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Is there a greener way to build to build (and rebuild) batteries? | When we envision a green future, we imagine a clean, frictionless world. Emails leave no paper waste. Electric vehicles emit no exhaust. Remote meetings require no travel. Its tempting to think that each of these activities has a negligible effect on the environment. But they all depend, not only on electricity, but also on the lithium-ion battery, a device that may become the most important technology of the 2020s. The lithium-ion battery depends, in turn, on lithium, an element synthesized during the Big Bang that resides, albeit in minuscule propositions, in rock, clay, and seawater all over the planet. Lithium is lighter than any other metal, which means it can store a whole lot of energy without a whole lot of mass. But extracting it requires dirty open-pit mines and saltwater ponds that ravage local ecosystems. Salting the Earth: The Lithium Triangle, a region in the Andes where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia converge, has roughly half of the worlds available lithium deposits. From the air, your typical Latin American lithium operation resembles an old type tray or a Mondrian painting: square ponds laid side-by-side with stunning geometric precision. Theyre beautiful, like land art, but theyre also incredibly destructive. First, saltwater, with a lithium concentrate of 1,500 parts per million, is pumped out of rocky aquifers deep underground. This briny compound then goes into an evaporation pond, an artificial pool the size of several football fields, where it sits for 18 months beneath the scorching desert sun. The liquid slowly evaporates, and the minerals in the compound they are magnesium, potassium and sodium sink to the bottom. Left over is a layer of lithium-rich water, with a six-per-cent concentration, which can be transported to nearby refineries that bring it to 97-per-cent purity. (It is then shipped to facilities in Korea, Japan, or China, which produce a battery-grade product.) The pond process relies on solar energy, a cheap and sustainable resource. But it leaves behind a salty residue, which is terrible for local ecologies. In the Lithium Triangle, salt gets into streams and sinks beneath the soil, affecting the water supply of nearby Indigenous communities. An oil spill is bad, says Amanda Hall, founder and CEO of the Calgary-based startup Summit Nanotech. But, in time, the affected area grows back twice as lush as before, because oil is a fertilizer. But when salt contaminates a landscape, everything dies. During a 2019 visit to the Lithium Triangle, Hall asked a Chilean mining operator if he might consider a more sustainable approach, but he shut her down. Theres nothing you can say, he told her, to convince me to get rid of my evaporation ponds. His company had invested time and money into a workable production process. He wasnt going to overhaul it simply because a visitor from Canada thought that he should. And yet, an overhaul is in order, and not just in the Lithium Triangle. The mines of Australia and China perturb the surface of the earth, leave piles of toxic tailings, and require vast industrial infrastructure, including roads traversed by fleets of trucks piled high with rock. And yet the industry is only going to grow, first when electric vehicles go mainstream and then when solar and wind power become more widespread, creating a need for massive batteries that can store renewable electricity, making it available on cloudy or windless days. Demand for lithium may well increase by 200 or 300 per cent by the mid-2030s, says Daniel Alessi, a professor at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. To match demand, Alessi argues, Canada should invest in domestic lithium production, thereby avoiding complete dependence on foreign suppliers with questionable labour or environmental standards. (The labour standards in Chile and Argentina are relatively good; the standards in China and Bolivia are less so.) Canadian lithium producers should start looking in unexpected places. The new mining: For starters, they have access to one significant lithium source: batteries. A discarded phone, laptop or electric vehicle may seem as though it is a piece of junk, but its also a kind of lithium-rich ore. Kunal Phalpher, chief commercial officer (CCO) of the Toronto-based startup Li-Cycle, is building the infrastructure necessary to exploit this resource. Geographically, the company has a hub-and-spoke model. The spokes comprise three nodes, one in southern Ontario, one in the Tristate Region and one under construction in the American Southwest, all locations with rising electric-vehicle use. Recycling companies can deliver junked lithium-ion batteries to any one of these depots. The batteries will be shredded on-site, and a machine will extract the so-called black mass, a gunpowder-like material comprising cobalt, nickel and lithium. This compound will then go to Li-Cycles central hub, a plant under construction on a former Kodak facility in Rochester, New York. There, the powder will be subjected to a series of proprietary chemical processes that separate it into its constituent parts, which can be sold to battery producers. The sheer volume of batteries available for recycling is going to increase drastically, says Phalpher. At the same time, everybody in the electric-vehicle industry is saying that, currently, theres not enough production of battery materials to meet future demand. So, not only do we have an end-of-life problem, we have a beginning-of-life problem, too. Batteries, in short, will need to be disposed of, but they will also need to be manufactured. Our aim, Phalpher adds, is to solve these two problems through a circular economy. Currently, the company has the capacity to recycle 10,000 tonnes of batteries, enough to power 20,000 electric vehicles, and it has contracts with more than 50 recycled-battery suppliers. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Phalpher sees his business as analogous to mining, albeit without the typical infrastructure. Were urban mining, he says. Were hunting for batteries to use in our production process. A wanted by-product: A second potential source of domestically produced lithium is the oil and gas wells in Western Canada. Right now, most Canadian wells pull out far more saltwater than hydrocarbons. Some have a so-called saltwater cut of 90 per cent. This by-product then gets shipped to an abandoned well and injected back underground. It isnt nearly as lithium rich as the brines being pumped out of the Andes. Two years ago, Alessi co-founded a start-up, Recion Technologies, seeking to extract lithium from the wastewater of Canadian wells economically. The goal is to build modular, refineries on site, in which brines can be purified chemically in tandem with the extracting of the oil. The wastewater will enter a reactor, where a chemical binds to the lithium. Then the remaining water will be filtered out. The details of the process are still being developed, but Alessi hopes to have a pilot project completed within two to five years. Like battery recycling, the process will make use of materials we have now. Youre not drilling for brine, says Alessi. Youre just borrowing it from oil producers. The operation doesnt have much of a footprint. The roads are already there. The pumpjacks are already pumping. For Hall, the answer is this: Find a way to save them money. Summit Nanotech is building a pilot version of a modular refinery, roughly the size of a railway car. Lithium brine can be pumped into it and then treated, at least initially, through nonchemical processes. Im a physicist, not a chemist, says Hall, so I approached the problem from a physics perspective. First the brine runs through a column, which is filled with a spongy material that absorbs the lithium and lets the rest of the water run through. (The holes in the sponge are exactly the size of lithium ions.) The sponge is then washed with water, and the run-off passes through a second column, this one with a filter that traps non-lithium particles. Then, the remaining solution is further refined through late-stage chemical reactions. Because Summit Nanotech uses a physics-first approach, the method generates 90 per cent less waste compared to traditional chemical refining. And it produces a 99-per-cent lithium concentrate within a mere 12 hours. We call it the Bullet Train for lithium, says Hall. Summits high-concentrate product can be sold for $11,000 a tonne, compared with $6,000 for a pond-made solution. Producers can take wells that are already drilled, divert the brine to us, and get twice the lithium theyd otherwise get, says Hall. Shell test the pilot facility in Chile at the end of this year, by which time she hopes to have proof-of-concept for a cleaner, more efficient way of extracting lithium. It would be nice, she says, if they were turned into solar farms. | https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/05/18/is-there-a-greener-way-to-build-to-build-and-rebuild-batteries.html |
Is Warner The Most Jinxed Acquisition Target In History? | Those initials have shown brightly for more than a century under countless owners. Warner, the movie and TV studio that has been involved in all of them and has had more incarnations and sequels than Harry Potterone of its properties by the way. With the news this week that AT&T T was spinning off its WarnerMedia operation into a new corporation to be merged with Discovery Inc. DISCA , the Warner brand once again finds itself at the center of the acquisitions world. Its a totally unpredictable place for one of Hollywoods original Golden Age studios, the home of such iconic classics as The Jazz Singer, Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Maltese Falcon, Frank Sinatra, Superman and Bugs Bunny. But whatever drama, suspense and plot twists occurred in its movies and television shows, they are nothing compared to the real life adventures of the Warner brand. Of Polish descent, via Canada, the four Warner brothers after anglicizing their Yiddish names first began showing movies around the turn of the 20th century and eventually began making them too, starting in 1918 with the creation of the Warner Bros. Studio in Hollywood, according to an online history. They were one of the first round of now-legendary film studios, albeit one that seemed to have more than its fair share of ups and downs. For every Casablanca and Maltese Falcon there were bombs like 1926s Don Juan. But Warner Bros. endured under the four brothers and made some of the most famous movies and then early TV shows in entertainment history. By 1956 the brothers, getting on in age, did the first of what would turn out to be a seemingly endless series of deals for new owners, some of which turned out well and others not so much. That year they sold 90% of Warner to a Boston investor but Jack Warner then bought back all his stock and regained control of the company. In 1966 Jack Warner sold the company again, to another studio, Seven Arts Productions, run by two Canadian brothers. Just two years later, they in turn flipped the combined company now called Warner Bros.-Seven Arts to Kinney National, which owned a talent agency but was probably better known for its vast network of parking garages and funeral homes. Eventually Kinney adapted the Warner name and went on to build it up substantially in the entertainment sector. That positioned it for what at the time seemed to be its biggest transformation: combing with publishing giant Time Life to create Time Warner in 1989. Again, the company with Warner clearly the cash cow even though print publications were still enjoying much success expanded, with additional investments in a TV network, theme parks and all manner of entertainment properties. But that deal was eclipsed 12 years later when AOL at the time the reigning online portal and platform bought Time Warner in a $106 billion deal. (Warners first outright sale to Seven Arts 35 years earlier was for $32 million.) This deal, however, turned out to be, as the Wall Street Journal put it, one of the biggest flops in business history. Eventually AOL was spun off and it too has veered through multiple arrangements ever since. Time Warner minus the AOL initials which were erased as soon as possible continued on its own again until 2018 when AT&T, itself the result of numerous acquisitions and mergers, bought the company for about $81 billion, after selling off the Time portion to multiple investors, including Meredith. Its goal was to add content creation to its broadband and cellular services, a concept that looked good on paper but turned out to be much harder to execute. Which takes us to the news this week of yet another sale of the Warner business to a new corporate entity with the Discovery networks, including HGTV and sports programming in Europe. With Warner now including HBO, CNN and all kinds of media properties the new company promises to be one of the biggest players in the business once it gets settled down. This new company, by the way, doesnt have a name yet but if history is any gauge one can almost bet the Warner name will live on in some form to see another day, as it has in every deal its been involved with even when it was the acquiree not the acquirer. It remains untarnished despite all the bad deals and dead ends it has been part of, enduring and indeed prospering for more than a century. The Warner name remains magical. As one of the studios most iconic characters, Sam Spade, once said about another coveted object, Its the stuff that dreams are made of. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2021/05/18/is-warner-the-most-jinxed-acquisition-target-in-history/ |
Is it Concerning That the 49ers Don't Have a True Slot Receiver? | The 49ers are lacking in one specific area. That area is the slot wide receiver position, or even just a No. 3 receiver. With Kendrick Bourne now with the Patriots, the 49ers do not have a sweet trio of wide receivers. Having a strong core of three wideouts has usually optimized Kyle Shanahan's offense. Now that they are without one, the offense cannot be fully maximized. There isn't an answer in free agency, either. It all rests on the 49ers rolling the dice on the current receivers already on their roster. Operating from the slot is a lethal way to attack for an offense, so the 49ers are limiting themselves. While it is a bummer to not have a clear-cut player in that spot -- there is no concern. Shanahan himself as admitted that he does like having a player in that role, but that it is not a necessity. Spoken like a true adaptive offensive coordinator, Shanahan does not need any exclusive receiver there. He can easily platoon it with the guys he has now. Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are the obvious players who can and will kick inside. But there are still players on the roster that they can mold and hope to show what they can do like Shanahan mentioned at one of his post-draft pressers. Richie James Jr. is one player I believe that can step up in that role. Even Mohamed Sanu could be someone that fills in. When it comes to slot receiver, it is going to be an open-ended question for the 49ers. There is not one definite answer. Even the running backs they have can fill in there, whether that is a straight up alignment or being motioned there. And do not forget of the capabilities of Kyle Juszczyk as a receiver. 2021 looks to be the season where he finally sees his utilization increased. Plus, how could anyone who has watched the 49ers since Shanahan took over not realize that a No. What Shanahan loves most in his offense, and is the key to it, is running the football. Drafting two running backs and two offensive linemen indicated as such. Shanahan is looking to reinvigorate himself in that aspect because he knows in order for the game to come easy to Trey Lance, and even Jimmy Garoppolo since he struggles processing, he needs an efficient ground attack. Without it, Lance would be demanded to immediately pick up the slack and immensely increase the pressure on his shoulders. There is plenty of time for a player to step up until and throughout the regular season as the slot receiver. But if no one does, then it will not matter. Running the ball down everyone's throat is going to be the way the offense is skewed in the end. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/is-it-concerning-that-the-49ers-dont-have-a-true-slot-receiver |
Which 20-something golfer is best bet to win PGA Championship? | The PGA Championship has seen a youth movement, as nine of the past 11 winners have been in their 20s, including Las Vegas resident Collin Morikawa last year. Viktor Hovland watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the fourth round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow on Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) Viktor Hovland putts the ball on the third hole during the fourth round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow on Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman) The PGA Championship has seen a youth movement in recent years, as nine of the past 11 winners have been in their 20s. Handicapper Wes Reynolds and Westgate sportsbook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman expect that trend to continue this week at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. They each listed Viktor Hovland, 23, as one of their best bets to win the years second major. Hovland, 26-1 at Circa, is the same age Las Vegas resident Collin Morikawa was last year when he won the Wanamaker Trophy. The Norwegian has yet to post a top 10 in a major in his young career, but neither had Morikawa before he won last years PGA, said Reynolds (@WesReynolds1). I bet Hovland two weeks ago at 33-1, and his price has now been cut after two consecutive third-place finishes. He looks like he is peaking at the right time, like Morikawa had last year. Sherman (@golfodds) lowered Hovland, ranked 11th in the world, to the 20-1 eighth choice to win the event. I personally wouldnt look for anyone 20-1 or less. I do like Hovland in the 25-1 range, he said. Hes been solid. And if it does get windy, with his European pedigree, I think he could handle those conditions. Sherman likes Daniel Berger (31-1), too, and also played Cameron Smith (49-1), Abraham Ancer (53-1) and Corey Conners (66-1). Theyve been consistent all season and flirting with wins, he said. At those prices, I definitely could see one of those guys being live on Sunday. Reynolds, co-host of VSINs Long Shots golf betting show, offers his other best bets (with comments): Jon Rahm, 14-1 Despite being near the top of the odds board, few seem to be picking him. Rory McIlroy showed two weeks ago that even out of form, elite players are never too far away from winning, and Rahm certainly qualifies in that category. Bryson DeChambeau, 19-1 It seems too obvious to take the worlds longest hitter on the longest course in major championship history. But his long-iron approach game is as good as anyone in this field. Scottie Scheffler, 50-1 He tied for fourth in the PGA Championship last August, tied for 19th in his Masters debut and tied for 18th on his return to Augusta National last month. Tyrrell Hatton, 54-1 He was tied for sixth earlier this year in Saudi Arabia on paspalum greens. In addition, Hatton finished third last year at the RBC Heritage on another Pete Dye design at Harbour Town. Will Zalatoris, 65-1 Zalatoris has taken a liking to coastal courses, placing seventh earlier this year at Torrey Pines. He also has fared well on paspalum courses, finishing in the top eight in two events last year. Joaquin Niemann, 66-1 Hes a very good wind player that can use his low ball flight to his advantage at Kiawah Island. He had back-to-back runner-up finishes earlier this year off of the coast in Hawaii. Jason Kokrak, 120-1 He is just a few weeks removed from three consecutive top-10 finishes on the Florida swing. Keegan Bradley is the biggest liability at the Westgate, which took a $1,000 wager to win $200,000 on the golfer (200-1). Sam Burns is the second-largest liability, behind Jordan Spieth, at William Hill. His odds have been slashed from 125-1 to 30-1 after compiling a win and runner-up finish in his past two tournaments. Sam Burns is a big problem for us, William Hill sportsbook director Nick Bogdanovich said. People got some big numbers on him. Hes a hot commodity right now. Contact reporter Todd Dewey at [email protected]. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter. | https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/betting/which-20-something-golfer-is-best-bet-to-win-pga-championship-2357335/ |
Could Quebecs successful battle against the opioid epidemic be turning? | Open this photo in gallery Jean-Francois Mary, the executive director of Cactus, sits by the dispensing window at Cactus' Safe Injection Site on April 29, 2021, in Montreal, QC. Mary explained that they have seen a steady increase of overdoses over the last years, which was most recently 500 overdoses last year. That is more than an overdose a day. Andrej Ivanov/The Globe and Mail The harm prevention worker Jean-Franois Mary carries a black zip-up case about the size of an old phone receiver wherever he goes in Montreal. Inside are four vials of naloxone, which helps counteract opioid overdoses. He and his colleagues have had to jab the antidote into more users than they can count this year far more than ever before. Until recently, Quebec existed in a charmed circle all its own amid the raging opioid epidemic. In 2018, it ranked second from the bottom among Canadian provinces and U.S. states in terms of opioid fatalities, with 207 deaths. Story continues below advertisement But the provinces advantage is beginning to slip away. In 2020, it recorded 547 drug overdose deaths, a 32-per-cent increase over the year before. We have more than one death a day in Quebec right now and nobody cares, says Mr. Mary, executive director of CACTUS Montral, a non-profit that operates a supervised injection site in Montreals downtown. The cost of a crisis The rise in opioid poisoning in Quebec is in line with a countrywide explosion during the pandemic. But the recent spike is an especially worrying trend for la belle province, which had largely remained insulated from the crisis. A chorus of activists and academics are now calling on the provincial government to act quickly, before Quebec goes the way of the rest of the country, where a toxic drug supply has killed nearly 20,000 people since 2016. We were an exception in North America, he says. But May showed us we werent a real exception. It could happen to us, too. How Quebec managed to protect itself from such an expansive public health crisis reflects several quirks of the provinces distinct society, including its political orientation, medical culture and criminal distribution networks. Andr-Anne Parent, a professor in the school of social work at the University of Montreal, credited the provincial governments relatively generous and consistent funding of community organizations, including those that help drug users. Quebec funds these groups in part through a program known by its French acronym, PSOC, with stable money tied to their mission, rather than one-off grants for particular projects as in some other provinces, allowing them to operate more effectively, he argues. Story continues below advertisement Thats a structural difference in Quebec, Dr. Parent says. Its a factor for sure. Although he disputes the generosity of his government funding, Mr. Mary allows that on-the-ground intervention by groups like CACTUS, founded in 1989 as North Americas first needle-exchange program, saves many lives. He and his colleagues have managed to train a large number of community support workers in CPR and overdose prevention, he says; they stand out in downtown Montreal thanks to the yellow containers they carry for collecting used syringes. Quebec community health groups say they also learned valuable lessons from coping with a particularly punishing HIV/AIDS epidemic, including the importance of trying experimental treatments and the primacy of harm reduction. Were not going to ask people to stop using drugs because its not realistic, just like its not realistic to ask people to stop having sexual encounters, says Chantal Montmorency, co-ordinator-general of the Association qubcoise pour la promotion de la sant des personnes utilisatrices de drogues (AQPSUD). The provincial ministry of health and social services also touted Quebecs relatively early adoption of free naloxone kits in pharmacies. When the program rolled out in 2017, it was ahead of several Western provinces, including Saskatchewan and B.C. Nothing seems to have protected Quebec as well, however, as the peculiarities of its legal and illegal drug markets. Quebec has by far the lowest rate of opioid prescription in the country, for example. Its pharmacists dispensed just 3.6 defined daily doses of the six most popular opioids per resident in 2016, according to a study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information less than half of Albertas rate and far below the national average of 6.1. Story continues below advertisement Better training for health professionals and the absence of private pain management clinics of a kind that are common in Ontario have kept a lid on the spread of that class of drugs, Quebecs health ministry said in a written statement. The provinces linguistic bubble might have also spared the province from some of the aggressive pharmaceutical marketing that pushed many doctors to overprescribe opioids in the rest of North America, says Mr. Mary of CACTUS. In a continent with 350 million anglophones and fewer than 10 million francophones, learning to push certain drugs in Quebec wasnt worth it for Big Pharma. (Dr. Robyn Tamblyn, professor of medicine and epidemiology at McGill University, says the idea that doctors trained in francophone medical schools would be less exposed to opioid marketing than those in the English-speaking world is a reasonable possibility but has not been tested.) The provinces illicit drug dealers have also contributed, almost inadvertently, to keeping dangerous opioids off the streets. Black-market versions of the painkiller fentanyl have been a leading cause of overdoses across Canada in recent years, but they are far less prevalent in Quebec. About 5 per cent of the provinces accidental overdoses were found to have been caused by fentanyl in 2017, according to a recent study of coroners reports by Dr. Parent and colleagues. (That year in B.C., about 80 per cent of overdose deaths involved fentanyl or its analogues.) The tastes of Quebec drug users have also kept them protected to some extent. The province has traditionally preferred cocaine to opiates, says Ms. Montmorency; until a few years ago, about 80 per cent of Montreals injection drug users took cocaine rather than heroin or other depressants, estimates Mr. Mary. Montreal has been a coke city forever, he says. That preference may also reflect the business imperatives of major drug cartels. The Quebec market was slow to absorb crystal meth, as well, observes Jean-Sbastien Fallu, a professor at the University of Montreals school of pyschoeducation focusing on substance abuse perhaps because the Hells Angels, who were known to dominate the sale of cocaine, did not traffic in the newer drug. The protective wall around Quebecs drug supply has started to crack, however. Downers, like hydromorphone, began to spread through the province around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, says Mr. Mary, as people sought relief during a time of stress. The appeal of selling super-powerful opioids such as fentanyl eventually became irresistible Mr. Mary estimates dealers can make the same profit from importing a kilo of fentanyl as they can from a tonne of heroin. Even the Hells Angels sell opioids now, he says. Weve been saying it for a decade now: its coming. The money appeal was there, Mr. Mary says. But public health was waiting for the numbers to go up to act. We could have been prepared. The numbers are indeed going up, slowly but distinctly. The Quebec government reported 62 deaths linked to fentanyl or its analogues last year still a small fraction of the provinces death toll from overdoses, but almost 20 more than the previous year. The drug is now everywhere, Ms. Montmorency says. The rise of fentanyl is one reason overdose deaths have shot up during the pandemic. Another is the provinces strict lockdown, which has worsened conditions for drug users, advocates argue. More people have been dying since the government imposed a curfew in January, because it further pushes users to consume alone, Ms. Montmorency says. Were losing members of our families, our friends, our colleagues. At the supervised drug-use site operated by CACTUS, the number of overdoses has increased at least fivefold in the past year, Mr. Mary says, from about one a week to more than one a day. By using antidotes and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation performed during the pandemic through an elaborate viral filter the facility has avoided any deaths, but the rise in drug potency is clearly having an effect. A staff member recently set an in-house record by using nine vials of naloxone to revive one user. Fentanyls new prevalence in Montreal was confirmed in late April when police seized $1.4-million worth of the drug, the largest such bust in the provinces history a sting that did nothing to stop the opioids flow through the city, Mr. Mary says. The seizure has only pushed users to find less familiar suppliers; one woman he knows recently overdosed on her new supply because she didnt know how strong it was. Story continues below advertisement The police strategy right now is making the situation worse, he says. What Quebec needs is a safe, legal supply of drugs, Mr. Mary argues. He would be willing to provide medical-grade heroin out of his clinic, but until that becomes politically feasible and the Crosstown Clinic in Vancouver is still one of the few places in the world to offer that treatment there are other ways of screening out dangerous concentrations of fentanyl. CACTUS is awaiting federal approval for a waiver that would allow the organization to test the composition of street drugs without running afoul of trafficking laws. In the meantime, and more controversially, Mr. Mary believes authorities should collaborate with black-market dealers to temper the deadly strength of their product. Street drug dealers are not the enemy in the overdose crisis, Mr. Mary says. We need to work with them. Send that message up to the top: Your batch is too strong. (This tactic would be a first in Canada, he believes.) In the midst of this growing crisis, Quebecs opioid overdose prevention strategy for 2018 to 2020 recently expired. The document which included guidance on training for pain treatment and the expansion of access to naloxone, among other programs didnt go far enough anyway, Dr. Fallu says. Despite calls from Montreal public health for the decriminalization of hard drugs, for example, the province has refused to take up the issue. The relatively conservative government of Franois Legault takes an ideological and anti-scientific approach to drug policy, argues Dr. Fallu, including imposing higher age limits on cannabis use. The Premiers reluctance to act more aggressively to stop the surge of overdose deaths is a scandal, the professor says. Its crazy. Its depressing. Its enraging. Its frustrating. (The provincial ministry of health points out that while its overdose strategy has technically expired, the government has set aside $15-million to continue the measures it contained, including funding for supervised drug-use sites.) Story continues below advertisement Standing outside of the CACTUS office, Mr. Mary reflects on the people whose lives depend on Quebec winning the next stage of the fight against overdoses. In the window hangs black-and-white photos of local drug users some hugging or smiling or looking defiantly at the camera. Luckily none of them are dead, he says. Only the living. Thats rare. Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the days most important headlines. Sign up today. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-could-quebecs-successful-battle-against-the-opioid-epidemic-be-turning/ |
Who is Dru Nielsen, attorney representing Barry Morphew? | Dru Nielsen is one of two high-profile attorneys representing Barry Morphew, the Colorado man charged in the murder of his wife, who disappeared around Mothers Day 2020. The announcement of his legal represenation was first made by FOX 21st Lauren Scharf. WHO IS IRIS EYTAN, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING BARRY MORPHEW With nearly 25 years of experience, Nielsen has defended clients accused of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, theft and fraud, among other crimes. She has won dozens of "not guilty" verdicts at trial but has also resolved cases before they even went to trial, according to her website. Dru worked as a Colorado deputy state public defender for a decade before joining her longtime criminal defense partner, Iris Eytan, and Larry Pozner in the criminal division of Reilly Pozner. Then in 2015, Nielsen and Eytan formed Eytan Nielsen LLC. WISCONSIN TEEN FOUND DEAD AFTER DISAPPEARANCE, PROMPTING POLICE INVESTIGATION Together with Eytan, Nielsen has been recognized within Colorado and nationally for their high-profile criminal defense work. In 2017, their law firm was on the cover of Colorado Super Lawyers and its feature article was on the great results they have achieved in criminal defense cases. Some notable clients they have represented include Krystal Kenney, an Idaho nurse charged with helping clean up a crime scene, and "Days of Our Lives" actor Cody Longo, who was charged with sexual assault involving a nine-year-old girl. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On her online profile, it says that Nielsen, as a mother of two boys, "is particularly passionate about defending boys and men wrongfully accused of domestic violence or sexual misconduct in both university disciplinary and criminal proceedings." | https://www.foxnews.com/us/who-is-dru-nielsen-attorney-representing-barry-morphew?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fnational+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29 |
What's A Morgan Moses Trade Mean for Washington Football Team O-Line? | When a credible report states a player "will be traded," it means he won't be coming back the following season. It's all but done. Thus ends an era with Morgan Moses at right tackle for the Washington Football Team. Moses has been given clearance from coach Ron Rivera and the front office to seek a trade before the start of the 2021 season. WFT would save $7.75 million in salary cap space whether it trades or releases Moses, no matter if it's before or after June 1. The 30-year-old's contract is expected to only take up $1.9 million in dead cap room. Moses' (coming) departure is paired with another notable fact, how little he is owed in the final two seasons of his five-year, $40 million contract extension. Last season, he posted a career-best 80.6 by Pro Football Focus, grading out as the sixth-highest-graded right tackle in 2020. Since 2015, he's started in 96 consecutive games, often playing hurt or fighting through injures. READ MORE: Washington Football Team Seeks Trade For O-Lineman Morgan Moses Washington will have three options when looking at Moses' replacement. With the addition of Charles Leno, the left tackle spot will be secured for at least 2021. This would free up now-swing tackle Cornelius Lucas to start on the right side. Lucas, who split reps with Geron Christian in 2019 and 2020, finished with a 78.2 grade by PFF, is a more refined pass-protector than run-blocker. Last season, he allowed just two sacks in over 500 snaps and only was charged with one penalty on the year. Of course, Lucas still could be the swing option if rookie Sam Cosmi improves throughout training camp. Drafted with the No. 51 pick in April, scouts were mixed on where Cosmi's home would be at this level. Some believed his athletic frame would bode well against more physical pass-rushers on the left side. READ MORE: Week 1 vs. Herbert & Chargers Others thought his capability to open running lanes would help on the right side for the foreseeable future. Time will tell which position best suits the former Longhorn. ... but he needs to be in the picture. WFT also added Ereck Flowers via trade earlier this offseason. The former Dolphin worked well in 2019 when asked to play guard. Keep in mind the staff is also high on second-year guard Saahdiq Charles, who played in just two games last season due to a lingering knee injury. With the money saved from Moses deal, Washington can look at extending its own before the start of the season. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is expecting a long-term contract before the start of the season. All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff is also hoping to close terms on a deal following the signing of his second franchise tag. Scherff, who is close with Moses following their success together on the right side, has reportedly turned down multiple lucrative offers. Washington until July 15 to sign a new long-term deal or risk losing him to free agency in 2022. Moses' time in D.C. might be up, but Rivera surely does have a plan in place. Either Lucas or Cosmi should win the starting role and will hopefully produce similar results as the offense looks to expand its role after a down 2020 year. Sometimes it's best to sell high. With Moses looking less like a long-term member, perhaps garnering a Day 2 or multiple Day 3 picks could be worth it if Cosmi and Leno can prove to be the future book ends. That's not done yet. But something like that is as good as done. CONTINUE READING: Lucas Not Happy With Media 'Clowns.' | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/morgan-moses-trade-mean-washington-football-team-o-line |
Can monthly cash payments cut child poverty by nearly half? | ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) The check wont arrive until mid-July, but Katrina Peters already knows what shell do with her Child Tax Credit payments. The 20-year-old mother of three has applied to work as a driver with a food delivery app and the extra cash is earmarked for repairing, registering and insuring her car. I just need to make sure its 100% and then I can start working and get an income, Peters said, cradling her 3-week-old son, Armani. Thats where it starts. The payments are a key part of Democrats COVID-19 aid bill passed in March, but for policymakers they are more than just an attempt to help families recover from the pandemic. The monthly checks of up to $300 per child for millions of families are part of an ambitious attempt to shrink child poverty and rethink the American social safety net in the process. With an emphasis on direct, no-strings cash support, the payments are a deliberate departure from a system that for decades has tried to control how Americans spend their government assistance by funneling it to food, housing or child care. Peters is as free to use the cash on her car as she is to spend it on diapers. Theres something huge happening with the idea that the lowest-income people need cash assistance the most, said Teague Gonzalez, public benefits director with the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. The pandemic opened up a connection to the idea of giving people cash and letting them decide how to use it. The expanded CTC payments, which are due to begin going out July 15, are only meant to last a year, but architects and proponents arent trying to hide the fact that they want to make this permanent. The pandemic, they say, laid bare the inadequacies of Americas support system and provided the political momentum to make lasting changes. Advertising If implemented well, this could be transformative, said Emma Mehrabi, director of poverty policy at the Childrens Defense Fund. This could cut child poverty in nearly half. Part of the American Rescue Plan, the Child Tax Credit provisions will increase the payments and greatly expand the number of families eligible. The practical result will be direct payments for each child to families ranging from impoverished to solidly middle class $3,600 per year for children under age 6 and $3,000 per year for older children. Roughly 39 million households will receive at least partial payments, covering an estimated 88 percent of American children. Columbia Universitys Center on Poverty and Social Policy estimates the cash infusions could lift 45% of children living in poverty above the poverty line cutting Black child poverty by 52%, Hispanic child poverty by 45% and Native American child poverty by 62%. In places like New Mexico, a state with one of the highest rates of children living in poverty, this is a potential crossroads. One in 4 New Mexican children is considered impoverished, compared to 1 in 7 nationally. With three kids under age 6, Peters is due to receive up to $900 per month, and all of it is welcome. Her construction-worker boyfriend has been out of work due to the pandemic, she said, her government subsidized housing voucher has expired and only the national eviction moratorium has protected her. Armani requires a special kind of baby formula that she cant buy with her government nutrition program benefits. Sixteen dollars a can and he goes through it in two or three days, she said. Advertising Democratic New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich said the philosophy behind the payments is to treat child poverty as an avoidable traumatic event one which has been proven to impact future academic performance, emotional stability, earning power and legal record. It affects your ability to have positive relationships, both professionally and in your home life. The more of these stack up, youre more likely to have problems with the legal system, unsuccessful relationships, lower lifetime income, Heinrich said. In addition to a basic acknowledgement by the government that raising children is expensive for almost anybody, advocates said the payments are an expression of faith in the judgment of struggling families. Its an issue of trust. We need to trust these families to do whats right, said Jeffrey Hoehn, executive director of Cuidando Los Ninos, an Albuquerque charity that provides housing, child care and financial counseling for mothers transitioning from homelessness. We find that our single moms, they know where every single penny goes. Its just that they dont have enough pennies. Hoehn said different families will have shifting needs and resources from month to month, putting the cash toward rent, utilities or even therapeutic leisure activities. In a sprawling town like Albuquerque, its hard to find work without a car, and Hoehn said many families his group works with are looking to the extra cash to acquire or fix a vehicle. For Margarita Mora, the money is earmarked to help cushion her familys transition to stability. The 36-year-old mother of three had been staying in an Albuquerque motel converted into a family shelter and would soon be getting her own subsidized apartment through Cuidando Los Ninos. Advertising Ill be able to pay my utilities and basic supplies, plus gas to go look for work, said Mora, an unemployed caregiver. And I need to work on my debt. My credit score isnt so great. The money isnt only going to the neediest. Carissa Oswald, a stay-at-home mom in Albuquerque whose partner works with the local railroad, counts herself as middle class. But having given up her work as a caregiver to raise her 11-month-old daughter, she finds that money is frequently tight. It would let us breathe a little bit easier, she said. The tension is real. The stress is real. New Mexico state Rep. Javier Martinez, a Democrat from Albuquerque, calls the CTC a philosophical shift from mid-20th century programs like Medicaid and food stamps. And I dont think were going back, he said. Martinez highlights the fact that CTC payments will be monthly, instead of some annual balloon payment, as a crucial distinction. The smaller monthly boosts, he said, are more likely to be incorporated into the household budget and create certainty in a family. Sponsored The expanded CTC expires in 2022, although President Joe Biden has proposed extending it through 2025. Whether that happens may depend on whether advocates can demonstrate a positive impact and whether opponents, primarily Republicans, find evidence of waste. Heinrich said he expects that opponents will have no problem gathering examples of parents spending money on things deemed unnecessary and he is braced for a revival of the Ronald Reagan-era welfare queen trope. The future of the program may well be riding on the outcome of the 2022 congressional elections, when Democrats will seek to retain their slim majorities in both the House and the Senate. For now, CTC supporters are counting on enough positive examples to counter the criticisms, plus the fact that monthly cash should be popular with both Democratic and Republican families up and down the income ladder. There will be plenty of compelling anecdotes on either side of it, Heinrich said. At the same time we will have the data by then to show what a difference it has made. I want to see the data, and I suspect that in New Mexico, this will have an enormous impact. ___ Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan contributed to this report. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/can-monthly-cash-payments-cut-child-poverty-by-nearly-half/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Why is Australia building a $600m gas power plant as world experts warn against fossil fuels? | The Morrison government says it will spend up to $600m on a new gas-fired power plant in New South Wales the latest in a series of announcements dedicating taxpayers funds to greater fossil fuel use. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has released a landmark report saying there should be no new investments in coal, oil or gas if the world is to keep open a narrow possibility of meeting the goals of the Paris climate agreement and reaching net zero global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It has laid out a pathway that could get the world there. Heres what you need to know. The energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, says unallocated funding in last weeks budget will be committed to the public-owned Snowy Hydro Ltd to build a 660MW gas plant at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley. An environmental impact statement (EIS) lodged with the NSW government shows the Kurri Kurri plant would be rarely used which in itself is not necessarily a big deal. It would be a peaking gas plant, designed just to be turned on to fill gaps when needed. Snowy Hydro says it expects the plant will be just 2% of its full capacity across the year. It would be expected to be powered initially by diesel an even more expensive and polluting fuel before receiving its gas supply. Taylor suggested on Wednesday that it could also use some hydrogen blended in with the gas to lower its emissions but hydrogen is not mentioned by Snowy Hydro the EIS. It follows the announcement earlier this month that EnergyAustralia would build a 316MW gas plant, Tallawarra B, with $83m in NSW and federal government support. That plant has been described as a gas-hydrogen hybrid, but in reality has committed to blending in just 5% of hydrogen into the gas fuel from 2025, with only a possibility of that increasing. Taylor and Scott Morrison say another 1,000 of new dispatchable electricity that, unlike solar and wind, can be called on when needed is needed when the Liddell coal-fired plant shuts in 2023. It says this must be from burning gas, which it says is essential to the future grid. Morrison warned nine months ago that the government would build this amount of gas capacity if the private sector didnt. The government has wavered on the actual figure a bit Morrison told the ABC last year the gap might be 250MW but has returned to the 1,000MW goal set in September last year. Taylor says the two plants announced this month are part of the governments much-vaunted gas-fired recovery from recession. Not according to many energy analysts, the climate science community, or the head of the governments Energy Security Board, Kerry Schott. There are a long list of arguments against the government investing in new gas, from a variety of angles. They include: Schott telling Guardian Australia, and the government, that the case for a gas plant in the Hunter Valley doesnt stack up commercially given there is an abundance of cheaper and cleaner alternatives flooding the market. The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) finding there is no need to replace the exiting Liddell coal plant in 2023 because the gap to ensure grid reliability was only 154MW, and that has already been covered by other commitments. A taskforce advising governments about the impact of the Liddell closure backing this up by finding NSW did not find an additional 1,000MW to keep the lights on, and listing a range of committed and probable projects that it found would be more than sufficient. Aemo finding that while between 6 and 19GW of new dispatchable power would be needed over the next 20 years under an optimal future grid ie, a grid that runs nearly entirely on solar and wind as coal is pushed off the field. It could come from a range of sources including batteries, pumped hydro and demand management. It said new gas was an option but in apparent contradiction of Morrisons claims that gas generation would bring prices down that it was likely to be more expensive than other options. That by directly interfering in the electricity market the federal government is likely to further discourage the private investment needed to deliver the huge amount of dispatchable generation needed over the years ahead. This argument suggests an overarching policy that sets an emissions trajectory such as a carbon price would be a cheaper and more effective approach that could guide private investment. Last, but by no means least, gas is a fossil fuel that releases about half the emissions of coal when burned, and contributes even more to global heating once methane that leaks during extraction and piping is counted. The argument is backing the option to support the electricity grid that adds greenhouse gas emissions when there are cleaner and cheaper alternatives. Sounds comprehensive. It says the new capacity is needed to keep prices down, and quotes the former chief scientist Alan Finkel as saying gas is the perfect complement to solar and wind. Finkels view on this is contentious, and was criticised by 25 scientists in a letter last year, but he maintains gas has played a role in other places where they have moved away from coal in past decades England and California, for example and could allow for a quicker transition to a mostly renewable grid. Opponents point out there were fewer cheap alternatives to gas when those other places made the shift. The governments use of Finkels advice is selective. He has also argued the country should be aiming to use as little gas as possible given it is a fossil fuel. By contrast, Morrison and Taylor say they want to significantly expand the amount of gas available for use in Australia, and say it is good for the climate. On emissions, Taylor and Morrison argue Australia is doing much better than some other countries because its emissions are already 19% lower than they were in 2005. The parts they leave out: Most of the reduction is due to changes in land-clearing and native forestry at a state level and had nothing to do with restructuring a still mostly a fossil fuel-based economy. About two-thirds of the 19% cut came when Labor was in power and has nothing to do with the federal Coalition. Some of the 19% is due to coronavirus shutdowns last year. Emissions from some sectors, such as transport, may increase this year. Official government projections released in December forecast there would be only a 6.8% cut over the decade to 2030, with emissions from transport, mining and agriculture either flatlining or increasing under existing policies. The Morrison government has taken steps to slow the shift to a clean energy grid by removing federal support for large-scale renewable energy after the national renewable energy target was filled two years ago. Most comparable nations, including all members of the G7, have shifted gears in recent months and increased their commitments for the next decade to make much deeper cuts in emissions than Australia is planning. Meeting some of the targets will be challenging, but they are increasingly introducing policies to meet them see, for example, Joe Bidens proposals in the US and what Boris Johnson is doing in the UK. Perhaps. Aemo found gas-fired power would decline under the cheapest approach to building a future grid. It already provides less than 7% of electricity and that is expected to shrink over the next few years. But there is an argument that it would make sense to have more gas-fired capacity available if a number of coal plants shut earlier than scheduled due to the influx of solar making them unviable economically. Under that scenario which would be good for the climate, but could be problematic for a grid that is transforming in the absence of an overarching national policy gas plants would be used less often than cheaper batteries and pumped hydro storage, but could fill some gaps in the system, particularly when backup was needed for longer stretches. It would effectively be taking an all of the above approach to ensuring the system worked. The result may be that the number of gas plants connected to the grid increases, but less gas is burned overall. But Aemo suggested this would not be the cheapest way to address the problem. If governments build stronger electricity connections between the states as planned, that could do the same job. It would significantly increase capacity to move supply across the eastern seaboard, and the need for gas backup would fall. And it should be noted, of course, that this is not the governments argument for building gas power. Morrison and Taylor say they want to extract and burn more gas to drive economic growth. The budget included $59m in federal funding for gas expansion and $30m to support a company owned by the billionaire Andrew Twiggy Forrest on plans for another proposed new gas-hydrogen plant at Port Kembla. The federal government has criticised and vetoed attempts by state governments and federal agencies to accelerate the spread of renewable energy, has appointed fossil fuel advocates to advise on energy policy and as we said before not acknowledged the role gas plays in the climate crisis. OK, then. The IEA is a traditionally pretty conservative organisation on the shift away from fossil fuels. The oil and gas industry, in particular, has cited its previous reports to defend its case that new gas projects can still be built as the world addresses climate change. Its report on Tuesday changed all that. It found there was a narrow and extremely challenging pathway for the world to both meet the goals of the Paris agreement and get to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 but it meant there should be no new investments in oil and gas fields and coal power plants, starting immediately. It found wealthy developed countries such as Australia should be moving to net zero emissions first, before 2050. That means phasing out dirty coal plants by 2030, having zero emissions electricity grids and banning new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035. Global investment needs to shift much more rapidly away from fossil fuels to clean and zero emissions solutions. Spending on clean energy should more than double to US$5tn (A$6.4tn) a year by 2030. Crucially, the IEA chief Fatih Birol said the technology needed to reach net zero was largely already with us but it needed support to be developed much more rapidly. | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/19/coalitions-600m-gas-fired-recovery-boost-what-you-need-to-know |
Why Arent Astronomers Paying More Attention To UFOs? | This illustration of what a close encounter with an alien spacecraft might look like is an ... [+] illustration only. No photographic or video footage of an unidentified flying object has ever revealed any level of detail akin to this, only a series of small, distant light sources that could be any number of mundane terrestrial phenomena. Andrs Nieto Porras In this world, there are very few issues more polarizing than the notion of aliens. For as long as weve been recording history, humans have wondered whether were alone or not. Now that astronomy has advanced to the point where we know that: the other stars in the sky are Suns like our own, that at least 80% and possibly as many as 100% have planetary systems orbiting them, that rocky, Earth-sized planets are common, with many possessing the right orbits to have the potential for liquid water and maybe even life on their surface, that in our galaxy alone, there are somewhere around 400 billion stars total, and that, spread out across the observable Universe, there are approximately 2 trillion galaxies overall. While there havent been any definitive extraterrestrials yet discovered here, the presence of UFOs unidentified flying objects, or as theyve recently been rebranded, UAPs, for unexplained aerial phenomena has led some to believe that they may already be here. Yet scientists seem to be disinterested in this line of thought. Lets take an in-depth look, from an astronomers perspective. Intelligent aliens, if they exist in the galaxy or the Universe, might be detectable from a variety ... [+] of signals: electromagnetic, from planet modification, or because they're spacefaring. But we haven't found any evidence for an inhabited alien planet so far. We may truly be alone in the Universe, but the honest answer is we don't know enough about the relevant probability to say so. Ryan Somma / flickr When youre thinking like a scientist, the top issue youre typically concerned with is how we can advance the state of knowledge of humanity. Typically, there are things that are known with a strong degree of certainty, and that serves as our starting point. We can start with the idea that we know the laws of physics: General Relativity for gravitation, Quantum Field Theory for the other forces and interactions. We can also fold in all of the observations weve collected over the years, which we interpret through the lens of our cosmic theories. Combined, theyve taught us an enormous amount about the Universe. Theyve also led us to a picture where we have three robust lines of approach to searching for life beyond Earth. Searching for microbial life, either extinct or still extant, on other worlds in our Solar System. This is a direct approach, where we can send space probes to these moons and planets, looking for organisms and a variety of biochemical pathways. Searching for biosignatures on worlds outside of our Solar System, which involves looking at the chemical compositions and physical properties of their atmospheres and planetary surfaces, attempting to infer which worlds are rife with hints of inhabitation. And searching for technosignatures from elsewhere in the galaxy and Universe: at the speed of light, these signatures will be detectable as soon as they arrive on Earth. The Allen Telescope Array is potentially capable of detecting a strong radio signal from Proxima b, ... [+] or any other star system with strong enough radio transmissions. It has successfully worked in concert with other radio telescopes across extremely long baselines to resolve the event horizon of a black hole: arguably its crowning achievement. Wikimedia Commons / Colby Gutierrez-Kraybill But only rarely, in a similar vein, do scientists mention UFOs or UAPs as a possibility for alien life. Many outside the scientific community wonder about this. Thats one possible explanation for these aerial phenomena, of course, but we also have to consider the other, more mundane ones. Recently, however, a series of documents and videos have been declassified by the United States government, including three videos of unexplained aerial phenomena that have recently gained a lot of attention. Lets take a look at all three of them. The first video, which was taken from a US Navy training flight in 2004, clearly shows an unidentified aerial object, displaying a shape similar to a tic tac: an elongated capsule. It appears in the instruments sights in the videos above, lasting a little over a minute, until it speedily moves off to the left side just prior to the videos end. This video, along with two others, was declassified and released by the Pentagon in 2020 after two leaks previously: one of this video in 2007 and two more of the subsequent videos (which were shot in 2015) in 2017. The release was accompanied by an acknowledgment that these videos circulating in the public domain were indeed Navy videos. But you can judge a little better for yourself if you examine the other videos, which come with audio as well. I have to fess up: when I first started watching this video, it looked to me like it was just an insect on the glass, moving along with the aircraft. But as the seconds ticked by, a few other phenomena became notable. First off, there was another bright white light in the upper left of the frame, that was clearly moving relative to both the plane and the unidentified object that was being tracked. But second, the main object began to move relative to the screen, rotating about its axis. Its clear that, whatever this is, its difficult to explain away. For one, the plane is clearly high above the clouds, which appear below the craft in the video. You can also note that the audio reveals, theres a whole fleet of them and the pilot expresses surprise at what theyre seeing, remarking, thats not one of ours, is it? Whatever explanation you might concoct for the second video, however, clearly doesnt apply to the third, which is also from 2015 footage. This time, theres a very fast-moving object that theyre attempting to lock onto and track, and you can hear the (very human) emotion that I can only describe as, Oh yeah! Clearly, when they capture it in their sights, it leads to a moment of elation. Despite the fact that its just a fast-moving white speck, its clearly moving rapidly over the water below. Regardless of what it is, these three videos, released in April of 2020 while the novel coronavirus was still in its first major wave of infections and deaths, spurred the following statement from the Department of Defense: After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena. DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as "unidentified. " It only happens once every 11 years, but occasionally, all five naked-eye planets are visible at ... [+] once. Mercury is always the toughest to spot due to its proximity to the Sun, but occasions where an even brighter object is nearby (like Venus) can make it much easier to spot. Venus, not coincidentally, is the most commonly seen object that's frequently reported as a UFO. Martin Dolan When you approach the world like a scientist, your first thought should always be to consider what we call the null hypothesis. In science, the null hypothesis basically asks the question, based on what we know exists today and how we conceive of the world and Universe working, is there a completely sufficient explanation for what we saw that doesnt invoke anything extraordinary? Something extraordinary would include possibilities like new laws of nature, novel technologies that have never been seen before, aliens, or some sort of divine intervention. These lines of thought, however eager we are to pursue them, should only be considered if the null hypothesis can be ruled out. Perhaps surprisingly, there are many. If this object were more distant, it could easily be reported as an unidentified aerial phenomenon, ... [+] as it often hovers and then accelerates in an unpredictable direction and a perhaps significant magnitude. In reality, it's a drone from 2019 flying over a football game in Scotland. (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images) SNS Group via Getty Images Nobody is disputing that these are unidentified objects, they are flying through the air, they are oddly shaped, and they appear to be obeying the laws of physics. However, that doesnt mean its so easy to identify what they are. Possibilities include: natural phenomena like birds or reflective materials caught in an updraft, some type of drone or uncrewed vehicle, another aircraft thats part of a government or industrial program that isnt widely known, an object from a foreign government or a civilian entity, such as a drone, some sort of insect on the instruments (perhaps only for one of the videos), someone from within the US Navy pranking the pilots and/or flight engineers by putting a simulated bogey into their instruments, or that this is some type of bizarre atmospheric and/or optical phenomena, appearing like an aircraft but not actually being one. Some of these are more likely than others, of course, but this isnt meant to either be an exhaustive list of possibilities nor is it meant to be a list of likely outcomes. Its meant to illustrate the types of explanations that must be considered and ruled out if one is to abandon the null hypothesis. The angles and magnitudes of accelerations may be unusual, but they are consistent with those achieved by modern military technologies such as missiles; the null hypothesis is not so easy to rule out. If aliens are out there, hiding our intelligence and curiosity from them would serve to harm only ... [+] us, and wouldn't prevent our world from being found by them. If they're already here, it will be an open scientific investigation that reveals their presence to the world. As Ben Franklin once said, 'three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.' We would need better observations and data, over long periods of time, that confirmed what we were seeing and measuring. We would need to perform tests and thoroughly examine objects without secrecy, and conduct our investigations openly and in a reproducible fashion. And we would need to gather data that could potentially discern the origin and nature of such a phenomenon. Unfortunately, in this case, we only have the data and information that we have. According to Lue Elizondo, the original head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) that investigated and tracked these UFO/UAP phenomena from 2007-2012, The government has already stated for the record that they're real... The mission of AATIP was quite simple, it was to collect and analyze information involving anomalous aerial vehicles, what in the vernacular you call them UFOs; we call them UAPs... I'm telling you, it's real. What are its capabilities? What appears to be a UFO is merely the top of a ride at an amusement park in Krakow, Poland. Many ... [+] objects, particularly when photographed from far away, can be misidentified as something mysterious, rather than as the mundane terrestrial phenomena they truly are. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images This doesnt necessarily mean aliens, of course. It could be a foreign or domestic set of agents working either with or without the governments knowledge in some capacity that are in our airspace for some reason. The main concern cited is that this could pose a hazard to aviation safety, which fortunately has never yet occurred. Whats highly suspicious about this, however, is that the entire publicity campaign surrounding this set of phenomena, and Elizondo himself, seems to be working under the auspices not of the United States government, but rather from an entertainment company fronted by Tom DeLonge (of Blink-182 fame) called To The Stars... Academy of Arts & Sciences. This publicity blitz only started in 2017, when Elizondo joined the then-almost-defunct original incarnation of To The Stars, refocusing it on paranormal studies and on the UFO/UAP phenomenon in particular. The concern, of course, is that these are nothing but mundane, terrestrial, possibly even human-created phenomena, that are being disingenuously promoted to the general public as being something extraordinary as a means to further sow distrust in both science and government. However, the conspiracy-laden idea that scientists know more about these than were letting on is absurd. As Benjamin Franklin famously put it, three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. The southern Milky Way as viewed above ALMA is illustrative of one way we search for signals of ... [+] intelligent aliens: through the radio band. If we found a signal, or if we transmitted a signal that was then found and responded to, it would be one of the greatest achievements in our planet's history. ESO/B. Tafreshi/TWAN The reason scientists dont talk very much about UFOs or UAPs is simple: without sufficient data, we cannot draw any meaningful conclusions. Its very easy to throw out an idea (or a guess) as to what each of these videos might actually be showing, and many scientists and non-scientists alike have eagerly done exactly that. However, what wed like to do, as scientists, is to gather enough data to determine what these objects are likely to be. At present, it would be the height of irresponsibility to claim that we have that information. We simply dont know what they are. Absolutely. At least so far. Almost certainly; they certainly appear to be. Sure; those words are nebulous enough that they apply equally to jumbo jets as they do to aurorae. What you mustnt do, however, is to draw a fantastic conclusion like these objects must be aliens without sufficient evidence to do so. Given that these UFOs/UAPs are most frequently seen in areas with military presences, and have never been recorded in the professional telescopes of astronomers, the null hypothesis of these being terrestrial phenomena must continue to be our default position. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2021/05/19/why-arent-astronomers-paying-more-attention-to-ufos/ |
Which club has the most pathetic run of bogey-team away results? | Since 1981, Plymouth Argyle have travelled to Gillingham 16 times, losing 14 and drawing just twice, sighs Paul Roberts. Can any other club beat that pathetic run of bogey-team away results? Paul should count himself thrilled he isnt a travelling Luton fan, writes James (no surname, unfortunately). Weve had loads of duff streaks away but four of them beat Plymouths pretty fine record at Gillingham, and a fifth could match it very soon. Coventry: our worst run was 19 games without a win from 1931 till finally winning in 1987 (14 defeats, five draws). Liverpool: never won in 18 attempts but have eight draws. Manchester United: we won our first game at theirs when they were Newton Heath in 1897. Since then, 17 straight defeats. Sunderland: weve an active streak of 17 matches up there without a win, going back to 1975. Includes 14 defeats and three draws. QPR: if we dont win at Loftus Road next season that streak will match 16 away games without a win going back to 1986; having had a previous 14 visits on the trot with 13 defeats and one draw between 1925 and 1948. We covered Evertons 22-year barren streak at Anfield recently. That might sound trifling compared to Lutons fruitless 124-year streak at Old Trafford but the run of winless games (23, comprising 13 defeats and 10 draws) was actually greater than any of the Hatters miserable runs above. May I put forward Fulhams record at Turf Moor? beams Burnley fan Chris Rawson. On 21 April 1951, Clement Attlee was prime minister, New Brighton were enduring their final season in the Football League and Fulham won 2-0 at Burnley, in the First Division. Since then, the Cottagers have travelled north to play at Turf Moor 31 times, 28 league visits and three in the cups. Their record is: W0 D6 L25 F22 A74. Not a happy hunting ground. Meanwhile, Richard Askham pops up to cheer that Huddersfield Town fans are delighted that Derby stayed up. Next season we might try to improve on our record there. Since Denis Law scored twice in a 4-2 win at the Baseball Ground in 1957-58, Town have drawn four and lost 21 in league and cup games. Although QPR finally won at Forest in the last couple of years, their record there before that was, I believe, far worse than even ours at Derby. It was, Richard. Between 13 January 1934, when the clubs first met, and 22 December 2018, when Toni Leistner gave QPR a 1-0 Championship win, the Hoops went 34 games without a win (20 losses, 14 draws). Its a longer barren streak than Fulhams at Turf Moor, though the Cottagers number of defeats arguably makes it the most diabolical away-day against a comparable team. Same-city relegations in the same season Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday have both been relegated this season, begins Tom Derbyshire. Professional clubs only. Kirk Burton takes us to Edinburgh for a tale of double woe in the not so distant past. Hearts and Hibs were both relegated from the Scottish Premiership in the 2013-14 season, meaning three of Scotlands biggest clubs were in the second tier for 2014-15 (they were joined by Rangers who finished third behind them both). The Robins and the Gas both dropped out of the same division in the same season and it was particularly painful for Ted Keene. On 29 August 1980 I took my 10-year-old son to his first ever match a riveting 0-0 derby draw between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers at Ashton Gate. The reverse fixture was 0-0 as well and both got relegated to Division Three in May 1981. Naturally, my son became an Aston Villa fan that year. In September 1989, the Ashton Gate derby was another wonderful 0-0 draw. This time both teams got promoted back to Division Two. Fans in Ankara have also experienced the low of a double-drop this season. Ankaragc and Genlerbirlii both got relegated from the Turkish Super League this weekend, reports nder Susam. Genlerbirlii needed to win their final game to survive, but a Benik Afobe winner in the 87th minute winner for Trabzonspor confirmed their relegation. Benik Afobe in action last weekend for Trabzonspor against Genlerbirlii, who were relegated with city rivals Ankaragc. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Stadiums named after women (2) Weve got a few more grounds to add to last weeks list Does Southampton playing at St Marys count? asks Patrick Cleary. And Nicholas Hamilton would like to add a 16th century queen who met a gruesome end to the mix. Id have thought the no-longer-used Boleyn Ground at Upton Park might have got a mention, he writes. Rayo Vallecanos ground was named the Estadio Teresa Rivero between 2004 and 2011 after the wife of previous owner Jose Mara Ruiz Mateos, adds Don Lorenzo. You also missed Estadio Vernica Boquete de San Lzaro in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, renamed in 2018 in honour of the captain of the Spanish womens national team, tweets Ben Janeson. The stadium is home to SD Compostela, currently in the third tier (most recently of La Liga in 1997-98). To the best of my knowledge, its the only stadium named after a female football player, as opposed to a royal/political figure or a random noteworthy person. Theres also the Ester Roa Rebolledo municipal stadium in the city of Concepcin, Chile. She was a former city mayor. pic.twitter.com/QamSUId5dC Cecilia Lagos (@CeciliaLagos) May 12, 2021 And Johan van Slooten adds: The Dutch Eerste Divisie team Almere City FCs home ground is part of the Fanny Blankers Koen park in the city of Almere. The city is relatively new (with its first houses built in the mid-1970s), long after Koens 1948 Olympic successes. Knowledge archive Did Rangers ever beat Borussia Dortmund 8-0? wondered Aeneas9 in August 2005. Close, but it was in fact Borussia Mnchengladbach who suffered that particular ignominy in the Cup Winners Cup of 1961, the inaugural year of the competition. Ralph Brand scored a hat-trick. Rangers bagged three more in the second leg to win 11-0 on aggregate. They reached the final that year, becoming the first Scottish club to reach that stage of a European competition. Sadly, it wasnt to be a happy ending for the Gers, beaten 4-1 by Fiorentina over two legs. Arsenal have managed to finish a top-flight mens season in every position except 15th. Are there any teams in the world who have finished in every place of the same division? asks Graham Clayton. Jimmy Glass and Alisson are two goalies who scored a goal when their team was drawing a league game. Derek Brosnan (@DerekBrosnan) May 18, 2021 Has a team ever forfeited a match by refusing to restart the game with a kick-off, wonders Kri Tulinius. Giorgos Giakoumakis is set to finish as the Eredivisies top scorer (by some margin) yet his team, VVV-Venlo, have sealed relegation with a game to play, writes Willem Cleven. Has any Golden Boot winner suffered such an ignominious fate before? Until they ruined it on the final day of the season, Oldham had both scored and conceded the most in League Two (72-81, Cambridge hit 73). @TheKnowledge_GU Chris Bickley (@ChrisBickley1) May 12, 2021 Aymeric Laporte has decided to switch international alliances from France to Spain as he has never been capped at senior level by the former. However he has a total of 51 caps for France at various age group levels. Is this the highest number of junior appearances for someone who has never been capped at senior level? muses Chai from Atlanta. Email your questions and answers to [email protected] or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU. | https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/19/the-knowledge-which-football-club-has-the-most-pathetic-run-of-bogey-team-away-results |
Will the Pact Save Peace? | THE TREATY DIFFERS from its predecessors also in that it encourages standardization of the weapons of the alliance members and provides for distribution of arms to the members at American expense. Thus it embodies features of lend-lease and the Marshall Plan. A number of Western countries have asked America for weapons during the past year on the ground that inadequate military strength prevents the development of the sense of national confidence encourages investors to put money into capital enterprise and thus get on with the Marshall Plan. Some of the requests, as that of the Norwegians, are certainly sincere. Yet this military effort to make the Marshall Plan work might harm the plan unless the Administration can control the American economy strictly than it does now. America lacks material to equip her own armed forces at authorized strength. Despite its hullabaloo over the need for an air force of 70 groups, the Air Department is able to arm adequately only 34 of the 55 groups that now comprise it. The need for steel in peacetime industries is so much greater than present production that President Truman, in his message on the State of the Union, threatened the industry with his plan to have the federal government set up steel mills. Congressional approval of the St. Lawrence Seaway agreement and construction of the power plant at International Falls would enable Canada to manufacture some arms for Europe. But the plant would not go into operation for years. The scarcity of arms gives the European governments with whom the United States has been negotiating the character of heirs to a moderately wealthy man. Each heir hopes the beneficiaries of the legacy will be limited in number. If there is not going to be a mountain of weapons, the Brussels-pact powers want what is available for themselves alone. This again produces conflict. The United States is said to want the membership of the alliance to be wide, to embrace, now at least, the Scandinavian powers (including Iceland, and probably excluding Finland) and Portugal, and perhaps in time to extend over the whole of non-Soviet Europe, taking in Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain (if this can be wangled over the sensibilities of France and the British Labor Party), and Western Germany, besides the countries which have signed the Brussels pact. To dissuade Norway, Denmark and Sweden from organizing their own regional alliance separate from the North Atlantic pact, the State Department has announced that non-members of the Atlantic alliance will not receive arms. But Washington has been giving planes, tanks, machine guns and artillery for two years to Greece and Turkey without benefit of alliance, and the conclusion of the North Atlantic pact, if it ever is concluded, would not mean cutting off Greeks and Turks without another bullet. Those who get the weapons may be asked to give up bases in return, but at the moment we have rights in Portuguese bases, while we have not given Portugal arms for the Privilege. If America assumed an obligation to furnish every member of the alliance with arms by signing the pact, she could not live up to it. At that point we would have given the Soviet Union justification for the complaint that it was being encircled, without having strengthened ourselves to cope with the policies the USSR might adopt in reprisal. | https://newrepublic.com/article/105999/will-the-pact-save-peace |
How to choose a business credit card? | By: Armando Herrera, General Manager Cards at Konfo. Obtaining a corporate credit card offers different advantages for your business such as, for example, separating personal finances from those of the company, obtaining immediate liquidity, documenting deductible expenses and generating credit history for your company, which can help in the future if you are looking to obtain a business loan. With a growing offering of financial products, it is important to stop and study each one to determine which is the best option for your business. Some of the main factors to consider are: Cost per opening Credit limit Annuity Minimum pay Interests Protection and coverage. However, there are other types of benefits that you should take into account, especially considering the daily use of your business plastic, such as the experience with the customer. In traditional banking you will find an important variety of cards and plans, but we know that bureaucratic processes can be, yes, very bureaucratic. From the application process to customer service for doubts or complaints, these are usually very tedious processes. Today, modern technology companies have arrived on the market and some of them offer you to carry out all these procedures online, in addition to providing 24/7 customer service through an application, without having to invest valuable time on a telephone line. You may be interested: How to use your credit card in the face of the coronavirus crisis The flexibility of your line of credit is also important, as a businesswoman or businessman, you know that many times you are in charge of businesses with very particular characteristics and banks tend to pigeonhole their clients into very rigid categories, look for an option that is versatile and adapt to your needs from day one. Another very important factor is security, check what tools they offer you as protection against fraudulent operations or control of additional cards. This is particularly important for businesses that need more than one card, making it easier to control employee movements, especially on trips and other regular purchases. For these cases, you may be interested in more modern options that allow you to activate or deactivate your cards from an application, or impose individual limits per card, as well as configure alerts for unusual charges or purchases. Story continues Image: Depositphotos.com And speaking of travel, don't forget international coverage, if the card is going to be used abroad it is essential to have a backup to carry out operations outside of Mexico. In addition to the protection that your provider can offer you, we recommend that you create an internal policy on the use of the corporate card to have better control, you can even assign a different line of credit to each of the corporate cards. Finally, if you need additional cards, take into account that you do not always have to pay for the extensions, some companies offer up to a certain number of free cards while others will charge you for each one. Finally, a benefit that may not be essential, but is worth it, is customization. - If not as the type of attention that the financial institution can offer you, if they allow you personalize the card it is very likely that the attention they will give you will be more particular. Remember that no business is too small to apply for a business card, it does not matter if you work as a freelancer or run a company with dozens of collaborators, as long as you meet the requirements established by the financial institution of your choice, you can aspire to a card, which As we have seen, it is a very convenient product to be able to obtain another means of financing. | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/choose-business-credit-card-083000145.html |
How Should The Boston Celtics Approach Playoff Matchup With Brooklyn Nets? | NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles as Kyrie Irving #11 of ... [+] the Brooklyn Nets defends during the first half at Barclays Center on April 23, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) Getty Images The Boston Celtics took down the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night behind an eye-popping 50-point performance from Jayson Tatum. The win clinched the Eastern Conferences No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup with Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets. It isnt breaking news that Brooklyns roster, led by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving, is as star-studded as they come. Boston enters this series as a heavy underdog against the title contenders, which takes most of the pressure off of Tatum and Kemba Walker and the rest of the roster. The absence of Jaylen Brown significantly lowers the Celtics ceiling, and that becomes even more limited against a team like the Nets. Boston simply does not have the personnel to match up with the trio of Durant, Harden and Irving. Most teams dont, however the Celtics are in a particularly difficult spot without Brown. Brooklyns defense has been below-average for most of the season, but this talented Nets roster can often prevail in a high-scoring shootout a scenario that will likely play out at some point during this series. On the bright side of things, Brad Stevens-coached teams often thrive when playing with house money, and Boston hopes that will be the case once again in round one. The Nets havent had a clean bill of health much at all this season, so the Celtics could look to jump on Brooklyn early as it works back into rhythm with one another at the front of what head coach Steve Nash hopes is a long postseason run. That being said, the ceiling here for Boston likely is stealing a few games. Its going to take a near-perfect performance for the Celtics to have any chance in this seven-game series. During his postgame availability Tuesday, Stevens called Brooklyn the most talented team that has been assembled since he has been in the NBA. Well get ready for Brooklyn starting on Thursday when we get back together, Stevens said. We know that challenge is those guys are the best of the best. Going into that, if Im just a general fan of the NBA, I have a hard time seeing them lose. So, were going to have to play great. Were going to have to play great together. And were going to have to be really, really sound on both ends of the floor. Entering this long-shot scenario, Boston should not push the envelope to a point where it could threaten any element of next season. The Celtics were hindered by covid-related absences, a slew of injuries and poor roster construction this year, but ideally the league format returns to normal next season. With better luck and a some personnel changes, the outlook on the 2021-22 campaign is rather bright for Boston. In other words, dont do things in this series that will put portions of next season in jeopardy. It simply isnt worth it. Take Robert Williams, for example. The third-year big has been dealing with turf toe on his left foot for the last few weeks, an ailment that sidelined him for 12 of the 17 games leading up to Tuesdays play-in matchup with Washington. He hyperextended the toe in the second quarter after colliding with Tatum on a defensive rebound, but ultimately returned out of halftime. It took just 70 seconds for Williams to check himself out of the game and return to the locker room, however. Stevens said hell receive treatment on the toe and theyll see what happens over the next few days. The answer is, they shouldnt. Having a player of Tatums caliber in the lineup gives Boston the chance to give Brooklyn some trouble, even if taking the series remains a far-fetched task. No Brown lowers the expectations for the Celtics, but also allows Tatum to be the guy for Boston, without Brown by his side. With seemingly nothing to lose entering this series, that should serve as an intriguing opportunity for Tatum, who clearly has zero issue taking on the bulk of his teams scoring. Obviously, its going to be tough without (Brown), Tatum said after Tuesdays win. We know how good of a team (Brooklyn is). Everybody knows the guys that they have over there. But, you know, excited to get this opportunity, to be in the playoffs its my fourth year in a row. I dont take that for granted. Myself and everybody else, were excited. Its the playoffs, so you just get ready for the next game. Tatum has the right approach here. The Celtics arent as talented as Brooklyn, but its the playoffs. Everyone is excited about the postseason, no matter the caliber of your teams opponent. Boston has the chance to be an annoying out for one of the best teams in the NBA, and that alone is a fun approach heading into this matchup. No, they wont take the series from Brooklyn, so Boston needs to prioritize health and keep next season in mind. That being said, with Tatum leading the way, the Celtics have a chance to make this series more entertaining than it should be. That alone would be a fun way to wrap up what has been a gloomy season to this point. The Celtics and Nets kick off their first-round series in Brooklyn on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisgrenham/2021/05/19/how-should-the-boston-celtics-approach-playoff-matchup-with-brooklyn-nets/ |
Why are thousands of migrants suddenly crossing into Spain from North Africa? | About 8,000 people have streamed into the Spanish city of Ceuta from Morocco in the past two days, most of them swimming around breakwaters and across the border to reach the Spanish enclave in North Africa. The unprecedented surge has strained relations between Morocco and Spain, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez canceling a trip to Paris to make an unscheduled visit to Ceuta, where Spain has deployed military reinforcements and police along the border. Ceuta is a coastal city in North Africa that has belonged to Spain since the 16th century. Like Melilla, another Spanish possession on the Moroccan coast, Ceuta in recent decades has become a flashpoint for migrants from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa seeking to enter Europe. Last year, about 2,200 people crossed into Ceuta and Melilla by scaling border fences or swimming from the Moroccan side. Ceuta has a population of 85,000 and is connected to mainland Spain by ferry services across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. Migrants regularly make it across the border in small numbers, but the scale of the crossings this week is exceptional. Thousands of people were able to reach the border area without being stopped by Moroccan authorities. About 8,000 people, including 2,000 believed to be minors, reached Ceuta in the past two days by swimming or paddling in small boats around breakwaters separating the two countries. Spain deployed troops and armored vehicles to the border Tuesday, rounding up migrants on a beach and sending many of them back to Morocco through a gate in the border fence. The Red Cross says one young man died and dozens were treated for hypothermia. Morocco has said little about why it relaxed the border controls. Many suspect it to be retaliation against Spain for having allowed the leader of a militant group, Brahim Ghali, to receive medical treatment in a Spanish hospital. Ghali heads the Polisario Front, which is fighting for an independent Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that Morocco annexed in the 1970s. He was hospitalized in the Spanish city of Logrono last month in a move that angered Moroccos government, which warned there would be consequences. Some experts say that the issue goes beyond Ghali and that Morocco wants Spain to support Moroccos sovereignty over Western Sahara, as the U.S. did under the Trump administration last year. Spains Interior Ministry said about half of those who made it across have already been sent back to Morocco. Under a three-decade-old agreement between the two countries, Spanish authorities can return adults who cross the border irregularly. On Tuesday, Spanish soldiers could be seen directing migrants toward a border gate, in some cases hitting them with batons to make them hurry up. An Associated Press reporter saw several children among those being pushed back, even though the Spanish government claimed that no unaccompanied minors were being returned. Many of the unaccompanied minors were being held in quarantine in warehouse shelters run by the Red Cross. The developments in Ceuta have become one of the biggest crisis in relations between Spain and Morocco since 2002, when a territorial dispute erupted over an uninhabited island off the Moroccan coast. It represents a humanitarian, diplomatic and political challenge for Snchezs government. Newsletter News Alerts Get breaking news, investigations, analysis and more signature journalism from the Los Angeles Times in your inbox. Enter email address Sign Me Up You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In recent years, Spain has seen spikes in migrant arrivals on its southern coast as well as in the Canary Islands, sparking concerns over migration that have helped fuel the rise of Vox, a far-right party that entered parliament in 2019. Vox was quick to blame the situation in Ceuta on the governments inaction, and the partys leader visited the city on Tuesday. Other European Union nations are watching the developments in Ceuta carefully because Spains border with Morocco is also the EUs external border. Since Europes migrant crisis in 2015, the bloc has tried to reduce the flow of irregular migrants to Europe in part by seeking agreements with transit countries including Morocco, Turkey and Libya to hold back migrants. Advertisement The situation in Ceuta and a similar crisis on Turkeys land border with Greece last year show how such deals can give transit countries plenty of leverage over the 27-nation EU. Its commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, called the Ceuta situation worrying and urged Morocco to prevent more people from crossing over irregularly. | https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-05-19/spain-migrant-crisis-north-africa |
Is SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW) a Strong ETF Right Now? | A smart beta exchange traded fund, the SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW) debuted on 09/28/2011, and offers broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market. The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market. Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency. There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies. Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics. Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results. Fund Sponsor & Index Managed by State Street Global Advisors, XSW has amassed assets over $574.12 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Technology ETFs. XSW seeks to match the performance of the S&P Software & Services Select Industry Index before fees and expenses. The S&P Software & Services Select Industry Index represents the software sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Stock Market Index. The S&P TMI tracks all the U.S. common stocks listed on the NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ National Market and NASDAQ Global Select Market. The Software Index is a modified equal weight index. Cost & Other Expenses When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal. Story continues With one of the least expensive products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.35%. The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.05%. Sector Exposure and Top Holdings Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. For XSW, it has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector --about 93.60% of the portfolio. When you look at individual holdings, Riot Blockchain Inc (RIOT) accounts for about 2.72% of the fund's total assets, followed by Microstrategy Incorporated Class A (MSTR) and Digital Turbine Inc. (APPS). Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 10.29% of XSW's total assets under management. Performance and Risk The ETF has gained about 1.98% and is up roughly 54.48% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 05/19/2021), respectively. XSW has traded between $101.59 and $175.77 during this last 52-week period. The ETF has a beta of 1.16 and standard deviation of 27.97% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 179 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. Alternatives SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Technology ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider. Invesco Dynamic Software ETF (PSJ) tracks Dynamic Software Intellidex Index and the iShares Expanded TechSoftware Sector ETF (IGV) tracks S&P North American Technology-Software Index. Invesco Dynamic Software ETF has $571.32 million in assets, iShares Expanded TechSoftware Sector ETF has $4.82 billion. PSJ has an expense ratio of 0.56% and IGV charges 0.46%. Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Technology ETFs. Bottom Line To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SPDR-SP SOF&SER (XSW): ETF Research Reports MicroStrategy Incorporated (MSTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Digital Turbine, Inc. (APPS) : Free Stock Analysis Report ISHARS-EX TEC-S (IGV): ETF Research Reports INVS-DYN SFTWR (PSJ): ETF Research Reports Riot Blockchain, Inc. (RIOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/spdr-p-software-services-etf-102010381.html |
What To Expect From Deeres Q2? | HAMPSHIRE, IL - AUGUST 19: A John Deere logo is painted on the side of a piece of farm equipment ... [+] offered for sale at the Buck Bros. dealership August 19, 2009 in Hampshire, Illinois. Deere & Co., the worlds largest maker of farm equipment, today posted a decline of approximately 27 percent in third-quarter profit. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Images Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is scheduled to report its fiscal second-quarter results on Friday, May 21. We expect Deere to likely post revenues and earnings slightly below the consensus estimates. Deere is expected to benefit from improved demand for agriculture as well as construction equipment, as the economies are opening up gradually, bolstering its overall revenue growth during the quarter. Our forecast indicates that Deeres valuation is around $384 per share, which is in-line with the current market price. Now, based on our estimates, the company will likely report numbers below the street expectations, which is likely to result in DE stock trading lower post the Q1 announcement, and that may offer a good entry point for long term investors to buy the stock. for more details. (1) Revenues expected to be below the consensus estimate Trefis estimates Deeres Q2 fiscal 2021 total revenues to be around $10.2 Bil, slightly below the consensus estimate of $10.4 Bil. The company saw a strong rebound in the demand for construction as well as agriculture equipment in Q1, with revenue rising a solid 19% to $9.1 billion. The company, of late, has seen an increase in spending on agricultural equipment, primarily small tractors, and this could continue to drive the revenue growth in Q2. Deere in its previous earnings conference call provided an outlook for roughly 20% revenue growth for both Agriculture & Turf as well as Construction & Forestry segments in 2021, primarily small agriculture, which ended the year at historic lows for inventory to sales ratio, and the company expects the inventory levels to rebound in 2021. However, a high inflation due to high demand and supply constraints post the pandemic could result in increased expenses for farmers, impacting the overall spend on agricultural equipment, over the coming quarters. Our dashboard on Deere Revenues provides more details on segment-wise revenue breakup. 2) EPS likely to be below the consensus estimates Deeres Q2 2021 earnings per share is expected to be $4.25 per Trefis analysis, 6% below the consensus estimate of $4.52. Deeres net income of $1.2 billion in Q1, reflected a 137% growth from its $517 million profit in the prior year quarter, led by a decline in operating expenses. Q1 also saw a higher price realization for all the segments, aiding the overall margins, a trend which may continue in Q2 as well. Looking at the full year 2021, we expect a 70% y-o-y growth in EPS to $14.75, aided by both revenue growth as well as margin expansion. (3) Stock price estimate in-line with the current market price Going by our Deere & Company Valuation, with an EPS estimate of around $14.75 and P/E multiple of 26x in fiscal 2021, this translates into a price of $384, which is in-line with the current market price - $384. Although the coronavirus outbreak has had a sizable impact on Deeres business in fiscal 2020 due to lower demand for its equipment, the demand for both agriculture as well as construction equipment is seeing a rebound as the spread of the virus subsides, and this will result in strong revenue and earnings growth for Deere in the near term, in our view. That said, the rebound appears to be already priced in the current share value of $384, implying DE stock is fully valued at the current levels. Note: P/E Multiples are based on Share Price at the end of the year, and reported (or expected) Adjusted Earnings for the full year While DE stock looks fully valued, it is helpful to see how its peers stack up. DE stock comparison with its peers summarizes how Deere 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/2021/05/19/what-to-expect-from-deeres-q2/ |
Did Atlantas Corey Ward make The Voice finale? | Ward later told Clarkson: Im just so humbled and honored to have this opportunity to know you and work with you, that youre the same person all the time. Words will never explain how I feel and how grateful I am. But alas, Ward couldnt overcome country singer Jordan Matthew Young from Team Blake Shelton, who garnered the most votes and made it into the finals. On Monday, Ward performed Duncan Lawrences Arcade with signature intensity, a song he picked to reflect a bad breakup he had. Clarkson thought he had made a touchdown and lauded his vocal execution. M.J. Santilli, who runs MJs Big Blog, wrote before Tuesdays results that in a less competitive season, Corey might get into the final. But this is a strong year and he simply got nudged out. Ward, in an interview before this weeks episodes, said win or lose, he planned to return to Atlanta and make an album of emotive soulful pop songs like James Arthur or Lewis Capaldi. He also appreciated Clarksons support of his focus on emotion over technique, though technique is important. He said Clarkson taught him to just be himself and that is enough. Based on iTunes sales and polls online, Cam Anthony on Team Blake is the favorite to win the entire competition. | https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/did-atlantas-corey-ward-make-the-voice-finale/4DJHJEAQZ5BOVJQIUEMREHNIRQ/ |
What emergency powers repeal? | Presented by Pre-K Our Way Good Wednesday morning! It seems like every few days Im reading a new article about how former Gov. Chris Christie is making moves to run for president. The Monmouth University Polling Institute asked in a poll that fortuitously went into the field about a week after an Axios article set off the latest bout of speculation. And you may not find this surprising, considering Christie left office as the most unpopular New Jersey governor since the advent of polling. But just 10 percent of New Jersey residents think he should run. And 70 percent think he wouldnt make a good president. But there is a little piece of good news for Christie: Hes a bit less unpopular than he was shortly after he left office, even if he remains the least popular living former governor. Read the full poll results , which include a favorability ratings of the states living former governors. : At Island Beach State Park for a 1 p.m. vaccine announcement QUOTE OF THE DAY: If 33 people got comfort, thats what this was designed to do This is never going to be a familys first choice. But I think we got the statute right. Assemblymember John Burzicheilli on physician-assisted suicide HAPPY BIRTHDAY: OToole Scrivos Thomas Scrivo, NJTV's Julie Daurio, Port Authoritys Jenny Davis, former Old Tappan Mayor Victor Polce, CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 578 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 883,825. 24 more deaths for a total of 25,998 confirmed or probable deaths. 810 hospitalized, 180 in intensive care. 3,738,885 fully vaccinated, or about 40.3 percent of the population. NUMBER OF THE DAY: $872 The cash on hand for Democratic state Senate candidate Jamel Holley and his two running mates as of May 7 A message from Pre-K Our Way: Thanks, Governor and Legislature! Pre-k expansion fundings been in every recent state budget! Working families in 150+ school districts have pre-k expansion but families in 110+ districts still wait. Theyre waiting in rural, suburban and suburban communities from east to west, north to south. Continue substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR! Visit prekourway.org WHAT TRENTON MADE POWER TO THE PERSON! Assembly committee advances bill to end public health state of emergency, by POLITICOs Sam Sutton: The Assembly Appropriations Committee moved legislation Tuesday to bring New Jerseys public health state of emergency to an end while continuing to provide Gov. Phil Murphy with considerable powers to manage the states recovery, Speaker Craig Coughlin introduced the bill, NJ A577 (20R), shortly before it was cleared by the committee in a 7-3 party line vote. The legislation maintains Murphys authority over the states vaccination effort, Covid-19 testing, allocation of health care resources, data collection and coordination with local health departments. Perhaps most importantly, the governor can continue to implement any applicable recommendations'' from the CDC to prevent or limit the transmission of Covid-19, including in specific settings. In other words, as Assemblymember Brian Bergen (R-Morris) noted in committee, the bill maintains Murphys authority to set capacity restrictions, require masks and mandate social distancing, the very powers Republicans have been disparaging as undemocratic for the last year. I dont understand what took so long to put this together, or what it really accomplishes, Bergen said. To which Committee Chair John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) replied: Besides all those points, youre OK with it? 1.22 MASTROS N.J. spent $11M on a new call center but records show thousands of unemployed still could not get through, by NJ Advance Medias Karin Price Mueller: To help manage the deluge of calls from people desperate to resolve their unemployment claims, the Department of Labor opened a new call center on June 18. Over the six months from June through December 2020, the state paid nearly $11.3 million to subcontractor Navient for the call center, according to contracts and invoices obtained by NJ Advance Media as part of an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request in July, more than 1 million calls were made to the call center from more than 160,297 individual callers, with 115,945 getting through to a representative. Nearly 825,000 of the calls, or 78%, got a busy signal, the data shows. In August, nearly 1.2 million calls were made from 161,294 individual callers, with 112,808 reaching a representative. More than 950,000 of the calls, or 80%, got a busy signal. Ebonee Harris of Elizabethport said shes one of the frequent callers. It happened in N.J., and were not joking! by NJ Advance Medias Brent Johnson: State Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, one of the states top Republicans, held an outdoor cocktail party at his home to draw attention to the pain the coronavirus pandemic has caused live comedy and other entertainment. Bramnick moonlights as a standup when hes not pushing legislation. A bunch of Jersey comics shared drinks on his patio former 'Saturday Night Live' castmember (and almost gubernatorial candidate) Joe Piscopo, Vinnie Brand, Rich Vos, Mike Marino, Vic DiBitetto, Steve Trevelise, among others. Former governors Richard Codey, a Democrat, and Donald DiFrancesco, a Republican, were also there. But the opener was current Gov. Phil Murphy, who made a bipartisan appearance. The past 14 months have sucked, the Democratic governor, holding a cocktail, told the crowd. But its been particularly tough on performers. But Bramnick, who represents a part of Union County that has a moderate, said one goal of Tuesdays event was to show the two parties arent immediate enemies. I wanted to throw a bipartisan thing that showed people can get together and try to help them through as much as possible. said the lawmaker, who is running for state Senate this year. Just because I disagree with you, why cant we have some laughs? CAMPAIGN CASH Campaign spending not at record level despite high number of legislative races, by Matt: State legislative candidates are sitting on the most money theyve had in at least 20 years, but despite a number of competitive primaries next month, the state is not seeing record campaign spending, according to an analysis by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Candidates for state Senate and Assembly in New Jerseys 40 legislative districts have raised a total of $30.7 million and spent $14.6 million. At this point four years ago the last similar election year they had raised $29.4 million and spent $16.3 million. Democratic candidates, whose party has firm control over both houses of the Legislature, have more than four times as much in the bank as Republicans $13 million to $3.1 million. EDNA MAHAN Assembly committee advances package of prison reform bills, by POLITICOs Daniel Han: The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced a six-bill package aimed at reducing misconduct among state corrections officers and curbing recidivism rates, as lawmakers seek changes in light of violence and abuse at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, the states only womens prison. There's such an urgency to the crisis at hand [at Edna Mahan, where] the abuse has been occurring for decades, committee Chair Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) said. But because of that urgency, we realize the need to act swiftly. All of the bills advanced unanimously. UNITED VANS SPOTTED ON COUNTRY ROADS TAKING NEW JERSEYANS HOME TO WEST VIRGINIA New Jersey residents will pay most in taxes over a lifetime, by Bloombergs Laura Davison: Residents of New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut will face the highest tax burdens over a lifetime, according to a new study. Those living in New Jersey will pay on average a grand total of $931,698, well above the $827,185 for Massachusetts residents and $805,213 for Connecticut. Nationwide, Americans will pay $525,037 over their lives, which includes taxes on income, property, cars and retail spending, according to the study from financial technology company Self. Assemblymember Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex) introduced legislation Monday that would ban towns from requiring license tags for bicycles and void existing ordinances. Read the bill here . Derrick Green leaves governors office, will help on re-election campaign I am fearful, I don't know what to expect: Some parents not ready for return to school When NJ Transit has to cancel service, this is how it decides which trains wont run Snowflack: Murphys dumb ads Mulshine: Phil Murphys unscientific one-man rule on COVID: Quit while youre behind, Guv BIDEN TIME XI JINPING: ITS ACTUALLY ANTIFA DOING THAT STUFF Boycott genocide Olympics in Beijing, N.J. congressman says at human rights hearing, by NJ Advance Medias Jonathan D. Salant: Rep. Chris Smith, co-chair of a bipartisan House commission on human rights, kicked off a hearing on the 2022 Olympics in Beijing by calling for a worldwide boycott of the games. In granting Beijing host status for the Olympic games, we are crowning a barbarous regime with laurels while we should be condemning their abuse and genocide, said Smith, R-4th Dist. Dont enable or sponsor the Genocide Olympics. Gottheimer: If we reinstate SALT, we can deliver real help to New Jersey and New York families Unions fume over CDC mask decision that may derail stronger workplace Covid rules A message from Pre-K Our Way: LOCAL CONDEMNING THE STORMING OF THE CAPITOL WHILE SHARING A TICKET WITH AN OATH KEEPER This Trump-loving Republican wants to be the first Asian American on Bergen County board, by The Records Mary Chao: Ronald Joseph Lin was born in Hoboken in 1981. His immigrant parents had arrived from Taiwan a year earlier and decided that to honor America, they would name their new son after then-President Ronald Reagan. Asian immigrants revere authority figures, Lin said, and his parents thought what better way to celebrate being an American than naming their first born after the nation's top office holder. As Taiwanese immigrants, his parents also appreciated Reagan's traditional values, he added. When Lin's son was born last June, he knew he had to name him Donald after the Republican then in the White House, Donald Trump. A staunch conservative since his days on the debate team at Fair Lawn High School, Lin, 39, of Franklin Lakes, announced his candidacy in February for Bergen County commissioner as a Republican Lin does not believe Trump incited rioters during the January storming of the Capitol. The storming of the Capitol on January 6th was an unfortunate and tragic occurrence and it's something that I condemn sharply, he said. I don't think any sensible person would condone such behavior and it's certainly something that the Republican Party along with President Trump strongly decried. The reality of the matter is that President Trump was telling his supporters that day to march and protest patriotically and peacefully. Lin said while it is a hard truth to swallow, Trump lost the election. HE WANTS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante to retire on July 1st after 28 years of service, by Hudson County Vies John Heinis: Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante, who was named the citys top cop in late 2014, has announced that he will be retiring on July 1st after 28 years of service Today I have applied for retirement, effective July 1, 2021, Ferrante, who served as the citys office of emergency management coordinator for two years before becoming chief, said in a email this afternoon He also indicated that 'I am ready to take a little break before my next venture' but didnt reveal what that venture will be. FINALLY, TEANECK POLITICIANS WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO ARGUE ABOUT Teaneck postpones Israeli flag-raising as violence roils Mideast, by The Records Katie Sobko: Amid escalating violence in the Middle East, township officials have postponed a ceremonial raising of the flag of Israel that had been set for this weekend In a statement released Sunday, Mayor James Dunleavy said the township and council stand 'resolutely in support of our Jewish residents' but have opted to postpone the inaugural ceremony to raise the Israeli national flag. LEAGUE OF MUNCHIE-PALITIES N.J. cities, towns are acting quickly to ban weed businesses by August deadline, by NJ Advance Medias Amanda Hoover: As cities and towns around New Jersey continue to roll out ordinances that would prevent cannabis business from opening within their borders, some are taking the cautious route: banning everything until they see how it works in other cities and towns and thinking they might revisit down the road Municipalities have until Aug. 21 to pass ordinances that either ban cannabis businesses, welcome them or set limits for the types of businesses or number of dispensaries. Those that do nothing will lock in a standard set of rules for five years. But those ordinances might not be as flexible as some think. Sean Mack, an attorney with Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, said theres some confusion around municipalities changing their ordinances past the six-month deadline set in the cannabis legalization law signed earlier this year. 'The thought process on how the repeal is going to work is flawed,' he said. The towns think, 'we ban everything now, then we change our minds later, so now we want to allow things. You have to repeal your opt-out ban. Now, youre back in a situation where your town does not have a duly adopted law by Aug. 21 to ban certain cannabis businesses. Union City Planning Board approves measure prohibiting marijuana establishments Middletown may take up another proposal to ban marijuana businesses SPEARSHEADING THE MOVEMENT @JRyRosario: We have a challenger stepping in the ring against @StevenFulop to become mayor of Jersey City. N.J. Dinosaurs are coming to Six Flags, by NJ Advance Medias Jeremy Schneider: The safari at Six Flags Great Adventure that was so popular early in the COVID-19 pandemic has gotten a prehistoric upgrade. Six Flags Xpedition Dino, a dinosaur addition to the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure, will open May 28 and feature 30 animatronic life-sized dinosaurs. Guests will be able to drive through the tour or walk a wooded path among the dinosaurs, and can stream a custom soundtrack from mobile devices that marries this prehistoric adventure with the 21st century according to Six Flags. PARTY DECISIS He paid $23K but COVID canceled his event. Now venue must give a refund, judge rules, by NJ Advance Medias Karin Price Mueller: A party venue that refused to issue a full refund after an event could not be held because of ongoing coronavirus restrictions must refund the money, a judge ruled on Friday. The case in Morris County Superior Court against 4Sixty6 Caterers, a West Orange venue that hosts weddings and other large celebrations, could have implications for other lawsuits against catering halls that have refused to give refunds over COVID-canceled events, legal experts said. Report says humans exacerbated Sandys wrath A message from Pre-K Our Way: Thanks to the Governor and Legislature, theres been pre-k expansion funding in every recent state budget! Thats enabled NJ to expand pre-k for working families into 150+ school districts. However, families in 110+ eligible districts still wait in rural, suburban and urban communities, and from east to west and north to south. The proposed FY2022 budget would continue to recognize pre-k expansion as a priority for now, and for our future. We agree with former Governor Tom Kean, There are a few priority reforms we need to make to improve education in our state. One of our highest priorities should be the availability of quality pre-k programs for all of our children. These programs offer our best hope for future success in school and life. Lets maintain pre-k expansion as a statewide priority. Continue substantial pre-k expansion in the coming year for New Jersey, and especially for its working families. Visit prekourway.org Follow us on Twitter Matt Friedman @mattfriedmannj | https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-jersey-playbook/2021/05/19/what-emergency-powers-repeal-492902 |
Can Trae Young take the Hawks to the top? | Like many, David Goldstein took a long, winding route on the way to becoming a Hawks fan. He grew up in Birmingham as a loyal NBA follower despite not having a team, then moved to Colorado for college. After graduating, he took a job in New York City, where hed live for six years. In 2009, he went back South and put down roots in Atlanta, a city hes lived in for about 12 years now. Goldstein, a 39-year-old who owns a sports video production company, maintained his love of basketball throughout his time moving around the country. But when he planted himself in Atlanta, he didnt feel the urge to invest emotionally in any of the local sports teams. When I got here, I couldnt have cared less about the Hawks, the Braves or the Falcons, he says. Id go to games as an observer, to see Kevin Durant when the Thunder came in town and stuff like that. I think a lot of people here in Atlanta were like that, where we mostly wanted to see the star players and other teams when theyd come through and play. The Hawks magical, egalitarian run in 2015, when they came out of nowhere to win 60 regular-season games without a superstar on the roster, converted Goldstein and scores of others into fans of the club. Yet reality swept in quickly in the form of a conference-finals broom. Without a ceiling-raising superstar like LeBron James, who thrashed the Hawks that entire series, Atlanta would likely always be left in the dust. Eventually, the Hawks front office reached the same conclusion. By the summer of 2017, Atlanta had made the playoffs 10 straight times, the longest active streak in the conference, without reaching the Finals. With seemingly no potential, a limited fan base and no clear pathway to land a star, Atlanta blew things up in hopes of rebuilding better. Fast forward to now, and fans like Goldsteinwhod merely dipped their toes into Hawks fandom beforehave signed on as season-ticket holders, feeling that this might finally be Atlantas moment. Because not only are the Hawks back in the playoffs. For the first time in nearly 30 years, they have a jaw-dropping star, fueling hope that something meaningful might be on the horizon for a club thats been overlooked for much of its existence. Photo Illustration by Dan Larkin; Kevin D. Liles/Sports Illustrated One could unfurl an entire list of reasons that the Hawkswho ranked 20th or lower in the NBA in home-attendance percentage for nine consecutive years from 2011 to 19have struggled to draw fans. Theres the fact that Atlanta is far more transient than most major U.S. cities, leaving transplants like Goldsteinwho have no lifelong affiliation with the local clubsless likely to become supporters. Theres the citys natural pecking order, which naturally gives the Braves (who were dominant for a decade and a half while playing every game on their owners network, exposing them to a national audience) and the Falcons (who play in the nations most popular league) a leg up. Georgia football is a factor every fall. And since its founding in 2014, soccer club Atlanta United has become the hottest ticket in town, not only selling out regularly but also building a season-ticket wait list thousands of people long. But its difficult to compare teams like the Hawks and Braves; not every team is competing for the same group of fans. Between where the Hawks and Braves games are played, and the age of the people who make up the crowds, its two different fan bases. The Hawks fan base skews younger, and is much more urban and racially diverse than the baseball crowd, says Princeton University history professor Kevin M. Kruse, the author of White Flight, which examines the racial and political impetus behind white people moving from Atlanta to its suburbs en masse in the 1960s and 70s. Really, from the time the Hawks first got to Atlanta [from St. Louis back in 68], theyve always been tied in with the racial politics of the state. Divisions between the city and its suburbs have been on display in recent yearsboth politically, and in a sports sense. Since 2005, a number of wealthier Atlanta-area neighborhoods essentially have voted to form their own cities, a move that gave them separate, improved municipal services while also draining Fulton Countys tax base of tens of millions of dollars per year. And as the controversial suburban secession movement got underway, the Braves, too, began making arrangements to leave the city by bidding farewell to their relatively young stadium near downtown, Turner Field, to build a brand-new one in suburban Cobb County, where the bulk of their fan base lives. The team moved there in 17. In 2012, at the the height of that movement, then Hawks majority owner Bruce Levenson sent an email to other team executives, saying he worried that fans arena experiencefrom cheerleaders, to the hip-hop music, down to the Kiss Camwas too urban to draw affluent white ticket buyers to games. His message stated that the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base. After the email went public in 14, Levenson apologized for the message, which suggested white fans were more valuable than Black ones, and sold his stake in the team. If anything, the franchise has only leaned into the citys culture even more since owner Tony Ressler took over in 2014. Rapper 2 Chainz and rap group Migos, both area natives, sit courtside to take in games (2 Chainz is a co-owner of the Hawks G League team). The newly renovated venue features rapper Killer Mikes Barbershop, which is positioned right above the lower bowl and allows fans to get haircuts as they watch the game. The hip-hop tunes of Sir Foster, the most unique organist in the sports world, boom throughout the stadium. In surveys, fans have ranked Hawks games as the No. 1 experience in the league the past two seasons. You have to hold a mirror to your city, and this is our city, says Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, another Atlanta native. Thats our audience. So instead of trying to go for white, middle-aged fans like myself, we market to an audience that rarely gets marketed to. By no means are we exclusionary. The majority of our ticket-holders are white. But its a very different audience, thats uniquely Atlanta. Yet few of these things, if any, would make a difference to the average person if it werent for Trae Young. Killer Mike now runs a barbershop inside State Farm Arena where fans can watch the Hawks while getting a haircut. Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports From Henry Aaron and Deion Sanders to Chipper Jones and Michael Vick, the city of Atlanta has long enjoyed its larger-than-life sports stars. But the Hawks went a few decades without one. Sure, the Hawks had Joe Johnson, a seven-time All-Star who could quietly score in one-on-one situations with the best of them. But he was the quietest star possible, doing just enough to keep the Hawks in the middle of the pack, but not quite doing enough to push them beyond that. The Hawks paid him handsomelyJohnson was even the highest-paid player in the NBA at one pointbut he didnt have an electrifying smile or personality. And for all his talent, he wasnt putting casual Atlanta fans in the seats. Heres one way to look at just how long its been since the Hawks have had a superstar. You have to go back 28 years, to Dominique Wilkins in 1993, to find the last time Atlanta had a player finish among the top 10 in league MVP voting for a season. Thats not only the longest dry spell in the NBA. Its a full 10 years longer than the Nets, who have endured the leagues second-longest drought. Its been awhile, says Wilkins, when told of the stat. And its weird, because the citys always had these iconic sports figures. But its a good feeling to know things are finally coming back around. Young and his team still have more work to do to catapult him into MVP talks. (He narrowly missed the All-Star team this season.) But if the last three decades have been a superstar desert for the Hawks, the diminutive guard has been a literal splash bucket to quench the clubs thirst. Still just 22, Young has the impromptu passing ability of a Harlem Globetrotter and the long-distance shooting range of Robin Hood. Of the six players with the audacity to attempt 25 shots from 30 feet or more this season, only Stephen Curry (37.4%) knocked down a better percentage than Youngs 36.4%. And while he takes plenty of shots from other ZIP codes, Young is active in the paint, and made more free throws than anyone in the league. Hes become most known for his scoring (25.3 points this year) but ranked second in the NBA in assists per game. Youngs become highly annoying to defend. If you stay back too far on a screen, hell pull up from 40. Come up too much, and hell burst into the paint and either loft a floater or throw a lob for center Clint Capela, which flat-out deceives rim protectors, because the lobs look like floaters, too. Dominique Wilkins was the last Hawk to be an undisputed superstar. Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated Even if you play him perfectlyclosing out just enough to deter the long triple, and recovering enough to catch up to him before he gets off the floater or the lobthe floor general still might get the best of you. Like Chris Paul, hes perfected stopping on a dime to prompt trailing defenders to crash into him. Most impressive to those who work with Young: Hes quickly adjusted to the clubs improved rotation, realizing that the upgraded talent around him can only make him more difficult to stop down the stretch. They talked about this with Michael back in the day when he first came into the league: He was putting up a lot of numbers before Phil Jackson came in with the triangle, says Hawks coach Nate McMillan, whose midseason takeover turned the teams season around. [The triangle] forced him to move the ball around and get other players involved, because he really hadnt had a lot of [team] success. Thats part of the growth with a young player. Traes still trying to establish himself. He came in as a guy that could score and create offense. But when youre trying to take that next stepwin gamesyoure not going to be able to do it by yourself. The teams brought in enough talent to win games, and he has to learn to use the talent that he has. They have to form that chemistry on the floor, but I see them starting to do that. Much like Young has been the focus of opposing defensesranging from aggressive traps and even occasional box-and-one lookshes generated massive interest among a new wave of Hawks fans. Chris Keith, a 50-year-old health-care administrator who lives in Alpharetta, just north of Atlanta, says the club was barely on his radar years ago. After Dominique, they kind of became an afterthought, he says. But then Keiths 12-year-old son, Carter, grew more intrigued with the sport after participating in church-league basketball. I introduced him to the NCAA tournament [in 2018] when Trae was in it. Then he wanted to watch the draft for the first time that year. And the Hawks ended up with Trae. Now, my son has all the jerseys. Keith indulged his son by taking him to a handful of Hawks games each of the past few years. After a while, it made more sense to become a season-ticket holder. I do feel like Im on an island a little bit, he says, adding that the rest of his suburban neighborhood is full of die-hard Braves and Falcons fans, with fewer Hawks supporters. But I see a lot of Trae Young jerseys on my sons friends. In a short amount of time, the Hawks became my familys life. We went from casual watchers to living and dying with it. Many wanted the Hawks to use their 2018 first-rounder, the third pick, to take Luka Doni, the six-foot-seven Slovenian guard who was being described by many as a potentially generational prospect. When Atlanta passed him up, fans didnt initially understand the Hawks choice. I was at the [Hawks] draft night party that night, and I think a lot of us were pretty distraught. We kind of couldnt believe it was happening, says season-ticket holder Will Balkcom, 27, who lives in the citys Buckhead neighborhood. We knew how good Luka was. Wed seen Traes college highlights and knew he could play. We just worried about it. But in the weeks and months that followed, I understood it more in hindsight. In a city like Atlanta, with the players that weve historically latched onto, Trae fits in right into that category. Fans began to feel Youngs star power could generate a greater level of magnetism. And between newer ticket-holders like Jessica Mercon (whose 12-year-daughter treasures a silicone bracelet Young took off and gave her after a game) and Andrew Hill (who says hell stay on as a season-ticket holder despite his familys plan to move four hours away to Tennessee soon), that appears to be true for a number of people. Trae Young is the MVP-caliber player that Atlanta hasn't had since the 90s. Kevin D. Liles/Sports Illustrated The Hawks dont exactly run away from the idea that Youngs marketability was a factor. While general manager Travis Schlenk got extra value out of passing on DoniAtlanta was able to get an extra first-round pick that became Cam Reddish by trading down with the MavericksKoonin says he was adamantly in favor of taking Young, and that his interests went beyond just basketball. Travis will tell you that, for his part, he was looking for value. Meaning, we like Trae a lot, and we like Luka a lot. But getting another lottery pick was the tipping point, Koonin says. But the business side, we raised our hand and we said, Trae. Luka is an incredible player. I wish we had them both. Hes fantastic. Trae is on the path to superstardom, but for more than what he can do on the court. We saw in Trae somebody who was a dynamic player who had a real chance to connect with fans on many levels. Koonin is quick to add that his business-centric point of view about Young means jacks--- to Travis. (Less than zero, he says.) And he understands the Hawks would likely be in a good place regardless of which player the team had taken. But he also points to a key figure. Our youth jersey sales went up 1200% with Trae, Koonin says. Hes helping us create an emotional connection with our fans. Part of that was likely Youngs visibility as a high-profile prospect whod become must-see TV at the college level, while Doni was still an unknown to the average American fan. And its hard to imagine the team didnt see an opportunity to market Young to one of the nations largest primarily Black cities. In talking about Youngs impact on youth fans, Koonin mentioned Currywhom Schlenk worked with in his prior stop with the Warriorsand how Atlanta had to open its arena earlier than usual whenever Golden State was in town. Fans would show up at hours before tip-off, just to watch Currys otherworldly shooting routine. And on some level, Koonin hopes, if not believes, that Young can inspire the same sort of fan intrigue with his own flashy skill set. The question now, of course, is what comes next for the franchise, which owns the NBAs second-longest title drought, and hasnt won the championship since moving to Atlanta five-plus decades ago. Photo Illustration by Dan Larkin; Erick W. Rasco (Durant, Embiid, Mitchell); Greg Nelson (Leonard) At 2511, the Hawks tied for the NBAs third-best mark after the All-Star break, an affirmation that the clubwhich spent big last offseasoncan more than hold its own when its healthy. Just as important: Atlanta now has a clear-cut blueprintample shooting, solid secondary ballhandling, plus a top-flight rim protector and pick-and-roll partnerfor how to build a winner around Youngs relative shortcomings. It bodes well for the future, which makes this feel fundamentally different than the 60-win season in 201415. Fans often packed the stadium that year, giving the club a franchise-record 25 regular-season sellouts. Yet there was a LeBron-sized obstacle in the way back then, and a feeling that those Hawks veterans were at the absolute peak of their powers. The current teams youth brings more long-term hope. The team says its local television ratings were up about 10% this year from last season, a jump that sounds ho-hum until you realize that 201920 numbers were already up by almost 50% from the season prior. The ratings are still toward the low end of the league. But its clear that Young has the city engaged in a way it hasnt been in years. I thought we could do it [in 2015] without the star player, and with team basketball. But we learned quickly that wasnt enough, says 28-year-old Lovejoy resident Dominique Hill, a longtime Hawks supporter who recently bought a ticket package. Having that star player with such a young team makes this feel different. Like, Ive got a friend out here whos a Celtics fan, and Im not showing no mercy. I told him its never too late to convert to the Hawks. Its a good feeling after all those years where our home games felt like they were on the road, because of who the majority of the crowd was rooting for. The club will get a plum opportunity to earn the national relevance it so desperately craves with a first-round matchup against the big-market Knicks, who won all three contests with Atlanta during the regular season. (One of the Knicks wins came last month when the Hawks blew a late-game lead after Young had to be helped off the floor at Madison Square Garden with an ankle injury.) If theres any irony here, its that the Hawks will again have an abundance of empty seats during their postseason run, despite being more relevant than theyve been in years. Obviously wed rather not have our first taste of [postseason] in COVID circumstances, sharpshooting Hawks wing Kevin Huerter says. But for the first time in decades, there is a growing hope that the seats could be full soon on a regular basis. Because if you build it with an icon, chances are the stargazing Atlanta fans will eventually come. Utah's Journey from Dysfunction to Dominance | https://www.si.com/nba/2021/05/19/nba-playoff-preview-2021-atlanta-hawks-trae-young-daily-cover |
What Is The $1.2 Trillion Dollar Freelance Economy? | Sarah Archer, Freelance marketing manager with expertise in leading content strategy, SEO, and PR ... [+] across diverse industries ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Sarah Archer 29% of workers say they will quit if forced back to the office. But theres a deeper force than remote work you need to be aware of: the independent freelance economy. In the next 5 years, over half of your talent will choose self employment. Of those that stay employees, a good amount will freelance on the side. The Freelance Economy is Independent Contracting Made Easier Through Software The freelance economy is a technology disruption in how we get work done. In 2011 Marc Andreessen said software is eating the world. The freelance economy is the result of software eating staffing, agencies and independent contracting. As a term, the freelance economy gets bundled into the gig economy, passion economy, creator economy and many more, but at its core the freelance economy is independent contract work made easier through digital tools and the shift to the cloud. The freelance economy is fueled by three technology disruptions. The internet made it possible to connect with anyone in the world. Remote tools made it possible to collaborate with anyone in the world. Workflow (contracting, payment, project management) tools made it possible for freelancers to run scalable and profitable one person businesses. The Core Disruption Is Connecting You Direct-To-Talent Outsourcing to external vendors is nothing new. Large tech firms like Google are already heavily contingent. But historically outsourcing has needed staffing firms, consulting firms and temp agencies. The disruption in the freelance economy is that you as a leader can go direct-to-talent. Rather than going through an intermediary (agency, staffing firm), you can connect, communicate, collaborate and contract directly with a freelancer anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. Hansell Shook, executive and venture investor based in Miami, Florida. Hansell Shook As Hansell Shook, executive and venture investor told me, Team formation is critical for companies. Hiring external talent for specialized parts of the team logically makes sense, but the dollars lost and wasted time of having a bad hire can make outsourcing not worth it. especially on important projects. Yet, if you can see the whites of their eyes, working directly with them, you can lower the probability of a bad hire. In seconds you can start working with Kemal Avdovic. He can help you with your brand positioning and your web presence. Kemal is based in Bosnia, but he works with clients around the globe. Kemal Avdovic, freelance designer based in Bosnia helps businesses build their online brand presence ... [+] using strategy and design. Kemal Avdovic Thanks to invoice software like Freshbooks, contract software like PandaDoc, email and Google Drive, Kemal can scale his one person business to directly compete against your traditional agency partner (in most scenarios hell be faster and more cost efficient). Screenshot below of services Kemal can provide. Kemal Avdovic, freelance brand and web designer based in Bosnia, helps businesses build their brands ... [+] and their online presence using strategy and design. Venture L The Freelance Economy Is Shifting From Gig Work To Big Work The freelance economy in current form started around 1998 when Elance was founded. Elance merged with Odesk in 2013 and in 2015 became Upwork. Since then the freelance economy has had major accomplishments: But the largest shift currently underway is the shift from transaction based gig work to large core to the business projects. Tim Sanders, Upworks VP Customer Insights called this the shift from gig work to big work. The Human Cloud highlighted a North American motorcycle manufacturer working with over 25 freelancers to digitally transform their rider experience. Freelance product managers, designers, developers and Bluetooth engineers globally distributed and collaborating on a multi-year project that resulted in a mobile app with over 150,000 downloads and a 5-star rating (with over 8,000 reviews). Jesse Chambers, prior Global Head of Premium Content Strategy at Version and VP of Monetization at AOL, told me how freelancers enabled wrkfrce to launch with 60 pieces of live content thanks to hiring 20+ freelance writers and 10+ freelance copy editors. Screenshot of wrkfrce homepage. Freelancers enabled wrkfrce to launch with 60 pieces of live content ... [+] thanks to hiring 20+ freelance writers and 10+ freelance copy editors. wrkfrce For Jesse, hiring freelancers enabled efficiency, flexibility and access to specialized expertise. As he said, Efficiency has been a real thing for us, and freelancers provide an elastic, adaptive conveyor belt for producing content. More than quantity, freelancers also provided a quality advantage as he told me, "Hiring freelancers helps us find people with specific areas of expertise. For example Sarah Archer, someone who is a digital nomad herself, built our remote playbooks. The Freelance Economy Wont Be The Future In 5 years we might stop using the words freelancer and refer to freelancers like every other employee. As Jon Younger pointed out, the difference between traditional employees and freelancers is shrinking fast. Likewise the ability to hire freelancers is expanding quickly. Freelancers dont replace employees. They amplify the impact each employee can make. Thus instead of freelancer or employee, the growth of the freelance economy results in the blend of employees and freelancers getting work done. We can call it the hybrid workforce. Stay tuned! In the coming weeks well learn how to integrate freelancers in your re-opening plan along with learning from top freelancers how to work with them. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewmottola/2021/05/19/what-is-the-12-trillion-dollar-freelance-economy/ |
Could a pilot home composting program help decrease food, yard waste in Lexington? | The city of Lexington may soon offer compost units to encourage more people to throw away less food and yard waste. Under the proposed pilot program, participants on city garbage service can either choose a free compost unit or get a compost unit at a reduced cost after participating in workshops that will cover how to compost and use various compost units, troubleshooting and other topics. Pilot participants will also take short surveys over a one-year process. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Hannah LeGris had proposed the pilot program to increase composting and decreasing food and yard waste from going to the landfills. The pilot program will cost $9,000. LeGris said Tuesday she will ask for the program to be funded in the upcoming budget, which begins July 1. The money would come from the urban services fund, which is separate from the general fund, which is the citys main checking account. LFUCG has begun much-needed discussions about what happens to the citys waste, said LeGris Tuesday during the councils Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee. The next step in that conversation is about food waste and how we can divert it from the waste stream. Angela Poe, program manager for the Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works, said the pilot would consist of three workshops starting in August. Seedleaf, a nonprofit that focuses on community gardening and composting, has offered to host the workshops. There are three different types of composters at three different price points, Poe said. One of Seedleafs composting bins on Third Street in Lexington. Seedleaf, a nonprofit, is a community gardening and composting organization. A worm composter costs about $50. That composter would be given to participants for free. A stationary composter, which typically accommodates larger amounts, usually costs around $85. Participants could get it at a discounted rate of $35. A tumbling composter, which can rotate the waste, typically costs around $100. It would be given to participants for $50. The plan is for the city to buy these and then to give them to the participants, Poe said. Poe said its possible the city, because it will buy the units in bulk, will get a discount, further decreasing the costs to households. Story continues Poe said the city has not held a workshop on composting in many years. However, when it did, those workshops sold out, Poe said, indicating potential interest in a program. Poe said the $9,000, which includes Seedleafs workshops, the compost units and other costs, would cover 60 households. The council will likely take its first vote on the budget sometime in June. No council member spoke against the pilot proposal Tuesday. | https://news.yahoo.com/could-pilot-home-composting-program-113705998.html |
What has four wheels and loses money? | The Telegraph The head of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service has denied carrying out a cyber attack on software business SolarWinds which gave hackers access to large portions of the US government as well as hundreds of businesses. Sergei Naryshkin, the director of Russias SVR spy agency, said he was flattered by US and UK accusations that his organisation directed the hack but denied responsibility for it. "These claims are like a bad detective novel," he said. The close ally of Vladimir Putin told the BBC that he could not claim the creative achievements of others as his own. The US and UK governments publicly accused the SVR of carrying out the incident via a hacking group known as Cozy Bear, which has previously been linked to the Russian government. They alleged that the group hacked SolarWinds in 2019 and then used the companys IT monitoring software to gain access to US government departments including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. The attack was discovered in December and experts said there was evidence that the hackers had been using the breach to intercept emails and files for up to nine months. Businesses including cyber security company FireEye and Microsoft were also targeted as part of the hacking campaign. Almost 18,000 SolarWinds customers installed the compromised software, the company has said. Mr Naryshkin suggested that the hack may have been the work of Western intelligence services. He quoted from documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the US National Security Agency, which explained that Western spy agencies have attempted to carry out their own cyber espionage campaigns. I dont want to assert that this cyber-attack was carried out by a US agency, but the tactics are similar, he said. Ciaran Martin, the former head of GCHQs National Cyber Security Centre, told Radio 4's Today that Mr Naryshkins suggestion was unconvincing. There is compelling evidence pointing to Russia, he said. It doesn't make any sense, he added. Mr Naryshkin also refused to deny a suggestion made earlier this year by former MI6 head Sir John Sawers that only around 10pc of Russian spy operations in Europe have been uncovered. Any state which is truly strong and sovereign must have a strong intelligence service, Mr Naryshkin said. He also told the BBC that he had started corresponding with his counterparts at MI6. The two organisations had sent respectful and polite messages to each other, he said. | https://news.yahoo.com/four-wheels-loses-money-140038417.html |
What could the restoration of Jean Marie River look like? | Residents of flooded Jean Marie River are beginning to ask how, and where, their community will recover. Fewer than 100 people live in the Dehcho community one of the Northwest Territories smallest which suffered severe flooding earlier this month. More than 30 residents are still living in nearby Fort Providence while others are staying at a camp. Chief Stanley Sanguez of the Jean Marie River First Nation has told residents its not yet worth returning to homes that took on more than three feet of water, or to a community contaminated by overturned and leaking fuel tanks. After days of miserable cold and snow, Sanguez told Cabin Radio the smell of fuel is fading. A crew from Yellowknife is assessing damage to homes. People want to go in and start cleaning their house, Sanguez said, or at least trying to air it out. In a community of only 30 or so buildings, Sanguez estimates between 20 and 26 homes need a damage assessment. The chiefs own house still has about three feet of water in it. The communitys school, band office, and government building must also be assessed. Residents worry what they are coming back to and where they will stay, the chief said. Sanguez said the community is starting a group that will determine how to rebuild. That could include staying in the same location, moving the community to higher ground, or placing key infrastructure in elevated areas so water cant reach it in future. That work is in its earliest stages. Names of potential committee members were being taken this week. I cant jump the gun on this, Sanguez said. One option may be asking the territorial government to help raise houses further from the ground. We may have to do it that way, said the chief. This is the only time in my lifetime Ive gone through this and I dont want to see this happen again. Joanna Eyquem, the director of climate programs at the University of Waterloos centre for climate adaptation, said one solution is relocating the community but knows that decision cannot be made lightly. The river for which the community is named flows into the Mackenzie River at Jean Marie Rivers western edge, creating a floodplain that will always pose a danger, said Eyquem. Its very complicated because obviously the best approach is not to have the problem at all and to avoid the area at risk of flooding, she said. It makes a lot of sense to move out of the floodplain because you can foresee you may have the situation again. But that must be balanced with people who are very attached to their homes where they live, and the social and cultural connections residents have. Sanguez said he couldnt imagine Elders would want to leave their community. Alternatively, it may be possible for Jean Marie River to build some form of flood defence as other communities have in the past. But Eyquem said that would be costly to maintain and is working against a natural process flooding. More broadly in Canada, she said, communities are now trying to work with natural processes and provide more space for flooding, trying to move infrastructure out of the floodplain and not build new infrastructure in the floodplain. Roche Perce, a small Saskatchewan community near the border with North Dakota, suffered severe flooding in June 2011. Reg Jahn was the 150-resident communitys mayor at the time. Reached a decade later, he said Roche Perce is still recovering. The flood was triggered by a combination of released dam water and heavy rain. Within two hours, Jahn recalled, two-thirds of the village was underwater. The flood eventually hit eight feet in some areas. At the time, there were about 70 houses in the community. Thirty-nine experienced flooding and 28 had to be written off. Jahn said about 30 families left the community after the flood because their homes were uninhabitable. They didnt come back. Now, Roche Perces houses must be built to new standards in case the village floods again. The rules after the flood were you could not build a house unless the main floor was higher than the highest flood on record, said Jahn, referring to 2011s water levels. One family built their house on stilts so its higher ... and one guy took the roof off his garage and built a second storey on his garage, and thats what he lives in. Nahanni Butte, an N.W.T. community readily comparable in size to Jean Marie River, went through a similar decision-making process after a flood in 2012. In the territorys legislature, then-Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche said: We need a long-term plan for Nahanni Butte, which may include relocating the community out of the current flood plain it sits in. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Climate change is increasing the risk of more frequent and more severe floods in our region. The community is suggesting a move of about 10 kilometres to the east side of the Liard River where the access road from the highway is. Relocation could be a long-term solution, with community support, and this is a good time to re-evaluate this community. A year later, that relocation had not taken place (leaders in Nahanni Butte could not be reached this week to discuss how the community recovered). In the legislature, Menicoche worried that the communitys needs and its long recovery from the flood were being overlooked. Last year, the community was evacuated and people returned to the soggy remains of the place they were proud to call home, he told fellow MLAs in 2013. The community needs adequate resources to continue to support and rebuild. Nahanni Butte does not want to be forgotten again. Sanguez said one of his short-term goals is to see if community members can come back in some capacity, including the building of an additional camp nearby. He said a temporary camp could have a place to eat, bathrooms, and sleeping spaces, so people can stay there as they gradually prepare to return home. The N.W.T.s Department of Environment and Natural Resources said by email that staff are still assessing fuel spills in the community. The number of houses badly damaged by both the flood and those spills is not yet clear. As the risk of additional floods remains elevated and not all sites are accessible, that work will take some time, a spokesperson said. Until then, its difficult to say exactly how long the community will be affected due to these spills. But residents should expect this situation for some weeks to come. Early indications are we are facing a serious situation which will require considerable expertise to address. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (Maca) and the N.W.T. Housing Corporation had nobody available for interview about their role in helping Jean Marie River to rebuild. Jenn McManus, the vice president of Red Cross Alberta and N.W.T., said the Red Cross had not been called in to help but remained on standby. McManus said recovering from any flood takes people time, energy, and resources to get back on their feet. A community will designate and decide what that feels like, she said of the longer process facing Jean Marie River. It cannot be prescribed, what the finish line looks like in recovery. Sanguez doesnt think people will leave Jean Marie River in the fashion by which Roche Perce saw dozens of residents move away. I dont think they want to move anywhere but thats me talking for them. Well find out with the committee and well hear a lot from the government and from our membership about what they want to do, he said. In my mind, a lot of us are not going to leave. We got kicked down twice and were still going to get up. Im not going to leave. Some of my Elders are not going to leave here. Some have been staying here for so long. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/05/19/what-could-the-restoration-of-jean-marie-river-look-like.html |
Could Tardigrades Travel Space Thanks To Meteorite Impacts? | Tardigrades can survive tremendous heat and cold, radiation and vacuum. getty Tardigrades, microscopic invertebrates also known as water bears and moss piglets, are found virtually everywhere where liquid water exists, from droplets on leaves to ponds. If necessary, they can drain their cells of any liquid and enter suspended animation with no measurable metabolism, a condition called cryptobiosis ("hidden life"). They can survive subzero temperatures, boiling water, zero oxygen, radioactive and cosmic radiation, high pressures, and even the vacuum of space for years in cryptobiosis. When re-hydrated tardigrades will regains their full function in a matter of hours. In 2019, the Israeli spacecraft "Beresheet" carrying a few thousand tardigrades crash-landed on the Moon, prompting - considering their indestructibility - speculation about terrestrial life surviving on other worlds. The Moon may not the best place to survive, but planets like Mars, with an atmosphere and at least temporary flow of surface water, may could sustain life as we know it. The idea of Earth seeding other planets in our solar system with life is not new. Panspermia is an idea dating back to the 19th century that simple organisms, like bacteria, could survive the journey between planets inside a meteorite. Ejected by an impact on a planet with life into space, bacteria, spores, and small invertebrates could travel in the fragment to another planet, seeding a barren world with life. Meteorites of Martian origin are found on Earth, and meteorites of terrestrial origin could be found on Mars. An impact the size of the dinosaurs killer Chicxulub asteroid would send material far into space. The debris would take about a hundred years for the first material to get near Mars and the material would continue to arrive for up to 20 million years from that date. But first the tardigrades need to survive the impact shock during "lift-off" and "landing" on another planet. In a study published in the journal Astrobiology, scientists fired tardigrades out of a special gun to simulate an impact event. The researchers loaded two or three individuals of Hypsibius dujardini, a species of freshwater tardigrade, each into a number of nylon bullets, which were frozen to induce the creatures' hibernation state. The bullets were fired at sand targets in a vacuum chamber at a range of velocities from 556 to 1,000 meters per second. The impacted tardigrades survived up to and including an impact velocity of 825 meters per second, equivalent to a shock pressure of 1.14 gigapascals. The surviving animals needed more than 8 to 9 hours to resume activity, suggesting at least some tissue damage. Beresheet crashed on the Moon with a maximum velocity of 946 meters per second, casting severe doubts on the idea of tardigrades surviving the crash. But if a meteorite had a lower impact speed, survival may be possible. A larger obstacle for space-traveling tardigrades is shock pressure during the impact needed to send material into space. The pressure depends strongly on the impact angles (higher angles correspond to higher pressure), but a 10-km asteroid (like Chicxulub) would cause a shock pressure ranging from 20 to 30 gigapascals, far beyond the survivability of any known organism. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2021/05/19/could-tardigrades-travel-space-thanks-to-meteorite-impacts/ |
Do The Cyberpunk 2077 Lawsuits Have A Solid Case? | Cyberpunk 2077 CDPR CD Projekt Red is facing down at least four different lawsuits in the wake of the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, a rather bizarre affair that combined a very broken game with an astonishing amount of sales all the same. 13.7 million in its first few weeks alone. Two of the class action lawsuits are from CDPRs own shareholders. That CDPR made false or misleading statements, or failed to disclose the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 was virtually unplayable on the current-generation Xbox or PlayStation systems due to an enormous number of bugs. The idea is that players, investors, critics, everyone was mislead or purposefully misdirected away from the state of the game on those consoles, which caused huge issues at release, with players asking for refunds and the issues contributing to Sony removing Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store, where it remains banished nearly six months after release. Despite the big sales, the controversy has tanked CDPR stock, which is why investors are riled up. There are two main factors at play here. The first is that CDPR only provided PC review codes to outlets ahead of the release of Cyberpunk 2077, and requests for console codes were met with a range of responses from the idea that they were simply not available, to later, an explanation that they were trying to patch that version of the game up until the last minute, and they thought it would be fixed by launch. Cyberpunk 2077 CDPR I suppose you could view that as part of the case here. CDPR only put forth the best version of the game (PC, usually running on high-end hardware) for early reviews, and it performed well enough to charm many outlets into giving it high scores, something CDPR was quick to brag about at launch. But then release happened, and everyone actually got to play the console versions. They were, in fact, borderline unplayable, riddled with bugs and performing so poorly many players were prompted to ask for refunds. And here lies the most important thing to note with all this, the fact that the only information we had about the performance of the game on last gen consoles was this statement from an investor call by CDPRs Adam Kiciski. Heres hes talking about base console performance versus the Pro (PS4 Pro and Xbox One X) versions: Of course, a bit lower than on Pros, but surprisingly good, I would say for such a huge world. So, bit lower, but very good. That's the answer. That is what I would call the definition of a misleading statement, as either Kiciski was playing some base console version of the game that simply never existed, he has a very, very low bar for the definition of very good or he was justlying. Regardless, this statement spawned headlines like Cyberpunk 2077 runs surprisingly well on current-gen consoles according to CD Projekts CEO which is all the information that consumers had before the game launched, combined with the other fact that the press was not given console codes to review to say anything different. Im no lawyer, but that doesnt look great and at least that aspect of it seems pretty cut and dry. I dont know how CDPR can defend those pre-launch statements now, seeing the game that we got at launch, and yet even in their follow-up apology videos, they were saying things like they simply didnt see the bugs that players saw in testing, which again, is extremely hard to believe. It will likely take a while for these cases to work their way through the system, and who knows what the end result will be. In the meantime, Cyberpunk 2077 continues the process of repairing itself, and should finally be adding new content over the summer. Ive asked CDPR for comment on the upcoming lawsuits and will update when I hear back. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my free weekly content round-up newsletter, God Rolls. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series, and The Earthborn Trilogy, which is also on audiobook. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/05/19/do-the-cyberpunk-2077-lawsuits-have-a-solid-case/ |
Will meat tenderizer ease pain from bee stings? | Q: I used to have several beehives. Sometimes I would accidentally crush a bee when working on the hives. When that happened, they went into attack mode, and I got stung a lot. A name-brand meat tenderizer was the ticket to take the pain away. I think it dissolved or chemically altered the venom. Id make a paste and get it on as soon as possible. A: Many other readers agree with you that a paste of meat tenderizer and water can ease the pain of a bee sting. This was first written up in JAMA (April 24, 1972). Dr. Harry Arnold wrote: There is, however, an immediately effective remedy for such lesions, available in most kitchens: meat tenderizer. The effectiveness of this material, applied in a dilute solution of tap water, prepared on the spot by mixing a quarter-teaspoonful or so with a teaspoonful or two of water, presumably depends on its content of papain. This proteolytic enzyme probably breaks down the venoms and kinins injected by the insect. The solution is merely rubbed into the skin at the site of the sting, and virtually all pain stops within seconds. As far as we can tell, there has been no rigorous research to test this treatment. If you would like to learn more about simple ways to overcome common conditions and the science to support them, you may be interested in our eGuide to Favorite Home Remedies. This electronic resource is available in the Health eGuides section of PeoplesPharmacy.com. Q: My mother, my father, my grandmother and my mother-in-law all developed uncontrollable, nasty diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile after taking antibiotics (especially Cipro). C. diff is the name of bacteria that lives in the gut with other normal bacteria, causing no problems when a person is healthy. However, when a person takes a strong antibiotic for an infection, the medicine kills the normal bacteria in the gut and the C. diff remains. It no longer has any competition from normal flora. When it grows, it produces a toxin that causes severe diarrhea. A pharmacist recommended taking the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii whenever we are on an antibiotic. This yeast is not susceptible to most antibiotics. It helps keep C. diff in check and prevents diarrhea. It seems to work for my family. A: Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic that has been recommended widely to help counteract antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In fact, research demonstrates that when hospitalized patients take S. boulardii they are less likely to develop diarrhea after antibiotics (Clinical Infectious Diseases, June 23, 2020; European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, August 2018). Q: I am a doctor with gout. I try to avoid purines and oxalates in my diet, and I also try to avoid NSAIDs because of their side effects (cardiac events, ulcers, kidney problems). Remedies like cherry juice, cider vinegar, lemon juice, excess hydration or avoiding meats, beer and wine have not been very helpful. I do not want to take allopurinol or colchicine. But I started taking turmeric capsules, and after five days, my foot is much better. A: Gout is due to uric acid crystals depositing in joints. A study in mice demonstrated that turmeric nanoparticles lowered uric acid levels (Medicina, Jan. 11, 2019). A study in humans, however, failed to show similar benefit (Journal of Dietary Supplements, May-June 2021). The active ingredient, curcumin, does have anti-inflammatory activity. That may explain the benefit you have experienced. Contact the Graedons at peoplespharmacy.com. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/renew-houston/health/article/Will-meat-tenderizer-ease-pain-from-bee-stings-16188238.php |
Could Private Student Loans Be Forgiven Under Biden? | TOPSHOT - US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination in ... [+] the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC on May 17, 2021. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP) (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images President Biden has directed attorneys at the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice to conduct a legal review of his options to cancel student debt. That legal review is ongoing, and it is unclear what the conclusions will be, although we may know soon. Biden has consistently expressed support for cancelling student debt, but he has opposed calls for upwards of $50,000 or more in student loan forgiveness, an amount pushed by progressive Democrats and a broad coalition of advocacy groups, labor unions, and civil rights organizations. He has indicated that he would support $10,000 in student loan forgiveness, and he has also argued that any student debt cancellation should be targeted to lower income borrowers. Heres what we know. Private Student Loans Private student loans are originated by commercial lenders such as banks, schools, state-related or nonprofit lending authorities, and other private entities. These types of student loans often have higher interest rates than federal loans and fewer repayment options. They may also require a cosigner. Private student loans differ from an older federal student loan program called the Family Federal Education Loan (FFEL) program, whereby a private lender originated a type of federal loan that was backed or guaranteed by the government. Those types of loans could be eligible for certain federal student loan repayment and forgiveness programs, and can also be consolidated into a government-owned student loan through the federal Direct consolidation program. But purely private student loans cannot access any federal loan programs, and cannot be consolidated into a federal Direct loan. Biden Cancelling Student Loan Debt Through Executive Action While Biden has expressed general support for cancelling student loan debt, he has expressed serious doubts that he would have authority to enact any sort of mass student loan forgiveness through executive action. Several leading student loan legal advocacy groups, as well as their allies in Congress (such as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren), have argued that the Higher Education Act the sweeping statute that governs much of the federal student aid system gives the president very broad powers to compromise, waive, or release a borrowers student debt obligations. Borrower advocates have also pointed to the HEROES Act, which Biden (and President Trump, before him) used to suspend payments and interest on government-held federal student loans in response to the Covid-19 emergency, effectively cancelling billions of dollars in student loan interest in the process. But other experts disagree. Attorneys at the Department of Education under former Secretary Betsy DeVos concluded that neither the Higher Education Act nor the HEROES Act gives the president the kind of power that advocates of student loan cancellation say exists. In a legal opinion memo, Department attorneys argued that mass student loan forgiveness would be contrary to what Congress intended when it drafted and enacted these statutes. The attorneys concluded that, Congress appropriated funds for student loans with the expectation that such loans would be repaid absent extraordinary and specific circumstances. Even if the current legal review being conducted by the Biden administration concludes that mass student loan forgiveness is achievable using executive action, any relief would almost certainly be limited to federal student loans only. The Higher Education Act and the HEROES Act only govern the federal student aid system. Private student loans are governed largely by individual loan contracts and promissory notes between the borrower and lender, with a mix of state and federal regulation. Biden Could Sign a Bill Passed by Congress to Cancel Private Student Loans The Biden administration has repeatedly stated that the President would gladly sign a student debt cancellation bill passed by Congress. And there have been several recent proposals that could benefit private student loan borrowers: Last year, the House passed a bill that would provide for $10,000 in private student loan forgiveness for borrowers experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Also last year, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would have provided up to $10,000 in financial assistance to borrowers to help them pay down their private student loans. In February, Senate Democrats unveiled the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2021. This bill would make several reforms to the U.S. bankruptcy code, and would make it much easier for student loan borrowers (including those with private student loans) to discharge their federal and private student debt in bankruptcy something that is currently very difficult to do because of the bankruptcy codes harsh treatment of student loan debt. Earlier this month, the House passed the Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act, which would allow private student loan borrowers and their cosigners to discharge their loans if they become totally and permanently disabled. While these bills are promising, they face long odds in the Senate, where Democrats hold only a bare majority, and most legislation requires buy-in from Republicans to overcome a filibuster. In addition, Congresss attention is currently on other matters including infrastructure legislation, police reform, and voting rights. Ultimately, significant private student loan reform and cancellation is possible, but its a long shot, and Biden has limited powers to address private student loans unilaterally using executive authority. It would probably take Congressional legislation that passes both the House and the Senate for there to be sweeping private student loan forgiveness. Whether that will happen remains to be seen. College Cancels Student Loan Debt Using Money From Bidens Stimulus Bill If Youve Been Paying Your Student Loans, You May Be Entitled To A Refund | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2021/05/19/could-private-student-loans-be-forgiven-under-biden/ |
Is Diversification Still The Best Strategy? | A Variegated (Diversified) Garden getty You may have noticed that the stocks of a small number of very large companies have great impact on the performance of the stock market. I did an Internet search on 5 stocks dominate and turned up a very large number of articles discussing the unprecedented share of the FAANG stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon AMZN , Netflix NFLX , Google GOOG ) in total market capitalization. The grouping of dominant stocks is elastic, sometimes including Microsoft MSFT and Tesla TSLA . You might wonder if the world has changed. Perhaps diversification no longer makes sense if a handful of companies make up such are large share of the overall market. Perhaps investing success simply requires purchasing the top 5 or ten stocks. Just in the nick of time, Hendrik Bessembinders article, "Do Stocks Outperform Treasury Bills?" in the Journal of Financial Economics, rides to the rescue. Bessembinders research provides long-term perspective on this question. Heres a sneak preview diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. The paper analyzes the returns of every US stock represented in the University of Chicagos Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) database from 1926 to 2016 90 years and 25,967 stocks. That adds up to 3,565,216 months of stock performance! The paper compares the performance of each stock, each month, to the performance of Treasury bills in that same month. Treasury bills are effectively the risk-free US asset. The headline finding is that, while on average, stocks do outperform Treasury bills, more often than not, individual stocks underperform both Treasury bills and the stock market index. That sounds like an internally contradictory statement. Understanding it requires a brief digression into some simple statistical ideas. Stay with me they are easy to understand. Suppose we have 3 stocks, A, B and C. During January, A loses 30%, B returns 0%, and C returns 30%. January Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Bs return of 0% is also the median or middle return (marker for median return is hidden behind B). The mean or average return is the sum of all the returns divided by the number of stocks. In this case, thats -30% plus 0% plus 30% or 0% divided by 3, which is 0% (also the same as Bs return, thus the marker is hidden behind B). In January, the mean or average return equals the median or middle return. February Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial In February, A again loses 30% (poor A! ), B breaks even at 0%, and C has a barnburner month, gaining 330%. The median (middle) return for the month is still Bs 0% (again, the marker is hidden behind B), but the mean (average) is the total of all three returns, -30% + 0% + 330% = 300%, divided by 3 thats 100% (green triangle in the chart). The mean is larger than the median. When the mean is larger than the median, the distribution is said to be skewed to the right. That basically means that the distribution isnt symmetrical (like a bell curve). There are a few very large positive returns (like Cs in February), but most returns are much smaller (like As and Bs). Investors buying all three stocks would receive the mean return. Investors buying just one stock might get any of the three returns. If we were considering a more realistic situation with many stocks, and a return distribution skewed to the right, the number of stocks earning large returns will be small, and investors buying just one stock will have only a small chance of earning those large returns (half of these investors will receive the median return or less). Effectively, Bessembinder finds that the distribution of individual stock returns is skewed to the right, and it is more skewed for longer time periods. The median stock return is close to the T-Bill rate. Most investors holding individual stocks, in many months, would do better with the risk-free investment. Top Ten Value Creating US Stocks From 1926-2016 Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Value creation is concentrated, too Historically, the stocks that performed best did very, very well indeed (see chart above). The top ten stocks (out of 25,967, remember) generated 16% of all the economic value (return over Treasury bill returns) created by the US stock market between 1926 and 2016. The green curve shows the cumulative percentage of value created by the listed stocks from largest (Exxon) to number 10 (Walmart WMT ), from left to right. You probably recognize the names of the stocks. Were not finished yet, though. The top 90 stocks (.36%) account for half the value created, and the top 1,092 (4.31%) contributed all of it. The remaining 24,000 or so, the remaining 95+% (! ), collectively contributed nothing. Their investors would have done just as well owning Treasury bills and taking no risk. Bessembinder also investigated investment approaches to determine how their returns compared to that of the stock market overall, or the index. He constructed five different approaches based on the number of stocks each held, from 1 stock to 100 stocks, over different time frames, from 1 year to 90 years. For each portfolio size, he constructs a new portfolio each month, selecting from 1 stock to 100 stocks at random. He constructs 20,000 portfolio paths for each strategy and each time frame. The percentage of paths that beat the index for each approach is shown in the chart. Percentage of Portfolios with Returns Greater Than Index Rick Miller, Sensible Financial The concentrated strategies can beat the index, but its hard! Larger portfolios are more likely than smaller ones to be successful, and all approaches are less likely to be successful the longer the time frame. Even 100-stock portfolios beat the index less than 50% of the time. [You might argue that a talented stock-picker would do better than randomly choosing stocks a long sequence of Wall Street Journal articles about highly regarded stock pickers losing to darts thrown at the stock pages would suggest otherwise.] It is true (data not shown here) that the mean returns for 1- and 5-stock portfolios are much larger than the median, and much larger than the index returns, and the advantages are larger for the longer time frames. However, the return distributions are very skewed to the right, and the chance of beating the index is very small. In short, it was ever thus. Since the 1920s, a small number of stocks have contributed most of the markets investment returns. However, it has always been very difficult to know, in advance, which ones will contribute the most. A broadly diversified index approach, holding all stocks in proportion to their share of market value, ensures that investors will hold the small number of stocks that deliver very large returns, while more concentrated approaches do not. Investors who are willing to accept a large chance of losing most of their investment by investing in concentrated portfolios can be very successful, but most are likely to be disappointed. The foregoing content reflects Rick Millers opinions and is subject to change at any time without notice. Content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as investment advice or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of any security. There is no guarantee that the statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Any investor who attempts to mimic the performance of an index would incur fees and expenses which would reduce returns. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rmiller/2021/05/19/is-diversification-still-the-best-strategy/ |
Can the U.S. have "a stable and more predictable relationship with Russia"? | Moscow U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov were set to face off late Wednesday in the first high-level meeting between Russian and American officials under the Biden administration. They will meet as relations between the two rival powers hover near Cold War-lows. "It would be our preference to have a more stable and more predictable relationship with Russia," Blinken said the day before the meeting. "If these are stable and predictable sanctions, then it's probably not what we need, and we won't be judging the U.S. calls to normalize relations by their words," Lavrov responded a few hours later in Moscow, reiterating a common Russian complaint that the U.S. relies too heavily on economic punishment for its foreign policy. The two senior diplomats have a long list of hurdles to address, including Russia's treatment of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny, recent saber-rattling near the Ukrainian border and sanctions that Washington hit Russia with recently over alleged interference in U.S. elections and hacking attacks on American infrastructure. The meeting on the sidelines of the Arctic Council summit in Iceland on Wednesday was likely to make or break a highly anticipated summit between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which is expected to take place in June in Europe, if it does in fact go ahead. Bilateral relations were already fraught when they nose-dived in March, after Mr. Biden agreed with a description of Putin as "a killer." Envoys in both countries were recalled to their home capitals for consultations. Washington then imposed new sanctions over "malign" activities, denied by the Kremlin, leading to another wave of diplomatic expulsions. In this March 10, 2011 file photo, then-Vice President of the United States Joe Biden shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Russia added the U.S. to a new "list of unfriendly" nations, preventing the U.S. Embassy from employing local staff. The White House first floated the idea of a presidential summit last month in an apparent move to restore some lines of communication. The Kremlin said it was considering the offer, but it hasn't publicly confirmed that the meeting will take place. Despite the increasingly adversarial relations, however, Russia has signaled that it sees issues like nuclear arms control and strategic stability as areas of mutual interest on which the two nations might cooperate. The Kremlin on Wednesday signaled that Putin would be willing to look past Mr. Biden's previous comments if the meeting does take place this summer. "This incident is not the main thing," the Russian leader's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on Wednesday. "We are talking about strategic stability it worries the whole world, it concerns the whole world, and our bilateral relations. These are the main topics on the agenda." Russian officials also responded positively to U.S. media reports suggesting the Biden administration has decided against sanctioning the company in charge of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, stretching from Russia to Germany to enable easier Russian gas sales to Europe. The U.S. had previously slammed the project as a threat to European energy security. Mr. Biden and Putin had an early success, prolonging the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty for five more years when the fate of the pact the only remaining nuclear treaty between the two atomic bomb-wielding countries hung in the balance early in Mr. Biden's tenure. Now Russia says it wants to get the U.S. back into other agreements that were severed during the four years of the Trump administration, including the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and the Open Skies Treaty. "The return of the United States to the JCPOA is the main, key issue from our point of view, which requires a solution," Lavrov's deputy, Sergey Ryabkov, said Wednesday ahead of the meeting in Iceland. Russia's ambitious economic and military plans for its northern territories have also emerged as a growing point of contention with the U.S., as Russia takes over from Iceland as the rotating chair of the Arctic Council. Ahead of the Reykjavik summit, Blinken criticized Russia's military buildup in the Arctic region and its "unlawful maritime claims" after Moscow obliged foreign vessels transiting the so-called "Northern Route," the shipping passage around the country's northern coastline, to obtain permission and let Russian maritime officers board the vessels as they go through. Lavrov rebuked the statement, saying Moscow considers the region "its own land," and that Russia has the right to ensure the security of its northern coastline. CBS News' Svetlana Berdnikova contributed to this report. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-relationship-arctic-summit/ |
Is Corteva (CTVA) A Good Investment Choice? | Rhizome Partners, an investment management firm, published its first quarter 2021 investor letter a copy of which can be downloaded here. A return of 11.5% was recorded by the fund, outperforming the S&P 500 Index that delivered a +6.2% return and the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT Total Return Index that was up by 8.3% for the same period. You can view the funds top 5 holdings to have a peek at their top bets for 2021. Rhizome Partners, in its Q1 2021 investor letter, mentioned Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA), and shared their insights on the company. Corteva, Inc. is a Wilmington, Delaware-based agricultural chemical company that currently has a $33 billion market capitalization. Since the beginning of the year, CTVA delivered a 15.81% return, extending its 12-month gains to 78.72%. As of May 18, 2021, the stock closed at $45.78 per share. Here is what Rhizome Partners has to say about Corteva, Inc. in its Q1 2021 investor letter: "We are still getting used to the higher multiples that investors will pay for larger market cap and pure play companies such as Corteva. We do understand the markets rationale. For example, Corteva operates in a duopoly with Monsanto, owned by Bayer AG, that provides genetically modified seeds and pesticides. With some operating leverage, the company can probably grow FCF at 4-6% a year. This brings the total return close to the long-term return of the S&P 500 index of 10%. Through trial and error, we have come to appreciate how scale, higher market share, route densities, switching costs, and collaborative relationships amongst major industry players can contribute to sustained high returns on invested capital." Marcin Balcerzak/Shutterstock.com Our calculations show that Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) does not belong in our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, Corteva, Inc. was in 38 hedge fund portfolios, compared to 36 funds in the third quarter. CTVA delivered a -0.08% return in the past 3 months. Story continues The top 10 stocks among hedge funds returned 231.2% between 2015 and 2020, and outperformed the S&P 500 Index ETFs by more than 126 percentage points. We know it sounds unbelievable. You have been dismissing our articles about top hedge fund stocks mostly because you were fed biased information by other media outlets about hedge funds poor performance. You could have doubled the size of your nest egg by investing in the top hedge fund stocks instead of dumb S&P 500 ETFs. Here you can watch our video about the top 5 hedge fund stocks right now. All of these stocks had positive returns in 2020. At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, Federal Reserve has been creating trillions of dollars electronically to keep the interest rates near zero. We believe this will lead to inflation and boost real estate prices. So, we recommended this real estate stock to our monthly premium newsletter subscribers. We go through lists like the 15 best innovative stocks to buy to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our website: Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. | https://news.yahoo.com/corteva-ctva-good-investment-choice-170958265.html |
What are the legal troubles facing Donald Trump? | THE LEGAL shield that Donald Trump wielded as president to stave off lawsuits vanished when he left office on January 20th, exposing him to civil and criminal legal peril. Several investigations into Mr Trump, members of his family and Trump businesses are underway. On May 18th the vice appeared to tighten. A spokesperson for Letitia James, New Yorks attorney general, announced that her probe into the Trump Organisation is no longer purely civil, and that she has joined Cyrus Vance, Manhattans district attorney, in a criminal investigation. Ms James is investigating what she says may be fraudulent business practices in which Mr Trump and the Trump Organisation inflated the value of their assets when applying for loans, to secure better terms, and deflated them to reduce their tax bills. Allegations that they did so were first made by Michael Cohen, Mr Trumps former lawyer and fixer. The Trump Organisation says Ms Jamess inquiry is politically motivated. In September Mr Trumps son Eric, the companys executive vice-president, dismissed it as an anti-Trump fishing expedition. It is not clear what has turned the investigation from a civil matter into a criminal one, or whether Donald Trump is personally implicated. Mr Vance, meanwhile, has been investigating several possible financial crimes, including the same fraudulent practices that Ms James is looking into. He has reportedly abandoned a probe into Mr Trumps alleged hush-money pay-offs to an adult-film star and a Playboy model on the eve of the 2016 election (something that Mr Trump denies). But Mr Vances investigation ranges well beyond pay-offs. He subpoenaed eight years of financial records and tax documents from Mazars USA, Mr Trumps accountant. After a long legal battle, he obtained the records in February. Potential charges, if evidence is found, could include scheming to defraud, falsification of business records, insurance fraud and criminal tax fraud. Some of these felonies carry penalties of up to 25 years. Plenty more worries await Mr Trump. In February, a prosecutor in Georgia opened a criminal investigation into Mr Trumps alleged attempt to overturn the states election result, including a phone call to Georgias secretary of state in which the president asked him to find enough votes. And Mr Trump faces separate claims from E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist, and Summer Zervos, a contestant on The Apprentice, Mr Trumps hit television show. Ms Carroll wrote in 2019 that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store; Ms Zervos said he sexually assaulted her on set. Both hit the president with defamation lawsuits when he called them liars. All of this has raised some Democrats hopes that Mr Trump will at long last receive his comeuppance. But prosecutors investigating him must contend not merely with legal questions. They must also consider the political and precedential risks that indicting a litigious ex-president would invite. Mr Trump is no stranger to courtroom battles. Many people also spent years all but certain that Robert Mueller (remember him?) would march Mr Trump out of the Oval Office in handcuffs over his campaigns supposed collusion with Russia to secure election victory. That day never came. | https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/05/19/what-are-the-legal-troubles-facing-donald-trump |
Why do all those people sign up to help at Seattles COVID vaccination sites? | Its an hour before doors open in the busy world of Lumen Field Event Center, and the room echoes with sounds of preparation. Click-click-click of syringes being filled. Screeching of chairs moving to socially distant spots. A call for someone, a go for someone else, blasting from handheld radios. The twice-weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinic, the largest civilian-run mass-vaccination site in the U.S., is a well-choreographed dance. During each shift, between 200 and 300 workers wearing vests and lanyards of different colors to denote the dozen specific roles they play move thousands of people through the sprawling location. About half are paid employees, and the rest are volunteers. The Seattle site has administered more than 50,000 vaccine doses. On this day, officials are expecting to add 1,600 to the total. Each person vaccinated will cross paths with at least a dozen paid workers and volunteers, however briefly, during their journey from anxious check-in to bandaged-arm exit. These are the helpers. Behind a curtain, mother-daughter duo Karen and Sarah Wulff are discussing vaccines. Sarah Wulff is the vaccine preparation lead and trains volunteers, like her mom, in syringe preparation. The Wulffs, who live in Burien, are both nurses; Karen is retired and Sarah previously was a public health nurse in Clallam County. Advertising Sarah Wulff started at the Seattle University clinic and fell in love, she said, and now also helps with the Swedish mobile clinic. Meanwhile, Karen Wulff, who has been away from nursing about a decade but never completely left it, joined her daughter after hearing she was eligible to help under Gov. Jay Inslees executive order. Its been fun working together. You have someone to talk to about how the day went, Karen said. We can talk it over before bringing it up to others, like does this process sound like it might work? In the preparation area, some workers dilute vaccine and others draw it up. Supervisors verify each syringe is correctly loaded, with no bubbles. Toward the end of the day, preparers slow down. Sometimes they go on hold to count how many people are in line, then figure out how many more they need. Leftover doses usually go to volunteers, but if everyone is already vaccinated, they find anyone available. They gave a vaccine to a janitor, the pair said, another went to a hot dog vendor outside. That keeps me coming back, Karen Wulff said. I know its a quality process. Advertising Nearby, Evan Tice, 34, is typing on his computer. Tice, who works at Microsoft, thought volunteering would be a good opportunity to get out of the home office and use his tech skills to help. He began at the Seattle U clinic as a data entry volunteer, then moved up the ranks to lead on the team that oversees patient check-in and data-entry systems. Hes tried to automate common data entry problems that impact whats shown on computer dashboards. If the software shows someone sat at a vaccination table for two hours, for example, its probably a data entry mistake. He said hes most enjoyed getting to know people in other industries. Its this weird intersection of all these different professions and backgrounds and skills Im not typically exposed to, he said. We live in a weird time. The fact that we are all here, at Lumen Field, doing this, its not normal. But its going to get us back to normal. ARE YOU READY TO GET VACCINATED? Terry McMahan, a customer service floor manager, yells through a megaphone to the line of people waiting. Advertising Its show time, and McMahan is the emcee. His job is to make sure the process is seamless, and hopefully quick just a few minutes added to the required 15-minute, post-jab wait. He bounces around in a matching mask and shirt; At one table, he tells a 13-year-old to look at him, not the needle, as the boy was vaccinated. He started as a volunteer, but now this is his second full-time job, along with being real estate broker. He got involved after his neighbor posted on Instagram that she had gotten a vaccine. I knew she wasnt within any of the categories to get vaccinated, said McMahan, who lives in Seattle. So I was out chatting with her one afternoon and asked her, give me the deal, how did you get this vaccination? And she told me about the Swedish clinic. In the beginning, I went there, selfishly, to get vaccinated. Within 30 minutes, something clicked. He loved everything about the clinic; the jubilation was like nothing he had seen before. He gets chills talking about it. If there is a place for me to go after the clinic closes, Ill go, he said. Because it really is something that I need to see it happen, I need to see it through, see as many people in our city and state get vaccinated. Sponsored At Station No. 5, Taryn Walcott, 41, who is doing vaccination data entry, holds up a pink sign to show shes ready for the next patient. Walcott recently graduated with a masters degree in public health, and thought working at the site would be perfect to get more clinical experience. When someone sits down, Walcott, who lives in Seattle, verifies their information, and starts chatting. Thats intentional asking about their day and making them laugh helps them relax. The best experience is meeting the people, and everyone being high energy and into it, she said. It makes the experience really good. A woman in her 20s sits down, talks with Walcott and barely seems to notice as vaccinator Karen Ilika, 70, gives her a shot. Ilika is retired OB-GYN who decided to volunteer after she heard vaccinators were in high demand. Shes worked eight days; the one day she kept track of how many vaccinations shed administered, the tally came to 75. Advertising During her career as a doctor her last practice was at Evergreen Health she helped women through important times in their life, she said. Getting vaccinated, too, is another important time in their lives. I am such a proponent of getting everybody vaccinated that I just want to do my part, she said. Be part of the solution. Most people shes vaccinating are under 30, and the recipients stories often involve family and travel: going to a nieces graduation, attending a stepsisters wedding, flying to see a parent. One day, a family of three came in. English wasnt the parents and adult sons first language, so Ilika spoke to them through an interpreter. After she gave each an injection, they all hugged. And then they all yelled FREEDOM! as they walked away, Ilika said. To the left of the vaccination area is language support, where brown-vested interpreters who, together, speak more than a dozen languages wait for anyone needing translation. The most requested interpreters, language support leads say, are for Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Advertising Du Ke Ly, 60, a Vietnamese interpreter, expects a busy day. Since he started at the site, he estimates hes interpreted for about 200 people. The Tacoma residents experience as a volunteer interpreter began 30 years ago, in a refugee camp in the Philippines. Born to Chinese parents in Vietnam, he speaks and professionally translates in Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese. When I was in the Philippines, someone told me that you dont have experience or a certification, but you have something that people dont know at all, he said. Thats why Im here. His favorite part has been when he first arrived at the site, and heard the organizers say you are here to save lives. When everyone was waiting for vaccine appointments, we said lets go, he added, snapping his fingers. And its here now. Hes learned new words to translate, like how to convey the vaccines potential side effects. But sometimes it doesnt matter how much they translate. The first day, we had a lady who was about 70, and she spoke Chinese, and she was so concerned about Pfizer, Ly recalled. She thought she was coming here for Johnson & Johnson. Even her husband was on the phone telling her I already had my one shot, but she didnt feel comfortable. It didnt matter how we translated, she said no, I dont feel safe. She just wanted that one. Advertising For anyone who feels anxious, or needs help finding transportation to a second dose appointment, or worries about being excused from their job, social work volunteer Helen Montgomery is available. The thing with any social work job description is the phrase other duties as assigned, Montgomery said at the social work table, in the corner of the area where recipients wait 15 minutes after their shot. Its kind of whatever they need help with. One other duty as assigned: some newly eligible 16- and 17-year- olds have come in without a guardian, said Montgomery, a licensed independent clinical social worker. Volunteers then call a parent or guardian and document telephone consent, which allows the teenagers to get the shot. The first time she was at the site, a 17-year-old walked in alone, after deciding Im just ready to do it. I thought that was pretty cool, she said. COVID-19 vaccINATIONS Appointments are not required at these mass-vaccination sites, run by the City of Seattle. Lumen Field Event Center, 330 S. Royal BroughamA Way: Open Wednesday and Saturday, 11:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Rainier Beach Community Vaccination Hub, 8702 Seward Park Ave S.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. West Seattle Community Vaccination Hub, 2801 S.W. Thistle St.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aida Hidalgo is one of the last workers people see before they leave. With a purple lanyard hanging from her neck, shes on the wayfinding team, checking people in, doing health screenings, directing foot traffic. A public-health student at the University of Washington, Hidalgo volunteers in several community-health groups geared toward Latinos. Advertising She has been volunteering for about a month, and encouraged her husband to volunteer, too. When he came back from his shift, she said, he told her that he finally understood why she was so excited about being part of the vaccination effort. Now her young son wants to join. Wayfinders rotate where theyre placed, but she prefers the exit over the start line. At the start, everyone is anxious. On the way out, theyre happy. They are just so relaxed and so grateful, she said. Theres not a single patient who wasnt thanking us for being here and making this possible. | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/you-are-here-to-save-lives-meet-the-helpers-at-a-seattle-covid-vaccination-site/ |
How Can Baseball Reverse Its Trend And Make Itself Exciting Again? | Cleveland Indians president Chris Antonetti has seen his team get no-hit twice already this season. ... [+] (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) ASSOCIATED PRESS With six no-hitters so far this year (if you count Madison Bumgarners seven-inning hitless complete game), the major leagues are averaging almost one no-hitter per week. Thats a lot of games with no hits, and a lot of fans frustrated by not seeing hits. The Seattle Mariners team batting average is .199 and the Cleveland Indians is .212 and they both play in the league with the designated hitter. The Mariners and Indians have already been no-hit a combined four times. The two teams played a four-game series in Seattle last week, and, amazingly, there were no no-hitters, although it was close. Clevelands Zach Plesac, who was the Indians starting pitcher on May 7 when Cincinnatis Wade Miley no-hit Cleveland, took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Mariners on May 13, before giving up a leadoff single. Last night in Seattle, the Mariners got no-hit by Detroits Spencer Turnbull, who in 2019 led the American League with 17 losses and had never pitched a complete game in his career until he pitched his no-hitter. The lineup Turnbull no-hit last night included five players with batting averages under .200. When the Indians got no-hit by Miley on May 7 the Indians starting lineup included four players hitting .200 or lower. Prior to this season the Indians had gone nine years without getting no-hit. This year they got no-hit twice in 21 days. Seattle has gotten no-hit twice in one month. But its still early. Baseballs lack of hitting has been in a freefall the last few years. The proliferation of the dreaded three true outcomes of home runs, strikeouts and walks, is sucking the life out of the game, and those running the game know it. The problem is: how to fix it. Indians president Chris Antonetti has had a front row seat for action-less baseball this season. His offensively-challenged team is on a pace for historic lows for the franchise in batting average and on-base percentage. But Antonettis isnt just a franchise problem its an industry problem, for which there is no clear solution. The advantages that pitchers have right now, with the offensive approach, has skewed things more favorably towards pitching, Antonetti said. Im supportive of continuing to think about ways we can balance that out a little better and actively try to shape what the future of the game looks like. Because I dont think its great for the industry and I dont think its the product our fans want to see, when there are more strikeouts than hits. Identifying the problem is easy. Fixing it is not. Teams and players are going to strive for what generates runs and what prevents runs, because ultimately thats what players are going to get compensated for, Antonetti said. The reality is, based upon the current environment, that its still a lot easier, to score runs, to hit a home run than to string a lot of hits together. Antonetti believes part of the explanation for the alarming decline in offense is simply that the pitchers have gotten much better. When you look at the quality of stuff that is being run out there every night, its better than its ever been, he said. Combine that with the way teams have gotten inventive in deploying those pitching strategies and pitching resources, it provides so many advantages for pitchers right now that its really difficult to string a bunch of hits in a row. Therefore, the best way to score runs is to find a way to hit the ball over the fence. Until we change that, and change some of the underlying dynamics, its going to be hard. Because no one is going to make changes that doesnt encourage run scoring. Thats just not the way the reality works. Yes, Id like to get back to more balls in play, more action on the field. But to do that we need to think about how do we create the incentive for players and teams to want to do that? Experimentation on how best to bring more action to baseball has already begun, mostly at the minor league level, but also at the major league level, such as the new rule of starting each extra inning with a base runner at second base. Im very supportive of trying to experiment with things so we get more information and more data to figure out what measures will impact change, Antonetti said. And how do we get back to a place where we do have more balls in play and have more singles, doubles, triples, stolen bases and other things, and not just home runs and strikeouts. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimingraham/2021/05/19/how-can-baseball-reverse-its-trend-and-make-itself-exciting-again/ |
Can The U.K. Government Get To Grips With Digital Identity? | Busses cross Westminster Bridge backdropped by the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, right, ... [+] which contains the world famous bell known as Big Ben in London, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The Big Ben bell will sound again from early next year as the restoration of Parliament's Elizabeth Tower nears completion, after a much delayed refurbishment of the Westminster landmark. In a statement, UK Parliament authorities said: "The Elizabeth Tower conservation project is due to complete in the second quarter of 2022." (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) ASSOCIATED PRESS This week in the House of Lords, Lord Holmes of Richmond will ask the Government what plans it has to introduce a distributed digital identification (Digital ID) protocol for the United Kingdom. Its a great question. The U.K. Governments flagship digital identity program was recently abandoned due to over-elaborate expectations trajectory and cost. This was not unexpected. The $250 million (175 million) Gov.uk Verify digital identity system was launched in 2013 with a goal of 25 million users by 2020 with every government department using the system. One key department however, Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - the U.K tax authority, opted out of the system in 2017 and today their own Government Gateway system has 16 million users compared with fewer than eight million for Verify. The Government has announced that it will keep Verify running until April 2023 while working on developing a new digital identity service. The new system will be mandated across departments and all public-facing central government services will have to migrate onto the new system with all legacy systems planned to be phased out. Government Digital Service (GDS) is leading the project in what the Government is describing as a 'discrete digital identity pilot project' which is underway. The Government has also published a draft digital identity trust framework. Despite an outstanding track record on rolling out Open Banking and Digital Payments in the U.K. you can see why my noble friend Lord Holmes is frustrated by progress, or rather, the lack of progress, on digital identity. This next generation infrastructure is at the heart of making Digital Britain work, improving financial inclusion and wellness, and enabling economic growth through the delivery of both public and private digital currencies and securities. This has become particularly urgent as we start to emerge from the dreadful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and seek to 'build back better' over the next decade. Lord Holmes is not alone in raising the issue. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a recent report noted that digital identity would be a great benefit to the greater adoption of Open Finance. The Kalifa Review of U.K. Fintech, published its report in February 2021, following a government commissioned independent review into the U.K. fintech sector, highlighted the need for a coalition on Digital ID to avoid misunderstanding and confusion about competing standards, a real risk right now. Bill passed in Parliament The Financial Services Bill has recently passed through parliament, becoming law last month. Lord Holmes tabled several amendments to the bill, suggesting changes and putting forward proposals designed to push forward a distributed Digital ID. The amendments required that HM Treasury, within six months of the passage of the bill, publish the Governments plans for the development and deployment of a distributed Digital ID for individuals and corporate entities in the financial services sector. Along with this desire for a more ambitious schedule, the proposals stated that a successful distributed Digital ID must be scalable, flexible, inclusive, capable of deployment and take-up across the entire of the U.K., and capable of adapting to change not least in new technologies such as quantum computing. The proposal also included a mandatory public engagement campaign around Digital ID, to raise public awareness and participation in the process. It is worth noting on this point that a Voter ID bill that would make access to a ballot paper conditional on production of photo id has just been announced for the new legislative session and is already causing a backlash from civil liberties campaigners. British citizens are not required by law to carry identity documents and there is a widespread cultural antipathy to the idea. What has traditionally been understood as a balance of power that protects citizens from an intrusive or repressive state however, can be completely reimagined if there is better understanding of distributed Digital ID systems based on self-sovereign identity. Lord Holmes argues that a distributed Digital ID must be implemented in accordance with the twelve guiding principles of self-sovereign identity. We should all have a great interest in what the future holds for digital identity on the blockchain. In addition to the compelling use case for citizen digital identity for government services and voting there could be a role for an effective trusted distributed Digital ID in addressing the prevalence of fake news and inflammatory content on social media. Blockchain-based systems provide features, such as hashing functions, digital signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs that can protect our information against theft or loss, offer secure systems and build trust. This all depends on projects getting to grips with the implications of these innovations on our understanding of concepts like citizenship and the relationship between citizen and state. Access to essential services and rights are dependent on a valid proof of identity. From a development perspective the World Bank has stressed the need for every citizen to be endowed with a valid proof of identity. A 2016 report identified three overarching goals for any identification system; inclusion and access to essential services, effective and efficient administration of public services and more accurate measurement of progress in particular policy areas. Yet, still today, more than 1.5 billion people are excluded from accessing basic services due to their inability to prove their identity. Public awareness and engagement The great British public understand identity in a legal sense. That is the fact that individuals are recognised as citizens by a state, whether by birth or another legal citizenship process and provided with a birth certificate or passport to prove it. In addition to these documents that provide evidence of citizenship there is also proof of address, a form of identification issues by a trusted institution such as a bank or utility company. Both these government issued and trusted organisation issued documents are usually required for formal identification purposes in financial services, a process known as Know Your Customer (KYC). Currently mainly paper based and physical, the process of digitisation is underway with tech platforms such as Onfido and Jumio using AI to verify customers and block fraudsters. If these innovations continue to improve user experience, reduce fraud, and improve financial inclusion then public trust should build. The missing, and absolutely essential piece of the puzzle, is a government-issued digital identity. During the Financial Services Bill debate, Minister Baroness Penn said that the Government, 'considers that progress is already under way to support the use of digital identity products that will work across the economy and between different economic sectors and that the public are engaged on how the work is being shaped.' Lord Holmes is rightly pushing for more detail on the the Government's plans for Digital ID stating, There is a real prize for the U.K. here, for us as individuals, corporate and all entities, to trade, to trust, to claim and verify, to lead when it comes to distributed Digital ID. We have the technology to achieve a Digital ID solution for all, now. The real question is whether the policy makers and legislators can create the innovative and collaborative environment required to deliver a single Digital ID solution that works across government and industry. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencewintermeyer/2021/05/19/can-the-uk-government-get-to-grips-with-digital-identity/ |
Is Aaron Rodgers a Diva? Does It Matter if He Is? | Former Packers Ron Wolf GM placed the diva label on todays NFL quarterbacks, presumably referring to former Cal star Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. It is indicative of the publics infatuation with pro football that innocuous comments on an obscure network by an 82-year-old man no longer in the NFL have created a stir. But they have, so we will address it. The comment in question came from Ron Wolf, who as general manager of the Green Bay Packers, brought in Brett Favre, Reggie White and head coach Mike Holmgren to turn a struggling franchise into a perennial title contender. He has not been part of the NFL for more than 20 years. A few days ago, while on something called the Big Show Network, Wolf said this: We have a lot of divas playing in the league right now. I fail to understand that all these guys have long-term deals. I cant believe the game has changed that remarkably. He obviously was referring to Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and former Cal star an current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, each of whom is under contract for next season but has made it known he wants to be traded or at the very least wants significant changes in his teams personnel. It has created a sports-talk-show uproar. First of all lets clarify the meaning of diva. The No. 1 definition is this: ---A famous female opera singer. OK, that does not apply here. Definition No. 2 ---A famous female singer of popular music. Again not applicable; that's Beyonce. Definition No. 3 ---A self-important person who is temperamental and difficult to please (typically used of a woman). Ah, now we have something except the typically used of a woman part. So Rodgers, Wilson and Watson are being called temperamental and difficult to please. Former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson said on ESPN that this is nothing new, that quarterbacks have always been selfish and demanding, but teams simply took care of them by giving them huge contracts without any publicity. Now, claims Johnson, the media is making those issues public. Well, its not the media thats different; its the information vehicle that has changed. Social media leaves no stone unturned and does it in real time. Countless sources of information pump out news as it happens, with the most controversial news getting the most traffic and the biggest reaction. And players are aware of it. Its true that established, elite quarterback wield tremendous power these days. Todays NFL rules have made pro football a passing game, and a teams success correlates directly with the quality of its quarterback. Only four quarterbacks have the kind of power we're talking about the three in question and Tom Brady. Brady used his influence to get all the needed weapons and pieces sent to Tampa Bay so he could win a Super Bowl, and the others noticed. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen may obtain similar power in a few years but they have not been around quite long enough to exercise that power and dont have the need to use it at the moment anyway. Well, we all say that our quarterbacks need to be strong leaders who must do whatever they can to bring their teams success. Being such a leader means being outspoken about things that need to be done on the field and off. In this case the quarterback as leader is using his power in self-interest, or what seems to be self-interest. But what they want is to be in a situation to win a Super Bowl. Brady is not considered the best quarterback of alltime because of his statistics he ranks only sixth among active quarterbacks in career passer rating its because he has won seven Super Bowls. That is what the grieving quarterbacks want. And if they have the power to effect change that will help them get there they will use it. People who have power bestowed upon them invariable make use of it. Imagine Mitch McConnell not exerting his influence in Congress or Pope Francis leaving well enough alone. Of course, power can be used for good or evil, and it can be used for the public good or self-interest. Self-interest is the motivation of these quarterbacks, but it is the motivation for virtually all top-level athletes, while somehow making it work within the team concept. A handful of elite NBA stars have already demonstrated how much power they have, using their massive influence to manipulate change that leads to championship-caliber products. Quarterbacks are the only players in the NFL who wield such power. It would be silly to believe they would not utilize it. We know these elite quarterbacks are divas in that regard. Its just a matter of interpretation as to whether that represents a compliment or a criticism. Being difficult to please could be seen as an admirable trait, the pursuit of perfection. Yes, Aaron Rodgers is a diva, and . . . Yes, politicians are manipulators, and . . . Yes, sharks are dangerous, and . . . Its a simple fact, not necessarily a condemnation. Theres no reason to debate it, or to decry it as a burgeoning problem. We cant lament the rise of the football diva simply because it was not present in the so-called good old days, as Ron Wolf did. Its not good. Its not bad. Its just inevitable. . Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports . Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53 Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport | https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/aaron-rodgers-and-the-diva |
What Ramifications For Louisville Will Come From Gaudio's Extortion Case? | Former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio threatened to go public with recruiting violations committed by the program. (Photo of Mike Pegues, Dino Gaudio: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Just when it seems like the dust is starting to clear around the Louisville men's basketball program, something comes around to kick it back up again. On Tuesday, former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio was federally charged with "interstate communication with intent to extort" the program. Upon learning that his contract would not be renewed, Gaudio threatened to expose recruiting violations by the program to the media if he did not receive a lump sum of 17 months salary. In the hours following the public release of the charging documents, attorney Brian Butler, who is representing Gaudio, told the media that Gaudio "said things that he shouldn't have said that he regrets saying", and that "he intends to take full responsibility for those comments." According to a statement released by the University of Louisville, the allegations that Gaudio threatened to go public over were the "impermissible production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes" and the "impermissible use of graduate managers in practices and workouts." Louisville noted that they are cooperating with the authorities as well as the NCAA, but there is a pivotal question that arises from all this. First, we need to categorize where the alleged infractions fall in line with NCAA protocol. It's hard to determine the degree of punishment until we know more specifics surrounding the allegations, but fortunately, we may have a baseline. Sources familiar with NCAA charging guidelines told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde that the infractions would "likely to be considered Level II or III violations," but would tilt more so towards Level III. According to the NCAA's official definitions, a Level II infraction is considered a "significant breach of conduct" that "may compromise the integrity of college sports". As for Level III, they are considered "isolated or limited in nature" that provide a minimal advantage. For greater context, Level III violations happen all the time across collegiate athletics, and are usually completely inadvertent. It's why programs have compliance officers to inform the NCAA of what happens, and more often than not, no noteworthy punishment happens. Well, thanks to UTEP football, we have some idea. Like Louisville, UTEP also used graduate assistants in practice, thus exceeding "the maximum allowable countable coaches". The Aggies' football program received: One year of probation. A $5,000 fine. A one-year show-cause order for the football head coach, including a four-day suspension from all coaching activities and a 10-day suspension from off-campus recruiting during the 2020-21 football contact period. A reduction in the number of football countable coaches by one for six days of practice during the 2021-22 academic year. It's also worth mentioning that the aforementioned penalties came from violations that, at face value, seem more egregious than what Louisville is alleged to have committed. But that is the case in a normal situation, and Louisville isn't exactly in one of those. The program is still in the midst of their Brian Bowen II infractions case, which could be viewed as an "aggravating circumstance" in the eyes of the NCAA. Oh, and not to mention the fact that the program is still on probation until June 14 because of the Katina Powell & Andre McGee sex scandal. Basically, if this had happened to any other school, this most likely has minimal to no punishment. However, since Louisville has a recent prior history with the NCAA, they could decide to up the ante if Gaudio's allegations ring true. But considering the NCAA seems to have no rhyme or reason to how they dish out penalties, who really know what could happen. You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter: Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp | https://www.si.com/college/louisville/basketball/ramifications-from-gaudio-extortion-case |
Who was Daniel Morgan and what is the new row over his murder case? | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. Together with his business partner Jonathan Rees he ran an agency called Southern Investigations. Morgan had some police contacts, and his work was mainly low-level. He had a wife and two children. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London. Later he was found dead in the pub car park, with an axe embedded in his head. Two sticky plaster strips had been wrapped around the axe handle to prevent fingerprint evidence from being left behind. The Metropolitan police now accept it was blighted by corruption. One bizarre feature was that a detective called Sid Fillery worked on the first murder investigation. He had close ties to Rees, and he went on to replace Morgan at Southern Investigations. No, despite five police investigations, the last collapsing in 2011. In 2017 four men targeted by the Met sued the force in the high court alleging malicious prosecution. Among them were Rees and his brothers-in-law, Glenn Vian and his brother Garry. They denied charges of murder. Those three lost their case against the Met. The fourth man, Fillery, accused of perverting the course of justice, won part of his claim. He left the Met in 1988. Morgans brother Alastair quickly became suspicious about the police. He has spearheaded what has become a 34-year campaign for the truth. In 2017 he told the Guardian: Ive been in the wilderness. It has been horribly frustrating and painful for decades. Bit by bit the Met has accepted there were serious problems in the case, so much so that at the 2017 high court hearing the force said: It is right to acknowledge that the murder, and the associated corruption, has shocked the conscience of the nation from the very top. Morgan says the claims of corruption have never been properly looked into and no one has been held to account. Rees carried out a lot of work for the News of the World as well as other media outlets. In one year the NoW paid him 150,000. Reess main point of contact was Alex Marunchak, once the Sunday tabloids star crime writer, who became an executive. He denies any wrongdoing. A witness told detectives that Morgan was in discussions with the NoW to sell a story about police corruption shortly before his death. News UK, the company that owns Murdochs British newspapers, declined to comment about its actions or those of people working for it. Theories have included a business dispute, and in 2007 the Met said the motive was probably that Morgan was about to expose a south London drugs network possibly involving corrupt police officers. In 2013 the then home secretary, Theresa May, was concerned about the lingering claims and set up an inquiry. Eight years on, the report was expected to be published on Monday 24 May. But the home secretary, Priti Patel, has told the inquiry she must see the report first and review its contents before it can be made public. The Home Office says Patel has the right to review the report before publication. The Morgan family and the panel say she is wrong and that an agreement signed in 2013 when the panel was set up limit the home secretarys role to receiving the report and laying it before parliament. The panel now has to decide whether or not it stands firm. Legal action is possible, but for now the report is delayed again. And those who murdered Morgan remain free. Yes it could. One of Morgans police contacts was a detective called Alan Holmes. By the summer of 1987 he was a crucial witness in a corruption investigation into a senior Met officer. Holmes was found shot dead in what was classified as a suicide four months after Morgans killing. | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/19/who-was-daniel-morgan-and-what-is-the-new-row-over-his-case |
Could Browns move Chris Hubbard once healthy? | The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of additions to their roster this offseason with not a lot of subtractions. Besides the additions via the NFL draft and free agency, the team also is expected to get Andrew Billings and Drew Forbes back after both opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. Odell Beckham Jr., Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit are expected to return to the team after missing most (OBJ) or all (Williams and Delpit) of last season due to injury. Chris Hubbard is one name to keep an eye on but the team will want to wait until he is considered healthy to do so. Hubbard tore ligaments in his knee and had a dislocated knee cap that required surgery late in December when the Browns placed him on injured reserve. Along with the addition of Forbes, the Browns signed Greg Senat and drafted James Hudson to compete on the offensive line. The team was already deep with quality players there despite a constant struggle league-wide to have any depth on the offensive line. Whenever Hubbard is deemed healthy, the Browns can save just under $4 million by cutting or trading him. Given the dearth of quality offensive linemen in the NFL and Hubbards relatively cheap contract, the team should be able to get a day three draft pick in exchange for him. By the time Hubbard is healthy, depending on which ligaments he tore, the Browns will likely have had a chance to see Forbes, Hudson and the rest of their offensive line group for a little while. If none show the ability to step in if needed, Hubbard is likely to stick around. If the Browns feel confident in their backup group, adding cap space for future contracts and an additional draft asset could see Hubbard heading out the door. | https://sports.yahoo.com/could-browns-move-chris-hubbard-162010087.html?src=rss |
Did conservative ire keep journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones from getting tenure at UNC? | Nikole Hannah-Jones John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was supposed to join UNC-Chapel Hills Hussman School of Journalism and Media in July as a tenured professor. Instead, her role as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism will be as a fixed-term Professor of the Practice, with the option of being reviewed for tenure within five years. The journalism schools dean, Susan King, said she was told that the UNC-CH Board of Trustees was hesitant to give tenure to someone outside of academia. But the news comes as Hannah-Jones has been a lightning rod for some conservatives critical of her work, particularly on The 1619 Project, which explores the legacy and history of Black Americans and slavery. Her piece won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, but faced scrutiny from some historians and politicians and led to a clarification from the New York Times. Investigative journalists always are involved in controversies, King said. They dig deep, and they raise questions that demand answers. Part of what they do is raise uncomfortable questions for people, institutions and systems. In Hannah-Jones hiring announcement in April, King said one of the most respected investigative journalists in America will be working with our students on projects that will move their careers forward and ignite critically important conversations. Hannah-Jones could not be reached for comment as of Wednesday afternoon. Board of Trustees didnt approve Earlier this week, King explained in a message to faculty that when Hannah-Jones case for tenure was presented, the campus trustees did not act on it. So the university offered her a five-year fixed-term contract, which was different from the original job description. Hannah-Jones will also remain a journalist at the New York Times. NC PolicyWatch first reported that UNC backed down from offering Hannah-Jones the tenure-track position after conservative criticism. The board has the authority to approve all tenured positions, which are lifetime appointments. In the message, King said she was told: the board was worried about a non-academic entering the university with this designation. However, all of UNC-CHs previous Knight Chairs have been appointed with tenure, and the position is designed to bring professionals into academia. Some Knight Chairs around the nation are not tenured positions, King wrote, but this will have implications for their next search and appointment of this role. Tenure is a rigorous process that requires approval at many levels. Hannah-Jones was being courted by King before The 1619 Project was published and her hiring for this position has been months in the making. As part of her tenure package, Hannah-Jones met with groups of faculty and taught a class at UNC-CH. She wrote a statement about her professional vision, teaching and service and presented her body of work to be explored by the journalism schools promotion and tenure committee, which voted to approve her. That package was also reviewed by outside academics and presented to all tenured faculty in the journalism school. Then King presented it to the provost, to the promotion and tenure committee at the university level and then to the Board of Trustees. King said she had the support of the provost and chancellor in making this hire, even after it didnt include tenure. They stood by the school to try to find a way to bring her here, King said. She will help our students navigate a changing time in America at a very partisan moment. Members of the Board of Trustees did not issue a statement when Hannah-Jones hiring was announced. The board did not publicly discuss whether or not she should get tenure. Still, it never got a vote from the board. This issue could come up at board committee meetings Wednesday and with the full board on Thursday. Concern among faculty King said she respects the boards authority and decision, but it is concerning for the school and its faculty given Hannah-Jones qualifications. She said it could be a setback for the Hussman school and the university as a whole. People are worried about what this says about the board, King said. Im afraid of what our peers will say or potential new scholars or practitioners. Will they want to come here? Hannah-Jones covers civil rights and racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine. She is a MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant recipient and was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and inducted to the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame. King said UNC been congratulated on this hire, with some saying Hannah-Jones is the most important journalist of this generation. But the news of her hire also drew criticism from some UNC alumni and conservative groups. Jay Schalin, director of policy analysis at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, wrote that the hire signals a degradation of journalistic standards, taking aim at The 1619 Project. Schalin said the projects goal was not historical or journalistic, but political agitation. Shannon Watkins, also from the Martin Center, criticized the trustees and the UNC system for its inability to prevent activist-scholars from gaining positions within the university. What was the leadership at UNC thinking? said an unsigned editorial from the Carolina Partnership for Reform. This lady is an activist reporter not a teacher. But at the journalism school, the controversy over Hannah-Jones hiring is seen through a different lens. Associate Professor Deb Aikat said it sets a disturbing precedent that in 2021, when we are in a racial reckoning, the UNC Board of Trustees declined to consider for tenure a prospective faculty of color. Our faculty colleagues in UNC are troubled and tormented that conservative ire has forced the UNC Board of Trustees to back down from offering a tenured position to an acclaimed journalist like Nikole Hannah-Jones, Aikat said. About two dozen journalism and media faculty, including Aikat, released a statement Wednesday saying they are stunned that Hannah-Jones wasnt awarded tenure and demanded explanations from the universitys leadership. The failure to offer Hannah-Jones tenure with her appointment as a Knight chair unfairly moves the goalposts and violates long-standing norms and established processes relating to tenure and promotion at UNC-Chapel Hill, they wrote. They mentioned Hannah-Jones 20-plus years of journalism experience and her necessary and transformative work on Americas racial history. The national politicization of universities, journalism, and the social sciences undermines the integrity of and academic freedom within the whole University of North Carolina system, they wrote. | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article251527603.html |
When Gaza guns fall silent, will new path to peace emerge? | Still, the current fighting has raised another question at the heart of the Gaza paradox: whether the price of not doing so might be too high. That would demand an active role of America, Israels closest ally. President Joe Biden has shown no interest in expending political capital on what has historically proved to be a fruitless task: His foreign policy priority is China, not the Middle East. He will doubtless be profoundly dubious about launching a new U.S. diplomatic initiative there. Both, at least for now, stand to emerge politically strengthened from the latest bloodletting. But in the longer term the outbreak of violence might just might prompt a renewed focus on trying to find a long-term compromise between Israel and the Palestinians. It has been over 20 years since the U.S. was last involved in a serious effort to resolve the Palestinian issue. The current fighting between Israel and Hamas might just possibly prompt Washington to try again. On the one hand, the fighting has shaken a widespread belief in Israel that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fading away. It has put the idea of a two-state solution back on the table. On the other, both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are implacably opposed to any such negotiated compromise. At the heart of the current fighting between Israel and Hamas lies a paradox. Sadly, weve been here before: the militant Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza, on Israels southern border, firing missiles at Israeli towns and cities, Israel responding with overwhelming force, hundreds of innocent civilian lives lost, mostly Palestinian. But while the military equation hasnt changed, the political context has. A critically important paradox lies at the heart of this latest round of fighting, the third major outbreak in the last dozen years. How its resolved will determine what happens when the guns fall silent again. Why We Wrote This It has been over 20 years since the U.S. was last involved in a serious effort to resolve the Palestinian issue. The current fighting between Israel and Hamas might just possibly prompt Washington to try again. On the one hand, the fighting has shaken a widespread belief in Israel that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fading away, and has put the idea of a two-state solution back on the table. On the other, both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are implacably opposed to any such negotiated compromise. And both, at least for now, stand to emerge politically strengthened from the latest bloodletting. Hamas will feel it has achieved what it was seeking last week by targeting missiles not just at nearby southern Israeli towns but also, crucially, at Jerusalem the disputed holy city at the root of the current conflict, where Israeli police were clashing with protesters angered by the threatened eviction of a number of Palestinian families. To claim overall Palestinian leadership at a time when the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority on the West Bank has been drained of most of its authority at home and is finding it increasingly difficult to make its voice heard abroad. For Mr. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving leader, the showdown came at the most precarious point in his political career. Facing trial on corruption charges, he had failed to assemble a new governing coalition after a fourth indecisive election in two years. Rival politicians on left and right were working to form an alternative coalition including, for the first time ever, a Muslim party representing Arab Israeli citizens. Within days, the situation for Mr. Netanyahu changed. He was leading a country united by the need to bring an end to the Hamas rocket attacks. Opposition leaders suspended their coalition talks, with all potential partners aware theyd be risking the ire of their own constituents by launching a joint Jewish-Arab government amid the escalating violence. Sebastian Scheiner/Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he shows a slide illustrating Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip to foreign ambassadors on May 19, 2021. The key question now will be on the other side of the paradox: whether the short-term political effects of the fighting give way in the months ahead to a renewed focus on trying to find a long-term compromise between Israel and the Palestinians. That will depend not just on Israelis and Palestinians, but on outside powers such as Arab countries, the European Union, and above all Israels principal ally, the United States. The prognosis: It could happen, but the obstacles are daunting. First, the fighting has to end. If the template of past Israel-Hamas confrontations holds, that is likely to happen in the coming days: The Israeli military will step up attacks to destroy as many Hamas targets as possible, world pressure will build amid rising civilian casualties in tiny, densely populated Gaza, and Egypt will mediate a truce. If not, there is little chance of a parliamentary majority, and a fifth election might be on the way. A weakened Palestinian Authority would welcome a renewed push for a negotiated compromise, with the prospect of a PA-led state made up of the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. So, too, would European countries and much of the international community. Theyve never wavered from their commitment to the two-state formula. But the critical player will be America. Former President Donald Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by shunting aside the two-state idea and backing Mr. Netanyahus right-wing nationalist coalition in its bid to cement open-ended Israeli control of the West Bank. The Trump administration also mediated groundbreaking peace deals between Israel and two Gulf Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Since this required the Arab leaders to ignore protests from the Palestinians, it reinforced the sense for most Israelis that the Palestinian issue was far less pressing than it had been. President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his support for the two-state model. But his foreign policy focus has been on repairing U.S. alliances and dealing with China, not on the Middle East. And he has been close enough to the corridors of power for long enough to know only too well how Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy has been bogged down in stalemate since the turn of the century. It has been more than two decades since President Bill Clinton tried, came close, but ultimately failed to bring a two-state deal to fruition. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Your email address By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy That may leave Mr. Biden profoundly dubious about embarking on a new U.S. diplomatic push. Still, the current fighting has raised another question at the heart of the Gaza paradox: whether the price of not doing so might be too high. | https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2021/0519/When-Gaza-guns-fall-silent-will-new-path-to-peace-emerge?icid=rss |
Why has the price of Bitcoin been falling? | The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Other digital currencies suffered sharp declines as well. Bitcoins volatility was on full display: The decline had narrowed to below 10% in early afternoon trading. Bitcoin has lost about 40% of its value since April 13 when it hit a high of more than $64,606 per coin. Before Wednesday, Teslas decision to not accept the digital currency as payment for cars, along with concerns about tighter regulation of digital currencies, were major factors in the decline. The price is still up about 31% in 2021 and nearly 300% from a year ago. Story continues below advertisement Heres a look at Bitcoin and digital currencies in general: HOW BITCOIN WORKS Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who mine them by lending computing power to verify other users transactions. They receive Bitcoins in exchange. The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Some businesses take Bitcoin as payment, and a number of financial institutions allow it in their clients portfolios, but overall mainstream acceptance is still limited. Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals. Bitcoins have to be stored in a digital wallet, either online through an exchange like Coinbase, or offline on a hard drive using specialized software. According to Coinbase, there are about 18.7 million Bitcoins in circulation and only 21 million will ever exist. The reason for that is unclear, and where all the Bitcoins are is anyones guess. On Wednesday, a statement posted on the Chinese Banking Associations website said financial institutions should resolutely refrain from providing services using digital currencies because of their volatility. Virtually every cryptocurrency fell after the industry groups statement. As of 1:10 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, Bitcoin was down more than 7% at around $40,310 per coin. Most cryptocurrencies lost between 7% and 22% of their value and shares of Coinbase dropped 5.4%. Story continues below advertisement The value of Bitcoin can change by thousands of dollars in a short time period. On the last trading day of 2020, Bitcoin closed just under $30,000. In mid-April, it flirted with $65,000. The price bounced around after that, with some notable swings, before taking a decidedly negative turn last week. Yes, and a fairly big one. Musk announced in February that his electric car company Tesla had invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin. In March, Tesla began accepting Bitcoin as payment. Those actions contributed to the run-up in Bitcoins price, and Musk also promoted the digital currency Dogecoin, which also spiked in value. However, Musk reversed course in just a short time, saying last week that Tesla would stop accepting Bitcoin because of the potential environmental damage that can result from Bitcoin mining. The announcement sent Bitcoin falling below $50,000 and set the tone for the big pullback in most cryptocurrencies. A number of Bitcoin fans pushed back on Musks reasoning. Fellow billionaire Mark Cuban said that gold mining is much more damaging to the environment than the mining of Bitcoin. A 2019 study by the Technical University of Munich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the Bitcoin network generates an amount of CO2 similar to a large Western city or an entire developing country like Sri Lanka. But a University of Cambridge study last year estimated that on average, 39% of proof-of-work crypto mining was powered by renewable energy, primarily hydroelectric energy. The digital payment company Square and its CEO Jack Dorsey also the CEO of Twitter have been big proponents of Bitcoin. Overstock.com also accepts Bitcoin, and in February, BNY Mellon, the oldest bank in the U.S., said it would include digital currencies in the services it provides to clients. And Mastercard said it would start supporting select crypto currencies on its network. Story continues below advertisement Bitcoin has become popular enough that more than 300,000 transactions typically occur in an average day, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info. Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and credit cards. Yes, plenty of it. Tracking Bitcoins price is obviously easier than trying to figure out its value, which is why so many institutions, experts and traders are skeptical about it and cryptocurrency in general. Digital currencies were seen as replacements for paper money, but that hasnt happened so far. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the central bank prefers to call crypto coins crypto assets, because their volatility undermines their ability to store value, a basic function of a currency. While some banks and financial services companies are getting in on it, others are staying away. Regulators arent very worried about a possible crash in digital currencies dragging down the rest of the financial system or economy. Even with the recent sell-off, digital currencies have a market value of about $1.5 trillion, according to the website coinmarketcap.com. But that pales compared with the $46.9 trillion stock market, $41.3 trillion residential real estate market and nearly $21 trillion Treasury market at the start of the year. The European Central Bank said Wednesday that the risk of cryptocurrencies affecting the financial systems stability looks limited at present. In large part, thats because theyre still not widely used for payments and institutions under its purview still have little exposure to crypto-linked instruments. Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve said a survey of market contacts found roughly one in five cited cryptocurrencies as a potential shock to the system over the next 12 to 18 months. Thats a turnaround from the fall, when a similar survey found none mentioning cryptocurrencies. Washington officials have been talking about regulating digital currencies more, and worries about a heavier hand have played a role in the recent swoon in prices. Gary Gensler, who took over as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, has said that cryptocurrency markets would benefit from more oversight to protect investors. In a hearing before the Houses financial services committee earlier this month, Gensler said neither the SEC nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which he used to head, has a regulatory framework for trading on cryptocurrency exchanges yet. He said he thought Congress would ultimately have to address it because theres really not protection against fraud or manipulation. HOW BITCOIN CAME TO BE Its a mystery. Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesnt matter: The currency obeys its own internal logic. In 2016, An Australian entrepreneur stepped forward and claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin, only to say days later that he did not have the courage to publish proof that he is. No one has claimed credit for the currency since. Story continues below advertisement Be smart with your money. Get the latest investing insights delivered right to your inbox three times a week, with the Globe Investor newsletter. Sign up today. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/article-why-has-the-price-of-bitcoin-been-falling/ |
Did Ether Enter A Bear Market After Losing More Than 50% Of Its Value? | Ether prices have tumbled lately, after approaching $4,400 earlier this month. (Photo by Jaap ... [+] Arriens/Sipa USA) (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Ether prices fell sharply today, dropping to nearly $1,900, their lowest since early April, amid a broader sell-off in digital currencies. The cryptocurrency, which is the native token of the Ethereum platform, declined to $1,902.08, according to CoinDesk data. When it reached this level, ether was down more than 56% from the all-time high of nearly $4,400 that it reached earlier this month, additional CoinDesk figures reveal. In spite of these recent losses, traders should remember that the digital currency has experienced some astronomical gains this year, climbing from under $750 to roughly $4,380. [Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.] Ether Retracement Healthy Given the notable decline that ether prices have experienced lately, several analysts commented on whether the digital currency has entered a bear market. Several of them emphatically denied that this was the case. This was a healthy pullback and a great buying opportunity, said Vinny Lingham, cofounder & CEO of Civic. Michael Conn, who is the chairman, CEO and co-chief investment officer at Zilliqa Capital, also weighed in. He described the latest pullback as a healthy correction before the digital currency experiences its next upward movement. Scott Melker, a crypto investor and analyst who is the host of The Wolf Of All Streets Podcast, offered a similar assessment, stating: I do not believe that Ethereum has entered a bear market, but rather that it is completing a healthy retracement before a larger move to the upside. A Highly Volatile Market Melker elaborated on his views, stating that Stock analysts often point to a drop of 20% or more from recent highs as a marker for a bear market. This number is often invoked when an assets price declines. What many fail to realize is that the definition of a bear market also includes a time-frame usually longer than two months, he noted. Crypto moves at the speed of light, and 20% drops are insignificant and can happen in less than a day, said Melker. He emphasized that when he prepared this commentary, ether had already recovered 30% from its intraday low, and could be out of the defined bear market in a matter of hours or days. Amber Ghaddar, cofounder of decentralized capital marketplace AllianceBlock, also commented on the extreme price volatility that characterizes digital currencies. The traditional definition of bull and bear market is inconsistent with the price action of crypto as 20% plus dips are frequent and are often part of a correction followed by a broader build-up. Throughout 2016-2017 we had 6 corrections of 30%+. She claimed that when it comes to defining bear and bull markets in crypto, There is no rule of thumb as this asset class is too young and historical data is too little. Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash, litecoin, ether and EOS. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2021/05/19/did-ether-enter-a-bear-market-after-losing-more-than-50-of-its-value/ |
Why is the Israel lobby attacking Ilhan Omar? | Ongoing Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip have killed hundreds of civilians. At time of writing, at least 213 Gazans had been killed, including 61 children, and the territory's beleaguered hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties. As Amira Haas reports at Haaretz, several individual homes have been bombed in the middle of the night with no warning suggesting a deliberate intent to wipe out entire families, since the Israeli military has detailed information on Gaza residents and has provided evacuation warnings in other instances. Meanwhile, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, but because almost all of them were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system, only 12 Israelis have been killed, including one child. Israel's actions have inspired unusually stark condemnations from left-wing Democratic members of Congress, including (but not limited to) Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. In response, the leading pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S., the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent thousands of dollars on Facebook attack ads with the faces of Omar and Ocasio-Cortez superimposed on pictures of Hamas rockets all but implying they are in league with the group: These ads are plainly dishonest (though not as bad as the 2019 ads that said Omar was "maybe more sinister" than ISIS, for which AIPAC apologized). In a recent speech, Omar condemned both Israeli bombing and Hamas rockets: "I understand, on a deeply human level, the pain and the anguish families are feeling in Palestine and in Israel at this moment whether rocket attacks or air strikes, violence does nothing to make people more secure." Ocasio-Cortez has also said Hamas' actions are "condemnable[.]" Their criticism is focused primarily on Israel because that country is committing the overwhelming majority of the violence against civilians in the conflict, and because it receives both enormous subsidies and diplomatic protection from the U.S. government. America has little leverage over Hamas, but could easily pressure Israel into accepting a proposed ceasefire from Hamas it has so far rejected, or ending the occupation that is at the root of the conflict. One wonders why AIPAC feels the need to single out these two women of color (one of whom is a Muslim) and misrepresent what they are saying. More stories from theweek.com Stephen Breyer is delusional about the Supreme Court 7 cartoons about the CDC's surprising mask mandate reversal The threat of civil war didn't end with the Trump presidency | https://news.yahoo.com/why-israel-lobby-attacking-ilhan-172727060.html |
Have the Cleveland Indians had just about enough of Shohei Ohtani? | Register for Indians Subtext to hear your Tribe questions answered exclusively on the show. Send a text to 216-208-4346 to subscribe for $3.99/mo. CLEVELAND, Ohio Every time Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani does something noteworthy on a baseball diamond the baseball media reaction is overwhelming. Tweets praising Ohtanis once-in-a-generation talent flow onto the internet. Video of his home runs is omnipresent. Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga discuss LAs biggest star (??) on Wednesdays podcast. Click here. We have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe to it here. You can also subscribe on Google Play and listen on Spotify. Search Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast or download the audio here. - 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. Podcast Plesac marvels at Shohei Ohtani, had his own dreams of two-way success Luplow leaves game with left ankle sprain Ohtani, Angels strike early to beat Indians, 7-4 Whatever happened to Yu Chang and two other things | https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/05/have-the-cleveland-indians-had-just-about-enough-of-shohei-ohtani.html |
Can We Really Find Life Balance Today? | getty Someday I will spend two weeks in Italy, watch a sunrise and sunset for a week and write the novel rattling around in my head for the past ten years. Your list might be different from mine, but I bet you have one. If youre overwhelmed and trapped in a daily time conundrum you are not alone. In my book, Deal Your Own Destiny, Increase your Odds, Win Big and Become Extraordinary, I talk about moving from employee to entrepreneur and not setting any kind of boundaries. Very quickly I found myself on a hamster wheel of trying to accomplish too much at heart-attack speed while getting nowhere. My biggest problem was saying Yes to everything. I had absolutely no balance, no life, no control. Once I learned the value of saying no it allowed me to say Yes to what I really cared about in my career and personal life. Here are a few tricks I learned along the way: 1. Let clients, family and friends know about your boundaries. Tell them when you are and arent available. 2. I love technology but sometimes its best to just shut it off. When you are at lunch, watching TV or spending time with family enjoy the moment dont wrestle with your attention span. Check email and messages later set time limits. I was terrible at this until friends hid my phone at an event. 3. Take your vacations and let everyone know you are not available unless its an emergency. Protect your time. Coming back to work from a break relaxed usually leads to super productivity in the weeks following the vacay. 4. If you are an entrepreneur, you will never finish every task or piece of business you are chasing. Shut it down at some point each night or weekend. Even if you cannot have the same start and stop times every day just make sure you have them. Like most entrepreneurs I fall into this category, so I learned to be flexible it works. Recently, I combined work and a vacation something I was never good at pulling off. This time I did a virtual keynote, podcasted from an event, and spent three days at the beach. I picked seashells with my nephew Owen. Not a phone or computer in sight. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesmarketplace/2021/05/19/can-we-really-find-life-balance-today/ |
What Plays Better With the Public, Democratic Corporate Tax Hikes Or GOP User Fees? | Cash and E-Z Pass signs at the New Jersey Turnpike. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images ... [+] Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images President Biden and Democrats and Republicans in Congress have begun a fascinating game of three-dimensional chess over Bidens $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending plan and the way to pay for it. As the game begins, it may be worth looking at where public opinion stands on infrastructure spending and how it should be funded. To start, there appears to be broad-based public support for increased spending on infrastructure. Thats probably why Senate Republicans quickly put their own $568 billion counteroffer on the table. But survey results are extremely sensitive to the way the question is framed. For instance, there is far more support for the individual elements of the presidents plan than for something identified as Bidens infrastructure proposal. Still, almost every survey shows that at least half and often far more than half of those polled back additional spending on roads and bridges. Paying for it all is another matter. Biden favors corporate tax increases. Congressional Republicans prefer unspecified user fees. Moderate Democrats such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) support some corporate tax increases but wont go as far as Biden. For example, while Biden would raise corporate income tax rates from 21 percent to 28 percent, Manchin says he would limit the rate hike to 25 percent. There has been widespread support for raising taxes on corporations and high-income households for years. Recent polling suggests there may be some differences in support for one over the other. But support for these taxes hikes remains strongly held. Recent public opinion surveys For example, a Morning Consult in March found that 54 percent of respondents favored Bidens infrastructure improvements financed by raising taxes on those making $400,000 or more or on corporations. Only half as many backed new infrastructure without tax increases. Of course, the poll showed deep partisan divisions, with 72 percent of Democrats but 32 percent of Republicans favoring the pairing. By 10 percentage points 57 percent to 47 percentrespondents favored tax hikes on high-income individuals over corporations An April Monmouth University poll found that about two-thirds of respondents favored a tax hike on either high-income individuals or corporations to fund the new spending. And a mid-April Washington Post poll found that while 52 percent of respondents backed Bidens infrastructure plan, 58 percent favored the idea if it includes a corporate tax rate increase. All this puts Biden on pretty firm ground. For now, Republicans are hiding behind the blandand largely meaninglessphrase. But at some point, they may have to be explicit. When it comes to roads and bridges, user fees for individuals generally mean either a motor fuels tax or some form of tolling. Most politicians oppose both, probably on the assumption that so do voters. But survey research paints a much more complicated picture. While ether idea probably violates Biens pledge to not raise taxes on those making $400,000 or less, they dont seem unpopular. It very much depends on how the questions are framed. For instance, The Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University has been polling on gas taxes since 2010. In 2019, it found that 40 percent favored a 10 cent-a-gallon tax hike, up 11 percentage points from a decade earlier. But even more75 percentsupported the gas tax hike if they were told the money would be used to improve roads and bridges. It didnt matter much whether the respondents drove a lot or not at all. And while there were some regional differences, they were not large. It is worth noting that a variant of the gas taxa tax based on miles traveled polled more poorly, though peoples responses indicated they were, more than anything, confused by the idea. Tolls Polling on tolling is even harder to sort out. There is surprisingly little recent survey data, and many polls were done by interest groups. Independent surveys generally were positive but also highly sensitive to framing. in general, they found more support for tolls than taxes. A 2008 National Academy of Sciences analysis of the then-available survey research concluded, The pubic favors tolls over taxes....Tolling represents freedom of choice. Only users pay. While the study is quite old, its results are music to Republican ears. A more recent 2013 study by the Brookings Institution found cautious support for tolling and other forms of congestion pricing. But a 2018 survey found that people are more willing to pay both higher tolls and taxes for better roads and faster commutes. If these surveys are to be believed, Biden appears to be starting with the upper hand. But public views on how to fund infrastructure spending are likely to be driven, as usual, by who is best at framing the debate over the next few months. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2021/05/19/what-plays-better-with-the-public-democratic-corporate-tax-hikes-or-gop-user-fees/ |
Does letter to tenants signal end of county plan to build jail at KC trailer park? | Jackson County might not build its new jail on the site of an east Kansas City trailer park after all. Negotiations have stalled, according to county officials, and on Wednesday the project schedule on the countys website was changed without explanation. It now delays construction by several months, presumably so the county can zero in on another site or reach a deal with the owner of Heart Mobile Village. Heart Mobiles management, meanwhile, sent tenants a letter this week that for the first time acknowledged the countys interest in the site, while seeming to put that transaction in the past tense by announcing plans to invest in new park facilities. While it all seems to suggest that the jail will no longer be built on the countrys preferred site, the county is not ruling it out entirely, one top official said privately. But officially the county remained mum and Heart Mobile Village management did not return phone calls. County spokeswoman Marshanna Smith also did not respond to a request for comment as of mid-afternoon Wednesday. The developments come days ahead of when officials had planned to publicly acknowledge that a sale was in the works. An appraisal had begun and county officials were discussing privately and publicly their concerns about the need to pay for relocating the 100 families who live at Heart Mobile. The first public sign that things were amiss came when Park Properties Inc., owner of the nearly 100-acre Heart Mobile Village, sent letters to residents on Tuesday saying that while the parks management is honored that Jackson County officials like our property, the mobile home community is not under contract for sale to Jackson County. No one ever said it was. The county had signed a letter of intent to purchase the property for an undisclosed price, a precursor to negotiating a sale contract. But its not clear that Park Properties ever signed that letter of intent. The Wichita company bought Heart Mobile for $3.4 million two years ago, but wanted to make a sizable profit on its investment. Its not known how much distance there was between what Park Properties wanted for the property and what Jackson County was willing to pay for a site that will need a lot of fill to alleviate flooding risks. Story continues The letter to tenants also outlined Park Properties plan to make investments in Heart Mobile and said that it was trying to attract new tenants after suspending all new rentals several months ago, as negotiations with the countys real estate broker began. We are also preparing additional renovations to the office to construct a new clubhouse, laundry center, and even a small convenience store, it said. The letter blamed the news media for causing residents panic or concern for no good reason. The Star first reported in April that the property at 7000 E. US 40 Highway was the countys preferred site for the nearly $300 million new jail. The county never publicly acknowledged that Heart Mobile Village was the site, but several acknowledged it privately and legislator Jalen Anderson publicly fretted over what would become of the roughly 100 families that rent space there. Part of any negotiation for the land, Anderson and others said privately, would require working out a compensation package for those people so they could find other places to live. A Star reporter provided county officials on Tuesday with a copy of the letter Park Properties had sent its tenants. Sometime after 10 on Wednesday morning, the projects timeline was changed without notice. Construction of a replacement for the downtown detention center had been scheduled to begin this fall, with completion and final move-in set for summer 2024. The new timeline had construction starting next spring and the new jail becoming fully operational no earlier than the fall of 2024. Heart Mobile fit most if not all of the requirements that the county was looking for in a site to build a jail whose construction alone is estimated to cost $260 million. Land, equipment and other expenses are expected to push the total cost to $300 million. It is twice the 50-acre minimum size that the countys consultant, JCDC Partners, had set. It fits the requirement that it be 20 to 30 minutes by road from Truman Medical Centers location at Hospital Hill, as well as the two county courthouses. Its on a bus line and has easy highway access, yet has few residential neighbors. JCDC identified 40 possible sites for a jail and gave county legislators a short list to choose from back in January. The Star has not been able to determine where those locations are. One qualification that Heart Mobile did not meet was that it preferably be on unincorporated property in Jackson County. The Blue Summit area north of I-70 along I-435 has often been mentioned as a potential jail site. The current jail in downtown Kansas City is 40 years old, deteriorating and has an inefficient design. | https://news.yahoo.com/does-letter-tenants-signal-end-201012966.html |
How much power do UK farmers have over trade deals? | Hill farmer Don't mess with the farmers. That is the message the government has so far inadvertently sent out in regard to trade policy. While attention is on the fate of the UK-Australia negotiations, it is worth considering what has happened to the US-UK deal. It was once deemed the great prize of post-Brexit free trade. Progress under the Trump administration had been relatively swift. Delaying tactic But the UK farming lobby mounted an under-the-radar effort to change the minds of rural Conservative MPs, focussed on their local newspapers, about what they saw as the threats of US imports, adhering to different food standards. The fundamental point here is that this effort worked. It delayed a quick deal. And now under the Biden administration the US deal is in the mid-length grass, and possibly the long grass. Confirmation of this came from the horse's mouth last week. Stumbling block The US Trade Representative Katherine Tai was asked by anglophile senator Rob Portman about whether a deal could be struck quickly. "In my review of the progress made, very critical issue areas are still open, so there's still quite a road to go," she said. "From my perspective it is important to think through some of the objectives, now some of the issues of the UK's exit from the EU are settled. "I will note that I hear a lot of concerns from members of Congress around the situation in Northern Ireland. That is something we are keeping an eye on in terms of steps forward with the UK on an agreement." The US is still reviewing what has already been negotiated, and she did not suggest an effort to ask Congress to extend her ability to fast-track negotiations to get the UK deal done. Those powers are just about to expire. A careful eye on Northern Ireland is also being kept. The Queen's Speech perhaps tacitly acknowledged this reality, noting that ministers "will deepen trade ties in the Gulf, Africa and the Indo-Pacific", with no mention of the US. Story continues What's more, no mention of trade negotiations was made after two recent virtual summits between Ms Tai and UK Trade Secretary Liz Truss, nor in recent bilateral calls between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden. Efforts had been focussed instead on mini-deals to settle the longstanding Airbus dispute. And now the US backing for lifting patent protections on vaccines is a new priority. Australian farm Antipodean interest So Australia, New Zealand and then the Trans Pacific Partnership deal are now the priorities. For these countries, it was always going to be the case that lower tariffs on their industrialised exports of food would be top of their big asks. They have already played hardball, even over the way the UK tried to disentangle its trade access commitments at the World Trade Organisation after Brexit. The UK is also more broadly sympathetic to a wider effort to lower farm subsidies globally, to allow for fairer trade and cheaper food. Trade negotiations create winners and losers in sectors and regions, even as they normally increase the size of the economic pie. That is basic economics from the time of David Ricardo. And the structural political challenge here is that the beneficiaries are unlikely to protest about not gaining, for example, new forms of digital market access down under. On the other hand, UK hill farmers and croft farmers, some of whom are already reeling from extra trade barriers exporting to European markets, now face competition from industrialised global meat exports. The immediate losers are more visible, the losses more tangible, than the future winners. Put simply, they are more likely to dump their goods outside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The flipside of that is that consumers would get more choice, and potentially lower prices if we struck a deal with Australia that accepted lower tariffs on their agricultural goods. Indeed, New Zealand itself has long been heralded as the example of a place that scrapped subsidies and trade barriers, and as a result hugely improved competitiveness, exports and jobs. Sceptical farmers have been told that the Australia deal is a gateway to slashing tariffs for their exports to most of the rest of Asia as part of the trans-Pacific deal. So this becomes a matter of politics. There is a significant devolution aspect to this too, with Wales and Scotland run by different parties, and with a limited say on the trade negotiations of the UK government. Detractors will argue that deals such as this risk a fundamental change to a way of life in livestock farming. That UK hill farms can never compete with massive Antipodean ranches. And while Australian trade with the UK is relatively small, any precedent set here on market access will be cited in all the subsequent deals too. This will be the first UK deal that is not largely inherited from our EU membership. In some of those rollover deals, such as with Japan, much of the UK's preferential access to those markets arises only if the EU doesn't use its quota. The Australia deal could reset the course. Indeed it will determine if the influence of farmers in delaying the US deal is to be a permanent feature. The real lesson from Australia is in negotiating against a backdrop of promises that a deal will definitely be done. The perception among some former Australian negotiators is that former PM John Howard lost considerable leverage in negotiations with the US and Thailand. Australia's sugar and car industry lost out in those deals - in fact Australia does not produce or export passenger cars any more. Now, from Australia's vantage point, the UK has to do a deal, any deal, and so can be asked to throw open its agricultural markets. Australia calculates it can walk away more easily than the UK so it has set a high price. Compromises are possible. Brexit dividend One argument in Cabinet is indeed that the whole point of a relatively clean break with the EU was to sign deals such as this. And Australia should be relatively straightforward. To be precise, what Brexit did was to enable the sovereignty and decision-making in this area to be made at a UK level. But the fundamental decisions on difficult trade-offs still need to be made. | https://news.yahoo.com/much-power-uk-farmers-over-150645011.html |
Who Is the Weakest Link on the 49ers Offensive Line? | The 49ers have made a number of moves to improve their offensive line from last year. Let's go ahead and rank what will likely be their starting offensive line from best to worst. 1. Trent Williams Left Tackle The 49ers made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL this offseason. Although he will turn 33 before the start of the season, Williams still is the best left tackles in the league. Despite missing the 2019 season, the veteran made a successful return to the field and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first season with San Francisco. If Williams can stay healthy, he is clearly the best player on the 49ers offensive line. 2. Alex Mack Center The 49ers signed the 12-year veteran early in free agency. Despite his age, Mack is still capable of playing at a high level and has missed only two games the last six seasons. This is one of the most important traits that Mack brings with him. Last season saw musical chairs at the center and right guard positions, and with it became a lack of communication and missed calls. Mack has experience playing under Kyle Shanahan, and his presence should have a positive effect across the offensive line. 3. Mike McGlinchey Right Tackle Despite all of the negative reviews of his play, McGlinchey is still among the better members of the 49ers offensive line. Theres no arguing that McGlinchey struggles in pass protection, but he is a very good run blocker. One thing that may have a role in the up-and-down play from McGlinchey is the revolving door or journeymen at right guard. Look for that to change in 2021. 4. Aaron Banks Right Guard The 49ers front office seems to have realized the issues at right guard because they used the 48th pick in the draft on Banks, the mammoth guard from Notre Dame. Despite weighing 338 pounds and standing 65, the El Cerrito High School product shows the ability to move well in space. The most impressive aspect of Banks play and where he will likely help out McGlinchey is his pass protection. Banks was dominant in pass protection during his time at Notre Dame, and this should be a welcome change for the 49ers quarterbacks. 5. Laken Tomlinson Left Guard If anyone benefitted from the struggles of the right side of the 49ers offensive line in 2020, it was Laken Tomlinson. While the majority of the attention surrounding the porous offensive line has centered around McGlinchey, many fail to remember that it was a missed block by Tomlinson that led to the hit in Week 2 on Jimmy Garoppolo that would sideline the quarterback for the majority of the season with a high ankle sprain. The overall play of the seven-year veteran definitely took a step back in 2020. If Tomlinsons play continues to slide, he will be the weakest link among the 49ers offensive line. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/who-is-the-weakest-link-on-the-san-francisco-49ers-offensive-line |
Is Christian McCaffrey Hinting at a Jersey Number Change? | The NFL eased up on jersey number restrictions this offseason by allowing players to choose from a wider range of numbers. The expanded jerseys will allow running backs, tight ends, fullbacks, H-backs, and wide receivers to wear numbers 1-49 and 80-89; defensive backs can choose from 1-49; linebackers 1-59 and 90-99; offensive linemen 50-79; and defensive linemen 50-79 and 90-99. QBs, kickers, and punters will remain in 1-19. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22 but posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey - the number he wore during his time in college at Stanford. It certainly seems like McCaffrey is considering the switch but it would be a pretty expensive decision if he decides to follow through with it. Any returning NFL player that makes a number change will have to buy up the entire inventory of jerseys from the jersey number they are switching out of. For a player of McCaffrey's caliber, that could be roughly $1 million based on a recent estimate of what Vikings RB Dalvin Cook would have had to pay. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand 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/is-christian-mccaffrey-hinting-at-a-jersey-number-change |
Where is Washingtons defense in Bleacher Reports post-draft rankings? | The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. That performance helped Washington win the NFC East, despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Now, thats not to say Washingtons defense was perfect in 2020. It wasnt. The Football Team ranked No. 14 in run defense, despite the presence of four former first-round picks on the defensive line. Washington allowed almost 113 yards per game on the ground. Instead of Rivera just hoping his team would naturally progress in year two, he made it a point to get better. Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. Heres what B/R had to say about the WFT: The Washington Football Team parlayed one of the best defensive performances of the 2020 campaign into a surprise run to the NFC East title. They should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. Davis will thrive behind Washingtons loaded defensive line, possessing the speed to get sideline to sideline swiftly and surge through holes to disrupt in the backfield. Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. The Football Team didnt make too much noise in free agency, but signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby. The club didnt need to make any further big-money signings following a fantastic year on defense. Washington improved at cornerback when it replaced Darby with Jackson. The Football Team has also added depth at both cornerback and safety in free agency and the draft. Davis is an instant starter for Washingtons defense at linebacker. He can play all three downs and will also be an asset in coverage something Washington has lacked from that position. If they can avoid major injuries, the Washington Football Team should once again be outstanding on defense in 2021. | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-washington-defense-bleacher-report-201146325.html?src=rss |
Can A Battery-Powered F-150 Truck Persuade Americans To Embrace Electric Vehicles? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images There's a lot riding on the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup truck that Ford is unveiling Wednesday night. For the company, it represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles one that nearly every rival automaker is also making. And it's also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting: Made in America, pairing blue-collar roots and high-tech ambitions, fighting climate change without making compromises. The subtext was made explicit when the president visited Ford's Rouge complex on Tuesday to tout electric vehicles in general and praise this one in particular even taking it for a spin on the test track. Behind all this buzz and boosterism is an incredibly daunting challenge for the auto industry. According to a report out this week from the International Energy Agency, for the energy sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. Five years later, in 2035, all new cars would need to be electric. Automakers like General Motors and Volvo have openly embraced that timeline, as have governments like the U.K.. But a transformation of that scale raises myriad challenges chargers that need to be built, supply chains that need to expand, factories that need to be retooled. Ford hopes that's where the F-150 Lightning comes in. "There's a lot at stake here, not just for Ford, but really for the country," says Darren Palmer, Ford's head of battery electric vehicles. "This could be the point when people really notice electric [vehicles]." Ford's not the only one hoping there's a big pool of would-be buyers who aren't interested in a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf, but would happily spring for an electric version of their favorite pick-up. "That vehicle is going to come in and fill a void. And if it's affordable, I mean, it's going to be a game changer," says Shelley Francis, the co-founder of EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle enthusiasts. "It's the number one selling vehicle in the country just across the board; it's also the number one selling vehicle among African-American communities," she says. "Then when you think about rural communities ... there's an opportunity for this community to be part of this conversation." Ford is unveiling its F-150 Lightning at a ceremony on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. It's part of a spate of electric pickup trucks arriving on the market. There are the start-ups: Rivian is targeting outdoor enthusiasts with its $75,000 truck, which is poised to start deliveries next month and win the race to be the first electric pickup to market. The futuristic Tesla Cybertruck is on the way at a much lower price point, while Lordstown Motors is focusing on business customers with its upcoming vehicle. Meanwhile General Motors is bringing the Hummer brand back as a top-of-the-line premium electric pickup, initially starting at more than $100,000. An electric Silverado is also in the works. And Stellantis, Chrysler's parent company, has promised a battery-powered Ram, eventually. The F-150 carries extra symbolic and economic weight. It's America's best-selling vehicle, and has been for 40 years. Ford sells more than a million F-series trucks per year, raking in more than $40 billion dollars annually, more than McDonald's or Nike bring in as entire companies. But that doesn't mean that Ford enthusiasts will automatically leap at this new vehicle. Surveys show that more than half of truck drivers are not interested in going electric, full stop. Palmer laid out Ford's argument to skeptical V8-loving pickup drivers using a cordless drill metaphor. It wasn't hard to convince people to switch from old battery technology to lighter, longer-running lithium ion drills: quite the opposite. "The functionality difference [it] was better," Palmer says. "Everybody wanted the best tool. It's the same thing." Ford argues that the perks of electrification will speak for themselves, like the effortless torque that's characteristic of all electric motors and the potential for new, practical features (the hybrid F-150 has an option that allows you to run power tools off the car's battery at a work site, for instance). It's a lot of economic, political and environmental baggage for one vehicle, no matter how powerful its towing capacity. | https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998205598/can-a-battery-powered-f-150-truck-persuade-americans-to-embrace-electric-vehicle |
What does the new criminal inquiry mean for Donald Trump? | The DAs office has been scouring Trumps tax records, hired a former mafia prosecutor to help run its investigation and has been interviewing witnesses including Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The attorney general's office is conducting the probe, confirmed late Tuesday, in tandem with the Manhattan district attorneys office, which has been scrutinizing Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, for about two years. NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump is facing a one-two punch of criminal investigations in New York, with the state attorney generals office saying its ongoing civil inquiry into the former president and his businesses is now a criminal matter. Advertisement So far, theres no indication that charges are looming. Trump has continued to decry the whole thing as a witch hunt." New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., both Democrats, have been running parallel investigations into Trump and his businesses for more than two years. Vances office has been investigating whether the Republican ex-president, his company or people connected to them committed crimes relating to matters including hush-money payments for women who say they slept with Trump, property valuations and employee compensation. James probe began as a civil matter, looking at possible violations of state laws punishable with penalties such as fines, and centered on some of the same issues. Her investigation now also pertains to possible criminal conduct. James office said it recently informed the Trump Organization that its investigation into the company had expanded into a criminal matter. The attorney generals office publicly disclosed the change Tuesday night. We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the company is no longer purely civil in nature, James office said in a statement. Advertisement We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. James office offered no explanation for what prompted the shift in its approach to the investigation or why it chose to announce it publicly. Andrew G. Celli Jr., a high-ranking official in the attorney generals office from 1999 to 2003, said you don't typically see a public announcement when an investigation changes from civil to criminal. He said the statement could be an indication something else public is coming soon, or could be a way of sending a message to witnesses and targets. Another possibility, not as dramatic, is someone else tipped off media outlets about the change and James office was compelled to respond publicly when asked about it. No doubt, there is some strategic or tactical reason for this announcement, Celli said. Statements like this have meaning. Trump issued a 900-word statement Wednesday filled with familiar complaints about the investigations and digs at Vance and James. Trump complained that he's being unfairly attacked and abused by a corrupt political system" and contends the criminal probes are part of a Democratic plot to silence his voters and block him from running for president again. Trump also repeated his oft-uttered claim that the investigations are a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of the United States. There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime," Trump said. "But, make no mistake, that is exactly what is happening here." Vances office has not publicly said what it is looking at, citing grand jury secrecy rules, but some details came out during the legal battle to get access to Trumps tax records. Vances investigation includes scrutiny of Trumps relationship with his lenders; a land donation he made to qualify for an income tax deduction; and tax write-offs his company claimed on millions of dollars in consulting fees it paid. Some of that money went to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who has denied any wrongdoing. In a tweet last November, she called the investigation harassment pure and simple" and said it was 100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage. James office has also been looking at the land donation and scrutinizing records relating to a Trump office building in New York City, a hotel in Chicago and a golf course near Los Angeles. Vances investigation has appeared to focus in recent weeks on Trumps longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. His former daughter-in-law, Jen Weisselberg, is cooperating with both inquiries. Shes given investigators reams of tax records and other documents as they look into whether some Trump employees were given off-the-books compensation, such as apartments or school tuition. Weisselberg was subpoenaed in James civil investigation and testified twice last year. Trump's son, Eric, was also subpoenaed as part of that probe and testified before the November 2020 election. James disclosure of a widening investigation is not necessarily an indication that she is planning to bring criminal charges. If that were to happen, under state law, she'd need authorization from a county district attorney, like Vance, or the governor or a state agency. Celli says it's not unheard of that a civil investigation conducted by the attorney generals office will turn up evidence of criminal wrongdoing. In such cases, he said, attorney generals office lawyers will sometimes be specially designated to work as criminal prosecutors with a local district attorneys office. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/19/business/what-does-new-criminal-inquiry-mean-donald-trump/ |
Can Trump outmaneuver New Yorks criminal probes? | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes a development that heightens the legal stakes and possible consequences for a former president who still wields substantial influence over his splintered political party from a perch at his Florida golf resort. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization, disclosed publicly late Tuesday evening to CNN that she had reshaped her investigation into a criminal prosecution. James office said it had already notified the company to that effect and said it had also joined forces with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, whose office has its own long-standing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. Unlike civil cases, which can generally result in fines and other similar penalties, criminal cases carry the threat of a prison sentence if a defendant is found guilty. For that reason, a successful criminal prosecution has to demonstrate a defendants intent to commit a crime proof of acting with the knowledge that he or she broke the law. Its a higher legal threshold for prosecutors to overcome, because the penalty imposed is more serious. All of which suggests that James wouldnt have converted her case into a criminal prosecution unless she believes she has convincing evidence demonstrating intent. Its also unusual for prosecutors from different offices to pair up in an investigation. They are normally fiercely protective of their cases, independence and prerogatives. That suggests that James and Vance each believes the other brings unique and added value to their investigations. Over the years, Donald Trump has managed to maneuver past the threat of personal bankruptcy, sexual assault accusations, an intensive federal investigation and two impeachments. The New York probes may prove to be more difficult for Trump and his company to overcome, though there is still only limited knowledge about their progress and findings. Vance has been investigating Trump and his company since 2018 for possible tax fraud and falsification of business records, according to appellate court filings. He is also examining whether Trump inflated the value of his properties and other assets in order to secure funds from lenders and investors, while lowballing those same valuations elsewhere to snare tax benefits. Advertising After a court battle, Vance successfully secured eight years of Trumps personal and business tax returns, and has hired forensic investigators to examine those and other financial records. Vances inquiry reportedly began as an examination of the Trump Organizations payment of hush money to two women who allegedly had sexual encounters with Trump and has since expanded. James investigation began in 2019 and has focused on whether the Trump Organization and the Trump family manipulated valuations of their assets to secure funding or engineer tax benefits. Among the properties James has zeroed in on are 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, a Los Angeles golf club and a 212-acre estate in Bedford, New York, known as Seven Springs. The Washington Post reported that James notified the Trumps in late April that her investigation had converted into a criminal probe, and its not clear why her office decided to disclose that fact Tuesday evening. The Trumps have played hardball with James team by refusing to comply with subpoenas and openly criticizing her investigation as groundless and politically motivated. One of the former presidents sons, Eric, initially refused last year to be deposed by James office until after the presidential election in November. A New York judge wound up ordering Eric to sit for a deposition before then. James lawyers deposed the Trumps longtime accountant, Allen Weisselberg, last year, but the interview ended prematurely after they asked if he had already testified before a grand jury. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization since the 1970s and knows where all of the financial bodies are buried. Vances office has also targeted him in what appears to be an effort to flip him and secure his testimony against Trump. Weisselberg has been fiercely loyal to Trump over the years, though he must also be well aware that loyalty flows only one way in Trumps world. If James and Vance continue to pressure Weisselberg, and his own legal exposure worsens, he may end up testifying against the former president. Other lawsuits and investigations are swirling around Trump, including a criminal probe in Georgia related to election interference in the state. But the New York investigations pose the greatest existential threat, prompting speculation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump supporter, might seek to block a judicial order extraditing the former president to New York to stand trial if hes indicted. Its not clear that DeSantis actually has the power to pull that off. Besides, summer is upon us and Trump usually decamps from Palm Beach to spend the warmer months at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And New Jersey is right next door to New York, making extradition that much easier. | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/can-trump-outmaneuver-new-yorks-criminal-probes/ |
Will Mavs Be Without A Top Defender In Playoffs? | DALLAS - With the the first round of the NBA playoffs just days away, the Dallas Mavericks are unsure about the status of one of their best defenders in Maxi Kleber. The 6-foot-10 big man has been battling an Achilles issue off and on, causing him to miss most of the last two weeks of the regular season, playing limited minutes in only two of the final eight games for the Mavs. His availability is crucial for the Mavs to attempt to slow down Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 32.8 points against Dallas in the first-round playoffs series last season. There is reason to be optimistic...Kleber went through a large portion of Wednesdays practice, according to Coach Rick Carlisle. Today he went through parts of the contact portion of practice, and there was a large contact portion of practice and did well, to my knowledge," Carlisle said Wednesday. "Some of this is the test of how its going to feel the next day. But were hoping that hes going to be OK. Hes obviously a big part of our team, whether hes a starter or coming off the bench....Were hopeful. And thats about all I can tell you at this point. Were going to have to see how the next couple days go. Dallas would definitely miss Kleber's excellent three-point shooting and ability to switch off of bigger players and guards. Leonard, n the first round last season (32.8 points), will have to deal with Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and, occasionally, Doni guarding him. 'I Don't Know Nothing' If he's out, the Mavs could rely more on Dorian Finney-Smith to guard Leonard, as well as Luka Doncic, occasionally. There also would be more minutes available for Nicolo Melli. This Achilles thing has been manageable to an extent," said Carlisle last week. Its tough on any players. And its tough for a guy who really depends on his quickness to guard smaller guys on switches, to protect the rebound, rebound, those kind of things. READ MORE: Dirk Nowitzki Dishes on NBA Title, Luka Doncic and Mavs Vs. Clippers in Playoffs | https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/will-mavs-be-without-a-top-defender-in-playoffs |
Could an app help protect Vietnam's paddy fields? | Vietnam is one of the biggest producers and exporters of rice in the world, but the livelihood of some farmers is under threat. Seawater intrusion has long been a problem in the low-lying Mekong Delta, where more than half of the country's rice is grown. During the dry season, the salty water can leach into fields and ruin crops. It's thought rising sea levels are exacerbating the problem. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Vietnam have launched a smartphone app, which monitors the saltiness of the water. The data helps rice farmers decide when to flush out the paddy fields with freshwater to protect their crops. Video by Jennifer Green. Listen to Digital Planet for more on this story. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-57170773 |
Is it normal aging or early signs of dementia? | Lea en espaol Misplacing keys. Forgetting names. Struggling to find the right word. Walking into a room and forgetting why. It all depends on the circumstances, health experts say. To distinguish between changes associated with typical aging and concerning signs of cognitive loss requires a deeper look. "Instead of thinking about things in terms of what is a sign of dementia, I would ask, 'What is the situation in which those signs appear?'" said Dr. Jeffrey Keller, founder and director of the Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "It's how the brain functions in response to a challenge that demonstrates early changes that can lead to dementia." In other words, a person experiencing normal aging may experience some memory lapses, he said. But more important than whether they've misplaced their keys is whether they're able to retrace their steps to find them. Or whether they can retain information long enough to carry out a multi-part task, such as filling out medical or tax forms, even if interrupted while doing so. For people with cognitive decline, "when you throw a monkey wrench in, things fall apart," Keller said. "That's when you see if there's an ability to switch tasks." The loss of executive function skills the ability to plan, multi-task, make decisions and solve problems is a greater indication of deteriorating brain health than the occasional memory lapse. And it can manifest in a variety of ways, according to experts in the field of aging. For example, people who are losing executive function often exhibit a loss of financial management skills long before being diagnosed with dementia. Research shows people with Alzheimer's disease begin missing bill payments up to six years prior to diagnosis, and they have drops in their credit scores 2.5 years prior to diagnosis. There also may be other signs of poor financial decision-making, said Dr. James Galvin, a neurologist and director of the University of Miami's Comprehensive Center for Brain Health. "They might start making purchases they have not made before or fall prey to scams because judgment and their ability to understand the consequences of decisions may be impaired." The Alzheimer's Association lists 10 early signs and symptoms of dementia: memory loss that disrupts daily life; challenges in planning or solving problems; difficulty completing familiar tasks; confusion with time or place; trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships; problems with language while speaking or writing; misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps; decreased judgment; withdrawal from work or social activities; and changes in mood or personality. The question isn't whether a person sometimes exhibits one of these signs; it's whether these behaviors are frequent or severe enough to disrupt daily work and social living, Keller said. If any of these behaviors do appear, he said, it's important to first rule out other health problems. For example, uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and other illnesses can cause changes in brain function, including memory loss. "The first stop is the primary care provider, because the person generally has a relationship with them," he said. "They can make a diagnosis or start a work-up to make sure the changes aren't from another cause." Another reason to get someone evaluated before problems progress is to maximize the chances they are included in what can be difficult future decisions if they do have dementia, Galvin said. We discuss these things right at the onset. It's best to address these questions early, so the person's wishes can be accounted for." Knowing when to bring a person in for evaluation can be tough, Galvin said. "It's never too early and it's never too late, but it's better to be early than to be late." Once a diagnosis is made, that's the time to discuss independence, and topics such as driving and personal finances. "Those are very tricky negotiations," Galvin said. "Our approach is to empower the patient. Get them on board as much as possible. Don't focus on the disability, focus instead on their capabilities so we can reset the bar based on their abilities at that time. When we do that, we get fairly good buy-in." While dementia cannot be cured, there are steps to slow cognitive decline, experts say. Practicing healthy behaviors earlier in life has been shown to preserve brain health as people age. Research shows there are generally seven risk factors and behaviors people can change to preserve good brain health. Called Life's Simple 7, they are not smoking, staying physically active, losing weight, eating a healthy diet, and controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A recent American Heart Association report calls upon primary care providers to help promote better brain health by also evaluating and treating patients for depression, diabetes, obesity, social isolation, hearing loss, sleep disorders and excessive alcohol use. Another thing people can do to preserve brain function is to continually challenge themselves to learn new things, Keller said. "Learning a new language, developing knowledge about a new field you are interested in, finding new hobbies those are things that help you maintain cognitive flexibility, which is very important for cognitive preservation." If you have questions or comments about this story, please email [email protected]. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Permission is granted, at no cost and without need for further request, for individuals, media outlets, and non-commercial education and awareness efforts to link to, quote, excerpt or reprint from these stories in any medium as long as no text is altered and proper attribution is made to American Heart Association News. Other uses, including educational products or services sold for profit, must comply with the American Heart Associations Copyright Permission Guidelines. See full terms of use. These stories may not be used to promote or endorse a commercial product or service. HEALTH CARE DISCLAIMER: This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately. | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Is-it-normal-aging-or-early-signs-of-dementia-16189557.php |
What Are the Pros and Cons of Going on a Working Vacation? | Benzinga It has been a bad week for the crypto space. Elon Musk is widely believed to play a major role in crashing Bitcoins price by $12k when he tweeted that Tesla will no longer be accepting Bitcoin. He framed this backtracking as an environmental concern due to the high levels of energy consumption required in Bitcoin mining. As a result, this had a cascading effect on almost all altcoins with very few exceptions. To set the record straight, it is very difficult to portray Bitcoin as an ecological problem. Not only do miners use renewable sources at a rate over 70% across all continents, but when put into context with other sectors, Musks notorious tweet makes even less sense. Source: Hass McCook Medium Based on this, The situation has resulted in a number of different ideas floating around as to why Musk made this decision. Some argue that the U.S. government could be the motive behind the move, as BTC could potentially threaten the USD. Remember that Musk has plenty of dealings with the government subsidies, green credits, and a SpaceX contract. Musk, afterall, is known to leverage nearly $5 billion in government subsidies. This substantial vested interest may have exerted enough pressure for him to abandon and besmirch the predominant cryptocurrency. No doubt, his 54 million followers will remember how corrosive he has become, eroding the wealth of millions. Interestingly, the creator of DOGE, the dog coin Musk has been bizarrely obsessed about for the last half year, had no kind words to share. In this turmoil, it is noticeable that Bitcoin brought down much of the crypto sector with it, demonstrating once again it's gravitic force on the crypto ecosystem. However, what is also noticeable is that some projects have gone up, and they are all related to smart contracts. Cardano (ADA) is a highly anticipated direct competitor to Ethereum, promising more scalability and smart contracts with the Alonzo upgrade. See also: How to Buy Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum is fast-closing to its full Proof-of-Stake (PoS) transition with the upcoming London hard fork. Together with Binance Smart Chain and Polygon (Matic), they have all outperformed Bitcoin during the last month, in terms of percentage price gains when paired with USD. Matic vs Ada vs ETH vs BTC performance (source: TradingView) Although the current crypto downturn is significant, it bears exploring what this shift in trends means for the relationship between Ethereum and Bitcoin. Ethereum and Bitcoin Complement Each Other If one were to describe the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap Bitcoin and Ethereum the former is the guardian of wealth while the latter is a utility juggernaut. Bitcoins own utility is quite limited in scope. It can serve as a payment method, but it has instead become a store of value, with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Litecoin (LTC) taking the lead as more suitable crypto payment methods. As you can see on the chart below, out of the four cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum are aberrations in terms of average transaction fees. BTC vs ETH vs LTC vs BCH transaction fees (source: bitinfocharts.com) Outside of being more popular, Bitcoin owes this drastically higher transaction fee, compared to BCH and LTC, to its block size of only 1 MB. This design decision cleared the way for the phenomenon of Bitcoin hodling, making it a digital asset akin to gold that draws its value as a hedge against inflation. On the other hand, Ethereums 76% higher fee than even Bitcoin should be a thing of the past by the years end. Ethereum is slowly progressing from the less scalable Proof-of-Work consensus toward Proof-of-Stake, leaving behind congestion and enormous transaction fees. This transition did not come free of cost. Binance Smart Chain stepped in to fill the congestion gap, achieving 600% more daily transactions than Ethereum during the same period. Such a surge in popularity from a direct competitor speaks of the treasure Ethereum holds smart contracts. In contrast to Bitcoin, Ethereums blockchain is highly flexible, able to store auto-executable contracts within its data blocks. All those exorbitantly expensive NFTs that paraded across news headlines this year were mostly hosted on Ethereum. Likewise, lending and borrowing protocols Uniswap, Maker, Aave, Compound, and dozens of others accumulated $75.6 billion in total value locked (TVL). These DeFi dApps demonstrate on a daily basis that they can replace much of the existing banking infrastructure, which brings us to the key value propositions Bitcoin and Ethereum play: To borrow a metaphor from the worlds most popular office app, think of Bitcoin as an Excel spreadsheet. This secured and distributed record tracks the number of Bitcoins in each cell. Ethereum has the ability to do the same and beyond. Instead of just recording the number of crypto coins in each cell, Ethereum can build macros that interact with formulas among other cells. However, the cost of Ethereums greater flexibility is vulnerability. While there hasnt yet been a documented instance of Bitcoins blockchain getting compromised, the same cannot be said of the protocols built on top of every blockchainand Ethereum has a lot of those. Flash loan attacks are the most common attack when it comes to Ethereums smart contracts, incurring great losses. We have yet to see how Cardano performs when it unrolls its smart contract capability. This leaves Bitcoin in a special position that is not likely to be unseated. Together with its deflationary mechanism, limited coin supply, and incredibly strong network security, Bitcoin represents a peace of mind that no smart contract-enabled blockchain has yet to achieve. Ethereum Is Entering Bullish Territory With BSC getting six times the traffic of Ethereum, one has to ask which one is likely to be The programmable blockchain. While Ethereums ongoing ETH 2.0 upgrade and still-high fees leave it wide open to competition, it has powerful winds behind its sails to eventually win the smart contract wars: Ethereum holds (by far) the largest pool of developers, according to Electric Capital. As a number of open source dev ops tools are available to make remote work easier through collaboration, managing developers remains a serious cog in DeFi development. Yet Ethereum and its developer community have thus far been dominant in this sense. In the last three years, Ethereum has widened its developer pool by 215%. Such a network effect would be exceedingly difficult to overcome. Ethereum is far more decentralized compared to BSC, by magnitudes of degree there are 21 validators on BSC compared to over 70,000 on Ethereum. Ethereum continues to hit record low ETH token supply on exchanges, indicating that BSC popularity is transitory. In other words, all those ETH hodlers are just waiting for Ethereums 2.0 transition to proof-of-stake to finalize. DeFi smart contracts hold almost twice as much locked ETH than centralized exchanges do, once again indicating high demand for Ethereums smart contract service. Alongside BSC, Polkadot, Cardano, Near Protocol, and Solana are Ethereums top competitors, all of which have also grown substantially. Nonetheless, Ethereum has another trick up its sleeve Polygon (MATIC). Until the ETH 2.0 upgrade completes, Matic is there to remove the congestion as a multichain scaling solution. Simply put, Polygon makes cheaper transactions possible by using Ethereums sidechains, which are called Layer 2 solutions. Suffice to say, Polygon has become tremendously successful in facilitating this goal. As people try to flee high fees, Sushiswap, the competitor to Ethereums most popular protocol Uniswap managed to accrue over $350 million in TVL since it announced it will launch on Polygon. A couple of days ago, the sum increased to half a billion. Overall, the Polygon network is currently lagging behind Uniswap by one rank, with $5.78 billion TVL compared to Uniswaps $7.13 billion. As far as investments go, this makes the networks native token - MATIC - enter into the 100x investment range. (Source: TradingView) Interestingly, one of the trending searches related to Dogecoin (DOGE) is will DOGE ever reach one dollar?. Once again, the contrast between DOGE and MATIC demonstrates that fundamentals always trounce meme hype (DOGE) over the long haul. Ethereum Is Poised to Go Up, but Not Over Bitcoin No matter how much Ethereum is viewed as the infrastructure for digital finance, it still remains untested, with a history of smart contract hacks. While not all of this is directly Ethereums fault, it still affects Ethereum. On the other hand however, this cannot be said of Bitcoin. It may not be as exciting as facilitating dApps, but Bitcoins draw as safeguarding wealth cannot be over underestimated. Moreover, Bitcoin is inherently deflationary, unlike Ethereum which relies on high demand to outpace inflation. This demand may bring it to a new ATH this year, but not in the Bitcoin range. As far as Bitcoins carbon footprint goes, this is largely a matter of perception. Given the activity on social media, that perception is turning against Elon Musk. After all, the data is already clear that most Bitcoin miners use clean energy. In turn, this data is also clear to those who absolutely trounced Musk on Twitter, including the owner of Twitter himself Jack Dorsey. See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaBob Baffert, Medina Spirit Banned: What To Know And How To Watch 2021 Belmont StakesFox Jumps Into NFT Market With Animated Series By Rick And Morty Creator 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. | https://news.yahoo.com/pros-cons-going-working-vacation-230051352.html |
Can Manchester United Afford To Miss Out On Signing Harry Kane This Summer? | LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur applauds fans following the Premier League ... [+] match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 19, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty Images The way Harry Kane walked around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch applauding the fans on his own with tears in his eyes after Wednesdays defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs last home game of the season, very much looked like a farewell. The player the Tottenham support calls one of their own might not be theirs for much longer. Only a few days earlier, reports emerged that Kane had informed the Spurs hierarchy of his desire to move on from the club this summer. These reports claim the 27-year-old believes he has a verbal agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that if a bid is made for him, Kane will be allowed to leave. However, the number of clubs with the financial clout to sign Kane is small. Spains big two are carrying a mountain of debt while Levy would likely never sell to Chelsea, a direct rival. This leaves the two Manchester clubs, City and United, as the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United shakes hands ... [+] with Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 04, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Getty Images Manchester United probably didnt expect to be tempted into a move for a new centre forward after tying Edinson Cavani to a one-year contract extension only last week. The Uruguayan has been a success at Old Trafford this season, netting 16 times, and the logic was that with Cavani sticking around United would look to strengthen in other areas. Goalscorers of Kanes ability dont become available every summer, though. While 34-year-old Cavani is something of a stop-gap solution, Kane would be Manchester Uniteds next great centre forward. He would be the best striker the club has had since the days of Robin van Persie. Kanes impact could be just as profound, too. A big money move for Kane this summer would mean neglecting other areas of the squad. Last summer saw Manchester United miss out on the signing of a new right winger despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifying Jadon Sancho as his top target early on. Kanes arrival would likely mean going another summer without addressing this problem position. Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) drives the ball during the English Premier League ... [+] football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) POOL/AFP via Getty Images Uniteds need for a new central defender is also clear with some arguing the addition of a new defensive midfielder to anchor things in the centre of the pitch should also be prioritised as soon as the transfer window opens. All this, however, would probably have to be put on hold to fund a club record move for Kane. And yet Manchester United might rue not taking the chance to sign one of the best goalscorers of his generation. It might not be a question whether they can afford to sign the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but whether they can afford to miss out on signing him, especially if a rival like Manchester City ends up stumping up the cash. Kane would mask so many of Uniteds problems through the sheer number of goals he would score. This is a player who has 165 goals in 244 Premier League PINC appearances. Solskjaers attack is already one of the most potent in the division, but Kane would take it to the next level. His addition would make Manchester United title challengers overnight. His signing could be a shortcut to success for the Old Trafford club. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/grahamruthven/2021/05/19/can-manchester-united-afford-to-miss-out-on-signing-harry-kane-this-summer/ |
Is DEEPROP A Missing Ingredient For More Efficient Fracking In Shale Wells? | A fracking operation near Stillwater, Oklahoma. The shale revolution has occupied the first 20 years of the new century. It has enabled the US to become self-sufficient in oil and gas for the first time since 1947. Its benefits included cheap gas for cars, cheap heating for homes and offices, cheap plastics for car, home, and office. The key to success was technology a long horizontal well (up to two miles long) fracked up to 40 times along its length. Each fracking operation basically cracked up the shale rock around the horizontal well, and by using up to 40 separate fracking operations, the shale was cracked up along the entire length of the horizontal well. Oil or gas molecules could find their way to a crack, and then hustle along a series of crack conduits to the horizontal well. Voila! a commercial well. But one important step is missing. After fracking operations cease, the crack conduits tend to close under the intense stress of the rock. If they close, the oil and gas has no preferred pathways, and the well is not profitable. The traditional antidote has been to inject proppant a variety of sand - into the well. The sand grains act to prop open the cracks and stop them from closing. For shale oil or gas wells, what operators found out quickly was that conventional 20-40 sized sand, used for decades in fracking operations, could not be pumped into the cracks because the cracks in shale were too thin in width. It was like trying to fit walnuts into a crack in the sidewalk. They had to reduce the size of the proppant and found by trial and error the best sand was a mix of 100-mesh and 40-70. For over 20 years, this has been the status quo. But in 2014, the position was challenged: finer sand should have an advantage because it would fit into smaller cracks and hold them open, and this would allow even more molecules of gas or oil to get to the wellbore. The report told of a study of gas production from five shale wells, where the correlations implied that using more 100-mesh proppant in the fracking recipe led to greater gas production. But others argued theoretically for less 100-mesh sand because it was weaker than 40-70 mesh sand and less resistant to crushing by higher stresses trying to close the fractures. DEEPROP technology. In the last few years, a new type of proppant has come along. Its smaller in size than 100-mesh, rounder, and stronger, and its called DEEPROP. It is sometimes called microproppant because of its small size: 400-500 mesh (about 0.05 mm or 1/20 of a millimeter). Bill Strobel, head of Zeeospheres Ceramic Inc., recently explained how DEEPROP works. DEEPROP is a tiny microproppant material that has been shown to increase well productivity by between 20-40% in multi-year trials, in over 250 wells in 6 major US shale plays. Mesh size of the proppant is 400-500 (0.05 mm). The particles are made of ceramic and are spherical. DEEPROP allows operators to place proppant in smaller fractures, further from the wellbore and it has been shown to slow flowrate decline and increase estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) from a shale gas or shale oil well. Yes. For the Utica shale play, a 10-year cumulative oil forecast showed DEEPROP would increase the incremental production per thousand feet of lateral by 7,000 - 13,000 barrels. This converts to an additional revenue of $315,000 - $585,000 per thousand feet drilled. Shale operators have relied on the expensive practice of continuously drilling and completing new wells because they need new wells to replace production lost in the first few years a shale well typically declines 65% in its first year. Trial wells utilizing DEEPROP have reduced production decline rates that make it easier for operating companies to maintain production. Operators have tried running 400-500 mesh proppant in the past, but they were limited to silica flour, fumed silica, and high bauxite ceramic proppants (200-300 mesh). None of these products provided a noticeable production uplift. These proppants and DEEPROP differ in two important ways: (1) They have a low conductivity, especially the silica and fumed silica products. (2) They have a low crush resistance, especially the silica and fumed silica products. Inside a crack, silica flour, fumed silica, and angular heavy bauxite ceramics are going to stack together and stick together like Lego bricks, and will block the flow of gas or oil molecules. Crushing of the silica proppants will make this worse. The plugged crack will ruin the crack as a conduit for flow of gas or oil to the horizontal well. Sample images from the lab of fumed silica and silica flour show they are angular and more stackable than perfectly spherical DEEPROP. The best way to answer this is that operators see a payback of investment typically in 1-3 months. Case studies. A new paper (Ref 1) has been published by SPE (society of Petroleum Engineers) and summarizes several comparisons of wells using DEEPROP (DP) versus offset (nearby) wells without DP: Case 1 Barnett Shale. 4,200 lb of DP was added to the pad (the initial stage of the fracking operation) at a concentration of 0.1 lb/gal. This is a very low concentration as proppant concentrations of 40-70 proppant generally peak at 2-3 lb/gal. Figure 1 shows the average cumulative BOE (barrels of oil-equivalent) production for the four DP wells vs the seven offset wells without DP. As can be seen in the plot, the wells start at about the same point but start to separate with the uplift continuing to improve over time - reaching 24% after 25 months. This is consistent with the idea of having a larger conductivity propped fracture area. Figure 1. Twenty-five month BOE average cumulative production of the 11 wells used in the Barnett ... [+] Shale study. Bill Strobel Case 2 Woodford Shale (SCOOP). One operator conducted a study using 7 DP wells offset by 12 non-DP wells. This work was first reported on by Calvin et al in SPE 184863. As with the Barnett wells 4200 lbs of the DP was added as a liquid slurry into the pad at a concentration equivalent to 0.1 lb/gal. The main reason this operator was using the DP was to reduce the frac pumping pressure. The pressure limit on the wellbore was 11,500 psi but the DP removed 800 - 1100 psi pumping pressure which allowed the frac treatment to be placed at a higher pump rate which effectively exposed more shale rock. The uplift was impressive: 72% after 24 months and 81% after 36 months (Figure 2). Figure 2. Woodford (SCOOP) averaged cumulative BOE/1000 foot of lateral for 7 MP wells and 12 offset ... [+] wells. Bill Strobel Takeaways: Statistics are important in shale wells because it is well known that the variability from well to well in a shale play is large. Many wells are required to establish a trend, or in this study a difference between wells with DP versus wells with no DP. Two cases studies show statistically-conclusive results: The Barnett shale tests indicate an average production uplift of 24% after 25 months, and this has been attributed to a larger conductivity propped fracture area when using DP. The Woodford Shale (SCOOP) trials lowered the frac pumping pressure which extended the fracture reach. The average production uplift was 72% after 24 months and 81% after 36 months. This is evidence for near-wellbore scouring of blockages by DP. Other field tests are underway, but these will require comparisons between at least half-a-dozen wells that used DP and a similar number of offset wells without DP, before statistically viable conclusions can be drawn. These two cases with conclusive results show production uplifts that were substantial and typically paid out in 1-3 months. The results clearly warrant further field trials to determine optimal concentrations and timing for adding DEEPROP to a fracking schedule. DEEPROP may turn out to be a Cinderella of proppant technology for even more successful shale-oil and shale-gas wells. Reference 1: Carl Montgomery et al. : Utilizing Discrete Fracture Modeling and Microproppant to Predict and Sustain Production Improvements in Nano Darcy Rock, SPE-199741-MS. February 5, 2020. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianpalmer/2021/05/19/is-deeprop-a-missing-ingredient-for-more-efficient-fracking-in-shale-wells/ |
Will Dallas Mavs Be Without Maxi Kleber In Playoffs vs. Los Angeles Clippers? | DALLAS - With the the first round of the NBA playoffs just days away, the Dallas Mavericks are unsure about the status of one of their best defenders in Maxi Kleber. The 6-foot-10 big man has been battling an Achilles issue off and on, causing him to miss most of the last two weeks of the regular season, with him playing limited minutes in only two of the final eight games for the Mavs. His availability is crucial for the Mavs to attempt to slow down Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 32.8 points against Dallas in the first-round playoffs series last season. There is reason to be optimistic; Kleber went through a large portion of Wednesdays practice, according to coach Rick Carlisle. Today he went through parts of the contact portion of practice, and there was a large contact portion of practice and did well, to my knowledge," Carlisle said Wednesday. "Some of this is the test of how its going to feel the next day. But were hoping that hes going to be OK. Hes obviously a big part of our team, whether hes a starter or coming off the bench....Were hopeful. And thats about all I can tell you at this point. Were going to have to see how the next couple days go. Dallas would definitely miss Kleber's excellent three-point shooting and ability to switch off of bigger players and guards. Leonard, in the first round last season (32.8 points), had to deal with Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and, occasionally, Doni guarding him. 'I Don't Know Nothing' If Maxi is out, the Mavs could rely more on Dorian Finney-Smith to guard Leonard, as well as Doncic, occasionally. There also would be more minutes available for Nicolo Melli. This Achilles thing has been manageable to an extent," said Carlisle last week. Its tough on any players. And its tough for a guy who really depends on his quickness to guard smaller guys on switches, to protect the rebound, rebound, those kind of things. READ MORE: Dirk Nowitzki Dishes on NBA Title, Luka Doncic and Mavs Vs. Clippers in Playoffs | https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/will-mavs-be-without-top-defender-playoffs-nba |
Will JPMorgans New Initiative Help Credit Invisible Americans Get Their First Loan? | Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, at the White House on February 9. AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan Chase JPM , Bank of America BAC , and several other large banks had launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who dont have credit scores but who are financially responsible. Although roughly 45 million Americans dont have a credit score, most adults do have some experience paying rent or other bills. Reviewing their checking account balance over time can show whether the consumer makes reliable bill payments, or is having trouble making ends meet. A history of regular monthly utility or rental payments might show, for example, that a consumer could probably repay a loan, while frequent late fees or overdrafts in a consumers checking account history may indicate financial hardship. The consortium of participating banks agreed to share some of this checking account data with one another, so, for example, Bank of America could consider your Wells Fargo WFC checking account data if you apply for a Bank of America credit card. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. Here are a few reasons to be skeptical. Credit cards are already widely available to people without credit history: When it comes to credit history, everybody needs to start somewhere. According to a 2017 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 80% of Americans establish their credit history before the age of 25. The report found that a minority of Americans about one in four establish their credit history with the help of a friend or family member, who either adds their loved one as an authorized user on a credit card, or cosigns on a new loan for them. But roughly three-quarters of Americans establish credit history without directly relying on somebody elses credit score: while you probably wont get a $300,000 small business loan from a big bank with no credit history, banks are more willing to take a chance on someone with a completely empty credit record when it comes to low-line credit cards. Student loans and retail loans are popular choices establish credit history, but credit cards establish credit history for more than 3 in 10 Americans, more than any other type of financial product. Some consumers are asked to put down a security deposit to get their first credit card, but the CFPB report found that 97.5% of adults who first establish credit history with a credit card before the age of 25 get an unsecured credit card, rather than a secured credit card. The fact is, at high rates that some credit card companies charge, the vast majority of consumers are attractive lending prospects: even those consumers whose odds of eventually defaulting are as high as 1 in 2. Many people who dont have a credit score have struggled with credit in the past: A common misconception about credit scores like FICO is that everybody who has used a credit card, student loan, auto loan, or other lending product will have a credit score, as long as their lender reported information to the credit bureau. But in order to have a FICO credit score, you must have recent credit history: a loan that was open and reported new information at some point in the last six months. When a consumer declares bankruptcy, or defaults on all their loans without declaring bankruptcy, you might expect them to have a very low credit score, like 400 or 500. But if the experience leaves them without any open credit accounts, after six months, theyll have a null or missing credit score. The negative information, like the missed payments, however, will still show up on their credit history for several years: as a result, when a bank or lender pulls that consumers credit history, and sees missed payments or a recent bankruptcy, they may be too scared to lend, even with this additional checking account data. According to a December 2017 Quantilytic report, 34% of all Americans without a credit score have negative information on their credit report, for example, accounts in collections or old credit accounts that charged off or defaulted. Another 13% of consumers, the report found, have effectively retired from using credit: their credit score has gone stale because they closed all their credit accounts. The average age of those who have retired from credit is 71. An additional 47% percent dont have any credit inquiries on their credit report, meaning that they havent applied for credit from a major U.S. bank within the last two years, begging the question of whether these consumers actually want credit (not everyone does). While this still leaves chunk of consumers without credit who are new to credit and may be looking for an entry point, the group remaining is relatively young their average age is 24 and typically the type of consumer able to find loans under the existing system. Credit invisible consumers are more likely to be unbanked: Many young Americans who dont have credit scores simply havent gotten around to establishing credit history, but for older Americans, its a different story. Older adults who havent used credit have often had bad experiences with banks, or face significant obstacles to maintaining a bank account. Wealthy Americans might think having a checking account is a no brainer, but for low wage workers, its a different story: as Lisa Servon, professor of city and regional planning at University of Pennsylvania explains in her book The Unbanking of America: How The New Middle Class Survives, lower-income adults often get hit with overdraft fees or cant maintain the high minimum balances needed to avoid monthly fees, causing them to choose check cashers or other alternatives over a traditional banking relationship. According to data from the 2018 Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making, 72% of U.S. adults without a credit card have a checking account or savings account, but that rate falls to just 65% of U.S. adults without a credit card who are between the ages of 25 and 55. In other words, the new initiative has nothing to offer 35% of middle-aged adults without credit cards, since they wont have any checking account data for the banks to review. Americans in marginalized communities arent just looking for affordable credit: theyre also looking for positive banking relationships, and often find a lack of options. A 2019 report by S&P Global found that JPMorgan Chase disproportionately closed bank branches in majority-Black communities, an effect the authors found couldnt be explained by income alone. High-earning young professionals and recent immigrants with healthy checking account balances will be the biggest winners: instead of being offered a $500 or $1,000 credit limit to start out, credit card issuers might offer them the same high credit limits, upwards of $5,000, currently offered to Americans with a long credit record and a high credit score. The JPMorgan initiative was reportedly launched with the encouragement of federal regulators: in the aftermath of the police shooting of George Floyd, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency convened banks and non-profits to identify how to increase credit access to historically disadvantaged communities, resulting in the agreement to share bank account data for credit card underwriting. But if banks and regulators want to make a difference in disadvantaged communities, they may need to dig deeper and make bigger changes to their business practices. Credit card companies charge Black borrowers an average interest rate of 17.7%, nearly two percentage points higher than the interest rate those companies charge white borrowers. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenabotella/2021/05/19/will-jpmorgans-new-initiative-help-credit-invisible-americans-get-their-first-loan/ |
What should Americans expect from Pentagon's UFO report? | Former Pentagon official Lue Elizondo joins "Tucker Carlson Tonight" to discuss the Pentagon's highly anticipated UFO report to Congress. LUE ELIZONDO: What we should learn is exactly that: What the U.S. Government knows about this topic and has known for a while. Its a threat assessment that is supposed to be conducted at the unclassified level and then provided to Congress, which is a report that is expected to be comprehensive. Certainly, that is a report that Congress deserves. Unfortunately what we might get is something that is more watered down. I think from my perspective, that's probably the most concerning part of this. The last thing that we need is more obfuscation. Probably because the certain elements in the Pentagon have backed themselves in a corner. They spent such a long time and amount of energy trying to obfuscate the truth from the American people that they backed themselves into a corner and they really dont know how to get out of it. I think the more that we shine a spotlight on this topic, the more people are going to realize that there really is something there. I think with the announcement of the new IG Inspector General evaluation into this topic and more importantly the last three years of Pentagon obfuscation, hopefully, those elements of resistance in the Pentagon will realize that that type of resistance at this point is futile. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW | https://www.foxnews.com/media/what-should-americans-expect-from-pentagons-ufo-report |
When do I still need to wear a mask? | It depends, mostly on whether or not you're vaccinated. If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most situations. That includes when you're outside and in many indoor spaces like restaurants, though you still need to follow any local or business rules. Americans also still need a mask when traveling, including on buses, subways and planes and at airports. The guidance on masks will differ by country. Some experts say the CDC is relaxing its recommendations too soon. Part of the concern is that theres no way to tell whos vaccinated, so unvaccinated people could claim they got the shots and go maskless, said David Holtgrave, dean of the School of Public Health at University at Albany. That could cause cases to rise. A central mistake in public health is easing up infectious disease control efforts just before crossing the finish line, he said. Vaccinated people might also prefer to continue wearing their masks. Though chances are low, it's still possible to get infected, even if symptoms are likely to be mild or nonexistent. That's why the CDCs guidance says vaccinated people should put their masks back on and get tested if they end up developing symptoms. There are other exceptions. Masks are still needed in select settings including hospitals and nursing homes. And if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or medications, the agency says to talk to your doctor before shedding your mask, since vaccines generally dont work as well in people with weak immune systems. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last required shot. If you're not yet fully vaccinated, the CDC still recommends masks in most places outside your home. That includes indoor public spaces, crowded outdoor events like concerts and small outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. When you're outdoors alone or with people from your household, the agency says unvaccinated people don't need masks. Since children younger than 12 arent yet eligible for COVID-19 shots, they should continue to wear masks indoors outside the home and in most public places like other unvaccinated people. ___ The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: [email protected]. | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/When-do-I-still-need-to-wear-a-mask-16190200.php |
What are 'zombie fires' and why is the Arctic Circle on fire? | Getty Images Experts have been studying so-called 'zombie fires' which have been burning in the Arctic Circle. A new study has discovered that zombie fires may make up a third of the total burn area in the forests in the Arctic Circle. Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. In June and July 2019, temperatures around the world were some of the hottest on record, and more than 100 wildfires burned in the Arctic circle. They emitted a record 244 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, and destroyed millions of hectares of forests across Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. The researchers behind the report are worried that climate change, and the rising of the Earth's temperatures could increase the number of zombie fires in the future. Reuters Zombie fires happen as a result of wildfires. They're called zombie fires as they seem to come back from the dead. After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled by peat and methane. These fires can continue to burn all through winter, hidden under a layer of snow, and in spring as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the soil dries out, the wildfires can re-ignite and spread once again. "With low oxygen levels under the snowpack, overwintering fires smoulder slowly, only to flare up again when the snow melts and dry conditions arrive in the spring." said Rebecca C Scholten, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. PA Media These maps show how a zombie fire burned after a wildfire, allowing a new fire to burn months later. As part of the study, the researchers looked at satellite data from the Arctic, gathered between 2002 and 2018. They found that zombie fires were responsible for nearly 1% of the total burned area over the study period, but said this varied over the years and, in one year, was as high as 38%. "Previously overwintering fires were reported as a rare freak phenomenon." said Rebecca C Scholten, "There are more overwintering fires after hot summers with many large and severe fires. In 2010 for example, they caused 22% of the burned area in Alaska." They also discovered that early spring fires were much more likely to pop up after large fire seasons and near to the burnt areas left behind by the previous fire. As part of their research, the scientists have been able to develop an algorithm to spot zombie fires, and help firefighters to put them out before they spread. "You could monitor the location of last year's fires from planes or satellites and extinguish them when they are still small." said Sander Veraverbeke, an associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57173570 |
Does the bullets emergence affect how Ohio State football recruits linebackers and defensive backs? | COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program is finally using the bullet position in 2021 after talking about it for two offseasons. Given what the roster was when Ryan Day took over as head coach, this may have always been the plan. An idea for a defensive scheme is one thing. Having the players capable of executing it is another. Ronnie Hickman and Craig Young will be the first players to try their hand at the hybrid linebacker-safety position as third-year players. Then theres Kourt Williams, who in 2020 was the first player recruited with it in mind. The addition of the bullet means the subtraction of a linebacker. This defensive scheme doesnt call for a traditional outside linebacker, affecting how Al Washington puts his room together. The Buckeyes only offered eight linebackers in 2022, but thats more of a result of early recruiting success than a lack of options. When Dasan McCullough flipped to Indiana, Washington needed to go back to the drawing board. But he also only took one linebacker in 2021 -- Reid Carrico -- while making a late push for Raesjon Davis before he picked USC. Ohio States remaining targets to replace McCullough are well known. Theres Shawn Murphy, a top-100 recruit who was considered the nations best for most of this cycle. Hes since dropped down to No. 61 and second among inside linebackers, but thats a result of his junior season at Unity Reed in Virginia delayed until spring. Hes one of many targets and commits whose ranking comes with a caveat. The other is Justin Medlock. A three-star recruit out of Manvel, Texas, hes more of a developmental player. Day camps in June could open the door for new targets to emerge. That route has become more common for the Buckeyes, leading to defensive back Kye Stokes commitment. But now that the bullet is more than an offseason talking point, it will change the way we evaluate back-seven players. Regardless whether a scouting website classifies them as a linebacker, safety or an athlete, the most important factor at OSU may be their physical build. That will decide whether they fall on the Hickman or the Young side of the bullet spectrum. If youve never listened to Buckeye Talk, try it now. And subscribe to Buckeye Talk on any of these podcast platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts. Buckeye Talk on iTunes Buckeye Talk on Spotify Buckeye Talk on Google Play - Fields Bears jersey: Ohio State football fans can purchase Justin Fields new Chicago Bears jersey here. Its available in white, blue and orange and in mens, womens and youth sizes. Theres also a cheaper T-shirt option. Hey, Buckeye Talk Whats the deal with 2021 recruiting target J.T. | https://www.cleveland.com/buckeye-talk-podcast/2021/05/does-the-emergence-of-the-bullet-impact-how-ohio-state-football-recruits-linebackers-and-defensive-backs.html |
Is It Time To Change The Lens Through Which We View Disruption? | Claire Valoti Snap Inc At a time when we have witnessed some of the greatest upheaval ever to our working and home lives, Claire Valoti, VP International at Snap Inc. took action and sought to change the typically negative narrative around disruption. She is on a mission to interview key business leaders and founders of disruptive firms which are changing their industry for the better. A Time For Difference Snap Inc has shaken up the world of communication and chooses to do things a little differently. Its proud of its inclusive mindset with diversity and inclusivity high on the agenda. It empowers its people to be what Valoti refers to as owners not renters of the business, encouraging a more entrepreneurial attitude. It takes internal comms and town hall events to the next level by hosting Snap Council where employees can come together to share and discuss non-work topicsessential in the past year. It invests time and resource into team networking and communications. Stand up meetings are commonplace and enable its leaders to role model the behaviors it values. And, just to demonstrate how different Snap can be to other organizations, it hired Valoti when she was 24 weeks pregnant knowing full well shed be taking maternity leave. Valoti herself is a leader that breaks the mold. She chooses not to use the term authentic because of its overuse, but its clear that this is one of her characteristics. She doesnt create different personas for the different aspects of her life; what you see is the full and entire person and, as she comments, she wants to really know her colleagues. The Drive For Positivity Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, organizational leaders have rocked up to interviews and podcasts and shared the ordeals their businesses are facing. The language used is of coping and challenge and, according to Valoti, often feels a little doom and gloom. And yet, she says, there is real opportunity to see things positively and adopt an optimistic view about the lessons learned from such disruption. Valotis positive perception of disruption isnt just because of the pandemic narrative. She explains: We need to move away from seeing disruption as negative. There are some very powerful disruptors, each doing things differently, encouraging us all to adapt and rethink. It was this desire to shine a light on what can be learned from turning things on their head, that resulted in Snaps Positive Disruptor video series. Sharing Positive People Snap is itself a disruptor, coming onto the market in 2011 to positively disrupt social media. Lessons have been learned along the way; insights that can be shared with others that Valoti wanted to bring together to help bolster the thinking of those just starting out. Take for example her interview with Alex Mahon, CEO of the original disruptor to broadcasting, Channel Four. Valoti describes Mahon as a great example of an extraordinary modern leader making her mark on the channel, focused on the business strategy, but also on developing a more inclusive workplace by, for example, introducing a menopause policy. Or beauty brand UOMA Beautys CEO and Creative Director, Sharon Chuter, as she rewrites the rules of inclusivity for beauty, fights for greater representation and equality in the industry, and emphasizes the importance of speaking up for what is right. Or Charli Cohen, Founder and CEO of the eponymous fashion brand as she sets about transforming the fashion industry with NEXTWEAR, the link between fashion and gaming, and works tirelessly to improve mental health awareness in the industry. All great stories. All great women leaders. Common Insights and Common Threads These positive disruptors all have: A set of strong values Self-beliefbut not arrogance Bravery A recognition of the importance of culture Resilience Patience Sacrifice It is interesting to see sacrifice on the list. As Valoti comments: Accepting that you cannot have it all, no matter what you think or have been led to believe, is a huge challenge for many. Without knowing this, youre setting yourself up to failand I think I have a responsibility to share that with younger women coming up. The Positives Of Disruption Disruption brings with it the opportunity for positive permanent change. The pandemic has taught us that. Rapid vaccination developmentand rolloutprocesses. Gratitude for healthcare professionals. Greater respect for teachers at school. Increased visibility of the work of the at-home mother or father. Time efficiencies from the reduced commute. More empathy for co-workers having seen into their lives via the webcam. Increased communication to maintain connection. The list goes on. Valoti is hopeful that the positives are permanent, and theyll lead to greater choice for women and how they work. Talent will win out. The pandemic has shown us that great people can work anywhere and any way they want to work, because they are performance led and output driven. She offers though a word of warning: women need to speak up to make change happen. They need to be clear what they want and feel confident they will be listened to. In talking with these positive disruptors, you cannot be anything but extremely optimistic about the future of female leadership. The series gives so much optimism about what is possible. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/joyburnford/2021/05/20/is-it-time-to-change-the-lens-through-which-we-view-disruption/ |
Why are advisors and investors so split on ESG investing? | Open this photo in gallery Some younger investors who want to invest in a responsible manner are becoming increasingly unhappy with advisors who do not take that approach. fizkes/iStockPhoto / Getty Images This article is the first in a series on the challenges and opportunities in environmental, social and governance investing, and the great divisions in the investment industry on the attitudes to, and acceptance of, this rising trend. For Carol Smith, a financial advisor with Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network in Mississauga, investing her clients money responsibly with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues just makes common sense. For me to move forward and just continue to invest my clients [money] in the traditional way, I just couldnt do it, says Ms. Smith. After taking courses and educating herself on responsible investing (RI), she understands that companies with strong ESG principles can experience improved financial performance as can their stocks. Story continues below advertisement Its like voting with your money, she says. So, why [would investors] just hand their money over and invest it in industries that are not in line with their values? For advisors who are using ESG principles in their practices, Ms. Smith says, [it] feels youre [offering] the best service you possibly can for your clients. However, research shows that a significant percentage of advisors are not yet focusing on RI or discussing it with their clients. The Toronto-based Responsible Investment Associations (RIA) 2020 RIA Investor Opinion Survey of 1,000 Canadian investors found that only 28 per cent had been asked by their financial services provider if theyre interested in RI. However, 75 per cent said they wanted their advisor to inform them about investments that aligned with their values. The investor opinion study is done every two years and theres always a huge disconnect, says Dustyn Lanz, chief executive officer of the RIA. [Investors] want their advisor to inform them about responsible investments, but the advisor is not doing that. Some investors are charging ahead regardless. The RIAs 2020 Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report found that assets under management in RI on behalf of individual investors more than doubled within two years, rising to $882-billion as of Dec. 31, 2019, from $435.7-billion on Dec. 31, 2017. Furthermore, the share of RI assets managed on behalf of individual investors rose to 28 per cent of the total RI market from 20 per cent during those two years. This ESG train isnt stopping anytime soon, the market is just getting started and leading advisors know that, Mr. Lanz says, adding that about 2,000 investment professionals, mainly advisors, have taken the RIAs RI training courses. Story continues below advertisement These courses educate advisors on how to have informed conversations with their clients and thats the kicker. Most people will steer clear of topics they dont understand, and so, thats the issue, he says about why many advisors avoid delving into RI and ESG investing. But those who choose that course of action do so to their own detriment. Advisors who dont equip themselves with ESG education are going to be leaving new business on the table and putting existing client assets at flight risk, Mr. Lanz says. We know clients want sustainable portfolios. They want investments that consider environmental, social, and governance issues and thats only going to strengthen over time. In fact, Marie-Justine Labelle, head of responsible investment at Desjardins Investments Inc., which manages Desjardins Funds, in Montreal, says the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a rethinking in people of their role in society and their consumption, and theyre now applying it to their finances as well. They want to make money, but they want to make their money matter. Raj Lala, CEO of Evolve Funds Group Inc. in Toronto, has been talking to advisors across the country about RI as the fund company just launched two carbon-neutral exchange-traded funds (ETFs): Evolve S&P/TSX 60 CleanBeta Fund SIXT-T, and Evolve S&P 500 CleanBeta Fund FIVE-T. The ETFs, which track the S&P/TSX 60 Index and the S&P 500, respectively, buy carbon offsets based on the companies included in the indexes. He sees two reasons why advisors arent adopting RI strategies. One is that they think a lot of these ESG strategies are smoke and mirrors, marketing gimmicks from a lot of the fund companies. Mr. Lala acknowledges that theres some validity to that statement. A lot of these ESG screening methodologies are very unclear. Story continues below advertisement The second reason is that their clients arent asking about it. But thats about to reach a tipping point, with about $700-billion expected to transfer from the older generation to the younger generation in the ensuing years. And many of those in the younger group are only interested in owning ESG-focused investments, particularly those that address climate change. Mr. Lala says one advisor he spoke with recently has an older client with about $45-million invested who is getting help from his daughter, also the advisors client. During a recent meeting with them, they asked how he was using ESG principles to invest their money. He wasnt, and the daughter told him she wasnt happy. Now, that advisor fears he could lose both those accounts. As more advisors have one of these experiences, the fear of losing accounts is going to be highly motivating for them to look a lot closer at ESG trends and start figuring out a way to integrate them into client portfolios, Mr. Lala says. While more investors may be interested in holding ESG investments, that doesnt mean theyre bringing the topic up with their advisors. A 2020 U.S. study by Boston-based consulting firm Cerulli Associates Inc. found that 58 per cent of advisors surveyed werent adopting ESG strategies in their practices because of a significant lack of investor demand. They said only a handful of clients had ever asked them about RI. However, another Cerulli Associates study of U.S. retail investors found that 44 per cent of households would prefer to invest in an environmental or socially responsible way. Most investors, if you go to them and say, We have this investment that has a good risk/return profile, it fits with [your financial] goals and it makes the world a better place, theyre going to be interested in that, says Matt Belnap, senior analyst, retail distribution, at Cerulli Associates. Story continues below advertisement However, it doesnt mean they will bring up the topic as their advisor is the expert. Furthermore, many busy advisors who are doing well in their practices dont feel the need to learn about an additional investment philosophy that requires a lot of research and due diligence to implement, Mr. Belnap says. Mr. Lanz says there can be many other reasons why advisors choose not to learn more about ESG investing. They may perceive that some of their clients dont believe in climate change or dont care about increased diversity and inclusion and therefore wouldnt be interested in it. While Mr. Belnap says that some clients with a more political viewpoint may think that RI and ESG are lefty, hippy stuff, he believes that only constitutes a small percentage. A lot of it comes down to performance and returns. If you can have [your clients also] make an impact that they care about, then theres an opportunity there, he says. The ongoing myth that RI doesnt do as well as other investments is also a hindrance for advisors, says Mr. Belnap. Story continues below advertisement That myth persists. A Desjardins Group survey released last month found that 28 per cent of Canadians believed that RI products provided lower returns than traditional investments. The misconception is on the rise, up from 24 per cent in 2018 and 16 per cent in 2016. However, data from the RIA show the average returns of RI funds matched or outperformed the average for all investments funds. Clearly, the myth that responsible investments are less profitable, despite actual results, persists, says Ms. Labelle at Desjardins Investments. In 2019, the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing looked at the performance of 11,000 mutual funds from 2004 to 2018 and found that there is no financial trade-off in the returns of sustainable funds compared to traditional funds, and they demonstrate lower downside risk. RI is still a [relatively] new concept, Ms. Labelle says, and many investors are just beginning to learn about it. We still need to do a lot of education about what responsible investment is [for both investors and advisors]. On that note, there are ways to encourage advisors to take RI education seriously, Mr. Lanz says. Highlighting the opportunity is the most important piece. Theres only really an incentive to take on something new once they understand that its central to their business, he says. Once advisors come at this from a systemic, long-term perspective, they will see that if theyre not taking responsible investment seriously and at least making their clients aware of the options, theyre going to be missing out on big opportunities. | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/globe-advisor/advisor-news/article-why-are-advisors-and-investors-so-split-on-esg-investing/ |
Why Is Wall Street Profiting From Clean Energy Tax Credits? | Johanna Bozuwa, of the progressive think tank the Next System Project, has suggested a relatively simple fix for helping democratize clean energy tax credits, and thus lessening reliance on monopolistic tax-equity markets. Awarding non- or low-taxable entities the equivalent of tax credits in grants, she writes, could help shift renewable ownership by applying a straight incentive, available to all ownership types. Changes to the structure of these credits could also encourage smaller projects now all but cut out of existing benefits by tax-equity investors preference for massive developments. As part of infrastructure talks, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and American Public Power Association have each been pushing for similar changes. As of now, Bidens proposed reforms of the clean energy tax credit system wont fix the fact that these entities remain locked out of it. With public power serving about 30 percent of retail power customers, leaving those utilities out of the administrations centerpiece for clean energy development could pose a serious challenge to decarbonizing the electric grid by 2035, which Biden has promised. As of now, Bidens proposed reforms of the clean energy tax credit system wont fix the fact that these entities remain locked out of it. There are plenty of political reasons to want to change that. Large-scale solar and wind developments, in particular, have already been the subject of tense debates in the places where theyre sited. Public utilities and co-ops provide power to some of the poorest and most rural parts of the country, and in many places that arent havens for climate policy like New York or California. In its current form, renewables tax breaks funnel billions of dollars off to Wall Street investors that might otherwise be invested in hiring local, unionized workers and delivering more benefits to surrounding communities. Making sure more of the gains of clean energy development are shared locally could be a way to build much-needed political support for decarbonization. The tax credit system is hard not just for public utilities to use but also for community solar projects, low-income households, and tenants to benefit from. And while homeowners with enough cash to mount rooftop solar can recoup costs through residential tax credits, many lack the sometimes tens of thousands of dollars of cash needed up front. As Rebecca Burns recently reported for Bloomberg, deceptively marketed solar financing schemes have left lower-income households that wanted to go green in the red and, in some cases, without operational panels. This is the kind of thing that could be fixed with better-designed tax credit policy, that would let in more households, developers, and investors. But a bigger and possibly more effective shift would be adding more direct public financing for renewables into the mix. The New Dealera New York Power Authority, for instance, the largest state-owned energy provider in the U.S., could be a powerful and democratically accountable engine for clean energy development. A recent report co-authored by Knuth, Bozuwa, and several other experts found that the NYPA could create more than 50,000 jobs meeting New York states ambitious clean energy goals in direct coordination with state climate officials, scaling up vehicle electrification, transmission lines, energy efficiency, and renewable power generation without needing to serve either shareholders or tax-equity investors. Any revenues generated by NYPA can be reinvested into the grid, lowering customer bills, or in other economic development projects throughout the state that create jobs and wealth in disadvantaged communities, they wrote. | https://newrepublic.com/article/162444/wall-street-profiting-clean-energy-tax-credits |
Is San Antonio on the verge of becoming 'Aquarium City'? | A test of sorts is underway in San Antonio to find out. The Sea Life San Antonio aquarium will open at the Shops at Rivercenter downtown on May 25. Itll join SeaWorld San Antonio, one of the worlds largest marine-life theme parks, and the San Antonio Aquarium on the list of fish attractions. And lets not forget the aquatic exhibits at the San Antonio Zoo. No one has proposed calling San Antonio Aquarium City, but the city known for the Alamo and the River Walk will soon have one of the largest concentrations of aquarium attractions in North America. 2 1 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less People love aquariums, said Samantha Muka, an assistant professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Its like a jewelry store or candy store. They like looking at these things. And unlike zoos, Muka who is writing a book on the technology of aquariums said the operators of the fish attractions dont have to worry about the rain or hot weather keeping visitors away. The aquarium has something that zoos do not, which is that the weather doesnt matter, she said. On ExpressNews.com: SeaWorld, Six Flags narrow first-quarter losses as attendance increases after pandemic shutdowns Most major cities around the world have marine life attractions, usually an aquarium. In fact, an aquarium building boom has been underway over the last several years, with new fish attractions going up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, and St. Louis, Missouri, among other cities. But four makes San Antonio unique. Dennis Speigel, who advises operators of theme parks and tourist attractions, said he doubts visitors will come to San Antonio for its aquatic attractions. But theyre a nice add-on for tourists. Sea Life San Antonios location near the Alamo is no coincidence. The aquarium is in the mall and its an impulse attraction when you have time to kill, he said. Its not a lengthy stay. Sea Life, the first downtown aquarium, isnt large; it will add 3,000 fish to San Antonios sea-creature census. Its owner, UK-based Merlin Entertainments, bills it as an attraction that visitors can see in 90 minutes or less. Indeed, none of San Antonios sea-life attractions are considered mega-aquariums. But that possibility isnt out of the question. Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes interested in building the citys first major aquarium as part of a long-term plan to add more attractions at the zoo. Sharks at the mall Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Sea Life claims to have something unique San Antonios Only Underground Ocean Tunnel. Attraction officials say the 50-foot-long tunnel is surrounded by a 360-degree view of ocean creatures, including sharks and sea turtles, swimming all around visitors. Sea Life brings an all-new experience into the market that provides an intimate, highly-themed, hands-on experience for our guests, spokeswoman Carly Wisniewski said. On ExpressNews.com:Looking to recover, SeaWorld San Antonio staying open through winter Merlin Entertainments is promoting the 33,000-square-foot aquarium in combination with its other attraction in the downtown mall, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Wisniewski said the average family spends two to three hours at the Lego attraction. Merlin Entertainment will cross-sell discounted tickets to visitors to Sea Life and LEGOLAND. Eighteen miles west of downtown, SeaWorld San Antonio may not have an ocean tunnel, but its upping its game. In June, SeaWorld plans to begin renovating its 450,000-gallon Explorers Reef aquarium, including new floors and lighting. It will also add large schools of new fish that will swim with the resident 3,800 sharks, sea horses, clownfish, coral reef fish and dart frogs. SeaWorld San Antonio President Byron Surrett said his parks aquariums, rides and shows cant be compared to the Sea Life aquarium, whch he called a quick walk-through. Surrett also said SeaWorlds sister parks in Orlando, Florida, and San Diego, California, feature underwater shark and fish tunnels but building one in San Antonio would be costly and difficult. Explorers Reef is an older facility, dating back to the parks opening in 1988. SeaWorld Entertainment, the San Antonio parks parent company, recorded a net loss of $356 million in the 15-month period ending March 31 as COVID-19 wrecked havoc on attendance at the companys theme parks. Tunnel vision Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer The San Antonio area has been promised an aquatic tunnel since 2014. The free-standing, 50,000-square-foot San Antonio Aquarium opened that year in a former car dealership in Leon Valley. A press release put out by aquarium officials at the time said they would build a 125,000-gallon tank and underground tunnel to watch sharks and tropical fish by March 2015. The operator never built the tunnel. Today, the facility contains 8,000 fish but features no giant marine viewing windows. It offers visitors a hodgepodge of experiences, including a video-game arcade, a kiddie bounce room and the opportunity to pet lemurs. Outside its gift shop, representatives try to sell visitors timeshares in Cancun and Orlando. Aquarium spokesman Paul Mefford said in a statement the facility has no plans to build the tunnel but did not offer an explanation. Our business model is very different from that of Sea Life and through our innovative experiences that we provide to our guests we will remain competitive, he said. The aquarium received unwanted international attention in July 2018 after a man snatched a 16-inch horn shark out of its tank, wrapped it in a blanket and then pushed it out of the aquarium in a baby stroller. The incident was caught by aquarium security cameras and broadcast on TV new programs. The man was later arrested after police found the shark in his home aquarium. Muka said Sea Life could take away business from the San Antonio Aquarium, especially when cross-sold with the Lego attraction. Mothers with young children love LEGOLAND, she said. Muka said visitors and locals also will want to see the Sea Life aquatic tunnel something they expect in newer aquariums. Morrow, of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes looking to work with Sea Life to promote one anothers attractions. But he also has a grand aquarium plan that would make the zoo the aquarium king of San Antonio. It calls for centralizing the zoo aquarium exhibits one is in a building that dates back to the 1940s and create a world-class aquarium. Currently, the zoos main aquarium building doesnt have the wall-to-ceiling glass windows that are more common todays seal-life exhibits. Even without any additions, the zoo still houses more than 9,000 fish. Morrow said kids go to the zoo to see big species, including elephants and tigers, but they also like sharks. We are a big enough city to have a major aquarium, he said, adding that he would start construction tomorrow if someone would write me a $200 million check. Sharks are the most popular aquarium draw. Muka said they are usually up to seven feet long at major aquariums. Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer As for other fish, she said, people dont know the names of particular species nor do they care. Theres very few times when people will say, I want to go to the aquarium to see that animal, she said. Mostly it seems to just be the immersive experience. Its very calming to people. Dave Krupinski, interim president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, plans to promote the Sea Life aquarium in upcoming marketing campaigns. He said he isnt concerned about the abundance of aquatic attractions in the city. Marine life is always a point of interest for any leisure attraction, as it adds entertainment value for a potential traveler, he said. Strengthening these offerings, especially in downtown San Antonio in these trying times, will always add value. Speigel estimates Merlin spent $20 million building Sea Life, and said it should be successful. Merlin Entertainment operates more than 50 Sea Life aquariums around the world and doesnt commit to a project without extensive market research on the viability of a location. Ultimately, the Sea Life aquarium will give visitors another reason to tour San Antonio, said Davis Phillips, who runs Ripleys Haunted Adventure, the Guinness World Records museum and other downtown attractions. Phillips said its all about offering more family fun after the Alamo, the River Walk and SeaWorld and the Six Flags Fiesta theme parks. People are looking for something new to do, he said. The new aquarium is a good thing for San Antonio. [email protected] | https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/Is-San-Antonio-on-the-verge-of-becoming-16189547.php |
What life's like for children on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian conflict? | The international community is calling for a stop to the violence between between Israel and Palestinian militants following more than a week of battles between the two communities. The clashes are part of a conflict that's been happening on and off for decades that has meant devastating disruption to normal life for people living in both communities. There is growing hope that a ceasefire to end the violence will be announced within days but the fighting has already cost more than 200 lives in Gaza and 12 in Israel. BBC correspondent Yolande Knell is there and has sent Newsround a special report to explain what life's like for children on both sides of the conflict. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57183724 |
Can a province unilaterally rewrite parts the Constitution, as Quebec seeks to do? | The move is very rare and even most experts dont know what the full consequences of the provinces ask will be in the long run. Those are just some of the questions swirling across Canada days after Legaults government introduced Bill 96, a sweeping language law reform that includes adding two new subsections to Section 90 of the Constitution proclaiming Quebec a nation and affirm that the only official language of Qubec is French. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Back to video Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed to side with Legault by saying the federal governments initial analysis determined Quebecs move is perfectly legitimate and that the province has the right to modify a part of the Constitution. But the move is very rare and even most experts dont know what the full consequences of the provinces ask will be in the long run. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. No, not quite. What Quebec is doing is amending a part of the constitution that applies specifically to it, what experts and politicians have referred to as Quebecs Constitution. Each province has its own Constitution-within-the-Constitution that they can alter without the rest of the countrys approval, and Legault argues that the amendments hes proposing are just that. In legal terms, Quebec wants to add two new subsections (90Q.1 and 90Q.2) to the portion of the Constitution that governs provincial jurisdiction (Section 90). To do so, Quebec is relying on Section 45 of the 1982 Constitution Act, which says that any province can pass a law in its local legislature to amend its constitution. In short, the province says that only it is affected by the changes is it doesnt need the approval of anyone else. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As with many constitutional questions that have yet to be tested in court, there is no clear answer. Some, such as Emmett Macfarlane, associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, or University of Alberta faculty of law professor Eric Adams, dont think Quebec is in its rights to affirm its nationhood unilaterally in the Constitution because the effect extends beyond the traditional bounds of the provincial constitution. They also think it raises questions about the rights of Quebecs minority English speakers. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content I think theyve exceeded their constitutional reach Adams said. This is going to make constitutional litigation very likely, and its probably a constitutional hurdle that they wont be able to overcome. For Universit de Laval law professor Patrick Taillon, who first suggested the idea to modify the constitution in a publication earlier this year, this is an entirely legal way to partly solve the over 40-year constitutional gridlock between Quebec and the rest of the country. But he concedes that the recognition of French as the provinces official language cannot infringe on Anglophone Quebecers rights as set out in Section 133 of the Constitution, and so that point will likely find its way in front of the court. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Great big meetings like Meech Lake or Charlottetown, where every issue is put into a big basket and everyone has to agree with everything, have consistently failed, Taillon said. Quebecs approach is to come with a small change for which I conveniently have a modification mechanism already in place. The short answer is to have an official mention in the Constitution of the provinces distinct nation status as well as the primacy of French on its territory. In a letter to Trudeau last week, Legault explained he wanted an act of affirmation with regards to our particular and historic responsibility towards the sustainability of the French language in America. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Though the move is mostly a symbolic recognition of things that have been recognized by the federal and provincial government in the past, Taillon believes Legault also likely hopes that judges will also consider Quebecs distinct nationhood when hearing national affairs going forward. There is a structural issue for Quebec that all federal judges are chosen by Ottawa, Taillon said. So by adding the subsection on Quebecs nation, the government is hoping that it will push judges to adapt their perspective to the provinces particularities. If you dont believe what Quebec is doing as legitimate, then no. But if you think the province is acting within its rights, then absolutely, yes. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content For example, Taillon says Alberta could decide to add a mention in its constitution of the importance of its natural resources. Different changes to the Constitution by provinces without going through the formal modification process have happened in the past. In 2001, Newfoundland successfully had its name amended through the document to add the mention of Labrador, for example. Support for Quebec is in fact unanimous among the heads of all major federal parties. The Bloc Qubcois unsurprisingly backs the bill completely, the NDP thinks the federal government should assist as much as possible in better protecting Quebec language and culture, and Conservative leader Erin OToole said he believes Quebec is within its right to make the desired unilateral changes (though if all of his caucus agrees is another question). Email: [email protected] | Twitter: ChrisGNardi Share this article in your social network Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Shopping essentials Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NP Posted Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. 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Does a teenager need a Roth IRA? | Dear Liz: Our 16-year-old daughter has been frugal since she started understanding money at about age 6. She works and makes a decent income for a high school student. Her savings are now quite substantial. She wants to open a Roth IRA while she is young and has no income tax liability. My wife and I have pensions and substantial savings but only one IRA account. So we have no idea how to help her open a Roth. She has enough money to maximize her contributions every year through high school and college and wants to take full advantage of 50 years of tax-free growth. Answer: Contributing to a Roth IRA is an excellent way for young people to build wealth, and the earlier they can start, the better. Traditional IRAs typically offer a tax deduction for contributions but withdrawals are taxable. Roth IRAs, by contrast, dont offer an upfront tax deduction but withdrawals are tax free in retirement. Opting for a Roth over a traditional IRA makes sense when you expect your tax rate to be the same or higher in retirement. A $6,000 contribution at age 26 can grow to about $105,000 by retirement age, assuming 7% average annual returns. (Thats a reasonable average for a multi-decade investment in a diversified stock portfolio.) Advertisement Make the same contribution at age 16, and the money could grow to over $210,000 by age 67. The extra 10 years of compounded gains effectively doubles the total. To contribute to an IRA or Roth IRA, people must have earned income such as wages, salary or self-employment income. Theyre allowed to contribute 100% of their earnings during the tax year or $6,000, whichever is less. (People 50 and older can make an additional $1,000 catch up contribution.) If your daughter earned $4,000 this year, for example, thats the maximum she could contribute to a Roth for 2021. Your daughter typically cant open her own account until shes 18, so you would need to find a brokerage that offers custodial Roth IRAs. She would be the account owner and you would be the custodian until she turns 18. Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard are among the discount brokerages that offer custodial Roth IRAs without requiring minimum investments or charging maintenance fees. Mailing checks really is a bad idea Dear Liz: I differ with your opinion that electronic payments are far more secure than sending checks through the mail. My own personal experience sending checks for about 40 years with only one mishap (which wasnt attributable to the USPS) provides great confidence in mail as a payment system. In contrast, not a month goes by without news of some large organization entrusted with all kinds of personal and financial information being breached in a cyberattack. If the bad guys get my credit card information, Im out no greater than $50. Im not also going to risk them having my bank account and routing numbers for the dubious convenience of saving a stamp. Yes, mailboxes get broken into, but until there are real penalties for inadequate computer security, corporations will continue to underfund their network security and be reactive instead of proactive. Ill take my chances with the local thieves and not the worldwide population of black hat hackers. Answer: Youre quite right that databases where information is stored can be vulnerable to hackers if companies dont take the proper precautions. But avoiding electronic payments doesnt keep your information out of those databases. Information about you is collected and stored whether you like it or not. You didnt contribute your Social Security number, date of birth and credit account details to Equifax, for example, but chances are good you were one of the 147 million Americans whose information was exposed when that credit bureau was breached. In contrast to some databases, electronic payment transactions have strong encryption that makes it extremely difficult for hackers to intercept and read the information. Criminals would much rather target information thats at rest in databases than try to capture and decode it in transit. Advertisement Your checks are almost certainly being converted to electronic transactions, in any case. Few checks are physically passed between banks these days. Often a biller will take the routing and account numbers that are printed on your check and use them to request an electronic funds transfer through a clearinghouse such as The Automated Clearing House (ACH). Because those numbers are printed on every check you send out, by the way, anyone who sees that piece of paper, from a mail thief to someone inputting the payment into a companys computer system, could misuse that information. Thats a far bigger risk than the possibility an electronic payment could be hacked in transit. Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. | https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-05-20/does-a-teenager-need-roth-ira |
How Healthy Are The Dallas Mavericks As They Enter The Playoffs? | LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 21: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers shoots as he is defended ... [+] by Maxi Kleber #42 and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of Game Three of the first round of the playoffs at the AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 21, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images The Dallas Mavericks are heading back to the NBA playoffs for the second consecutive season. Once there, theyll face a familiar foe in the Los Angeles Clippers. The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs last season in a thrilling six-game series inside the NBA Bubble, which the Clippers won. While the Mavericks would like to reverse that outcome this year, it wont be easy. Dallas is the underdog even with budding superstar Luka Doncic on its roster. Yet, its going to take far more than Doncic to pull off an upset. Unfortunately, the Mavericks appear to be heading into the postseason with a lot of questions about their overall health. Kristaps Porzingis injury woes this seasonhe missed a total of 29 gamesbegan against the Clippers last year when he suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee in Game 1 of the playoffs. He was able to play through the injury for two more games before the team shut him down. He had surgery to repair the damage in the offseason. With his first taste of the playoffs cut short, leaving him heartbroken, Porzingis is itching to get back on the floor. Im glad I got those three games in against them in the playoffs with that kind of intensity, with that kind of focus, Porzingis said. So, Im excited for this seasons playoffs and to see how we can compete against them. His knee remains an issue, though. Soreness in that knee kept him out for 10 games as the season wound down. However, he was able to play the final three games of the regular season, something both he and Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle wanted to see before the playoffs began. In those final three games, Porzingis played well offensively. He averaged 19.3 points on 51.2% shooting, including 60% from behind the three-point line. He also grabbed 6.3 rebounds. His offensive production, which the Mavericks will need against the Clippers, may be inching back to his season average, but his lateral movement on defense just isnt what it once was. Even if his knee still limits him, Porzingis return should be a boon for the Mavericks. Hes ostensibly the teams second-best player and Dallas will need him if they want a shot at stealing Game 1 on the road. Yet, while Porzingis appears ready to go, the status of another key player isnt as clear. Maxi Kleber, like Porzingis, missed a number of games this season. Most recently, right Achilles soreness sidelined him for six of the Mavericks final eight games. Speaking with the media this week, Carlisle did not exude optimism about Klebers availability. He did note that Kleber was able to go through light contact in practice Wednesday morning. Hes obviously a big part of our team, whether hes a starter or hes a guy coming off the bench, Carlisle said. Hes one of the guys that creates a strength in numbers sort of moniker for our group. Were hopeful, and thats about all I can tell you at this point in time. Were going to have to see how the next couple of days go. If Kleber misses any games, it could spell big trouble for the Mavericks. Last year, he was the teams primary defender on the Clippers Kawhi Leonard in the playoffs. He is also one of Dallas best defenders in general. When Kleber is on the court, the Mavericks have a defensive rating of 108.9 compared to 112.5 when he sits. Hes very important, Carlisle said Tuesday. Hes one of our top two or three defenders. Were doing everything possible to get him ready here. We hope Mother Nature is as cooperative to the extent she can be. Hes been doing a lot of work with his rehab. [Director of Player Health and Performance] Casey [Smith] and [Head Athletic Trainer] Dionne [Calhoun] have been doing a lot of work with him as well. Well proceed and hope for the best. Another player whose availability is uncertain is JJ Redick. The Mavericks acquired the veteran sharpshooter in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this year, but Redick hasnt been able to find his footing with the teamno pun intended. Redick missed his first 10 games after joining Dallas as he recovered from a right heel injury. He was able to suit up for 13 games, however, and averaged 4.4 points on 35.8% shooting overall and 39.5% from deep. Unfortunately, his issues with his heel persist. After landing awkwardly during a play against the Memphis Grizzlies on May 11, Redick limped off the court, back to the locker room and did not return to the game. The Mavericks ruled him out for the remainder of the regular season with right heel soreness. His status moving forward is unknown. Entering the playoffs hobbled isnt ideal. However, the Mavericks were able to overcome injuries and Covid-19 during the regular season and fight their way into the playoffs. Theyll need to dig deep if they want to overcome the odds, take down an overwhelmingly favored opponent and win their first playoff series since the team hoisted the Larry OBrien Trophy in 2011. Even with injuries, Porzingis thinks they have a shot. We are a dangerous team. We truly believe that, Porzingis said. We have outside shooting. We have everything we need. We have the tools; we just dont have the experience yet. Its good that we had that first taste of defeat last season. Were looking to take a step forward in this series with the Clippers and see how we can match up with them and compete with them. Game 1 tips off Saturday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. EST. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/doylerader/2021/05/20/how-healthy-are-the-dallas-mavericks-as-they-enter-the-playoffs/ |
How Do I Find A Mentor? | getty By: Emily Lamia Without our typical networking gatherings, it may feel like youre missing out on opportunities to connect with and learn from people in your professional network, and to find a mentor. Understand what kind of mentor youre looking for. First, think about what youre looking for in a mentor. Many times, people realize what theyre actually looking for is a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who actively works to highlight your work and helps you access opportunities and promotions. If youre looking for an influential leader who can champion your work, youre probably looking for a sponsor. Mentors might also sponsor your work, but their focus is on helping you navigate your career, identifying your strengths, and working through challenges. If youre looking for support determining where your career is headed, or looking for feedback on opportunities and challenges youre facing, youre looking for a mentor. [Related: Being and Having an Ally in the Workplace] Dont ask someone to be your mentor. The worst thing you can do when looking for a mentor is to ask them to be your mentor right off the bat, especially if youve never met them before. Finding and being a mentor is sort of like dating. You might learn about someone and see some shared similarities, then schedule a coffee to explore the relationship. After a few coffees, the relationship strengthens. But coming out of the gate with, Would you like to be my significant other? is likely to alienate the person and scare them off. The best mentor-mentee relationships evolve organically. Start with your existing network. First, consider the people in your network who you have relationships with. These might include: Past bosses. Past colleagues and peers. Senior people in other departments who youve had great interactions with. Experts you know in your field that you follow and respect. Look outside your network.If youre thinking of switching industries or want perspectives or insights from someone new, consider people outside your immediate network. These might include: Senior professionals who you share a network with like an alma mater. People two or three degrees removed from your immediate network. Experts in different fields you follow and respect. These individuals might not be as easy to get to, or be as receptive to those in your immediate network, but depending on what your goals are, they may be willing to get to know you. [Related: Are You the Invisible Woman at Work?] Focus first on building or deepening a relationship. Frame your outreach as asking for support, counsel, or insights. Instead of reaching out with, Its been a while lets grab a virtual coffee and catch up! try something more specific like: Ive got a hard decision to make about a work situation, and could really use some counsel from those who I trust and respect. You are at the top of that list. Id really appreciate your perspective. When you share that you find that persons support and feedback so valuable, they begin to see themselves as one of your "go-to" people. If youre reaching out to someone you dont know, tell them why youre reaching out to them specifically. For example: Im reaching out given your knowledge of the marketing world in both retail and tech. Im at a pivot point trying to decide what field I want to shift into next, and am considering ecommerce roles in retail, and also traditional marketing in the tech sector. I am looking to talk with people who have experience in both these worlds to help me determine where I want to focus my search after ten years running award-winning marketing campaigns in nonprofits. Cultivate the relationship. Most of the time, youll probably need to take the lead building a relationship. That doesnt mean others arent willing to be your mentor but people are busy. So, take the initiative to plot out what cultivating that relationship looks like over the next year. Think about what goals you have for yourself, and share them. Put reminders on your calendar to update them and solicit their counsel every few months. If theyre always responding supportively, its a good indication that they are happy to continue the mentor-mentee relationship thats forming. Get into the meat. People want to mentor smart, interesting people, so you should prepare for your conversations in a way that demonstrates youre engaged in, and knowledgeable about, your field. For example, lets say youre a mid-level marketing professional looking to develop new skills and decide where to go next in your career. Instead of your updates and questions for your mentor being about how things are going at work, focus on deeper insights, like your latest thinking about which brands you see effectively using new marketing techniques or innovative campaigns and what those insights make you think about where you want to go next. Your mentor will likely see your thoughtful insights and respond with more helpful advice. Finding a mentor can be a challenge, but with some strategic planning around what youre looking for, who can uniquely help you with your goals, and how you want to engage them, youll be setting yourself up to find and retain great mentors. [Related: The Nine Types of People You Need in Your Success Circle] Emily Lamia has been helping people grow and develop in their careers for over a decade. In 2015, she founded Pivot Journeys to create experiences to help individuals navigate their next career move and find meaningful work. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2021/05/20/how-do-i-find-a-mentor/ |
Will There Be Another Housing Bubble Burst? | Joseph is CEO of TenantCloud, a cloud-based property management solution that helps landlords maximize revenue from rental properties. getty It has been an unprecedented year, and many people are wondering when things will return to normal. While weve been wearing masks and socially distancing, weve also been experiencing the fastest growing real estate market seen in decades. Home values in the U.S. have increased by 17% to a median home price of $329,000. We all saw how it turned out in 2008. Problems began when lending companies issued subprime variable loans above home values. This caused interest rates to rise and, in 2007, forced many into foreclosure. Businesses laid off workers to conserve money. Unemployment caused more foreclosures. As foreclosures increased and prices fell, panic ensued, and many raced to sell their homes and pay off their debts. Population Since 2008 a few things have changed. The U.S. population has increased by approximately 25 million, and the median age has increased from 36 to 38 meaning there are more of us and more of us are old enough to have jobs. This equates to a shrinking household size, which is to say our kids are all grown up and need a place of their own. Millennials are now buying homes and starting families. Thus we are seeing more of the population at the age of household formation as Millennials enter the market. By some estimates, there are 31 million more Millennials than there are Gen Xers. Baby Boomers are also having an impact on the housing market as 10,000 Boomers turn 65 years old every day and will continue to for the remainder of the decade. Boomers are the second fastest-growing population in history, renting and residing in owner-occupied dwellings. Generation X hasnt been forgotten but encompasses a lower percentage as Millennials outnumber them as the fastest-growing population entering the housing market. Housing units in the U.S. grew from approximately 130.6 million in 2008 to 140.8 million currently, but as a percentage had no growth. In 2008, this would be equal to 2.4 people per house. Although the total number of housing units has grown over the past 13 years, the average household size of 2.4 people has remained the same. Were at an impasse like an overfilled bag bursting at the seams where there are too many people and too few places for them to go. There are a lot of potential house hunters who have been living at home or renting with roommates over the last several years who are now jumping into the housing market. Housing Inventory According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, in 2006, the country was building between 1.5 to 2 million new homes each month. From 2015-2020, the U.S. was building at a rate of nearly 50% of 2008, at about 1 million new homes per month. On an annual basis, that is 14 million fewer homes per year, while simultaneously, a larger Millennial population was working its way through college and into the job market. According to data from Trading Economics, existing home sales in 2005 were nearly 7 million per month while numbers from 2015 to 2020 averaged about 5.5 million. Multifamily rentals were built to help absorb the need for housing, but they too filled up fast. Currently, the rental market is seeing some of the lowest vacancy rates in the last decade. Like a game of musical chairs, existing home sales are misleading as there are homes being sold from one group to another they arent necessarily a sign of a new supply of homes on the market. Less new construction and low vacancy rates leave those who have sold their homes searching for new housing for longer periods in 2005 there was approximately 4 months worth of sales inventory available at any given month and now were at about 2.1 months as of March 2021. The housing inventory just doesnt exist. Weve been able to avoid drastic price increases due to Generation X being smaller than the preceding generation and the Millennials delay in household formation. Covid caused us all to hunker down indoors, but Millennials still need homes of their own as we recover. Borrowing Leverage Rising debt is of course always a factor, and while the FED has said they will keep interest rates low, the household portion of disposable income that is contributable to home mortgages has dropped since 2008. In 2007, it was 13% and now it is 9.4%. This means that if real estate prices do drop, homeowners will be more prepared to avoid foreclosure with their income and savings. Fixed interest rates now make up a larger portion of the mortgage market as rates have dropped so low and are thus crowding out variable interest rates. In 2008, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) made up over 50% of all mortgages, but now they represent less than 10%. This too helps homeowners from being impacted by bigger market shocks as they were in 2008 when defaulting banks pushed interest rates higher. When equity grew for the homeowner in the 2000s, many took out a HELOC, which maximized the equity in their homes. Currently, households havent tapped into their newfound equity. Home loans are at the same dollar value they were in 2008, while median home prices have increased by over $100,000. It means the recent sharp price increases arent due to low-interest rates or predator mortgage gimmicks such as during the lead-up to the 2008 recession. They are caused by a lack of supply. There just arent enough homes for all the new working people entering the market. Until we have an overabundance of new homes available for those wanting a house, well continue to see pressure on home prices and rents. In the long run, it could take five to 10 years for the housing supply to increase enough to meet the current need. Forbes Real Estate Council is an invitation-only community for executives in the real estate industry. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2021/05/20/will-there-be-another-housing-bubble-burst/ |
Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. 1 in NFL? | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL - but will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The obstacles might not be the 17 games on the 2021 NFL schedule. The obstacles that would keep the Washington Football Team from being the NFL's No. 1 defense in 2021 might be nothing more than ... The WFT itself. In 2020, under the new management of head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, there was only a brief time of "Excuse Our Dust'' as the turnaround to rebuild was executed. In the end, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. ... and because of it, won the NFC East. This was accomplished while carrying on its back a mediocre-at-best offense and despite some growing pains for young studs like rookie defensive end Chase Young, who eventually emerged as a star and leader of the group. despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Bleacher Report has its defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington rolls in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. B/R's logic: "The Washington Football Team ... should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. ... Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. ... The Football Team ... signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby.'' Washington fans hope all those assumptions are correct. But ... we have no way of knowing yet that Davis will top the team in "impact.'' And we're not sure St-Juste's name should be etched in stone yet as a rotational contributor. Darby out with Jackson in figures as at least a wash, and maybe more. The other concepts are educated guesses. But frankly, even if they are off - if Davis is not immediately a star and/or if St-Juste isn't yet ready to contribute - the Chase Young-led defense has enough carry-over tools to be a top-three defense for certain ... And with the talent injection on offense - because the two units working as one, the effectiveness of each of them feeding the other - the Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL. And can ride that, combined with a middle-of-the-pack offense, to a charge toward a repeat NFC East title. READ MORE: Josh Harvey-Clemons Cut, Joe Walker Joins WFT | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/washington-football-team-defense-no-1-in-nfl |
What Do The Liberals Hope For? | And Mr. Lippmann, trusting nowadays in the bankers and attempting tactfully to slip a few liberal notions into the minds of Herald Tribune readers, is coming to chill us more and more with the suspicion that all his beautiful diplomacy bas ended in his coming back from the ride with the liberal inside and the smile on the face of the banker. One of the most striking things about all these writers is their avoidance of the subject of socialism and communism, or their misrepresentation, when they do touch on it, of what is going on in Russia, According to Chase in the passage quoted above, the Russians "proved the futility" of socialism "when the Marxian formula gave way to the New Economic Policy." But the N.E.P. period has passed and the Five Year Plan is in its fourth year. Mr. Chase changes the subject to Mexico and seems to imply that we should all be much better off if we were able to live as if modern industry didn't exist. More recently, however, he has gone so far as to contrast the balance-sheet of the Soviets with that of the United States. Mr. Beard, whose American history up to the very last pages might almost be an elaboration of certain passages on capitalist expansion in "Das Kapital," is evidently so anxious to fight shy of communism that in his article reviewing proposed policies of social salvation he barely mentions the philosophy of the Soviets, though he discusses Mussolini at length. In an earlier article in The Forum"A 'Five Year Plan' for America"he makes the following points against Russian Communism: that its policy of planning was "an afterthought and never would have been even partially realized bad it not been for the technological assistance of Western capitalism"; that "the Russian plan" is not a real plan anyway, because "for more than ten years the Russian government has pursued a zigzag course, trying one expedient after another"; and that "it rules by tyranny and terror, with secret police, espionage and arbitrary executions." As a matter of fact, Marx had said that communism would have to make use of the technological developments of capitalism. That, in fact, is one of his principal points; so that there is little sense in Beard's statement that the Bolsheviks "laid aside Marx" and "took up Frederick Winslow Taylor": industrial efficiency as it existed before Taylor appeared to give his name to it is what "Das Kapital" is mostly about. And as for the third item of his indictment, what on earth makes Mr. Beard talk as if the capitalist government of the United States did not rule "by tyranny and terror, with secret police, espionage and arbitrary executions?" Mr. Beard must know that the "personal liberty" which he asserts that the American tradition safeguards but thinks that the Soviets suppress, is not today worth a cent as soon as you step out of your owning-class orbit, and that you are lucky if you do not land in jail or get run out of town or shot, like the reporters, Brookwood organizers and American Civil Liberties representatives who tried to lend a hand at Harlan or Lawrence, In his later article, he gets around communism by treating it as if it were merely a form like another of the belief in pure economics: "Economics in- Russia," he says, "did not automatically supply the great illumination," But it is not economics as a pure science which is the issue: it is economics in the sense of the difference in standards of living between an exploiting and an exploited class; it is economics in the sense of the attempt to abolish such social classes. It seems absurd to say it of a man of Mr, Beard's record and attainments, but it looks as if Marx and Lenin Were playing the part of bogies upon which all these writers were having a hard time to shut their doors. In a recent article in The New Republic on the promotion of the German navy under the Empire, Mr. Beard made a point at the beginning of reassuring his readers that the facts he was about to reveal would not give any comfort to the Marxists, and then went on to describe a case of the exploitation of patriotism by capital which illustrated Marx's theory superbly. And Mr. Lippmann has shown himself the master of them all by exalting himself to a plane where he is able to tell the readers of The Herald Tribune that Russian society is the same thing as American, but only as yet in a lower stage of development. | https://newrepublic.com/article/64082/what-do-the-liberals-hope |
Who is Jake Pauls next opponent? | CLEVELAND, Ohio Conor McGregor, Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, Chuck Liddell, rapper The Game and even Mike Tyson. There has been no shortage of speculation surrounding who YouTube-turnedboxer Jake Paul may fight next. But there have been few believable options. It was announced Wednesday that Paul has inked a deal with Showtime Sports to distribute his next boxing match. The Westlake, Ohio native is in advanced talks about his next opponent and fight date, ESPN reports. So far, Paul is 3-0 in his boxing career with his most recent win coming against retired MMA fighter Ben Askren. Paul has called out numerous former MMA stars, while various fighters have publicly stated theyd love the chance to knockout the polarizing social media celebrity. Following Paul and Showtimes announcement, Fight Lounge, a YouTube channel that focuses on YouTube boxing and MMA, posted some interesting speculation on Twitter that Pauls next opponent could be MMA legend Vitor Belfort. The 44-year-old Belfort hasnt fought in MMA since 2018 when he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224. However, Belfort revealed last year that hed been training for the boxing ring and even called out Paul in December. Belfort has recently been spotted hanging gout at Floyd Mayweather Jr.s gym and has teased phenomenal news coming soon that may be related to Belfort teaming up with Mayweather Promotions. The retired Mayweather is set for an exhibition fight against Jake Pauls brother Logan on June 6. The fight will air on Showtime pay-per-view. Jake Pauls camp has yet to confirm his next opponent. The YouTuber has also said hes in talks with the UFC about a potential crossover event. Though, UFC President Dana White has said he will never work with Paul. Either way, fans (and cynics) can expect an announcement soon. | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/05/who-is-jake-pauls-next-opponent.html |
Is Masai Ujiri Ready For A New Challenge? | The NBAs most coveted free agent addressed the media on Wednesday, sporting a beige tee shirt underneath a dark blazer that hung loosely on his 50-year old shoulders. Masai Ujiri wont play a minute next season but few players, if any, hitting the open market stands as potentially impactful. The Raptors president is on the short list of any top basketball executives, one who through expert drafting, shrewd free agent signings and one franchise altering trade built Toronto into an NBA champion. If the Raptors were a challenge, Ujiri conquered it. Ujiri held his season ending media availability on Wednesday, and it didnt take long for the affable exec to be asked about his status. Ujiris contract situation has been well known for years now, with a public pursuit by Washington in 2019 shining a spotlight on it. Ujiri has politely punted on questions about it before, indicating that his future would be addressed at the end of the season. With the end of Torontos season here Ujiri still wasnt ready to address it. Nothing new, Ujiri said. We just finished. At some point, Ill get with ownership here and sit down and talk, all the normal stuff. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the parent company that owns the team, is among the NBAs wealthiest ownership groups. Ujiri mentioned his options, and make no mistake: those words should send chills through every Raptors fan who yearns to keep him. There are currently no front office vacancies in the NBA, though that doesnt mean there wont be. The Wizards at least entertained the idea of offering Ujiri an eight figure salary and an ownership slice in 2018, and billionaire owner Ted Leonsis could do it again. The Clippers enter the postseason with enormous expectations. Falling short could lead deep pocketed owner Steve Ballmer, who boldly parted ways with Doc Rivers last fall, to look to shake things up further. John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Ujiris interests extend beyond the NBA, putting new, potentially unexpected options on the table. The Nigerian-raised Ujiri has been a driving force in bringing NBA basketball to Africa. He has brought camps there, founded Giants of Africa, a non-profit aimed at enriching the lives of African youth, and has routinely referred to the continent as the NBAs next frontier. It's time to stop thinking of Africa as a charity, Ujiri wrote in Sports Illustrated in 2019, and start thinking of it as an investment. Ujiri could be using his contract status as leverage, of course. On several occasions during a 40-minute video call with reporters, Ujiri cited the need for change. Its clear he sees the Raptors lagging behind its rivals in key areas. He was equally unhappy about the team, which spent its entire season in Tampa Bay, being the only one displacedand there being no guarantees it wont happen again next season. We do not wantI repeatwe do not want to play anywhere else but Toronto, Ujiri said. Theres clearly a commitment he wants from ownership, one that goes beyond what he will deposit in his bank account. Everybody says, 'Blank check, blank check,' but I'm not as much focused on a blank check," Ujiri said. "A lot of the things that we've done here, we have to move forward as a franchise to compete with the best in the NBA. This is all about winning a championship again. Indeed. Ujiri knows this team is barreling towards a full rebuild. And actuallythat could work in Torontos favor. Ask any GM: Building a team from the ground up is more fun than tweaking it after it reaches the playoffs. At heart, most basketball execs are talent evaluators, eager to dig into college prospects and mine for unheralded talent. Thats how Ujiri built the Raptors, with late first round picks (Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby) and undrafted free agents (Fred VanVleet) added to complement its top stars. The chance to do it again, in Toronto, could be appealing. There are key decisions to be made, none bigger than the future of Kyle Lowry. Ujiri elected not to deal Lowry before the trade deadline, but that doesnt mean Lowry has a future there. Ujiri has a complicated, but successful, relationship with Lowry. Kyle Lowry is obviously the greatest Raptor of all time, VanVleet said. And No. 2 might be Masai. Ujiri praised the 35-year old Lowry on Wednesday (Its incredible what he does to keep his game going, said Ujiri) while acknowledging a youth movement in Toronto could make Lowry a casualty. We have to give the young guys more of an opportunity, Ujiri said. We have to build. I know we won a championship [in 2019] and last year we were considered a contender but we are at a place where we have to look at the younger players we have, maybe lift them up a little bit. Ujiri offered no timeline for his decision (It will work out however the timing plays out to be.) but this clearly will have to play out quickly. Theres a natural succession plan in place if Ujiri walks, with Bobby Webster, one of the NBAs sharpest young GMs who has been involved with every decision Ujiri has made in Toronto, positioned to take over. The Raptors have clean books, strong young talent with an innovative head coach in Nick Nurse to lead them. All I know is I think we make a really good team, said Nurse. And I hope that team stays intact. Ujiri has already done the improbable, building the Raptors into a champion. In the coming weeks we will find out if he wants to attempt to do it again. | https://www.si.com/nba/2021/05/20/masai-ujiri-toronto-raptors-future |
Can Austin drive-in theaters, once a novelty, ride a boom year into the future? | Josh Frank always knew that Austin needed a drive-in theater. A visionary thought, maybe, but even he never saw 2020 coming. A little more than a decade ago, Frank took over a vacant building on East Cesar Chavez Street. He says that the area, increasingly gentrified, looked much different at the time. The buildings neighbors were piata stores, a church and taco landmark Juan in a Million. Franks six-year anniversary with then-girlfriend Jess was coming up. He painted a screen on an outside wall, put a projector on top of the car, brought some speakers from eBay and drove her into the alleyway for a movie night. I was thinking to myself, this is frickin awesome, he says. "How could a town that has the best movie theaters in the country, between Austin Film Society and the Alamo and the Paramount, not have an Austin version of a classic drive-in? More:Rita Moreno documentary headlines 2021 Cine Las Americas film fest Franks date night worked in a couple ways. One, he married Jess. Two, it gave birth to Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In. For years, the venues been somewhat of a modern Austin institution, as the only permanent place within city limits to find the drive-in movie experience. Indoor cinemas local dinner-and-a-movie titan Alamo Drafthouse, arthouses like Violet Crown Cinema and the national megaplex chains have still reigned supreme, however. Then the coronavirus came to town. The pandemic shuttered indoor cinemas, temporarily in some cases and for good in others. Even when the theaters were open, many movie fans were wary of sitting in an enclosed space for an hour and a half or longer. The drive-in theater didnt just survive. It thrived. Socially distant, outdoor businesses like Blue Starlite were suddenly the perfect entertainment for strange times. In the past year, Frank says his business popularity doubled "at least, and private rental bookings approached triple the normal level. More:What it's like attending the Sundance Film Festival in your car New drive-in operators appeared, like East Austins Ultimate Drive-In and mobile Rocket Cinema. Familiar names got in on the act, like Austin Film Society, which has hosted several drive-in screenings at Pioneer Farms while the lights are off at its AFS Cinema. And car-centric venues broke out of the movie mold Docs Drive In Theatre in Buda hosted at least one drive-in pandemic wedding. The drive-in movie took on a whole new reason to exist," Frank says. Now, with vaccinations in arms, blockbusters back on the marquees and indoor cinemas reopening, the drive-ins hope that their newfound allure has a Hollywood ending. From getting by to getting bigger The early days of Blue Starlite would not foreshadow its success. Frank remembers hearing mariachi music through paper-thin walls from the neighboring church at the original location. He first screened public domain movies, and word of mouth spread about the quirky new thing to do. It became very quickly this little secret during the last days of the last version of Austin, when there was still a lot of these little weird things that people were making before it became more of a city city, he says. More:Regal Arbor cinema, longtime North Austin home for arthouse films, reopening Until 2020, Frank kept the drive-in going through modest ticket sales. Its bopped around a few times, from the original site on Cesar Chavez to East Sixth Street to a previous Mueller-area spot. Hes always seen Blue Starlite less as a theater and more as an experience, refining what a drive-in can be: smaller, intimate, within the city instead of on the outskirts, where most such venues live. When the pandemic hit, Blue Starlite didnt have to change much about how it operated. After a decade of making ends meet, its model a small lot of enclosed cars, no more than 20 per screen was suddenly the safest night out in town. Frank opened a Round Rock location two months before the pandemic began, and it was going well by the time business picked up. (That theaters equipment was destroyed in a fire last summer; Frank says that we bounced back really quickly, mainly because it was a good year for us.) Three months into the pandemic, he reached out to Downtown Austin Alliance about collaborating on a way to bring movies back to the city center in a safe way, which led to a third Blue Starlite location on a San Antonio Street rooftop. His staff went from seven people before the pandemic to 24 across three locations. More:Violet Crown Cinema in Austin reopening for public movie screenings this week Back at the flagship Mueller location, Frank introduced a chef-created food menu, as well as socially distanced walk-in screens. Even though it might seem like veering off from the drive-in, its actually not. Its expanding what a mini urban drive-in is about, he says. Major indie film distributors, looking to release their new projects, began to reach out more often. Also during the pandemic, people have realized the different things you can do at a drive-in, Frank says. Hed dabbled in alternative programming before (including a Susan Orlean book launch in Blue Starlites first year), and shows at the venue have now included stand-up comedy, poetry slams and music events. An urban drive-in can be a new venue experience, Frank says. Were now living in a pandemic world. Theres going to be a certain number of people who arent comfortable with a large group. Frank takes a lot of pride in Blue Starlite I build every one; its a very personal experience, he says and he dreams of locations in other cities. Maybe San Antonio and Dallas, or as far away as Portland and San Diego. Drive-ins are now the more stable cinema, Frank says. But with that might come more competition. The ultimate opportunity From Blue Starlite, make your way to Pleasant Valley Road and head south a few miles, and youll find the Ultimate Drive-In. It opened last fall as a new project from Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment, which has rented mobile screening set-ups and more in town for 14 years. When COVID hit, a lot of outdoor movie companies started pivoting toward drive-ins since that was the only entertainment option for people to do under most state and local government guidelines, says founder Darrell Landers. The sites developer, Presidium, reached out to Landers company and said they had 5 acres they wanted to activate soon. The Ultimate Drive-In is still a work in progress, but it currently can host 130 cars across two screens. Once construction is complete, theyll consolidate to one 64-foot screen with digital projection and a 210-car capacity, Landers says. Having a built (or permanent) screen instead of pop-up screens is important, Landers says, because studios tend to require venues have them to show first-run features. Right now, Ultimate Drive-In is scheduling mostly classics. They also have an LED screen that can accommodate matinee shows before the sun goes down. Like at Blue Starlite, theres open-air space for car-free viewers at Ultimate Drive-In, and Landers says eventually there will be a full kitchen and sky-view deck suites, too. There are plans next year to expand to locations in Pflugerville and near the airport. I dont think anyone expects to operate exclusively a drive-in that only shows movies in the post-pandemic era and be highly successful, Lander says. A lot of people realize these have got to become outdoor entertainment space. I need to do simulcast concerts. I need to do comedy. He calls it the resurgence of the drive-in. A punk rock project Justin Sherburn is sure there will be less interest in drive-ins next year, and thats fine. I think just like everything else to come out of the pandemic, there will be this new resource, says Sherburn, owner of Austins Rocket Cinema, a mobile drive-in theater that launched last year. You might recognize Sherburns name. Hes also the mastermind behind acclaimed music group Montopolis. When the pandemic hit, Sherburns performance gigs dried up. He created Rocket Cinema as a way to survive and make money. I think that primarily, its my experience as a multimedia artist and composer which drew me to this, he says. It took a while to get the technical side of things nailed down, Sherburn says, but he now prides himself on what his company has to offer. They use a high-quality digital projector and a 40-by-26-foot screen. Unlike a permanently based drive-in theater, Rocket Cinema is completely mobile, with equipment running on a generator at venues like Pioneer Farms and Rogge Ranch House. A typical pop-up screening can host 60 to 70 cars or 500 to 1,000 people seated. Sherburn says Rocket Cinema is all about community and sponsorships. Screenings (aside from private rentals) are organized with partners, like a May showing of FM held at Sams Town Point and sponsored by radio station KOOP. As for the growth, Sherburn is not looking to build an A/V empire. As live gigs return for his music career, he might have to bring someone else on to help manage Rocket Cinema. Everyone who works for the company comes from the performance world: As an independent artist, a lot of times you dont really get that opportunity to network and build community, he says. Live music, dance and other types of performance will be integral to Rocket Cinema screenings. Sherburn is keeping the mobile drive-in focused on community art at a time when artists are having trouble finding space and venues in a boomtown. This is a punk rock, DIY answer to that, he says. Coming attraction More and more people are emerging from months of pandemic isolation (unless they never isolated to begin with), and Sherburn hits the nail on the head: Everyone took for granted the ability to gather. Thats something that we cant take for granted. That does not mean that gathering will look the same as it used to, and Austins drive-in operators are counting on that. Blue Starlites Frank and Ultimate Drive-In's Landers both see a generational shift happening in real time. For a long while, drive-ins were thought of as either midcentury relics or primarily rural institutions. When a younger audience discovers modern drive-ins alongside indoor cinemas and at-home streaming, Landers thinks the format could become just another way that we consume movies. The demand will decrease. It already has, Frank says, pointing to the closures of what he calls cash-grab pop-ups. The established drive-ins that have been around for years will see a longtail benefit from the last year, he predicts: a new nostalgia. Movie Q&A:Actor and Texas native Ral Castillo talks Spider House, 'Wrath of Man,' 'Looking' The old generations nostalgia was 30-plus years in the past, Frank says. There were fewer people that were like, 'Here, let me take you to a drive-in so you can see what it used to be like. ... One of the benefits its not going to be this immediate thing, but over the next 10 years I think all drive-ins that are permanent or longstanding are going to benefit from a new understanding of whats special about drive-ins. Imagine people in their 20s and 30s who went for the first time during the pandemic, and in a couple years they have kids. He continues, Theres going be a customer base that wasnt there before. Thats just good all-around for people who are in the drive-in business. While he believes that movie theaters will never die, Frank says that the age of the multiplex might wane, and thanks to the pandemic and streaming releases, there will be fewer cinemas and fewer seats. We might emerge from the past couple of years with a much stronger and more solid movie-watching industry, he says about the change that could come. Clearly, if a pandemic can bring the entire film-watching world to its knees, we need to rethink that. And as long as the cars keep coming, Frank is not operating Blue Starlite to get rich. Its really great that people like me that have a passion for what they do," he says, "might be able to continue it for longer than originally we would have. Eric Webb is the Austin360 entertainment editor for the American-Statesman. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter, @webbeditor. Where to find drive-in theaters in the Austin area Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In: For a decade, its been Austins standard bearer for the drive-in movie experience, now with three area locations and multiple screens. (2015 E.M. Franklin Ave. and 300 San Antonio St. in Austin and 800 Harrell Parkway Blvd. in Round Rock; bluestarlitedrivein.com) Docs Drive In Theatre: A family-friendly venue down south that opened in 2018, featuring a restaurant, a bar, tiny homes for overnight stays and more. (1540 Satterwhite Road in Buda, docsdriveintheatre.com) Dripping Springs Drive-In: Currently doing private screenings, but after a brief hiatus, the operators say drive-in shows will return soon to the town out west. (23455 RM 150, drippingspringsdrivein.com) The Globe Drive-In: Cult classics and family films at a 35-car drive in up north. (8017 Cele Road in Pflugerville, theglobedrivein.com) The Last Drive-In Picture Show: If you dont mind a drive, hit the road for a nightly double feature and prices that cant be beat. (2912 S. Highway 36 in Gatesville, facebook.com/ThelastdriveinpictureshowGatesville) Ranger Cattle: The Wagyu beef ranch hosts occasional drive-in movies on a big screen, with some free drinks and food to purchase. (12208 FM 969, rangercattle.com/drive-in-movies) Rocket Cinema: Mobile drive-in from Montopolis composer Justin Sherburn. (rocketcinematexas.com) Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre: Head to the land of Schlitterbahn for new and repertory films at a venue with a vintage vibe; burgers, milkshakes and more available from their 50s Caf. (1178 Kroesche Lane In New Braunfels, driveinusa.com/nb) The Ultimate Drive-In: A newcomer in East Austin currently showing classic films on two screens. (1600 S. Pleasant Valley Road, theultimatedrivein.com) | https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/20/drivein-movie-theaters-austin-blue-starlite-docs-ultimate-rocket-cinema/5076965001/ |
What Does A Net-Zero Pathway Mean For The Oil And Gas Industry? | Demand, Supply And Price In A 2-Degree World THE EDGE - SIMON FLOWERS As capital markets and an ever-widening stakeholder community demand clarity and action on decarbonization, the oil and gas industry is considering how it should incorporate such scenarios into their planning. In our April Horizons, three of Wood Mackenzies senior analysts, Ann-Louise Hittle, Massimo Di Odoardo and Alan Gelder, present a view of that future, based on our 2C accelerated energy transition scenario AET-2. The team used Wood Mackenzies proprietary models to forecast oil and gas demand, supply and prices through to 2050 in a world that aims to limit the average rise in global temperatures to 2C by the end of this century compared with pre-industrial times. Their analysis has profound implications for the industry and has stoked up a great deal of interest. This week, the IEA published its own scenario, Net Zero by 2050 (NZE). The IEA NZE is aligned with the even more challenging 1.5-degree pathway and is closer in substance to our AET-1.5 scenario (which is also Paris-compliant and achieves global net zero by 2050). There are strong similarities between AET-2, AET-1.5 and the IEA NZE not least, in advocating the world needs to move fast if its to slow global warming. But there are also significant differences. Weve drawn out some of the key messages from our Horizons analysis and IEA NZEs on oil and gas. getty The future of oil. Theres close alignment across the scenarios. In our AET-2 scenario, oil demand falls by 70% to 35 million barrels per day (b/d) by 2050, decline setting in as electric vehicles and hydrogen disrupt road transportation, while recycling limits the feedstock demand growth for plastics. Both IEA NZE (no new ICE sales after 2035) and AET-1.5 are more aggressive the decline starts almost immediately, and demand falls below 30 million b/d by 2050. Both AET-2 and IEA NZE predict oil prices much lower than todays but AET-2 is materially lower in 2050. In AET-2, OPEC gains market share from 37% today to over 50% in 2050 (which IEA NZE concurs with) but loses its market power, with oil demand falling by 2 million b/d every year. By 2030 in AET-2, Brent averages US$37 to US$42/bbl (IEA NZE* US$35/bbl), by 2040, US$28 to US$32/bbl and by 2050, US$10 to US$18/bbl (IEA NZE* US$25/bbl). The world needs no new oil supply in AET-2 existing resources are sufficient to meet future demand. All three scenarios agree. However, in Wood Mackenzies view, exploration and production will play a role in this future, albeit a diminishing one. New projects and new exploration can come into the supply stack if the new resource is lower cost and has lower carbon intensity. Refining faces continued rationalisation as oil demand collapses in all three scenarios. Changing product demand exerts huge pressure on refineries with gasoline and diesel demand dwindling but at different rates of decline. In AET-2, our current global gross refining margin indicators are all negative by 2050. Survivors in this shrinking market for refined products are coastal, primarily NOC-owned integrated refinery/petrochemical facilities located in industrial clusters with low-carbon operations (electrified processes, low-carbon hydrogen and CCS). The future of natural gas. There are major differences between Wood Mackenzies scenarios and IEA NZE. In AET-2 we see a big window of opportunity for gas producers in the next 15 years. In AET-2, gas demand is much more resilient than oil, playing a central role in the transition. Gas demand in AET-2 is at similar levels to today in AET-2. A key assumption in AET-2 is that a number of big Asian gas consuming countries dont achieve net zero until a decade or two after 2050. Gas displaces coal in power generation due to its lower carbon intensity; combines with CCS/CCUS in power and industry; and is the feedstock for burgeoning blue hydrogen production. These opportunities provide support for gas demand while mitigating global emissions, including in AET-1.5 where gas demand is 18% lower than todays levels. A key message of AET-2 is that natural gas becomes more valuable than oil over the next two decades a reversal of fortune. Resilient demand pushes LNG and Henry Hub prices to a premium to oil, having traded at a discount through history. Capital shifts to gas, and US$1 trillion of investment is needed for new gas and LNG projects to meet future demand. The biggest global producers, Qatar and Russia, can dominate the growing gas market as OPEC loses its grip over oil. But the gas business model has to adapt to prioritise management of carbon emissions across the value chain. The gas market of the future is carbon neutral, and one in which natural gas is combined with CCS or transformed into blue hydrogen to fuel the industrial and power sectors. The IEA NZE is much more pessimistic on gas, forecasting 55% lower gas demand by 2050 compared with 2020. IEA NZE assumes gas demand is disrupted by higher energy efficiency, more rapid penetration of hydrogen and a wider use of bioenergy combined with CCS. IEA NZE sees no need for investment in new gas supply. While it expects LNG prices eventually to trade at a premium to oil by 2050, the shift is nowhere near the Reversal of Fortune for global gas prices in our AET-2. The future of oil and gas companies. No oil company is preparing for the scale of decline envisioned in any of these scenarios. The decline in oil output in AET-2 would lead to asset impairments and bankruptcy or restructuring; those long in refining face a double whammy. Portfolios of majors and most NOCs today are largely out of step with a switch to gas. Big Energy outperforms Big Oil in AET-2. Cash generation from oil and gas this decade will be re-invested in renewables, hydrogen and CCS to build a sustainable business. Most IOCs and NOCs though do not have the scale or capability to follow this new path. Resource-holding NOCs face pressure to bolster government income; revenue optimisation turns from price support to maximising volume and avoiding stranded assets. One final point on investment. E&P spend today is already at a 15-year low and would fall rapidly if these scenarios unfold. With pressure on the industry to reduce investment, theres a risk of higher oil and gas prices this decade should the transition take longer to gain traction. Our May Horizons looks in detail and the implications of a 2 C world for upstream oil and gas. * IEA NZE oil prices 2019 real, AET-2 2020 real | https://www.forbes.com/sites/woodmackenzie/2021/05/20/what-does-a-net-zero-pathway-mean-for-the-oil-and-gas-industry/ |
How Does Ben Roethlisberger Stack Up Against AFC North QBs in Latest Rankings? | PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger doesn't get the praise he once did from national media, but within a tough division of quarterbacks, Big Ben isn't done yet. Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards and 33 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season as the Steelers finished 12-4 in the regular season. Despite Pittsburgh's early success and Roethlisberger's stat line, he currently ranks third in the AFC North. Big Ben (16th) sits behind Lamar Jackson (8th) and Baker Mayfield (10th) in Pro Football Focus' quarterback rankings. Second-year QB Joe Burrow ranks 18th. "Ben Roethlisberger proved his toughness by coming back at 38 years old after elbow surgery and helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start," PFF wrote. "But something just didn't seem right during that hot streak, and Pittsburgh finished the year 1-5 in its last six games. "New offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a tall task in trying to figure out what will make this offense tick. Roethlisberger ranked last out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on play-action attempts last season. He subsequently led the league in shotgun pass attempts (640) and pass attempts under 10 yards. He did a decent job of getting the ball out of his hand quickly, but it didn't translate into many explosive plays, as the Steelers ranked 26th in explosive pass-play percentage (11.7%)." From what rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth have told us, Canada's offense is "simple but complex." "What they're doing in their offense really resembles a lot of what we did in terms of putting the players in the best position to make a play and not doing too much thinking --just fast playing," Harris said, comparing the Steelers and Alabama's playbooks. "It seems like they're trying to make everything as easy as possible so players can just play fast and use the best of their abilities." Roethlisberger will be at the front of this offensive attack that hopes to find better success than they did a year ago. Under the assumption this is the quarterback's last season, this team will be pushing to prove any critics - PFF included - wrong. Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers. | https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-afc-north-qb-rankings |
Did Cancel Culture Drive Richard Wright Underground? | Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Get The Nations Weekly Newsletter Fridays. The best of the week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Fridays. The best of the week. Thank you for signing up for The Nations weekly newsletter. Join the Books & the Arts Newsletter Mondays. The best of The Nations Books & the Arts, in your inbox biweekly. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Mondays. The best of The Nations Books & the Arts, in your inbox biweekly. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Last months publication of the fully restored version of Richard Wrights novel The Man Who Lived Underground is big news. And for good reason. Against the background of Derek Chauvins trial for the murder of George Floydand widespread protests against racist police brutalityWrights gripping tale resonates. Its impossible to read these opening pages and not draw connections between Wrights protagonist Fred Danielsan innocent black man fingered by police for a crime he did not commitand too many real-life cases today. Daniels is systematically tortured by Chicago police into signing a false confession for murder, an act that shapes the rest of his life. Contemporary parallels abound: from the case of the Central Park Five; to Chicago Police commander Jon Berges infamous Midnight Crew, accused of torturing more than 200 innocent men between 1972 and 1991; to the case of Kalief Browder, jailed at Rikers Island for years awaiting trial for a crime he did not commit, only to be driven to mental health crisis and suicide soon after the charges were dropped. The denial of due process, the presumption of guilt, the use of deadly force, the threat of lifelong prison sentences as a way to compel cooperation or confessionsuch abuses are now becoming common knowledge, and not just in the communities that bear the brunt of them (a fact testified to by the profoundly multiracial character of last summers George Floyd protests). Its an increasingly well-publicized record of shame. So it makes sense that initial reviews of Wrights long-lost novel have focused on the theme of police brutality. Moreover, it seems likely that Wrights detailed depiction of police torture was one reason The Man Who Lived Underground was rejected in 1942. Its publication thus gives us an opportunity to reckon with the role that the American literary establishment has played in stifling frank depictions of this long-standing problem. Related Article Richard Wrights Lost Novel Elias Rodriques As is often the case with Richard Wrights work, however, an immediate focus on the shocking violence he uses to hook us threatens to obscure a deeper resonance. In The Man Who Lived Underground, as elsewhere, the gripping physical action forms the basis for a less obvious but equally vital existential struggle, extending well beyond the police interrogation room. As Elias Rodriques has noted, the book traces the material and emotional effects of state violence on work, kinship, and sociality, underscoring how capitalism and the state ultimately assail our humanity and blind us to other ways of living and relating to people. Such blindness can affect even those, like Fred Daniels, who seek to rebel against the ruling system. The Man Who Lived Underground emerged after Wrights blockbuster Native Son in 1940, and several years before the publication of Black Boy, Wrights best-selling autobiography in 1945. The composition of the text thus overlaps with Wrights creative and popular peakbut also with his growing estrangement from the Communist Party USA, the radical organization to which he had devoted the most productive decade of his life. Current Issue View our current issue How interesting, then, to read Wrights own account of how he came to write the novel, and to learn there that Wrights personal knowledge of his protagonist Fred Daniels conditionthe condition of being falsely accused, marked with guilt, and subsequently driven undergroundstemmed not from encounters with police, but from his protracted and painful experience with the political left. In his fascinating and only recently published essay, Memories of My Grandmother (also included in the new volume), Wright makes clear that he came to understand the torturous position of Fred Daniels thanks to the mistreatment he received personally at the hands of his erstwhile comrades in the Communist Party, an organization that he was deeply involved with during the 1930s and early 40s, but which by 1942 he was preparing to exit: I shall not name any names or give any dates or any facts relating to geographical locations. I can only report that I know how it feels to be accused without cause, because once in my life I was accused without cause. And when you are a member of a minority group, or maybe I should put it this way, say, a member of a minority political party and you are suddenly and violently accused of holding notions youve never held, of having done something youve never dreamed of, I can tell you that it is one of the most agonizing, devastating, blasting, and brutal experiences conceivable. To be sure, Memories of My Grandmother discusses other influences as well, including, as one might expect, Wrights grandmother, a believer in Seventh Day Adventism, whose militant devotion forged for Wright a lifelong puzzle. She lived with all of us, he wrote, yet always she seemed to be peeping out of Heaven into the world. Wright recounts his grandmothers inability to understandanything about the nature of the social relationship obtaining to the world around her. A callousness towards others, he adds, was united with an abstract, all-embracing love for humanity. This surreal split between an abstract love and a disregard for the actual people around her formed a template for grasping modern forms of social alienation. As Wright saw it, even the oppressed, through a mode of abstract protest, could became more disconnected from the world that oppressed them. The language here suggests that even when he was discussing his grandmother, Wright was simultaneously ruminating on his falling out with the CPUSA. He does not specify the charges here, nor their falsity. (We may never know exactly what happened, though the Wright archives contain tantalizing clues. For instance, one chapter deleted from Wrights autobiography details a false rumor circulated after he gave a public reading of his story of Southern lynching Big Boy Leaves Home to a group of African American college students. Wright notes the middle-class discomfort of an audience that chafed against his gritty depiction of black working-class life, especially in the presence of Wrights interracial entourage. Soon after the event, Wright finds himself accused of having insulted black people by reading them pornography. This false rumor is then weaponized against him by members of the Chicago party, including the party leadership.) But of course, false accusation didnt begin or end with the CPUSA. Wright also recounts the story of being falsely blamed in his youth for stealing biscuits from the family dinner tableno small offense in an impoverished family. Again, the family episode sheds light on Wrights later account of his party fall-out. I was not trying to defend myself so much against the charge of stealing biscuits, he reflects, but against being pushed out from that warm circle of trust that exists in all families if they are families at all. As I look back upon it now, my whole conduct, my reaction to their accusations, must have convinced them that I was guilty. The paradox here is worth underlining: The very disturbance that false accusation producesand that subsequent group ostracism tends to compoundmakes the innocent appear as guilty. Here, as so often in Wright, appearances deceive; the critical task thus becomes to grasp the ways in which one thing (in this case, guilt) comes to appear as trueeven as it is fundamentally not. Wright was intensely attuned to the desperate spirals that false accusation could provoke: There is really no way in which [the falsely accused] can convincingly defend himself. His shocked and outraged attitude toward the charges throws him into an emotional stew which makes him blind to what he is being accused of. Every word he utters can be used against him, for he is trying not so much to refute the charges as he is trying to fight for his status as a human being, trying to keep his worth and value in the eyes of others, just because he is innocent. The first thing an innocent man feels when he is accused is that those who know him have let him down. Because he is innocent, he does not really know the terms of the accusation. In order to deal with the charges or accusation adequately, he must wrench his mind loose from his innocent way of thinking and begin thinking cunningly and craftily, begin to think in terms that he has never dreamed of before, guilty terms. Wrights words call our attention to the psychological strain faced by the persecuted. Even if they are not formally found guiltyor when they are denied due processlasting effects remain: betrayal by friends; doubts where once was trust; the prospect that, whatever the facts say, there are former comrades who have come to see them as morally capable of such offending acts in the first place. Even the innocent must learn to think in guilty terms if they are to survive or navigate such false charges. It would be too much to say that false accusation alone drove Wright out of the CPUSA. There were underlying political differences, personality conflicts, and clear dissatisfaction on Wrights part about how some in the party were responding to his literary workin particular his 1940 novel, Native Son, whose pessimism provoked sharp debates. Wright had disputes with comrades around the race question, around the Popular Front Against Fascism and World War II, around the question of arts relationship to politics. Nonetheless, the intensely emotional language Wright uses to describe these episodes in Memories makes clear that this experience was no minor sidenote. Its tempting to see in this newly published revelation one reason that Wrights public break with the party became so rancorous and so protracted. Such false accusation, after all, he noted, has the power of upsetting [the accuseds] entire way of life, coloring his feelings about people for a lifetime, and sowing seeds of distrust so deep that they will grow and bear fruit for years afterwards. Its worth underscoring that it was not communism per se that Wright blamed for the hostility he fled. He saw his own mistreatment on the left as a symptom of deeper maladies within American society: a tendency toward suspicion of dissenters, a willingness to instrumentalize individuals to achieve institutional ends, an impatience with the slow process of creative thought, and a tendency to substitute moral panic and purge for the complicated work of investigation and collective critical reflection. He described his comrades later in a climactic moment of his memoir Black Boy (American Hunger) in similar terms: The blindness of their limited lives, lives truncated and impoverished by the oppression they had suffered long before they ever heard of Communismmade them think I was with their enemies. American life had so corrupted their consciousness that they were unable to recognize their friends. Police torture chambers certainly helped perpetuate such trauma and suspicion, but they were by no means its only source. It is long past time that Richard Wrights vivid depiction of police brutality was brought to lightand that such real-life police abuses were rooted out for good. The biographical understanding made possible by the publication of Memories of My Grandmother, however, reminds us that, for Richard Wright, the police were not just a literal horror but also allegorical figures, representing life- and left-wrecking tendencies that afflicted the racist-capitalist stateand also many of its victims. As Wright knew painfully well, revolutionary aspirations alone did not inoculate comrades from reproducing the very evils that, when perpetrated by cops, they so rightly decried. To truly transcend the carceral state, then, would require uprooting not only blatant police abusesand the institutions that enable thembut also suspect and punitive practices in the lefts own ranks. | https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/cancel-culture-richard-wright/ |
Can Booking.com keep my rental deposit? | I would like my $250 security deposit back. Booking.com has suggested that I file a credit card dispute, but I cant do that since Im past the 90-day window for a dispute. Q. I recently booked a reservation on Booking.com at Pelican Stay, a furnished apartment building in the Pearl District of Portland, Ore. I paid the owner a security deposit of $250, which was to be returned to me no longer than 30 days after my stay. After 30 days, I checked with Booking.com to find out what happened to the refund since I hadnt received it. Booking.com tried to help me but has also had no success. Advertisement EMILY RADOCHA, Kalamazoo, Mich. A. You should have received your refund by now. And if the apartment owner or manager couldnt send it back, Booking.com or your credit card should have been able to help. I think I know why youve experienced such unreasonable delays. Your stay happened just as the pandemic started. Everything was chaotic, and refunds were taking longer than expected across the board. Of course, this is no excuse but it may explain why Booking.com couldnt get the merchants attention. The world had just been turned upside down. Indeed, when you reached out to Pelican Stay, you received a polite note that apologized for the delay, which it blamed on the coronavirus outbreak. It said your refund might be processed after 30 days due to quarantine order within our area. But that was in March 2020. No, it shouldnt. And by the way, that 60-day limit for filing a credit card dispute, which is required under the Fair Credit Billing Act, doesnt mean your credit card company cant get involved in a dispute. Credit card issuers dont have to accept disputes that go back more than 60 days. But they often do. Advertisement I cant believe Booking.com wouldnt help you with this. You were more than patient, and your e-mails to the company were polite. I guess Booking.com just sees itself as the middleman, and that you have to take up any disputes directly with the merchant. Maybe next time you should consider working with a travel adviser who can advocate for you. I list the names, numbers, and e-mail addresses of the Booking.com executives on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/booking-com. You could have sent a brief e-mail to one of the managers, appealing this case. I contacted Pelican Stay on your behalf, and it refunded your $250. Better late than never! Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Elliotts latest book is How to Be the Worlds Smartest Traveler (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or [email protected]. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/20/lifestyle/can-bookingcom-keep-my-rental-deposit/ |
Which Wisconsin products are in line to start for their NFL teams this season? | With the NFL draft, post-draft free agency and rookie minicamps now all completed, teams are ratcheting up activity in preparation for the upcoming season. The rosters wont be set until August. But now that each team replenished talent in the draft, we can take a look at which Wisconsin products are in line to win a starting job heading into the season. Here is every former Badger who, at this point in the offseason, projects as an NFL starter this fall: List Ranking Wisconsin's 2021 schedule game-by-game from easiest to most difficult J.J. Watt -- Arizona Cardinals Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports Position: Defensive end/4-3 defensive lineman Tyler Biadasz -- Dallas Cowboys Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Position: Center Melvin Gordon -- Denver Broncos Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports Position: Running back Jonathan Taylor -- Indianapolis Colts Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports Position: Running back Joe Schobert -- Jacksonville Jaguars Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports Position: Inside linebacker Alec Ingold -- Las Vegas Raiders Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports Position: Fullback David Edwards -- Los Angeles Rams Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports Position: Left guard Rob Havenstein -- Los Angeles Rams Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports Position: Right tackle Michael Deiter -- Miami Dolphins Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Position: Left guard Kevin Zeitler -- Baltimore Ravens Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Position: Right guard Mason Stokke -- Carolina Panthers Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports Position: Fullback Leon Jacobs -- Jacksonville Jaguars Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports Position: Strong-side linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel -- Miami Dolphins Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Position: Weak-side linebacker Ryan Connelly -- Minnesota Vikings Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Story continues Position: Weak-side linebacker James White -- New England Patriots Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Position: 3rd-down running back Zack Baun -- New Orleans Saints Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports Position: Strong-side linebacker Ryan Ramczyk -- New Orleans Saints Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports Position: Right tackle T.J. Edwards -- Philadelphia Eagles Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Position: Middle linebacker T.J. Watt -- Pittsburgh Steelers Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports Position: Outside linebacker Derek Watt -- Pittsburgh Steelers Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers via USA TODAY Sports Position: Fullback Russell Wilson -- Seattle Seahawks Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Position: Quarterback Follow BadgersWire Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis. 1 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-products-line-start-nfl-132758082.html?src=rss |
Why are hundreds of huge stone jars scattered across north-east Laos? | A SK LAO elders, and many will tell you that their lands were once ruled by giants. The greatest was a warrior king named Khun Jeuang whose armies, the story goes, celebrated their conquests in modern-day Xieng Khouang province in north-east Laos, with whisky served from enormous stone urns. Today more than 2,000 of these vessels, standing up to three metres high and weighing as much as 30 tonnes, can be found scattered across the prosaically named Plain of Jars. Generations of Lao grandchildren have heard the tale. But the details can be fuzzy. Asked when the events took place, Champa, a 60ish local, estimates it was looong ago. Ask archaeologists working in Laos and their answers are not much more precise. The first systematic study of the Plain of Jars was done in the 1930s by Madeleine Colani, a French geologist, who found dozens of sites and a puzzling array of objects: stone pendants, glass beads, human bones, childrens teeth. She reckoned the sites functioned as a necropolis during South-East Asias Iron Age, which was roughly between 500 BC and 500 AD . Events thwarted further research. The second world war, Japanese occupation, French retreat and civil war did not offer conditions conducive to archaeology. During the war in Vietnam, many American bombs fell on the area. A third of them failed to detonate. For decades the landscape was littered with unexploded ordnance, much of which remains. Researchers pursued easier targets, leaving Laos, in the words of one Lao archaeologist, terra incognita. Recent bomb clearance has opened the door for renewed study. Colani knew of 26 jar sites. Today over 100 and counting have been catalogued. Technology has also advanced since her time. Scientists have used carbon dating on organic objects associated with the jars, such as bones, teeth and charcoal. Most were found to be from within the Iron Age window. But the jars themselves are made of stone, which is difficult to date. So an international team of scientists devised a workaround. Over the past few years, using a technique called optically stimulated luminescence, they have tried to measure when the earth beneath the jars was last exposed to light. In peer-reviewed research in March, the team concluded that samples beneath two jars at one site probably date from between 1350 BC and 350 BC , much older than thought. Taken with the dates of the other objects, that could help clarify if the jars were always associated with burial or had other purposes too, like storing grain or water. Analysis on two other samples is pending. Other mysteries remain to be solved, too, such as how prehistoric people moved the 30-tonne jars. | https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/05/20/why-are-hundreds-of-huge-stone-jars-scattered-across-north-east-laos |
How many American children have cut contact with their parents? | U NHAPPILY MARRIED for many years, Peter (not his real name) waited until his children were grown up before he divorced their mother. He hoped this would make the experience less upsetting for them. Yet in the six years since, he has not seen either of his two sons. He speaks to the younger one, who is in his 20s, once or twice a year; the eldest, in his 30s, has cut off all contact. His middle child, a daughter, has at times tried to act as go-between, an experience she has found distressing. For me it has been completely devastating, he says. I get on with my life, but I get teary when I think about them. Losing contact with children is like bereavement, he says, but with the painful tug of hope that they might one day be reconciled. Though people tend not to talk about it much, familial estrangement seems to be widespread in America. The first large-scale nationwide survey, recently conducted by Cornell University, found that 27% of adult Americans are estranged from a close family member. Karl Pillemer, a professor of sociology who led the research and wrote a book about its findings called Fault Lines, says that because people often feel shame, the real figure is likely to be higher. The relationship most commonly severed is that between parent and adult child, and in most cases it is the child who wields the knife. Because family estrangement has been a subject of research only for the past decade there are no data to show whether it is becoming more common. But many sociologists and psychologists think it is. In one way this seems surprising. Divorce heightens the risk of other family fractures. Joshua Coleman, a psychologist and the author of Rules of Estrangement, found in a recent survey of 1,600 estranged parents that more than 70% had divorced their childs other parent (children of divorce are more likely to dump their fathers, he notes). In recent years America's divorce rate has fallen. Yet Dr Coleman reckons other trends are making parent-child estrangements likelier than ever. Other therapists, who do not specialise in family rifts, concur. Me, myself and I A rise in individualism that emphasises personal happiness is the biggest factor. People are increasingly likely to reject relatives who obstruct feelings of well-being in some way, by holding clashing beliefs or failing to embrace those of others. Personal fulfilment has increasingly come to displace filial duty, says Dr Coleman. Whereas families have always fought and relatives fallen out, he says, the idea of cutting oneself off from a relative as a path to ones own happiness seems to be new. In some ways it is a positive development: people find it easier to separate from parents who have been abusive. But it can also carry heavy costs. More individualistic than most rich countries, America also has a higher divorce rate. This suggests adult-child separation is more common in America than it is in other places. My impression is that this isnt considered much of a problem in many European countries, says Dr Pillemer. Geography also plays a part. Though people move from state to state less than they used to, America remains one of the most geographically mobile countries in the world. The vast distances often involved allow people who want to leave their families behind to do so. Peter reckons that if he and his younger son, who live hundreds of miles apart, still lived in the same city they would have patched things up by now. That, in turn, might have softened his older son. If two out of three were talking to me, I wonder if he might think again, he says. Those who decide to break off contact with their parents find support in a growing body of books (often with the word toxic in the title), as well as online. Threads on internet forums for people who want to break ties with their parents reveal strangers labelling people they have never met as narcissistic or toxic and advising an immediate cessation of contact. This may make it easier to shelve feelings of guilt. Therapy has played a role too, says Dr Coleman. A lot of therapy in America emphasises the role family dysfunction plays in personal unhappiness. Though it is often a factor, it is also often not, he says. As therapists we need to do due diligence on what our patients say. Just as I wouldnt take at face value a parents depiction of their parenting as flawless, I wouldnt assume an adult childs claim that a parent is toxic should be accepted without further inquiry, he says. He is launching an online programme with a British researcher that helps therapists and others develop techniques for working with those who have become estranged from close relatives. Raising awareness about the issue in this way is likely to be important, and not only because some broken bonds may be fixable. Parent-child estrangement has negative effects beyond the heartbreak it causes. Research suggests that the habit of cutting off relatives is likely to spread in families. But most immediately, it is likely to exacerbate loneliness in old age. Dr Pillemer, who is also a professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the idea for the research was sparked by a one-to-one survey he did of elderly people. I discovered that dozens had been cut off by their children, he says. Often, they did not want to admit it. People who work with the elderly should consider the possibility, he says, that an old person is not receiving the support and solace that might be assumed about someone who has adult children. Mrs Smith may say she has two daughters, he says. She is quite likely not to add that she never sees them. | https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/05/22/how-many-american-children-have-cut-contact-with-their-parents |
Will Virtual Events And Conferences Outlast The Pandemic? | We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the ... [+] norm. getty Starting in March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tech companies, as well as any company that produced events, conferences, and trade shows, scrambled to find new platforms to hold virtual events. The good news is that many virtual event platforms came to market and provided a framework for any company to shift what were live events to virtual ones. Here is a link to the top 10 virtual event platforms as well as many more that are used to deliver some of the virtual events since the spring of 2020. To date, I have attended over 30 virtual events and conferences and looked closely at how they were designed and structured. One major element that makes any of these virtual events work is the user interface it uses for the presentations and how easy it is to find the sessions and content that make any virtual event meaningful for those who attend. Some events I attended were very easy to get to the content I wanted, while others took serious research to get the information I needed. It is not my intention to critique any of the events UIs and ease of use that I experienced, but rather to share what I think works in virtual conferences. I also believe that for some companies, keeping these events virtual may make a lot of sense, well beyond our collective event experiences brought on by the pandemic. I also want to make the distinction that customer events, user conferences, and even developer conferences are much different than trade shows. CES 2021 was a well-designed and executed event in January but it could not take the place of a live in-person event in my opinion. I liked that I could attend many more sessions and keynotes at CES, but missed the element of discovery that happens when one checks out the booths and gets to see live demos and have discussions about a new product or service in person. I also missed the networking. In that sense, I am convinced that post-pandemic, trade shows need to come back in the industries they serve. However, if a product launch, conference, customer event, and perhaps even a developer conference can be done with high-quality video, audio, and well-structured interactive sessions that allow for true Q &A, I think many companies may consider staying with virtual events in the future. Consider the savings alone. Phil Schiller, former CMO of Apple, during the Apple-Epic trial, went on record stating that Apple spends $50 million on their World Wide Developer Conference when it is a live event. Also, WWDC as it is known can only handle 5,000 attendees, yet Apple has well over 20 million app developers. WWDC 2020 was virtual and I am guessing the cost to be 1/7th of the cost of a live event and allowed for thousands of more developers to attend. If you have ever attended Google I/O, you know they take over the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California which also accommodates 5000 developers in person. I doubt that they spent $50 million on this but it was still a huge expense. In 2020 and 2021, Google I/O was virtual and I suspect it cost perhaps only 1/6th of the cost of an in-person event. And thousands of developers could attend virtually that could have never been able to attend the one in Mountain View. I attended the virtual WWDC 2020 and Google I/O 2020 and 2021 and these were well-produced, with professional video, audio, and a structured framework that made it easy to follow. Although these events are in my backyard, I now prefer this format to in-person events. Having said that, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Inc, closed his keynote at this week's Google I/O telling the audience he would see them in person next year. This suggests that Google could move back to a live event in 2022, but if they do, I believe it will be a hybrid event that takes the best of a live and virtual event. As for Apple, WWDC 2021, which runs from June 7-11, is also virtual and I expect it to be just as successful as the 2020 virtual WWDC. We will be listening closely to what Apple CEO Tim Cook says about WWDC in 2022, but I believe that if they go back to an in-person developer conference, it too, will be a hybrid event. Since March 2020 I have attended at least three Apple product launches and two from Samsung. All of these have been virtual events. They have been professionally produced and the formats allow for companies to do product launches more often instead of only two or three times a year for in-person events. Both Apple and Samsung have broadcast their product launches for a couple of years but until March 2020, all of them also had select media and invitees come to a venue and so they could attend them in person. In talking with many Apple media about moving to a virtual event, they tell me the one thing they miss is the hands-on demos available at the end of the presentations. On the other hand, many who have to fly cross country or from other parts of the world for these two to three-hour launches feel these virtual product launches are very effective. Tech companies also produce customer events that have gone virtual, too. Two stand out to me as some of the best virtual customer events. Two weeks ago Dell held Dell World, a virtual event for their customers. Normally held in Las Vegas, Nevada, these events have about 6000 attendees and include major keynotes by CEO Michael Dell, Vice Chairman Jeff Clarke, and many other Dell executives and business luminaries. It also has a trade show component where customers can get demos of Dell's, and their partner's, products. In May of 2020, Dell had to do this virtually and it turned out to be a successful customer event. The May 5-6, 2021 Dell World was one of the best-produced customer events I have attended. While Dell never states what the cost of any in-person Dell World costs, one can imagine that a virtual Dell World costs much less to produce with great savings in travel alone, cutting costs down dramatically. A week later, IBM produced their virtual customer conference called IBM Think 2021 and like Dell, it was one of the best and most professionally produced customer events I have attended this year. IBM produced a customer Think event in 2020 but it was produced in only a few months. While it was well done then, by this year IBM had more time to deliver a more professionally produced show with an easy way to access and attend its multitude of high-quality content sessions. I have no clue if they plan to go back to an in-person event in 2022, but these virtual events were, in my estimation, highly effective and successful, and would not be surprised if they continue an emphasis on a co-virtual event even if they do decide to hold an in-person customer event next year. I also attended the Display Week 2021 Virtual Symposium Seminar and Exhibition held virtually from May 17-21, 2021. These types of events are much different from product launches and customer events and are a highly focused technical show about displays. It, too, was extremely well produced and the sessions I attended were great. It also included a developer section that uses a lot of show-and-tells. Technical shows that also have an exhibition area where hands-on is important to the show are hard to do virtually. To their credit, the Society of Information Displays who produces Display Week has done a great job with this show in a virtual format over the last two years. However, technically focused events with specialized exhibits probably fare better as in-person events in the future. After attending so many virtual events that have been well produced and highly successful, it leads me to believe that many companies will continue with this format. In the future, some may find the need to add an in-person event too, but that may be smaller than the large ones they did in the past and include virtual access to broaden their audience of attendees. While some people may want to go back to the older days of every event being in person, the pandemic has shifted how companies connect with their customers. We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the norm. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/timbajarin/2021/05/20/will-virtual-events-and-conferences-outlast-the-pandemic/ |
How Many Games Is Washington Favored to Win in 2021? | There are insults and then there are perceived slights. This is the latter in our view because the opinion of those that create these barbs is in question. ASHBURN -- The Washington Football Team continues to be disrespected despite being the defending NFC East champions. Maybe the backlash could be the motivational chip WFT needs going against a first-place schedule and having to play nine road games out of its 17 regular season contests. Yes, perhaps the early lines from Super Book Sports out of Las Vegas for the 2021 season will serve as motivation. Of course, preseason odds mean little since based off regular-season play will have them change constantly. For now, Washington is only pre-favored in three games. To us, that seems absurd after the offseason acquisitions in free agency and the NFL Draft that build on last years 7-9 mark. WFT games in which they are currently favored include Week 2 against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at (-3). That is the standard give for a home team early in a season. The other two games are at home against the Dallas Cowboys in December (-1.5) and against the Philadelphia Eagles (-3) to start out 2022. Three games. There is the notion that Vegas oddsmakers have inside information that is not accessible to the public and that they know exactly how games are going to play out. READ MORE: Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. Not so much. It's a computer-based data system that helps to provide action on both sides of the bet. That's it. By putting WFT as a 1.5-point underdog at home against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers to start the season, for instance, they know they'll get those that believe in the better QB instead the feeling that the home team will win a tight one. That's what they know. No one has any idea what Washington or the Chargers will play like or ultimately be that day or any day. Per Tim Murray of VSIN, here's the entire list. +1.5 v LA Chargers -3 at NY Giants +7.5 at Buffalo +3 at Atlanta +1.5 vs New Orleans +6.5 vs Kansas City +4 at Green Bay +3 at Denver +7 vs Tampa Bay +1 at Carolina +2.5 vs Seattle +2.5 at Las Vegas -1.5 vs Dallas +1.5 at Philadelphia +5.5 at Dallas -3 vs Eagles +1.5 at NY Giants Essentially the road game against the Falcons is a toss-up between what Vegas considers two even teams. Atlanta receives the extra push because the game in home. Ironically, Washington is only a four-point underdog at Green Bay, one point higher than the Atlanta and Denver road games. The odds are constantly changing. And believing Vegas isnt going to make a mistake from now until January of 2022 is illogical. | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/how-many-games-favored-2021-nfl-washington |
Why did the GOP oppose a resolution on the Atlanta mass shooting? | It's not uncommon for Congress to take up symbolic resolutions on major national tragedies, and yesterday was no exception: the House approved a measure on the mass shooting in Atlanta from March. But while these votes tend to be lopsided -- no one wants to be seen as pro-tragedy -- the Washington Post noted that yesterday's vote was unusually close. The House on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the Atlanta shooting in March that led to nationwide attention to violence against Asian Americans.... The resolution sought to reaffirm the House's commitment "to combating hate, bigotry and violence" against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It came a day after the House passed legislation to aggressively investigate hate crimes, especially those targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that have increased during the coronavirus pandemic. In theory, this seems like the sort of resolution that would pass unanimously. In practice, 180 of the chamber's 211 Republican members -- roughly 85% of the conference -- voted against it. Even Georgia Republicans opposed the resolution, and the deadly mass shooting happened in their own state. Because the resolution included a provision noting that racist rhetoric -- including "Kung Flu" and "Wuhan Virus" -- contributes to racism and violence against Asian Americans. As Forbes reported, this became a partisan issue. Some Republicans took issue with the resolution's mention of the coronavirus nicknames, and GOP leaders urged members to oppose it, according to a GOP source. Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) said in a floor speech she had "hoped" to support it but that it's "just another vehicle for delivering cheap shots against our former president." In other words, Donald Trump used racist rhetoric; the resolution condemned racist rhetoric (though it did not reference the former president); and most of the House Republican conference felt the need to reject the measure in order to avoid giving the appearance of indirectly criticizing Trump. This is GOP politics in 2021. | https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-did-gop-oppose-resolution-atlanta-mass-shooting-n1268026 |
Will battery advances turn Tesla into a public utility? Are Arizona regulators prepared? | Joy Seitz opinion contributor Twenty years ago, rooftop solar was just a vision of the future. Today it is mainstream and rules and regulations surrounding its deployment are well defined. Leading a company that has served solar customers for more than 20 years gives me great perspective on the strong desire consumers have around controlling their energy bills. I also know this demand must be balanced with the requirement on electric utilities to provide reliable service and the charge of policymakers to provide grid resiliency and reasonable rates. Enter the quick evolution of battery technology and an increased demand for renewable energy and suddenly our clean energy future gets more complex. Residential solar combined with lithium-ion batteries promises a new level of control for consumers over their energy bills. Marketed and sold under monikers like take control of your utility bill and be your own utility, demand for batteries is spiking. This should cause a high level of curiosity and concern for policymakers. Tesla batteries can be connected, like a utility Taking this sales tactic to the next level, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned on a recent earnings call that his batteries can be connected together to act as a de facto independent utility. He went so far as to say his technology could be relied upon when a traditional utility company fails or experiences an emergency. Musk also recently stated that all new Tesla residential solar installs will include a battery system between the grid and the home no exceptions. While interesting, this change in battery deployment strategy poses myriad functional, systems and ethical issues. For context: In 2009, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to decide if solar providers should be regulated. In the initial filing, The Solar Alliance referenced a 1950 Arizona Supreme Court case, Natural Gas Service Corporation v. Serv-Yu Corporation. This case outlined eight factors to consider when ruling on an entity being regulated by the commission. One of the eight factors is actual or potential competition with other corporations whose business is clothed with public interest. Though solar received an exemption from regulation in 2009, batteries and todays deployment strategies were not considered. While I am not a regulator nor a lawyer, I am a CEO with no golden handcuffs. I believe it is my moral obligation to stay curious, ask questions and demand answers. Any entity looking to supply energy, in a desert, should willingly provide answers that all stakeholders can understand. California wildfires and the Texas grid failure have shown us that we are vulnerable. Furthermore, software-based energy products can include artificial intelligence. Moreover, these technologies require thoughtful installation. Volatile products exist in this industry (see recent explosions of lithium-ion batteries). The Arizona Corporation Commission has created thoughtful policies that many states have mirrored and advanced. It is time once again for this agency to consider the benefits and the risks inherent in public-private partnerships that a proposition declaring residential batteries as a utility suggests. Joy E. Seitz is CEO of American Solar & Roofing. Reach her at [email protected]. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2021/05/20/tesla-become-player-power-grid-arizona-regulates/5150132001/ |
Should I tell my friend about my romance with her brother? | Q. I am 26 years old. My best friends older brother got my contact information and has made comments about a possible us in the future. We are getting to know each other. I like him too, but we have yet to become official. He has been generous, buying me things every opportunity he gets. My friend learned about some things he bought me or has talked about getting for me and she was hurt because she felt he did not offer the same kindness to her. I dont want to ruin my relationship with her or him. Its special for me because when I fall for a guy, I fall pretty hard and get so obsessed with him I literally have to catch myself. I can say what I feel for him is gradually evolving into love. FALLING Advertisement A. Your friend doesnt need updates about gifts and romantic gestures. All she needs to understand is that youre pursing a romantic relationship with her older brother, and that youll do your best to maintain boundaries so that nothing gets in the way of your connection to her. If you want to talk about all of the cute things this man is doing, call another friend. Anyone who isnt related to him. It also sounds like you need to talk to her brother about what the two of you are doing. You say hes hinting about the future but that youve yet to make it official. You dont need to define the relationship before youre ready, but you can let him know that getting to know him has become a priority. You want to find out what happens next. You can tell him to do more than hint. Advertisement Also tell him about the boundaries youre setting with his sister. That might clear up some confusion about who knows what. MEREDITH READERS RESPOND: I am very curious about the nature of these gifts. Usually at the beginning of dating someone, a man will pay for dates, but buying gifts is over the top. But then I dont understand why the sister thinks she should be getting gifts. LEGALLYLIZ2017 My sisters were never under the mistaken impression that they were entitled to expect the same level of attention and generosity that my current object of affection got. CHIMPITATUS I also notice you describe nothing in your letter about what it is you actually like about this guy. It seems your attraction to him is based solely on the fact that you feel chosen wow, he picked me! asked for my contact info and everything! and that hes giving you a lot of attention/gifts. Theres a big difference. BONECOLD Giving material things does not equal kindness; over-giving often comes with strings, such as this guy expecting certain things (e.g., moving dating along too fast) as a reward for his gifts. Please see a therapist because you get into such bad romantic obsessions you can barely function. This could turn possessive in the future. Be careful with this one. THERETHEYRETHEIR Letter writer, hook your BFF up with one of your brothers. HARRISBSTONE Send your own relationship and dating questions to [email protected]. Catch new episodes of Meredith Goldsteins Love Letters podcast at loveletters.show or wherever you listen to podcasts. Column and comments are edited and reprinted from boston.com/loveletters. | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/20/lifestyle/should-i-tell-my-friend-about-my-romance-with-her-brother/ |
Do the Lightning Have the Right Ingredients to Repeat as Stanley Cup champs? | Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) They won an NHL-record 62 games in one season. They suffered a crushing defeat as a heavy Cup favorite. They rallied and won it the following season with a team of future Hall of Famers. Both followed the same path, overcoming years of disappointment before breaking through as champions. That Red Wings team, of course, ended up winning back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998. From a pure hockey standpoint, the Lightning look as dominant as ever. They boast award-winning talent at every position. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy already has one Vezina Trophy and had the inside track on a second. Defenseman Victor Hedman already has one Norris Trophy and has a shot at a second. With GM Julien BriseBois gradually shaping his roster into a well-rounded juggernaut that can win in many ways, the Bolts blend talent and all-around hockey IQ as well as any team. Hedman leads a mobile, two-way defense corps that has shutdown ability from Ryan McDonagh, puck-moving skill from Mikhail Sergachev and downright nastiness from Erik Cernak. The forward group has some of the leagues best two-way centers in Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, not to mention physical bangers who kill penalties with aplomb such as Blake Coleman. Oh, and theres the sublime offensive skill of Steven Stamkos and superstar Nikita Kucherov, who conveniently parachuted back into the lineup for Game 1 against the Florida Panthers and immediately started dotting the scoresheet. So, yeah, the Lightning are otherworldly good and extremely balanced, ranking eighth in goals per game and sixth in goals against per game in the regular season, with the leagues No. 9 power play, No. 4 penalty kill and ninth-best share of shot attempts at 5-on-5. And that was without Kucherov all season. Tampa is already up 2-0 on a very good Panthers team. As the reigning champions, the Bolts dont drag around the anchor of past disappointments anymore. Theyre chasing a high theyve already experienced. You might think, when you win one, youre going to become satisfied, but it worked the other way, Hedman said before the playoffs began. When you win one, you want to do it again. So I thought we were ready to go (in the regular season) from the start, and we didnt look back. Tampas biggest obstacle in the quest for a repeat championship: history. In the past 30 years, just three teams have won consecutive Cups: the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992, the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 and the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Jim Rutherford, GM of the 2016 and 2017 Pens, feels there are just so many good teams now compared to the Original Six era when clubs could dominate their competition for years at a time. Ive said this for 10 or 15 years now, anybody that makes the playoffs can win the Cup, Rutherford said. You look at Nashville (in 2017), they got in on the last day, and they went to the final versus us and took it to six games. Legend Scotty Bowman coached nine Cup winners, including the 97 and 98 Wings and the 92 Penguins. He believes a distinct external motivating factor helped those two teams repeat and points out that, in both cases, it was a tragedy. After the Penguins won the 1991 Cup, coach Badger Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer. He turned coaching duties over to Bowman for 1991-92, and Johnson died in November 1991. The 1991-92 Penguins were playing for their fallen coach. Days after Detroit won the Cup in 1997, defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were involved in a horrific limousine accident that left Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov with life-altering injuries requiring significant rehab. The Wings played the following season with heavy hearts and wore jersey patches with Konstantinovs and Mnatsakanovs initials. That was what was on our mind more, then when the season started in the fall, the players really wanted to make up for the loss of Vladimir and dedicated that next season to the both of them, Bowman said. To a certain degree, sadness clouded the Lightnings 2020 championship, too. They won it after living in a bubble, sequestered from their loved ones for months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed millions of lives around the world. The virus also muted the post-victory celebrations aside from the parade. Players didnt have their traditional days with the Stanley Cup in their hometowns. Theyre motivated now to win in an environment somewhat closer to normal, with vaccines being rolled out and fans allowed in U.S.-based NHL arenas again. I still havent seen my family since we left last summer before the bubble, Hedman said in April. I had my wife and kid over here, but I havent seen my parents, my brothers. Its been a tough year for all the people in the world, but (the Cup) is something that I want to share with my family. It just couldnt happen because of what the world is going though right nowits just one of the things you want to experience again and, hopefully, the full experience this time. As Bowman also points out, the recent repeat champions also added some fresh blood, and having an impact player who doesnt have a ring yet can spur the defending champs. The 1992 Penguins traded for Rick Tocchet. The 2017 Penguins traded for Ron Hainsey. They traded for a big shutdown blueliner in David Savard. They at least have similar ingredients to recent repeaters: elite talent, an emotional off-ice motivating factor and a fresh face to root for. We wont. Thats why, in The Hockey News Playoff Preview magazine, we picked them to win a second consecutive Cup. This is an updated version of a feature that ran in the 2020-21 Playoff Preview edition of The Hockey News. | https://www.si.com/hockey/news/do-the-lightning-have-the-right-ingredients-to-repeat-as-stanley-cup-champs?src=rss |
Can Wild finally convert 'expected goals' into real ones in playoffs? | The sample size is small but the situation is familiar. The Wild, an excellent 5-on-5 team during the regular season in terms of converting strong scoring chances into goals, has struggled to do the same in the playoffs so far. Minnesota scored just twice one goal in both games in the first two games of its playoff series against Vegas. That normally would be the recipe for a 2-0 series deficit, but the brilliant goaltending of Cam Talbot in Game 1 plus a solid overall game plan yielded a split and an opportunity coming into Thursday's Game 3 in St. Paul. But that opportunity will almost certainly only be converted into desired results if the Wild can start converting more of its glorious chances into goals, something Chip Scoggins and I talked about on Thursday's Daily Delivery podcast. The site Natural Stat Trick shows the Wild with 21 "high danger" scoring chances in 5-on-5 situations in the first two games of the series, while Vegas had 15. But the Wild has just one goal in those 21 chances roughly a 5% conversion rate. In the regular season, the Wild scored 70 times on 451 high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play, again via Natural Stat trick a little more than 15% of the time, or three times as often as it has so far in the playoffs. Those 70 goals were the fourth-most on high-danger 5-on-5 chances. Cashing in on those 5-on-5 opportunities has made all the difference in the series so far: Joel Eriksson Ek's close-range goal in overtime of Game 1 was the Wild's one high-danger 5-on-5 goal in the series; Alex Tuch's tally late in the second period, which broke a 1-1 tie in a 3-1 Game 2 win for Vegas, was the Golden Knights' lone high-danger 5-on-5 goal of the series. Based on the chances it has created, the Wild's "expected goal" mark in 5-on-5 play is 4.2 goals through two games, but it has scored just twice the aforementioned Ek goal and a point shot from Matt Dumba that was not deemed a high-danger opportunity. Two games does not signal a trend, but it is a concern nonetheless both relative to the regular season success the Wild had and given how familiar the scoring drop-off is to those familiar with Wild history. In amassing a 28-51 postseason record, the Wild has managed just 2.2 goals per playoff game. Players lamenting missed chances at goals became an annual rite of passage after Minnesota was eliminated in the first or second round all six times between 2013 and 2018. Particularly grizzly ghosts linger from the 2017 series with St. Louis, when the Wild scored just four goals in five games in 5-on-5 play despite the data saying it would have expected Minnesota to score nine goals based on all its good chances. Minnesota lost the series in five games. The Wild was stymied in that series by Blues netminder Jake Allen a far less accomplished goalie, just so we're clear, than Vegas future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. This year, with more high-end finishers like Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala on the roster, was supposed to be different. But so far at least, both of those players have been shut out as the Wild has again been left to bemoan missed opportunities. It will need to change in a hurry if the Wild expects to advance. Hockey Reference data shows that a home team that loses Game 3 of a playoff series that's tied 1-1 has gone on to lose the series 72% of the time. It's time to turn expected goals into real goals because there is no expected Stanley Cup champion just an actual one. | https://www.startribune.com/can-wild-finally-convert-expected-goals-into-real-ones-in-playoffs/600059325/ |
What Next in China? | As an historical movement this is unity enough, but as an instrument of government it is, of course, inadequate. China's government at present is by party dictatorship. The Kuomintang is the dictator; it appoints the cabinet, promulgates laws and decides policies. In practice, this means an oligarchy composed of a small group in the Central Executive Committee. Throughout the country, it means that power is exercised by those that assume the name of the party and control the local party organizationusually irresponsible youngsters and very often a nuisance to their community. In a country whose people have only a vague political consciousness and no experience of democratic government, a broad-based party dictatorship might be an effective expedient, but in that case the party would need to have a clearer set of principles, a definite program, and a sharp test of fitness for membership. All these the Kuomintang lacks, and Nanking reflects the lack. Consequently, Nanking has accomplished little as yet, except in the creating of a new mood. There is nothing concrete. It seems to be a part of the natural history of revolutions everywhere that the first stages are taken up with trivialities, and China is no exception. Names of cities and streets and official bureaus are being changed; old customs are being proscribedand the proscriptions ignored by the people; regulations are proclaimed governing outward forms. Grandiose pronunciamentos follow one another, and are forgotten. The fine hot glow, the self-forgetting zeal of three years ago, when the revolutionary forces were fighting their way northward, has been lost. In Nanking itself there is disillusionment, and among the people, skepticism. There are undoubtedly men of fine spirit and distinguished ability in Nanking, but they are in a minority. The average of capacity is discouragingly low in comparison with the needs of China at this time. HOWEVER SYMPATHETIC one may be with Chinese nationalism, it is impossible to deny that, if the account were struck now for the whole revolution, there would be little social gain to balance the cost in human suffering. The life of the masses is now more wretched than before, unimaginable by those that have not witnessed it, and indescribable by those that have. To the natural catastrophes of famine, flood and plague have been added terrorization by bandit gangs, which swarm over the land, depredation by hordes of troops and, perhaps worse, official spoliation by taxation imposed with indifference or caprice. Much of the suffering would no doubt have come in any case. The Chinese social system has been dislocated by the times as well as by war and revolution. But much could have been prevented had the revolution had a clearer intellectual base and Its leaders not made the same mistake as its criticsthat is, to expect a miracle in a year, and by proclamation. They were too impatient to lay foundations and build slowly, and all that they have set up has crumbled. They believed they could change truths by changing names, and solve the problems of an age-old civilization by injecting half-understood ideas snatched from the West. Republicanism, democracy, socialism, communism, big business, industrial development, single taxfirst one, then the other, then two or more at the same time, even when mutually exclusivefor twenty years a hodge-podge of ideas has dissipated the energies and enthusiasms of those that sought a new order in China. | https://newrepublic.com/article/92587/china-nationalist-government-1929 |
Can PowerPoint Be Too Persuasive? | Amazon banned slide presentations from decision-making meetings Roger Dooley A common refrain among business people is, PowerPoint sucks. They dont mean the slide presentation software itself, but rather the way too many presenters use it. They mean boring presentations. Bullet points that the presenter displays and then reads. Incomprehensible spreadsheet data. Charts with illegible labels. The general opinion of business slide presentations is so low that a TEDx talk with Death By PowerPoint in its title has over three million views. Amazon lists multiple books with the same phrase in their titles. With all that negativity, the idea that PowerPoint presentations could be so effective and so persuasive that the software is dangerous seems absurd. But thats exactly why Jeff Bezos banned slide presentations from decision-making meetings at Amazon. Why Amazon Banned PowerPoint Although Amazon still uses slide presentations for some types of meetings, there are no slide decks at decision-making sessions. I recently spoke with Colin Bryar, author of Working Backwards and former Jeff Bezos shadow. Bryar explained that an executive using a slide deck to present a business idea like a new product initiative can skew the decision making process in several ways. Presenter Bias A project should go forward on its merits, not because the person pitching it is a good presenter. Bryar explained, A charismatic speaker who has a so-so idea, or even a bad idea, can convince a group or an organization to go forward with that. Similarly, a boring or unskilled presenter might have a great idea but fail to gain support because he emphasized the wrong points the team didnt pay close attention. Information Density Of necessity, the amount of information that can be conveyed in a slide deck is limited. Financial data must be simplified to the extreme. Even a short paragraph of text seems impossibly long on a slide. The presenter has to fill in the gaps verbally, which also has limitations. Data that seems less important (or, sometimes, that doesnt support the initiative) may be omitted. Controlled Pace The presenter controls the flow of the narrative in a slide presentation. The rest of the team mostly consumes the content passively until discussion begins. While its possible to interrupt to ask a question or discuss a point in more detail, many team members may be reluctant to disrupt the flow of the presenter. This is particularly true if the presenter is of higher status in the organization. Bezoss Solution to PowerPoint Persuasion Once Jeff Bezos recognized that slide presentations didnt always lead to optimal decisions, he decided to try using narratives - written documents that summarize all relevant information for those in attendance. In keeping with Amazons emphasis on experimentation, narratives were initially an experiment that could be reversed. In fact, they worked well enough to become standard practice at the company. One of the best things that Amazon did The narrative approach has evolved into a six-page maximum document that everyone attending the meeting reads and digests before discussion begins. (No, presenters cant use tiny fonts and narrow margins to meet the length limit!) While reading quietly to begin a meeting seems strange to newcomers, it ensures that everyone is working from the same base of information. By reading at their own pace, each attendee can focus on specific areas they think are important or that need discussion. Not only does the written narrative eliminate presenter bias, it also allows much higher information density. It conveys a lot more information in the same time, at least 10x, says Bryar. He quotes Jeff Bezos as saying switching to narratives was one of the best things that Amazon did. Amazon continues to use slide presentations for other kinds of meetings, particularly one-to-many sessions like all hands meetings. Developing a new product line or exiting a geographic market, for example, are complex decisions that require assessing risks, opportunities and competing objectives. Meetings on topics like these require attendees to digest information, consider the issues thoughtfully, and ultimately make a decision. A narrative approach will lead to more rational, less biased decisions. For other kinds of meetings, though, a persuasive slide deck can be a good thing. Sales presentations are one example - the objective is to move the customer to the next step. Other examples are communicating a new policy or updating a large group on company results. If your intent is to persuade, dont shy away from PowerPoint because of its deadly reputation. Communicating with simple visuals can make your points more memorable by using emotional imagery and easily understood graphic representations of data. The mere presence of pictures can make your ideas more credible, research shows. In the physical world, pliers are the tool of choice when you are trying to loosen a rusty nut. While you could use the same pliers to drive a nail into wood, the results wont be very good. Similarly, PowerPoint can be highly effective, but only when employed properly. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2021/05/20/can-powerpoint-be-too-persuasive/ |
What if space junk and climate change become the same problem? | It's easy to compare the space junk problem to climate change. Human activities leave too many dead satellites and fragments of machinery discarded in Earth orbit. If left unchecked, space junk could pose significant problems for future generations rendering access to space increasingly difficult, or at worst, impossible. Yet the two may come to be linked. Our planet's atmosphere naturally pulls orbiting debris downward and incinerates it in the thicker lower atmosphere, but increasing carbon dioxide levels are lowering the density of the upper atmosphere, which may diminish this effect. A study presented last month at the European Conference on Space Debris says that the problem has been underestimated, and that the amount of space junk in orbit could, in a worst-case scenario, increase fiftyfold by 2100. "The numbers took us by surprise," said Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert from the University of Southampton in England and a co-author on the paper, which will be submitted for peer review in the coming months. "There is genuine cause for alarm." Our atmosphere is a useful ally in clearing up space junk. Collisions with its molecules cause drag, pulling objects back into the atmosphere. Below 300 miles above the Earth's surface, most objects will naturally decay into the thicker lower atmosphere and burn up in less than 10 years. In the lower atmosphere, carbon dioxide molecules can rerelease infrared radiation after absorbing it from the sun, which is then trapped by the thick atmosphere as heat. But above 60 miles where the atmosphere is thinner, the opposite is true. "There's nothing to recapture that energy," said Matthew Brown, also from the University of Southampton and the paper's lead author. "So it gets lost into space." The escape of heat causes the volume of the atmosphere, and thus its density, to decrease. Since 2000, Brown and his team say the atmosphere at 250 miles has lost 21% of its density because of rising carbon dioxide levels. By 2100, if carbon dioxide levels double their current levels in line with the worst-case scenario assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that number could rise to 80%. For space junk, the implications are stark. More than 2,500 objects larger than 4 inches in size currently orbit at or below an altitude of 250 miles. In the worst-case scenario, increased orbital lifetimes of up to 40 years would mean fewer items are dragged into the lower atmosphere. Objects at this altitude would proliferate by 50 times to about 125,000. Even in a best-case scenario, where carbon dioxide levels stabilize or even reverse, the amount of space junk would still be expected to double. Brown thinks a more probable outcome is somewhere in between, perhaps a tenfold or twentyfold increase. The research is "very important work," said John Emmert, an atmospheric scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., who has studied atmospheric density loss. However, Emmert says more research is needed to understand the severity of the problem with the impact of the sun's solar cycle also known to be a major factor in atmospheric density changes. The findings may also pose challenges for regulators and satellite operators, especially SpaceX, Amazon and other companies seeking to build megaconstellations of thousands of satellites to beam internet service down to the ground from low Earth orbit. An FCC spokesman said that most of its applicants currently used NASA's Debris Assessment Software to predict lifetimes of satellites in low Earth orbit. | https://www.startribune.com/what-if-space-junk-and-climate-change-become-the-same-problem/600056489/ |
What is the Moderna vaccine? And will it boost Australias Covid vaccination program? | Moderna, the pharmaceutical giant, has promised to provide Australia with 25m doses of its mRNA vaccine. On face value, its a significant, albeit belated, boost to Australias vaccine rollout. Formally called mRNA-1273, the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA-type vaccine, made using a similar process as the highly effective Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The Moderna vaccine inserts mRNA, or genetic material, into the body, telling it how to make the spike proteins that sit on the outside of the coronavirus. Those spike proteins allow the virus to enter and infect human cells. The genetic material triggers the bodys immune response. mRNA vaccines do not, contrary to some claims, alter a humans DNA. The Moderna vaccine is highly effective. It has shown 94.1% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% against severe Covid. It also gives 90% efficacy against Covid-19 for at least six months after the second dose. Those results were recorded in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants across 99 sites in the US. It is a two-dose vaccine, and the second shot is usually taken about 28 days after the first. The vaccine is mainly manufactured at two plants in the US, though Moderna also has operations in Switzerland, with Lonza, and in Sweden with Recipharm. Like Pfizer, its distribution is complicated slightly by the cold storage temperatures required. It must be stored at -20C, a far more manageable logistical barrier than Pfizers, which initially required -80C storage. Researchers also say the Moderna vaccine is stable for 30 days at temperatures between 2C and 8C. Australias deal with Moderna, announced overnight, is expected to provide 10m doses to Australia by the end of the year and a further 15m in 2022. The doses expected this year will be enough to vaccinate 5m Australians, providing a significant boost to the rollout efforts. The 15m doses will be used as boosters to tackle variants. The Moderna vaccine has passed clinical trials and is in use in nations like the United States and United Kingdom. The regulators in those countries have declared it safe and effective. But it still requires approval for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Moderna will lodge a submission with the TGA imminently. Once that submission is received, it will take the TGA roughly three months to approve the vaccine for use, based on the speed shown with AstraZeneca and Pfizer approvals. The TGA will also conduct batch testing, a form of independent quality assessment, on each shipment of vaccine prior to it being released for use in Australia. Moderna has announced that it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its mRNA Covid vaccine locally. Australias vaccine rollout was thrown into disarray last month when the advice on AstraZeneca, the mainstay of our vaccine program, changed. Extremely rare blood clotting caused the government to reduce the role of AsztraZeneca, focusing its use on those aged 50 and over. That left those under 50 more reliant on Pfizer, which has been the subject of intense global demand. This Moderna vaccine goes some way in solving the problem posed by the changed AstraZeneca advice. The vaccine is safe and effective and there is no evidence it is causing the kind of clotting seen in rare cases with AstraZeneca. It is also a valuable potential replacement for the Novavax vaccine, which Australia has ordered, given fears it will not arrive on time. There is also another element to this announcement that brings optimism. Moderna has said it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its vaccine locally. That is a huge boon for the government, which has been under pressure to develop mRNA manufacturing capability for some time, but has had little interest from the other mRNA vaccine producer, Pfizer. Stphane Bancel, Modernas chief executive officer, said: As we seek to protect people around the world with our Covid-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities. The industry minister, Christian Porter, has been at pains to point out that developing mRNA manufacturing capability will take time, not the three to six months that some experts have suggested. But when, and if, that manufacturing capability arrives, it will reduce Australias reliance on imports in a market of huge global demand. Clinical trials involving 30,000 people at 99 sites found the Moderna vaccine to be safe to be effective. It does have minor side-effects, like most vaccines. Results from clinical trials for people aged 18 to 64 showed fatigue, headaches and muscle soreness were experienced after both the first and second dose. Moderna is not the only vaccine on the horizon. The federal government has also signed an agreement with Novavax for about 51m doses of its protein vaccine. Those doses were expected to begin arriving in September this year. But the company is yet to release data from stage three clinical trials and has recently signalled delays in securing approvals. Earlier this week, chief executive Stan Erck said it could not give any indication of a timeline for approvals in a number of countries, including Australia. As of today, we are not able to predict a date with precision, so we wont, he said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The company is also expected to prioritise securing approvals from US and UK regulators. So the Australian timeline is looking shaky, at best. Australia is also entitled to 25m doses through the Covax facility, an international purchasing agreement for a wide range of vaccines, and gave an upfront payment of $123.2m. It is unclear how close Australia is to securing any vaccines through Covax. It is reliant on receiving offers to purchase vaccines as they become available. There are currently nine vaccines available that may become available through Covax which are made by AstraZeneca, Novavax, Moderna, CureVac, Sanofi, Inovio, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Institut Pasteur and the University of Hong Kong. | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/13/what-is-the-moderna-vaccine-and-will-it-boost-australias-covid-vaccination-program |
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