff, the Iranian people await relief. A sequestered and choked off Iran is functioning effectively as a state at war, dimming the prospects for its women. Azadeh Moaveni and Sussan Tahmasebi, New York Times Rejoining the deal can be a first step toward broader agreements The Trump years have shown that a narrow deal like the JCPOA cannot be stable in the current environment. But there can be no progress without a return to it. Editorial, Guardian Skeptics The nuclear deal was a failure It was folly to imagine that the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism, one of the most destabilizing forces on the planet, would become a responsible member of the world community if only America and its allies would agree to shower it with billions of dollars in cash and relieve the pressure of sanctions. It would be even greater folly to return to the JCPOA and expect anything to change. Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe Focusing only on nuclear weapons will leave Irans many other abuses unaddressed The Iran dilemma is multifaceted, spanning human rights, missile proliferation, regional meddling, and state-sponsored terrorism. If the Biden administration seeks to resolve the forty-year nightmare of the Islamic Republic, it must address all of these threats, not just the nuclear program. Seena Saiedian, National Interest Rejoining the deal would undercut the Trump administration's Middle East successes The Administration is still courting Iran, as if the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have shown any desire to change their imperial behavior. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. Read more 360s Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images | https://news.yahoo.com/should-the-us-rejoin-the-iran-nuclear-deal-171039415.html |
Will The She-Cession Lead To A She-Covery? | What Women Need to Do to Move Forward Financially in the Post-Covid World Much has been made of the she-cession caused by Covid-19. Compared to men in the U.S., women have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic. The industries hardest hit travel, education, hospitality and retail employ (and therefore laid off) mostly women. The industries hardest hit by Covid travel, education, hospitality and retail employ (and ... [+] therefore laid off) mostly women. getty Most wives earn less than their husbands, so it was mostly women who gave up their jobs to stay home with their children during the school lockdowns. The loss of income will translate to reduced retirement savings in 401(k) plans and lower Social Security and pension benefits. But women often outlive men by an average of five years, and thus can spend $200,000 more on health care in retirement. Some 70% of all nursing home residents are women, paying $100,000 annually on average. Small wonder that a survey by my firm, Edelman Financial Engines, found that three in five (61%) women experienced significant hardships during the pandemic, including taking money from savings or investments (26%), losing a job or getting a pay cut (19%) or incurring medical expenses (18%). Worse, one in three say it could take a year or more to recover. Women of color, on average, expect recovery to take 6 years. One in three women say it could take a year or more to recover from financial disruptions caused by ... [+] Covid. Women of color, on average, expect recovery to take 6 years. Edelman Financial Engines And all this came just as women were making historic financial and economic gains; as of January 2020, for example, women held more than half the jobs in our country and more women were attending college than men. The pandemic is upending this progress. Today, barely half (52%) of women express confidence about managing their money. Most women admit they don't talk to financial advisors, with more than half saying the topic is too personal. Another 27% say they were raised not to talk about money. According to an Edelman Financial Engines survey, 27% of women were raised not to talk about money. getty As mass vaccinations allow our nation to emerge from the pandemic women re-entering the workforce have much to consider. Indeed, financial planning is entirely about creating goals and setting a plan to help achieve them. By starting with where we are the conversation can morph into where we want to go and the plan can show couples how to get there. A financial planner can assist in this process, and starting now to have these conversations is the best way to help us all emerge from the confines imposed on us by the pandemic. All advisory services offered through Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. (FEA), a federally registered investment advisor. Results are not guaranteed. AM1509092 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ricedelman/2021/04/08/will-the-she-cession-lead-to-a-she-covery/ |
Is Gutfeld! the Worst Show on Television? | Gutfeld! has told the same terrible joke about CNN three nights in a row -- a supercut pic.twitter.com/9RThg15AEM Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2021 None of this is particularly edgy. Gutfelds ostensibly made his show about pushing boundaries, but has nothing to say that isnt a warmed-over version of talking points that Fox viewers have been subjected to for months. The only difference is that Gutfeld delivers them in something vaguely reminiscent of a joke format. It doesnt helpeven John Olivers driest explanations of tort reform or whatever get more laughs than whatever it is Gutfelds doing. The smatterings of laughter that greet Gutfelds jokes will be familiar to anyone who has attended a level-one improv showcasepainful pity laughs. A segment about Major League Baseball moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver in response to Georgias restrictive new voting laws was especially cringeworthy. Well it is Colorado, so probably weed. But you must be high to think this was a solution, Gutfeld said. Using the galaxy-brain logic you see in Ben Shapiro videos about owning the libs, Gutfeld also explained that it was racist to move the game because Atlanta has more Black people. To help Black people, MLB moved the game to Denver, which is whiter than the slopes of Aspen. Got em! The question of why conservatives are so unfunny remains something of a mystery. The biggest problem here is that Gutfeld is decidedly not funny and seems to be driving the show. It feels a bit like when late-night hosts had to do it all during the writers strike in 2007. The show is currently only hiring freelancerseither a sign that writers arent interested or a sign of lack of faith from Foxand its clear that the comedy community is not sending its best. Gutfeld! is burdened by a desperation to prove not just that conservatives can be funny but that Greg Gutfeld is funny, TOO. It conclusively proves that both arent. It has, however, been something of a success, bringing in 1.7 million viewers. This probably feels more like a curse than a blessing, even to Greg Gutfeld. If Fox cant cancel this show, he may be forced to do the same dumb, unfunny jokes forever. | https://newrepublic.com/article/161985/gutfeld-worst-show-television |
How long before Australia is fully vaccinated against Covid? | It could take years to fully vaccinate Australia against Covid-19 unless there is a significant increase in the vaccination rate, a Guardian Australia analysis shows. The federal governments rollout strategy aims to administer 45m vaccine doses, not including vaccines for those aged under 18. At the seven-day rolling average of under 36,000, it could take almost 40 months to accomplish. Even a doubling of that rate wouldnt see the rollout completed until the end of next year. Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales, said the vaccination rate needs to increase quickly due to the narrow window before a second dose is required. The next three months is really the test for the rollout because if they cant reach [80,000 per day] for the next three months for most of us getting our first dose, they arent going to cope with the second cohort needing dose number two in three months time, McLaws said. Australia may not need to administer all 45m doses to stop the virus circulating a point called herd immunity, which is reached when there is sufficient immunity in the population such that Covid-19 cannot spread. Given Australias low number of cases, reaching this point would need to be done almost entirely through vaccines. But whether herd immunity is achievable, and the threshold to reach it, is debated. Herd immunity is influenced by a number of factors including the vaccines effectiveness, the timing of the doses, new virus strains and whether a vaccinated person can still transmit the virus. McLaws calculates that achieving herd immunity might require vaccinating 85% of Australians. This is based on the planned mixture of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to be used, as well as there being a three-month gap between doses. With just over 900,000 doses already administered, and the current daily average doses, even this threshold could take several years to reach. Given those under 18 years will not be vaccinated until late 2021 or 2022, some vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine efficacy against infection of probably 60-90%, herd immunity will not be achieved in 2021, but could be a longer-term goal, said Professor Gregory Dore, head of the viral hepatitis clinical research program at the Kirby Institute. Australia has administered less than four doses for every 100 people. This is significantly lower than the United States, United Kingdom and Israel at the equivalent point in their rollouts. But the distribution is not uniform across Australia. The Northern Territory is currently leading the way, having vaccinated about four people for every 100 residents. Western Australia and Tasmania have each vaccinated around three people per 100 residents. The larger states are falling behind. Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales have each vaccinated less than two people for every 100 residents. University of NSWs Dr Mark Hanly told Guardian Australia in February that mass vaccination hubs may be necessary to augment the rollout a policy a few of the larger states have now adopted. This may have already made a difference, McLaws said. I believe we have ramped that up [recently] because Victoria has, very sensibly, opened up some mass vaccination hubs for their healthcare workers. But the rate has to increase significantly, and quickly. The federal governments revised rollout has all Australians receiving a first dose by the end of the year. McLaws said even this target will require over 130,000 doses administered per day, as many of these people will also need a second dose within three months. The [federal] government should be put under a spotlight to roll out to 70,000 to 80,000 per day to make sure they can then handle the second cohort coming through, McLaws said. Notes and methods: The Australian population is estimated to be 25,693,100 according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. The 85% herd immunity threshold was calculated as 21,839,135. Data on cumulative vaccinations data was sourced from CovidLive.com.au. Daily increments were calculated using the previous days total and then turned into a seven day rolling average. Vaccination trends and projections were calculated by extrapolating the latest rolling average. | https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2021/apr/08/how-long-before-australia-is-fully-vaccinated-against-covid |
Who are Oregons Next Targets in Texas? | The Ducks have already picked up two commitments from Texas in 2022 and are looking to expand the pipeline. In my last story, I discussed what has happened so far in Oregons recent effort to resurrect the Texas recruiting pipeline. Now, I want to narrow the focus from the abstract promise of a Texas pipeline to specific names that Oregon is targeting for the 2022 cycle. Here is a list of uncommitted Texas prospects that the Ducks have offered and are actively recruiting, as well as a short update on where Oregon stands with each. Note: All rankings come from the 247Sports Composite national rankings. Oregons Primary Targets No. 31: 5-star OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (Humble, TX): Banks is among the biggest names on the board for Oregon in this cycle. His commitment alone would likely lead most fans to declare the programs venture into Texas a success. Theres reason to think the Ducks have a legit shot. Oregon is in Banks top 8 and he already has an official visit to Eugene locked in for June 8-10, which would suggest the Ducks are a serious contender. Further bolstering the Ducks case is Banks relationship with Duck commit Stephon Johnson, who in an interview with DucksDigest identified Banks as one of his main targets in peer-recruiting: Kelvin Banks, that's the main man right there. That's been my boy forever. We grew up together. The Oregon staff has a great reputation when it comes to on-campus visits and one would doubt they will be lacking enthusiasm after the extended recruiting dead period this past year. By the time Banks arrives, Cristobal and Mirabal will likely have a top-10 pick to their credit in Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell. Ducks fans should be eager to hear reports from the visit in early June, as this has the makings of a major recruitment for Oregon in 2022. No. 40 4-star WR Evan Stewart (Frisco, TX): The Ducks initially made Stewarts top 13 back in January. Since then, Stewart has committed and de-committed from Texas, but it looks like the Longhorns are still in a great spot--he has an official visit lined up to Austin this summer. Hes set for a busy month of June, as he's also locked in additional trips to Texas A&M and Florida. The Ducks have some ground to make up for this borderline 5-star, although Stewart was another name Stephon Johnson mentioned as a target in peer recruiting. No. 73 4-star WR Brenen Thompson (Spearman, TX): Oregon made Thompsons top 12 just before Christmas, but currently, all 4 crystal ball predictions on 247Sports have Thompson teaming up with Dabo Swinney at Clemson. The Ducks are a threat here but dont seem to be the favorite. No. 185 4-star WR Chris Marshall (Fort Bend, TX): Just last week, Marshall included Oregon in his top group, and he was another name mentioned by Stephon Johnson as a target in peer recruiting. There seems to be some feeling that he will stay in state, as the crystal ball consensus currently sits on the Aggies of Texas A&M. But don't count the Ducks out yet. You can read more on where things stand with Marshall from Max here. No. 193 4-star CB Terrance Brooks (Plano, TX): Brooks hasnt put out a list of top schools, but when he does the Ducks are certainly in contention to make the cut. Another factor as we eye the summer will be the effort to get Brooks on campus in Eugene for an official visit. He already has a trip scheduled to Texas in June. Brooks offers include Alabama, Oklahoma, and Washington as well as in-state programs Texas and Texas A&M. Just recently he landed an offer from Ole Miss, bringing his total to 36. Currently, Oregon doesnt have a cornerback committed in the 2022 class, but Brooks could be a major name to watch at that position moving forward. No. 214 4-star DE Ernest Cooper IV (Arlington, TX): Oregon is vying to get Cooper on campus for an official visit along with the likes of Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Stanford, which have all offered. While this recruitment is still in the early stages, Oregon is involved and will look to potentially add Cooper to their 2022 defensive line class that already includes 4-star Gracen Halton. No. 269 4-star OT Cameron Williams (Duncanville, TX): Williams included Oregon in his top 11 in February. The Ducks are also the only official visit currently set up for Williams, as he plans to be in Eugene June 4-6. This appears to be a major target for Cristobal and would be a huge step in further strengthening Oregons presence in Texas. No. 398 3-star WR Randy Masters (Pearland, TX): Right now, Oregon is the program with the most buzz for Masters. The Ducks hold both crystal ball predictions on 247Sports and have been the beneficiaries of some positive interactions on Twitter over the past month: Masters recruitment has been an intriguing one to follow thus far. In August, he initially committed to Baylor, then flipped to Cincinnati in November-- before ultimately deciding to open his recruitment back up in January. Masters, like all 2022 prospects, still has plenty of time to settle on the right program before signing in December--if he wants to sign early. That said, Oregon fans will definitely want to monitor this recruitment going forward. Here are other uncommitted Texas prospects with Ducks offers to watch as their recruitments ramp up and Oregon potentially gets more involved: No. 7 5-star OG Devon Campbell (Arlington, TX): Oregon offered in early February and missed the cut for his top 7 later that month. It will be a tough push for Cristobal and company to get back into this recruitment, but given the Ducks reputation on the offensive line and Campbells ranking, he is still a prospect worth mentioning. No. 14 5-star OLB Harold Perkins (Cypress, TX): This recruitment has been a bit slower. The Ducks will have to overcome the draw of the in-state Longhorns and Aggies, but still have an outside shot in this recruitment if they can get Perkins on campus. No. 119 4-star OT Kam Dewberry (Humble, TX): The Ducks offered in early February and have some ground to make up on the the top 10 he released in December that was loaded with SEC programs. Now attention shifts to trying to land an official visit and selling Dewberry on the programs recent success on the offensive line. No. 177 4-star DT Jaray Bledsoe (Bremond, TX): Bledsoes recruitment has been slow-developing as well. The Ducks were one of a handful of offers Bledsoe received in late January, including Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M among others. Well see how things develop into the summer for the Under Armour All-American. Hopefully we'll get a clearer picture, but for now Texas A&M leads the 247 Sports Crystal Ball. No. 218 4-star S Cristian Driver (Argyle, TX): Oregon made the cut for Drivers top 12 back in November. Since then, the Ducks have picked up two other safeties (Williams and Hullaby). Now they may be more focused on other spots, but well just have to see how things unfold as the cycle progresses. No. 440 3-star TE Trent McGaughey (Pearland, TX): Oregon already has one tight end committed in Andre Dollar, but if they do choose to add another down the road, McGaughey could be a suitable option. No. 449 3-star ILB Justin Medlock (Manvel, TX): Medlock is another uncommitted prospect with an Oregon offer. The Ducks are involved although there isnt a clear timeline for when a decision or top group will be announced. Right now, Oregons focus should be getting Medlock on campus for an official visit. You may also like: [More recruiting]: Reid's Rundown-Oregon resurrecting Texas pipeline [Football]: Tim DeRuyter set to unleash full potential of Kayvon Thibodeaux [Recruiting]: Oregon makes top 8 for So Cal WR -- Stay locked into Ducks Digest and don't miss a beat of our future Oregon Ducks coverage. Also be sure to like and follow us on social media to get the latest news and updates. Follow Reid Tingley on Twitter: @mf_reid Follow Ducks Digest on Twitter: @Ducksdigest Like and follow Ducks Digest on Facebook: @DucksDigest Subscribe to Ducks Digest on YouTube: @DucksDigest | https://www.si.com/college/oregon/recruiting/who-are-oregons-next-targets-in-texas |
Who was Phillip Adams, the former Seahawk accused of killing 5 people? | The Associated Press reported Thursday that former Seahawk Phillip Adams killed five people in South Carolina and then himself, citing the York County Sheriffs Office. In a six-year NFL career he played for six teams, seeing action in 78 games one with the Seahawks in 2011 in a late-season home contest against the 49ers. That was one of two stints Adams, a classic NFL journeyman, had with the Seahawks. He entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the 49ers in 2010 out of South Carolina State, which set off a career of bouncing around from team to team on the East and West coasts trying to find a permanent fit in the NFL. After making the 49ers roster as a rookie in 2010, Adams suffered whats been refereed to as a severely broken ankle during his rookie season, having played in 15 games and making 3 tackles. Cut by the 49ers before camp in 2011, he ended up with the Patriots for six games that season. Advertising His longest continuous run with one team came with the Raiders, for whom he played in 31 games in 2012 and 2013 with four starts. According to The Sacramento Bee, he suffered two concussions over a three-game stretch in 2012, which, combined with a groin injury, eventually ended his season. But he returned the next year to play in all 16 games in 2013, with two starts. Before and after his two years with the Raiders, Adams was a Seahawk. Seattle first signed Adams as a free agent on Dec. 20, 2011, after he had been released after playing in six games that season with the Patriots. The 2012 Seahawks media guide noted that Adams was signed to fill a roster spot created when receiver Mike Williams was placed on injured reserve. He played for Seattle three days later in a 19-17 loss against the 49ers on Christmas Eve, seeing action on special teams the only time he would play in a regular-season game for Seattle. Adams, listed at 5-11, 195 pounds, remained with the Seahawks throughout the 2012 offseason and training camp competing for a spot as a nickel cornerback and special teamer, including getting some looks as a returner. He led the Seahawks in kickoff returns during the 2012 preseason with four for 95 yards and was also third on the team in tackles in the preseason with 10. Advertising Midway through camp in 2012, coach Pete Carroll gave Adams something of an unprompted endorsement when asked about the nickel cornerback competition, which would eventually be won by Marcus Trufant. We are also looking at Phillip Adams, Carroll said. He is a very active football player. We want to give him a chance to show where he can go. But he was released by the Seahawks in the final roster cutdown to 53 and was signed a day later by the Raiders, spending the next two years in Oakland. Becoming a free agent at the end of the 2013 season, Adams was again signed by Seattle on March 27, 2014, the Seahawks at the time viewing him as both a potential backup at cornerback, specifically at nickel, and as a returner. The Seahawks, then the defending Super Bowl champions, had lost Golden Tate in free agency after the 2013 season and were specifically looking for someone to fill the punt return void he had 37 punt returns in his two years with the Raiders. Adams had two punt returns for six yards during the 2014 preseason for Seattle, and was tied for seventh in tackles with eighth. But after again spending all of training camp with the Seahawks Adams was again released by Seattle in the cutdown to 53. He was signed two days later by the Jets and played the 2014 season there before ending his NFL career in 2015 with the Atlanta Falcons. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/who-was-phillip-adams-the-former-seahawk-accused-of-killing-5-people/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seahawks |
Should Hollywood Be Afraid Of Fair Use After Google V. Oracle? | Google zz/John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx Thus spoke Zarathustra. 1 Well, at least thus spoke the U.S. Supreme Court in the recent Google v. Oracle decision on the fair use defense in copyright. Here is my jaded take on the decision: The Justices purported to follow the time-honored path of analysis, which proceeds in the following order: (a) first, purport to apply the four factors in the fair use statute, (b) the first factor is interpreted to ask whether the potentially infringing work (the New Work) is transformative compared to the original work (Old Work), so make that analysis, (c) purport to apply the other three factors, and (d) finally, add many pages of erudite discussion of all the factors and prior cases and at the end make a conclusion as to whether the fair use defense applies. What the Justices really did is what all judges do, which is to (a) first rule with their hearts one way or the other by just comparing the New Work and Old Work, (b) then label the New Work as either transformative (if they decide that the fair use defense applies) or non-transformative (if they dont), (c) then pretend to apply the four factors in the statute but twist the interpretation of all of them to fit the pre-ordained outcome, (d) distinguish any similar cases that get in the way and grasp onto other cases that arguably support the decision, and (e) finally, add many pages of erudite discussion that that they will come to regret and have to distinguish in later cases. The case would be a whole lot clearer (and shorter) if the Justices had just admitted that they ruled with their hearts, rather than attempting to rationalize their decision with countless pages of supposed legal analysis of the four factors, which they will certainly live to regret and have to distinguish in later cases. Exhibit A in this case will be the statement that We must take into account the public benefits the copying will likely produce, which is a silly approach to fair use, since almost all copying has some public benefit. Exhibit B will be the Courts suggestion that the fair use defense applies if the New Work exploits a market the owner of the Old Work had not exploited. You just cannot take either of these statements seriously. The court ruled that the fair use defense can be determined by courts as a matter of law, which means that judges, not juries, will make these determinations. The net result is that every fair use case will be decided by the judge based on the particular facts and that judges predilections of right and wrong. There is no need to read the Google v. Oracle decision beyond the very narrow confines of the precise arcane facts before the Court in that case, none of which apply to Hollywood, so we can safely ignore the decision, other than to quote any passages that happen to support our position if the need arises in a futile hope that a judge will care. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/schuylermoore/2021/04/08/should-hollywood-be-afraid-of-fair-use-after-google-v-oracle/ |
How do lateral-flow tests for covid-19 work? | LATERAL-FLOW TESTS, supposedly a cheap and fast way to identify covid-19, have got a bad rap. In September the World Health Organisation said that very few had undergone stringent regulatory procedures. In a mass-testing pilot at the end of 2020 in Liverpool, in north-west England, antigen tests made by Innova Medical Group, an American company, missed 60% of asymptomatic casesthey were detected by more complicated polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) tests instead. Subsequently some care homes in England refused to use the tests because of concerns over their accuracy. But lateral-flow tests remain at the heart of the British governments strategy to stop the spread of the virus. From April 9th everyone in the country will be offered free testing kits twice a week. Lateral-flow tests were already used widely before SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, came along. Their most common use is in pregnancy tests, where they detect a hormone present in pregnant womens urine. They can analyse other body fluids such as blood and saliva, as well as other substances such as food. When it comes to detecting covid-19, a lateral-flow test takes a sample of mucus from a persons nose or throat using a swab. This is dipped in a tube containing a solution to dilute the sample, and then placed at one end of a porous strip in a test cartridge. As the sample is pulled along the strip via capillary action it encounters a line of antibodies (proteins also found in the bodys immune system) designed to recognise SARS-CoV-2 antigens (specific proteins found only on the surface of the virus) and binds onto them. Much as in a positive pregnancy test, if a coloured band appears on the strip it indicates a covid-19 infection. Two big advantages of lateral-flow tests are their speed and simplicity. They provide results within ten to 30 minutes, and can be easily performed outside a laboratory, unlike PCR tests, which look for the viruss entire genetic sequence rather than its antigens. They are also cheaper than PCR tests. According to an analysis by Which?, a consumer publication, a private PCR test in Britain costs on average 120 ($165), compared with around half that for a private lateral-flow test. But there are questions over lateral-flow tests accuracy. To judge this, scientists look at two elements: specificity (the proportion of tests that correctly return negative results for people who do not have covid-19) and sensitivity (the proportion of tests that correctly return positive results for people who do). Data collected through Britains test-and-trace system show that lateral-flow tests have a specificity of at least 99.9%. That is high, but still means that on average one of every 1,000 tests will give a false positive. And lateral-flow tests are less sensitive than PCR tests. If an infected person does not produce enough antigens, which is usually the case at the start or end of an infection, the test may give a false negative result. Another problem is that for the test to work properly the sample probe has to go sufficiently deep into the throat or the nose. Research carried out by the University of Oxford and Public Health England shows that the sensitivity of the tests, relative to PCR tests, fell from 79.2% in laboratory conditions to 57.5% when they were carried out by self-trained members of the public. Lateral-flow tests are best at identifying highly infectious individuals. This makes them useful in the fight against covid-19, even if they are not perfect. The quicker cases are detected, the greater the chances of reducing the spread of infections. But rapid testing alone is not sufficient to control the pandemic. It must go hand in hand with other testing methods and measures such as social distancing and vaccination. Dig deeper All our stories relating to the pandemic and the vaccines can be found on our coronavirus hub. You can also listen to The Jab, our new podcast on the race between injections and infections, and find trackers showing the global roll-out of vaccines, excess deaths by country and the viruss spread across Europe and America. | https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/04/08/how-do-lateral-flow-tests-for-covid-19-work |
Was the Government Manufacturing Thwarted Terrorism? | IN THE ALMOST 20 YEARS SINCE 9/11, U.S. AUTHORITIES HAVE USED INFORMANTS TO CONVICT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FOR CRIMES RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. Shahawar Matin Siraj first met the older man late in the summer of 2003. He would see him at the mosque in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, sobbing loudly during prayers and hovering near the imam. But when the man entered the bookstore nearby, where Siraj worked, he was warm and easygoing. He said his name was Osama Eldawoody, and the two men struck up an unlikely friendship. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Siraj, at 21, had a hulking build and a tendency to ramble when he spoke. He usually lingered around the store with friends from the neighborhood, talking about Islam and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had difficulty grasping new ideas and would need them explained multiple times, but in front of his friends, he pretended to know more than he did. Eldawoody was the son of an Egyptian religious scholar and said he studied nuclear engineering. He was knowledgeable about the world and had a flair about him, gesticulating excitedly as he spoke. To Sirajs delight, Eldawoody took an interest in him, encouraging him to pursue his interest in computers. Never before had someone this sophisticated, an adult more than twice his age, taken him so seriously. Sirajs family fled Pakistan several years earlier, seeking to escape the violence against their Shiite minority sect. He was a teenager when they arrived in the United States, but he did not attend high school and was still struggling to earn his equivalency diploma. His world consisted of a cramped one-bedroom apartment in Queens that he shared with his parents and sister, and the equally cramped emporium filled with Islamic books and phone cards that was a 90-minute subway ride away in Bay Ridge. Siraj was quietly pleased when Eldawoody started offering him rides after work. The young man listened as his friend counseled him on personal responsibility and the Prophets sayings. Over the months, Siraj found himself pouring his heart out to Eldawoody, about his financial woes and about Mano, the woman in Pakistan he had met online; he hoped to marry her soon. He was distraught when Eldawoody confided that he was suffering from a liver disease and worried that it was potentially fatal. Siraj promised to care for Eldawoodys daughter if anything happened to him and began telling him, in his broken English, I am like your son. Story continues Slowly, their conversations took on a darker edge. Eldawoody complained to Siraj that the F.B.I. was harassing him, maybe because he was a Muslim who knew about nuclear engineering. They discussed the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and online images of Muslims being tortured and killed in the wars overseas. When Siraj saw a picture of a girl who was raped, he broke down and cried. Eldawoody seemed to share his friends anger. Something had to be done, something that would get the world to pay attention. They agreed that an attack that would hurt the United States economically would help save Muslim lives. Siraj suggested the bridges they drove past, or major subway stations and train lines. In July 2004, Siraj introduced Eldawoody to James Elshafay, a portly 19-year-old who was a regular at the store. Elshafay was also angry about the American treatment of Muslims and had even drawn a map of Staten Island bridges and police precincts to target, which Siraj shared with Eldawoody. Soon the friends were discussing more feasible possibilities. Wall Street came up, but Siraj wasnt sure why it was so famous and asked Eldawoody to explain. He transferred there on his commute between Brooklyn and Queens, and, eager to impress his companions, he mapped out the station. It was underneath a shopping mall; maybe they could place bombs here. Then, before Siraj knew it, it was no longer idle talk. On Aug. 21, the three men visited Herald Square and made drawings that Eldawoody kept. But Siraj was starting to have doubts: The station was a busy one and never empty. Siraj liked to talk tough, but this was different. Eldawoody appeared to be serious. On the night of Aug. 23, Siraj sat in the back seat of Eldawoodys tan Toyota Corolla, Elshafay in the front. Eldawoody had said he had connected friends upstate, whom he called the Brothers, and now they were keen to support the Herald Square idea. Siraj was tense. He was determined to find a way out of the plot, but he was afraid. The Brothers sounded dangerous, and Eldawoody had come to know everything about him and his family, where they lived and worked. Siraj glanced at Eldawoody. Eldawoody handed a backpack to each of his companions, which were to be used to carry the bombs. Siraj looked at his backpack. Its very big, he said. Eldawoody seemed perplexed. Siraj used to lift heavy bags of produce when he worked at a deli. This is big? Eldawoody asked. Siraj explained that it would be noticeable, then tried a different approach, telling an invented story about the F.B.I. arresting two Muslims during a Pakistan Day parade near Herald Square. It would be too dangerous for him to be in the area now. Growing annoyed, Eldawoody reminded him that the Brothers were counting on him. Siraj hedged. He had already given the Brothers the idea, he said. He could help with the planning aspect, really anything but planting the bomb, but he needed to feel comfortable with every single detail. And there was another matter. I have to, you know, ask my moms permission. Exasperated, Eldawoody asked more directly about Sirajs willingness to place a bomb. You dont want to put it there? No. There was silence as the car rolled through Queens. Suddenly, Elshafay said he would dress up as a Jew for the operation, and Siraj jokingly encouraged the idea, hoping laughter would cut the tension. Again, Eldawoody asked if Siraj would join. Siraj, now so close to home, responded that he could check out the security at the station. He clarified again, though: He wouldnt carry a bomb. He didnt want to put it anywhere with his hands. Eldawoody pulled up to Sirajs apartment building. They shook hands, but Siraj could sense Eldawoodys frustration and disappointment. Im sorry, Siraj said, and got out. Siraj begged God for forgiveness for what he had almost become entangled in. He considered going to the police, but when there was a scuffle at the bookstore with an aggressive customer earlier that year, the New York Police Department charged him with misdemeanor assault, and that case was still open. He was a Muslim man with an asylum case pending in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. He tried to reassure himself. They hadnt even finalized a date for an attack. Four days after the car ride, Siraj got a call from the Police Department, asking him to come to a station in Bay Ridge to discuss his misdemeanor charge. He set off from the bookstore around 3 p.m., when, without warning, he was surrounded by three unmarked cars. A gun was pointed at his head, and his hands were cuffed. An hour later, he was sitting in an office in Lower Manhattan, panicking. He asked to call his mom but was not allowed to. A six-foot table separated him and an N.Y.P.D. officer, an N.Y.P.D. intelligence detective, an F.B.I. agent and two federal prosecutors. Siraj learned that he was under arrest on suspicion of conspiring to blow up the Herald Square subway station. His friend, Eldawoody, was an informant. That night, the department started carrying out another series of arrests, rounding up hundreds of demonstrators who had been gathering ahead of the Republican National Convention, scheduled to start in three days at Madison Square Garden, to protest the Bush administrations wars. Officers had been monitoring activist groups for weeks and justified the measures by invoking the specter of terrorism. As the arrests continued, the department focused the medias attention on the plot they had recently foiled just a block away from the convention, at Herald Square. The police said they were forced to arrest Siraj and Elshafay before they slipped surveillance and took action. It was clear that they had an intention to cause damage to kill people, Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said in a news conference broadcast live on CNN. The motive, he stated, was hatred for America. When a reporter asked if there was any entrapment involved in the arrest, Kelly rejected the idea flatly. Entrapment? he replied. No, not that I see. THIS YEAR BRINGS THE 20TH anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The wars the United States launched afterward have become forever wars, with American troops still active around the world. The detention center at Guantnamo Bay has become a political quagmire for every new administration. If the fight against terrorism has changed the way we engage with the world, it has also fundamentally altered our democracy at home. After the attacks, sweeping legislation and policy changes cleared the way for the authorities to surveil whole communities, monitoring even those who had no connection to terrorism. Prosecutors were now able to build cases from invasive intelligence-gathering tactics that would have been restricted earlier. The U.S. attorney general allowed law enforcement to deploy informants from the earliest stages of a terrorism investigation, contravening the established practice of waiting until there was reasonable indication of criminal activity; the Justice Department further relaxed restrictions in later years, permitting such use of informants even when assessing a potential case. In trials, the government presented evidence gathered by paid civilian informants who latched onto low-income, vulnerable and mentally challenged individuals, urged them toward a plot and, in several cases, even offered money and supplies to carry out bombings. Nearly 50 percent of international-terrorism-related prosecutions since 2001 have involved such informants, according to a database of cases maintained by Trevor Aaronson and Margot Williams of the Intercept. The government also started exploiting a little-used statute that criminalized the provision of services or resources so-called material support to terrorist organizations, expanding the definition of support to target people with increasingly ambiguous connections to terrorists; in 2010, the Supreme Court even found that training militant groups on how to mediate conflicts peacefully constituted material support. Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the government has imprisoned some 800 people on charges related to international terrorism, according to the Intercept database. But these numbers obscure a complicated reality. Many of these people were not found to have committed any acts of violence. Still, the government managed to achieve a high rate of conviction. Those accused of terrorism often pleaded guilty, usually because they were offered leniency in exchange for information, or because they knew they would almost certainly receive a longer sentence if they went to trial and were convicted. And if the evidence suggesting terrorism was too weak, prosecutors sometimes ended up indicting suspects on other offenses involving fraud, immigration, drug possession or perjury in what the National Security Division, a branch of the Justice Department, called Category II cases and adding them to the list of victories in the fight against terrorism. For example, Sabri Benkahla, who was investigated on suspicion of being part of a network of terrorists in Virginia, was acquitted of the original charges in 2004 but ultimately convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. Prosecuting terror-related targets using Category II offenses, an N.S.D. report stated, is often an effective method and sometimes the only available method of deterring and disrupting potential terrorist planning and support activities. In the years after the Sept. 11 attacks, government officials pointed to the absence of a major attack as evidence of the success of counterterrorism strategies. But in some respects, the governments counterterrorism policy may be manufacturing the very threat it was meant to confront. Youre trying to get people before they commit a crime, said David Cole, the national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. And if youre doing that, youre going to end up locking up a lot of people who probably would have never ended up committing a real crime. I dont know, you dont know, the courts dont know, the government doesnt know. But as a result, the courts tend to be very deferential, because they buy into the notion Better safe than sorry. As a growing number of Muslims went to prison on terrorism-related charges, the arrests themselves became evidence of a larger threat. Siraj was not affiliated with any terrorist group, but for government agencies and the news media, his case was proof of the need for greater vigilance; experts pointed to Siraj in studies about radicalization. In 2007, two N.Y.P.D. intelligence analysts prepared a report for policymakers and law enforcement, detailing how the Islamic bookstore in Bay Ridge became an extremist incubator for Siraj and Elshafay as they progressed through the stages of radicalization. Speaking at a congressional hearing in New York in 2008, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the Herald Square bombing plot proved that the N.Y.P.D.s intelligence and counterterrorism bureaus were crucial elements in the global fight against terrorism. Today there has been little accounting from policymakers of whether these measures have made us any safer; instead, the rise in domestic-terrorism incidents is inciting calls to further broaden the governments counterterrorism apparatus. In 2017, the Government Accountability Office reported the number of violent extremist attacks on American soil that resulted in death. From Sept. 12, 2001, to the end of 2016, 23 such attacks were carried out by radical Islamist violent extremists; 62 were carried out by far-right-wing violent extremist groups. For the past several years, the F.B.I. has stated that it is concerned about domestic-extremist movements driven by perceptions of government or law-enforcement overreach, sociopolitical conditions and reactions to legislative actions. In 2019, the F.B.I. Agents Association, which represents 14,000 current and former agents, urged Congress to apply the weight of the federal government to meet the threat. The call was revived after Donald Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol in January; the Biden administration directed the intelligence community to conduct a domestic-threat assessment and instructed the National Security Council to prioritize the issue. But many constitutional and civil rights lawyers worry that this renewed energy to combat extremism will miss the lessons of cases like Sirajs that the governments approach to counterterrorism erodes constitutional protections for everyone, by blurring the lines between speech and action and by broadening the scope of who is classified as a threat. We treat terrorism in an exceptional way, said Shirin Sinnar, a law professor at Stanford University. The ordinary rule of law doesnt apply when it comes to terrorism no ordinary oversight or democratic accountability. SIRAJS WORLD HAD SHRUNK to four walls in a solitary cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in New York, just north of Bay Ridge. There would be no bail. Temperatures were freezing. Mold sprouted in the food. The fluorescent lights glared day and night. In the months after Sept. 11, the jail housed dozens of Muslim men who were arrested without charges. Guards slammed them against walls, mocked them during strip searches and threatened them with death. Conditions in the jail had improved since then, but not by much. Weeks went by before Siraj saw his parents, sitting at a table, as he approached them in handcuffs. He conferred with them, and they agreed that he hadnt done anything. There were discussions of a plea deal: He could be out in 10 years. But the proposition confused his family. Besides, he had no information to offer the authorities about jihadists. Siraj believed that a jury would see through the allegations, yet he could hardly even focus on the trial. When Martin R. Stolar, the civil rights attorney who took his case, visited him to discuss defense strategy, Siraj could talk only about the jail conditions. He was totally obsessed, Stolar said. The trial commenced on April 24, 2006. Fifteen months had passed since his arrest. Siraj was the only defendant. Elshafay had agreed to plead guilty and testify against his friend; he would get a five-year sentence. Prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York, which includes Brooklyn and Queens, needed Elshafays cooperation. Before Siraj was charged, F.B.I. and Justice Department officials raised concerns that Eldawoodys role had been too heavy-handed. (The F.B.I. and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.) The Southern District of New York, which has jurisdiction in Manhattan and already had considerable experience prosecuting high-profile terrorism cases, including the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, declined to pursue the case. An attorney who worked there at the time recalled that the office had similar concerns about the informant exploiting the defendants mental-health issues. (We were always very aggressive, particularly with terrorism, the attorney told me. If we passed on a case, usually theres a pretty good reason for it.) The Eastern District, which historically focused on mafia and gang cases, saw more potential. Terrorism cases were in demand after September 2001. Stolar had a long history of defending people against aggressive police tactics. In the 1970s, while the country reeled from revelations that the F.B.I. and the police had used informants and infiltrated left-wing and Black political groups, Stolar was working on a class-action lawsuit against the N.Y.P.D.s improper monitoring of political activity. The lawsuit eventually led to the implementation of the Handschu guidelines, which stipulated that the department could not investigate political or religious groups without some factual basis for suspecting criminal activity. But in 2003, at the departments request, the guidelines were relaxed. Stolar saw a familiar pattern in Sirajs case, and he planned to argue entrapment: to show that Eldawoody hadnt stopped a dangerous plot but had instead befriended and lured a young, pliable man toward one. Siraj was hardly the picture of the terrorist mastermind the prosecutors were alleging. He wanted to seem tough and knowledgeable, but he was easily swayed. Hes not the brightest light bulb in the chandelier, Stolar told the jury and Judge Nina Gershon. Unlike other criminal defenses that are based on English common law, the entrapment defense was born in the United States more than 100 years ago, amid concerns that the government might be creating crime to ensnare people who would not have committed it otherwise. But entrapment is a knotty defense. It requires the defendant to admit his guilt and then prove that he would not have committed the crime without the polices inducement. In the Brooklyn courthouse that spring, the central question was whether Siraj would have plotted the bombing of the Herald Square station if he hadnt met Eldawoody. Prosecutors can counter the entrapment argument by pointing to similar acts a defendant committed in the past. But terrorism cases pose an awkward problem; Siraj, like many such defendants, had no history of terrorism. So to prove that Siraj would have pursued the plan even without police involvement, the prosecutors would rely on his speech for evidence. That is, they would need to show that Siraj, a Muslim immigrant in the wake of Sept. 11, was predisposed to violence. Eldawoody took the stand first. In late 2002, the N.Y.P.D. arrived at Eldawoodys door, saying it had received a call about mysterious large packages being delivered to his apartment on Staten Island. Eldawoody who had tried his hand at several sales ventures, from clothing to food, with little success explained that the packages were merely leather jackets that he planned to resell. The police did not question him further and instead asked if he would work for them; he agreed. In the courtroom, Eldawoody explained that he frequented mosques around the city and reported anything good or bad to his handler. Over the course of several months, he attended 575 prayer services. In Eldawoodys telling, the matter was simple: Siraj was angry at the United States for killing Muslims and suggested bombing Herald Square. Eldawoodys role was to be a co-conspirator, and in their conversations, it was Siraj who would often bring up violence. Among the items prosecutors presented as evidence against Siraj was the map that Elshafay had drawn of Staten Island, two CDs on bomb-making that Siraj had shown Eldawoody, including the widely known Anarchist Cookbook, and books that Siraj had recommended to Elshafay, which were available at the bookstore. The governments witnesses said the N.Y.P.D. sent Eldawoody to Bay Ridge to investigate mosquegoers potential connections to Hamas and a group of terrorism suspects in Texas; Siraj become a person of interest only in March 2004, five months after the two men met. Prosecutors also played scratchy snippets from 30 hours of recorded conversations between the two men: In one, Siraj laughs and calls the police pigs; in another, he suggests placing explosives in the 59th Street subway station. He mentions that Area 51 in Nevada may have bomb-making materials, though he calls it Area 52. One of the recordings was from their final car ride. For the prosecutors, it revealed a plain truth: Siraj left the car agreeing to be a lookout. They didnt mention that in that one conversation, Siraj refused to place the bomb 18 times. Twenty-one days into the trial, on May 15, Siraj was called to testify. He trudged to the witness stand, dressed in the same pinstripe suit he had worn through much of the proceedings. He was exhausted. Over the past weeks, he said, the guards at the Metropolitan Detention Center kept waking him up in the middle of the night to move him between cells. He willed himself to remember conversations from two years earlier, but details would get jumbled. Still, over several hours, Siraj shed light on a relationship that the recordings left out: that he and Elshafay both considered Eldawoody a religious mentor, and that it was Eldawoody who guided him to websites and images that disturbed him, including the photos of Iraqis being tortured by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib. Siraj conceded that he suggested the subway idea when the three of them talked about hurting the United States economically. He wanted to impress Eldawoody, and he was also scared of him and the Brothers. Some of the prosecutions evidence corroborated parts of Sirajs testimony. Eldawoodys N.Y.P.D. handler admitted that it was Eldawoody who first mentioned a dirty bomb in his conversations with Siraj. Elshafay said he agreed to join the subway plot partly because Eldawoody had told him that killing American soldiers was part of his religious duty; he also testified that Siraj tried to back out of the plan. Even the recordings the prosecution played hinted at how thoroughly Eldawoody had assumed a mentor role. In one, Siraj confides to him about his love for Mano, and Eldawoody promises to help bring her to the United States. Without any weapons or detailed plans for prosecutors to point to, the trial became a battle of murky narratives. Then, in a surprising move, the government revealed one more witness: an undercover N.Y.P.D. officer, referred to by his alias, Kamil Pasha, who had spoken many times with Siraj in Bay Ridge before Eldawoody came along. I asked if there would be suicide bombings in the United States, the officer told the court. He said, Yes, because of the United States support for Israel. Pashas statements rendered false what Siraj said in his testimony, that he hadnt spoken about violence against the U.S. before he met Eldawoody. Still, such comments hardly qualified as intent; the officer admitted that in his more than 70 conversations with him, Siraj never spoke about carrying out an attack on Herald Square. It took prosecutors three weeks to lay out their case. The defense used two days to present their only two witnesses: Siraj and his mother, neither of whom were poised or spoke English well. Sirajs mother, wearing a shalwar kameez, testified through an Urdu translator. Stolar had hoped to also bring Commissioner Kelly to the witness stand, to drive home the point that the Police Departments counterterrorism strategy was flawed. During cross-examination, Eldawoody testified that he often reported mundane details to the Police Department, like the topics of the imams sermons or the license-plate numbers of congregants, and that he hadnt met any Qaeda operatives. To Stolar, this was evidence that Eldawoody, who was being paid by the department, wasnt actually finding extremists, and so he pursued Siraj. But Judge Gershon had ruled against Kellys coming to court. On May 24, two days before Sirajs 24th birthday, Gershon called everyone to the courtroom. The jury had deliberated for 10 hours and reached its verdict: guilty. Afterward, some members of the jury told reporters for The New York Times that the governments case wasnt entirely convincing: At least three of them had been reluctant to convict Siraj. We dont know what happened, one said. He could have been entrapped back then. We dont have the evidence to prove it. While the entrapment defense was difficult to win, it was not impossible. But this was different. If you have a Muslim defendant, Stolar told me, whos charged with terrorism in the years following 9/11, youre screwed. While lawyers have successfully used the entrapment defense in other criminal cases, no lawyer or expert I spoke to could point to a terrorism case in which it succeeded. As the sentencing hearing approached, Stolar grew concerned about something that had long bothered him. Though local law enforcement had led the investigation into Siraj, federal authorities had taken over the case. Stolar had a guess as to why: The government could ask for harsher penalties in a federal case. During the trial, Stolar and Sirajs mother repeatedly said that Siraj wasnt bright. Hoping to sway the judge toward a lenient sentence, Stolar asked a psychologist to examine Siraj. The exam found that he had an I.Q. of 78. His overall vocabulary, his judgment and reasoning and his ability to think abstractly are impaired compared to the general population, the psychologist noted. Eight months after his guilty verdict, in January 2007, Siraj returned to the Brooklyn courthouse for sentencing. Your honor, I want to apologize about whatever I said in the tapes, he said. I wish I can take those words back, but it cannot happen. Gershon decided to give him the minimum of what enhanced sentencing guidelines recommended for those convicted of foreign terrorism. Siraj would spend the next 30 years in prison. SIRAJ HAD TO BE UP every morning by 6 to make his bed. It was a brick slab layered with a thin blue foam mattress, restraints on each corner. Most days, though, there wasnt much of a bed to make; after finding roaches under the mattress, he had taken to sleeping directly on the bricks. A stack of lockers stood against the foot of the bed, and at the opposite wall, a metal toilet, a sink and a shower were crammed together. A small window above the radiator offered Siraj glimpses of the sky in Terre Haute, Ind. When it rained, the water leaked through. The cell door would slide open, and he would shuffle to the dining area, where he was handed a box of cereal and milk. He could wander around the unit, which was segregated from the rest of the prison, all day. There was a tiny laundry room and an exercise area with a stationary bike and a treadmill, where prisoners fashioned weights from mops and water bottles. There was an outdoor basketball court, where they played handball. It was surrounded by a cage. Siraj was imprisoned in a unit that once housed death-row inmates. It hadnt been used in some time, and he was put to work, collecting dead rats and scraping clean the walls of the empty cells. He knew he was preparing the unit for the arrival of others. Terre Haute was an experimental prison, called a Communications Management Unit. The Federal Bureau of Prisons had only recently opened the facility, several months after Sirajs trial, to help protect the public from people who required increased monitoring because of their offense. Another C.M.U. would open the following year in Marion, Ill. Siraj hadnt heard of this type of prison before, but he learned soon enough what communications management meant. A man he believed to be working for the F.B.I. was visibly present in the unit, observing the incarcerated men and reading the letters they sent and received. When Siraj had to visit the clinic or the dentist, other sections of the penitentiary were locked down, and he was escorted through a dark underground tunnel. It made little sense to Stolar that his client would be considered so dangerous, when the government itself helped concoct the crime. In fact, when the C.M.U.s first opened, the Bureau of Prisons had no written criteria for determining who would be placed there. The bureau actually developed the criteria based on who they sent to the unit, as opposed to the other way around, Rachel Meeropol, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, told me. The most difficult adjustment for Siraj, though, was being severed from his family. Inmates in federal prisons are usually allowed 300 minutes a month for phone calls. But in the C.M.U., Siraj had to compress everything he wanted to say to his father, mother and sister into just 15 minutes a week. Sirajs calls were monitored by intelligence analysts in Martinsburg, W.Va., who would type up detailed reports. (In response to my queries about Sirajs placement in the C.M.U., a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons said that it doesnt provide information about specific cases, that the units house offenders needing enhanced oversight and that the analysts monitor prisoners who align with extremist ideology.) Without his family to speak to, Siraj had fallen into studying the photos his mother mailed to him. He would lose himself in the lines on his parents faces, Manos smile, his sisters teasing glances. Once, he saw a bright light and looked up to see a guard beaming his flashlight, ordering him to sleep. He had been sitting on the bed all day and night, the guard told him, staring at the pictures. In short phone calls, his mother would also pass him messages from Mano, but after a while, they stopped arriving. He had told her to move on. The outside world, his old life, began to dissolve. His new life consisted of his neighbors, the dozen or so men in the unit, occupying adjacent cells. There was Masoud Ahmad Khan, in his mid-30s, who had traveled to Pakistan after Sept. 11 to attend a militant training camp; he was accused of belonging to a jihadist network in Virginia and was sentenced to life in prison. There were a few of the Lackawanna Six, young Yemeni-Americans who in the spring of 2001 visited a training camp in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden was present; the men pleaded guilty to material-support charges, but the government couldnt explain what the six were planning to do in the United States, if anything. As the months wore on, others arrived. Hatem Fariz, from Florida, had pleaded guilty to raising money for a Palestinian terrorist group. Two leaders of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, once the biggest Islamic charity in America, had been convicted of sending funds to Hamas. Yassin Aref, a Kurdish imam in Albany, was found guilty of providing material support after he watched an informant pretend to lend a friend some money; the informant claimed that the funds were obtained by selling a missile launcher to be used to assassinate a Pakistani ambassador. Aref couldnt follow English fluently and said he didnt realize what he had witnessed. He thought the absurdity of his case would finally be exposed when the government admitted that a translation error had led officials to mistakenly conclude that he was a military commander. And yet here he was. Siraj was closest to another person around his age, a 25-year-old from Lodi, Calif., named Hamid Hayat, who nearly died from a childhood battle with meningitis. Soon after the Sept. 11 attacks, a civilian informant hired by the F.B.I. befriended Hayat, and the two discussed Islamist extremist groups and jihadist training camps. While Hayat was on a family trip to Pakistan, the informant called and pressured him to visit a camp. Hayat made excuses, but the informant would not relent; finally, annoyed, he said he might go. Hayat returned to the United States and was arrested by the F.B.I. within days. After hours of interrogation and sleep deprivation, he confessed to attending the training camp, though there is no evidence that he did. (He later disavowed the confession.) Prosecutors, charging Hayat with providing material support, claimed that they had broken up a Qaeda sleeper cell in California. In Terre Haute, Siraj fell into a daily rhythm. He served food in the kitchen, joked around with Hayat, read the Quran. Most hours, he claimed a plastic chair in front of the row of televisions mounted on the wall and watched Pokmon. He was a kid, Aref told me. Maybe he was a big guy, but in his mind, he was not more than 10 years old. One day, as Aref was watching the news, he saw that the authorities had arrested four Black Muslims from Newburgh, N.Y., on suspicion of planning to attack an American military base and a synagogue. An informant had helped build the case against them. Aref recognized him: It was the same man from his case. (The informant, who owned a limousine company, had a history of fraud and is now wanted for his involvement in a 2018 car crash in upstate New York that killed 20 people, the deadliest transportation accident in the country in nearly a decade.) The individuals in the Newburgh case were impoverished; the informant had promised them $250,000 and a luxury car if they agreed to carry out the attacks. One of the men, David Williams, needed money to pay for his younger brothers cancer treatment, and another, Laguerre Payen, had a history of mental-health issues. In fact, it seemed law enforcement had a knack for finding men who were vulnerable. James Elshafay, who was abused as a child, took medication for schizophrenia and depression. Ahmed Ferhani, a 26-year-old who pleaded guilty for plotting to blow up a synagogue, was encouraged by an undercover officer to buy a gun from another undercover officer. Ferhani had been institutionalized repeatedly since he was a teenager; recently, he had tried to hang himself in prison. Jose Pimentel, a Muslim convert who smoked marijuana with an informant and made incriminating statements, appeared to be unstable; he had once even tried circumcising himself. None of the men had committed an act of violence against others, but all of them ended up behind bars. The terrorists were sent around the country: some to general-population prisons, some to maximum-security facilities in Colorado and New York and still others to the new restrictive prisons in the Midwest. In early 2010, for the first time in three years at Terre Haute, Siraj had visitors. He sat in his prison-issued sweats, behind plexiglass, staring at the two women across from him. The wrinkles on his mothers face had deepened. His sister was taller, no longer the child he left behind. Siraj realized that he must look strange to them, too. When he arrived at the prison, he was prescribed Prozac for depression and insomnia. The medication made him gain weight, which, after months in the gym, had become muscle. He wanted to wrap his mother in his arms, but contact was not allowed at the C.M.U., as it was in the general-population prison. By then, the unit in Terre Haute had grown to about 50 men, mostly Arab or South Asian, and mostly Muslim. Guards started reprimanding them if they read aloud from the Quran and banned group prayers. Defense lawyers and the incarcerated men had a name for the facility: Little Guantnamo. OSAMA ELDAWOODY WAS one of thousands of informants recruited by the police and the F.B.I. after the Sept. 11 attacks, most of whom remain anonymous. The government doesnt like to discuss specifics about its use of informants, but over the years, through trials and lawsuits, details about their recruitment and work have emerged. Some of those who refused to become informants say they faced retaliatory measures, including threats of being deported or being placed on the no-fly list, which prevents a person from flying into, out of or within the United States. One man who said he was approached to be an informant and refused was later convicted of, among other charges, providing material support; he remains in prison. In its rush to find informants to search for terrorists, the government had unwittingly created an incentive system. Many had committed crimes and agreed to work with the authorities in return for leniency; others were promised immigration assistance. (In November 2004, an informant who was afraid that his family would be targeted for his work with the F.B.I. set himself on fire in front of the White House.) Not long after Sirajs sentencing, Eldawoody effectively vanished. There was no mention of him in the news, no trace of him on social media. I managed to find a possible address for someone with a similar name in a different state. On a warm day last October, I arrived in a quiet, suburban neighborhood where the streets were lined with manicured lawns, a car in every driveway. I thought of Sirajs parents home, the constricted apartment on the second floor of a crowded building in Jackson Heights, as I approached a two-story tan and red-brick house and knocked on the door. There was a Toyota Camry parked in the driveway, but no one answered. I waited an hour, dropped a letter into the mailbox with my name and phone number and left. A week later, I received a text message from Eldawoody. Over the phone, he told me that soon after the trial, he and his wife moved across the country to start over, but he asked me not to publish his new location. Eldawoody also refused to tell me what type of work he had found. I dont do anything illegal, he said. I dont do one job. I do several jobs. He was, however, eager to tell me the whole story of Sirajs case, most of which centered on how the government betrayed him. They told me, You will be protected, he said. But the police had not always lived up to that promise, he complained, noting that recent calls to his police contact to report an acquaintance who was harassing him went unreturned: After the case is over, they dont care. Eldawoody believed that in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the authorities monitored his apartment building and later eavesdropped on his phone calls and even bugged his car. He was living in a rent-controlled apartment on Staten Island with his wife and daughter, he said, when the police approached him to work as an informant. According to Eldawoody, he had always felt uneasy about getting Siraj in trouble and even wanted to quit at some point. I didnt want Matin to be in that situation at all, he told me. I wanted to get away from the whole thing. And then, one day, the two men were at the bookstore, and Siraj pulled out the map that Elshafay had drawn of Staten Island. Eldawoody panicked. I told him: Hide it! I dont want to see it! he recalled. Eldawoody decided not to immediately tell Stephen Andrews, his N.Y.P.D. handler, about the drawing, he said. Only when the detective asked if Siraj had shown him anything did Eldawoody remember the map. I was terrified, Eldawoody said. I was afraid. He had never actually expected to see such plans. And, he told me, he grew more worried when Andrews pressed him about what Siraj might have shared with him. Eldawoody suspected that the Police Department was continuing its surveillance of him. Soon after, he started recording his conversations with Siraj; he wanted to prove to the police that he was not hiding anything. Eldawoodys recollection doesnt follow the timeline presented at trial: The recordings started in June 2004, and Siraj showed him the map in July. What is consistent, though, is that something shifted before the recordings began. In court, Andrews admitted that he was surprised when Eldawoody reported to him, in May, that Siraj spoke about attacking the United States. It seemed to be a sudden change in Siraj, but the Police Department directed Eldawoody to continue monitoring him. Two weeks before the final car ride and Sirajs arrest, Eldawoody said, he was already meeting with prosecutors to discuss the case. He denied showing any photos to Siraj and repeated to me what he said in the trial: Siraj had always wanted to do something big and was comfortable killing civilians. This, however, contradicted the transcripts of their conversations; in their last car ride, Siraj told Eldawoody that killing people was unacceptable. In his closing argument, the lead prosecutor told the jury that if someone said they intended to blow up a subway station to make a political point, each one of them would respond, Are you crazy? But Eldawoody did not do that. According to Siraj, when he brought the Herald Square idea to Eldawoody, the older man responded that he would talk to the Brothers about it. (I was just a kid! Siraj told me, and wondered what would have happened if his mentor had discouraged such thoughts.) One detail about the case still irks Eldawoody: that he was not compensated to his liking. Before the trial, he was paid roughly $25,000 for his work, he said, and for several years, he continued to receive regular payments more than $3,000 a month to start. But, he insisted, he deserved more. The Police Department and the prosecutors had prevented him from starting a lucrative job overseas because the trial was due to start, he said, and he was upset that they never reimbursed him for the forgone six-figure salary. There was another reason this lost money bothered him. Eldawoody told me that the N.Y.P.D had made promises to him. In fact, several months after Sirajs trial, Eldawoody sent a handwritten letter to Hillary Clinton, one of the states senators at the time. He explained that he had worked as an informant on a terrorism case and had been promised financial security. The letter was an appeal. Financially we became in debt because of the case, he wrote. The honorable senator, I really need to wipe my 10-year-old daughters tears. After learning of the letter, Sirajs lawyers used it to ask for a new trial and a judgment of acquittal, but the court denied both requests. (The N.Y.P.D. and the Eastern District of New York declined to elaborate on the case. In written statements, each noted that Siraj had been convicted and lost on appeal. The Eastern District also emphasized that he had admitted guilt under oath and made false statements during his testimony.) Eldawoody was happy to talk about the money he felt was owed to him, but when I asked him about Siraj, he grew more uncertain. Though he maintained that Siraj wanted to exact revenge on America, he didnt seem entirely convinced that Siraj had posed the threat the government claimed he was. He wished Siraj had taken the plea deal. I was shocked when Matin got the 30 years, he told me. Eldawoody hesitated. After a while, he spoke. I would not say he is dangerous or not, Eldawoody said. Matin, if hes in a good environment, he would be a good person. He would be a very good person. SIRAJ HAS NOW SPENT 16 years of his life in prison; with good behavior, he could be out by 2030. After four years in the Terre Haute C.M.U., he was transferred, without explanation, to Otisville, a medium-security federal facility in the Catskills, where he remains. I have been speaking to him for the past year, over the phone and in email, texts and letters, in English and Urdu. Since his arrest, Siraj has earned his equivalency diploma and learned to crochet and knit stuffed animals (he likes to make Pokmon characters). He has sent his mother many drawings over the years, and one day, he sent me one too. It depicted his room in Terre Haute, and I was impressed by the detail: the lines on the brick walls, the pipes underneath the sink. One piece of evidence at his trial was a map of Herald Square he drew at Eldawoodys urging; Eldawoody had pointed out that the map was drawn with great detail. I realized that Siraj simply liked to draw. In our conversations, Siraj has never denied discussing a bomb plot with Eldawoody; he says he regrets his stupidity. But, he tells me often, he never actually carried out an attack, and he even tried to back out of it. A former New York police officer who worked in the intelligence division told me that he had heard that Sirajs case was an empty box, completely nothing. Over the years, some government officials have also questioned the seriousness of the threats posed by terrorists in disrupted plots. A former prosecutor from New York told me that while sting operations are important, there are some terrorism cases where the government really seemed to play a role in organizing the defendants thinking. In Otisville, Siraj has been following news of his companions in Terre Haute. Fariz served his sentence. So, too, did Aref, who after his release was deported to Iraq. Masoud Khan, part of the supposed Virginia jihadist network, was freed after the Supreme Court, in separate rulings, found that the charge of conspiracy to use weapons in a crime of violence was unconstitutionally vague. Siraj also read about Uzair Paracha, who was arrested in 2003, at age 23, on charges of, among other things, providing material support to Al Qaeda. Recently declassified testimonies by three Qaeda members at Guantnamo, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, contradicted the governments allegations that Paracha had knowingly helped terrorists. Paracha is now 41. He spent 17 years in prison, about half of that in solitary confinement. Siraj was invested in one case in particular: In late 2019, after 14 years behind bars, his friend Hamid Hayat had his conviction overturned when a judge found that his lawyers had provided deficient representation at his trial. I tracked down Hayat after his release. He told me it was difficult to adjust to life back home; sometimes he would wake up believing he was still in his cell. The two friends spoke, over the phone, for the first time in nearly a decade. Since 2001, more than 500 people convicted on terrorism-related charges have been released after completing their sentences, according to the Intercept database, but many others remain in prison. In 2011, Aref and several other plaintiffs, represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, sued the Justice Department, which oversees the Bureau of Prisons, over the constitutionality of the C.M.U.s. The suit has dragged on so long that five people have served as attorney general: Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Jeff Sessions, William Barr and Merrick Garland. Over the past decade, courts have dismissed almost all of the plaintiffs charges against the Justice Department. In 2016, after two lawsuits challenged police surveillance, the N.Y.P.D. agreed to allow a civilian official to monitor investigations involving political and religious activity, but the settlement did not prohibit controversial investigation methods or reinstate the original Handschu guidelines. For the past two years, the Coalition for Civil Freedoms, a nonprofit group campaigning for the rights of those caught up in the counterterrorism dragnet, has sought support for the EGO Relief Act, a bill that would narrow the material-support statute and impose restrictions on law enforcements ability to use informants. Before the pandemic, the coalition met with staff members for nearly 60 representatives and senators, Republican and Democratic, on Capitol Hill. Some were surprised by the families stories, with one even commenting, according to a coalition member, This happens in America? But none have offered to introduce the bill, saying it wasnt the right time. Existing federal laws criminalize domestic and international extremism differently, allowing greater latitude for prosecutors to build cases against foreign terrorists. With calls to address the rise of far-right extremism, bipartisan support is emerging for federal legislation that criminalizes domestic terrorism with the same severity. That would mean that the tactics employed against people like Siraj the aggressive use of informants, material-support charges and highly monitored prisons could now be used against anyone suspected of being a domestic extremist. One senior administration official told me that the White House has been taking note of the missteps and successes of the past 20 years. We are very much going into this with certain criticism of past counterterrorism efforts ringing in our ear, the official said. The government is considering several new approaches, including placing foreign affiliates of some right-wing groups on the State Departments list of foreign terrorist organizations, which would bring the issue of material support, with all its implications for civil liberties, into the realm of domestic counterterrorism. Richard Zabel, a former prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, insisted that federal domestic-terrorism laws are necessary, not just to punish crimes and protect minority communities but also to make a powerful statement. Prosecuting a violent right-wing extremist as a murderer, he explained, doesnt serve the same social purpose as prosecuting them as a terrorist. Yet even if such legislation succeeds in highlighting societys intolerance of white nationalism and protecting nonwhite communities from the most violent actors, it may come at a cost. After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which shaped criminal material-support laws and also helped the government target and deport immigrants for even minor violations. Even without broad federal laws focused on domestic terrorism, the government has been able to use an existing counterterrorism infrastructure against what it considers to be domestic threats. In recent years, the police used social media to track down Black Lives Matter protesters and deployed informants to infiltrate demonstrations. Last summer, as Black Lives Matter protests spread through the country, William Barr, the attorney general at the time, announced a new task force to counter antigovernment extremists, a major goal of which was to understand these groups well enough that we can stop such violence before it occurs. In late May, on the second night of protests in New York, two young lawyers were arrested on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail through the broken window of an empty police car. They were indicted on multiple federal charges, including arson and civil disorder, and were locked in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center while awaiting their bail hearing. They face life in prison. Though they couldnt be charged with domestic terrorism, conservative commentators called their alleged offense a material support of terrorism and insinuated that one of the lawyers was an outside agitator who became radicalized during a trip to Palestine. The tools refined against Black and non-Black Muslim communities are now going to be brought to bear against the movement in defense of Black lives, said Ramzi Kassem, the director of the CUNY CLEAR Clinic, which provides legal support to those targeted in national-security and counterterrorism operations. The men who were once incarcerated in the C.M.U.s in Terre Haute and Marion described the units as a political prison; many of them believed that they were sent there because of their views about American foreign policy or because of their political activity. Daniel McGowan, a former environmental activist, told me that he was probably transferred to a C.M.U. from the general population because the Bureau of Prisons was facing criticism over the facilitys large Muslim population, and also because he had spoken out about his case and prison conditions in the news media. I asked Rachel Meeropol, the lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights, if the C.M.U.s could be used to house other types of prisoners, now that the American authorities are directing their attention to domestic threats. I think its entirely possible, she said. The unit could be used to suppress Black Lives Matter activists or Antifa or anyone else who the B.O.P. thinks, in that moment in time, is the biggest threat in terms of political speech and communication with the outside world. IT HAS BEEN 15 YEARS since Siraj last saw the man who irrevocably changed his life. Eldawoody was not in court the day Siraj was sentenced. He told me that Siraj was like a son to him and that he hadnt wanted to see him arrested. But if he felt remorse for his role, it didnt seem to weigh on him. He knew I was in touch with Siraj but had nothing to say to the person he befriended over the course of a year, chatting about women and dreaming of a life to come as they drove through the streets of Queens. Siraj knew Eldawoody received payment for his work with the N.Y.P.D. But he couldnt accept that his friend, a man he viewed as a second father, helped put him away for decades merely for a payoff. I just want to ask him one question: Why did he do this to me? Siraj told me over the phone. I still dont understand it to this day. If Siraj had pleaded guilty and admitted to being a terrorist, if he had forgone the entrapment defense, he would most likely be free by now. He has exhausted his appeals. When President Barack Obama was leaving office, Sirajs family and friends wrote letters requesting a pardon. They sent another request to Donald Trump in January. Siraj, who will turn 39 next month, makes lists of whom he will visit when he is out. The years have already taken many of those he held dear: his aunt, his cousin, his grandparents. He pictures standing in the kitchen with his mother, the dishes they will cook. He imagines the children he will have. But he knows that he will never be free of the stain on his life: that he is the Herald Square bomber. After he is released, he will most likely be deported back to Pakistan. No matter what job he tries to get, where he tries to settle, he will be forever known as a convicted terrorist. In one letter to me, Siraj wrote that it is sometimes hard to look at himself in the mirror. What kind of person I am? he asked me. When you read about me what do you really see? This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 2021 The New York Times Company | https://news.yahoo.com/government-manufacturing-thwarted-terrorism-182904349.html |
Where are the Republican COVID-19 heroes willing to risk their careers to save lives? | Jason Sattler Opinion columnist There has never ever been a better time for the so-called "pro-life" movement of America to act urgently to, well, save some lives. America's supply of COVID-19 vaccines will soon surpass demand. Meanwhile Israel, with the most aggressive (yet imperfect) vaccine rollout in the world, has recorded multiple days with zero pandemic-related deaths for the first time in 10 months suggesting that a comprehensive national vaccination program could contain the killer virus that has already killed at least 572,000 Americans. Mostly Republican men and white evangelicals aka the people whove spent the last 40 years or so telling us they are much more concerned about life than everyone else. Secret COVID vaccine for Trump Nearly all Americans have a chance step up to take a shot that might not only save us but also our families, our neighbors and our country from prolonging the deadliest pandemic in a century. Yet at this Dunkirk moment, elected Republicans have largely done the opposite of joining our armada of "little ships." Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul have spread garbage about the effort to vaccinate as many Americans as possible. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis acts far more concerned about efforts to make sure people are vaccinated than he does about the effects of COVID-19, which has already killed at least 34,000 Floridians more than the 32,463-vote margin that put him in office in 2018. As an ex-president, Donald Trump urged his followers at the Conservative Political Action Conference to get their shots and has made a few supportive comments since then. But when he was still president, in January, he and Melania Trump were vaccinated secretly at the White House. Their off-camera shots, revealed last month, denied the country the single most obvious image that might be used to convince reluctant Trump supporters to join the war on COVID-19. Former Vice President Mike Pence, the closest thing Republicans have to an ex-president who left office peacefully, was among the first Americans to get his shot in December of last year. Since then, hes been busy avoiding nooses brandished by fans of his two-time running mate and getting a pacemaker. Still, hes found time to try to scaremonger about unaccompanied minors at the border. And Pence isnt alone. The entire Republican Party seems to want the nation to fixate on the tragic number of 18,500 kids arriving alone at the border in March. But they cant find the same energy to finish off a pandemic thats still infecting more than 50,000 Americans each day, still orphaning thousands of Americans each week. If you have doubts about getting the shot, reconsider. Ive spent a lot of my adult life trying to shame pro-lifers into caring about actual children as much as they do about fertilized eggs. While this effort may get you some retweets, it doesnt change the rights behavior in the least. Its like trying to translate Republicans professed affection for Israel into an appreciation of Israels national universal health care. Im sure President Biden, who has led an awesome nationalized rollout of vaccinations that has exceeded most reasonable expectations, will humbly call for all Americans to join the fight when he addresses Congress on Wednesday. Unfortunately, this clarion call from a man nearly 70% of Republicans think stole the election with his tricky strategy of getting 7 million more votes than Donald Trump may only increase Republican hesitancy to get injected. Please care about your voters' lives The rights inherent suspicion of government power, which suddenly reappears when Republicans arent in power, is being compounded by the way COVID-19 was turned into a culture war with the bombastic leadership of the last president. Republican leaders recognize there are few rewards that come with breaking with their partys base. So were stuck. Even talking about vaccine hesitancy helps normalize it, especially when its me, a lib, doing it. Ask the millions of Americans who have been denied Medicaid insurance because their Republican governors refuse to expand it under the Affordable Care Act even though the federal government is footing almost the entire bill. We have never been more desperate for Republican heroes who want to save their own constituents' lives, and theyve never been harder to find. So Im begging GOP leaders to care as much about their fellow Republicans health and survival as much as this lib does. Former CDC chief: Think diners, dentists and dollar stores. Make COVID vaccines easy to get. We may disagree about when life begins, but we can all agree that every American who is 16 and over and now eligible for free vaccines has met that standard. Go out and brag about taking Mr. Trumps shots that were basically invented by Mr. Trump himself (even though the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were already in clinical trials before Operation Warp Speed was even announced.) Do whatever you have to do to make vaccination an issue of patriotism and not partisanship. Since the sanctity of life is obviously not encouragement enough, think of the next election, the one you are busy trying to rig in state legislatures across the country. If you dont act to defeat this plague when it's possible, your next president could spend his entire term dealing with this pandemic. And if it is who I know you hope it is, we already know how much he hates doing that. Jason Sattler, a writer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a member of USA TODAYs Board of Contributors and host of "The GOTMFV Show" podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @LOLGOP | https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/27/covid-19-vaccine-trump-republicans-help-us-save-lives-column/7390749002/ |
Could 49ers drafting Mac Jones be Jimmy Garoppolo's best option? | originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea Fans might be miffed if the 49ers' choice at No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft is Mac Jones, but it very well be the best scenario for Jimmy Garoppolos success. If the veteran signal-caller remains on the 49ers' roster heading into Week 1 of the 2021 season, which is the current plan according to both general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan, all parties would benefit. Of the top five quarterbacks available in the draft, the Alabama QB puts the least amount of pressure on Garoppolos shoulders in 2021. Often when a quarterbacks successor is drafted early on Day 1 of the draft, impatient fans, media and even staff are known to clamor to see what the rookie is capable of as if the player was a present from Santa on Christmas morning. At the first sign of struggle by the incumbent, calls for a change can echo throughout stadium stands. If the first two selections unfold on Thursday as widely predicted with Clemsons Trevor Lawrence heading to Jacksonville and the New York Jets selecting BYUs Zach Wilson, the top three quarterbacks available to the 49ers at No. 3 along with Jones are Ohio States Justin Fields and North Dakota States Trey Lance. 49ers fans on social media have been at a fever pitch wanting to see either Lance or Fields heading to Santa Clara. Jones is the least popular choice by far, which could be a benefit for Garoppolo. Without as much hype or support from the fans, it is less likely that those present at games or active on social media will be calling for the Jones to replace Garoppolo under center if he happens to make a bad throw, or even have a tough game. While all professional athletes attempt to block out the noise during game action, it is impossible to not hear an entire stadiums jeers and cheers. Jones is a still a top prospect, enough so that Shanahan has repeatedly mentioned that he is one of the five players that the club would be confident drafting as their next franchise quarterback. Best case scenario for the 49ers and Garoppolo would be to keep him under center and play well enough to continue deep into the playoffs. The demand for a Garoppolo trade would increase, and the club could recoup some of the draft capital that it sent to the Miami Dolphins to move up nine spots in the draft. Not only would it be a better environment for Garoppolo, but the Crimson Tide rookie also would be allowed time to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn the 49ers' extensive playbook. The likelihood of a player's success, especially at quarterback, tends to rise as they have more time to adjust. But until Thursday night, we will all just be guessing. Download and subscribe to the 49ers Talk Podcast | https://sports.yahoo.com/could-49ers-drafting-mac-jones-185239298.html?src=rss |
What could Minkah Fitzpatricks fifth-year option mean for Terrell Edmunds? | While Edmunds showed occasional flashes, in the form of two interceptions in 2020, hes never lived up to his first-round 2018 NFL draft selection. Most draftniks had a third- or fourth-round draft projection on Edmunds. Instead, the Steelers reached for him at No. 28 overall. Steelers Wire published a post in March listing the 2022 option price tags, which includes $6.573 million for a safety with no Pro Bowls, a.k.a Edmunds, should Pittsburgh exercise his option. The salary is significantly lower than Fitzpatricks $10.612 million but may still be more than what the Steelers are willing to pay Edmunds for his contributions to this point. The deadline for the Steelers to decide is May 3. If no fifth-year option, Edmunds could become a free agent in March. Meanwhile, Edmundss base salary for 2021 is $1.938 million. Related | https://sports.yahoo.com/could-minkah-fitzpatrick-fifth-option-194830349.html?src=rss |
Is it time to plant vegetable gardens in Oregon? What about tomatoes? | CORVALLIS Spring is here and youre raring to get your vegetable garden going. Well, hold on just a minute. Sowing seed or planting seedlings at the wrong time will bring nothing but heartache. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to plant too early, said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State Universitys Extension Service. They get excited when its sunny for a few days, put plants in the ground and think they will grow. But the seeds either rot from damping off fungus or germinate very slowly. Transplanted starts planted too early will be stressed for the rest of the season and likely wont catch up. Right about now (late April) in the Willamette Valley, you can plant cool-season vegetables like carrots, beets, scallions, chives, parsley and cutting greens that are easy to grow from seed; or plant already-started transplants of kale, head lettuce, chard, leeks and onions. An inexpensive soil thermometer helps keep planting time in perspective. Fifty degrees is a good benchmark for cool-season crops, Weston said. And the soil should be 60 degrees or more for warm-weather plants like tomatoes, peppers and basil. In fact, for tomatoes it should ideally be 65 to 70. The soil wont warm up to 60 or more until mid to late May or even June. If you cant resist the urge to plant warm-season vegetables, Miller recommended using some sort of protection from the chill like floating row cover, individual glass or plastic cloches or even milk jugs or soda bottles with the top cut out and turned upside down over plants. For directions on building a large, greenhouse-type cloche with PVC pipe and plastic, check out the OSU Extension guide on How to Build Your Own Raised Bed Cloche. Whether the relatively warm winter will mean soil warms earlier this year is a matter of conjecture, Miller said. There still could be a cold snap this month. Gardening depends on the weather, which is unpredictable, he said. But it pays to wait. Youll find more information about vegetable gardening, including schedules for planting 45 vegetables in all regions of Oregon, in the comprehensive Extension publication called Growing Your Own. Youll also find information on how far apart to space plants and how much to grow for a family of four. Weston Millers top 5 tips for a successful vegetable garden Prepare the soil. Before planting, add a moderate amount of compost -inch to 1-inch and a balanced fertilizer (all three numbers on the bag are the same) according to package directions. Incorporate the materials into the top 8 to 12 inches with a digging fork or spade. Rake bed before planting seeds or transplants. For new garden beds: Remove sod or weeds to expose soil. Liberally add 4 to 6 inches of compost, agricultural lime and a balanced fertilizer and incorporate into the top 8 to 12 inches with a digging fork or spade. Prepare seed or transplant bed with rake. Next fall, add 5 to 10 pounds per 100 square feet of lime to beds. In addition to adding complete fertilizer to the soil, use a soluble fertilizer like fish emulsion for transplants, especially early in the season or if the plants are not thriving. Use transplants when possible. Crops that do best when seeded directly into the garden include carrots, parsnips, beets, radish, turnips, mustard and arugula. Most other crops can and should be transplanted to make the gardening process easier, particularly for weed control. Grow your own transplants or look for high-quality starts (not root bound, stunted, off-color) at the garden center for best results. Control weeds early in the growth cycle of your veggies. Plan to weed your veggie beds at least once every two weeks for the first six weeks of the plants growth to get the edge on this ongoing challenge in the garden. Monitor and control slugs and other insect pests, often. Keep an eye out for slugs. Find them under debris and in the folds of plants and dispatch them by dropping into soapy water. Look for aphids, imported cabbage butterfly larvae, and other pesky critters on the underside of the leaves. Squash them! Kym Pokorny, [email protected] | https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/04/is-it-time-to-plant-vegetable-gardens-in-oregon-what-about-tomatoes.html |
Who Is Candace Jackson-Akiwumi? | Tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing for several of President Bidens first batch of judicial nominees, including two circuit nominees: Ketanji Brown Jackson for the D.C. Circuit and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi for the Seventh Circuit. I previously covered Ketanji Brown Jackson here. Originally from Virginia, Jackson-Akiwumi graduated with honors from Princeton in 2000 and then went on to Yale Law School, from which she graduated in 2005. While at law school, she was a senior editor and served on the admissions committee of the Yale Law Journal besides being an NAACP LDF Earl Warren Scholar. After graduating, she clerked for Judge David Coar of the Northern District of Illinois and Judge Roger Gregory of the Fourth Circuit. Advertisement Jackson-Akiwumi worked as a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps in Chicago between 2007 and 2010 and then spent the next ten years as a staff attorney with the federal defender program for the Northern District of Illinois. There she represented more than 400 clients accused of federal crimes, tried multiple federal jury trials, and argued a half dozen appeals at the circuit level. She also served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern Law School. In December 2020, she became a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP in Washington, D.C. | https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/who-is-candace-jackson-akiwumi/ |
Where does '100 points for McDavid' fit on Edmonton Oilers' priority list over the final 10 games? | But things are certainly trending inexorably in that direction, hastened on their path on Monday night when Edmonton thumped Winnipeg 6-1 while both Vancouver and Calgary dropped 2-1 decisions in regulation. Put another way, Oilers superstar Connor McDavid scored more goals last night (3) than did the other 5 active teams in the North (1 or 2 each). The Edmonton Oilers remain some distance away from mathematically clinching a playoff spot, what with the Vancouver Canucks still having enough games to catch up that in theory they could still finish in first place in the North. We all know that isnt going to happen, but some of those games have to be played before it becomes a mathematical certainty, likely some time next week when the Oilers meet the Canucks four times in a six-day span. Theyll first have a chance to put an insurmountable difference between themselves and Calgary Flames with a win in either of the two games the Alberta rivals will play later this week. Article content The Oilers now sit solidly in second place in the division, their lead over Winnipeg a slender one point but with two games in hand. They are also second in the division in goal differential, and in both Goals For and Goals Against when parsed on a per-game basis. Over the past 10 games Edmonton has the best record in the division, and with two games in hand retain an outside chance of catching Toronto for first place. So Im gonna call it right now: the Edmonton Oilers will make the playoffs. Ill go further out on that limb and fearlessly predict that McDavid will win the scoring title no matter what transpires down the stretch. 10 more games remain on the slate, 5 of them in the next 7 days (Wed-Thu-Sat-Mon-Tue) followed by 5 make-up games vs the Canucks and Montreal Canadiens in the final 10 days of the extended calendar. Heres my take: | https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/where-does-100-points-for-mcdavid-fit-on-edmonton-oilers-priority-list-over-the-final-10-games |
Should Raiders draft for need or take best available player? | Raiders have big needs at right tackle and free safety, but they should be careful not to draft for need and bypass a superior player. Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (11) takes a selfie with fans in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Idaho in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger) As the Raiders close in on a decision on what to do with the 17th pick in the first round of Thursdays NFL draft, one key to maximizing their draft spot is not reaching for a player at a position of need. As the roster stands, the Raiders have starting job openings at right tackle and free safety. Conventional wisdom has them selecting the best available tackle in the first round, then circling back to safety in the second or third rounds. But conventional wisdom could also mean bypassing a better player at a position of lesser immediate need, which could open themselves up to regret two or three years later when that player turns out to be a game-changer for another team. For instance, if Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, who is generally regarded as the best defensive player in the draft, falls to No. 17, it would behoove the Raiders to kick the need for an offensive tackle can further down the draft in order to acquire a player who has a game-altering skill set. On the surface, the Raiders are fairly set at linebacker, with starters Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow all returning from 2020. Waiting in the wings is second-year prospect Tanner Muse, who missed his entire rookie year due to season-ending toe surgery. But the current state of their linebacker room should not preclude the Raiders from adding a difference-maker, even if it means putting off a more pressing need. Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, perhaps bracing for an inevitable draft night moment in which the best player available trumps the most immediate need, is already talking up in-house options to fill the tackle position should they opt to go away from need in favor of best available player. You ask me about right tackle, weve got a guy name Jaryd Jones-Smith who we signed off the street last week who we think has a chance to be a really good football player, Mayock said. Kind of excited about him. Seven years ago the Rams, much like the 2021 Raiders, had an immediate need at offensive line. Armed with the second and 13th picks in the first round, the Rams drafted Auburns offensive tackle Greg Robinson with the second pick and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald at No. 13. Looking back, the Rams still arent sure what they would have done at 13 had they not been able to address the offensive line at No. 2. At the time, they were set along the defensive line with Chris Long, Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers, so there is a good chance they would have simply stuck with the plan and drafted Notre Dame offensive lineman Zach Martin. Good but not as good, said someone with knowledge of the Rams draft room, comparing Martin to Donald. The Rams are fortunate it never came down to that. But the mere possibility should be a cautionary tale for any team contemplating reaching for a need pick at the expense of a superior player. Ideally, the Raiders biggest need and drafting the best player available completely line up. If, say, Virginia Techs Christian Darrisaw or Northwesterns Rashawn Slater are available at No. 17 and Parsons has already been selected, the prudent choice is Darrisaw or Slater. But if the choice comes down to Darrisaw or Slater or Oklahoma States Teven Jenkins, and Parsons or cornerbacks like Alabamas Patrick Surtain or South Carolinas Jaycee Horn or Virginia Techs Caleb Farley are still on the board, the Raiders have to think long and hard about holding off on the tackle in favor of adding game-changing ability to their defense. Obviously when the needs fit up with where you are in the draft board, thats awesome, Mayock said. When they dont, you have to be a little careful. Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter. | https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/raiders/should-raiders-draft-for-need-or-take-best-available-player-2340251/ |
Is Gary Sanchez on the verge of, once again, losing his job? | Gary Sanchez dejected after striking out It certainly looks like Gary Sanchez is catching just one of the Yankees next four games. Kyle Higashioka is catching Corey Kluber on Tuesday. The Yankees will have a day game on Thursday following Wednesdays night game Sanchez will likely catch the night game on Wednesday with Domingo German on the bump. Certainly, Sanchez would not go behind the plate the next afternoon. Gerrit Cole is pitching Friday, so Higashioka is basically a lock to catch Friday. With these factors lining up, whether coincidentally or purposely, its fair to speculate that Sanchez is, once again, on the verge of losing his job. If the season ended on April 3, Sanchez would have been an MVP candidate he hit a home run in each of the Yankees first two games. But since then, he his putting up numbers that are worse than his abysmal 2020 he is hitting .146 and has just one extra-base hit in his last 15 games. Manager Aaron Boone wont call it a benching. More so, he said Higashioka has earned more playing time. "Simple as that. Obviously Higgys done a great job. His improvements over the last couple of years on both sides of the ball have been strong. I think the way hes played here on the onset of the season has earned him some more opportunities, Boone said. Its a small sample size for this year, but Higashioka is not only putting up better offensive numbers than Sanchez, but hes been the teams best (maybe only) hitter. He has a 1.210 OPS in 25 plate appearances. Sanchez ultimately lost his job to Higashioka late last season, and rightfully so. After he had just one hit (a home run) in eight postseason at-bats through Game 2 of the ALDS, the Yankees had enough, and Higsahioka was the catcher. The latter slashed .278/.316/.444 in five postseason games last year. Boone echoed similar sentiments in October regarding the two catchers. But we are getting closer to the end of waiting for 2016-17 Sanchez to reappear. Sanchez was an elite offensive catcher as recently as 2019 he hit the most home runs of any catcher despite missing 56 games. He ranked second among catchers in slugging percentage (.525) and third in OPS (.841). But in his last 68 games, including the postseason, hes hitting .155 (34-for-219) with a .619 OPS. Sanchez is seemingly unplayable right now Higashioka is not. And the Yankees look like they're ready to admit it again. | https://sports.yahoo.com/gary-sanchez-verge-once-again-211849003.html?src=rss |
Why does Doug Ford want to piggyback on Ottawas broken sick pay program? | When former Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips took his fateful career-ending trip to the luxury Caribbean island of St. Barts last December, he unwittingly exposed some deep faults in our collective defence against COVID-19. Not only could the rich skirt weak rules around international travel, but it also came to light that they could collect the federal sick-leave benefit when they returned even as the disenfranchised workers for whom the benefit was meant were having trouble accessing that very money and were instead going to work sick. Faced with a scandal, the House of Commons moved swiftly to make sure rich vacationers couldnt access the program. The legislation was opened up, changed, voted on and passed within weeks. But they didnt do much of anything on the other side of the equation, to make the benefit more readily available to those workers whose jobs dont guarantee paid sick leave. It was a perversion that has not been fixed, with predictably devastating consequences. Listen to Robert Benzie discuss paid sick leave in Ontario Now, Emily Victoria Viegas is dead, workplaces are a key source of the contagion that is overwhelming our hospitals, and the dangerous new variants have gained the upper hand. And yet federal and provincial governments and businesses alike were warned in the first wave, the second wave and again in the third wave that paid sick leave was a key part of the solution for keeping COVID-19 at bay. Instead of fixing a half-hearted system to allow contagious workers to take care of themselves at home, we now have federal-provincial finger-pointing that has dragged on for months in the face of an escalating pandemic, allowing employers to avoid the responsibility of giving their workers paid sick days. Not every employer, to be sure. But about half of employees in Canada report having no paid sick leave benefits, and a large majority of them earn less than $25,000 a year, according to figures cited in a paper by researcher Paisley Sim of the Institute for Research on Public Policy this week. The federal government is well aware of this, which is why a year ago as the pandemic escalated, Liberal ministers started talking to the provinces about their sick-leave provisions. Only two provinces have legislated sick days, Quebec and Prince Edward Island, and Ottawa insists its a provincial responsibility to ensure employers (except for those who are federally regulated) cover their employees. By July, the federal wage subsidy was adjusted to cover employers sick-leave expenses, allowing some federal money to trickle through. And under pressure from the federal NDP, the subject became central to federal-provincial negotiations on how to spend $20 billion in safe restart funding that lasted throughout the summer. But it wasnt until the fall, as we embarked on the second wave, that the federal government finally stood up a separate program, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, promising $500 a week (before tax) to workers who needed to take time off for anything related to COVID-19. It quickly became apparent the benefit was not as popular as anticipated. The federal government budgeted $2.5 billion for the first six months of the program, but only $435-million has been drawn down to date. Low-income workers were unaware of the benefit and federal information wasnt reaching ethnic communities. The two-week benefit was only available in one-week chunks, the money took weeks to trickle through to applicants, and when it finally arrived, it wasnt enough to cover off lost wages. All those points were made loud and clear by the NDP and by advocates of low-income workers. But when the legislation came before the House of Commons early this year in response to the travellers loophole, most of the legislation stayed the same. Two weeks of benefits was eventually extended to four weeks in February, and Ottawa increased its outreach, translating material into six different languages. But the inflexible framework, the low level of income replacement and the slowness of delivery remain. Now, in the midst of a third wave and political crisis, Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants to piggyback on this ineffective system to double the size of the benefit to $1,000. The federal system is not reaching the people who need it, and Ford is proposing a reinforcement of its flaws. Its showboating, or at best, a starting position to negotiate with the federal government very late in the pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended the federal benefit on Tuesday, saying his government was doing all it can to protect workers, and saying provinces are the ones with authority to tell employers they need to provide their workers with protections and benefits. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is in talks with Fords government to figure out if there is a better way. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... No doubt, a permanent solution would take time and money to legislate at the provincial level and cost employers at a time when some cant afford it. But Yukon shows us that there are temporary solutions that could address the immediate COVID-19 risks while companies, unions and governments sort themselves out on a long-term basis. The territorial government offers employers up to $378 per employee per sick day, for up to 10 days for absence related to coronavirus. You can apply more than once, and you can still collect the federal benefit. No doctors note required. The rebate expires in September, so its not forever. But its a lot more useful for saving peoples lives than the federal-provincial-corporate passing of the buck elsewhere in the country. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2021/04/27/why-does-doug-ford-want-to-piggyback-on-ottawas-broken-sick-pay-program.html |
Will Bidens first 100 days be his most successful 100 days? | Since taking office, he has presided over a mass vaccination campaign of 230 million doses and counting that has begun to wrestle the deadly pandemic to heel. The $1.9 trillion rescue plan he shepherded through Congress is popular with the public and has begun to boost the faltering economy. And in the space of a few months, Biden has issued a slew of executive orders that have undone many of his predecessors policies all while projecting a steady presence after four years of political turbulence. WASHINGTON President Biden reaches the 100-day mark of his administration on Thursday with much to boast about and even more to worry about. Advertisement It all makes for good bragging rights for Bidens first address Wednesday night to Congress, where he will likely use the speech to tout those accomplishments, as well as push for a sweeping legislative initiative calling for about $1.8 trillion in spending for education and child care. But that new proposal, like his recent $2 trillion infrastructure bill, faces much steeper odds in Congress and suggests that the next 100 days for Biden may be far more difficult than the first. Republican leaders are ramping up their opposition to his agenda and highlighting his biggest failing so far: an inability to handle a large increase in migrant children and teens at the US-Mexico border. And Democrats razor-thin majority in Congress may clip the wings of the progressive vision he offers on Wednesday. We see his vision. Hes laying it out for us, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. What were not seeing is how its going to get funded and whether he can sell the American people on it. The end of a presidents first 100 days has formed a traditional, although somewhat arbitrary, demarcation point since Franklin Delano Roosevelt referred to the period after a flurry of activity at the start of his administration to address the Great Depression. Advertisement Biden appears well aware of the benchmark and determined to secure his place in history. He met with a group of historians at the White House last month and has referenced learning from past presidencies in deciding what initiatives to push. He also decorated the Oval Office with a large portrait of Roosevelt, who transformed the country through sweeping social welfare programs. Successful presidents better than me have been successful, in large part, because they know how to time what theyre doing: order it, decide and prioritize what needs to be done, Biden said last month. Biden has done that well over his first 100 days, highlighted by his work on the pandemic, Brinkley said. Hes brought a sense of confidence, calm, and control across the country, Brinkley said. Democrats such as Representative Katherine Clark of Melrose, the assistant House speaker, declare the start of Bidens term a success and just the beginning. I think the first 100 days have been both hopeful and healing, she said. Hes fulfilling what he promised, and more important, hes meeting this moment of great challenge for American families. Of the 61 actions Biden promised to take in his first 100 days, he has fulfilled 25 of them, according to a review this week by the Associated Press. All but three of those unfulfilled promises, including ending prolonged migrant detention, increasing the corporate tax rate, and rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, are in progress. Advertisement The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed by Congress without any Republican votes, was Bidens only major legislative victory, but that equals Ronald Reagans record in his first 100 days and surpasses the records of several predecessors, according to an analysis by the American Presidency Project at the University of California Santa Barbara. Despite the problems at the border, Biden has avoided a major blunder, such as the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion under John F. Kennedy, that plagued some past presidents in their early days. Biden also has been aggressive in using executive orders, issuing 40 as of Friday, significantly more than his three predecessors as of the same date. Nineteen of those orders reversed previous actions, most put in place by Donald Trump, said Terri Bimes, a political scientist at the University of California Berkeley. Hes willing to use executive power. He doesnt flaunt it maybe like Trump did, said Bimes. Biden reversed Trumps ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim and African countries and rejoined the Paris climate accord. He also issued an order rescinding the so-called global gag rule, which banned federal aid to groups that offer abortions or abortion counseling. That continued a recent back-and-forth between Democratic and Republican presidents on the rule and showed why its better to enact policies through legislation, Bimes said. Its much harder to reverse legislation, as were seeing with the Affordable Care Act, she said. Advertisement But with a 50-50 Senate and a slim majority in the House, legislation is hard to come by. Democrats need Republican support for many of Bidens priorities. They were able to pass the rescue bill using the budget reconciliation process, which prohibits a Senate filibuster. But there are limits to that procedure, and using it requires nearly all Democrats to be on board. Progressives so far generally have been pleased with Biden, who ran a more centrist campaign than other Democrats in the primaries. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, said during a virtual town hall on Friday that Biden has definitely exceeded expectations of progressives. Ill be frank, I think a lot of us expected a much more conservative administration, she said. But approval like that from the left makes it tougher for Biden to get Republican support. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy on Sunday called Bidens first 100 days a bait and switch after campaigning on a pledge to restore bipartisanship. And Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell has indicated Biden shouldnt expect much Republican help with his infrastructure bill, a key part of his Build Back Better initiative, criticizing the legislation for not easing environmental regulations. Without serious permitting reform, it wont be build back better; itll be build back never, McConnell said last week. The popularity of the COVID aid bill will be hard to replicate if future legislation leans more leftward, said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist. Advertisement A particular policy might be popular, but if the overall direction is going away from a voter politically, thats going to get on their radar screen, he said. The American people have very short memories. While theyve received stimulus checks today, in six months theyll say, What has the government done for me to improve my life right now? The lack of Republican support in Congress raises the stakes for Wednesday nights address. Biden and White House officials have said they view bipartisanship as getting support from Republicans outside Washington even if they cant get it from them in Congress. Bidens job approval, ranging from the low to high 50s in recent polls, is much higher than Trumps after 100 days but lower than other recent presidents. And there still is a sharp partisan split. A Gallup poll released Friday had Bidens overall approval rating at 57 percent, but just 11 percent of Republicans approved of his performance compared with 94 percent of Democrats. Trump was focused on his base and didnt mind operating with low approval ratings, Brinkley said, but Biden has billed himself as a different president and needs to retain some Republican support in the polls to avoid appearing partisan. Weve seen Biden the grief counselor, the hand-holder, the mourner, and the visionary of what makes America great, Brinkley said. We now need to see Biden as salesman for his big programs. Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/27/nation/will-bidens-first-100-days-be-his-most-successful-100-days/ |
Why Are Hospitals In India Running Out Of Oxygen For Covid Patients? | A Covid-19 patient on oxygen support waits outside a New Delhi hospital for admission amid a shortage of beds. Ajay Aggarwal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images I ndia recorded a world record-breaking 346,786 new Covid cases on Saturday, as the country grapples with B.1.617, a potentially more contagious variant of the virus. More than 192,000 people have died of Covid-19 so far, according to the nations Ministry of Health. India hit another grim record on Monday morning with 2,812 deaths in a 24-hour periodits highest toll so far. The skyrocketing number of cases are overwhelming the countrys hospitals, which are now facing a crucial shortage of supplies, especially oxygen. But one of the countrys largest medical oxygen companies says the reason for the shortage isnt supply, its getting oxygen to where its needed. Just the way the pandemic has hit us once in a 100 years, similarly, nobody expected the requirement for oxygen to move such large distances to happen, says Siddharth Jain, who oversees Inox Air Products. That's why this infrastructure wasn't built. Oxygen is a crucial treatment for many patients with severe Covid-19, since the disease affects lung function. One of the tell-tale symptoms is shortness of breath, which can be followed by pneumonia, as the lungs fill with fluid. If a person cant get enough air into their lungs, this means oxygen cant travel to the other organ systems, which can start to fail. The vast majority of the factories that produce oxygen in India are located in the eastern part of the countrymore than a thousand miles from major cities like New Delhi and Mumbai. Inox Air Products, part of the industrial conglomerate Inox Group founded by the 92-year-old billionaire Devendra Jain, has been able to ramp up its oxygen production from 1,800 tons to 2,300 tons a day over the past few weeks, says Jain, which is more than a third of the 7,000 tons produced in the country each day. Inox Air Products is a joint venture with Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Air Products. The other two major global manufacturersFrance-based Air Liquide and U.K.-based Lindehave also been working to increase medical oxygen supplies in India. One of the biggest obstacles is that oxygen is not so easy to transport. Tanks of compressed gases can only travel by roads or trains and cannot be flown on planes. (Oxygen concentrators, on the other hand, which suck oxygen out of the air to achieve a high concentration, can safely fly.) And now these tanks have to travel farther than ever before to keep up with surging demand in the states in north and west India that dont have any oxygen manufacturing. Another bottleneck for getting oxygen where its needed the cryogenic tanks that hold compressed oxygen cannot be manufactured quickly. Each tank takes about four to six months to produce, says Jain. We export a very large number of them all over the place. But there was never such a demand. One solution has been for the Indian Air Force to fly empty tanks to production sites to try and cut down on transportation time, says Jain. D espite the soaring case numbers and Indias status as one of the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world, the country cant expect to contain the pandemic by vaccination anytime soon, highlighting the staggering inequities between vaccine distribution in high-income countries versus the rest of the world. India, which has more than 1.3 billion residents, has recorded fewer than 141 million vaccinations. Scientists developed several vaccines for Covid-19 in record time, World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a recent op-ed in The New York Times. Yet of the more than 890 million vaccine doses that have been administered globally, more than 81 percent have been given in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Low-income countries have received just 0.3 percent. Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Indias largest vaccine manufacturer the Serum Institute, also criticized the Biden Administration for prohibiting the export of certain raw materials, which he says was slowing down vaccine production outside the United States. On Sunday, the administration appeared to relent and reverse its protectionist stance. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. would make specific raw materials needed for vaccine manufacturing immediately available, in a discussion with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, according to a readout from the White House. Sullivan also said the U.S. was pursuing options to provide oxygen generation and related supplies on an urgent basis. Jain says all of the countrys oxygen manufacturers have been in daily contact since the government first established a medical oxygen committee in April last year. There's a lot of good work that has been done by the entire oxygen industry to supply, but there's only so much you can do to catch up with this virus, says Jain. And if it's uncontrollable, it's uncontrollable. I just hope no other country has to go through it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/aayushipratap/2021/04/26/why-are-hospitals-in-india-running-out-of-oxygen-for-covid-patients/ |
Why Did Congress Bailout Utah For $1.5 Billion When Utah Has A $1.5 Billion Budget Surplus? | (GERMANY OUT) Utah State Capitol on Capitol Hill. The building houses the chambers of the Utah State ... [+] Legislature, the offices of the Governor of Utah and Lieutenant Governor of Utah. (Photo by Rolf Schulten/ullstein bild via Getty Images) ullstein bild via Getty Images Recently, Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Act along party lines no Republicans voted for the legislation. Within the bill, there was $350 billion allocated to states, tribes, territories, and 30,000 localities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi forecast that republicans would vote no and take the dough. So far, shes right, as no republican governor has returned the funding. A case in point is Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R). Utah state government received $1.5 billion from the Rescue Act. However, the state has an estimated $1.5 billion budget surplus for 2021. Gov. Cox forecast a $427 million surplus for 2021 and already expected to have a $1.1 billion one-time surplus. The total extra funds in the state budget amounted to $1.5 billion. We reached out to Gov. Cox for comment on these important issues, however, we didnt receive a response. Although U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) voted against the bill, he hasnt weighed in on the Utah bailouts. Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com mapped every government receiving the congressional bailout. Look up your hometown by clicking one of the 50 pins (state capitol) and then scroll down to the chart beneath the map to see the local areas that received Rescue Act aid. Beyond the $1.5 billion in aid to Utah state government, a lot of taxpayer money also flowed to Utahs counties and cities. Heres a high-level breakdown of congressional bailout flowing into communities across Utah. Salt Lake County - $225 million Salt Lake County is the most populous in the state with an $1.1 million residents. The county is home to the state capital and its largest city, Salt Lake City. Roughly 1 in every 3 Utahns lives in this county. With $225 million in aid, the county collected the equivalent of about $225 for every resident. Utah County - $123 million Utah County is the second most populous county in the state with 636,000 residents. That means the county collected about $193 per person. The county is home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and Brigham Young University located in the city of Provo ($31.6 million in aid). Brigham Young was the founder of Salt Lake City, the first governor of the Utah Territory and second president of the LDS. Salt Lake City - $87.5 million Salt Lake City is the state capitol and is known for its ski resorts. In 2002, the city hosted the Winter Olympics. Its also home to the Salt Lake City Temple. The 174-year-old Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. With an estimated population of 197,756, the equivalent aid for every resident amounted to $442. Davis County - $69 million With some ski resorts of its own, Davis County is considered a bedroom community. With a population of 355,000, the county collected $194 in stimulus funds for each resident. Weber County - $50.5 million The county is home to Weber State University, also founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With 260,213 people, the stimulus works out to be about $194 per resident, the same rate of funding as Utah County and Davis County. Washington County - $34.4 million The county is home to Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park, and has 177,556 residents an average $194 per person in aid the same rate as Utah, Davis and Weber counties. West Valley City - $28.3 million The second largest city in the state, West Valley has 136,009 people an average of $208 per person in aid. A suburb of Salt Lake City, West Valley is relatively new, only incorporating in 1980. The city is home to The Maverik Center which houses the professional hockey team, the Utah Grizzlies. Review the rest of Utahs localities receiving congressional aid here. The Utah state economy remained strong as they successfully navigated the pandemic and the state government has a $1.5 billion surplus. Therefore, its mind-boggling that the state collected an additional $1.5 billion from the $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Critics say that Congress needs to do a better job of letting states manage their own affairs and stop the taxpayer-funded bailouts of states and localities. However, Speaker Pelosi was right: republican members of Congress voted no, but their governors took the dough. A request for comment to the governors office wasnt returned by our deadline | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/04/26/why-did-congress-bailout-utah-for-15-billion--when-utah-has-a-15-billion-budget-surplus/ |
Is It Safe To Take Melatonin While Pregnant? | Some studies have highlighted that there are reproductive benefits to taking melatonin before ... [+] conception. getty While many parents expect to lose some shut-eye after giving birth, a study has found that as many as three in four pregnant people experience insomnia during late pregnancy. One of the most common causes of this is hormone fluctuations and anxiety. This could make you tempted to reach for the natural supplement melatonin to help you get a better nights sleep. Some studies have highlighted that there are reproductive benefits to taking the supplement before conception. However, during pregnancy, your body naturally produces more melatonin than normal. Your body produces the hormone melatonin naturally. It helps regulate your body clock. However, some people choose to take melatonin supplements if they find that they experience poor quality sleep. Healthline explains that when youre pregnant, your ovaries and placenta produce higher levels of melatonin and use it throughout your pregnancy and delivery. The publication reports that your melatonin levels rise at 24 weeks and then again at 32 weeks. So, taking a melatonin supplement on top of this while pregnant will mean your melatonin levels are much more elevated than pre-pregnancy. While your natural levels of melatonin are higher during pregnancy, there are very few studies that look at how supplementing these levels could have adverse effects or benefits. MGH Centre for Womens Mental Health writes, although melatonin is indeed natural and is normally produced by the body, the amount delivered by various over-the-counter preparations typically exceeds the quantities normally produced by the body. As is the case with most supplements, we know very little about the impact these high levels of hormones may have on the developing fetus. Thus, we typically advise women with sleep problems to use medications with a better characterized reproductive safety profile. Melatonin can play a really fundamental role in your pregnancy. Healthline explains that, alongside oxytocin, it can promote labor and its also found in amniotic fluid. Medical News Today outlines that as theres such a lack of research into how melatonin supplements can affect pregnancy and fetuses, its always better to speak to your doctor if youre considering taking supplements. Studies are beginning to look into whether melatonin supplements will affect pregnant people. Currently, theyre in very early testing stages but one has found that melatonin can be really beneficial for a babys brain development and protect against neurobehavioral disorders. Further research has found that melatonin may increase fertility and decrease the risk of preeclampsia or preterm birth. The NHS points out that as melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the body, taking it is unlikely to cause any harm. However, melatonin can be a great sleep aid and way to relax. If youre conscious that by not taking it youre going to experience sleepless nights or restlessness then the NHS suggests that you reach out to a loved one and your healthcare team. They should be able to provide you with some examples of other sleep aids. While your brain naturally produces melatonin, theres a lack of research into how it could affect pregnant people. Its generally recommended that you dont take supplements throughout pregnancy unless youve spoken to your doctor first. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicebroster/2021/04/25/is-it-safe-to-take-melatonin-while-pregnant/ |
Does Mindset Matter? | The growth mindset has gained popularity in education and work environments where it is touted as ... [+] the solution to cure all organizational ills. However, recent research shows that such claims are overstated. getty The concept of fostering a growth mindset has attracted a great deal of attention since it was conceived by Carol Dweck more than 30 years ago. Since then, Dweck has gone on to evangelize the growth mindset through her book, TED talk and the company she founded, Mindset Works, which describe the adoption of a growth mindset as not only transformative, but critical for success in todays performance-oriented world. Mindset can purportedly explain our relationship with success and failure in both professional and personal contexts, and ultimately our capacity for happiness. This is no minor assertion. But in spite of the growth mindsets popular acclaim, researchers are beginning to wonder whether the enthusiasm around it is warranted. Recent research demonstrates an impact of mindset on achievement outcomes, but with small effects that are often limited to a subset of the general population. Carol Dweck describes mindset as the set of beliefs around ones abilities, such as intelligence, and assigns people to one of two mindset camps: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. While a person with a fixed mindset is said to believe that attributes are fixed and resist change through effort, someone with a growth mindset believes that these attributes are malleable, so they can be changed through effort and determination. The growth mindset revolution began in educational systems, with schools feverishly adopting mindset training programs, and in recent years has extended to adult work environments where organizations are looking to inspire and motivate their workforces. The appeal of the growth mindset is unsurprisingly seductive: All you have to do is get your employees to think in terms of learning and growth, and a world of possibilities is unlocked. Say goodbye to complacency, and hello to endless productivity. But as growth mindset trainings begin to spring up everywhere, its worth asking what the evidence says when it comes to the effect of mindset on achievement. Recent studies shed some light on the extent to which mindset matters, and it appears that the impact of a growth mindset may be overstated. In a recent meta-analysis, where researchers compiled published mindset studies to analyze together, they found very low correlations between growth mindset and academic achievement, which were not statistically significant for adults. They also looked at studies testing growth mindset interventions to search for a causal relationship between mindset programs and achievement, and found that almost 90% of the interventions had no effect. There was, however, a small effect of a mindset intervention for one notable group students from low socioeconomic status households. Economically disadvantaged students did benefit from growth mindset training, and another recently published large national study confirms this. This finding is noteworthy because, while it may not make sense to provide mindset interventions to the average person, it could very well be a helpful intervention for those on the lower rungs of the income ladder. On the other hand, even the low SES groups who benefited from the interventions saw only a meager impact from their training to adopt a growth mindset. A cost-benefit analysis would likely point to alternative interventions as more worthwhile, and could address the problem of poverty head-on rather than a mere symptom of it. The very real differences in opportunity among those in poverty and those with greater means are perhaps not best solved by re-framing the situation, but by changing the situation itself. Growth mindset dollars could be put toward alleviating poverty instead of teaching the poor how to deal with it. And if you are considering rolling out a large-scale growth mindset program in your organization, you might want to reconsider. Although the allure of mindset is undeniable, the data point to finding other ways of spending your hard-earned dollars. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/alineholzwarth/2021/04/27/does-mindset-matter/ |
Did Kyle Shanahan Hint That the 49ers Will Draft Mac Jones? | Kyle Shanahan has an interesting quote from Monday's press conference that could have hinted that the 49ers are drafting Mac Jones. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch held their pre-draft presser on Monday. Not too much was revealed during the presser, aside from the fact that Shanahan "can't guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive Sunday" in regards to Jimmy Garoppolo remaining on the roster following the draft. His words. However, there is an interesting quote from Shanahan in regards to the anxiety of 49ers fans should Jones be taken No.3 "Everyone's excited to draft a quarterback," said Shanahan. "If you would have been excited about one of these guys at 12, then you should be excited at three. It's about whether you get one. So, let us go through the process. We're going to get a good one. Yeah, I wish I could take that anxiety away from people, but that's because people get excited." Possibly. It is certainly a talking point. It is almost like Shanahan is telling fans "Don't worry! This kid (Jones) is going to be great with us. Have faith." Perhaps he was just referring to the overall process because it is a situation that is pushing fans to the brink of madness. While it is an interesting quote, I don't believe Shanahan tipped his hand at all. If anything, the whole press conference Shanahan was giving some bizarre answers. It was almost like he was purposely there to mess with those paying attention and was having fun with it. Remember, this presser was originally only going to be with Lynch. It wasn't until an hour before that Shanahan suddenly got added. He could have just saw it as a moment to relish and continue to confound everyone who believes they know who the 49ers are going to draft. Shanahan knows how to manipulate these things. He's not a novice with the media, so of course he would want to pull the strings and stir the pot. Plus, I have remained adamant that the NFL doesn't want the 49ers to leak their pick or give much hint to it anyways. The biggest story going into the draft on Thursday is undoubtedly what the 49ers will do with the third pick. Trevor Lawrence going first is a lock and Zach Wilson seems close to that at second as well. That makes the 49ers THE team to watch on Thursday. Monday's pre-draft presser didn't tell us much, which was to be expected. There were no hints as to who they were going to draft, just Shanahan looking to keep his stiff arm up at everyone who continues to guess the No. 3 pick. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/did-kyle-shanahan-hint-that-the-49ers-will-draft-mac-jones |
Could Delaying The Second Dose Of Covid-19 Vaccines Help In Avoiding More Infections & Hospitalizations? | GETAFE, MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 27: A healthcare employee holds one of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccines on ... [+] 27 April 2021 at the Hospital de Getafe, Madrid, Spain. This device, launched, along with others in hospitals in the outskirts of Madrid, joins 22 others launched in different public hospitals in Madrid, is part of the process of immunization of the general population that follows the Community of Madrid where they will administer the two doses of Pfizer to people aged between 70 and 74 years. (Photo By Marta Fernandez Jara/Europa Press via Getty Images) Europa Press via Getty Images A new study published in the journal PLOS Biology found that delaying the second dose of Pfizer -BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for nine to 15 weeks after the first dose avoided more hospitalizations, infections, and deaths compared to following the recommended schedules. At present, the two Covid-19 vaccines require two doses. They are administered three to four weeks apart. But researchers say that waiting for a longer time after the first dose can result in far more superior protection against the virus. In this study, Seyed Moghadas at York University in Toronto, Canada, and colleagues suggest that delaying the second dose could improve the effectiveness of vaccine programs. The emergence of novel, more contagious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants in several countries and the potential for their widespread transmission have led to a public health conundrum regarding whether to vaccinate more individuals with the first dose of available vaccines and delay the second dose or to prioritize completion of the 2-dose series based on tested schedules in clinical trials, the researchers wrote. Moghadas and colleagues built a mathematical model that simulated COVID-19 transmission based on various delayed second dose vaccination schedules. Their model simulated several scenarios that included a range of levels of pre-existing immunity in the population. Along with that, they also considered decreased vaccine efficacy of the first dose when followed by a longer interval between doses. Their results show that for Moderna vaccines, a delay of at least nine weeks could maximize vaccination program effectiveness and avert at least an additional 17.3 infections and 0.69 hospitalizations per 10,000 people. An additional 0.34 deaths for every ten thousand people could be prevented as compared to the recommended four-week interval between two doses. For Pfizer vaccines, another 0.60 hospitalizations and 0.32 deaths could be prevented for every 10,000 people if a nine-week delayed second dose strategy is implemented as compared to the three-week recommended gap between the first and second doses. However, the researchers observed that there was no advantage in delaying the second Pfizer vaccine for reducing the number of infections. Despite this, the researchers further wrote, Broader population-level protection against COVID-19 in a delayed second dose strategy, even with lower individual-level efficacy from the first dose in the short term, may improve the impact of vaccination compared to the recommended 2-dose strategy that provides more complete protection to a smaller subset of the population. The authors further note that the study has limitations. The first is that key data on the durability of vaccine-induced immunity following the first (if the second dose is delayed) are still lacking. Also, the researchers model assumptions were conservative and based on limited empirical evidence available. For instance, in the base-case scenario, the researchers assumed that the estimated protection efficacy of vaccines against Covid-19 and severe disease remained intact until the administration of the second dose. They added that further studies are required to determine the ideal time between doses for every vaccine. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/anuradhavaranasi/2021/04/27/could-delaying-the-second-dose-of-covid-19-vaccines-help-in-avoiding-more-infections--hospitalizations/ |
Are Rare Cases Of Myocarditis Linked To Pfizer, Moderna Covid-19 Vaccines? | The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is looking further into 14 cases of myocarditis after ... [+] vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccinated. (Photo by United States Forces Korea via Getty Images) United States Forces Korea via Getty Images There are now reports of 62 people in Israel and 14 people in the U.S. military being diagnosed with myocarditis after receiving Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. Well, lets get to the heart of the matter. Myocarditis is not the opposite of your-o-carditis but instead is a general term for inflammation of the heart muscles. The prefix myo stands for muscle, card stands for heart, and -itis stands for inflammation. According to The Times of Israel, Israel has had six people diagnosed with myocarditis after the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and 56 after the second dose. Two of the people have died, a 22-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man. The remaining 60 are reportedly in good condition after being treated in and discharged from the hospital. Given that over five million people have received the vaccine in Israel to date, these numbers would translate to myocarditis diagnoses in only one out of every 100,000 who received the second dose of the . Thats just 0.001% if you run the numbers on your abacus. Since most of the myocarditis cases have been in men below the age of 30, this number bumps up to one out of every 20,000 for those who are 16 to 30 years old. Israel has managed to vaccinated over half its total population. That and falling Covid-19 rates ... [+] have prompted the government to relax face mask requirements outdoors. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, as Patricia Kime reported for Military.com, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is looking further into the 14 such cases among U.S. military personnel, 13 of whom were diagnosed with myocarditis following their second dose of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. The one case of mycoarditis after the first dose was a person who had tested positive for Covid-19 three months prior. Among the military cases, 11 had received the Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccine, while three got the Pfizer/BioNTech one. With over 2.7 million military personnel having already received Covid-19 vaccines, myocarditis diagnoses comprise only 0.000516% of those vaccinated. Of course, just because something happens after an event doesnt necessarily mean that the two are linked. For example, people have surely used the bathroom sometime after watching the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. This alone doesnt necessarily mean that the show itself will actually lead to toilet trips. Similarly, researchers will have to determine whether the myocarditis diagnoses were coincidental or indeed linked to vaccination. This will entail going back to the cases and determine whether other possible causes of or risk factors for myocarditis were in play besides the vaccines. Naturally, inflammation of the heart is not a good thing. If someone were to ask you which body part you would like inflamed, dont choose the heart. In fact, dont choose any body part and back away from the person as quickly as possible, especially if he or she is carrying a hammer. Nevertheless, of all your organs, your heart is pretty darn important. In addition to being where the groove is, your heart pumps life-sustaining oxygen-carrying blood throughout your body. Contrary to what you may hear, your heart is not made out of gold, stone, cheating, or Skittles. Instead, your heart is predominantly made out of muscle. Messing with your heart muscles can impair your hearts blood pumping action and even eventually lead to heart failure. Plus, inflammation can interfere with the electrical system that maintains this pumping action, leading to abnormal heart rhythms, otherwise known as arrhythmias. Thats why possible signs of myocarditis include chest pain, abnormal heart rhythms, shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid retention, which may be more easily seen in your lower extremities. As you can see, symptoms of myocarditis can be fairly non-specific. Just because you feel chest pain after dropping a hundred pound watermelon on your chest or shortness of breath after seeing mac-n-cheese doesnt necessarily mean that you have myocarditis. However, if any of these symptoms are unexplained or persistent, call your doctor. Your heart wont tell you, dude, Ive got myocarditis. Rather, your doctor will have to perform tests to make the diagnosis, like an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, and blood tests. While myocarditis in general is fairly rare, lots of different things can cause the condition. For example, drugs such as cocaine and certain anti-cancer, anti-seizure, and antibiotic medications can lead to myocarditis. So can carbon monoxide and radiation to the chest. Myocarditis can also be part of diseases such as lupus, Wegener's granulomatosis, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu's arteritis. Then there are the infectious diseases. Bacteria (e.g., staphylococcus and streptococcus), fungi (e.g., candida, aspergillus, and histoplasma), parasites (e.g., trypanosoma cruzi and toxoplasma) and, of course, viruses can be culprits. On the virus list are adenoviruses, hepatitis B and C viruses, parvoviruses, herpes simplex viruses, echoviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, rubella, HIV, and possibly, drum roll please, the Covid-19 coronavirus. Yes, as I have covered before for Forbes, myocarditis cases have been popping up among those who have had Covid-19. The link has still not been super established. Its not completely clear yet whether the virus itself or the immune response to the virus may cause inflammation in your heart. Knowing the answers to these questions could help shed further light on what may happen with vaccination. Of course, getting a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine is not the same as getting infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus, otherwise known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). Repeat, the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine cannot give you Covid-19. The mRNA vaccines do not contain the whole virus and instead provides mRNA to your cells that your cells then use blueprints to make the spike proteins that stud the surface of the SARS-CoV2, making the virus look like a spiky massage ball. Just as Jennifer Anistons hair alone cant star in a reunion of the TV show Friends, the spike protein alone cant cause Covid-19. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the risk of myocarditis after vaccination would be the same as the risk of myocarditis from Covid-19. While these myocarditis cases do merit further investigation, such news alone isnt reason to sound alarm bells. The rates of myocarditis are still very, very, very low, and it has yet to be established whether the vaccine actually played a role in the myocarditis cases. For example, your odds of being severely injured by a toilet are about one in 10,000, based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. That doesnt mean that you should start singing, Do You really Want to Hurt Me, to your porcelain throne and start going potty in the woods instead. After all, nothing in this world is completely safe. Everything that you eat or put into your body every day brings some degree of risk. With so many people receiving Covid-19 vaccinations around the world, it wouldnt be completely surprising to have some adverse events emerge here and there. Whenever a possible adverse event pops up, dont press the panic button. Instead ask the following questions. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/04/27/are-rare-cases-of-myocarditis-linked-to-pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccines/ |
Why Complexity Science Has Relevance To Building AI Leadership Brain Trust? | This blog is a continuation of the Building AI Leadership Brain Trust Blog Series which targets board directors and CEOs to accelerate their duty of care to develop stronger skills and competencies in AI in order to ensure their AI programs achieve sustaining results. My last few blogs introduced the theme and value of Science and stressed its importance to AI, and focused on the importance of AI professionals having some foundation in computing science as a cornerstone for designing and developing AI models and production processes. The Science blog series focused on three relevant disciplines to AI of 1.) computer science, 2.) complexity science and 3.) physics. This blog introduces the importance of the field of complexity science and its relationship to AI competencies. In the Brain Trust Series, I have identified over 50 skills required to help evolve talent in organizations committed to advancing AI literacy. The last few blogs have been discussing the technical skills relevancy. To see the full AI Brain Trust Framework introduced in the first blog, reference here. We are currently focused on the technical skills in the AI Brain Trust Framework Technical Skills: 1. Research Methods Literacy 2. Agile Methods Literacy 3. User Centered Design Literacy 4. Data Analytics Literacy 5. Digital Literacy (Cloud, SaaS, Computers, etc.) 6. Mathematics Literacy 7. Statistics Literacy 8. Sciences (Computing Science, Complexity Science, Physics) Literacy 9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Literacy 10.Sustainability Literacy Abstract of Big Data and Its Complexity. You do not see enough mention of complexity science in relationship to AI competency development. This really surprises me as complexity science is all about the traversing of disciplinary boundaries and occurs both within and between multiple systems. Complexity sciences have emerged through interdependent and overlapping influences from diverse fields, including concepts from: physics, economics, biology, sociology and computer science. Complexity sciences strive to understand relevant system phenomenon that is characterized by changes, and unpredictability. A system is a set of connected or interdependent things or agents (such as a person, a molecule, a species, or an organization). Both systems theory and complexity science focus on the relationships between these elements rather than on each element alone within the system. One of the important attributes of complexity science is that it produces emergence. Emergence is of particular importance in relationship to innovation where one needs to be patient and appreciate iterative inquiry and persistency. Based on everything I have learned over the past ten years in designing and developing AI models for diverse enterprise use cases from predicting forecasting outcomes on sales data sets to predicting customer call center churn rates to even reviewing AI models that predict which customers in online gaming industries will have the propensity to become a VIP customer, there is always one constant reality. AI projects that are good never end. They are rooted in complexity sciences simply given so many variables are in play from complex data sets to continual refreshing and augmenting data sets to adding in new methods to increase the predictive accuracy or constantly ensuring the business users are applying the insights and actually advancing new outcomes versus AI models standing like soldiers in isolation of human decision making. Emergence not only happens in innovation processes but emergence in particular occurs when random events combine to produce outcomes that have observable patterns but are unpredictable and are difficult to reproduce. Examples of unpredictable events could well be Covid-19s mutating variants, stock market valuations, viral videos, AI deep learning models etc. Complexity science has been a transformational element in the physical and biological sciences since the 1970s. However, it has only been in the last decade that the relevance of complexity science to business has begun to be appreciated in full. The applications to business and to business thinking is profound, and in many ways counterintuitive. As AI starts to revolutionize business processes and business thinking, it increases the value that the knowledge of complexity science and its implications are all the more important. An example of complexity in AI is that neural networks are a representation of a complex and dynamic system. AI neural networks leverage diverse disciplines from non-linear dynamics to solid state physics, and human brain physiology, and even parallel computing disciplines. One of the increasing developments underway bringing AI and complexity sciences together is the understanding that we live in a highly creative and unpredictable world where the system (the world) we live in must adapt to unforeseeable changes that represent new possibilities or new opportunities. Appreciating more holistically the dynamics and complexities of all the factors around AI enablements is a key area for evaluating AI maturity in businesses, resulting in more holistic approaches and better risk management practices. Hence, ensuring that companies value disciplines like complexity science and holistic system thinking operating frameworks will improve the appreciation of AI and also enable our world to adapt to a world with AI. 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) These are some starting questions above to help guide leaders to understand their talent mix in appreciating the value of complexity science disciplines to augment the specializations in artificial intelligence or data sciences in enterprise advanced analytics functions. Summary Board directors and CEOs need to understand their talent depth in complexity sciences to ensure that their AI programs are optimized more for success. Ensuring talent in AI has diverse disciplines is key to ensuring AI investments are successful, and continued investments are made to help them evolve and achieve the value to support humans in augmenting their decision making, or improving their operating processes. The last blog in the three blog science literacy series will further extend the AI Brain Trust Framework, and explore some of the foundations of physics relevant to artificial intelligence More Information: To see the full AI Brain Trust Framework introduced in the first blog, reference here. To learn more about Artificial Intelligence, and the challenges, both positive and negative, refer to The AI Dilemma, to guide leaders foreward. Note: If you have any ideas, please do advise as I welcome your thoughts and perspectives. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cindygordon/2021/04/26/why-complexity-science-has-relevance-to-building-ai-leadership-brain-trust/ |
Why Physics has Relevancy To Artificial Intelligence And Building AI Leadership Brain Trust? | This blog is a continuation of the Building AI Leadership Brain Trust Blog Series which targets board directors and CEOs to accelerate their duty of care to develop stronger skills and competencies in AI in order to ensure their AI programs achieve sustaining results. My last two blogs introduced value of science and stressed its importance to AI, and focused on the importance of AI professionals having some foundation in computing science as a cornerstone for designing and developing AI models and production processes, as well as the richness of complexity sciences and appreciating that integrating diverse disciplines into complex AI programs is key for successful returns on investments (ROI). This blog introduces the importance of physics and explores its relationship to AI as often I see AI solutioning teams missing physics skills in the solutioning constructs - which I believe is a strategic mistake for many complex AI programs. Its important for C levels to understand that AI is not a singular discipline it requires many other skills to get the solution architecture right. So deeply understand the business problem in front of you - and the more complex the problem is the increased value physicists will have in guiding you forward. Atomic molecule on blackboard getty In the Brain Trust Series, I have identified over 50 skills required to help evolve talent in organizations committed to advancing AI literacy. The last few blogs have been discussing the technical skills relevancy. To see the full AI Brain Trust Framework introduced in the first blog, reference here. We are currently focused on the technical skills in the AI Brain Trust Framework Technical Skills: 1. Research Methods Literacy 2. Agile Methods Literacy 3. User Centered Design Literacy 4. Data Analytics Literacy 5. Digital Literacy (Cloud, SaaS, Computers, etc.) 6. Mathematics Literacy 7. Statistics Literacy 8. Sciences (Computing Science, Complexity Science, Physics) Literacy 9. There are so many aspects of physics that can be applied to AI hence, it does not take one long to appreciate the value of this science discipline. One of the most significant discoveries in physics was the Higgs Boson Particle, often referred to as the God Particle which was discovered using an AI neural network to help identify complex patterns in particle collisions. The last blog stressed the importance of complexity science and the most important aspect of physics is that this discipline teaches you about how to understand and decompose complex processes. In prior blogs, I stressed that the importance of building an AI model requires three main enablements: 1) collecting and analyzing the data 2.) developing the AI model and 3.) evaluating the model outcomes and determining value. Each of these areas has relevance to physics and a strong AI expert will appreciate the value that physics know-how can bring to enable engineering teams to tackle the most complex problems in the world. Lets start first with data analysis. There are many forms of machine learning approaches, but the one that has the closest linkages to physics is neural networks which are trained to identify complex patterns, as well as find new patterns. Examples of how AI can be applied to solve a physics problem would be to classify thousands of images and be able to identify black holes, being able to detect subtle changes in light around objects is an example of the disciplines coming together. Physics professionals also use terms like gravitational lensing for image analysis using neural networks to tease out the classifications to finer levels of details, while AI specialists simply say image processing. What is always a challenge in diverse disciplines is geek speak often confusing business leaders who cannot decipher the language meanings. In addition, many acclaimed physicists purport that they are the major contributors to advancing the AI field, so rivalry friction exists in these disciplines as well, and pardon the pun. Neural networks are particularly good at enabling AI models to be able to detect changes in radio waves or even earths gravitational waves, or to determine when specific rays may the hit earths atmosphere and provide timing insights as well. Being able to encode different particle behavior and observe their subtle changes over time provides a rich bed of AI modelling analysis and interpretability for physicists to have deeper mathematical calculation insights to encode their observations more accurately. Other physics terms that underlie neural networks include: compressibility or conductivity. What is even more exciting in bringing these two disciplines together is the area of quantum tomography, which equates to measuring the changes in a quantum state which has innovation relevance to quantum computing. Tomography is an exciting field which analyzes images by sections or sectioning through the use of any kind of penetrating wave. This method is used in diverse areas including: radiology, atmospheric sciences, geophysics, oceanography, plasma physics, astrophysics, quantum information, and other science areas. Its applications are endless and very exciting. Machine learning methods help to advance physics, as well as physics has value and relevance to machine learning. The high computational value of machine learning is allowing physicists to tackle even more complex problems, like in simulating global climatic change leveraging geometric surfaces and applying deep learning onto curved surfaces. An Imperial College computer scientist, Michael Bronstein and his researchers, helped to advance geo-metric deep learning methods and determined that going beyond the Euclidean plane would require them to reimagine one of the basic computational procedures that made neural networks so effective at 2D image recognition in the first place. This procedure lets a layer of the neural network perform a mathematical operation on small patches of the input data and then pass the results to the next layer in the network. Without going into too many details these researchers re-imagined these approaches and recognized that a 3D shape bent into two different poses like a bear standing up or a bear sitting down were all instances of the same objects vs two distinct objects. Hence the term Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) was born. This type of network specializes in processing data in a grid like topology, such as an image, and each neuron works in its own receptive reference field and is connected to other neurons in a way that they cover the entire visual field, so after analyzing thousands of images of a cat or a dog this problem is not as difficult as there is easy access to this data set. CNNs can detect rotated or reflected features in flat images without having to train on specific examples of the features and spherical CNNs can create feature maps from data on the surface of a sphere without distorting them as flat projections. The applications are endless and very exciting to physicists where object surface detection is key in their research methods. Unlike finding cancerous tumors from diverse lung photos, finding medically accurate, quality labelling validated is a more difficult challenge to achieve. In a government and academic research project they used a convolutional network (CNN) to detect cyclones in the data using newer gauge CNN detection method which was able to detect cyclones at close to 98% accuracy. A gauge CNN would theoretically work on any curved surface of any dimensionality The implications for climate monitoring using physics and AI techniques is unprecedented with these advancements. Summary In summary, both physics and machine learning have some similarity. Both disciplines are focused on making accurate observations and both build models to predict future observations. One of the terms that often physicists use is co-variance which means that physics should be independent of which kind or rule is used or what kind of observers are involved which nets out to simply stresses independent thinking. 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) These are some starting questions above to help guide leaders to understand their talent mix in appreciating the value of diverse science disciplines to augment the AI solution delivery teams in enterprises. I believe that board directors and CEOs need to understand their talent depth in science disciplines in addition to AI disciplines to ensure that their complex AI programs are optimized more for success. The last three blogs, including this one looked at three disciplines 1) Computing Science 2.) Complexity Science and this one on Physics - all written to reinforce the important that science disciplines are key to ensuring AI investments are successful, and continued investments are made to help them evolve and achieve the value to support humans in augmenting their decision making, or improving their operating processes. The next blog in this AI Brain Trust series will discuss a general foundation of the key AI terms and capabilities to provide more knowledge to advance the C-Suite to get AI right and achieve more sustaining success. More Information: To see the full AI Brain Trust Framework introduced in the first blog, reference here. To learn more about Artificial Intelligence, and the challenges, both positive and negative, refer to my new book, The AI Dilemma, to guide leaders foreward. Note: If you have any ideas, please do advise as I welcome your thoughts and perspectives. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cindygordon/2021/04/27/why-physics-has-relevancy-to-artificial-intelligence-and-building-ai-leadership-brain-trust/ |
Could 1960s Smallpox Vaccination Strategies Help Eradicate Covid Today? | Ring vaccination focuses on inoculating contacts of known cases. AFP via Getty Images Dr. Mark Kortepeter, a physician and biodefense expert, discusses the concept of ring vaccination, which focuses on inoculating the contacts of people who test positive, rather than the entire population. At the beginning of this year, it was great to watch the precipitous decline of Covid-19 cases across the U.S. Unfortunately, the numbers plateaued in late February and are inching up in tandem with hospitalizations. This is despite the fact that over 200 million doses of vaccines have been given in the U.S. thus far, and more Americans are vaccinated every day. In response to this rise, a recent Washington Post article noted that Michigan officials have pleaded with the White House for more vaccine doses, but the administration decided to stick to allocations based on state populations, and that vaccine arent rapid response tools for outbreaks. It may be instructive to note that, a) vaccines have indeed been used as rapid response tools for outbreaks, and b) when the current plan is not working (i.e. trying to vaccinate the entire population), then it is useful to step back and reconsider the strategy. Here is where history could help us. What History Can Teach Us In 1966, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a massive, global program to eliminate the dreaded scourge of smallpox. At the time, there were still millions of cases occurring worldwide. By 1980, smallpox disease was eliminated from the face of the earth. The virus was locked up in two repositories one in the U.S. and one in the former Soviet Union - and it hasnt escaped since. Initially, the WHO was using a similar vaccination strategy to what the U.S. is using currently they were trying to vaccinate large populations in every country where smallpox occurred. Surprisingly, despite high vaccination rates, outbreaks still occurred. In Nigeria, while trying to deal with an outbreak of smallpox and a critical shortage of smallpox vaccine, Dr. William Foege, the Nigeria country manager for the WHOs program, made a decision that would change the course of history. He launched a strategy known as surveillance and containment, which is also known as ring vaccination. With this approach, rather than trying to vaccinate everyone, they instead focused on finding where the cases were occurring and used their limited vaccine supplies to vaccinate contacts of known cases, followed by contacts of the contacts. This proved highly effective in reducing disease, and it was adopted by the eradication effort worldwide. The end result was elimination of smallpox from humans. Dr. Foeges reputation in the pantheon of public health leaders was sealed. He would later go on to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health institutions. This same ring vaccination strategy has been used more recently to fight Ebola virus during the massive West Africa outbreak in 2014-16. It proved highly effective, and it has since been used as a tool in subsequent outbreaks. I dont know. There are some key differences with smallpox that made it ideal for ring vaccination compared to Covid-19. When someone has smallpox, you dont have to be a rocket scientist to recognize the characteristic skin lesions. Villagers could report possible cases without even having a confirmatory blood test. Not so with Covid-19, since the virus could be confused with multiple other respiratory illnesses, and even some cases are asymptomatic. But this challenge could be overcome with rapid diagnostics and rapid case reporting. The other advantage in favor of ring vaccination for smallpox was someone could be exposed to smallpox and still be protected with the vaccine, if they received the vaccine within a few days. This would be a greater challenge with Covid-19, because the time period from exposure to illness (the incubation period) of a few days is much shorter than that of smallpox. Because of this, it would take some thought on how to put this concept into action with some variation on the smallpox and Ebola experiences. 1) A very rapid laboratory reporting system to a central database for any newly diagnosed cases. 2) States, cities, and counties would have to designate mobile strike teams that could move rapidly in their jurisdictions to identify the newly infected individuals. 3) The teams would have to rapidly determine who each patients close contacts have been and vaccinate them as soon as possible. This may seem like a huge lift, but not anything near as difficult as going from sequencing a brand new virus to putting a brand new vaccine in peoples arms in mere months, as happened with Covid-19. Its a logistics challenge (rapid information sharing, mobile teams, and keeping the vaccine cold in transit), rather than a scientific one. Possibly, if done right. But like anything new, you couldnt follow exactly the same model as with either Ebola or smallpox. If you consider a theoretical set of rings like those on a target, the bullseye is the patient. The first ring around them is family members. The next ring is equivalent to co-workers or neighbors. If this were a college dorm and a student is the bullseye, the first ring is the roommate. The next ring is the other students in the same entryway or hallway. The next ring is the entire dormitory. You get the picture. Once a new patient is diagnosed with Covid-19, it might already be too late to vaccinate someones closest contacts in their household. You might decide to start with vaccinating those in the second or third rings, or their surrounding neighborhoods or communities. With this strategy, youd be targeting the hottest spots to try and get ahead of where the virus is headed. To use the classic hockey analogy: you want to skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has already left. This approach is not a standalone one, nor a guarantee of success, but it might offer some ability to turn the corner or get ahead of the outbreak. It could be modified based on real time data on what works and doesnt work. Given how we are losing this latest battle with the virus, new strategies must be considered. Adding ring vaccination to our current mass vaccine campaign and other public health measures is worth a shot, as one more tool in our toolbox. Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus | https://www.forbes.com/sites/coronavirusfrontlines/2021/04/26/could-1960s-smallpox-vaccination-strategies-help-eradicate-covid-today/ |
When Is The Los Angeles Housing Market Going To Crash? | Getty Images Wow! What a difference a year makes. Just over a year ago, as we entered the Coronavirus lockdown, it seemed you might not be able to give away some houses, and in-person showings were completely shut down in Los Angeles. Now, we appear to be in the midst of one of the hottest national housing markets since before the financial crisis. With so few homes on the market, Im sure there are a few home shoppers praying for the Los Angeles housing market to crash. As a Los Angeles financial planner, who has grown up in Southern California, I have seen the real estate market boom and bust over the years. I am also fortunate enough to see the long-term trend of real estate prices going up, up, and up over time. Most of the homebuying discussed here could apply to any housing market that may or may not be coming up on a crash. Last year, overall, the increase in home prices nationally was 17.2%. In Austin, Texas, the median listing price for a house rose 40% in one year. -Axios Markets, April 11, 2021, In Los Angeles County, the median sales price rose (just) 14.3% to $708,500 in February, while sales climbed 19.1%. The Hancock Park home of the British Counsul General, where the Royal couple will be staying during ... [+] their visit to Los Angeles. LAPD Cheif Beck has also warned the paparazzi to stay away from the area, and has given orders to arrest them if they attempt to shoot on private property. The street will also be shut down and open only to area residents. There is always a risk of losing money on a home in Southern California, including high-cost areas like most of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills. There is obviously more risk when prices are as high as they appear to be now, paired with a housing shortage, record-low interest rates, and what appears to be a buying frenzy. But unless someone discovers some hidden land that tens of thousands of homes can, magically, be built (quickly), there is little reason to expect a crash in the Los Angeles housing market. As a financial planner, I must point out that the Los Angeles housing market crashing and you getting misguided into an unwise home purchase are not necessarily the same thing. Prices may soften, or you may get sucked into (way) overpaying for a home. Or perhaps, you buy your dream home only to find your dream job is in another town, and you are forced to move. The only other thing that could really cause a crash in the Los Angeles housing market would be a wave of Coronavirus-related foreclosures. If for some reason, everyone had to sell at the same time, prices could drop. Even this would likely only put a dent in the frenzy around home buying, and I dont see this as a likely possibility with all the government support to keep us out of another great recession. Unlike the financial crisis, most homeowners had to qualify for their mortgages based on their incomes at some point, and most have a larger equity cushion than average homeowners had before the real estate market crash during the great recession. Timing the Los Angeles Housing Market The best home-purchasing advice I can give you is to buy the right house for you at the right time. If you own a home that you like and live in for the long-term, then most short-term market pressure on real estate shouldnt matter because you likely wont be forced to sell during what would likely be a temporary downturn. I will use my grandmother as an example. When she sold her home in the Greater Los Angeles Area and moved into a new retirement home, it was during the 90s housing recession in SoCal. She received less than half of what she expected from selling her home. While that seemed like a bad decision, she ended up coming out ahead, thanks to her decision to purchase her retirement home on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. Her new homes value quadrupled over the decade that she lived there. Beyond money, her house on Balboa Island was a better fit for her lifestyle and much more fun for our large extended family to visit regularly. I should also point out that she lived in her Los Angeles home for more than 40 years, raised her six children there, and it still sold for nearly 600% more than what she paid. Time in the housing market is key to making a healthy profit and not having to worry much about short-term volatility in Los Angeles housing prices. If nothing else, if you get a 30-year fixed mortgage - and make 360 payments you will own your home outright. It has been reported that more than 42% of homes in Los Angeles have been selling for over the asking price. Certain areas, and price points, are going to see an even higher percentage of homes selling for more than asking. There are a lot more people who are desperately trying to buy one-million-dollar homes than 100-million-dollar homes. Under normal circumstances, I would try and talk you out of bidding up a house price in Los Angeles. However, in the current Los Angeles real estate market, those buying houses on the lower end of price points in their zip codes (a vacant lot in West Hollywood would likely set you back 3-4x the median house cost of a home in Los Angeles) may want to consider being a bit more aggressive with their offers. I love a good bargain, and saving a few thousand dollars off the purchase price is excellent if it works but terrible if you lose out on the perfect home. Ok, so you are shopping in Los Angeles; Im not sure the dream home exists unless you have several million dollars to spend. The more money you have to spend on a Los Angeles home, the more options you may have to purchase, with less competition. Set a maximum housing budget that you can afford, which should be less than the maximum mortgage you qualify for. (The only exception here is the self-employed who may have to be a bit more creative to get a large mortgage). Try to avoid getting sucked into a bidding war where you end up spending way more than the house is worth, or worse, spending more than you can really afford. Being house poor is the worst. Getty Images How to Lose Money on Los Angeles Real Estate As a Los Angeles financial planner, many of my clients have owned homes, some since before my parents were even born. Value has gone up and down, but if you own your home long enough, historically, it has been hard to lose money on California real estate. In the short term, it is quite easy to lose money. I will admit that I had bad timing on my first Los Angeles home purchase. My home was purchased a bit after the real estate peak before the financial crisis, but before all hell broke loose. The single-family home in the Beverly Grove area likely lost about a third of its value during the financial crisis and likely about 50% off its peak value. I was lucky enough to purchase it for around $300,000 less than the original listing price. Some neighbors purchased homes on my block for $400,000 less than what I paid. Well, I had no plans of selling or need to move, and I still own the home. Luckily, it is now worth more than double what I paid for it. When purchasing a home, make sure you will be comfortable living there for at least five years. Purchasing a home often entails financial sacrifice, so make sure you can afford the home (and associated expenses) without having to reduce your standard of living too much. Try to avoid taking on a house remodel project that you cant handle or afford. Whether you are shopping in the hills, Santa Monica or South of the 10, the entire Los Angeles Real ... [+] Estate Market is on fire. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Mortgage Rates and Buying an LA Home With interest rates still near record lows, we have to expect that they will increase at some point in the future. This will put pressure on housing prices by making mortgage payments more expensive. Higher interest rates will likely cool the frenzy of home buyers, but this is not expected to be a strong enough effect to crash a housing market. It may be tempting to sell now during the sizzling housing market. If you are looking to leave LA or downsize from a single-family home to a condo, now may be a great time to sell. If you are looking to sell and just buy another place in the LA area, you will be selling in a hot market while also buying in a hot market, which after paying real estate fees and any capital gains taxes, your money may not go that far when shopping for your new home. While I dont see a crash coming, I would tread lightly when shopping for a new home in Los Angeles. Dont let irrational exuberance force you into an unwise home purchase. Owning a home is still part of the American Dream, but losing money on a home can put a big dent in your overall financial security. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrae/2021/04/27/when-is-the-los-angeles-housing-market-going-to-crash/ |
Are Organizational Leaders Asking The Right Questions? | Founder and Principal Psychologist of Wellbeing Face, a thriving global psychology leadership coaching practice. getty There is a skill involved in asking the "right" question and phrasing it in a way that elicits the real information you want to learn and know. Being able to ask key questions can shift thinking, facilitate change and bring a deeper level of understanding and connection. Therefore, it's an essential skill all effective leaders need to develop and practice. Many leaders find it challenging to ask the right type of question, and the questions they ask are too narrow, loaded with judgment or assumptions, or simply too confusing for the listener to respond to. Many of us fear exploring and asking curious questions of others to understand their views and opinions. One reason for this is that the why question gets drilled out of us from a young age. We are taught to be confident and in the know. Often well spend our time researching to find the answers, so our questions soon become answered, and we are not in the phase of "I dont know." In the absence of answers, we will often come up with our own assumptions based upon our own biases and lenses of seeing the world, which are not accurate reflections of others views and opinions. Interestingly, the global pandemic has caused leaders across the world to look at things differently rather than going out to find answers, they are pausing to reflect within and spending more time wondering if they are asking the "right" questions about their organizations and the ways they lead. For example, rather than asking questions such as who, when, where or which or closed yes-no questions, leaders are asking bigger, wider and all-encompassing questions such as why, how and what. For example, one talent director I know asked his team, "Where are we going to attract the right talent from? To his amazement, he didnt get the depth of response he was searching for from his team, so he changed the question to, How can we strengthen our employee value proposition to attract the talent we need? This latter question elicited a far greater, richer and more innovative response for addressing the organizations issue of talent attraction. This illustrates how the way a question is asked can determine what follows. The Importance Of How Questions Are Framed The art of framing questions involves ensuring the right question is asked in the right way, using the right language and tone. This has important implications for not only shifting our assumptions but also creating new possibilities, insight, innovation and action. In other words, questions have the power to open the door to exploration and dialogue. For example, you could ask, "What does being the best healthcare system in the world mean?" Or you could ask, "How can we be the best healthcare system in the world?" The subtle yet powerful shift in ownership and intent is reflected in the latter question, which highlights the impact of reframing questions, where leaders are becoming more aware of asking the right questions of their teams. The Benefits Of Asking The Right Questions Learning the art of crafting thoughtful and curious questions of your teams can lead to: Focused intention, strategy and energy. Opening the door to change. A future of possibilities and options. Discovery of underlying assumptions, beliefs and values. Motivation for fresh thinking. Open reflection and collaboration. Rich and meaningful stories. Key Questions I Ask My Clients As I work with global senior leaders, the art of framing questions in the right way and at the right time is paramount in enabling my coaching clients to experience a shift in their thinking, both logical and emotional. Therefore, I need to listen very carefully to both what they say and what they dont say to be able to craft the best questions to facilitate their thinking. As you can imagine, each question can elicit rich and insightful information and create a breakthrough in thinking and behavior. While some organizations now specifically hire dedicated teams to focus on developing the right strategic questions for their organizations to focus on, many leaders also invest in executive coaching to help their leaders experience what it's like to be asked the right questions. Four Tips To Develop Your Questioning Skills 1. At the outset, be super clear on what you really want to find out. 2. Ask an open and broad question that starts with "what," "how" or "to what extent" 3. Why now?" 4. Listen attentively to each response, and then say, "Tell me more. Why is that so?" Drilling down on the why question in a compassionate and conversational way enables a deeper level of understanding and sharing and allows for a more positive and productive exchange to occur. Couple this question with refined listening skills such as reflecting, summarizing, and mirroring the persons language and terms of expression to help you hear what the other person is really saying and to make the other person feel heard. Asking the right questions has the power to help you and your team become unstuck, shift your thinking, facilitate change and create possibilities. Rather than spending so much time finding the answers, spend your time wisely by crafting the right questions. All the answers will follow. Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/04/27/are-organizational-leaders-asking-the-right-questions/ |
How Will Consumers Relationship With Data And Real-World Digital Applications Evolve In 2021? | Adam Goodyer is the founder and CEO of Realife Tech, providing data-based personalized digital experiences for the worlds biggest venues getty In todays hyper-connected world, were seeing our environments become digital-first, where nearly every piece of consumers lives are online. Everything from banking to reserving parking spaces to buying train tickets to ordering dinner through delivery services is online and trackable. Our relationship with the world around us is poised to change fundamentally, as our relationship with data can currently be looked at as a one-way street. Consumers are often unsure of how or why their data is being collected and used by companies, and many dont feel actively engaged in the decision to provide their information. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the relationship between consumer and brand to a new level, and were now seeing a broader view of how we interact with digital applications in the real world and what those active permissions should look like. Its the challenge of companies, innovators and policymakers to understand how to create a data environment that is completely open, transparent and considers the consumers relationship with the brands and entities that are collecting, storing and using their data. This will usher in a new paradigm of data interaction for consumers around the world, as this is the time for brands to be bold and embrace open data in real-world environments. Our current relationship with data In any situation where consumer data is being collected and analyzed, were used to giving companies permission to access our personal data. This looks like messages at the bottom of a screen asking to track cookies or a request for location, which many of us accept and continue onto the site to view the content we came for. In fact, studies show that the majority of internet users dont read terms and conditions, and 88% of users are known to ignore or close accept cookies banners. However, the pandemic has raised a new reason to require active permission to access data, as tracking and tracing efforts have risen to curb the spread of the virus. As part of their Pandemic Technology Project, MIT Technology Review even created a Covid Tracking Tracer, a database of contact tracing and exposure notification apps around the world, examining the policies surrounding them. In the U.S, this method of data collection was integrated seamlessly into the technology that consumers are already using, as iPhone users in many states were able to turn on exposure notifications in their mobile settings. Tracking apps around the world also used integrated technology with downloadable apps, such as the NHS Covid-19 app for users across England and Wales, which generates a random ID for an individuals device without sharing personal data with the government or the NHS. These applications with real-world implications have ushered in a whole new era of data interaction, as users will have to actively work together with new technology solutions that are put in place to keep them safe, rather than blindly bypassing requests for cookies or locations. What this means for accessing personal data and tracking Its no secret that consumers arent sold on data collection just yet. According to a June 2019 study, about eight in 10 (81%) people say the potential risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to companies collecting data. However, as more companies roll out virtual functions and tech solutions that require increased data collection and even location tracking to provide not only safety but also a superior customer experience and tailored content to audiences needs and preferences, we may see their relationship with data collection change forever. Examples of this can be seen at any point in a customers journey across daily tech touchpoints, including retail stores, dining establishments and entertainment venues. At concerts and sports games, in-stadium location data can be used as a way to keep visitors away from crowded, congested areas and help them avoid long lines at bathrooms and concessions. This type of customer tracking can work in their favor to create a frictionless, safe real-world experience in event spaces. Were also seeing examples of this in real-world shopping experiences, like Amazons cashless, contactless, cashier-less Go stores unveiled in 2018 that rely on surveillance via hundreds of ceiling-mounted cameras that track customers every move after they scan a QR code at the entrance. As customers begin to see more requests to gather information that will help give them a better experience, public opinion may start to shift. Currently, only 5% of adults say they benefit a great deal from the data companies collect about them, and 84% say they feel very little or no control over the data collected about them by companies. However, public opinion may improve if data collection is approached from a more open standpoint where consumers feel they have control and benefit from the collection. Looking at the examples from years past and trends emerging in 2021 already, the opportunity for the evolution of open data is clear: Companies need to truly embrace transparency and active permissions, both in real-world experiences and digital applications. Data ownership isnt whats up for debate here each individual owns their own data, although as brands own the channels that are used to communicate that data, the relationship between consumer and brand has to be open. Creating a relationship with customers built on trust and a willful value exchange can lead to a deep and genuine understanding between brand and customer. However, that will only happen when theres full knowledge and transparency around how data is used and how and when it can be accessed. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/04/26/how-will-consumers-relationship-with-data-and-real-world-digital-applications-evolve-in-2021/ |
Should The Future Of CX Include Customer Behavior Scorecards? | CTO and Founder at CallMiner. Responsible for strategic direction across business development, research and artificial intelligence. Getty As consumers, were used to being asked to rate our customer service experiences. Just think of the last time you called your internet provider when your connection went out or a delivery company to find a lost package I guarantee you were asked if you would be willing to stay on the line after the call to take a brief survey. In the customer experience (CX) world, rating customer service agents is the norm, but very few companies rate customers in return. Now, put yourself in the shoes of a customer service agent. Each day you interact with between 80 and 100 customers, fielding their questions and meeting their needs. One afternoon, an angry customer begins calling you offensive names and cursing. Thats hard enough, but when you finally get off that call, youre expected to immediately engage with another customer. Most of us would agree that this type of customer behavior is completely unacceptable, but its still all too common within enterprise contact centers. And its a big reason agent turnover rates are between 30% and 45% globally and the average tenure for entry-level agents is only about one year. Thats not to say agents dont quit for other reasons, like poor training and low salary. But feeling underappreciated in a very stressful job ranks as one of the top reasons on almost every attrition report. Further, high agent turnover rates make it difficult for organizations to maintain good customer service agents and even harder to find and retain effective managers not to mention the cost associated with hiring and onboarding new agents. Its not hard to see how potential abuse from customers could impact an organizations customer service capabilities and bottom line. My colleague, Conrad Liburd, and I recently spoke to Adrian Swinscoe on his podcast about bias in data and algorithms and what companies can learn from that data to improve both customer and employee experience. Conrad is a former contact center rep and now an AI engineer, and he perfectly presented the case for why rating customers is a good idea: There are literally customers who call in just to abuse the agents. Theyre not looking for anything but a fight. By giving agents more control, or at least feedback, were creating a structure that makes agents feel empowered and valued. More companies are investing in programs and solutions that pay close attention to what call center agents say (or dont say), but paying attention to what customers are saying can be just as important. Thats because when employees are happy in their jobs, productivity goes up. So, companies that take a proactive approach to ensuring mutual respect between customers and contact center agents (or any employee, for that matter) stand to gain more than just reducing turnover. Take a page out of ride-share practices. Were all familiar with Ubers customer scoring model Im sure you even know, with some degree of certainty, what your personal user rating is. The goal of this customer scorecard is simple. Riders know that their rating influences whether the next driver is willing to pick them up, and the majority of riders are far more conscious of treating the driver and their vehicle with respect. It may seem unrealistic, but from a business perspective, there are multiple benefits that can come from customer behavior scoring: Empowering contact center agents: Implementing a customer scoring strategy and communicating it to your customers could empower agents to meet customer needs while improving their work environment. This kind of investment grows exponentially businesses that work to motivate their employees are more profitable than businesses that dont. And employees say they work harder when they feel appreciated. Increased service agent retention: A whopping 85% of employees stay longer at socially responsible companies, and these same practices can attract more workers. Its important to send a clear message that everyones experience matters. Higher employee retention and increased motivation can only mean improved CX and profitability. Establish mutual respect: A customer behavior scorecard has the potential to create an atmosphere where everyone is valued and respected. By valuing employees as much as you value customers, you acknowledge that respect is not a one-way street. Instead, respect becomes an expected and mandatory foundation. That said, organizations need to be prepared for inevitable pushback. There is no doubt that some customers will not agree with the system and decide to do business with brands that don't have customer behavior scorecards. Instead, organizations should focus on being transparent about scoring methods. Transparency is important to customers, and hiding behind poor interactions means you are keeping customers you might not want. Organizations also have to be diligent about checking their data and scoring systems for unintended biases against customers, just as they would with agents. Customers should never be scored lower because of a poor connection or an accent, for example. Organizations need to be prepared to constantly audit their scoring to ensure it's fair and unbiased. While creating a customer rating system like Ubers doesnt make sense for every business, prioritizing employee experience and encouraging mutual respect can have a multiplying effect on any companys bottom line. When customer service becomes a two-way street, everyone wins. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/04/27/should-the-future-of-cx-include-customer-behavior-scorecards/ |
What To Expect From Cornings Q1? | CORNING, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2015/10/09: Corning Inc. corporate headquarters. (Photo by John ... [+] Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images) LightRocket via Getty Images Corning stock (NYSE: GLW) is scheduled to report its Q1 2021 results on Tuesday, April 27. We expect Corning to likely post revenue and earnings slightly below the street expectations. The revenues are expected to trend higher led by improved demand for its optical fiber as well as premium glass business. The company expects glass supply to remain stressed, translating into a better pricing environment for Corning. We expect the company to navigate well through the quarter based on these trends. However, much of the positives appear to be priced in the current value of GLW stock. Our forecast indicates that Cornings valuation is around $46 per share, which is in-line with the current market price. Our interactive dashboard analysis on Cornings Pre-Earnings has additional details. (1) Revenues expected to be slightly below the consensus estimates Trefis estimates Cornings Q1 2021 revenues to be around $3.10 Bil, slightly below the $3.13 Bil consensus estimate. The gradual opening up of economies and vaccination programs in the U.S. has resulted in a pickup in economic activities, and this should bode well for Cornings businesses. The company will likely see increased demand for optical fiber amid 5G expansion. The company is also expected to see market share gains in Europe and China, especially for its gasoline particulate filters. Despite a challenging year, the company managed to grow its gasoline particulate filter sales in 2020, as Europe and China focus on new emission regulations. Looking back at Q4 2020, Cornings revenues grew 17% y-o-y and 11% sequentially to $3.3 Bil, with this led by strong growth for specialty materials and environmental technologies businesses, a trend expected to continue in the near term as well. Our dashboard on Cornings Revenues offers more details on the companys segments. 2) EPS also likely to be below the consensus estimates Cornings Q1 2021 earnings per share is expected to be $0.42 per Trefis analysis, slightly below the consensus estimate of $0.43. Cornings adjusted net income of $462 million in Q4 2020 reflected a 14% rise from its $406 million figure in the prior-year quarter. This can be attributed to higher revenues, a modest decline in net margins, and a modest rise in total shares outstanding. That said, the margins are improving going forward, led by a continued strong pricing environment. For the full-year 2021, we expect the EPS to be $2.00 compared to $1.38 in 2020. (3) All positives priced in the current stock value of $46 per share EPS Trefis Going by our Cornings Valuation, with an adjusted EPS estimate of around $2.00 and a P/E multiple of around 23x in 2021, this translates into a price of $46, which is in-line with the current market price. The companys P/E multiple (based on adjusted earnings) has already expanded from around 16x in 2018 and 2019 to 23x currently, and we dont expect any meaningful growth in the multiple in the near term. To sum it up, although the pandemic weighed on some of Cornings businesses in 2020, we believe that a rebound seen in demand over the recent quarters will likely continue in 2021, bolstering the companys top-line growth, while better pricing will translate into margin expansion. That said, we dont see any meaningful appreciation in GLW stock in the near term, given its strong 2.5x rally over the last one year or so. Note: P/E Multiples are based on Share Price at the end of the year and reported (or expected) Earnings for the full year While GLW stock may be fully valued, 2020 has created many pricing discontinuities which can offer attractive trading opportunities. For example, youll be surprised how counter-intuitive the stock valuation is for Canadian Pacific Railway vs. D R Horton DHI . See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs For CFOs and Finance Teams | Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2021/04/26/what-to-expect-from-cornings-q1/ |
What To Expect From Norfolk Southerns Q1? | UKRAINE - 2021/03/02: In this photo illustration, the stock market information of Norfolk Southern ... [+] Corporation displayed on a smartphone while the logo of Norfolk Southern Corporation seen in the background. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Norfolk Southern stock (NYSE: NSC) is scheduled to report its Q1 2021 results on Wednesday, April 28. We expect Norfolk Southern to likely post revenue and earnings above the street expectations, due to higher demand for railroad, especially intermodal, amid continued driver shortages being faced by the trucking industry. Norfolk Southern, in particular, derives more than a quarter of its revenues from the Intermodal segment. The overall rebound in the economy likely aided the freight revenues for its Merchandise segment, as well. We expect the company to navigate well based on these trends over the latest quarter. However, our forecast indicates that Norfolk Southerns valuation is around $264 per share, which is 6% below the $281 levels on the evening of Monday 26th April, implying the stock appears to be fully valued at the current levels of $281. Our interactive dashboard analysis on Norfolk Southerns Pre-Earnings has additional details. (1) Revenues expected to be slightly above the consensus estimates Trefis estimates Norfolk Southerns Q1 2021 revenues to be around $2.7 Bil, slightly above the $2.6 Bil consensus estimate. The gradual opening up of economies and vaccination programs in the U.S. has resulted in a pickup in economic activities, and this should bode well for Norfolk Southerns freight business. The trucking industry still faces a driver shortage, and railroad companies, including Norfolk Southern, likely benefited from this with higher intermodal revenues. Looking back at Q4 2020, the companys revenue declined 4% to $2.6 Bil, as a 5% growth in intermodal business was more than offset by a 20% decline in coal freight and a 5% decline in merchandise freight. While we expect coal freight to continue to face headwinds in the near term, amid lower demand for power and favorable natural gas prices, the demand for merchandise freight is likely to pick up with the opening up of the economy. Our dashboard on Norfolk Southerns Revenues offers more details on the companys segments. 2) EPS also likely to be above the consensus estimates Norfolk Southerns Q1 2021 earnings per share is expected to be $2.60 per Trefis analysis, slightly above the consensus estimate of $2.54. The companys net income of $671 Mil in Q4 2020 reflected a modest growth from its $666 Mil figure in the prior-year quarter. This can be attributed to lower operating costs, primarily fuel expenses, given the favorable prices in 2020, compared to that in 2019. We expect the margins to further improve going forward, driven by the companys focus to reduce its operating ratio from 69% in 2020 to less than 60%, as the current Covid-19 crisis winds down. For the full-year 2021, we expect the EPS to be $11.30 compared to $9.25 in 2020. (3) Stock price estimate 6% below the current market price Trefis Price Estimate For NSC Trefis Going by our Norfolk Southerns Valuation, with an EPS estimate of $11.30 and a P/E multiple of around 23x in 2021, this translates into a price of $264, which is 6% below the current market price of $281. At the current price of $281, Norfolk Southern is trading at 25x its expected EPS of $11.30 in 2021, and this compares with the P/E multiple of 16x and 19x figures seen in 2018 and 2019, respectively. However, it is lower than the 30x figure seen in late 2020, as the NSC stock along with the broader markets rallied in the hopes of a quicker economic rebound. Although the continued challenges in the coal and other energy freight business will have some impact on Norfolk Southerns overall revenue growth rate in the near term, we believe the demand for the merchandise and intermodal freight will see a rebound, driven by the resumption of economic activities and increased demand for transportation. However, these factors are already priced in the current stock value of $281 per share, in our view, implying there is not much room for growth for NSC stock in the near term. Note: P/E Multiples are based on Share Price at the end of the year and reported (or expected) Earnings for the full year While NSC stock looks fully valued, it is helpful to see how its peers stack up. Check out Canadian Pacific Railway Peer Comparisons to see how ISRG stock compares against peers on metrics that matter. You can find more such useful comparisons on Peer Comparisons. See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs For CFOs and Finance Teams | Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2021/04/27/what-to-expect-from-norfolk-southerns-q1/ |
Whats The Effect Of Netflix Missing Its Subscriber Growth Target? | IRELAND - 2021/02/07: In this photo illustration the Netflix logo seen displayed on a smartphone and ... [+] on a computer screen. (Photo Illustration by Cezary Kowalski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Netflix stock (NASDAQ: NFLX) dropped 7.5% in just the last one week (five trading days). The stock which now trades at $505 underperformed the broader market (S&P 500) which remained flat during the week. The fall in NFLX stock price followed the Q1 2021 results of the company. Though the company managed to beat analysts expectations about revenue and earnings, Netflixs global paid subscribers missed expectations by about 2.2 million. Global paid net subscriber additions for the first quarter were 3.98 million vs 6.2 million expected. To put things in perspective, the streaming giant added 8.51 million new subscribers in Q4 2020, much higher than its own forecast and analysts expectations of 6.06 million. For the full year it added 36.6 million subscribers, surpassing its previous record of 28.6 million in 2018. Lower subscriber addition in Q1 2021 was driven by rising competition in the streaming space along with the coronavirus pandemic making Netflix postpone some of its big-ticket content. With the number of Covid cases rising again, production and release of content is expected to get delayed further. We believe that there is a 52% chance of a rise in NFLX stock over the next month (21 trading days) based on our machine learning analysis of trends in the stock price over the last ten years. See our analysis on Netflix Stock Chances Of Rise for more details. Five Day: NFLX -7.5%, vs. S&P500 0.04%; Underperformed market (8% likelihood event) Netflix stock declined 7.5% over a 5-day trading period ending 4/23/2021, compared to a broader market (S&P500) rise of 0.04% over a 5-day trading period ending 4/23/2021, compared to a broader market (S&P500) rise of 0.04% A change of -7.5% or more over five trading days is a 8% likelihood event, which has occurred 213 times out of 2516 in the last ten years Five Day Performance Trefis Ten Day: NFLX -9%, vs. S&P500 1.4%; Underperformed market (10% likelihood event) Netflix stock declined 9.0% over the last ten trading days (two weeks), compared to the broader market (S&P500) rise of 1.4% over the last ten trading days (two weeks), compared to the broader market (S&P500) rise of 1.4% A change of -9% or more over ten trading days is a 10% likelihood event, which has occurred 262 times out of 2511 in the last ten years Twenty-One Day: NFLX -2.9%, vs. S&P500 7.7%; Underperformed market (32% likelihood event) Netflix stock declined 2.9% the last 21 trading days (one month), compared to the broader market (S&P500) rise of 7.7% the last 21 trading days (one month), compared to the broader market (S&P500) rise of 7.7% A change of -2.9% or more over 21 trading days is a 32% likelihood event, which has occurred 795 times out of 2500 in the last ten years Out of 213 instances in the last ten years that Netflix stock saw a five-day decline of 7.5% or more, 111 of them resulted in NFLX stock rising over the subsequent one-month period (21 trading days). This historical pattern reflects 111 out of 213, or about 52% chance of gain in NFLX stock over the coming month. See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs For CFOs and Finance Teams | Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2021/04/27/whats-the-effect-of-netflix-missing-its-subscriber-growth-target/ |
Are IRS Security Tools Blocking Millions Of People From Filing Electronically? | MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 22: A copy of a IRS 1040 tax form. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images The IRS struggles mightily to balance two goals: It desperately wants to encourage taxpayers to file their tax returns electronically rather than on paper. And it must protect filers against identify theft and other forms of fraud. The problem: The agencys security processes are preventing millions of people from filing electronically and are slowing refunds. And they threaten to once again bury the agency under more paper at a time when it still is trying to process 1.7 million tax returns from 2019. The IRS is rejecting legitimately e-filed returns because they are failing its security verification system. Full disclosure: This happened to me. But after I mentioned it to former National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson on the April 15 episode of TPCs webcast The Prescription, I heard from other taxpayers who faced the same problem this year. There appear to be two issues that, combined, are leading to these needlessly rejected e-filed returns. The AGI mismatch It starts with the agencys security protocols that require tax year 2020 taxpayers to report their 2019 adjusted gross income (AGI) before they can successfully e-file. This number, the agency hopes, will help it verify that filers are who they say they are. The IRS says taxpayers are supposed to use the AGI they reported on their 2019 return. If they didnt file in 2019, they should enter 0. The IRS often recalculates AGI when it reviews returns, but filers still should use the AGI they reported on their original 2019 return. Nothing good. The IRS will reject the 2020 e-filed return. And that can force filers to mail a paper return. Bad for taxpayers, especially if they are expecting a refund. And bad for the IRS, which really doesnt need to process any more paper. The cell phone glitch Thats where the second problem comes in. In theory, filers can find the source of the problem by double checking their 2019 AGI against IRS records. They can do that by getting a transcript of their 2019 Form 1040 through the IRS website IRS.gov. But this requires them to pass a multiple identity verification test. These requirements are intended to stop identity theft. But they have challenged legitimate filers for years. Filers must provide personal information such as their Social Security number and birthdate, postal mail and email addresses, and certain financial data such as a credit card number. And, crucially, they must provide the IRS with their cell phone number. It is unclear where the IRS gets the mobile numbers of taxpayers. But one person familiar with the IRS system says the cell phone matching system may fail as often as half the time. Overall, the National Taxpayer Advocate reported that in 2020, the IRS could authenticate the identities of only about four of every 10 taxpayers who tried to use IRS.gov. to access their information. If the IRS does not have an accurate record of your cell number, the only way to get a transcript is to request one by postal mail. The IRS promises youll get your return within 5-10 days. But the agency is so far behind processing paper that seems improbable. One person told me she has been waiting a month for a paper transcript. If that is typical and you make a request today, youll miss this years May 17 filing deadline. And, yes, that means youll have to file a paper return (or request an extension). 3.4 million rejected e-filers Out of about 100 million e-filed individual returns sent by April 9, the IRS says it has rejected about 3.4 million because of the AGI mismatch. I asked Turbo Tax, the largest seller of do-it-yourself tax filing software, how many of its customers had their e-filed returns rejected this year, but a spokesperson would not say. We do know that, according to IRS data, overall e-filing is down this year. As of April 9, it received about 1.2 million fewer e-filed returns than last season. However, last years numbers may be skewed because of the large number of people who e-filed to get their economic impact (stimulus) payments. We really wont know how bad the problem of rejected e-filed returns will be for at least another month, after last-minute filers crash head-on into either the AGI problem or the cell phone problem, or both. But we already know the IRSs well-intentioned but poorly executed system of authenticating taxpayer identities is needlessly sending filers to the post office, which is the last place anyone wants them to be. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2021/04/26/are-irs-security-tools-blocking-millions-of-people-from-filing-electronically/ |
Should We Sell In May And Go Away? | (Photo by Andrew Burton) Getty Images The Dow Jones Transportation Average (.DJT) traded to an all-time intraday high of 15,175.18 on Friday, above its monthly risky level at 15,152. Transports closed last week at 15,133.43, up 21% year-to date. The warning here is that this average is extremely overbought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) and S&P 500 (.SPX) are above their annual pivots at 33,425 and 3,932, respectively. These levels are now considered value levels. Both are extremely overbought. One upside target still not tested is the monthly risky level at 14,076 on the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC). The index traded as high as 14,062.49 on Friday, April 16. The Russell 2000 Index (.RUT) traded as high as 2,360.17 on March 15. The April high is 2,280.83 set on April 5, versus the monthly risky level at 2,324. This is a warning that the overall stock market could be in a topping out scenario. Its 12-week slow stochastic reading is declining. The Positives and Negatives The Federal Reserve balance sheet should continue to expand, which is a positive. On April 12 it totaled $7.793 trillion. This is up from $3.760 trillion in August 2019. The next Federal Reserve meeting is this week and Fed Chief Jerome Powell will unlikely to discuss when the purchase of U.S. Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities will be tapered. The federal funds rate will likely stay at its all-time low through 2022. I will be concerned if the FOMC ignores the recent rise in the Consumer Price Index. The Fed tends to follow the personal consumption expenditures deflator. This week about a third of the stocks in the S&P 500 will be reporting earnings. Good news appears to be priced-in. The market will also have eyes and ears on White House plans for spending and taxes. Key earnings reports come from Apple AAPL , Alphabet, Amazon AMZN , Facebook and Microsoft MSFT . The reading on first-quarter GDP could also be a market-mover. The key to further upside for stocks is a breakout above 14,076 on the Nasdaq and 15,152 on Dow Transports. This will be key to the Sell in May and Go Away scenario. The weekly chart for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (34,043) is positive but extremely overbought. It is well above its five-week modified moving average at 33,064. Its 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic reading is 94.80, well above the overbought reading of 80.00, on a scale of 00.00 to 100.00. This puts the Dow in an inflating parabolic bubble. Its quarterly value level is 30.546 with semiannual and annual pivots at 32,644 and 33,425. The weekly chart for the S&P 500 (4,180.38) is positive but extremely overbought. It is well above its five-week modified moving average at 4,035.66. Its 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic reading is 94.93, well above the overbought reading of 80.00. This puts the S&P in an inflating parabolic bubble. Its annual, quarterly and semiannual pivots are 3,932, 3,809 and 3,785, respectively. The weekly chart for the Nasdaq Composite (14,016.81) is positive. It is well above its five-week modified moving average at 13,633.69. Its 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic reading is rising at 72.37. Its quarterly, semiannual and annual value levels are 13,001, 12.395 and 12,000. Its monthly risky level at 14,076 was almost tested last week on Thursday. The weekly chart for the Dow Jones Transportation Average (15,133.43) is positive but extremely overbought. It is well above its five-week modified moving average at 14,438.97. Its 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic reading is 96.25, well above the overbought reading of 80.00. The reading above 90.00 puts Transports in an inflating parabolic bubble. Its annual, quarterly and semiannual value levels are 14,425, 12,177 and 12,121, respectively. Its monthly risky level at 15,152 was tested at Fridays high. Weekly Chart For Dow Transports Refinitiv The weekly chart for the Russell 2000 Index (2,271.85) is neutral. It is above its five-week modified moving average at 2,242.24. Its 12x3x3 weekly slow stochastic reading is declining at 69.17. Its annual, semiannual and quarterly value levels are 2,120, 1,880 and 1,855, respectively. The monthly risky level is 2,323.67. Heres todays scorecard: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2021/04/26/should-we-sell-in-may-and-go-away/ |
Do New Nuclear Reactor Designs Change The Nuclear Waste Issue? | Traditional commercial reactors have nuclear waste that is slightly used rods and bundles. DOE Not particularly because there is, and always will be, such a small volume of nuclear waste, no matter what designs are built or how many of them we build. However, with the advent of new nuclear reactor designs, the question of how they each affect the ultimate disposal of their nuclear waste looms large. Currently 440 nuclear power reactors are operating in 30 countries. About a dozen new reactors began operations in the last year or so, but there will be as many as 16 permanent shutdowns that accompany them. 174 reactors have been permanently shut down worldwide, about half of those are in Western Europe. Globally, the amount of used or spent fuel in storage is approaching 450,000 metric tons of uranium (MTU), sometimes referred to as metric tons of metal (MTM). Somewhat less than half of that amount has been reprocessed to make new fuel, mainly by France, India, Russia and the UK, although a number of other countries have reprocessed in the past. China and Japan are planning to begin reprocessing. The form of the nuclear waste does make a difference in terms of repository performance, but most regulatory guidelines require nuclear waste to have less than 1% free liquid for transportation so that should make little difference between various reactor types. The real difference will be found in the relative amounts of short-lived versus long-lived radionuclides (radioactive elements) in the waste, which will derive mainly from the fission products (like the broken pieces of the uranium nucleus) versus actinides (the heavy elements in the last row of the periodic table including uranium, plutonium, americium and neptunium) produced during reactor operations from the bombarding neutrons (see A Nuclear Primer). Solid versus liquid fuels, pebbles versus rods, fast reactors versus thermal, and any of the various reprocessing methods versus just once-through operations, will have some effect on these ratios. As an example, compared with conventional reprocessed waste in Europe, the ORIENT-cycle reprocessing method produces about ten times less HLW canisters than traditional reprocessing like the PUREX process. These ratios will affect the disposal density of packages in the repository, and thus the repository size, because their decay heat will determine the disposal geometry with respect to any thermal limitations of the specific rock and required separations between disposal packages. Advanced reactor designs, like X-energys, uses layered pebbles instead of rods. X-energy The benefit is mostly financial, not environmental. The size of the repository doesnt really change the performance. But the cost of building and operating deep geologic repositories is large. If one could shrink the repository ten-fold, the cost savings would be significant and could more than pay for the most optimal reprocessing methods. This is an argument for reprocessing once-through fuel in the United States the size reduction of any final repository could be up to 50 times, according to the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) studies on alternative reactor waste. Decay heat is a major input for the design of underground repositories. For disposal in granite, clay and tuff formations the maximum allowable disposal density is determined by thermal limitations and most scenarios have waste canisters separated by about 8 feet. HLW arising from advanced fuel cycle schemes generates considerably less heat than the spent fuel arising from the reference Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) once-through scheme, although the separated fission products have to be handled or used in some industrial process like food or blood irradiation. This lower thermal output of reprocessed waste allows a significant reduction in the total volume of the final repository, that is, you can pack the waste packages closer together. Separation of cesium and strontium from the waste reduces the required repository size even further since they are the most heat-producing nuclides. For example, in the case of disposal in a clay formation, the volume needed for disposal is reduced by a factor 3.5 through a fully-closed cycle scheme as compared with the reference PWR once-through scheme and by a factor of 9 through a scheme including separation of cesium and strontium. After 50 years of cooling, variations in decay heat do not exceed a factor of four for any of the fuel cycle scenarios considered in the OECD study. After 200 years, the decay heat of HLW would be reduced by a factor of up to 30 in all minor actinide-burning schemes as compared to the reference PWR once- through scheme. Extending the cooling time from 50 to 200 years will result in a drastic reduction of the thermal output of HLW from advanced fuel cycle schemes and, consequently, of the repository size needed. Massive salt host rocks, like the Salado Formation that hosts Americas only operating deep geologic nuclear repository (WIPP), are a special case. The thermal conductivity of massive salt is about five times that of crystalline rocks, meaning the thermal loading can be much higher becuase the salt conducts heat away much faster. Furthermore, the unique creep-closure property of massive salt, that provides such amazing performance at WIPP, also goes as the sixth power of the temperature, making it work even better the hotter the waste. Recently, Deep Borehole Disposal of spent fuel has become a serious disposal option and one to which some reactor designs are particularly suited, such as pebble bed reactors or molten salt reactors where the fission products can be removed from the molten fuel in real time. The waste from these designs do not have a width or volume limitation, making it very easy to package the waste to accommodate an optimal-size borehole or other repository geometries. OECD considered two main pathways for waste minimization: multiple recycling of uranium/plutonium and minor actinides in fast reactors, and the use of thorium-based fuel in thermal reactors to increase utilization of natural resources and minimize waste streams containing minor actinides. They found that both pathways would reduce the radiotoxicity of waste products relative to a once-through fuel cycle, and would generally reduce the quantities of long-lived wastes and their resulting heat loads on repository systems. The IAEA study indicated that full fissile recycling or full actinide recycling can reduce the radiotoxicity of the waste by a factor of 100 to 200, and reduce the critical timescale from over 100,000 years to less than 1,000 years. There are a lot of unknowns in these alternative scenarios and reactor designs. Some designs operate at much higher temperatures than current reactors, and require longer service lives and high burnup for fuels. Some use fast or epithermal neutrons and use very aggressive coolants, like molten metals or molten salts. So new, sometimes exotic, materials are needed which may introduce different or greater amounts of activation products (materials made radioactive from being bombarded with neutrons during operation). So additional R&D will certainly be required to adapt the fuel reprocessing techniques to the new fuel types and to develop suitable immobilization matrices for their waste streams. All things considered, new reactors and various reprocessing schemes will change the waste type and will affect repository size and design to some degree, but the amount of nuclear waste will still be very small no matter what we do, particularly since most of these new designs get more energy out of the same amount of fuel. This will still require only a single repository no matter what the designs or number of reactors we end up building. And dont forget - the total volume of nuclear waste produced worldwide since WWII is the same as the volume of toxic chemical waste produced by the coal industry worldwide every hour. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2021/04/27/do-new-nuclear-reactor-designs-change-the-nuclear-waste-issue/ |
How Did Hate Become A Thing? | Long Island resident Patricia Shih holds a sign saying, "Stop the Hate" during a rally in Hauppauge, ... [+] New York on March 27, 2021. (Photo by John Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) Newsday via Getty Images In the past, people who felt a visceral antagonism toward someone were said to be filled with hatred toward them. They might also be said to hate that other person. Hatred was a noun; hate was a verb. The terms are clearly in flux; the shift in usage tells us something about what is going on in our society today. The short answer is that inter-group enmity has sharpened, at the cost of a sense of a common we as the subject of our politics. This is the product of decades during which some have declared the varied self-understandings of ethnic, racial, religious, gender-based, and sexually-identified groups to be what matters most about those who embrace these identities. Hate got a big boost in the 1980s when the movement to designate certain crimes as hate crimes was in its heyday. Eventually, hate crime laws were widely adopted around the country, creating the possibility of longer sentences for those whose crimes were motivated by antagonism against the group to which the victim(s) belonged. According to the FBI, a hate crime is an act motivated by bias or prejudice against the members of a variety of groups. Thats not to say that many people have actually been convicted of hate crimes, relative to the number of cases that might be seen by outsiders in this way. Prosecution of crimes allegedly motivated by such hate is very difficult, especially in the absence of any direct evidence that the perpetrator was so motivated. The recent killings in Atlanta of six Asian-American women by a well-armed religious fanatic may be prosecuted as hate crimes, but the prosecutors have not been at all sure that they would get a conviction on such charges and have thus been equivocating about whether they will seek those charges or not. The next step in the transformation of hate into a thing may well have been the attacks of September 11, 2001, or at least the governments reaction to them. President George W. Bushs response, famously, was to launch an open-ended war on terror. Initially, Bush spoke of a war on terrorism, which sounded familiar enough; terrorism is perpetrated by terrorists, who are legitimate targets. But then, in a formal speech to Congress on September 20, 2001, Bush referred to the struggle as a war on terror. The phrase was immediately criticized by, among others, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard B. Myers, but the cat was out of the bag. We spent the next decade and more at war with a shadowy, diffuse enemy called terrora war to which President Barack Obama declared an end only in 2013. During the interim, a term that had once referred to a specific kind of fearnamely, terrorbecame a thing that haunted the imaginations of airplane travelers, subway riders, and urban dwellers generally. The transformation of terror, the emotion, into terror, the ubiquitous enemy, opened the door to an analogous move with hate. Groups and individuals allegedly motivated by hate are not simply biased or prejudiced, as the now quaint-seeming language of hate crimes suggests. Instead, they are said to be motivated by deep-seated, irremediable animus toward those they dislike, slander, criticize, or attack. People motivated by hate are obdurate, implacable, beyond the pale; they are not and cannot be us. The only activist group I know of that includes hate in its title although there may well be others is Stop AAPI Hate, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The group was formed, according to its website, in March 2020 in response to an observed increase in anti-Asian incidents in the immediate aftermath of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The rise in anti-Asian incidents since the start of the public health crisis has been disturbing, indeed. And it may well have been stoked by former President Donald Trumps proclivity for calling the virus the Chinese [or Wuhan] flu. It seems fair to say that one of Trumps most enduring legacies will be his unstinting efforts to divide and dominate the people of the United States as he sought to rule the country. But it is by no means Trump alone that has divided the country so effectively. The recent transformation of hate into a thing is a sign of the extent to which the country is now carved up into mutually hostile camps seeking greater respect and recognitionsome legitimately so, some much less so. The new administration has made admirable efforts to bring the country together again beyond the various particular identities that many on both right and left have come to embrace as their chief touchstones. Ultimately, in order to overcome these divisions, we will have to learn to identify once again with larger identities that transcend and comprehend narrower allegiances. However denigrated by many today, those identities are likely, for most people, to be nation, religion, and class. These collectivities are or at least can be fonts of lovecommunities in which one can submerge oneself and find a larger meaning for ones own existence. Those communities must be rejuvenated if we are going to overcome the forces of hate and replace them with the power of love. Remember Cesar Chavezs incantation in Prayer of the Farm Workers Struggle: Help us love those who hate us/So we can change the world. That is a recipe for real social change. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/johntorpey/2021/04/26/how-did-hate-become-a-thing/ |
Why Is IT And Business Alignment So Elusive? | getty Todays pace of business demands that IT move quickly to address business needs which has a prerequisite of IT getting very tight alignment to what the business needs and doing that work in the right order. It seems basic. But IT has a bit of a history of focusing solely on IT performance cost, quality and speed and being a little light on clear business outcome metrics. With these measures, IT ends up driving toward standard solutions in the name of efficiency but forgets to measure business effectiveness. Here is why this happens. The Shift To Efficiency Created Problems If we look back at the history of technical solutions deployed in business IT, we see wave after wave of attempts to bridge the business/technology chasm. In the 1980s, we saw the emergence of case tools (if you are too young to remember, look it up). Case tools were supposed to be the ultimate in connecting business process and data to application development. Once you had the business defined right, then COBOL code was automatically generated. You would never write a line of code again. Then we had object-oriented development, then services-oriented architecture, then micro services and many others too numerous to mention. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with these approaches if you started with the business process first, companies never became good at starting with the business process first. In those few companies that were successful in deploying these approaches, one often found a business-oriented IT group and an IT savvy business group working together. Humans, not methodology, were the bridge between business need and technical solution. Sadly, that entente seldom lasted past the coming of the next new fad in IT. In the turmoil of transition to a new methodology, the focus on business effectiveness often got lost. When a company loses the connection to business impact, the only opportunity for IT is cost. And if cost is the only concern, then standardization and centralization are very attractive. The Effect Of Centralizing And Standardizing And ITIL Centralizing and standardizing the development process made the situation worse. Just ask Stuart McGuigan, the former CIO of the U.S. Department of State and, earlier, the CIO of Johnson & Johnson. At one level, we know that optimizing steps within a process instead of the end-to-end processes as a whole is wrong. In fact, local optimization can lead to rapid sub-optimization of the end-to-end process since you end up making the bottleneck worse, says McGuigan. And the bigger the company, the more tempting it is to centralize and standardize by vertical silos and, as a result, sub-optimize the horizontal processes. He explains how the mistake of not instrumenting manufacturing processes end to end occurs. If the company measures manufacturing efficiency by itself, then setting up the manufacturing line once and running it forever is the best strategy. If distribution is measured on inventory costs, then the warehouses do not want all that product, and often neither do the customers. Only by modeling the horizontal end-to-end process from a customer perspective can you optimize operations while meeting customer need. As companies diverted their focus to becoming efficient, they lost track of what a business-effective IT organization looks like. There are great frameworks like ITIL to help structure the approach to delivering IT services but here, too, it is easy to lose focus on what matters. You can check the ITIL boxes that you have implemented ITIL. I have worked in organizations that had all the basics: incident management, problem management, change management, etc. So, from an ITIL-implementation perspective, they got a perfect score. But as we collected no business metrics, we couldnt know if we were providing increased reliability, better performance and lower costs to service from a user perspective. We had the form of ITIL but not the substance. McGuigan says that rolling out new systems that do not make people happy sometimes is viewed as inevitable and the price of doing business. But he counters with this mindset: That's the opposite of what we should be doing. We should build systems where people say, Oh, thank God! When companies focus on efficiency instead of effectiveness, they do not stop to first consider whether a product is perfectly fitted for what it is supposed to do to solve the business need. It seems basic that this would happen. Agile development methods are designed to solve for this. The Product Manager role is supposed to be filled by a business decision-maker who is an integral part of the Agile team. McGuigan says the problem arises because the right people from IT and the business are not actually in the room together and, even if they are, they are unable to articulate to each other what needs to be developed to solve the business need. There are only a few cardinal rules for Agile to be successful. One of the most critical is that teams are self-directed. Without the business decision-maker in the room, teams cant really decide things like what is in a release and what tradeoffs can be made to achieve business results quickly. Agile teams without a business owner in the room are just doing short waterfall iterations. I have never seen Agile really succeed without being self-directed, and I have never seen it fail when the business is part of the team. On the IT side, in theory, it should be possible to find someone who is gifted technically and knows how to solve system problems and adopt new technologies. But McGuigan points out that the company needs to provide a technology career ladder, which rewards individuals who want to stay technical and be part of these teams. R&D organizations provide a career ladder for scientists, McGuigan explains. Some technology organizations include a career ladder, but its not prevalent enough. For companies that see themselves winning or losing depending on their success with technology, an increased focus on IT talent just makes sense. Find the people on the business side and in IT who are passionate about an issue and the companys business and get them involved at the front end in the interface discussions, says McGuigan. Otherwise, the company can end up with developing a product that is not perfectly fitted for solving the business needs. The good news is there a proven remedy for solving ineffective communications between the interfacing IT and business leaders. I will share insights on this remedy in my next blog. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterbendorsamuel/2021/04/26/why-is-it-and-business-alignment-so-elusive/ |
How Can Companies Use Information Diffusion To Target Their Best Audience? | Marketing segmentation, target audience, customers care, customer relationship management (CRM) and ... [+] team building concepts. originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Haris Krijestorac, Information Systems Research and Professor, on Quora: Companies can benefit from understanding how information flows in a digital world and taking advantage of opportunities that the digital space offers. First, companies must acknowledge that while the internet accelerates the flow of information, it also makes it harder to compete with an increasing amount of media that are created constantly through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The challenge for companies and content creators is thus to break through this noise by creating attractive and viral content. The key to doing so is generating word of mouth (WoM) from consumers, as this allows the public to spread the word for you for free rather than constantly pushing out your message through advertising. Studies show that consumers are more likely to trust WoM over advertising, making it all the more important to shift towards a content-based marketing strategy to get found online. Research has uncovered numerous specific ways to leverage information diffusion to get found online. One way is to develop an omni-channel strategy by posting media onto multiple platforms, which has been found to have a positive cross-platform spillover. Another stream of research looks at the relationship between the nature of the information and how it diffuses - for example, while informative information is better at boosting brand appeal, emotional information is more likely to be shared. Similarly, videos with low agreeableness and high neuroticism tend to diffuse more and thus be more consumed. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2021/04/27/how-can-companies-use-information-diffusion-to-target-their-best-audience/ |
Why Will The Next Successful Startup Out Of The COVID-19 Era Be AI-First? | The impact of the COVID-19-driven crisis is far more significant than any other crisis in recent history. Besides the health impact, it is fundamentally changing the way human beings interact and conduct business. The businesses that are aligned with the new norm have seen an economic acceleration and vice-versa. Hence, COVID-19s impact on the economy has been bimodal. On the one hand, some sectors like the small-and-medium business sector have taken a big hit, while others like the technology sector are benefiting from the adoption of Cloud, Automation, and Productivity enhancement tools. Analyzing the past inflection points such as recent economic recessions or depressions, we notice that many famous companies emerged during these challenging times. Uber (2009), WhatsApp (2009), AirBnB (2007), MailChimp (2001), EA (1982), Burger King (1954), and Hewlett-Packard (1939) are some of the famous examples in this regard. Along the same lines, the coronavirus pandemic is acting as a rare inflection point in history to create an unprecedented opportunity to foster entrepreneurship. In fact, entrepreneurs are jumping on the opportunity to start new businesses during the pandemic. Using the data from the Census Bureau, Peterson Institute for International Economics released a report saying that startup business activity grew by 24 percent in the United States last year. Business startups grew from 3.5 million in 2019 to 4.4 million in 2020 in the United States. This contrasts to the declining rate of business formation prevalent in the United States for the last few decades. This boom in entrepreneurship is at a national level, not just in hotspots like Silicon Valley. The definition of entrepreneurship is broader than just technology startups that have mushroomed in Silicon Valley in the past decade. Like the United States, the number of new businesses has increased in Chile, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Lets analyze the catalysts behind such a boom in entrepreneurship during the current pandemic. One likely factor is the massive support from the US Federal and State Governments for new business creation. The other factor can be the availability of highly skilled human resources. For a business to flourish, you need capable people who also have patience, persistence, and perseverance. Amid the coronavirus crisis, the unemployment rate reached an unprecedented level of 14.8% in April 2020 in the US - the highest since data collection started in 1948. This may be acting as a positive contributing factor for building a new business during the pandemic. As big companies lay off their employees, or existing businesses are forced to shut down, it brings top and seasoned talent into the market, available for grab by new companies. A deeper aspect of human capital available in such times is that a person who practices a business idea in a hard economic environment is a true entrepreneur at heart. He or she is likely to be highly dogmatic and has a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship traits than someone who starts a business during an economic boom. So, it is worth arguing that entrepreneurs who create startups during a pandemic are the best version of entrepreneurs. In fact, for some entrepreneurs, starting a new business may be the only way to survive. So, they move mountains to make the business work. In addition to human capital, another key ingredient for entrepreneurial success is access to the right market. COVID-19 crisis has opened up doors to new market opportunities and has stimulated big changes in the existing markets. While this has created destruction on one side, it has resulted in the creation or upsizing of markets. Such new markets are ready to adopt solutions, hence providing the much-needed product-market fit to the solutions created by entrepreneurs. Time will have the final verdict. But since automation and digitization have been two of the top trends in the COVID-19 era, we can assume that the next-big-thing being churned out will leverage these as pillars. The core enabling technologies for such a company can be Cloud and AI. In fact, such a company will likely be AI-first from the start to embed AI in virtually every aspect of the product or the service. From monitoring fitness to self-driving cars and shopping at retail locations, the applications of AI-first could be immense and unprecedented. So, lets fasten our seatbelts and watch the rise of a new AI giant that will hopefully uplift a generation. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/sanjitsinghdang/2021/04/26/why-will-the-next-successful-startup-out-of-the-covid-19-era-be-ai-first/ |
Does It Make Sense To Own Bonds In 2021? | Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks during a virtual news conference in ... [+] Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. The Federal Reserve strengthened its commitment to support the U.S. economy, promising to maintain its massive asset purchase program until it sees "substantial further progress" in employment and inflation. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg 2020 Bloomberg Finance LP 2021 has not started well for bond investors. Stocks appear expensive as well. First off, its important to note what a bad performance looks like for bonds in context. If youre holding 10-year Treasuries, then you might be down about 5% or so for 2021 so far. Thats not great, but its equivalent to a pretty bad week for the stock market. Single stocks will often move that much in a day. Yes, 2021 has been a weak for bonds, but thats still a pretty tame outcome compared to other assets. The bulk of the underperformance of bonds has happened to align with the turn of the year. This makes the year-to-date numbers look relatively bad, but thats just how things have happened to align. Remember bonds had a strong 2020, so even though recent months have been rough, were basically back to yields we saw right before the pandemic. So if youre watching your portfolio regularly, then yes the start to 2021 is unpleasant, but if you havent been checking prices since January 2020, theres really little change. Well, Warren Buffetts argument that holding an instrument paying a fixed 1.7% coupon, when the government is shooting for 2% inflation is not a great bet. If the Fed hits its target then you lose money. That said, inflation has been below target for a while. However, bonds are held for portfolio reasons too, as 2020 showed, bonds still pretty reliably rise in value during certain periods of market stress. Yes, it would be better if they offered more yield, but their portfolio role of offering some stability and protection may still hold up. In aggregate, stocks look pricey too. So switching from bonds to stocks likely ends up increasing your risk. Yes, you can find stocks offering juicy yields, but they are generally a lot more risky that bond investing, so you are taking on more risk for that yield. So for 2021 bonds certainly offer lower yields than weve seen in recent decades, yields have been on a declining trend since the 1980s. Yet, unsurprisingly the markets are being consistent, stock valuations dont look too enticing either. Asset prices have been bid up as the broader markets see low and stable inflation over the coming years. Thats the key issue, if we continue to see tame inflation then bonds may be a useful holding and continue to help manage risk. However, should inflation rise, then both stocks and bonds may well fare poorly. Given those are the two major asset classes, that doesnt make for simple asset allocation decisions, if youre worried about inflation rearing its head. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmoore/2021/04/27/does-it-make-sense-to-own-bonds-in-2021/ |
Which Hints Of New Physics Should We Be Paying Attention To? | The April 11, 2017 reconstructed image (left) and a modeled EHT image (right) line up remarkably ... [+] well. This is an excellent indication that the model library the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration put together can, in fact, model the physics of the matter surrounding these supermassive, rotating, plasma-rich black holes quite successfully. Huib Jan van Langevelde (EHT Director) on behalf of the EHT Collaboration Every once in a while multiple times per year a new research finding fails to line up with our theoretical expectations. In the fields of physics and astronomy, the laws of nature are known to such incredible precision that anything that fails to align with our predictions isnt just interesting, its a potential revolution. On the particle physics side of the equation, we have the laws of the Standard Model governed by quantum field theory; on the astrophysics side, we have the laws of gravity governed by General Relativity. And yet, from all of our observations and experiments, we occasionally get results that conflict with the combination of those two remarkably successful theories. Either: theres an error with the experiments or observations, theres an error with the predictions, theres a new effect we havent anticipated within the Standard Model or General Relativity, or theres new physics involved. While its tempting to leap to the final possibility, it should be the scientists final resort, as the resiliency and successes of our leading theories has shown theyre not so easy to overturn. Heres a look at eight potential hints of new physics that have come along with a great deal of hype, but deserve tremendous skepticism. When two black holes merge, approximately 10% of the smaller one's mass gets converted into ... [+] gravitational radiation via Einstein's E = mc^2. In theory, the matter outside of the black holes will be too sparse to create an electromagnetic burst. Only one black hole-black hole merger, the very first one, has ever been associated with an electromagnetic counterpart: a dubious proposition. Werner Benger, cc by-sa 4.0 1.) On September 14, 2015, the very first gravitational wave signal ever directly detected by humans arrived in the twin LIGO detectors. Indicating a merger of two black holes, one of 36 and one of 29 solar masses, they converted about three solar masses of energy into gravitational radiation. And then, unexpectedly, just 0.4 seconds later, a very small signal arrived in the Fermi GBM instrument: a potential indication of an accompanying electromagnetic signal. But with more than 50 additional black hole-black hole mergers, including some that were more massive, no other gamma-ray bursts were seen. The ESAs Integral satellite, operational at the same time, saw nothing. And these low-magnitude transient events occur in the Fermi GBM data about once or twice per day. 1-in-454, approximately. While researchers are still considering how gamma-ray bursts could accompany black hole-black hole mergers, the evidence that they occur is generally considered flimsy. Verdict: Probably not, but perhaps rarely. Most likely explanation: Observational coincidence, or a statistical fluctuation. The excess of signal in the raw data here, outlined by E. Siegel in red, shows the potential new ... [+] discovery now known as the Atomki anomaly. Although it looks like a small difference, it's an incredibly statistically significant result, and has led to a series of new searches for particles of approximately 17 MeV/c^2. A.J. Krasznahorkay et al., 2016, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 042501; E. Siegel (annotation) 2.) Just a few years ago, a Hungarian research team reported the possible detection of a new particle: dubbed the X17. When you make an unstable nucleus like Beryllium-8, an important intermediate step in the nuclear fusion process of red giant stars, it has to emit a high-energy photon before decaying back to two Helium-4 nuclei. Occasionally, that photon will spontaneously produce an electron-positron pair, and there will be a particular energy-dependent angle between the electron and the positron. When they measured the rate of which angles occurred, however, they found a departure from what the Standard Model predicted at large angles. A new particle and a new force were initially proposed as the explanation, but many are doubtful. The direct detection exclusion limits already rule such a particle out, the calibration methods used are dubious, and this is already the fourth claimed new particle by this team, with the first three having already been ruled out earlier. Verdict: Doubtful. Most likely explanation: Experimental error by the team performing the experiments. The XENON1T detector is shown here being installed underground in the LNGS facility in Italy. One of ... [+] the world's most successfully shielded, low-background detectors, XENON1T was designed to search for dark matter, but is also sensitive to many other processes. That design is paying off, right now, in a big way. XENON1T collaboration 3.) After decades of gradually improving the limits on the cross-section of dark matter with protons and neutrons, the XENON detector the worlds most sensitive dark matter experiment to date detected a minuscule but hitherto unexplained signal in 2020. There were definitely a small but significant number of events that were detected above and beyond the expected Standard Model background. Immediately, fantastic explanations were considered. The neutrino could have a magnetic moment, explaining these events. The Sun could be producing a novel type of (candidate dark matter) particle known as an axion. Or, perhaps in a mundane disappointment, it could have been a tiny amount of tritium in the water, an isotope which has not yet been accounted for, but where the presence of just a few hundred atoms could account for the difference. Astrophysical constraints already disfavor the neutrino and axion hypotheses, but no definitive conclusion as to this signal excesss nature have yet been reached. Verdict: Doubtful; probably tritium. Most likely explanation: New effect from an unaccounted-for background. The best-fit amplitude of an annual modulation signal for a nuclear recoil with sodium iodide. The ... [+] DAMA/LIBRA result shows a signal at extreme confidence, but the best attempt to replicate that has instead yielded a null result. The default assumption should be that the DAMA collaboration has an unaccounted for noise artifact. J. Amar et al./ANAIS-112 Collaboration, arXiv:2103.01175 4.) We often say that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, because basing a revolutionary conclusion on only flimsy evidence is a recipe for scientific disaster. For many years now well over a decade the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has seen an annual pattern in its signal: more events at one time of year, fewer at another, in a cyclical pattern. Despite no other detectors seeing anything of the sort, they have long claimed that this is evidence for dark matter. But so much about this experiment has been questionable. Theyve never disclosed their raw data or their data pipeline, so their analysis cannot be checked. They perform a dubious annual recalibration at the same time every year, which could cause poorly-analyzed noise to be mistaken for a signal. And, with the first independent replication tests now having occurred, they refute DAMA/LIBRAs results, as do complementary direct detection efforts. Although the team associated with the experiment (and a few theorists who are speculating wildly) claim dark matter, practically no one else is convinced. Verdict: No, and this is likely a dishonest, rather than an honest, mistake. Most likely explanation: Experimental error, as shown by a failed reproduction attempt. The LHCb collaboration is far less famous than CMS or ATLAS, but the particles and antiparticles ... [+] they produce, containing charm and bottom quarks, holds new physics hints that the other detectors cannot probe. Here, the massive detector is shown in its shielded location. CERN / LHCb Collaboration 5.) The Large Hadron Collider at CERN is famous for two things: colliding the highest-energy particles ever in a laboratory on Earth, and discovering the Higgs boson. Yes, its primary goal is to discover new, fundamental particles. But one of the serendipitous things that comes along with its setup is the ability to create large numbers of unstable, exotic particles, like mesons and baryons that contain bottom (b)-quarks. The LHCb detector, where the b stands for that particular quark, produces and detects more of these particles than any other experiment in the world. Remarkably, when these particles decay, the version that contain b-quarks and the version that contain b-antiquarks have different properties: evidence for a fundamental matter-antimatter asymmetry known as CP-violation. In particular, theres more CP-violation seen than (we believe) the Standard Model predicts, although there are still uncertainties. Some of these anomalies exceed the 5-sigma threshold, and could point towards new physics. This could be important, because CP-violation is one of the key parameters in explaining why our Universe is made of matter, and not antimatter. Verdict: Uncertain, but is likely a measurement of new parameters associated CP-violation. Most likely explanation: New effect within the Standard Model, but new physics remains a possibility. Scheme of the MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab. A high-intensity beam of accelerated protons is ... [+] focused onto a target, producing pions that decay predominantly into muons and muon neutrinos. The resulting neutrino beam is characterized by the MiniBooNE detector. APS / Alan Stonebraker 6.) According to the Standard Model, there should be three species of neutrino in the Universe: electron, muon, and tau neutrinos. Although they were initially expected to be massless, they were shown to oscillate from one form into another, which is only possible if theyre massive. Similar to how the light quarks mix together, the neutrinos do as well, and measurements of atmospheric neutrinos (produced from cosmic rays) and solar neutrinos (from the Sun) have shown us what the mass differences between these neutrinos are. With only the mass differences, however, we dont know the absolute masses, nor which neutrino species are heavier or lighter. But neutrinos from accelerators, as shown from the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments, dont fit with the other measurements. Verdict: Unlikely, but new experiments will either confirm or rule out such indications. Most likely explanation: Experimental error is the safe bet, but new physics remains possible. The Muon g-2 electromagnet at Fermilab, ready to receive a beam of muon particles. This experiment ... [+] began in 2017 and will take data for a total of 3 years, reducing the uncertainties significantly. While a total of 5-sigma significance may be reached, the theoretical calculations must account for every effect and interaction of matter that's possible in order to ensure we're measuring a robust difference between theory and experiment. Reidar Hahn / Fermilab 7.) This one is both highly contentious and also brand new. Years ago, physicists attempted to measure the magnetic moment of the muon to incredible precision, and got a value. As theory raced to catch up, they calculated (and, where calculations were impossible, inferred based on other experimental data) what that value ought to be. A tension emerged, and Fermilabs Muon g-2 experiment returned their first major results, showing a strong discrepancy between theory and experiment. As always, new physics and a broken Standard Model were all over the headlines. The experiment was sound, their errors were well-quantified, and the discrepancy appears to be real. But this time, it appears that the theory might be the problem. Without the ability to calculate the expected value, the theory team relied on indirect data from other experiments. Meanwhile, a different theoretical technique has recently emerged, and their calculations match the experimental values (within the errors), not the mainstream theory calculation. Better experimental data is coming, but the theoretical discrepancy is rightfully at the center of this latest controversy. Verdict: Undecided; the biggest uncertainties are theoretical and must be resolved independent of experiment. Most likely explanation: Error with the theoretical calculations, but new physics remains a possibility. Modern measurement tensions from the distance ladder (red) with early signal data from the CMB and ... [+] BAO (blue) shown for contrast. It is plausible that the early signal method is correct and there's a fundamental flaw with the distance ladder; it's plausible that there's a small-scale error biasing the early signal method and the distance ladder is correct, or that both groups are right and some form of new physics (shown at top) is the culprit. But right now, we cannot be sure. Adam Riess et al., (2020) 8.) If you want to know how fast the Universe is expanding, there are two general ways to go about measuring it. One is to measure objects close by and determine how far away they are, then find those objects more distantly along with other observational indicators, then find those other indicators farther out along with rare but bright events, and so on, out to the edges of the Universe. The other is to start at the Big Bang and find an early, imprinted signal, and then measure how that signal evolves as the Universe evolves. These two methods are sound, robust, and have many ways to measure them. The problem is that each method gives an answer that disagrees with the other. The first method, in units of km/s/Mpc, gives 74 (with an uncertainty of just 2%), while the second gives 67 (with an uncertainty of just 1%). We know its not a calibration error, and we know its not a measurement inaccuracy. Verdict: The different measurements of the two general techniques are difficult to reconcile, but more study is needed. Most likely explanation: Unknown, which is exciting for new physics possibilities. Optical starlight polarization data (white lines) trace out the cumulative effects of the magnetic ... [+] fields in interstellar dust within the Milky Way along the line-of-sight. The hot dust emits radiation (orange), while linear structures can be seen oriented along the magnetic field lines from neutral hydrogen emission (blue). This is a relatively new way to characterize polarized dust and magnetic fields in the neutral interstellar medium. Clark et al., Physical Review Letters, Volume 115, Issue 24, id.241302 (2015) We must always remember just how much established data, evidence, and agreement between measurement and theory there is before we can ever hope to revolutionize our scientific understanding of how things work in the Universe. It isnt just the results from any new study that need to be examined, but rather the full suite of evidence at hand. A single observation or measurement must be taken as just one component of all the data thats been gathered; we must reckon with the cumulative set of information that we have, not just the one anomalous finding. Nevertheless, science is, by its nature, an inherently experimental endeavor. If we find something that our theories cannot explain, and that finding is robustly replicated and significant enough, we must look to a potential fault with the theory. If were both good and lucky, one of these experimental results may point the way towards a new understanding that supersedes, or even revolutionizes, the way we make sense of our reality. Right now, we have many indications some very compelling, others less so that a paradigm-shifting discovery may be within our grasp. These anomalies may, in fact, turn out to be harbingers of a scientific revolution. But more often than not, these anomalies turn out to be errors, miscalculations, miscalibrations, or oversights. Only time, and more inquiry into the nature of reality itself, will ever be able to reveal a closer approximation of the Universes ultimate truths. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/04/27/which-hints-of-new-physics-should-we-be-paying-attention-to/ |
Which Portland-area private colleges will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend classes this fall? | Three private colleges in the Portland area have announced that they will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before school starts in the fall. Lewis & Clark College, University of Portland and Willamette University in Salem all will ask students to show proof of vaccination before classes begin. The schools will allow medical and religious exemptions from the vaccine. We think if everyone is vaccinated thats going to keep our students healthiest and safest, John Hancock, Associate Dean of Students for Health and Wellness at Lewis & Clark, told KGW. Lewis & Clark will ask all students to provide proof of vaccination by Oct. 15. Willamette is dedicated to the health and safety of the community, that school said in a statement. The COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are highly effective at preventing COVID-19, as well as at preventing serious illness even in those who do get COVID-19, the school said. For this reason, along with federal and regional guidelines, Willamette is requiring all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend or be employed by Willamette beginning Fall 2021. University of Portland announced their vaccination requirement Tuesday. As we have stated from the start of the pandemic, the health and well-being of UP community members must be our collective priority, UP President Rev. Mark L. Poorman said in a statement. The vaccination requirement we announce today is just the latest step we must take on our journey to keep one another safe and return to the cherished in-person campus community that is so essential to our mission. Staff at UP have until Aug. 1 to show proof of vaccination and students have until Sept. 1. -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052, [email protected], @lizzzyacker | https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/04/which-portland-area-private-colleges-will-require-proof-of-covid-19-vaccination-to-attend-classes-this-fall.html |
Are Lynch and Shanahan at Odds over Which QB the 49ers Should Draft? | Their tones and their messages were completely different. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan sure seemed at odds Monday during their pre-draft press conference. First, Shanahan wasn't even supposed to be there. It was Lynch's day to control the narrative. But an hour before it started, Shanahan presumably added himself to the press conference. And their tones were completely different. Lynch sounded open, upbeat and positive, while Shanahan sounded defensive, argumentative and negative. And their messages were completely different. Lynch praised Jimmy Garoppolo and talked about patience and not playing the rookie quarterback until he's ready, while Shanahan wouldn't even guarantee Garoppolo would be alive this Sunday, let alone still with the 49ers. Here's what Lynch said: "I do think we're somewhat uniquely set up to provide a positive environment for a rookie quarterback to come in and, when they're ready, have a good opportunity with a team that we think is going to be pretty good to go play and be put in an environment where they can be successful. I think oftentimes that's just not the case and maybe they're rushed to play early and that can have consequences moving forward." Shanahan's message was much more desperate. He kept saying the 49ers need a starting quarterback, i.e. someone capable of playing Week 1 next season. Used the phrase "starting quarterback" 11 times. "We don't want to risk waiting on injuries and waiting on luck," Shanahan said. "We thought two first round picks for our future, guaranteeing us we had a starting quarterback, we were very excited about that." It's worth noting that just a few weeks ago, Shanahan said he wanted Garoppolo to be the starting quarterback next season. Now he has completely changed his tune. He seems to want Garoppolo gone. Now. Here's my interpretation of that bizarre press conference. Tell me if this sounds right. If what has been reported is true that Shanahan wants Mac Jones, and Lynch, assistant GM Adam Peters and the rest of the 49ers personnel department wants Trey Lance, maybe Lynch will overrule Shanahan, and the 49ers will take Lance. Or maybe Jed York will overrule Shanahan, and the 49ers will take Lance. Or maybe Shanahan already got overruled. And maybe that's why he crashed Lynch's press conference. Just a theory. We'll find out soon enough. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/are-john-lynch-and-kyle-shanahan-at-odds-over-which-qb-the-49ers-should-draft |
What Are Altcoins and Are the Potential Rewards Worth the Risks? | gopixa / iStock.com Chances are, youve heard of Bitcoin. Created in 2009, Bitcoin was the first widely accepted cryptocurrency, but its by no means the only cryptocurrency. Read: 10 Best Cryptocurrencies To Invest in for 2021 In fact, there are currently more than 9,300 cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, according to CoinMarketCap. And these altcoins as they are called have a total market capitalization of more than $1 trillion. But unless youre a cryptocurrency trader, the only altcoins youve likely heard of are Ethereum the second-most popular cryptocurrency after Bitcoin and Dogecoin, which was touted on Twitter by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and has soared in popularity recently. The hype surrounding Dogecoin might have piqued your interest in altcoins. But before you get too excited, its important to understand what altcoins are and what their risks are before investing in them. The term altcoin is short for alternative coin as in, an alternative to bitcoin. Altcoins also are alternatives to currencies issued by governments. However, they arent physical coins. Like Bitcoin, altcoins are digital currencies. According to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, cryptocurrency is like Money 2.0.a new kind of cash that is native to the Internet, which gives it the potential to be the fastest, easiest, cheapest, safest and most universal way to exchange value that the world has ever seen. Many altcoins share the core characteristics of Bitcoin. Yet, they all are different from Bitcoin in one way or another, said Dr. Richard Smith, an investing expert and CEO of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles. And they have different uses. For example, Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalization after Bitcoin, wasnt created to be digital money but rather to be a decentralized computing platform. The popular Dogecoin started as a joke based on a Shibu Inu doge meme but now is used as a tipping system on social media. Altcoins dont rely on banks, financial institutions or any sort of middleman to be transferred from person to person. Instead, they rely on blockchain technology, which is a digital ledger of cryptocurrency transactions, Smith said. Details about transactions are stored in blocks that must be verified to ensure that the transactions are legitimate. Once the block is accepted by the consensus algorithm, it becomes a permanent part of the distributed ledger, Smith said. Because the blockchain is stored in computers and servers around the world, it would be next to impossible to hack into such a large network, according to CoinMarketCap. Thats why blockchain technology is considered secure. But that doesnt necessarily mean that investing altcoins is safe. Like Bitcoin, altcoins can act like a currency and an asset. The easiest way to get them is to purchase through an online exchange. There are currently more than 350 different exchanges on which altcoins are traded, Smith said. Some of the best-known cryptocurrency exchanges are Coinbase, Binance, Kraken and Bittrex. You also can buy and sell select cryptocurrencies through digital payment systems PayPal and Venmo. Altcoin prices are determined by buyers and sellers transacting on exchanges, Smith said. Be aware that cryptocurrency prices can be very volatile. Youll need to download a digital, or crypto, wallet on your computer or smartphone to store your altcoins. When choosing a wallet, pay attention to which cryptocurrencies it supports because some support more than others. There is money to be made buying and selling altcoins, but theres also money to be lost. This is true with most any investment. But altcoins come with their unique set of risks. For starters, altcoin prices are extremely volatile. Most individual investors are not equipped to manage this volatility, Smith said. Plus, there is little regulation in place around altcoins. When companies want to sell shares of stock to the public, they must first register their IPOs with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Cryptocurrency coin offerings, on the other hand, currently do not have to be registered with the SEC. Fraud also is rampant in the cryptocurrency market, with scammers who lure investors with fake cryptocurrencies. That doesnt mean you should stay away from altcoins altogether. Altcoins can also be a source of diversification for more traditional portfolios, but this diversification must be handled with great care, Smith said. Learn: How to Invest in Cryptocurrency: What You Should Know Before Investing Buyer Beware Before buying any altcoins, do your research. Smith recommends Coindesk.com as a reliable source of cryptocurrency news. And if an altcoin is trading on the Coinbase exchange, that is generally a good sign that it has differentiated itself enough to be worthy of an investors consideration, Smith said. Finally, be aware that cryptocurrencies are treated as property by the IRS. The sale of cryptocurrencies is treated as a capital gain or loss (depending on whether you made or lost money on the sale), and you might have a tax liability. This article is part of GOBankingRates Economy Explained series to help readers navigate the complexities of our financial system. | https://news.yahoo.com/economy-explained-altcoins-invest-them-210047532.html |
Will pandemic-related measures fall at the U.S.-Mexico border? | Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday that a controversial Trump-era public health measure known as Title 42 would stay in place. The measure has been used more than 637,000 times to rapidly expel migrants since it went into effect in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Under the measure, the asylum process has ground almost to a halt, and crime by smuggling groups has increased. But Title 42 is necessary in a COVID-19 environment, Mayorkas said, while also announcing a new multigovernment initiative to combat the human smuggling amid a rise in border crossings driven by high crime and economic distress from the pandemic and hurricanes in nations south of the U.S. border. It is a public health imperative to not only protect the American public but also to, and importantly, to protect the migrants themselves, Mayorkas said. We will continue to exercise that public health authority that is authorized by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] until that public health authority is no longer needed. Mayorkas reaffirmed the Biden administrations commitment to Title 42 during a news teleconference about Operation Sentinel, a new anti-smuggling initiative that will freeze assets and revoke visas of people profiting from illegal migration. In mid-March, Mayorkas said the U.S. was on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years. In 2000, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 1.6 million immigrants. Title 42 was invoked by the CDC, though some public health groups argue that immigrants could be properly screened at the border for COVID-19 as they exercise their legal right to request asylum. The groups have also noted the uneven application of coronavirus restrictions that allow some people to freely travel across the border while immigrants without proper travel documents can be expelled. Isabela Julaj holds her few belongings in a U.S. government-provided plastic bag and a knit bag as she waits with other migrant families stranded in the plaza near the international bridge in Reynosa, Mexico. (Lynda M. Gonzlez / Staff Photographer) Many expelled under Title 42 try again to cross the border, often with the help of the smugglers, and potentially could further complicate efforts to stop the spread of the virus. As the rate of infection decreases in the U.S., some wonder if Title 42s use will end this year. By June or July, it might be hard to justify Title 42 from the progression of the pandemic in the U.S., said Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. programs at the D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute. But the slower rate of vaccination in Mexico will remain a variable in decisions, Capps said. In a related coronavirus measure, the U.S. in March 2020 shut down traffic across the border that was deemed nonessential. Tuesday, Roberto Velasco, a senior Mexican Foreign Ministry official, said the Mexican government hoped that restriction would be lifted in May in two stages. Velasco said his government wanted to expand the list of travel that is considered essential and to tailor the reopening by border city, depending on the level of coronavirus infection in each area. It is still an ongoing conversation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Velasco said in a conversation with the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News. We dont have a result yet. But the Mexican view is that we are in a stage where we can move to a gradual reopening. DHS has said U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to nonessential travel through at least May 21. Asked whether the opening on essential travel would be followed by the lifting of Title 42 for migrants, Velasco said, That is an issue for DHS, but I will sure ask them. Asked whether the Mexican government had protested the U.S. expulsion of migrants late at night, sometimes in violation of repatriation pacts between the two nations, Velasco said that late-night repatriations remain a concern. The News reported last week that migrants were being returned to Mexico after 10 p.m. at several ports of entry, including in isolated locations along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. It appears theyre being sent back mostly under Title 42. Lawyers and humanitarian workers call the practice an outrage and say it increases the risk of crimes such as extortion, rape and kidnapping that migrants face in crime-ridden Mexico. U.S.-Mexico repatriation arrangements generally call for returns of migrants to happen before 10 p.m. or 8 p.m. It is a continuous conversation that Mexico must have with the U.S., Velasco said. We have certainly raised many times issues of timing. We are also constantly working with them to improve the conditions of the people who are expelled under Title 42, Velasco said. We are obviously always thinking of how we can better protect people, particularly families and children. | https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2021/04/27/will-pandemic-related-measures-fall-at-the-us-mexico-border/ |
Whats Arthur Blanks role in the draft process? | What he did was he went through the process alongside the GM, alongside the head coach and what he does, he doesnt push opinions. He lets the decision-makers make their decisions. Thats all you want as a leader whether if you are the head coach making the final decision or the general manager. He makes himself a healthy part of the process really by asking smart and thoughtful questions that are probing which allows the decisions makers to get to the place that they need to be. So, he doesnt influence the decision makers. He supports them. Going through that process for a couple of years was really interesting to watch how well Arthur handled that with his leaders. | https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/whats-arthur-blanks-role-in-the-draft-process/OW3DCWN2QFEVXBNJACF3H2QF2E/ |
What does Oregons new indoor dining shutdown mean for restaurants, and how long will it last? | On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced that 15 counties, including much of the Portland metro area minus Washington County, will move to the states extreme risk category for COVID-19 restrictions, meaning a new ban on indoor dining and strict capacity limits on gyms, movie theaters and other businesses. And just how long will these latest restrictions last. You can read the full list of restrictions for yourself here, or read on for answers to some of those questions and more. Earlier this month, the governor actually made it easier for counties with rising COVID-19 cases to remain in the high risk category, tying the jump to extreme risk to state-wide hospitalizations of 300 or more patients. On Tuesday, those hospitalizations grew to 328. As of Tuesday, Oregon cases are accelerating faster than in any other state, accelerating faster than any other state, a spike fuled by human behavior, officials said, as well as the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant, which is now the dominant strain in Oregon. According to Brown, the elevated restrictions are necessary to keep health care providers from being stretched to their limits while dealing with the pandemics latest spike. Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk and Wasco. For the 15 affected counties, Friday will mark the third indoor dining ban since COVID-19 cases first began to rise last year. For counties in the Portland metro area, both the initial shutdown and last winters dining pause lasted about three months. Dining rooms in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties were most recently allowed to reopen on February 12. Well, we dont have a crystal ball, but modeling by Oregon Health & Science University does indicate that cases could peak around May 4, with hospitalizations starting to fall two weeks later. According to a press release from Browns office, counties will be in extreme risk for a maximum of three weeks, though any loosening of restrictions will be dependent on falling cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates. The restrictions announced Tuesday remain largely the same as previous indoor dining bans, though Brown has raised a 50-person outdoor limit to 100 people, with physical distancing, in recognition that the virus is much less likely to spread outdoors. Its mixed. In attempts to protect customers and staff, many Portland restaurants never reopened their dining rooms at all, preferring to stick to takeout and outdoor service, and will be largely unaffected by the new restrictions. Others remain in hibernation, with owners choosing to stay closed until theres more consistent weather, lower COVID-19 case counts, a widely distributed vaccine or some combination of the three. But business groups were quick to criticize the new restrictions, with the Oregon Restaurant & Lobbying Association writing that Brown was punishing local restaurants and bars, while arguing that Oregonians would continue to gather together at home, where there are fewer safety precautions in place. Community kitchens and other nonprofits including Blanchet House have offered to accept donations from restaurants and bars forced to close due to the latest restrictions. Some. Brown says she plans to work with legislators on a $20 million emergency relief package to help affected businesses with commercial rent. And on Tuesday, the Small Business Administration announced that the $28.6 billion restaurant relief grant program will begin accepting applications at 9 a.m. May 3, with registration for the portal opening at 6 a.m. Friday, April 30. The first 21 days of the program will prioritize businesses run by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, though Sen. Chuck Schumer has said those funds will be replenished in the likelihood they run out. Anyone seeking detailed guidance on the program and its application process can find it here. Its too early to tell, though dozens of restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic in Portland alone. Mothers Bistro in downtown Portland, which had hoped to reopen on Thursday, April 29, 10 days before Mothers Day, announced on Facebook they would put those plans on hold until indoor dining could return to 50% capacity. A few ideas, courtesy of the last time we went through this: Order takeout and pick it up yourself. Buy merch and gift cards. Be patient and tip well. And consider making a list of restaurants that would leave you feeling the saddest should they close. -- Michael Russell, [email protected], @tdmrussell Aimee Green of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report | https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2021/04/what-does-oregons-new-indoor-dining-shutdown-mean-for-restaurants-and-how-long-will-it-last.html |
Does free speech include the protection of anonymity? | The issue reveals something about the way that conservatives and liberals currently differ on free-speech issues. On the one hand, states might need the information to combat fraud. Moreover, California says that it will keep the information confidential. The IRS already gets this information from tax-exempt charities and has so far done a good job of protecting it. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has long held that the names of members of civic organizations like the NAACP are confidential, protected by the freedom of association. It isnt implausible to think that if the justices uphold the California law, other states might pass laws requiring that donors be made fully public. When the justices were deciding whether to hear the case, Trumps Department of Justice filed a friend of the court brief saying it thought the law was unconstitutional. This matched the instinct of most legal conservatives, who today tend to support a First Amendment that is highly protective of absolute free speech, including protection of anonymity. The Biden Department of Justice reconsidered the issue and took a different stance. In essence, it has recommended that the justices split the baby in two. First, its brief says that because the information wont be publicly disclosed, the court should evaluate the states need less exactingly than it would if the names were being given to the public. If judged by that easier standard (in legal jargon, exacting scrutiny instead of the more rigorous strict scrutiny), the California law has some chance of being upheld. Second, the Biden Justice Department brief goes on to say that the court should send the case back to the federal appeals court to determine how much risk there is that the California law might deter donors from giving money to charities. This leaves open the possibility that the law could still be struck down. Advertising Behind this complex argument is the Biden administrations liberal worry that if the court were to strike down the California law, the decision might call into question the law that commands disclosure of political donations to candidates. Thats an understandable worry. But it gets the Biden brief into some deep and dangerous waters. The Biden administrations brief insists that there is a difference between a law that burdens free association directly, which should get the highest level of scrutiny, and a law that only indirectly burdens that association, which should be evaluated more deferentially. Whats troubling about this distinction is that it weakens the principle of free association established by the Supreme Court in the landmark 1958 case of NAACP v. Alabama. In that case, the court held that Alabama could not require the organization to tell the states attorney general who its members were. Back in the 1950s, the justices didnt always use the same terms of art that they do today to describe how closely they were evaluating a law. The court didnt use the words exacting scrutiny or strict scrutiny. But it did say that Alabamas reason for demanding the membership list had to be compelling language that prefigures the strict scrutiny test, not the less-rigorous exacting scrutiny test. NAACP v. Alabama was a liberal decision, intended to protect civil rights activists from hostile retaliation at the height of White southern resistance to desegregation. And for decades, liberals believed that preserving the privacy of members of civic organizations was crucial for protecting free association. Donations to political candidates were a different matter, connected to avoiding corruption in elections. Advertising In recent years, however, liberals have started worrying more about how wealthy conservative donors are affecting public life not only in elections, but in other contexts like those covered by the California law. Thats led to a liberal rethinking of the right to associational privacy. The concern is certainly legitimate. But liberals should not forget that conservatives can still use disclosure of donations or membership lists to target liberals. Imagine that the California law was being proposed or implemented by conservatives. Then liberals would rightly be worried that donors to Black Lives Matter or to trans rights groups would have to be disclosed to the states. Perhaps the California law can be distinguished from the Alabama law on the ground that it wont necessarily lead to retaliation against donors. Regardless, the justices should be careful not to weaken the principle of free association including organizations right to keep their membership lists private. | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/does-free-speech-include-the-protection-of-anonymity/ |
Who would have won Premier League-era titles without the big six? | If the big six left the Premier League permanently and all their league titles were stripped, then handed to the highest finishing non-big six club, who would have the most league wins? tweets Stewarts Gloves. Simon Tyers has done some spectacularly thorough research here and it makes very happy reading for those on the blue half of Merseyside. Ipswich Town fans might want to get a two-decade old bottle of champagne at the ready too, while theres mid-noughties heartbreak for the Royals. I used a league management program with all the Premier League tables included to not just take out the big six but every match involving them to see what the leagues would look like entirely without their results. This is what would have happened: 1992-93: Norwich City 1993-94: Newcastle United 1994-95: Blackburn Rovers 1995-96: Newcastle United 1996-97: Aston Villa 1997-98: Blackburn Rovers. Five teams had a chance of finishing top going into the last week of the season Derby led after playing their last fixture but were overtaken first by Leeds on goal difference and then both lost out to Blackburn, whose 1-0 last-day win over Newcastle (Sutton 88) took them to the title. 1998-99: Leeds United 1999-2000: Leeds United 2000-01: Ipswich Town 2001-02: Newcastle United Alan Shearer would have won that elusive title with Newcastle in 2001-02. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA 2002-03: Everton. Newcastle needed to win at West Brom on the last day to overtake them but drew 2-2. 2003-04: Aston Villa 2004-05: Everton 2005-06: Newcastle United. The top three were separated by two points on the last day and Newcastle only drew at Birmingham but Blackburn and Wigan both lost, Rovers losing out on goal difference. 2006-07: Everton. Reading could have won the title at Blackburn but drew 3-3. 2007-08: Everton 2008-09: Everton 2009-10: Aston Villa 2010-11: Fulham 2011-12: Newcastle United 2012-13: Everton 2013-14: Everton 2014-15: Southampton 2015-16: Leicester City (by 21 points in a 26-game season) 2016-17: Everton 2017-18: Burnley 2018-19: Watford 2019-20: Leicester City In summary, Everton would have the most Premier League titles thanks to that run of eight in 15 years, which on the all-time list would give them 17 championships in total, still second on the list behind their neighbours, Liverpool. As for this season, West Ham are looking good for their first Premier League-era title, leading by three points with three games in hand over nearest challengers Leicester (who are seven points ahead of the Hammers having played the same number of games in reality but an IRL fixture list that ends with Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs has cost them badly). And a tip of the hat to Stephen Mackie, who emailed in the same findings and included a table, to boot. Alternative Premier League champions. Photograph: Stephen Mackie Hey Jude Jude Bellingham just scored his first goal in the Bundesliga at 17. Is he the youngest Englishman to score in a foreign league? asks Joe. Impressive though his achievements are, Jude isnt even the youngest Englishman to score in the Bundesliga this season, writes Dara OReilly. When Jamal Musiala scored for Bayern in their 8-0 victory against Schalke, he became their youngest ever goalscorer at 17 years and 205 days, the fifth youngest Bundesliga goalscorer ever, and although he has since declared for the German national team and received two senior caps, at the time of his goal he was a part of the England youth setup, and made his debut for the U-21s a month later. Similarly-named mens and womens squad players With the rise of both womens football and gender neutral names, has a team ever had players with the same first name in both mens and womens squads at the same time? tweets fuzzybluerain. From 2015 to 2018, Arsenals womens squad had Alex Scott and the mens squad had Alex Iwobi, writes Rit Nanda. From 2012-17, Arsenals womens squad had Scott and the mens squad had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. This means that all three played at the same club from 2015-17. Similarly, in 2019, Chelseas womens squad had Jamie-Lee Napier and Chelseas mens squad had Jamie Cumming. They both are still part of Chelsea presently, though out on loan. Alex Scott in action for Arsenal against Chelsea at the Womens FA Cup final at Wembley in 2016. Photograph: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images Alex turns out to be the key. David Reiss writes: In 2008, the USAs Alex Morgan scored the winning goal in the final of the 2008 U-20 Womens World Cup, while Alex Nimo was a regular on the U-20 USMNT. There are more, though. Jordans Henderson and Nobbs were both at Sunderland from 2008-11, tweets Steven Hyde. Going back further, Pat Earles and Davies played for Southampton mens and womens teams for most of the 1970s. And Jo Potters spell for Everton Ladies briefly overlapped with that of J in 2009. Vtor Oliveira: lower-league master Following up on last weeks archive about the greatest lower-league managers, its only right to mention an old favourite, Vtor Oliveira, who had won 10 promotions when this piece was published in 2017. Alan Gomes (among a wide correspondence) takes the tale on: After your article, Oliveira got an 11th promotion from Portugals second tier to the first with FC Paos de Ferreira. He took another job later in Portugals top flight with Gil Vicente, reaching a comfortable 10th place before moving on. Everyone was eagerly looking forward to see which team he would be promoting next but sadly Oliveira died suddenly in late 2020, aged 67. He never got any high-profile jobs, was never even rumoured for one of Portugals three bigs and never coached abroad. However, for two decades, he was the absolute master of Portugals second league. Knowledge archive 99% of clubs have their badge on the right side of the shirt, wrote Ed Ginzler in October 2009. Apart from a few teams I seem to recall having their badge in the middle, has there ever been a club with the badge on the left? While its true that most teams have their badges on the left of their shirt (or the right as you look at it), there are a few that have gone against the grain. Vincent Ramirez put in a shift on this one. He suggested the Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Cardiff kits of the 1975-76 season all of whom have moved their badges across the chest to make room for fetching go-faster stripes. He also mentioned Lyons 1993-94 kit, Cameroon who usually wear the federation badge on the right, with their emblem of a lion being on the other Togo and South Africa. The original late 70s (or was it early 80s?) Manchester City white shirt with red and black sash had the badge on the wrong side, wrote Mark Alden. And so it did. pic.twitter.com/drk6qLW3PT Black Country Rock (Stuart Edwards) (@Stue1967) April 21, 2021 I think three of Sundays Spurs starting XI are interim manager Ryan Masons seniors (Hugo Lloris, Toby Alderweireld and Gareth Bale), notes Nathan Woods. @Pompey @ASFCofficial meet tonight and 9th May. dan almond (@pompeyrabbi) April 27, 2021 Its been reported that Poland will have to travel 9,000km just to complete the group stage of Euro 2020, writes Boris Cule. What is the current record travel distance for a team during a major international tournament? @TheKnowledge_GU Nigerian striker Simy currently has 19 goals in 33 games for rock bottom Serie A side Crotone this season, who have 18 points. Arjun Chadha (@ArjunChadha7) April 24, 2021 @TheKnowledge_GU in the 2000/01 season, Henrik Larsson scored more than twice as many SPL goals as the next highest goalscorer (35 Vs 17). Josh Langley (@Lanky_19) April 22, 2021 I was looking at the Zambian Super League table and noticed Green Eagles in 11th are only one place and two points above Young Green Eagles in 12th. Has there ever been a season where a youth/reserve side has finished above their first team? asks Kevin Harris. This past weekend, Queen of the South went into the second last game of their season with both promotion and relegation a mathematical possibility. Taufiq A. Utomo (@taufiqutomo) April 20, 2021 Email your questions and answers to [email protected] or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU. | https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/28/who-would-win-premier-league-era-titles-in-a-world-without-the-big-six-knowledge |
Could 'self-driving' cars be allowed on roads this year? | Getty Images Drivers will be allowed to take their hands off the wheel if ALKS is enabled Self-driving vehicles could be allowed on UK roads by the end of this year, the government has said. The Department for Transport said automated lane-keeping systems (ALKS) would be the first type of hands-free driving legalised. The technology controls the position and speed of a car in a single lane but only up to speeds of 37 miles per hour. But car insurers have warned the government's definition of ALKS as 'self-driving' is not right. The government has now said that vehicles with ALKS technology can be legally defined as self-driving as long as they pass the right checks. This is a major step for the safe use of self-driving vehicles in the UK, making future journeys greener, easier and more reliable while also helping the nation to build back better, said Transport Minister Rachel Maclean. Getty Images Tech experts think cars that drive by themselves could be one of the ways we'll all get around in the future What drivers should do if using ALKS Drivers will not be required to watch the road or keep their hands on the wheel when the vehicle is driving itself. But the driver will need to stay alert and be able take over when requested by the system within 10 seconds. If a driver fails to respond, the vehicle will automatically put on its hazard lights to warn nearby vehicles and slow down. Source: Department of Transport However, there have been several accidents involving this technology when drivers did not pay enough attention to the road. Thatcham Research, which carries out safety tests for motor insurers, warned against calling ALKS the same 'self-driving', as the government has done. "Consumers will expect the car to do the job of a driver, which current models can't do," said Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56912459 |
Can Canadas crypto crackdown avoid ending in farce? | Open this photo in gallery Crypto-asset trading platforms have little appetite for conforming to Canadas disjointed patchwork of rules. D-Keine/iStockPhoto / Getty Images Canadas securities regulators sent a blunt message to the 600 or so unlicensed crypto-asset trading platforms (CTPs) operating in this country last month. CTPs were told they must register as a marketplace or dealer immediately and bring their operations into compliance with laws that protect investors and promote market fairness very quickly afterward. Most CTPs just scoffed at this demand. Many are foreign-based platforms. A few of these are big operations; others are basically a guy running a trading floor out of his personal laptop. CTPs libertarian vibe is their ethos, and they have little appetite for conforming to Canadas disjointed patchwork of rules in different parts of this country. Their derision was predictable. So, there must be a reason why Canadian regulators chose to trigger it this way. Perhaps our officials actually want the foreign CTPs to decamp and fish elsewhere. But in that case, the plan must also figure our domestic crypto platforms are vigorous enough and sufficiently disciplined, committed, and dutiful to march in formation with our policy aims of investor protection and fair, efficient markets. Story continues below advertisement Indeed, some Canadian firms have said they stand ready to serve any clients whose platforms abandon them. But the guy running a crypto trading floor inside his laptop lives in a place with few rules, and no one who cares if he uses accounts there to trade for people here. Thats how all those creepy binary options platforms still manage to rook hapless Canadians, despite being banned from setting up shop on our soil. Regulators are powerless to stop this web-based raiding by offshore entities. Consequently, domestic registration wont bring harmony or a level playing field to Canadas crypto trading scene. Instead, itll just sting any platforms that maintain offices here. Lacking the efficiencies of scale enjoyed by firms in bigger markets, or the freedom to blithely disregard rules like the platforms operating from lightly regulated foreign territory, Canadian CTPs will be simply weighed down by the cost of dealing with our fragmented system. That will compel them to do two things: charge Canadian investors a premium for crypto trading services and demand fewer and looser rules. Theyll argue both measures are necessary to keep them in business. Policy-makers will find it hard to disagree. So, more cynical laughter will rain down upon us as its pointed out that, thanks to our regulators efforts to foster investor protection and market efficiency, the exact opposite will be achieved. The phrase competitive Canadian crypto will become a sardonic punchline you can combine any two of those words but not all three. This descent into farce doesnt have to happen, however. Not if we redefine competitiveness on our own terms. For example, we cant do much about the fact that our markets small and complicated, and therefore pricing here will always be higher than in several other countries. But we can stick a stake in the ground on rules and professional standards to make Canada the safest, most reliable place to buy or sell crypto assets in the world. That could be big. Reliability is a competitive advantage, even when its a little pricey. Just ask Swiss bankers, or German automakers, or the New York Yankees. Theyve all made perennial, high-calibre dependability their trademark. And the crypto world is practically begging for it. Its what blockchain was supposed to deliver but, ironically, blockchains transparency, efficiency, and indisputable proof of asset ownership still arent enough to safeguard traders against faulty procedures, negligent systems design, or the risks of theft and fraud. Story continues below advertisement A distributed ledger eliminates intermediaries but not crooks. It tells you who owns whats in an electronic wallet, but as investors with QuadrigaCX found out, it wont tell you the computer password needed to access that wallet if the computers owner suddenly dies. Well-regulated systems develop robust proficiency and conduct standards and hold people to them. They audit. They build in appropriate redundancies to protect against catastrophe. They enforce their rules, slap the non-compliant, and kick out the dishonest and ungovernable. All of that, in combination, gives competent, trustworthy people the latitude to get things done because good regulation provides a framework for accountability, safety, and reliability. So, lets make crypto trading safety and dependability our brand, by getting very hands-on and interventionist, in a good way, in order to make our CTPs the best in the world. Lets mandate our regulators do so swiftly, powerfully, and unapologetically. If we want Canadian officials to accomplish that, we cant hesitate or dilute the initiative. We need to seize it with full commitment. We have to refuse to be a comic punchline and instead forge ourselves into the pre-eminent line of defence. Neil Gross is president of Component Strategies, a capital markets policy consultancy in Toronto. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/globe-advisor/advisor-news/article-can-canadas-crypto-crackdown-avoid-ending-in-farce/ |
Are we ready for our smart home devices to become truly "smart"? | Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNN For decades, the smart home has been a mainstay in pop culture, from Disney's 1999 flick "Smart House," in which an artificially intelligent home takes on the personality of a domineering mother, to the retro high-tech home of "The Jetsons." The 1960s cartoon offered a view of domestic life a century later, from a grooming room that combs your hair and brushes your teeth, to the ever-attentive and overworked Rosie, the robot maid. Some of the Jetsons' housewares and furnishings, such as the bed that ejected the occupant like a piece of toast, are still a pipe dream. But 60 years later, we've got their smart watches and (comparatively primitive) digital assistants. In our homes, devices like Google Nest identify friends or strangers at the door, while Philips Hue lights can be programmed to shift their color based on our circadian clocks. When we plan meals for the week, Samsung's Family Hub refrigerator photographs what's left in the fridge and makes suggestions based on our diets. If there are unusual sounds in our homes (like the cat lazily knocking a drinking glass to the floor), Amazon's Alexa alerts us. In 2020, Samsung also teased a forthcoming robot companion named Ballie , that can roll around like BB-8 from "Star Wars" and help operate our smart home devices. We may not have the living room of "The Jetsons" yet, but over the past decade, integrated smart devices have become a mainstay in our homes. Credit: leanza abucayan/cnn For the most part, we still explicitly direct our devices on how best to serve us, but that's about to change, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Joseph A. Paradiso, who directs the MIT Media Lab's Responsive Environments group. Just over two decades after the late venture capitalist Eli Zelkha and his team at Palo Alto Ventures introduced the concept of "ambient intelligence," laying out a future in which electronics were ubiquitous, interconnected and responsive parts of our homes, we're on the cusp of making their vision a reality. The exploding field of ambient technology promises innovative, intuitive electronics that fade into the background hum of our lives. "Soon, you're going to have systems that will be proactive," Paradiso said in a video interview. Our devices are "going to see and hear as we do, and they're going to be suggesting and prompting." In 2018, Amazon waded into these waters with Alexa's Hunches feature, which can perform small tasks, like turning off smart lights for you when you go to bed, without your direction. Until this January, users had to give permission for Alexa to act on her decisions. But now, once you've opted in, Alexa can decide what to do around your home based on your habits. "It's a big change in your relationship with Alexa, if it starts to decide things for you," Sarah Housley, head of consumer technology at trend forecasting company WGSN, explained in a video interview. Amazon's digital assistant Alexa can now make decisions for users based on their habits, thanks to an updated "Hunches" feature. As technology progresses, artificial intelligence (AI), the linchpin of ambient technology, will likely augment more areas of our lives. Any error, however, may lead to backlash, Housley warned. "All it would take is for an intuitive AI system to make a bad decision that impacts badly on you or someone else. And then there would be a very quick kind of cultural conversation of who's to blame for the decisions that technology is making for them," Housley said, pointing to the debate that surrounded a fatal self-driving Uber accident back in 2018. And that conversation is bound to come soon: By 2030, WGSN has predicted that we will be using 50 billion connected devices around the world, creating smart networks in and outside of the home. 'The technology is now in line with the futurologists' Jamie Cobb, director of industrial design group Map Project Office in London, believes the next five to 10 years will see an explosion in ambient technology, thanks to groundwork laid over the last decade. His team is interested in the new behaviors that this type of technology will enable and how we will live harmoniously with it, as Map outlined in a recent e-paper, " The Future of Ambient Technology ." "The technology is now in line with the futurologists," Cobb said. A decade ago, he added, "you'd never (have) imagined that someone could order food or turn the lights on just by talking to an object, and that's quickly become part of a very familiar landscape." Some of the biggest advancements have been made in computing power, sensor size and speech and natural language recognition, according to Paradiso. But our devices are poised to respond to far more than voice commands. Ambient technology will be sensitive to our movement, gaze, posture, body language, heat biometrics, and the nuances in our tone of voice, Cobb said. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2020, Panasonic unveiled a new concept based on activity-sensing technology that is designed to predict your behavior around the home, including biometric sensors that adjust room temperature based on your body heat. Chinese home appliance brand Haier, meanwhile, showcased a concept for a flexible and accessible kitchen that can adjust the height of appliances, among other features, by using voice and facial recognition to determine who is using it. Samsung's smart refrigerators can help people plan their meals based on their dietary needs, as well as what's left in their fridge. Other kitchen concepts imagine an even more personalized and automated experience. Credit: Michele Tantussi/Getty Images Ambient technology may help us rely less on screens, as we need them less to direct our devices. Our digital assistants can already access many of our apps for us without the need to swipe open our phones, and those types of interactions are bound to become more comprehensive. "It's amazing how much screens have taken over my young children's lives," Cobb said. "That's a very lean-forward, immersive experience. But when we talk about ambient, it gives us an opportunity to create more lean-back experiences." The technology may help run a more sustainable home. WGSN's " The Future Home of 2030 " report looked at new technology that could do just that, including VibroSense, an AI-powered device developed by researchers at Cornell University. Tracking vibrations in walls, ceilings and floors, VibroSense monitors and adjusts 17 different types of appliances in the home, turning off dripping faucets and alerting residents to the wet clothes left unattended in the washing machine. Though it does take energy to run smart devices, manufacturers have touted overall savings costs. According to Google, its Nest thermostat saves US customers up to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling bills. Devices like the Nest Learning Thermostat aim to run homes in a more sustainable way. Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Archive Photos/Getty Images The WGSN report details how our living spaces will be increasingly digitized and able to change up visually or aurally according to our moods, using augmented reality (AR) and deep learning, which Housley suggests could lead to a creative boom when it comes to home decor. IKEA has provided a glimpse into what our homes might soon be capable of through its project "Everyday Experiments" with Danish design lab SPACE10, proposing blinds that adjust themselves according to the sun, or an AR and spatial audio app that turns the objects in your home into a musical symphony by scanning and assigning each of them a sound, which can be changed by rearranging objects, among other concepts. "The idea that a designer can design a mood, or design an ambience is a fantastic thing," Housley said. "So thinking about how all of the senses come together is going to be really inspiring for designers -- how do they pair lighting with color and with sound and with pattern and tactility?" "I think that digital decor could become a sustainable way to update your space, if you have furnishings that you can change digitally by projecting color or light onto them," she added. And, though it may have been too early for smart glasses when Google Glass was introduced back in 2013, a number of AR glasses on the horizon -- reportedly including Apple and Facebook -- will mean that soon enough, anything in or outside of the home may become interactive and responsive. Privacy in a world of intimate technology But all of this innovation could come at a cost: our privacy. And in the current landscape, it's a fee consumers may be reticent to pay. "With the big backlash against Big Tech that we've seen over the past few years, I think consumers... have a certain level of interest in privacy and ethics now that they didn't before," Housley said. These fears aren't entirely unfounded. Massive breaches to major websites have compromised the data of hundreds of millions of people in the past few years, and the comprehensive data ambient technology relies on will include far more than our addresses and credit card numbers. The digital assistant that will be able to identify when you''ll be most attentive for a Spanish lesson -- a function Paradiso said is being heavily researched -- will have the type of information that could be used to manipulate you. Is this the best time to give you this information now?" Paradiso said. "If you have intimate knowledge of people, you can start knowing exactly how to make an intervention to sway them." While we are now accustomed to hyper-targeted product advertising, the Cambridge Analytica scandal , which saw Facebook user data harvested and exploited for political advertising, portends a future where it may become much easier to use people's personal preferences for much more than purchasing decisions. A decade ago, "You'd never (have) imagined that someone could order food or turn the lights on just by talking to an object, and that's quickly become part of a very familiar landscape," Cobb said. Physical robot assistants, like Samsung's Ballie, are likely on the horizon. Credit: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg/Getty Images Housley also notes smart home features could soon extend beyond just your home. Amazon Sidewalk, for instance, will be rolling out soon, offering the ability to create smart neighborhoods by allowing connected devices to work beyond the range of a single home's Wi-Fi, including home security systems, broadening their potential reach. But Housley says technology meant to connect people also has the potential to exacerbate inequalities. She points out racial profiling that has taken place on some neighborhood social networking apps like Nextdoor as foreshadowing to what may follow. The app has been criticized for allowing users to report people they see in their neighborhood as "suspicious" based only on their race. The company has tried to address the issue with several features, including a new " anti-racism notification " that identifies offensive phrases and asks users to reconsider before they post. "(The racism is) almost amplified by the technology... And so that will need to be tackled as well for consumers to feel like these systems are equitable and that they're democratic." Identifying these problems will become crucial as more people opt in to relinquishing their tasks to ambient technology. In a world with billions and billions of connected devices that learn us intimately to streamline our lives, it will be harder to opt out. "I think it will become more and more of a luxury to be unconnected," Housley said. But Paradiso takes a more optimistic tone, referring to sci-fi writers who have opined about the collective intelligence humans will be capable of when more fully linked. "(Ambient technology) is going to really unite us with machine intelligence and each other, ideally, in a way, that's great," he said. "I like to take the long view, and something like that would be wonderful." | https://www.cnn.com/style/article/future-smart-home-ambient-technology/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29 |
Should colleges require students to get the COVID vaccine? | The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. Whats happening Californias two major university systems announced last week that they will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they return to campus in the fall. The University of California and California State University systems with more than 760,000 students across dozens of campuses are the latest schools to join a growing list of colleges that will mandate vaccinations at the start of the next academic year. Vaccine requirements are far from universal, however. The University of Louisiana system will encourage students to get vaccinated but will ultimately leave the choice up to individuals. A number of colleges are waiting for more clarity on whether they have the legal authority to mandate COVID vaccinations before making their decision. Colleges routinely require students to be vaccinated against diseases like meningitis and measles. But current coronavirus vaccines were given emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, which makes the legality of mandates a bit more murky. The California schools have said they will enforce their mandates only after full FDA approval is granted for at least one vaccine. Its unclear whether that process will be completed for any vaccines before the start of the fall semester. In some states, like Texas and Florida, schools could be blocked from requiring vaccinations by executive orders banning so-called vaccine passports signed by Republican governors. As of last week, all Americans over the age of 16 are eligible to receive the vaccines. But young adults, who make up the majority of college students, have a long way to go before they match vaccination rates of older demographic groups. Only 9 percent of Americans between 18 and 29 are fully vaccinated, compared with 36 percent of the total adult population, according to the CDC. Story continues Why theres debate Advocates for college vaccine mandates say theyre the only way to ensure that a version of normal campus life is possible. Many universities brought students back to campus last fall, only to experience major outbreaks in the following weeks. While young adults face significantly lower risk of severe illness or death, research shows that on-campus infections often spread to more vulnerable groups in the local community. It doesnt just make us safer. In the end, it makes our entire community safer, said Antonio Calcado, chief operating officer at Rutgers University. Distance learning has been a poor substitute for in-person education for many students, and universities have lost billions of dollars in revenue by not having students on campus. Supporters of vaccine mandates say its fair to ask students to take on the reasonably small burden of getting vaccinated to help keep their college communities open and safe. The staunchest opponents of mandates say students and faculty should be allowed to make their own decisions about the vaccine. Others say vaccine requirements only make sense for schools in places with high community spread and a supportive political climate in which theres a low risk it would spark a backlash. There are also logistical concerns, like the lack of a national vaccination database and unequal health care access, that could make enforcing a requirement challenging. Some legal experts say schools are inviting expensive legal challenges if they move forward before the vaccines have full approval. Perspectives Vaccine requirements would infringe on personal freedoms Some students may object to a vaccination because of health concerns or because they question the long-term effects, despite scientific evidence of the vaccines safety. While the vast majority of students will likely get the vaccine, schools should honor the decisions of the few who object. Wide-reaching vaccination is ideal but not at the cost of an individuals choice. Editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Protecting college students means protecting everyone The best way to halt virus mutation is to stop virus transmission. With over 20 million college students in the U.S., preventing infections among this age cohort will place a significant headwind to virus mutation, effectively protecting everyone in the population. This means that every college has a public health responsibility to require its students to be vaccinated. Sheldon Jacobson and Janet Jokela, Indianapolis Star A mandate only makes sense at some schools Even if there was legal certainty surrounding requiring an EUA-approved vaccine, there are other issues colleges may be considering when weighing mandating vaccination. Those include the school populations views on the vaccine, and whether the college can reach herd immunity without a mandatory vaccine requirement, and the infection rate and/or vaccination rate in the nearby communities. Jillian Berman, Marketwatch Universities need safe campuses to shore up their finances Colleges have been particularly hard hit by pandemic restrictions. Theyre losing students who say theyre tired of paying full-price tuition for virtual learning, and that generally means less money for universities that may already be struggling financially. A vaccinated campus could be the step toward normality that college leaders are seeking. Chris Quintana, USA Today Colleges are especially prone to major outbreaks College students are mobile and spread COVID-19 with them whenever they travel, and they live in congregate living facilities where infection rates are much higher than in other housing setups. Christopher R. Marsicano, NBC News Colleges shouldnt wait until the fall to get their students vaccinated In the coming weeks, while this population is accessible, we must seize the moment and vaccinate all college students for COVID-19. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. Read more 360s Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images | https://news.yahoo.com/should-colleges-require-students-to-get-the-covid-vaccine-150729844.html |
Could new therapy technique save maligned youth prisons? | MADISON, Wis. A new therapy technique at Wisconsin's Lincoln Hills youth prison holds the promise of making the facility safer for both staff and youth. But implementing it requires buy-in from an overworked, sometimes cynical prison staff and advocates for youth justice reform say it's not a substitute for the state's promise to close the facility for good. Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, emphasizes communication and relationship-building between prison staff and youth inmates. State leaders say it means a culture change at the facility, and since late 2020, staff at all levels of the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth facilities have undergone training and begun to incorporate the techniques into their work with youth. These include daily meetings between young people and staff including social workers, teachers, guards and administrators. Research on DBT has found it can be effective in reducing violence in correctional institutions, and a court-ordered monitor praised the facility's transition to the therapy, writing in January that she was "encouraged by the progress and commitment made in implementing DBT." In a new report released Tuesday, the monitor wrote that there had been "vast improvements" at the site, and said that "DBT implementation will be very beneficial to youth and staff." But state leaders acknowledge that implementing the new techniques will be a big change for the troubled institution, including among security staff who are not used to its emphasis on positive reinforcement and seeking to understand the root causes of behavior rather than simply control it, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. "We are in the very, very, very early stages of this," said Lesley Chapin, a psychologist who is leading training at the facility. She's working with staff members and sitting in on some of the sessions. Chapin said she's seeing progress at Lincoln Hills School. She also said she's aware that some staff members are taking a jaundiced view of the changes. "The nature of these facilities is they've seen a lot of stuff come and go," she said. Some staff "probably expect that this is the flavor-of-the-day." Danna Villafane, now 18, spent two years at Copper Lake School, first for stealing a car and then for an armed robbery charge. She got out last year, before the DBT program started. But she saw plenty of efforts at making change there. "They've tried this so many times," she said. "They have so many programs there they got trained for, and none of it worked. They just don't listen. (The guards) decide what they want to do and, in their eyes, we do what we want to do." During Villafane's time at Copper Lake, one of the therapy techniques was "thinking fingers," meant as a way for youth to calm themselves by massaging their temples while they were getting upset. It wasn't exactly embraced. She said guards taunted her as they locked her up in solitary confinement: "Use your thinking fingers, Villafane." "They weren't saying it in a good way," she said. "They were making fun of the situation, taking it as a joke." Villafane earned her high school equivalency degree at Copper Lake, and said she had good relationships with some staff members. But overall, she said, it's not a good place. "It impacted me in a negative way," Villafane said. "It didn't impact me in a way where I wanted to change my life around. ... I was angry in there. "It impacted me in a negative way," Villafane said. "It didn't impact me in a way where I wanted to change my life around. ... I was angry in there." The problems at Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake are deep-seated, and its history includes abuse by staff members, violence by youth against teachers, mismanagement and an overuse of disciplinary measures such as solitary confinement. For years, memos from judges, public defenders and psychologist groups pointed to evidence of mistreatment by staff, poor training and insufficient medical care for inmates. Some staff members retired or resigned after probes of misconduct; some were fired. An FBI probe closed without charges. In 2018, a federal judge responded to a class action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union by ordering changes to the facility, including regular reports by an independent monitor. Beginning in early 2019, those reports have chronicled both progress and resistance to changes that include eliminating the use of pepper spray and punitive solitary confinement. Staff at the facility say their jobs are unsafe; as recently as February, a staff member was taken to a hospital after an assault by a youth inmate. In January, the monitor found a majority of staff were "stressed and frustrated." The facility is chronically understaffed, meaning workers there face sometimes-mandatory overtime that can extend their 12-hour shifts to 16 hours. The Wisconsin director of AFSCME, the union that represents workers at Lincoln Hills, declined repeated interview requests. WPR interviewed a current employee at the facility, who said some of the court-ordered changes have made the facility less safe and less orderly. WPR is not revealing the employee's name because the person was not authorized to speak publicly. State officials point to positive statements in the most recent monitor's reports to show that implementation of DBT techniques are already improving conditions. And they hope the reforms can make a lasting difference. "I have a lot of faith in our staff and a lot of respect for their abilities to be adaptable and learn new skills," said Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr. "I believe that if given the chance and if our folks really are dedicated to serving the youth in the best way possible, they'll be able to make this transition. It's just going to take some time." Carr met with staff at Lincoln Hills in March to discuss safety issues and learn about DBT implementation. He said it's "a marathon, not a sprint," and success will be measured over time in whether incidents of violence "go down significantly." "That's when I will say, 'Hey, this is doing what it's supposed to,'" Carr said. One thing that's made hiring and retaining staff at Lincoln Hills difficult is the fact that there are real questions about whether or not the institution has a future. The state's first deadline for its closure was Jan. 1, 2021. When Gov. Tony Evers and other leaders said the state wouldn't meet that deadline, the Legislature extended the deadline to July of this year. But even as the new deadline looms, no concrete plans exist to close the facility. For advocates of youth criminal justice reform, the implementation of DBT or other changes at the facility simply don't go far enough. "I'm glad that now the staff are talking to the kids," said Sharlen Moore, executive director of Milwaukee's Urban Underground. It just goes to show you that the practice of how these young people are supported was not healthy." The 2018 bill, signed by then-Gov. Scott Walker as he was gearing up for a reelection campaign that year, would have moved Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth to smaller, regional facilities, and turned the Lincoln County institution into a minimum-security state prison for adults. The next year, Republican legislators left a gap of more than $100 million in funding for alternative facilities, including in Milwaukee, the state's largest city where most youth inmates come from. And the process of setting up regional facilities had setbacks, as some counties have found creating them too expensive. Moore said it's worth looking even deeper at what Wisconsin actually needs. The population of incarcerated youth in Wisconsin has dropped dramatically. In 2002, the average daily population of the state's three youth facilities Lincoln Hills, Copper Lake and Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center was 819. By 2019, the three institutions housed 156 kids on average. Today, the combined population of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake hovers between 60 and 70 kids. That's many fewer than what the capacity of four to six regional facilities would be. Mendota, a secure mental health treatment facility in Madison, received $59 million in the state's 2019-21 biennial budget to expand its capacity from 29 boys to 60 boys and 40 girls. "We have to put more resources on the preventative side," said Moore, whose organization supports underprivileged youth. We've got a really nice jail for you.' ... We've got to start looking at it very differently." Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake have "school" in their names, but those who work or visit them say there is no mistaking them for what they are: prisons. A southeastern Wisconsin mom whose daughter was at Copper Lake described her first visit to the institution. They sat across from each other at a cafeteria table. "My daughter was upset," the mother said. "She was crying, and she reached out to me to hug me." Guards immediately separated them. The fear is that an embrace would allow visitors to pass contraband items drugs, weapons, electronics to the youth. "As soon as you do more than touch your child's hand, you have to be separated," the woman said. WPR is not identifying the woman in order not to identify her daughter, a minor at the time. For Chapin and Carr, implementing DBT can improve outcomes for youth at Lincoln Hills even as a broader political debate continues in the state over the future of youth corrections. "I'm not the one who is going to make that decision" to close Lincoln Hills or not, Chapin said. "But I know it's not closed. And if it's not closed, I want to do everything I can to make it a treatment-focused facility." At an event in Milwaukee this month, Evers promoted a range of juvenile justice reforms in his proposed state budget, including an end to charging juveniles in adult court and, again, the closure of Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. "We're also going to propose to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake so that we can get our kids closer to home as soon as we safely and responsibly can," Evers said. "Wisconsin is ready to make this change." If the Legislature turns out not to be ready to make that change, youth criminal justice expert Vincent Schiraldi said the state should reassess its system from top to bottom. Schiraldi, a former New York City probation commissioner who is co-director of the Columbia Youth Justice Lab, said it's hard to make any reform stick at a place like Lincoln Hills. "These large, prison-like institutions entropy in this direction," Schiraldi said. "That's why we need to close them. ... In the meantime, it's probably good to have good therapy programs going on in such facilities, but we should not mistake that for the notion that somehow Wisconsin is going to come up with a way to fix the unfixable." | https://www.startribune.com/could-new-therapy-technique-save-maligned-youth-prisons/600050221/ |
Where is discussion of wealth tax in evaluating budget? | Jagmeet Singh holds the balance of power in Parliament. Cohn, April 24 In his critique of Jagmeet Singhs appraisal of the federal budget, Martin Regg Cohn missed the item that most resonated to me: the lack of any real wealth tax. I often get tired of Singhs constant criticism of the Liberals on an number of issues upon which they mostly agree. However, in his criticism of the complete omission of any real wealth tax at a time when social and financial inequality are so glaringly obvious, I completely agree with Singh. It is well past time for those who have such an uncanny amount of accumulated wealth and power to pay their fair share. I had hoped for much more from the finance minister who scathingly wrote about appalling inequality and the resulting unequal balance of power in her book Plutocrats. Clearly, Chrystia Freeland was either not ready to wield her considerable influence, or she was silenced by those who have traditionally held power. This was an opportunity missed by this Liberal government to their peril. Unbridled wealth leading to rising inequality is the elephant in the room. Fran Bazos, Newmarket, Ont. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2021/04/28/where-is-discussion-of-wealth-tax-in-evaluating-budget.html |
Where can a guy get some NFL draft coverage? | I don't watch a lot of ESPN these days, unless the network is broadcasting a specific game of interest, but after getting my second COVID vaccination last week, I spent more time than usual on my couch. So I watched ESPN. And sensed a couple of trends. People: It appears that ESPN likes NFL draft speculation almost as much as Michael Jordan likes Michael Jordan. They really like having a certain host on the air, too. Host: Mike Greenberg. 1-1:01 a.m.: Proud Ohio State alum Kirk Herbstreit on the proud history of Ohio State quarterbacks making it in the NFL. Host: Mike Greenberg. 1:01-2 a.m.: Mel Kiper's Hair: The Early Years. Host: Mike Greenberg. 2-2:01 a.m.: An in-depth review of the WNBA draft. Host: Mike Greenberg. 2:01-3 a.m.: Trey Lance's One Collegiate Interception and How It Affected The Value of Bitcoin. Host: Mike Greenberg. 3-3:01 a.m.: Since Fran: A brief history of Minnesota Vikings successfully drafting quarterbacks. Host: Mike Greenberg. 3:01-4 a.m.: Stephen A. Smith calls your favorite team's quarterback "indubitably preposterous." Host: Mike Greenberg. 4-5 a.m.: Red Sox vs. Yankees: The teams meet at Fenway Park to debate whether the 49ers should take Mac Jones or Trey Lance. Host: Mike Greenberg. 5-6 a.m.: Mel Kiper's Hair Goes To College. Host: Mike Greenberg. 6-6:01 a.m.: Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann reflect on all of the good aspects of ESPN management. Host: Mike Greenberg. 6:01-7 a.m.: How Trevor Lawrence flicking his hair can deceive even the best free safeties. Host: Mike Greenberg. Host: Mike Greenberg. 8-9 a.m.: Baker Mayfield's Best Moments (In Commercials). Host: Mike Greenberg. 9-10 a.m.: ESPN Presents Mock Drafting The Mock Drafters. Mel Kiper is the presumed No. 1 pick, but may slide due to his 40-yard dash time at the combine. Host: Mike Greenberg. 10-10:01 a.m.: Minnesota Twins weekend highlights. Host: Mike Greenberg. 10:01-11 a.m.: ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky Explains (How to Fail as an NFL Quarterback). Host: Mike Greenberg. 11-noon: ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck Explains (How to Fail as an NFL Quarterback.) Host: Mike Greenberg. Noon-1 p.m.: Rex Ryan Draft Analysis, titled "Don't Ever Do What I Did." Host: Mike Greenberg. 1-2 p.m.: Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum on Draft Strategy: "Whomever You Draft, Don't Hire Rex Ryan as Your Coach." Host: Mike Greenberg. 2-3 p.m.: NFL Live's Mock Draft. Host: Mike Greenberg. 3-4 p.m.: NFL Nation's Mock Draft: Host: Mike Greenberg. 4-5 p.m.: NFL Fantasy's Mock Draft: Host: Mike Greenberg. 5-5:01 p.m.: Ed Werder interrupts a previously scheduled program to announce that Brett Favre is not returning to the Vikings. Host: Mike Greenberg. 5:01-6 p.m.: A Tiger Woods "30 for 30": Who Tiger would take with the first pick. Host: Mike Greenberg. 6-7 p.m.: NFL Universe's Mock Draft: Host: Mike Greenberg. 7-8 p.m.: An ESPN "30 for 30": How former No. 1 pick Sam Bradford wound up with $130 million, and when he will be arrested for grand larceny. Host: Mike Greenberg. 8-9 p.m.: An ESPN "30 for 30": The rise of Mike Greenberg. Host: Mike Greenberg. 9-10: Mike Greenberg's Mock Draft. Host: Mike Greenberg. 10-11 p.m.: Mel Kiper's Mock Draft 193.0. Host: Mike Greenberg. 11-11:01 p.m.: Highlights of ESPN's women's sports coverage. Host: Mike Greenberg. 11:01-midnight: World Championships of Cornhole. Host: Brett Favre. Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at TalkNorth.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. [email protected] | https://www.startribune.com/where-can-a-guy-get-some-nfl-draft-coverage/600049927/ |
Will Biden's Armenian genocide remark "stir the hornet's nest," further straining ties with Turkey? | Istanbul Turkey and the U.S. have once again found each other at odds after President Joe Biden's characterization of the Ottoman atrocities committed against ethnic Armenians more than 100 years ago as genocide. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Mr. Biden's statement "baseless, unfair and untrue." Erdogan said the American leader's "wrong step" would hinder bilateral relations, and he hinted strongly at hypocrisy, urging the U.S. to "look in the mirror." Breaking with previous administrations, Mr. Biden described the deadly forced deportation of well over a million Armenians from the Ottoman Empire modern-day Turkey at the beginning of World War I as "a genocide." "Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring," Mr. Biden said in a statement on April 24, widely recognized as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. His use of the word brought immediate, sharp condemnation from Turkish officials. The country's foreign ministry said the words would not change history, and it summoned the U.S. Ambassador in Ankara to deliver a formal complaint. A protester gestures while holding a Turkish flag in front of the U.S. Consulate during a demonstration by members of the Patriotic Party against President Joe Biden's description of the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide, April 26, 2021. Murat Baykara/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Even political rivals inside Turkey closed ranks over Mr. Biden's statement. Turkey's leading opposition Republican People's Party echoed the government's criticism and called the statement "a serious mistake." Historians say that in the summer and autumn of 1915, Armenian civilians were forced from their homes and marched through the valleys and mountains of Eastern Anatolia (Turkey) towards the Syrian desert. Armenian leaders say 1.5 million civilians died of starvation and disease as about 90% of the ethnic group in Anatolia were driven from their homes. Turkey's government says Armenian armed gangs posed a national security threat as they were colluding with Western-allied Russia to enable the occupation of eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey admits that Armenians were deported, but it disputes the numbers, putting the death toll at a few hundred thousand and insisting there was no intention of eliminating a race of people. Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, modern-day Turkey's state policy has been to reject any description of the treatment of the Armenians at the time as genocide. People hold pictures of victims during a memorial to commemorate the 1915 Armenian mass killings, April 24, 2018, in Istanbul, Turkey. Chris McGrath/Getty President Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first Turkish leader to offer condolences for the Armenian deaths when, in 2014, he acknowledged that the events of 1915 had "inhumane consequences," and expressed hope that those who had died were at peace. Historian Umit Kurt is skeptical of the defense offered by Turkish officials of the deportations. He told CBS News that officials who deny the charge of genocide should explain why Armenian properties were seized and then sold off by the state. The homes were distributed among local Ottoman elites and Muslim refugees quickly after the Armenians were forced out, virtually erasing the ethnic group's longtime presence in the region. "The seizure of properties shows the Ottoman rulers never expected Armenians to return." Kurt told CBS News. U.S.-Turkey relations The decision by the U.S. leader to use the highly-charged word was "political," Faruk Logoglu, a former Turkish Ambassador to the United States, told CBS News. "Biden's decision is likely to stir the hornet's nest, and it will have medium and long-term consequences for Turkey-U.S. ties." For sure, Mr. Biden's remark couldn't have come at a more delicate time for the two NATO allies. The relationship has been strained for years over Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems. The Russian missiles are considered a threat to NATO's own defense systems in the region, and it all comes at a time when Russia is locked in a standoff with the West over its actions in eastern Ukraine the sharp edge of Russia's geographic sphere of influence. The U.S. sanctioned Turkey specifically over the purchase of the Russian missile systems and kicked the country out of the project with NATO partners to develop the advanced F-35 fighter jet. The rift between Turkey and the U.S. has also deepened in recent years over America's support for Kurdish rebels in Syria. The U.S. has relied for a decade on the Syrian Kurds as an affective ally in the fight against ISIS extremists, but Turkey considers Syria's Kurdish militias terrorists with links to the PKK, an armed separatist group fighting for greater autonomy in southern Turkey. In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Mr. Biden said he'd "spent a lot of time" with Erdogan, and he called him an "autocrat." On Monday night, Turkey's government said Mr. Biden would meet his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of a NATO summit in June. The genocide remark will be just the latest issue adding to the tension in the room. Armenian voices today Survivors and descendants including a vocal Armenian diaspora in the United States have campaigned for decades to get other governments across the world to recognize the killings as an act of genocide. About 30 countries have now characterized the events that way. Recent history has also been marked by trauma for the roughly 60,000 ethnic Armenians who still live inside Turkey. The assassination of a prominent Armenian journalist, Hirant Dink, by a Turkish ultra-nationalist in 2007 showed that the small community could still be targeted. A recent survey conducted by a foundation set up by Dink's family found that Armenians are still the most-maligned minority group by Turkish media outlets. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/armenian-genocide-biden-remark-will-strain-ties-with-turkey/ |
Should Washington Be 'Comfortable' with Current QB Options? | The Washington Football Team has the No. 19 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the 2021 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, the Washington Football Team will have some questions to answer when it comes to roster question. Among them will be the quarterback position. Washington general manager Martin Mayhew recently detailed how the organization is 'very confident and comfortable' in the quarterbacks currently on their roster. "We do feel very confident and comfortable with the quarterbacks on our roster right now," he said. On the surface, to some, the answer appears to be a resounding 'no.' There is real reason to question the current options on the Football Teams' roster. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the projected starter and will be 39 in late November. Even if he has a strong 2021 campaign, he's going to need to be replaced at some point. Neither Taylor Heinicke nor Kyle Allen have shown enough on the field to be considered a viable long-term answer to be Fitzpatrick's successor, either. There will be some options for the Football Team when it comes to adding a quarterback to develop behind Fitzpatrick. According to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox, the Washington Football Team could still 'target a developmental prospect' at the quarterback position. That could include using a Day 2 selection or moving down from No. 19 overall. "The Football Team may not be concerned with adding a quarterback to roll out for the coming season, but this doesn't mean that it won't target a developmental prospect,'' B/R writes. "That could mean taking a signal-caller on Day 2 or trading down from No. 19 and grabbing a guy like Stanford's Davis Millsa prospect some believe could go in the first round." Our Chris Russell has written repeatedly of how the WFT will not show "desperation'' in its pursuit of QB help - that is, will not overpay in a massive trade up. As it stands now, five QBs could go in Thursday's first round ... and all five might go in the first nine or 10 slots. READ MORE: RUMOR: Washington Football Team Would Trade Up 'All Its Picks' For Lance As seen with the selection of Dwayne Haskins with the No. 15 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, using a first-round selection on a quarterback is far from a guaranteed success story. It almost always takes legitimate development for a non-elite quarterback prospect to pan out. Washington hasn't shown to have that ability. At No. 19 overall in the draft order, the options will be far from surefire successes. Forcing a quarterback selection for the sake of making one hasn't worked in the past for the Football Team. Even if they aren't truly sold on their options right now, a best player available approach seems to be the right choice as they progress in a rebuild. There will always be the option of making an aggressive (but not "reckless'') trade for a quarterback in the future. When the Washington Football Team has built up the talent on offense, then it will be a prime opportunity to make a move of that nature. READ MORE: NFL Mock Draft: SI Publishers Team-By-Team - Washington | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/should-washington-be-comfortable-with-current-qb-options |
Who are the Texans' best finds in the NFL Draft? | Entering their 20th draft as a franchise, the Texans have a checkered history when it comes to the NFL's ballyhooed annual talent procurement exercise. They have no lack of first-round success, landing longtime contributors such as Andre Johnson, Duane Johnson, Brian Cushing, Kareem Jackson, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson (although his future in Houston appears murky, to say the least) in the opening round. But when it comes to the middle to late rounds of the draft, the Texans have generally struggled to find great value. In a league with a salary cap, finding cost-effective talent in the draft tends to be paramount when trying to field a contender. This week, the Texans for the third time in four years won't have a first-round pick when the draft begins Friday. What would've been the third overall pick in the draft was sent to Miami in the 2019 Laremy Tunsil trade. So the Texans, barring any wheeling and dealing by general manager Nick Caserio, won't be picking until No. 67 on Friday. Caserio, in his first draft running the Texans after two decades as a New England executive, will have to find some late-round gems to help revamp the roster following last season's 4-12 nosedive. Here's a look at a dozen useful players the Texans found in the third round or later during their first 19 drafts. 2003, fourth round: Dominick Williams, RB, LSU Formerly known as Dominick Davis, he only played three seasons for the Texans, starting 36 of 40 games. He delivered a pair of 1,000-yard seasons and missed out on a third by just 24 yards. Williams also scored 23 rushing touchdowns in his three seasons, including 13 in 2004. But a left knee injury landed Williams on injured reserve to start the 2006 season and his career was effectively over. 2006, third round: Eric Winston, OT, Miami The Midland native originally went to "The U" as a tight end before converting to the offensive line. At 6-7, 310 pounds, that was a wise business decision. He started seven games as a rookie before becoming a fixture at right tackle for the next five seasons. He was waived in a 2012 stunner for salary-cap reasons and spent single seasons with Kansas City and Arizona before concluding his career with four years in Cincinnati. Winston also made an impact off the field, serving as president of the NFL Players Association. Now Playing: Video: Houston Chronicle 2006, fourth round: Owen Daniels, TE, Wisconsin A terrific value pick, Daniels started 12 games as a rookie and became a Texans staple for eight seasons, making two Pro Bowls. But a leg injury limited him to just five games in 2013 and he was cut that offseason following a coaching change. Daniels then followed former Texans coach Gary Kubiak to Baltimore for a season and then Denver, where he started all 16 games for the Broncos' 2015 Super Bowl-winning squad. He was a key contributor, scoring both Broncos touchdowns in the AFC Championship Game victory over New England that marked the final showdown between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Daniels then ended his career on top with a victory in Super Bowl 50. 2007, third round: Jacoby Jones, WR, Lane Jones logged five seasons with the Texans, making his mark more as a return specialist than a receiver. His Texans tenure ended after an infamous fumble in the 2011 divisional playoff loss at Baltimore. He joined the Ravens the next year and played a pivotal role in their playoff run, catching a miracle Hail Mary touchdown to tie the divisional playoff at Denver and scoring on a kick return and catching a TD pass during the Super Bowl triumph over San Francisco. Jones played two more seasons in Baltimore before splitting his final campaign between the Steelers and Chargers. 2008, third round: Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia The first running back success story of Gary Kubiak's Texans tenure, Slaton rushed for 1,282 yards and nine TDs as a rookie. But his production dipped the following year to 437 and three amid fumbling issues as he was demoted. In his third season, Slaton was eclipsed by Arian Foster as the Texans' lead back and was cut after three games of the 2011 season. 2009, fourth round: Glover Quin, CB/S, New Mexico Drafted as a cornerback, Quin started 12 games as a rookie. Then after starting 16 at corner his sophomore season, he was shifted to safety and started every game during the Texans' first two playoff seasons. He was infamously replaced by Ed Reed after the 2012 season and went to Detroit in free agency. While Reed flopped in Houston, Quin started each game of his six Lions seasons, making the Pro Bowl in 2014 when he tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. He retired after the 2018 season. 2011, seventh round: Derek Newton, OT, Arkansas St. Newton appeared in 14 games as a rookie before becoming the starter at right tackle in 2012. He held that job for the next four seasons before he suffered a freak injury during a Week 6 Monday night game in 2016, tearing the patella tendons in both knees while trying to block Denver's Von Miller. That effectively ended Newton's time as a Texan. He worked to make it back to play one game for the Saints in 2018. 2012, third round: Brandon Brooks, G, Miami (Ohio) If there's one thing the Rick Smith/Gary Kubiak regime could do, it was find offensive lineman in the middle to later rounds. Brooks became a starter at right guard in year two and gave the Texans a solid presence there for three seasons. He left for Philadelphia in free agency after the 2015 season and after helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl after the 2017 season, said playing for former Texans coach Bill O'Brien "was miserable, every day." Brooks was a Pro Bowl selection from 2017-19 before missing the 2020 season with a torn left Achilles tendon. The Texans have gone through a revolving door of guards since Brooks left. 2012, fourth round: Ben Jones, C, Georgia During his four Texans seasons, Jones was a utilityman on the offensive line. He started 10 games at right guard as a rookie and then 16 at left guard in 2014 before moving to center in 2015, when he started all 16 games. He left for Tennessee as a free agent in 2016 and has started all 79 games as a Titan. 2014, seventh round: Andre Hal, CB, Vanderbilt Hal played 14 games as a rookie before converting to safety before his second season. He started 11 games each of the next two seasons and all 16 in 2017. Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in June 2018, Hal made an inspiring return in Week 7 that fall and played eight games. He announced his retirement from the NFL in April 2019, saying he was walking away from the game "completely healthy." He's now building a real estate career and writing a book. 2016, fifth round: D.J. Reader, DT, Clemson The Texans' final draft pick of 2016 was arguably their best. The massive (6-3, 347) yet nimble Reader became a full-time starter in his second season and teamed nicely alongside J.J. Watt. The Texans let Reader walk in free agency after the 2019 season and the Bengals made him the highest-paid nose tackle in history with a four-year, $53 million deal that included $20.2 million guaranteed. The Texans haven't adequately replaced him, to say the least. 2018, third round: Justin Reid, S, Stanford Like this season, the Texans didn't have a first-round pick in 2018. They found a starter in Reid, whose older brother Eric played for the 49ers and Panthers. Justin Reid became a full-time starter by Week 6 as a rookie and has proved to be an impactful playmaker. His biggest moments include a game-turning pick six at Washington as a rookie and forcing an interception that caused a 14-point swing at Tennessee in 2019 and arguably was teh difference in the Texans winning the AFC South over the Titans. Reid suffered an injury-marred season in 2020 but figures to be a focal point under new coordinator Lovie Smith. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/texans/article/Houston-Texans-best-draft-finds-middle-late-rounds-16133007.php |
Why is the DUP preparing to dump Arlene Foster? | Most of the partys 27 assembly members and reportedly four of its eight Westminster MPs have signed letters calling for a new leader, so Foster would need Houdini-level skills to survive. Her tumultuous six-year tenure as DUP leader and Northern Irelands first minister seems to be ending. Party grassroots blame Foster and her allies for the trade barrier down the Irish Sea, a result of the Brexit deals Northern Ireland protocol that Boris Johnson negotiated with the European commission. Unionists fear it weakens their position in the UK and nudges them towards a united Ireland. The DUP cheered Brexit, stymied Theresa Mays efforts to soften the impact on Northern Ireland as insufficient, and paved Johnsons path to Downing Street. Turkeys voting for Christmas comes to mind. DUP assembly members fear angry voters will abandon them for harder-line unionist rivals in next years assembly election. Dumping Foster will give them a scapegoat and a chance to turn the page. Free Presbyterians Christian fundamentalists who comprise a dwindling but still important chunk of the partys base seethed when Foster and two DUP ministers abstained last week on an assembly vote to ban gay conversion therapy, forfeiting a chance, as the late former leader Ian Paisley would have put it, to save Ulster from sodomy. Others never forgave Foster for the cash-for-ash scandal, which revealed sleaze and blundering at Stormont. Assuming Foster quits, the party will have its first leadership contest. Paisley, who founded the DUP in 1971 as a bulwark of British and Ulster Protestant identity, coronated Peter Robinson as his heir in 2008 and Robinson smoothly passed the crown to Foster in 2015. A tiny electorate of 41 assembly members, MPs and peers will choose her successor. Gavin Robinson and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, both MPs and relative moderates, are tipped to run. Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley Jr, outspoken MPs and Brexiters, may also run. An early favourite is Edwin Poots, a Stormont assembly member and agriculture minister who has taken a hard line against the protocol. On Wednesday he pulled out of a planned meeting with an Irish government counterpart, burnishing his anti-protocol credentials. He (little prospect of she) would inject more flux into an atmosphere already made febrile by sporadic street disturbances, rancour in the power-sharing executive, demographic changes and Sinn Fins push for a referendum on Irish unity, but would struggle to extricate the DUP from quicksand. Flintier resistance to the protocol may shore up the partys rightwing flank but accelerate the defection of moderates to the Alliance party. It could also destabilise the executive, potentially heralding a return to direct rule from perfidious London and/or could trigger a fresh election in which Sinn Fin could pip the DUP as the biggest party, ushering in Michelle ONeill as first minister. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/28/why-is-the-dup-preparing-to-dump-arlene-foster |
What's a capital gain and how is it taxed? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Stephanie Leiser, University of Michigan (THE CONVERSATION) President Joe Biden plans to propose doubling the tax wealthy people pay on their capital gains. Under the plan, which he intends to present during an April 28, 2021, speech to Congress, the tax rate on profits from the sale of an asset such as property or a stock would go from 20% to 39.6% for income over US$1 million a year. He also reportedly aims to ends a loophole that allows people to avoid paying the capital gains tax on inherited wealth, which, when combined with the higher tax rate, could raise an estimated $113 billion over a decade. Biden wants to use the extra revenue to pay for new social programs like paid family leave and free community college. As a tax policy expert, I have been following the debate on taxing capital gains and high-income earners for several years. To understand the implications of raising the tax rate, lets review some of the basics. A persons income in a given year includes anything that can increase their overall net worth the difference between the value of everything they own minus any debts they have. A familiar example is your paycheck, which is known as labor income. When you get paid for doing a job, your labor income increases your net worth that is, until you spend it. But income doesnt always come in the form of cash. When the value of something you own increases such as a stock, your home or your 401(k) this kind of income is known as a capital gain. For example, if you buy some shares in a company for $1,000 and their value appreciates to $2,000, the $1,000 difference is an unrealized capital gain that is, it hasnt been sold for a profit yet. While most Americans get the vast majority of their income from wages and salaries, the rich tend to get a large portion of their income from capital gains. For the very highest earners among the top 0.01%, capital income makes up about two-thirds of total income. Unlike wages, capital gains are harder to calculate and harder to tax. To tax something, the Internal Revenue Service needs to know its value. But while some assets such as stocks and mutual funds are bought and sold often and so their market price is well known, others like real estate or fine art dont change hands that often. That means its harder to know their value. Congress solution has been to tax capital gains only when they are realized that is, when the asset is sold. The gain is the difference between the sale price and the original purchase price known as the basis. Fortunately for most people, the largest capital gains they will ever earn gains on the sale of their home are usually exempt from taxes, as are capital gains earned in tax-sheltered retirement or education savings accounts like 401(k)s and 529 plans. Three-quarters of all U.S. stocks are held in nontaxable accounts. As for taxable investments, as long as you hold on to them, you dont have to pay capital gains taxes. In fact, if you die, your heirs dont have to pay either. Under current law, when someone inherits an asset, its value gets reset. This is known as the basis step-up. Put simply, the basis is the original price you paid for the asset. Lets say you invested $100,000 in some stock and held on to it until you died, at which point it is worth $300,000. If your heirs eventually sell the stock for $700,000, their basis wouldnt be $100,000 but $300,000, meaning they would pay taxes on only $400,000 in capital gains. But no one will ever pay tax on the $200,000 in appreciation that accrued before you died. Bidens plan would eliminate this basis step-up and require heirs with incomes over $1 million to pay taxes on the entire amount of their capital gains. When the modern income tax was created in 1913, capital gains were taxed at the same rates as ordinary income as high as 77% in 1918 during World War I. After the war, conservatives began to make the case for tax cuts. So Congress lowered the top individual tax rate to 58% in 1922 and split off capital gains from regular income, slashing the rate to 12.5%. Since then, capital gains tax rates have been changed frequently, climbing as high as 40% but typically remaining much lower than the top rate on ordinary income. Its currently 20% on incomes over $441,450 and 15% on incomes from $40,001 to $441,450. Theres no capital gains tax on income $40,000 or less. It also depends on how long you own the asset. If you buy and sell in less than a year, its considered a short-term capital gain and is taxed at the same rate as your wage income. Supporters of relatively low rates for capital gains argue that this stimulates entrepreneurship, mitigates double taxation of corporate income and alleviates the lock-in effect that discourages investors from selling assets to avoid taxes. They also point out that inflation erodes the real value of capital gains. Lower rates help offset this penalty. Other research, however, suggests that cutting capital gains taxes has no significant effect on economic growth and creates other distortions that hurt economic efficiency. For example, hedge fund managers exploit the carried interest loophole to categorize their income as capital gains instead of wages so they can qualify for a lower tax rate. [Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] Whether or not capital gains tax policy actually increases economic efficiency, tax scholars do know it makes the tax system more regressive. Since capital gains are highly concentrated among high-income taxpayers, tax breaks for capital gains primarily benefit the wealthy. The Tax Policy Center estimates that in 2019 taxpayers with incomes over $1 million received over three-quarters of the benefits of lower rates, while taxpayers earning less than $75,000 received just 1.2%. This is an updated and expanded version of an article originally published on Aug. 8, 2018. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/whats-a-capital-gain-and-how-is-it-taxed-159774. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/What-s-a-capital-gain-and-how-is-it-taxed-16135066.php |
Could the Panthers Take Justin Fields if He Falls to No. 8? | The Carolina Panthers hold the 8th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and while most believe they will use that pick on an offensive lineman or cornerback, there is still a chance that they add yet another quarterback to the fold. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said in a press conference last week that they do like a quarterback in this draft and that they will take the best player available, even if it is a quarterback. "I believe in bringing in the best players that fit your team, create competition, and upgrade the roster. Whether it's a quarterback, a corner it doesn't matter. It's just how do they fit our team, what's the path for success and what's our plan for them?" The one quarterback that seems to make the most sense is Ohio State's Justin Fields. In a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL insider Ian Rapoport discussed the possibility of the Panthers drafting a quarterback at No. 8, specifically Fields. "They do like one quarterback. My sense is that Justin Fields would be the guy also because I think he would be there. So they definitely like a quarterback. Unless they want everyone to know that they like a quarterback so the Broncos trade up over them and maybe the Broncos trade up for Justin Fields. One of those things is true, I just don't know which and I think that's what's really fun about the draft. They both could be true. They could like Justin Fields enough and would take him except if someone else gave them an offer they couldn't refuse to trade up. "Scott Fitterer, the general manager there came from Seattle. Seattle has one of the best quarterback situations, well, before this offseason but had one of the best quarterback situations in the NFL with Russell Wilson. To get to Russell Wilson in the 3rd round, they signed Matt Flynn, they signed Tavaris Jackson, they traded for someone maybe Charlie Whitehurst. They took at least three swings at quarterback before they landed on Russell Wilson. I would not be surprised if Carolina did the same thing. So yeah, they have Sam Darnold. I would not say that. They are going to keep doing things to make sure that they have options at quarterback until they just find the right one." Aside from Sam Darnold, Carolina also has 2020 starter, Teddy Bridgewater and 2019 3rd round pick Will Grier still on the roster. Grier's contract is the cheapest of the three and would be mainly viewed as a 3rd stringer. Bridgewater has been open to a trade but could very well see himself battling for the starting job along with Darnold and just maybe Justin Fields. I know, it sounds crazy to have all three still on the roster but it does give Carolina options and gives them a better chance at finding their next franchise quarterback. The 2022 draft class lacks QB talent and Carolina may not get within the top five picks anytime in the near future - at least they shouldn't with the amount of talent they now have. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook - @PanthersOnSI Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_. | https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/could-the-panthers-take-justin-fields-if-he-falls-to-no-8 |
How has Aaron Civales new delivery affected his pitch selection for the Cleveland Indians in 2021? | CLEVELAND, Ohio By now its no secret that Aaron Civale revamped his delivery in the offseason in order to make his mechanics more repeatable and more reliable. At the behest of assistant pitching coach Ruben Niebla, Civale completely broke down the way he throws a pitch and re-built his delivery with a shorter arm path and minimal windup. He tossed a football in order to dissociate from his old mechanics and rebuilt his arsenal from the ground up. So far, the results have been impressive. Civale is 4-0, tied for the major league lead in wins and ranks third in the American League in innings pitched (33 2/3) behind teammate Shane Bieber. On Tuesday against Minnesota, Civale tossed 7 2/3 innings and did not walk a batter, striking out four and retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced after giving up a base hit to Willans Astudillio in the fourth. The surprising (or maybe not so surprising) aspect of how Civale is accomplishing this is that he appears to be moving away from his sinker and cutter which were his bread-and-butter pitches in 2020 while throwing more changeups and sliders than ever before. Civale talked in spring training about incorporating more of a split-changeup with lots of downward movement and a new slider grip that he was working on. Aaron Civale Fastball% Slider% Changeup% Cutter% Sinker% Curveball% 2021 27.1 14.6 17.2 18.2 7.2 15.7 2020 2.5 9.5 9.2 28.8 28.9 21.2 2019 3.3 14.4 6.6 29.6 35.1 11.0 According to data available via Statcast, Civale is attacking hitters more this season with offspeed pitches, rather than relying on movement from his fastball. When he does throw fastballs, theyre significantly more of the four-seam variety, which allows his slider and split-change to play up more to opposing hitters. The adjustment can require a little patience, as it did on Tuesday when Civale struggled early to get a feel for his changeup before taking off in the middle innings. Manager Terry Francona said some of Civales pitches were elevated in the strike zone early, and Twins hitters had some pretty good swings. But the 25-year-old battled through the adversity to find his best stuff. He kind of pitched his way into finding his offspeed pitches and got in a groove and stayed out there long enough to get the win, Francona said. Civale said he might not have had his best command early, but he trusted he would get there because the new delivery allows him to correct mistakes quickly. I just got a little bit better feel of my delivery and some of the pitches, Civale said. I think it was just comfortability and had better feel as the game went on. During spring training, Civale said one of the reasons for changing the arm path in his delivery was to be able to square the ball up a little better and get better profiles on all of his pitches. Every outing is going to be a learning curve and seeing where things are at with where my stuff is at, Civale said. Niebla said Civales new delivery is centered around timing. He said the right-handers pitch shape had gotten a little big, and that was disrupting the timing of his delivery. They wanted to tighten Civale up and allow him to be able to rotate through his torso a little more efficiently. He did an outstanding job in putting the work in and he kind of went on and explored some drills for himself, Niebla said in spring training. It was a compliment to him, what he was able to do. - New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity. Week in baseball | https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/04/how-has-aaron-civales-new-delivery-effected-his-pitch-selection-for-the-cleveland-indians-in-2021.html |
Which teams are in Southwest Baseball Coaches Association's 2021 week 4 poll April 27? | The Southwest Baseball Coaches Association released its week 3 poll April 20. Coaches voted with a first-place vote being 10 points, second place being nine points, etc. They conducted the polls by combined Divisions I, II, III and IV. Division I Lakota East 37 Elder 30 Mason 30 St. Xavier 27 Hamilton 24 Oak Hills 19 Moeller 15 Lakota West 13 La Salle 12 Fairfield 11 Division II Badin 70 Wyoming 50 Batavia 46 Taylor 41 Indian Hill 39 Fenwick 38 Monroe 31 Blanchester 25 New Richmond 18 Ross 14 Divisions II and III Cincinnati Country Day 70 Roger Bacon 70 CHCA 68 McNicholas 52 Cincinnati Christian 41 Purcell Marian 40 Summit Country Day 27 Clermont Northeastern 18 Mariemont 18 Wiliamsburg 14 | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/high-school-sports/2021/04/28/southwest-baseball-coaches-association-releases-2021-week-4-poll/4870358001/ |
Did Grapevine mayor candidate reside in city long enough to be eligible to run? | In Grapevine, Nicholas Kaufman is running for mayor against longtime incumbent William Tate. Courtesy Voting records and property records call into question whether a Grapevine mayoral candidate has lived long enough in the city to be eligible as a candidate. On Jan. 18, Nicholas Kaufman filed to run for mayor and challenge William Tate, who was first elected as mayor in 1975. Kaufman stated on the filing he had lived in Grapevine for six months. That would be long enough to be eligible for office. According to Texas election laws, candidates for public elective offices in the state must have resided continuously in Texas for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months before the filing deadline for their race (it was Feb. 12 in Grapevine). But voting records obtained by the Star-Telegram from the Secretary of State indicate Kaufman registered to vote in Denton County on July 9, 2020, and voted in Denton County in October. He switched his voter registration to Tarrant County in November, according to the records. Additionally, a homestead exemption is listed at a Denton County property owned by his wife. Homestead exemptions can only be taken out on primary residences, according to the Texas Comptroller. That propertys address is what Kaufman listed on his Denton County voter registration. A spokesperson for Kaufman, who responded to Kaufmans campaign email address but did not provide a name, said Kaufman began living at a Grapevine rental in July and then moved to another Grapevine rental in October. His opponents are just using dirty political campaign tactics with hopes they can persuade voters to discount his application at any cost, the spokesperson said. But when the Star-Telegram asked Kaufman to provide a lease showing he had moved to Grapevine in July the spokesperson did not respond, nor did the spokesperson respond to a question about why Kaufman would have registered to vote in Denton County the same month. Kaufman also did not return a voicemail left by the Star-Telegram. His candidacy has attracted controversy in the city. At a council meeting last week, Grapevine resident Chad Rudel brought up Kaufmans residency. The concern that we have is we have an application that is at the very least misleading, Rudel said. No one, however, has filed a formal challenge to Kaufmans candidacy, according to Grapevines city secretary. Kaufman addressed questions about his residency in a February Facebook video with his wife. He talked about their business, Wine Fusion Winery in Grapevine, and how on their first date they went to a restaurant on Grapevines Main Street. But he was short on details about the length of his residency in Grapevine, only saying they had moved to the city last year. I certainly feel like we have lived here a long time, he said. In Arlington, a City Council candidate with a homestead exemption in Mansfield is registered to vote in the the council district representing East Arlington and used the same address to file in the race. A complaint was filed but the city said the documents filed with the complaint did not prove the candidate lived outside the district. | https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article250966384.html |
Will Ohio's COVID-19 mask mandate change with new CDC guidance? | Ohio's mask mandate isn't likely to change much following new guidance from federal officials. That's because Ohio's mask order has always had an exemption for being outside and at least 6 feet from another person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday said people vaccinated or not can safely walk, run or bike outdoors without masks. Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday the mask order, first established in July, might be tweaked but he didn't see any major changes necessitated by the CDC guidance. "The basic principles are the same: masking is important, outdoor is a lot better than inside and the vaccine is powerful," DeWine said. "Those are the basic things and if people remember those things theyll be fine. Theyll make the right decision." But businesses, parks, zoos and other outdoor venues who had stricter rules than the state mandate might change policy. For example, Kings Island and Cedar Point amusement parks announced this week that masks won't be required outdoors unless people can't keep six feet of distance from others. That's in line with the state's mask order. The amusement parks will still require masks while indoors at the park, except while eating and drinking. The CDC made a distinction in its new guidance between people who are fully vaccinated two weeks past their last required dose and those who are not. For example, the CDC advised fully vaccinated people don't have to wear masks while dining outdoors but still recommended it for unvaccinated people. Ohios health order doesnt make that distinction it requires masks for all bar and restaurant patrons, indoors and out, except when eating or drinking. On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Health made an initial change to its masking and social distancing order to waive quarantine for fully-vaccinated Ohioans who are exposed to the novel coronavirus. State officials will continue to look at ways to adjust orders in accordance with guidance from health officials, DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said Wednesday. Ohios recommendations that we continue to wear masks is to keep things mitigated until our case levels get down, our vaccination levels are to those higher points, Tierney said. Tennessee became the latest state to end mask orders on Tuesday. DeWine has said Ohio will lift all health orders, including the mask mandate, when the state has 50 new cases per 100,000 residents in a two week period. That number was 185.6 last week. It should go down a little this week, but not enough to lift orders. DeWine said last week he was considering using a metric based on vaccination rates. A little more than 50% of Ohio adults have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the CDC. | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/04/28/ohios-covid-19-mask-mandate-change-new-cdc-guidance/4870240001/ |
Should RT Teven Jenkins be the pick at No. 17 for the Raiders? | With the NFL draft just hours away, we still have no idea where Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock may go at No. 17. The easiest pick would be Oklahoma States Teven Jenkins, who played on the right side during his college career and was a tremendous run blocker. He is a mauling tackle, much like Trent Brown, who the team traded away a few weeks ago. Jenkins might not have the feet to play left tackle, but thats not as important to the Raiders as they just inked Kolton Miller to a long-term deal. Instead, they need a mean, nasty right tackle who can open up runways for Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. Thats why he would make so much sense for the Raiders at No. 17. In a recent mock draft by Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports, he had the Raiders selecting Jenkins at No. 17. Here are his thoughts behind the pick: Trading down and getting Jenkins would be a coup, but GM Mike Mayock wont veer from his approach just because fans say he reaches with his first-rounders. If Jenkins makes it to the Raiders at No. 17, Gruden and Mayock would be foolish to pass on him in favor of a lesser defender. He is exactly what they need on offense and fills their biggest hole. He, along with Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC should be among the only names the team considers in the first round. Sign up for the Raiders Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning An error has occured Please re-enter your email address. Thanks for signing up! You'll now receive the top Raiders Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. | https://sports.yahoo.com/rt-teven-jenkins-pick-no-131925530.html?src=rss |
How is bacteria being used to tackle plastic pollution? | Getty Images Microplastics often end up in the world's oceans Microplastics are a big problem when it comes to protecting the environment. They pollute the world's oceans and can be very damaging to sea creatures and other animals. Microbiologists at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have come with a clever way of removing these tiny pieces of plastic from the environment, and it involves the use of bacteria! Researchers at PolyU believe the sticky bacteria could be used to form microbe nets that can trap microplastics in polluted water. Microplastics are plastic particles which are less than 5mm in length. They can enter the environment through a number of different ways including: The breakdown of larger plastic pieces The washing of synthetic clothing The breakdown of car tyres Plastic waste which comes directly from the manufacture of goods in factories Microplastics are a big problem as they don't break down and often end up in our oceans. Disposing of them can also be a big challenge. Getty Images Bioreactors are big devices or systems used for growing organisms under controlled conditions Bacteria naturally tend to stick together and grow on different surfaces, creating something called biofilm. Examples of biofilm include the dental plaque you might see on teeth, pond scum which forms on top of stagnant water, or the waste that clogs pipes. This biofilm made of sticky bacteria could be used to make tiny microbe nets that can trap microplastics. The biofilm can then be processed, releasing the microplastics which can then also be processed and recycled. To test out the new technique, the team used a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa to trap microplastics in a bioreactor, which is a big device or system used for growing organisms under controlled conditions. Once the microplastics had been captured by the biofilms, they sank to the bottom of the bioreactor. The researchers then used a biofilm-dispersal gene, which caused the bacteria to release the microplastics. The findings are still in their early stages, but the invention could be the answer to tackling plastic pollution levels in a sustainable way. "[Microplastics] are not easily bio-degradable, where they retain in the ecosystems for prolonged durations. This results in the uptake of microplastics by organisms, leading to transfer and retention of microplastics down the food chain," said Sylvia Lang Liu, who is a microbiology researcher at PolyU and was a lead researcher on the project. Microplastics can also absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides as well as metals, which can be dangerous both for organisms in the ecosystems and humans if they're consumed over a long period of time. "It is imperative to develop effective solutions that trap, collect, and even recycle these microplastics to stop the 'plastification' of our natural environments," Liu said. Getty Images Plastic doesn't break down very easily and can end up being carried through the food chain The scientists are looking to try out their methods in an environmental setting so they're able to test how it'll work in the real world. The microbiologists hope their creative and sustainable technique will one day be used in wastewater treatment plants to help stop microplastics escaping into the oceans. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56915287 |
Has Prince Andrew's behaviour affected casting for The Crown? | Netflix and the show have denied a report in the U.K. tabloid The Sun that they are struggling to fill the role Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content Season five of the huge Netflix hit The Crown begins shooting in June. Less than five weeks to go, and rumour has it that the casting execs are having trouble finding anyone to portray Prince Andrew. New to the cast will be Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, the Hollywood Reporter says. Dominic Wests recent extra-marital sex scandal didnt prevent him from being cast as Prince Charles. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. On Tuesday, Netflix and the show itself denied a report in the U.K. tabloid The Sun that they are struggling to fill the role. There is absolutely no struggle to cast any role for season 5 of The Crown, and it is normal practice for productions to advertise in Spotlight, a representative for the series said in a statement to Deadline. Producers at Left Bank Pictures had indeed placed a casting call for the part and Spotlight tweeted its frustration at the Suns claim: | https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/television/prince-andrew-what-have-you-wrought-the-crown-cant-even-cast-your-character |
How Will We Know If Theres a Covid Supervariant? | The cognitive dissonance is hard to manage. On the one hand, new Covid cases in the United States are declining as vaccinations rise. A vaccinated summer gleams on the horizon. But internationally, we are at the highest number of new Covid-19 infections ever recorded, the World Health Organization warned last week. And its only a matter of time before variants from other outbreaks make their way here. India is now being ravaged by a near-vertical rise in cases and deaths. Officials and experts fear a new variant that could be both more transmissible and deadlier may be driving it. But its almost impossible to tell, for a very simple reason: India is currently sequencing less than one percent of its Covid cases. Despite the measure of security vaccines have already brought many residents of richer nations, they arent everywhere yet, and theyre not a final fix. Genomic sequencing and surveillance are now a critical frontier in the global fight: A random sampling of tests can help us detect which variants are circulating or emerging, while more in-depth sequencing needs to be deployed to hotspots. Its not just about finding variants, Dr. Adam Lauring, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School, told me. Its also understanding when a variant is concerning. And a big part of the concern, he said, is how variants relate to vaccination. We need to know if a variant develops that can overcome current vaccines so we can control outbreaks and evaluate the need for vaccine boosters. | https://newrepublic.com/article/162207/will-know-theres-covid-supervariant |
What Is Tax Liability? | The New York Times Things were already strained at Simon & Schuster. After backing out of a deal with Sen. Josh Hawley, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, the company announced this month that it would publish two books by former Vice President Mike Pence. Dana Canedy, who joined Simon & Schuster as publisher last year, called Pences memoir the definitive book on one of the most consequential presidencies in American history. Thats when much of the staff erupted in protest. On Monday, editors and other employees at Simon & Schuster delivered a petition to management demanding an end to the deal, with signatures from more than 200 employees and 3,500 outside supporters, including Simon & Schuster authors such as Jesmyn Ward and Scott Westerfeld. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Most were probably not aware that the company has also signed former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, according to people familiar with the matter a move that is sure to throw gas on the fire. In another era, book deals with former White House officials were viewed as prestigious and uncontroversial, and major publishers have long maintained that putting out books from across the political spectrum is not only good for business but an essential part of their mission. In todays hyperpartisan environment, however, Simon & Schuster has become a test case for how publishers are trying to draw a line over who is acceptable to publish, and how firmly executives will hold in the face of criticism from their own authors and employees. Many publishers and editors have said privately that they would be reluctant to acquire a book by Trump because of the outcry that would ensue and the potential legal exposure they would face if Trump used a memoir to promote the false view that he won the 2020 election. But the reticence extends beyond Trump himself, and several publishers acknowledge that there are certain ideological lines they wont cross. Some said they wouldnt acquire books by politicians or pundits who questioned the results of the presidential election. Another bright line is working with people who promoted the false narratives or conspiracy theories that Trump espoused. Certain literary agents representing Trump officials have adjusted their sales tactics. A few are avoiding large auctions in hopes of staving off a backlash until after a contract is signed, according to some publishing executives. What Im watching very closely is the succession of lines crossed, said Thomas Spence, president of Regnery, a conservative publisher. People start to wonder: Whom else might they shut down? Those who work in the industry, which is concentrated in New York, tend to be left-leaning in their politics, but publishing houses have long adhered to the principle of political neutrality when it comes to who they publish. After the end of George W. Bushs presidency, major publishers signed deals with administration officials like Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and Bush himself, with little blowback. (An imprint of Penguin Random House published a book of portraits and stories about immigrants by Bush last week called Out of Many, One.) After the 2020 election, those ideals have been tested in unprecedented ways. There is a tension there on the one hand, Ive always believed, and I still believe fervently, that we need to publish major voices that are at the center of the national conversation, whether we agree with them or not, said Adrian Zackheim, the president and publisher of two Penguin Random House imprints, including Sentinel, which is geared toward conservative books. On the other hand, we have to be leery of public figures who have come to be associated with blatant falsehoods. At the same time, conservative publishers and some literary agents say there is enormous demand for books from voices on the right, particularly now that Republicans are out of power, and publishers are demonstrating that they are eager to work with politicians they regard as acceptable mainstream conservatives. Politico reported that William Barr, Trumps former attorney general, sold a book about his role at the Justice Department. Sentinel acquired a book by Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whose appointment by Trump last year caused an uproar on the left. Conways book will be published by Threshold, a Simon & Schuster imprint focused on conservative titles, though a person familiar with it said it would be more of a memoir than a standard political book. Simon & Schuster declined to comment. The company published several political blockbusters last year, including Mary Trumps Too Much and Never Enough and John Boltons The Room Where It Happened. This year has been more complicated. In January, Simon & Schuster dropped plans to release Hawleys book following criticism of his efforts to overturn the election and accusations that he helped incite the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. This month, it said it would not distribute a title, published by Post Hill Press, a small publisher in Tennessee, by one of the police officers in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor. The petition drafted by Simon & Schuster staff, which circulated on social media last week, demanded the company cancel Pences books, not sign any more former Trump officials and end its distribution deal with Post Hill Press. Jonathan Karp, Simon & Schusters chief executive, wrote a letter to the company saying it wouldnt take those actions. We come to work each day to publish, not cancel, Karp wrote, which is the most extreme decision a publisher can make, and one that runs counter to the very core of our mission to publish a diversity of voices and perspectives. Staff members who organized the petition were not satisfied by his response. They sent a letter to Karp and Canedy on Monday along with the petition. Lets be clear: the First Amendment protects free speech from legal encroachment. It in no way calls for publishing companies to publish all viewpoints, much less those as dangerous as Mike Pences, the letter said. When S&S chose to sign Mike Pence, we broke the publics trust in our editorial process, and blatantly contradicted previous public claims in support of Black and other lives made vulnerable by structural oppression. Some publishing employees said the decision to sign Pence and other Trump officials was especially jarring as major publishers have taken pains to stress their commitment to diversity over the past year. It feels like youre talking out of both sides of your mouth, said Stephanie Guerdan, an assistant editor at HarperCollins, who was speaking in her role as a shop steward at its union. You want to make a safe space for your Black employees and your queer employees and put out your anti-Asian-discrimination statements. You cant say the company supports these causes and then give money to people who have actively hurt those causes. The reluctance among mainstream publishers to work with some conservatives has created an opportunity for smaller independent houses. The reaction of people on the right to the cancellation of political books is to double down, so we have lots of books to publish, said Adam Bellow, who founded the Broadside imprint at HarperCollins and is now an executive editor at Bombardier, an imprint of Post Hill, which has published books by Rep. Matt Gaetz and other prominent Republicans. Bellow added that some conservatives have grown wary of selling their books to mainstream publishing houses. Its a purge thats becoming more of an exodus, he said. Many conservative authors are telling their agents they dont want to be pitched to publishers who have canceled conservative books. Its one thing to be published by a group of people who are holding their noses, but its another thing to be published by a group of people who hate you. The highly charged atmosphere could lead to a realignment in the political publishing landscape, with the formation of a new literary niche that caters to voices on the far right. The D.C. public relations firm Athos started a literary agency and is representing some prominent conservatives. Co-founded by Alexei Woltornist, who worked in communications in the Department of Homeland Security under Trump, and Jonathan Bronitsky, who served as Barrs chief speechwriter, Athos recently sold Bombardier a book by Scott Atlas, Trumps former coronavirus adviser, about the Trump administrations handling of the pandemic. Conservative publishers are also experimenting with direct-to-consumer sales with a new online bookstore, conservativereaders.com, that was created by Bellow and a small group of colleagues and investors. With a new online outlet, they are aiming to develop an alternative platform to traditional retailers and Amazon in the event that stores refuse to sell a controversial title. Some predict the appetite for political books will only continue to grow. After the election, there was this big question mark over the future of the political book, literary agent Rafe Sagalyn said, and I think were learning now that theyre very much in demand. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 2021 The New York Times Company | https://news.yahoo.com/tax-liability-160008750.html |
Did a black bear in Duluth nearly start a nuclear war? | Apr. 28It's one of those stories that sounds too far-fetched to be true that a bear outside the fence at the Duluth Air Force Base nearly triggered World War III and a possible nuclear holocaust. But in recent years more accounts of the incident have surfaced that the legend appears to be true. Or at least much of it. In October 1962, at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and Soviet Union, American spy planes spotted Soviet nuclear missiles being installed in Cuba. Tensions mounted as both sides inched closer to war. On Oct. 22, all U.S. armed forces were placed on DEFCON 3, halfway to actual war, with President John F. Kennedy under pressure from his military commanders to strike first. The Cuban Missile Crisis had begun. Here's where the Duluth bear comes in: On the night of Oct. 25, a sentry walking guard duty at what was then the Duluth Air Force Base (it has since been converted to an Air National Guard base) apparently spotted a shadowy figure climbing the fence. Retired Adjutant Gen. Ray Klosowski of Duluth, an Air National Guard pilot who went on to command the 148th Fighter Squadron based at Duluth and later the entire Minnesota Air National Guard, said the incident at the Duluth air base happened about a year and a half before he arrived. But he said it was still being talked about for years after he joined the base in 1964. "It was at the height of the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and there were probably 130 nuclear weapons on the base in Duluth at that time ... so they took security very seriously," Klosowski said. Here's where the details get sketchy, but reports say the sentry apparently assuming it was an intruder, maybe a Soviet saboteur shot at the intruder and immediately set off the sabotage alarm. The same alarm was connected to multiple alarm systems at bases in neighboring states. Again, details remain unclear, but apparently the intruder turned out to be a black bear, which ran back into the woods unscathed. Story continues The sentry apparently reported the misidentification in time so none of the aircraft at the Duluth base scrambled on alert. In Duluth, the situation had been diffused. But at Volk Field Air National Guard Base near Tomah, Wisconsin, something went wrong. Somehow, instead of setting off the alarm that would let the base know intruders were present at another base, the Volk Field alarm went off that triggered a "scramble" alert to the pilots: Take off as fast as you can and prepare for imminent combat. As part of the DEFCON protocol, 161 of the Air Force's F-106A Delta Dart interceptors had been moved from big air bases across the U.S. to several smaller bases, like Volk Field, to avoid Soviet detection. Volk was so small that it didn't even have a control tower. Its missions were directed from the Duluth base. The F-106s were intended to find and destroy Soviet bombers approaching the U.S. by firing a nuclear-tipped Genie air-to-air missile that could knock out an entire squadron of bombers, Klosowski noted. The alarm that was sounding told those Volk Field pilots that Soviet bombers were on their way to drop their nuclear bombs on the U.S. As far as they knew, World War III was about to begin. "They were literally sitting, ready to go, on the field, at the ready ... that's how high the tensions were for war. And you would never take off with nuclear weapons on board unless there was an imminent threat to the country," Klosowski said. But, according to several versions of the story, an officer at Volk Field decided to call the Duluth base to get confirmation that it was indeed a scramble situation. He was told it was a false alarm. At that point, the officer drove a Jeep out onto the runway, lights flashing, to stop the planes from taking off. (It's not clear why he didn't have a radio.) As legend has it, that last-minute phone call may have prevented a black bear in Duluth from starting World War III and possible global nuclear annihilation. Of course, it's not certain or even likely the Volk Field planes would have gone very far north without being told the incident was a false alarm. But in those hectic days, nothing could be for sure. It's also possible that, with many U.S. bombers in the air constantly at the time to avoid being destroyed on the ground, the U.S. interceptors might have fired their nuclear missiles at the wrong targets. Later it was determined that, in the haste to wire new alarms at Volk Field as the Cuban Missile Crisis was unfolding, the installer had crossed wires, mixing the intruder alarm with the scramble alarm. Much of the Duluth bear story remained classified and mostly under wraps for decades. It came out in declassified Air Force documents and was first reported by Stanford University professor Scott Sagan in his 1993 book, "The Limits of Safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons." The incident is one of many Sagan reports in the book fires, crashes, mishaps, miscommunications when U.S. nuclear weapons may well have gone off if circumstances had changed ever so slightly. Sagan interviewed Dan Barry, an Air Force pilot who was 27 back in 1962. He remembered scrambling at Volk Field, ready to take off into war. Barry remembers his plane being second in line to take off when he saw a truck speeding toward them, lights flashing, he told the La Crosse Tribune in a 2009 interview. Barry, who in 2009 was living in Seattle, retired from the Air Force in 1986 as a colonel. After they were told to stand down, the pilots assumed something had shorted out the alarm system. Later, they heard rumor that it was a drunk airman trying to sneak back onto the Duluth base. It wasn't until Sagan called him that Barry learned it was a bear that started it all. As Sagan wrote in his book, the incident would almost be comical if it weren't part of a pattern of near-misses over the years that could have led to nuclear war. "That was serious business," Barry told the La Crosse Tribune in 2009. "We'd never flown with a nuke on board. ... It was really serious. I can remember almost expecting to see inbound nuclear missiles." For his part, Klosowski said the bear intruder and subsequent false alarm probably weren't as close to causing a nuclear disaster as others assume. "They would have been in contact with their command center. ... They would have had to clear it with the Canadians. ... There were other measures in place to prevent them from firing their weapons before they knew exactly what they were doing," Klosowski said. "But I can imagine it was still nerve-wracking at the time." | https://news.yahoo.com/did-black-bear-duluth-nearly-143200748.html |
Can she get a refund for her nonrefundable hotel? | I called and e-mailed several times to cancel and get a refund or a voucher for a future stay. Neither Hotels.com nor the Hotel Tzekos Villas would refund our money. After calling several times and receiving no response, we disputed the charge with our Chase Visa Sapphire Reserve. The credit card issuer sided with Hotels.com . Q. I booked a room at the Hotel Tzekos Villas in Santorini, Greece, last year through Hotels.com . The reservation was nonrefundable. Because of the virus, we were unable to leave the United States. Advertisement NOEMI FREEMAN, Aventura, Fla. A Hotels.com should have helped you with a refund. After all, Europe was closed to Americans at the time you were supposed to visit. And if the hotel and the booking site couldnt assist you, then your credit card should have been able to help with a chargeback. It didnt. First, your case is one of hundreds of thousands of refund requests. It took weeks and often months for travel companies to sift through all of them. Yours was also a complicated case, because you paid for part of the hotel with a Hotels.com gift card. It looks as if you pushed forward with a credit card dispute relatively soon after your cancellation. I understand that you wanted your money back, but once you initiate a chargeback, it limits some of your other options. One of the options would have been a brief, polite e-mail to a Hotels.com executive. I list all of them on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/expedia (Expedia owns Hotels.com). Ultimately, the problem was the type of hotel room you booked: a prepaid, nonrefundable reservation. When you agree to one of those, youre saying that come hell or high water, youll be there. And if you arent, the hotel can keep your money. Advertisement Travel insurance might have helped you recover some of your losses. But I think Hotels.com could have done better, too. Ive heard from other travelers who said Hotels.com took good care of them during the pandemic by pushing for refunds or vouchers. It doesnt seem fair to make you eat that $592. I also think Chase Sapphire could have fought harder for you during the dispute. Those pricey credit cards advertise themselves as the travelers best friend, but they dont always come through for you when you need them. After months of back and forth, I contacted Hotels.com on your behalf. The company refunded all of your money. Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Contact him at elliott.org/help or [email protected]. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/28/lifestyle/can-she-get-refund-her-nonrefundable-hotel/ |
Why avoiding play-in tourney would be huge deal for Heat. And how close are Butler, Lowry? | Goran Dragic has been a part of all different kinds of playoff races and runs during his time with the Miami Heat. In his first season with the Heat in 2014-15, the team missed the playoffs by just one game. The following season in 2015-16, the Heat won a four-team tiebreaker to enter the playoffs as the Eastern Conferences No. 3 seed. Dragic was part of the 2016-17 Heat that closed the regular season on a 30-11 run but just missed the playoffs because of a head-to-head tiebreaker it lost to the Chicago Bulls. The veteran guard also played a big role in last seasons unique playoff run to the NBA Finals in the Walt Disney World bubble as the Easts No. 5 seed. It marked the first time since 1999 that a team seeded fifth or lower made it to the Finals. But this seasons playoff race is different than the others because the Heat has never faced the possibility of ending up in a play-in tournament that would decide its playoff fate. We dont want to be in that, Dragic said of the play-in possibility before Wednesday nights game against the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena. We want to be safe and play hopefully at home. Thats our goal, so we still have 10 games left. Like I said before, every game counts. It will take place after the regular season and before the first round of the playoffs, and it will include the teams with the seventh-highest through the tenth-highest winning percentages in each conference. With less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Heat entered Wednesday in seventh place in the East despite owning the same record as the sixth-place Boston Celtics because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The teams with the seventh-highest and eighth-highest winning percentages in each conference will each have two opportunities to win one game to earn a playoff spot. The teams with the ninth-highest and tenth-highest winning percentages in each conference will each have to win two consecutive games to earn a playoff spot. At the end of the regular season, the team with the seventh-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the eighth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a play-in game. The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup will be the seventh seed in the playoffs for its conference. The team with the ninth-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the tenth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a play-in game. The loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game will host the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game, and the winner of that game will be the eighth seed in the playoffs for its conference. Those play-in games would be May 18-21, a short turnaround from the Heats regular-season finale on May 16 against the Pistons in Detroit. The playoffs begin May 22. Every game is important, Dragic said. This is already the playoffs for us. Its a bunch of teams together close fighting for these last few spots. Every game counts. Every game, preparation is more detailed, the team needs to play at a higher level and thats what is expected from us. FOURTH-QUARTER STRUGGLES The fourth quarter has been an adventure for the Heat. Sometimes a good adventure, but lately a bad one. Entering Wednesday, opponents had combined to outscore Miami by 36 points in fourth quarters this season. The advanced metrics say the Heat has been outscored by three points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter, which is the leagues seventh-worst net rating in the final period. The Heats recent late-game struggles have tilted the numbers in the wrong direction, as it has been outscored by 35 points just in the past three fourth quarters alone leading up to Wednesdays matchup against the Spurs. Opponents have averaged 31.7 fourth-quarter points on 56.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent shooting on threes during this three-game stretch. The Chicago Bulls scored 34 points on 63.2 percent shooting from the field in Mondays fourth quarter to rally for a win over the Heat. I just think its a combination of both, Heat veteran Trevor Ariza said following Mondays loss to the Bulls. When you give a team a steady diet of something, these are professional players with IQs. They make adjustments and they figure things out. And playing in a situation as such, we just played them Saturday. They were pretty prepared for what we do. They had an idea for what we were going to do and they made adjustments. It doesnt help that the Heat has averaged just 20 points on 32.2 percent shooting from the field and 15.4 percent shooting on threes in the last three fourth quarters before Wednesdays game. There was that stretch of games where we were doing incredible in the second half, coach Erik Spoelstra said. So its a matter of consistency and putting together 48 minutes. BUTLER-LOWRY CONNECTION The Heat pursued Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry up until last months trade deadline, but the two teams could not strike a deal. While Heat star Jimmy Butler and Lowry didnt end up as teammates this season, they are still close friends. Probably Kyle Lowry, Butler said when asked who he enjoys playing against most during a podcast appearance on The Artist and The Athlete with Lindsay Czarniak. Just because hes one of my absolute best friends. Hes the godfather of my daughter. Its just like as competitive as it is, were always laughing, were always joking around. I would say something else, but then the NBA is gonna look at this and be like, Oh my god, hes tampering. The Heat will have another chance to pursue Lowry this upcoming offseason when he becomes a free agent. The Heat remains without guard Victor Oladipo for Wednesdays matchup against the Spurs. It marks the 11th consecutive game he has missed with right knee soreness and there is no timetable for his return. Heat guards Tyler Herro (right foot soreness) and Kendrick Nunn (neck spasm) are both listed as questionable. The Spurs have ruled out Trey Lyles (right ankle sprain) and Derrick White (right ankle sprain) for Wednesdays contest. | https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article250976949.html |
Will Deshaun Watson be traded this week? | The Guardian Our writers take a look at the best prospects coming out of college, and which teams need to get it right in the coming days NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (bottom left) will welcome Kyle Pitts, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Jaycee Horn into the league in the coming days. Composite: AP; The News & Observer via AP; USA TODAY Sports Trevor Lawrence has the potential to be the next ... Andrew Luck. Both are/were smart, athletic quarterbacks able to play within the rhythm and flow of the system or create off-script. Luck was never quite able to hit his Elway-like potential. By the time the team around him was good enough to compete, his body gave out. But for six seasons (particularly the first three) he dragged a rotating cast of mediocrity into playoff contention. Lawrence has similar talent. OC Justin Herbert. They are both tall, athletic playmakers who can hurt defenses with either their arm or legs. TF Tom Brady. Lawrences blend of athleticism, quick processing time and precision is so unique thats it is unfair to compare his skill set to anyone. So Ill go with the most successful quarterback of all-time, because Lawrence is a bonafide winner. When the Indianapolis Colts chose Luck he was expected to be the Next Peyton Manning. Obviously, there was no way to live up to those expectations, but he was one of the better quarterbacks in the league before injury led him to retire at age 29. Lawrences ceiling feels like Lucks career minus the early retirement, which Im sure the Jacksonville Jaguars would take in a heartbeat. HF The best quarterback not named Trevor Lawrence is ... Zach Wilson, BYU. OK, so the answer is really Justin Fields but lets give Jets fans some hope and sayWilson. Sure. Absolutely. Wilsons lack of traditional stick-slide-throw mechanics makes his projection as a pro prospect tricky. But it was the same with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen entering the league. OC Justin Fields, Ohio State. He has all the arm strength, accuracy, toughness, and intangibles you could want from a franchise quarterback and has got the job done on the biggest stages. What sets him apart from every other top quarterback in this years class including Trevor Lawrence is his ability as a runner. TF Fields. He has a rocket arm and can craft plays out of nowhere. Whatever team drafts him is landing a prospect with a Patrick Mahomes-like ceiling. MJ Talent-wise, its Fields although he will certainly not go second (possibly not even third). Its even possible that the disclosure that his impressive college run happened while he was managing epilepsy could make some teams less likely to consider him. Their loss. HF The best non-quarterback in the draft is... Jaycee Horn, cornerback, South Carolina. For the sake of diversity, lets look away from Kyle Pitts. Horn is a feisty cornerback with the size to match against outside receivers, tight ends, flex into the slot, or even to line up as a safety. OC Kyle Pitts, tight end, Florida State. He may be listed as a tight end but at 6ft 5in and 245lbs, he moves like a wide receiver and will create nightmares for any defense. Pitts is far too fast and too agile for linebackers to keep up with, but too big and strong for cornerbacks to stop. TF Pitts. Forget about being the best receiving tight end in this draft by a mile, Pitts is the best receiver in this class, period. He has great hands and jaw-dropping speed (a 4.4sec 40 at his Pro Day ). Pitts will be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell isnt going to be a fantasy stud like Pitts but in real-game situations, he could be invaluable. HF One bold prediction ... The Dallas Cowboys trade up to No 4. Team owner/GM Jerry Jones is said to be infatuated with Kyle Pitts (something he denies). The tight end will be on the board at No 4 and Atlanta will be more than open to making a deal for the right price. OC Justin Fields will be the most successful quarterback in this years class. Not only does he have the aforementioned skills as a passer and as a runner, but he will most likely land in the best situation for immediate results based off most mock draft predictions. TF The NFL is letting a collection of current and former players announce their teams day two selections. At least one of them will be visibly disappointed when announcing the pick. MJ The New England Patriots will actually trade up. Things have gone topsy-turvy in the NFL since Tom Brady won a ring in Tampa Bay. The Patriots broke the bank in free agency and are now stacked at every position except (presuming an unlikely Cam Newton resurgence) the most important one. They normally trade down but they could (and should) be looking for a first-round QB on Thursday. HF Which team is most in need of a good draft ... Zach Wilson is likely to be the cornerstone of the Jets rebuild. Photograph: Rick Bowmer/AP Seattle Seahawks. There are four basic rules to having a good draft in the 2020s: dont overdraft running backs; dont overdraft off-ball linebackers; dont overdraft old players; dont overdraft tweeners. The Seahawks have fallen foul of every rule in recent years, sometimes multiple times within the same draft. With Russell Wilsons future on the line, they need to get it right this year. OC The New York Jets are starting a major rebuild and the pressure is on general manger Joe Douglas to construct a winning team. The Jets have 10 draft picks, six of which are in the first 110 picks. After trading away cornerstone players Jamal Adams, Leonard Williams and Sam Darnold, it is time for Douglas to begin a new era in New York and that starts with which quarterback the team takes with the No 2 overall pick. TF San Francisco 49ers. They traded away future first-round picks just to move up nine spots. It still seems insane. Simply put, the quarterback Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch select has to work out. MJ The draft isnt all about those sexy top picks, its about reloading for the future. The Philadelphia Eagles have the most picks in this draft, although many of them are in the later rounds, and theyre going to need to hit a lot of them if they dont want to get stuck like Sisyphus in the under construction portion of a perpetual rebuild. HF A lower-round gem to watch ... Jordan Smith, edge, UAB. A former big-time recruit, Smith moved to small school UAB after being suspended by Florida. In Alabama, he blossomed into one of the most ferocious pass-rushers in the country. All arms and burst, he is a classic dip-and-rip pass-rusher wrapped up in a 6ft 7in body. He is expected to be a third-round pick and could prove a steal for a team looking for more pass-rushing oomph. OC Quinn Meinerz, center, Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is likely to be a day two pick but has the potential to be one of the better offensive linemen in this years class. Meinerz held up against some of the top defensive players in the country at the Senior Bowl and many linemen from small schools have had very successful careers. TF Cade Johnson, wide receiver, South Dakota State. Highly productive but already under the radar thanks to the size of his school, Johnson skipped 2020 due to Covid-19. But then he swooped back into draft season by winning the one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl. Available in this years draft is Florida States Asante Samuel Jr, who has inherited the skills of his father Asante Sr, a first-team All-Pro cornerback back in 2007 and 2010. The problem is that hes considered undersized in the modern NFL, at 5ft 10in and 184lb. If he gets drafted into the right system, expect him to flourish. HF The team that drafted best last year was ... Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs, Bucs, and Washington deserve plaudits for finding top-line stars and quality depth, the hallmark of a strong draft. But the Bengals managed to pair both of those while finding a true franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, provided the Cincy can add the tools to keep him healthy during his prime. OC The Baltimore Ravens drafted multiple players that made an impact as rookies, most notably linebacker Patrick Queen and running back JK Dobbins. TF Washington. Chase Young will be tormenting quarterbacks for next decade. Third-round rusher Antonio Gibson had a productive season with 11 touchdowns. But it is seventh-round safety Kamren Curl, increasingly disruptive in 11 starts, who may be the steal of the 2020 draft. MJ It feels like cheating to say the Cincinnati Bengals since they landed the No 1 pick in the Joe Burrow Draft. Before he was hurt, Burrow was showing signs of being the franchise quarterback everybody thought he was. Plus, they got productive wide receiver Tee Higgins and his 908 receiving yards and linebacker Logan Wilson, who had his moments before suffering a season-ending injury. HF The top five will be 1) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars 2) Zach Wilson, New York Jets 3) Justin Fields, San Francisco 49ers 4) Kyle Pitts, Dallas Cowboys (from Atlanta Falcons) 5) Penei Sewell, Cincinnati Bengals. OC ** 1) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars 2) Zach Wilson, New York Jets 3) Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers 4) Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons 5) Penei Sewell, Cincinnati Bengals. TF ** 1) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars 2) Zach Wilson, New York Jets 3) Justin Fields, San Francisco 49ers 4) Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons 5) Penei Sewell, Cincinnati Bengals. MJ ** 1) Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars 2) Zach Wilson, New York Jets 3) Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers 4) Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons 5) Penei Sewell, Cincinnati Bengals. HF | https://sports.yahoo.com/deshaun-watson-traded-week-143111961.html?src=rss |
Are teams trying to trade in front of Bengals to steal JaMarr Chase? | By now, it seems almost a lock the Cincinnati Bengals will reunite Joe Burrow with JaMarr Chase via the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Unless another team plays the spoiler. According to ESPNs Jeremy Fowler, the Detroit Lions tried to make the jump to fourth overall to steal Chase: There was chatter early in the week that the Lions tried to trade up to No. 4 to get Chase, but the Falcons asking price was too high. Not too much of a shocker Chase is an elite prospect. Given the strength of the offensive line class, it sure feels like the Bengals could wait until the second round to address the problem. This comes on the heels of even more rumors linking the Bengals to Chase. Detroit probably isnt the only team wanting to do this, too. Miami and maybe even Carolina could want to jump up for Chase and keep in mind this can happen at any second in the draft until the Falcons make their pick at four. Its high time for drama, clearly, as other teams realize the Bengals want Chase. List | https://sports.yahoo.com/teams-trying-trade-front-bengals-161109280.html?src=rss |
What Is Ethical Investing? | Tatiana_Stulbo / Getty Images/iStockphoto Ethical investing is a strategy wherein you allocate your investment dollars according to your beliefs. For example, if youre a supporter of environmental causes, you can consciously avoid investing in oil companies or other ecologically damaging businesses. Ethical investing, also known as socially responsible or sustainable investing, has grown in popularity in recent years. As a result, in addition to selecting your own individual equities, you can also invest ethically via a number of different mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. Heres a quick overview of ethical investing, including its pros and cons. Read: Top Environmentally-Friendly Companies To Invest In Advantages of Ethical Investing The primary advantage of ethical investing is that you can sleep at night knowing you are supporting companies that share your principles. Rather than profiting from companies that engage in unethical practices, your investment supports businesses that you believe in. And the more investors who vote with their wallets and invest in sustainable companies, the more capital those companies will attract, which can result in real change. Just take a look at how electric vehicles have moved relatively swiftly from an environmental-only investment to the mainstream. The same can happen for other industries with enough investor support. Disadvantages of Ethical Investing The primary disadvantage of ethical investing is that it by definition narrows your investment universe. As an investor, your goal is usually to generate the biggest profits you can; but if youre limited in the choices you can make, you might miss out on some great opportunities to generate gains. For example, lets say youve limited your investment universe to companies that generate clean water. This means you wont be investing in companies like Etsy, which gained 302% in 2020, or Nvidia, which posted a 122% gain. Story continues Check Out: How to Pick the Smartest Investment Strategy for Your Money Methods of Ethical Investing In decades past, ethical investors had to sift through reams of information to determine which individual stocks they could buy. Nowadays, socially responsible investing has become an asset class in and of itself. Numerous mutual funds and ETFs are available for these types of investors to select, complete with well-defined investment objectives and listings of individual holdings. In other words, theres never been a better time to be an ethical investor, at least in terms of available investment options. Ethical investing certainly works in the sense that it draws attention to how investors can vote with their money and it provides financial support for companies in sustainable industries. As to whether socially responsible investing can consistently outperform the market, the jury is still out. There will certainly be years in which these types of companies perform remarkably well. In 2020, for example, electric vehicle maker Tesla was the single best performing stock in the entire market, returning over 740%. However, there will always be investors who seek the highest available return in the market, and this money may or may not flow into sustainable stocks. While ethical investors can seek out the highest performing stocks, funds or ETFs within that investment universe, their first priority is usually to invest only in stocks that match their ethical principles. | https://news.yahoo.com/ethical-investing-171552223.html |
Could updated outdoor mask rules lead to changes at gathering spots? | It's unclear yet whether a change in federal and state guidance for wearing masks outdoors will drastically alter what businesses and public gathering spots will require of visitors in the coming days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that it would ease recommendations on where fully vaccinated people need to wear masks. The agency suggested they were no longer necessary for fully inoculated individuals when eating, exercising and gathering in smaller groups outdoors. That may not prove to be a huge change for Ohioans, whose state health orders already permitted those activities. Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the mask order, first established in July, might be tweaked but he didn't see any major changes necessitated by the CDC guidance. "The basic principles are the same: masking is important, outdoor is a lot better than inside and the vaccine is powerful," DeWine said. "Those are the basic things and if people remember those things, theyll be fine. Theyll make the right decision." But various places around the Columbus area are re-evaluating the guidance for any possible changes. >>Read More:Walk-in COVID-19 vaccines available at some Columbus area clinics Columbus Parks and Recreation is one of those organizations taking a look at the new guidance, said spokeswoman Sophia Fifner. The parks system is working with Columbus Public Health to decide whether any changes should be made. If the department does ease its mask guidelines, it could depend on how crowded a park is at any given time and the level of COVID-19 cases and spread in Franklin County, Fifner said. "We're hoping we'll have an update soon," Fifner said. "At this point we're still asking guests to wear a mask and practice social distancing." Franklin County Metro Parks plans no changes due to the CDC update, said Tim Moloney, parks director. Franklin Park Conservatory is similar, still requiring masks indoors, but not among the outdoor displays or gardens. Both have signs that direct guests to follow health orders and CDC guidance. "There's not a lot that is changing. If you can socially distance, you don't need a mask, unless you're inside or in a crowded parking lot," Moloney said. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium does not plan to change its mask rules yet, despite changing guidance, said spokeswoman Jen Fields. The zoo asks guests over the age of 10 to wear masks that fully cover their nose, mouth and chin. >>Read More:Hesitancy may be to blame for low COVID-19 vaccination rate in parts of Ohio Any changes, Fields said, will be announced on the zoo's website and on social media. "We continually assess our policies to ensure the safety of our staff and guests," Fields said. How mask changes could impact Columbus area festivals A number of area festivals are also weighing the mask changes for outdoor activities. The Dublin Irish Festival is waiting to see what Franklin County Public Health recommends, said Cathy Witchey, event specialist for the City of Dublin. This summer, there will not be a full Dublin Irish Festival in Coffman Park. Instead, "Dublin Irish Days" will celebrate the traditions of the festival through a number of citywide events and activities Aug. 5-8. Although it seems like the guidelines are continuously changing, Witchey said the organization will enforce the use of face coverings until further notice. "Until they make their new guidelines we're still under the same rules as we have been," Witchey said. Similarly, the Lancaster Festival so far has no plans to alter its mask requirement for this summer, said executive director Deb Connell. As the distribution of vaccinations increase, Connell said the organization may take another look at the mask mandate. The festival, which runs from July 24 through July 29, will consist of a string of outdoor performances by The Band Perry, Byron Stripling Band, guitarist Don Felder and others at the Wendel Concert Stage on the Ohio University Lancaster Campus. Reporters Jackie Borchardt Earl Hopkins, Dean Narciso and Alissa Widman Neese contributed to this story. [email protected] @MaxFilby | https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/04/28/could-updates-outdoor-mask-rules-lead-big-changes/4871003001/ |
How much protection is offered by one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine? | As COVID-19 vaccines continue to reach more and more Canadians, some are wondering what level of protection theyre getting from their first dose, and what happens while theyre waiting for the top-up jab. The Canadian Press asked Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease expert with the University of Alberta, and Kelly Grindrod, an associate professor at the University of Waterloos School of Pharmacy, those vaccine questions. All of the approved vaccines prevented COVID-related hospitalization and death in their clinical trials, and Saxinger says thats reflected in the real world now. Real-world data also shows the first dose offers strong protection, providing around 80 per cent effectiveness against severe disease within a month, she adds. It certainly does not make you bulletproof but the weight of the literature suggests that from two or three weeks after your first dose, if youre going to get COVID its going to be a lot more like cold, Saxinger says. Experts say the protection offered by the first dose seems to improve as the weeks go on, but theyre not sure when it starts to wane. Saxinger says the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna seem to offer higher levels of protection at a quicker pace, while the viral-vector based vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca starts slower but continues to improve over time. Grindrod says high levels of protection start to be seen about two weeks after the initial dose, and protection improves to nearly full benefit of the first shot by the one-month mark. And then what weve seen with the second dose is that tops it up to 90-plus per cent protection, she says. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends provinces space out first and second doses by to up to four months, depending on supply, in order to give more Canadians partial protection faster. The recommendation caused concern when it was first put forward in March, but Grindrod says the ideal interval was never set in stone. Doses were spaced out three to four weeks apart in clinical trials, partly to get results quicker, she adds. Grindrod says there are different ways to measure longer-term protection, including by looking at antibody levels and trying to capture T-cell responses. But she says the rate of hospitalization and death within a population is perhaps a better indicator that vaccines are working. When you look at large populations ... what is the rate of hospitalizations in people who are vaccinated versus not vaccinated? she says. Saxinger says there have been some cases where people have been infected with the novel coronavirus in the week or two after getting their first dose of a vaccine. She says that could mean an individual was either incubating the virus at the time they got their shot, or their body hadnt built up enough immunity to recognize the pathogen and block it out. You have to have time to make the antibodies, she says. While Saxinger notes its possible the virus could be weakened by whatever immune response emerges in the days after vaccination, she says that hasnt been studied extensively. While some studies suggest vaccinated people are also less likely to spread the virus to others, Saxinger says theres still not a lot of good evidence in that arena. She says thats likely the main reason public health officials urge caution even among those who have already been vaccinated, as parts of Canada see skyrocketing levels of community transmission. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Grindrod says data from Moderna seemed to suggest there was less viral load in those who became infected after vaccination. We really dont know if these vaccines protect us against being contagious, she says. So until you have most people relatively protected against COVID, you still have a question of potential contagious infection. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2021. | https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2021/04/28/how-much-protection-is-offered-by-one-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine.html |
How worried should MLB be about the leagues offensive struggles? | Its still early in the season and bats tend to warm up with the weather, but offences are putting the ball in play less than ever before. Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning youll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.coms MLB writers. There have been five seasons in which baseball teams averaged fewer than eight hits per game. Three of those came at the peak of the dead-ball era1907, 1908 and 1909. One came with the historically low offences in the Year of the Pitcher1968. And the final season, with the fewest hits of all, is this one2021. Of course, its only April, which makes it unreasonable to judge this number too harshly. As the season wears on, and the weather becomes warmer, offences tend to pick up. This statistic might be radically different in a few months! With this caveat in mind, however, its still worth taking stock of just what teams have been doing so far this yearwhich is putting the ball in play less than ever before. That shouldnt necessarily be surprising; over the last two decades, batting averages has been dropping, while strikeouts have been spiking. But the way these trends have accelerated this year is notable. As broadcaster Boog Sciambi pointed out earlier this week on Twitter, the current league batting average would qualify as the lowest in history, and other relevant statistics here are equally dramatic. Home runs have fallenlikely due in part to the new baseballbut strikeouts are up by so much that the three true outcomes now make up a record percentage of plate appearances. (That would be 36.5 per cent, whereas a decade ago, that figure had never crossed 30 per cent.) Teams are averaging more than a strikeout per inning for the first time ever. And if you set aside strikeouts to focus just on when hitters do make contactits now rarer for that contact to turn into hits, with a year-over-year decrease in hard-hit percentage, and the lowest BABIP since 1989. Againthese numbers will likely change as the season passes. (The beginning of last year saw a similar dip in BABIP, which contributed to some notably low offensive production, but that partially rectified itself as the season wore on.) Yet the fact that offences look like this at all is still remarkable. While bats typically take some time to warm up in the spring, theyre never this cold, and its fair to be worried about what that means for the overall health of the sport. For all the recent focus on pace of play, this feels like a far, far more existential issue for baseballnot how quickly the game moves but what kind of action it produces. Yet if this feels like a problem to be solved, theres no single cause, and so its difficult to identify a single solution. Some of these offensive struggles are the product of increasingly talented pitching. Some are the product of an increasing emphasis on defensive positioning. (Heres an eye-popping figure: 20 per cent of plate appearances involved a shift or otherwise strategically positioned infield in 2015. A full 40 per cent of plate appearances get the same treatment in 2021.) And some of the most extreme numbers right now might simply be the product of spring weirdness that fades as the calendar turns to summer. The league installed serious changes after the only other seasons with such sluggish offences. After 1908, it started to consider a livelier, cork-centered baseball. After 1968, it lowered the mound and shrank the strike zone. After 2021. well, there are plenty of potential changes under consideration, including those being tested this year in the Atlantic League, such as moving the mound back. And if these numbers persistwith the ball currently being put in play less than 1908 or 1968its hard to imagine that there wont be something. Quick Hits If you feel like you have been waiting for Vlad Guerrero Jr.enjoying him as an above-average hitter, sure, but waiting for him to look like the prodigious slugger that baseball was originally promisedyou might be done waiting. The 22-year-olds red-hot start to the season got even more impressive with a three (three!) home-run game on Wednesday. (No, his dad never managed to do that, and yes, hes very proud.) Minnesota continued its recent habit of ugly losses with a 74 loss to Cleveland. This one unravelled with a disastrous eighth inning from reliever Alex Colomwho walked the bases loaded and then walked in a run. The Twins, despite their talented roster, have the worst record in baseball. Yikes. Nolan Arenado is not of this world. (But you already knew that, right?) Hold your reports on the death of pitchers hitting for now: MLB got its first pitcher home run of the season from Adrian Houser. (The Brewers beat the Marlins by a score of 5-4.) Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... | https://www.thestar.com/sports/si/2021/04/28/how-worried-should-mlb-be-about-the-leagues-offensive-struggles.html |
What is Bills biggest need heading into 2021 NFL draft? | Weve heard all offseason that the Bills dont have any glaring needs on their roster. But the Bills did not win the Super Bowl last year. Just because the team doesnt have large needs that does not mean they dont have any. Bleacher Report gave their insight on the matter recently and pegged Buffalos defensive line as just that: The Buffalo Bills may be one of the most exciting up-and-coming teams in the league, but their defensive line is anything but spry. Buffalo is coming off an impressive run to the AFC Championship Game, but it wont be able to keep making deep postseason runs unless it finds some youthful talent for the D-line. The team has been relying heavily on aging defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, who will turn 33 and 34 before the campaign. Addison tied for the most sacks on the roster last year with five, and Hughes was right behind him with 4.5, but they cant be relied on forever. The Bills will also get Star Lotulelei back after he opted out in 2020, but the defensive tackle will be 32 in December. The Bills have some younger linemen to build around, including a pair of early picks in Ed Oliver and A.J. Epenesa, but they need to keep injecting more youth into the trenches. There should be plenty of opportunity to do exactly that when Buffalo is on the clock at No. 30, a spot that should net a useful prospect. Washingtons Joe Tryon would make sense. He amassed eight sacks as a sophomore in 2019 before opting out last year. He doesnt have the polish of other prospects, but Buffalo can gamble on his high ceiling while bringing him along slowly. Top options to also consider for the Bills biggest need currently includes the No. 2 cornerback spot, tight end, and backfield. But in the case of all of those, other aspects of the roster make up for their shortcomings. Theres at least TreDavious White at the top cornerback spot and on offense, the emergence of Josh Allen at quarterback covers up a lot. Story continues Considering that, the defensive line might be the correct choice by B/R. The Bills might also share that though, too. Earlier this offseason, Buffalo pursued JJ Watt and Jarren Reed, two defensive lineman that can pressure the quarterback. In addition, Lotulelei returning should help, but the Bills got a dose of what life would be like without him. They need a younger player that can do his job down the road. Now it remains to be seen exactly how the team attack this need area at the upcoming draft. Related | https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-biggest-heading-2021-nfl-175117455.html?src=rss |
Can I get a different type of vaccine for my second dose? | The question: I followed the advice of public-health officials who urged us to take the first available COVID-19 vaccine. For me, it turned out to be the AstraZeneca shot. The answer: Youre not the only person wondering whether the vaccines can be used interchangeably. In fact, researchers in Britain have launched a study to determine if its safe and effective to mix different vaccines that guard against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Story continues below advertisement Its a hugely important question that is being addressed by this study, says Rob Kozak, a scientist and clinical microbiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. It could potentially help alleviate a lot of our supply problems, he adds. In Canada, the vaccination rollout has been plagued by availability issues. The flow of vaccines from some companies has dwindled to a trickle while others have provided more and more doses. COVID-19 news: Updates and essential resources about the pandemic To even out the supply, Dr. Kozak says it would be convenient if two different vaccines could be used for the same person. Most of the COVID-19 vaccines require a double injection a primer dose followed by a booster to amplify and extend the immune response. The British study began in February with the recruitment of about 800 volunteers using the AstraZeneca and Pfizer shots. Some got two doses of the same vaccine an immunizing strategy known as a homologous prime-boost. Others received one dose of each vaccine or a heterologous prime-boost. Blood samples from the volunteers are being analyzed for the presence of antibodies and others cellular indicators that show how well the bodys immune system is prepared to fight the virus. Aside from potentially alleviating supply issues, the study might also reveal that using different shots may actually produce better overall protection than relying on a single type of vaccine, says Zhou Xing, a professor at the McMaster Immunology Research Centre in Hamilton. Story continues below advertisement He notes that all COVID-19 vaccines train the immune system to be on the lookout for spike proteins, the knobby protrusions on the surface of the coronavirus. But the various vaccines work in slightly different ways. That means they have different effects on the immune system. For instance, Pfizer and Moderna, which are based on a relatively new vaccine technology using messenger RNA, are extremely effective at stimulating the production of antibodies the first line of defence against a foreign invader. The antibodies will normally latch onto a virus to prevent it from entering and infecting a cell. On the other hand, AstraZeneca appears to have an enhanced capacity for producing T-Cells, which provide a critical back-up defence if the virus eludes the antibodies. A killer T-cell can identify an infected cell and destroy it, he explains. Dr. Xing thinks there may be a significant advantage in giving people two types of vaccine. Essentially, they might acquire the best protection offered by each one, filling in any immunological gaps. Im a big believer in mixing vaccines, he says. But an even more urgent reason to try mixing vaccines is the worrisome emergence of new viral variants, says Alan Bernstein, president of CIFAR, a Canadian-based global research organization. Not only are certain variants deadlier and more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2, but some of them may be able to evade, at least to some degree, the protection provided by vaccination. Story continues below advertisement By combining vaccines, it might help broaden the response so the immune system can better deal with the variants, says Dr. Bernstein, who is also a member of the federal COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. He says the initial results from the British study are expected to be released in the next few weeks. If they show that mixing shots is better than boosting with the same vaccine, I would hope we would go with the heterologous prime-boost strategy as soon as possible. In Quebec, public-health officials are already considering giving the Pfizer shot to some seniors who were originally inoculated with the Moderna vaccine, which is now in short supply. Dr. Bernstein says mixing shots might also help overcome vaccine hesitancy. He points out that a lot of people received a first dose of AstraZeneca before it was linked to extremely rare cases of blood clots. Some individuals may now be reluctant to get their second dose. If they are able to receive another type of vaccine, they may be more willing to roll up their sleeves for an injection, he says. Flexibility is important, says Dr. Bernstein. The sooner we give everyone in Canada two doses of these vaccines, the better we will all be protected. Paul Taylor is a former patient navigation adviser at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and former health editor of The Globe and Mail. Story continues below advertisement | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-can-i-get-a-different-type-of-vaccine-for-my-second-dose/ |
Can tourism save the American West's ranching heritage? | From atop my horse Cinco, a seemingly infinite landscape of high-desert scrub, arid sagebrush and sandy plains unfurls before me. Behind me, a herd of bison roam against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. To a girl who grew up in the claustrophobic suburbs of New Jersey, this vast expanse of untamed land is something that only existed in John Ford movies and Charles Russell paintings. The mythic American West, with its cowboys and cattle ranchers, was a romantic notion in my imagination a distinctive chapter Id relegated to our countrys past. But as I lope across the 50,000-acre pasture of Medano Ranch in southern Colorado, I begin to understand that ranching is very much a part of the Wests present and crucial to its future. Medano is one half of Medano-Zapata Ranch, a 103,000-acre working guest ranch situated on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley abutting the geological wonder that is Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Owned by the Nature Conservancy and run by Ranchlands, a fourth generation, family-owned-and-operated ranch management company, the property is home to a herd of 2,000 wild bison, Angus cattle, horses and Ranchlands largest hospitality operation. Duke Phillips III, the founder of Ranchlands, will break any stereotype youve ever had about cowboys or ranching. Raised on a ranch in Mexico, hes traveled the world, apprenticed with legendary horsemen, ranchers and businessmen, and counts Pablo Neruda among his favorite poets. If you think ranching is riding horses, moving cattle, wearing hats and driving trucks, Phillips will convince you that its really about being a steward of the land. I thought I was getting into the business of grazing animals, but instead, it has become more about a growing group of people working together on a mission to create a better world through the management of land, people and animals through the legacy of ranching, he wrote in a recent blog post. Early on, Phillips recognized that ranching is one of the rare professions that is passed down generation to generation. Hes lucky that his children, Duke IV and Tess, have enthusiastically embraced the family business, but many of the younger generation have no idea how to run an inherited ranch, let alone make it a viable business. Ranchlands aims to ease the burden by handling land management duties for ranch owners and, at the same time, bridge the ever-growing town and country divide by inviting guests to experience ranch life. Currently, Ranchlands manages five properties across Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Wyoming. Its two properties in Colorado, Medano-Zapata and Chico Basin, a nearly 90,000-acre ranch south of Colorado Springs, are experiments in diversification, with hospitality offshoots that include lodging, farm-to-table meals and programming ranging from concert series to artist retreats. Chico Basin, a property on a 25-year lease from the Colorado State Land Board, targets experienced riders who want a taste of dawn-to-dusk ranch life, while Medano-Zapata lures city slickers like me, who fantasize about ranch life but havent the faintest idea of the real meaning of saddle sore. Arriving at Medano-Zapata feels like traveling back in time. A bumpy, cottonwood-lined drive deposits me to a 19th-century homestead thats been turned into 17-room lodge. My log cabin, Bird, is the perfect mix of vintage charm and modern comfort, with a Woodsman stove, claw-foot bathtub and picture windows overlooking the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Guests can immerse themselves as much or as little in ranch life as they please. Some come to have a cushy base to explore the national park, less than five miles away, and indulge in chef Chase Kelleys spectacular meals, while others, like myself, want to get a better understanding of horsemanship and rotational grazing, a sustainable practice that moves cattle to mimic the historic grazing patterns of bison. Mornings begin with a multicourse, made-to-order breakfast far fancier than what most ranch hands are accustomed to. I dig into cheesy grits spiked with bacon-chili crunch and topped with hen of the woods mushrooms and a poached egg, plus homemade biscuits and jam. As hard as I try, I cant resist cleaning my plate and have to loosen my belt buckle before I throw my leg up to mount Cinco, one of the ranchs 50-plus horses. My wrangler, Lauren, a lanky Californian, explains every ride is customized to the guests ability. You wont find nose-to-tail rides here. In fact, many rides dont even follow trails. Often, youre just out exploring the land. Ranchlands is one of the few outfits permitted to bring horses into Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. To experience this otherworldly landscape a mix of tundra, wetlands and towering dunes shaped by the regions unique winds on horseback allows you to reach depths of the park few visitors venture to on foot. Galloping across the ever-shifting sand, not a soul in site, I feel like I could be riding through the Sahara. If you go United Airlines offers nonstop service from Houston to Colorado Springs. Medano-Zapata Ranch is a 2 hour and 40-minute drive south of Colorado Springs. Horseback excursions are customized to riders of all abilities. Throughout the year, the ranch hosts workshops on everything from writing and painting to horsemanship and leather working. All-inclusive stays start at $420 per night. Two- to three-night minimums are required, depending on the season. Chico Basin Ranch is a 40-minute drive south of Colorado Springs and geared toward guests who want a true taste of ranch live. A three-night minimum is required, as is an intermediate riding ability. Days start at dawn and might entail moving a herd on horseback, branding cattle and repairing fences. All-inclusive stays from $1,050; ranchlands.com. See More Collapse The next day, we trailer our horses to Medano Ranch. Many of the original 1800s buildings still exist and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Its here I feel my inner cowgirl come to life. We ride for six-plus hours, not encountering another human, just the bison and an occasional stealth coyote darting between patches of yellow-tinged rubber rabbitbrush. The whistle of the wind and occasional whinny from Laurens horse, Campbell, are the only disruptions to the silence. With no trails to follow, our route is dictated by the path of the bison, which we keep at a mindful distance. Lauren coaches me on my loping, and by days end, Ive found my rhythm in the saddle. Being surrounded by so much open space, I feel a beautiful sense of freedom and possibility. I understand the pull that lured those early frontiers men and women west. We ride to the bison barn, an intricate facility where, with the help of a helicopter, the bison are gathered each fall to be vaccinated and about a quarter of them culled in order to trim the herd to fit the range. Some of those culled animals end up as meat, served at the ranch. Chef Kelley sources what he can directly from the ranch and works closely with the San Luis Valley foodshed to create sensational dishes like honey-miso roasted chicken, charred eggplant with green chili yogurt and apple tart with sherry caramel, thyme and salted whipped cream. My final night, I take the pillow-shaped sopapillas chef has prepared for dessert to-go and meet Lauren for sunset out in the pasture. The horses rush toward us and start nuzzling our pockets curiously looking for treats. Lauren has brought cups of sliced apples. We attempt to dole out pieces equally, but when I turn back to the trucks, I see Murphy, a tall auburn beauty, has been sneaky and not only got the last of the apples but also the last of my cabernet. The sky has turned sherbet hues of orange, pink and yellow, and Lauren and I climb onto her truck bed to watch the sinking sun. I marvel at the landscape stretched before me. What I saw as a pretty vista just a few days ago, I now see with a fresh lens. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/thepage/article/Can-tourism-save-the-American-West-s-ranching-16135666.php |
Whats Driving Ether to Record Highs? | Pulse check: When a client goes down The Ethereum 2.0 network had its first major incident on Saturday, April 24. A bug was discovered in the software client, Prysm, that prevented roughly 70% of validators on the network from producing blocks. As background, there are four main Eth 2.0 software clients: Prysm, Teku, Lighthouse and Nimbus. In order to become a validator and earn rewards on the network, a user must download and run one of these software clients on his or her computer device. On Saturday, the Eth 2.0 software client Prysm failed to properly ingest data from the Ethereum blockchain and, as a result, caused all validators running the Prysm client to miss out on block rewards. Prysmatic Labs, the developer team behind Prysm, tweeted that the incident caused about 15 ETH to be lost in total. On average, each individual validator running the Prysm client lost about 122,950 gwei, which is worth roughly $0.30 in todays prices. No validators were slashed in this process, meaning no users were forcefully removed from the network for malicious behavior. The damage was limited to missed validator rewards. The incident lasted roughly two hours, where more than 403 blocks were missed. Since then the Prysmatic Labs team has issued a new version of the software with this bug fixed. In a Discord message, co-lead developer at Prysmatic Labs Raul Jordan stressed that all users running Prysm should update their software immediately. We would neither make an announcement nor a hotfix if we did not have the highest level of confidence in a resolution, Jordan said. Related: Polygon Launches $100M Fund to Support DeFi Adoption Any validator who has not yet upgraded to the latest version of Prysm is at risk of missing out on network rewards. While the impact of this bug was most widely seen on April 24, evidence of it appeared on a smaller scale as early as Jan. 20 and as recently as April 25. Story continues For all Eth 2.0 validators who are not running Prysm client software, there is no action needed. CoinDesks validator, nicknamed Zelda, is run on Lighthouse client software. As a result, we saw little to no change in our daily validator operations and rewards. One of the biggest lessons to come out of Saturdays incident, according to Teku developer Ben Edgington, is for everybody to take client diversity seriously. Its difficult to predict when and how another bug in Eth 2.0 client software could be discovered, but what can be controlled is the extent of the damage. By reducing the percentage of validators running the Prysm client down from 70% and boosting the use of other Eth 2.0 clients, validators and developers can be assured these types of bugs only impact a minority of users on the network. If you are running the majority client (which happens to be Prysm right now), then this is your call to action! Edgington said. New frontiers: Eth 2.0 after the merge Friday, April 23, the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, gave a presentation at the Scaling Ethereum Summit on the development roadmap of Ethereum after its merge to proof-of-stake (PoS). In his presentation, Buterin outlined an ambitious three- to five-year plan for subsequent upgrades and optimizations to Ethereum, even after the network has fully transitioned to an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient PoS protocol. Here are some of the highlights: Post-merge cleanup Developers are currently estimating the merge will be activated through a backwards-incompatible, system-wide upgrade, also called a hard fork, by the end of this year or early next year. Buterin described the need for a post-merge cleanup [hard] fork to happen shortly after the code release. Its not very feature full, not very sexy, but cleanup has to be done. It is the technical debt that has to be paid once this accelerated merge is finished, said Buterin. Due to the expedited timeline for activating PoS on Ethereum, there will be redundancies and network inefficiencies that developers are overlooking for the sake of pushing out the upgrade faster. Once the merge is complete and the network has stabilized, the post-merge, cleanup hard fork will address unnecessary legacy features of a hybrid proof-of-work (PoW) and PoS model. It will also enable new, long-awaited functionalities for validators on Eth 2.0, such as the ability for withdrawals and transfers of their ETH. Sharding and rollups Then comes another long-awaited feature on Ethereum: sharding. Sharding expands Ethereums capacity to process transactions by splitting its database into 64 new mini-blockchains. These mini-blockchains or shards are able to process transactions and data in parallel. Along with sharding, rollups are a way to condense multiple transactions and reduce their size on any given shard. With 64 shards simultaneously processing Ethereum transactions and each shard leveraging rollup technology to further optimize the speed at which these transactions are written onto blocks, the issue of high fees and network congestion is finally expected to be resolved for the long term. Because of the potential dangers and risks associated with Ethereums most promising strategy for long-term scalability, Buterin highlighted the need to have it as a separate upgrade from all the rest. We dont want to do all the potentially dangerous things at the exact same time. You want to do the first one [Ethereums merge to PoS] and then the other so that developers can pay attention and focus, Buterin said. Security improvements With PoS and sharding both implemented, the next step is to make further tweaks to enhance the security of the Ethereum protocol. This includes adding anonymity features to mask validator identities behind block proposals. It also includes leveraging new technologies such as the Verifiable Delay Function (VDF) to further secure the randomness by which validators are assigned their responsibilities and thereby make it harder for malicious actors to disrupt the network. Statelessness and state expiry After boosting the robustness of Ethereums PoS protocol and shards, Buterins suspects developers will begin tackling medium-term agenda items, the most important of which, in my view, is the issue of Ethereums state. Ethereums state keeps records of all Ethereum accounts, their data and their transaction history. As new user accounts and smart contracts are deployed on Ethereum, the size of Ethereums state grows larger and larger. By Buterins estimates, state size grows by roughly 30 GB each year. With the latest gas limit increase its more likely to grow even faster, up to about 35 GB each year. Ideally, anyone should be able to spin up their own computer, also called a node, and verify the transaction history of Ethereum. The more independent nodes there are in operation, the more decentralized and secure a blockchain network is. Ethereums growing state makes it more time-consuming and resource-intensive for the average user to spin up their own node. In addition, a large database that takes longer and longer to verify also becomes more vulnerable to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which are aimed at taking advantage of a networks limited resource capacity and overwhelming it with more data than it can handle. For all these reasons and more, developers are working on solutions to deal with the issue of Ethereums state size. One solution called statelessness suggests creating two distinct classes of Ethereum nodes. Some would be free of any responsibilities to store state data, while others would be responsible for storing all of it. Another solution, called state expiry, suggests reducing state size by archiving parts of Ethereums state that are more than a year old. This sounds crazy but its actually easier to do both at the same time than it is to do either just statelessness or just state expiry, which is interesting. So [this is] a big project. It does have quite a bit of complexity but it has a lot of value [and] potential to do some important good for the ecosystem, Buterin said. More big projects Casper CBC. SNARKs. Quantum resistance. The list goes on. I havent begun to scratch the surface of all that Buterin detailed for his vision of Ethereums future roadmap post-merge. With all its breadth, it sounds as if it would need a lot longer than a few years to complete. Even with a successful activation of PoS, Ethereum is a far way off from going into maintenance mode and reaching the same level of protocol stability the Bitcoin network presently maintains. The main takeaway from this new and updated roadmap for Ethereums development is that a transition to PoS is just the beginning. Its the starting point, rather than the finish line, with still more significant protocol-level changes yet to come on the network. Validated takes How to visualize a merged, data-sharded Ethereum (Blog post, Barnab Monnot) Binance to launch an NFT marketplace this June (Article, CoinDesk) Bitmain to release the Antminer E9 ASIC for Ethereum mining (Article, CoinDesk) Polygon price climbs to a record high, benefiting from Ethereum network congestion (Article, CoinDesk) How a hacker tried to fake the worlds most expensive NFT (Article, CoinDesk) An update from all the teams supported by the Ethereum Foundation (Blog post, Ethereum Foundation) On staking pools and staking derivatives (Blog post, Paradigm Research) Factoid of the week Open comms Feel free to reply any time and email [email protected] with your thoughts, comments or queries about todays newsletter. Between reads, chat with me on Twitter. Valid Points incorporates information and data directly from CoinDesks own Eth 2.0 validator node in weekly analysis. All profits made from this staking venture will be donated to a charity of our choosing once transfers are enabled on the network. For a full overview of the project, check out our announcement post. You can verify the activity of the CoinDesk Eth 2.0 validator in real time through our public validator key, which is: 0xad7fef3b2350d220de3ae360c70d7f488926b6117e5f785a8995487c46d323ddad0f574fdcc50eeefec34ed9d2039ecb. Search for it on any Eth 2.0 block explorer site! Join Christine Kim and Consensys Ben Edgington in a CoinDesk podcast series called Mapping Out Eth 2.0. New episodes air every Thursday. Listen and subscribe through the CoinDesk podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, IHeartRadio or RSS. Related Stories | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/driving-ether-record-highs-192603667.html?src=rss |
Are investors hoarding cash? | Cash isn't necessarily king when it comes to building wealth, but most investors must have missed that memo hints a new survey from investment bank UBS. UBS found in its latest "Sentiment" survey that about 62% of investors hold at least 10% of their assets in cash. While many investors have cut down on their cash allocation in recent months, UBS finds that the average investor has a whopping 22% of their assets in cash and cash equivalents such as CDs. The cash hoarding, interestingly, arrives as the market continues to hover around record highs. The Nasdaq Composite has surged 61% over the past year, outpacing the not so shabby 45% gain for the S&P 500 and 41% advance for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Individual stocks of reputable, fundamentally strong household-name companies such as Apple (up 90%) and Google (up 80%) have skyrocketed these past 12 months. One of the main reasons for these outsized cash positions in the face of soaring stock prices is none other than fear. Of those polled, 41% of investors said they hold cash as an emergency fund or to protect against a potential market downturn. Meanwhile, 48% of investors are holding cash because they are waiting for the right investment. To be sure, the problem with holding on to so much cash right now (and generally) is that's effectively earning no return when factoring in inflation (which is on the rise, as Yahoo Finance reports). It's basically collecting dust in one's digital bank account. But for those investors who are open to finally brushing off fear of the unknown, UBS has a few helpful tips for becoming more aggressive with asset allocations while not being forgetful of risk. "We would recommend that you consider investing some of your liquidity strategy into higher-yielding cash alternatives, or into high-quality bonds that could benefit from falling interest rates during a future market correction," UBS strategists write. Story continues The strategists add, "If you are investing in a balanced stock-bond portfolio, buy all of your bonds right away and invest your remaining cash into stocks over time, using a set schedule. Investors that are willing to fully commit their cash upfront can purchase structured investments that may provide asymmetric exposure to the marketfor example, levered upside participation, a degree of capital protection, or portfolio income." Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Whats hot from Sozzi: Watch Yahoo Finances live programming on Verizon FIOS channel 604, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Pluto TV, and YouTube. Online catch Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, and LinkedIn. | https://news.yahoo.com/are-investors-hoarding-cash-ubs-sentiment-survey-191247204.html |
What are the top 15 high schools in Northeast Ohio? | CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Solon again ranks as the highest Northeast Ohio high school in this years U.S. News & World Report 2021 Best U.S. High Schools, which also includes Chagrin Falls and Hudson in the Top 10 statewide. U.S. News, an online magazine known for its rankings and analysis of educational institutions, included data from over 24,000 public high schools throughout the country. The highest-ranking schools included students who demonstrated above average in math and reading state assessments, earning qualifying scores in an array of college-level exams, and graduating in high proportions. The highest ranking Northeast Ohio schools often appear on similar lists. Though John Hay School of Science and Medicine and John Hay Early College High School, ranked 9 and 10 respectively for 2020, and this year ranked 25th and 50th. See last years rankings. There are six factors used in ranking the schools: College readiness (30%): percentage of seniors that took at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam and the percentage who passed. College curriculum breadth (10%): percentage of seniors who took a wide variety of AP and IB courses across multiple disciplines and those who passed. College reading and math proficiency (20%): how well students did on state reading and math assessments. Reading and math performance (20%): how well students did on state reading and math assessments compared to what the publication predicted based on modeling. Underserved student performance (10%): how well students receiving subsidized school lunch and black and Hispanic populations perform on state assessments relative to statewide performance among students not in those subgroups. Graduation rate (10%): rates are for the 2018 graduation cohort. Here are the rankings of the top 15 high schools in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties 1. Solon High School State ranking: 5 District: Solon City Schools Enrollment: 1,600 2. Chagrin Falls High School State ranking: 8 District: Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Enrollment: 757 3. Hudson High School State ranking: 10 District: Hudson City Schools Enrollment: 1,542 4. Rocky River High School State ranking: 11 District: Rocky River City Schools Enrollment: 872 5. Bay Village State ranking: 17 District: Bay Village City Schools Enrollment: 813 6. Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School State ranking: 18 District: Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools Enrollment: 1,357 7. Orange High School State ranking: 20 District: Orange City Schools Enrollment: 704 8. John Hay Early High School State ranking: 25 District: Cleveland Municipal City Schools Enrollment: 315 9. Avon Lake High School State ranking: 30 District: Avon Lake City Enrollment: 1,253 10. Kenston High School State ranking: 31 District: Kenston Local Enrollment: 947 11. Highland High School State ranking: 34 District: Highland Local Enrollment: 1,046 12. Revere High School State ranking: 35 District: Revere Local Enrollment: 868 13. Beachwood High School State ranking: 37 District: Beachwood City Schools Enrollment: 649 14. Strongsville High School State ranking: 41 District: Strongsville City Schools Enrollment: 1,966 15. Twinsburg High School State ranking: 44 District: Twinsburg City Enrollment: 1,309 The complete list of schools can be found on the U.S. News & World Report website. | https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/04/what-are-the-top-15-high-schools-in-northeast-ohio.html |
Are Dolphins Running Out of Potential Trade Partners? | If the Miami Dolphins decide they want to move down a few spots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, they'll have to find a willing trade partner to make it happen Among the many options the Miami Dolphins possibly have been debating with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft is the possibility of moving down a few spots to pick up additional draft capital and still land a high-end prospect. That kind of move, however, can't happen without the Dolphins finding a trade partner willing to give up assets to land a specific prospect, and those prospects near the top of the first round usually are quarterbacks. In that vein, maybe it wasn't good news for the Dolphins to see the Denver Broncos trade for former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday. Denver is scheduled to select ninth in the first round, and it's been reported throughout the offseason the Broncos aren't entirely comfortable with Drew Lock as their unquestioned starter moving forward, which made them a candidate to perhaps want to trade up to number 6. Bridgewater, acquired for a sixth-round pick per multiple reports, isn't quite a long-term franchise quarterback and NFL Network reporters Michael Silver and James Palmer both suggested this does not preclude Denver from taking a quarterback in the first round. But Palmer was clear in saying the Broncos wouldn't dismiss the possibility of taking a quarterback at number 9 not suggesting they might look to trade up. Indeed, it's just really difficult to see a team give up more draft capital to move up in the first round after acquiring a veteran quarterback. It's the same theory that applies to the Carolina Panthers after their acquisition of Sam Darnold from the New York Jets regardless of what anybody thinks of the 2018 third overall pick. In fact, all the scuttlebutt now is about the Panthers looking to trade down in the first round, not up. Fact is, if we're looking at the top half of the first round, it's hard to find a QB-needy team that would be willing to give up assets to move up to 6. Pick 7 Detroit acquired Jared Goff in the offseason, so it's hard to see the Lions giving up even more assets, particularly if they can just sit back at 7 if they really want a quarterback. Pick 8 Carolina Pick 9 Denver Pick 10 Dallas just signed Dak Prescott to a massive extension. Pick 11 Giants aren't ready to give up on Daniel Jones just yet. If they did, no doubt the Dolphins would want their picks back, plus David Putney (movie reference). Pick 13 Chargers have Justin Herbert. Pick 14 Minnesota still has a LOT invested in Kirk Cousins. No, it says here the idea of trading back a few spots with the hope of still landing an elite playmaker like DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle is pretty much off the table. At this point, it looks like the Dolphins either need to make the pick at 6 and if they decide they want to trade down to a QB-needy team, it would be a much bigger drop that would cost them a shot at a Smith or Waddle though it would provide a bigger return. But let's just say it's looking like the Dolphins indeed will be picking at number 6 on Thursday night. | https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/miami-dolphins-running-out-of-trade-partners-in-2021-nfl-draft |
Could the Panthers Make a Draft Day Trade? | The Panthers made a trade earlier today sending Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos. The Carolina Panthers traded last season's starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos for a sixth-round pick. This could be the start of a very active draft season for first-year general manager Scott Fitterer and company. Fitterer has been very open about possibly trading down from the No. 8 pick. This was a common theme for the Seattle Seahawks when the now Panthers GM was a part of their organization. It often worked out for them too, considering they built an elite defense and stole one of the NFL's best QBs throughout the 2010s. This has many fans and media members speculating that Carolina could deal its first-round pick on draft day. The Good Morning Football crew threw out some ideas about what a possible trade scenario could look like: Out of these three options the deal with the Chicago Bears probably pays the most dividends. The Panthers would drop from No. 8 to No. 20 in Thursday's draft but a 2022 first and third would be well worth it. The trade with the Miami Dolphins isn't bad, however the 2023 first-rounder from San Francisco figures to be a low end pick. Dropping from eight to eighteenth isn't that big of a slide but it could cause Carolina to miss out on a rare talent like OL Penei Sewell or TE Kyle Pitts. The scenario of sending the No. 8 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles makes the least amount of sense given the fact that they would only get two future thirds in return. The chances of a top-five QB sliding to the No. 8 pick seem to be rising the closer we get to Carolina being on the clock. While the Panthers are not out of the QB market entirely, they seem to have their 2021 starter set in Sam Darnold. If a team like the Bears, Eagles or Patriots is willing to throw a ton of future draft capital in a deal then it might be worth a listen. Carolina hopes to be a team that is outside of drafting in the top ten in the future. Fitterer will have a tough decision ahead of him on draft day when it comes to keeping or selling his No. 8 overall pick. The last time the Seahawks had a top-ten pick was in 2010 when they held No. 6 overall. They selected OT Russell Okung. Fitterer was in charge of player personnel and scouting during that draft. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook - @PanthersOnSI Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Josh Altorfer at @jaltorfer1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/could-the-panthers-make-a-draft-day-trade |
When will Steph Curry become top 3-point shooter in NBA history? | originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea Damian Lillard made history Tuesday night in Indiana. The All-Star guard became just the 10th player ever to eclipse the 2,000 career made 3-pointers mark by knocking down four triples in the Trail Blazers' blowout win over the Indiana Pacers. Lillard reached the milestone in his 671st game, a pace bested only by Stephen Curry, who achieved the feat in his 597th game. Here's a look at the 10 members of the 2,000 3-pointers club: Ray Allen (2,973 3-pointers) Stephen Curry (2,773) Reggie Miller (2,560) Kyle Korver (2,450) James Harden (2,441) Vince Carter (2,290) Jason Terry (2,282) Jamal Crawford (2,221) Paul Pierce (2,143) Damian Lillard (2,001) Curry, whos chasing down Ray Allens all-time 3-pointer record, and Jamal Crawford, who made 107 3s during a 54-game stint in Golden State, are the Warriors two representatives on this list, but another Splash Brother could be joining them as soon as next season. With 1,798 career triples, Klay Thompson needs 202 more to reach the 3-point milestone. Thompson has surpassed 202 3s in each season hes played in dating back to 2012-13, though he will be coming off a two-year absence next season. | https://sports.yahoo.com/steph-curry-become-top-3-190333871.html?src=rss |
Whats in Bidens $1.8 trillion American Families Plan? | WASHINGTON The Biden administration revealed a $1.8 trillion spending and tax proposal that puts hundreds of billions of dollars toward child care, paid family and medical leave, tuition-free community college and a slew of other initiatives. Details of the American Families Plan were released before Bidens joint address to Congress on Wednesday. The White House is pitching this package as the next step in Bidens economic agenda, one a month after Biden proposed a $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan. The families plan faces a difficult path in Congress. Many Republicans staunchly oppose additional large spending measures and balk at proposed tax increases. Democratic leaders also will be challenged in keeping their partys lawmakers in line if they intend to get another major bill through the Senate by simple majority, as they did with a sweeping coronavirus relief bill in March. The plan consists of roughly $1 trillion of investments and $800 billion of tax cuts. The White House says the proposal would be fully paid for over 15 years, though the math behind that timeline is somewhat unclear. Heres whats in the American Families Plan, according to a White House summary and previous reporting by The Washington Post. Child care: The proposal sets aside $225 billion focused on child care. The funding would help families pay for child care on the basis of a sliding income scale. For example, low- and middle-income families would not pay more than 7% of their income on child care for children under age 5. Advertising The plan also invests in child-care providers and workers, including through a $15 minimum wage for early childhood staff. Many economists and lawmakers argue that a lack of child care is holding back the economic recovery. Closed day-care centers and schools have taken a disproportionately heavy toll on women, who often must choose between staying home with their children and returning to work. Education: Bidens plan would direct $200 billion to free, universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year olds. It also would allot $109 billion to cover two years of free community college. Still unclear is how the administration arrives at its math, and how long it would take for all preschoolers or community college students to be eligible for universal schooling. The proposal also would invest $85 billion in Pell grants. And it would increase the maximum Pell grant award by roughly $1,400, a 20% increase, which is short of Bidens campaign pledge to double the grants but helps students at all schools on the basis of financial need. Advertising The plan sets aside additional funding to strengthen college retention rates. It also subsidizes tuition for students whose families earn less than $125,000 and who are enrolled in historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. The plan also is intended to support special-education teachers and those seeking certifications in bilingual education. Paid family and medical leave: The families plan directs $225 billion over a decade toward paid family and medical leave. It would provide workers up to $4,000 a month, when they take family or medical leave, with a minimum of two-thirds of average weekly wages replaced, rising to 80% for the lowest-wage workers. Within 10 years, it would guarantee 12 weeks of paid parental, family and personal illness leave. It also would cover three days of bereavement leave per year, starting in the programs first year. The United States is the only wealthy nation with no nationally provided paid maternity leave, Jeff Stein reports. The United States also is one of about five wealthy nations with no paid paternity leave and one of two without general paid sick leave, according to Vicki Shabo, a paid-leave expert at the think tank New America. Nutrition: Bidens plan includes $45 billion for nutrition programs. Of that, $25 billion would go toward expanding the summer Pandemic EBT program and permanently extend the program that gives free and reduced-price lunches to 29 million children. Advertising It would put $17 billion toward expanding free meals for children and help formerly incarcerated people become eligible for SNAP benefits. Unemployment insurance reform: According to a White House summary, Biden is looking to automatically adjust the length and amount of unemployment insurance benefits workers can receive. However, few other specifics were provided. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., are pushing for an overhaul of the nations unemployment system. The lawmakers have called for major improvements to systems that were overwhelmed during the coronavirus crisis and left large numbers of laid-off workers unable to file claims and receive payments. Tax cuts: Child tax credit. Health insurance premiums. Earned Income Tax Credit. Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Tax increases: The White House says that tax increases for high-income Americans would raise $1.5 trillion over a decade. Officials insist that tax increases would not affect anyone earning under $400,000 per year. The proposal would increase the top income tax rate from 37% to 39.6%, reversing part of President Trumps 2017 tax cuts. Under the plan, households making over $1 million a year would pay the same 39.6 rate on all their income. The plan also would eliminate a loophole that allows wealthy Americans to avoid taxes on their wealth by passing it down to their heirs. Sponsored Biden officials also intend to improve tax enforcement for the wealthiest Americans. The push would help the Internal Revenue Service execute tax collections and crack down on avoidance with new tools and technology, and more agents, The Post reported. The White House forecasts that the plan would raise $700 billion over 10 years. Not in the plan: The White House did not include a measure aimed at reducing consumer and government spending on prescription drugs. That proposal had been vehemently opposed by the pharmaceutical industry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged the administration to include the measure. The Washington Posts Jeff Stein, Tony Romm and Laura Meckler contributed to this report. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/whats-in-bidens-1-8-trillion-american-families-plan/ |
Will Clevelands fair-weather luck hold for 2021 NFL Draft? | CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thursday is the first and biggest night of the NFL Draft, and though rain is likely, maybe Clevelands luck for big events will hold. The Cavs parade in June 2016 was hot, but those skies were shining bright. The Republican National Convention that same year was also sunny and steamy, with 87 degrees as the average high temperature for the four-day period. The NFL Draft is Clevelands big shining moment in the sun, one of the nations first marquee events since the COVID pandemic. Its a chance for Clevelanders to celebrate the success of the Browns and show off our fair city. No night is bigger than the first picks on Thursday. The chances of rain, particularly early Thursday, are high. But perhaps by the time the evening rolls around, fans may just have to deal with a light drizzle or (hopefully) no precipitation at all. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, the chance of precipitation is 70% or higher, peaking at 94% at 8 a.m, according to the National Weather Service. By about 3 p.m. the heaviest precipitation should be gone, and light showers are still possible in the evening, said National Weather Service meteorologist Alexa Maines. Highs on Thursday will be in the low to mid 50s, Maine said. The draft runs through Saturday, and Friday and Saturday are forecast to be dry, with highs in the low to mid 50s Friday and around 60 on Saturday. Director of NFL Events Nicki Ewell said the draft and fan fun at the Draft Experience will take place rain or shine. The massive stage is covered. The league does have contingency plans for severe weather. Organizers would move the draft to inside the Great Lakes Science Center. If the field at FirstEnergy Stadium has slick spots because of the rain, some Draft Experience activities may be suspended until it is safe. When it comes to the clinic field, we provide every kid a T-shirt, said Kathleen Ikpi, an events manager with the NFL. If for instance something happens where its lightning or its too slippery and we have to shut down, well still give the kid a T-shirt, well give the family a T-shirt and just ask for them to check back in with us later. Ikpi said if its raining, fans watching at the Rock the Clock End Zones at Playhouse Square, Mall C and the Flats East Bank, are encouraged to wait it out nearby. Theres an evacuation and shelter-in-place plan for lightning or flooding, as well as trained volunteers to help communicate plans. Rain interrupted the 2019 Nashville draft, said Meredith Painter, director of marketing and communications at Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. She said organizers are not concerned about weather. Were not worried about it at all, Painter said. As you can imagine, its the NFL, so they have people monitoring the weather at the highest level. Despite the rain, it could be worse. If the draft were last week, football fans would have gotten a taste of some classic Cleveland snow. Right now its perfect, Ikpi said Wednesday morning. Hopefully it stays like this and were exaggerating or were overprepared for inclement weather, but just really want people to come down and have a good time. | https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/04/will-clevelands-fair-weather-luck-hold-for-2021-nfl-draft.html |
Are the 49ers Better off Keeping Jimmy Garoppolo? | Jimmy Garoppolo's tenure with the 49ers is on borrowed time. During the NFL Draft is surely a prime opportunity to send him packing in a trade. The Patriots are a team that makes the most sense, especially if they do not draft a top quarterback prospect. However, Garoppolo's trade value has taken a hit today. That is because of the Teddy Bridgewater trade from the Panthers to the Broncos. Bridgewater being traded was only a matter of time once the Panthers acquired Sam Darnold. At the time of the trade, I explained why a potential Bridgewater trade impacts Garoppolo's value. Both players are essentially in the same scenario with similar level of play and contract. Bridgewater was sent to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick along with the Panthers having to pay $7 million of his guaranteed salary. If Bridgewater, who does not have availability issues, went for dirt cheap to the Broncos, then Garoppolo's value is certainly not much higher. Even if his value is that low, the 49ers HAVE to get rid of Garoppolo. The reason the 49ers are spending all of that draft capital to get a rookie quarterback in the first place is for the bigger picture. They didn't make the move for an "all in" season for 2021. This team has always looked two-to-three years down the line. Since they have strong foresight, they should be aware that if they retain Garoppolo for whatever reason, they are setting themselves up for controversial headlines as the season progresses. Remember, the locker room is likely to default its support to Garoppolo. There could potentially be a fracture there. Just look at how the Eagles' season went with Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts. The 49ers have to avoid the possibility of anything like that occurring. Keeping Garoppolo is just not beneficial for the 49ers. 2021 is all about starting the rookie and allowing him to go through his growing pains. Let him get those reps to better himself for future years. It is better than standing on the sideline with an earpiece watching Shanahan get animated about Garoppolo's poor throws. For what it is worth, I think Garoppolo is as good as gone when the draft is ongoing. Shanahan pretty much made that clear over and over again with his answers at Monday's pre-draft press conference. He repeatedly mentioned "drafting a starting quarterback" with the No. 3 pick and couldn't guarantee Garoppolo will be on the roster when the draft ends. It is time to flip the page to a new era for the 49ers and it starts by trading Garoppolo. Ideally for them, trading Garoppolo to the Patriots for a conditional third-round pick has always seemed like fair value. The condition being based off of his starts since health is his biggest detractor along with his $27 million salary. If they cannot get that, the 49ers still need to send him packing. They have committed so much to their future rookie quarterback already. Now is not the time to start falling short on that commitment by retaining Garoppolo. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/are-the-49ers-better-off-keeping-jimmy-garoppolo |
Why does everyone love the NFL draft so much? | Happy NFL Draft Week! We've arrived at one of the High Holy Days of the sports calendar. Me, I'll be doing my annual Tribute To Aaron Rodgers: sitting alone in a green room and plotting revenge on all my enemies. Heres what were in for this weekend: a reborn draft extravaganza, a three-day Cleveland fiesta of flash, sparkle, and talk so, so much talk. Analysis, breakdowns, tape-eating call it whatever you want, these 255 picks are going to be dissected in real time like states on election night. Its a paradox of the draft that on one of the NFLs biggest nights, theres no actual live football. The closest we'll get to anything resembling on-field action is when some monstrous midwestern linebacker decides to wrap up Roger Goodell (but not, presumably, drive him into the stage). Other than that, this weekend has a lot more in common with Fashion Week than Sunday Night Football. Even so, the NFL draft expands every year well, except last year, but that was fun in its own weird way and there seems to be no end to the demand for draft content. The draft began in a Philadelphia hotel ballroom with 90 names written on a blackboard and zero media coverage; this year, 50,000 fans a night will post up outside Clevelands Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Around the country, NFL fans descend on any and all draft content like its ribs at a picnic. Last year, a total of 55 million people watched at least part of the draft, and 8.3 million watched all three days. Here at Yahoo, mock drafts draw the kind of mammoth readership numbers normally reserved for stories with headlines like "Watch: Gronk hits president in cojones with football during White House visit." (Honestly, we want to read that story too, though.) One four-letter word: hope. Story continues (The Jets have a different four-letter word, but we can't share it here.) The draft is built on hope Like rebellions and first dates, the NFL draft is built on hope. Right now, your team is tied for first place in the league. Not only that, you're adding players! At this exact moment, there's literally no downside for your team. Everything is possible, everything is imaginable. All teams at this moment have hope, says Matt Shapiro, the NFLs VP of Event Strategy. No matter how last season went, everyone is making a fresh start. And every team makes picks that the fanbase can get excited about. I think the event has become so popular because everyone can rally behind the idea of new players being the difference in getting them to a Super Bowl, says CBS draft expert Josh Edwards. The Chiefs' fortunes changed the day they took Patrick Mahomes and every fan base hopes to mirror that success. It is the one time of year that every team believes they have a realistic shot to compete. The Chiefs transformed the entire trajectory of their franchise with that one draft. The Browns the Browns! have drafted their way to respectability. And right this very moment, we may be on the cusp of a Jaguar ... well, you can't really call it a "renaissance," since there was never a naissance to begin with, but with Lawrence and Urban Meyer, Jacksonville is about to become one of the NFL's most interesting teams. "Free agency is done. Football is still three months away. It will be a long, cold summer without football's warm, familiar embrace," says Eric Edholm, our draft expert, whom you really should follow closely. Investing in players and teams Plus, youre not just invested in the picks of your pro team; one way or another, youre probably also invested in at least some of the players who are on the big boards of war rooms across the league. The 2020 NFL draft alone saw players from 234 different high schools across 38 states make the leap from college to the pros. Theres a pretty good chance that someone from your college, your state, maybe even your high school will end up drafted over the next few days. You watch a player in a game the fall, see him do something wild on the field and think, 'I am going to keep an eye on that kid,' Edholm says. Before you know it, it's draft time and he's your guy. We adopt prospects, I believe. Even analysts do it. One, because we like being right. And two, we like being right early on. No one respects the bandwagoners in the end. Fans are so connected to the draft based on the teams, and the people covering the teams, says Courtney Cronin, who covers the Vikings and the draft for ESPN. My DMs are filled with people asking me what grade Id give their mock draft Its a niche audience, but theres a group of fans who are locked in 12 months a year and cannot get enough of the draft. The draft also serves to affirm what we all believe to be true: that thanks to the vast array of scouting data now available on literally every prospect, were all so much smarter than the know-it-alls in the NFL. We watched these guys play at Alabama and Ohio State and Clemson, we know exactly how they ought to fit into a pro offense. So when the Bears or the Broncos dont listen to us, theyve got no one to blame but themselves. The draft is, like fantasy football, a chance to put yourself in the captain's chair, pick players and hold out hope that you can better the league's GMs, Edholm says. All it takes is one right pick an 'I knew it!' pick to get hooked for life. And hey, if you cant join the ranks of an NFL front office, you can always make a name for yourself in the media, too. A fan can have very little knowledge of prospects, yet they can have the same reaction to a pick as a draft expert who has spent hundreds of hours analyzing film, says the last-name-withheld Denny, who runs NFL Mock Draft Database, a mock draft aggregator. The ups, the downs and all the drama in between we're all in this together." I didn't have cable in college for a few years and I rented my neighbor's house cost: one six-pack to watch the 1998 draft, Edholm says. I had Charles Woodson correctly going at 4, and I was over the moon. That's why I am here today. Clearly, the NFL draft doesnt just kick off players careers, it creates media ones, too. Down the line, expect the draft to grow even larger. Its already played out beneath the Rocky statue in Philadelphia, on Lower Broadway in Nashville and in Grant Park in Chicago. Put it this way: the NFL doesnt throttle back on hype. Weve got a great slate of cities ahead of us, Shapiro says. Next year weve got Vegas, and were excited to do that one right [after last years cancellation]. Then we have Kansas City in 2023. One of the special things about the draft is the amount of interest from all the clubs. Twenty-plus cities want to host this. The NFL calendar is a year-round sport without being a year-round season, Cronin says. On Sunday Ill start getting mock drafts for 2022. I always laugh, but it happens every year, the mock drafts for the next year arrive before weve even met this years picks. The ink isnt even dry. So here we stand, just hours before 32 franchises undergo transformations ranging from minor to radical. Maybe your team drafts a generational quarterback this weekend. Maybe your team picks an unheralded offensive lineman who'll key a Super Bowl victory five years from now. Maybe your team withers in the spotlight and overvalues a dud or passes on a franchise-altering trade. It's all on the table right this moment, and that's what makes the NFL draft so fascinating. Right now, you can talk yourself into anything. Part of the crowd of 150,000 that gathered in Nashville in 2019 for the NFL draft. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) _____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at [email protected]. More from Yahoo Sports: | https://sports.yahoo.com/why-does-everyone-love-the-nfl-draft-so-much-210330395.html?src=rss |
Why are women paying more than men for car insurance in over 20 states? | Women now pay more than men for car insurance in 21 states even though theyre statistically less risky drivers, according to a study by The Zebra, an online insurance comparison site. Depending on their age and location, the study found women can expect to pay up to 7.6% more than men for their car insurance. In this article we'll explain which states have the highest disparity, what may account for it and how you can save on auto insurance, regardless of gender. fizkes / Shutterstock Across the country, women pay slightly more, on average, than men, but they pay noticeably more in 21 states and Washington, D.C., especially considering, as a group, they account for fewer accidents. The Zebras study compared more than 83 million rates offered between September and December 2020 for auto insurance by gender, age and location. The studys findings arent consistent with whats known about the driving risks each gender poses. Men and women get tickets and warnings at essentially the same rate, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. However, at any age, male drivers account for 68% to 70% of all crash involvements. And men represent 70.5% of all driver deaths, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Ingo70 / Shutterstock The widest gender gap between auto insurance rates is in Florida. In the Sunshine State, women pay an average of $85 more per year than men do. Age is another factor that contributes to the disparity in rates. While its fairly well known that teenage boys pay significantly more than teen girls for auto insurance, the pendulum starts to swing back after age 30. Women in their 50s in Louisiana pay $118 or 5.6% more than men of the same age, on average. In Oregon, women in their 30s pay an average of 6.5%, or $91, more per year than men in their demographic. And in their 40s, the difference grows to 7.6%, or a difference of $104. Its a similar situation for residents in Utah, Minnesota and Washington, where middle-aged men can expect to pay 4.1%, 4.8% and 5.7% less than women, respectively, when they shop for policies. One potential reason for the major disparity in rates is how likely women are to be injured or die in a car accident. Women are 20% to 28% likelier than men to die in a car accident and 37% to 73% likelier than men to be seriously injured, according to analysis by the IIHS. The institute found two possible explanations for that: first, women are often drivers in the stuck vehicle in crashes; and second, women tend to drive lighter cars than men do. However, The Zebra wasnt convinced this fully explains why women pay so much more as medical or personal injury claims dont increase rates nearly as much as speeding, drunk driving and at-fault accidents, where men account for a majority of the infractions. Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock There are only a handful of states that currently dont allow insurance companies to consider gender as a rating factor for car insurance quotes. They are: California. Hawaii. Massachusetts. Michigan. Montana. North Carolina. Pennsylvania. When Californias Department of Insurance announced the ban back in 2018, the department stated that gender-based rating had produced a number of problems over the decades in which it had been used. Genders relationship to risk of loss no longer appears to be substantial, and the logical justification has become suspect, the department said at the time. Meanwhile, Michigans ban on using gender as a rating factor was part of a larger legislative change in 2020 that significantly reduced a number of factors insurance companies could use to price policies. In Michigan it's now illegal for insurers to draw on gender and other personal rating factors like marital status, level of education and homeownership. How to pay less for insurance, regardless of your location fizkes / Shutterstock While you cant control your age or gender or maybe even your location there are a few things you can do to lower your risk as a driver and lock in better rates on car insurance. | https://news.yahoo.com/why-women-paying-more-men-220000625.html |
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