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Why does Minnesota tax social security benefits? | A few years ago, Carl Ojalas granddaughter asked if he could move to Minnesota to live closer to her. Ojala, then living in Michigan, had long missed going to sports games and watching school plays being there for all the special moments in his grandchildren's lives because he was hundreds of miles away. If you have grandkids youll see how important they are to an old guys life, Ojala, 77, said. So Ojala and his wife packed up their bags, sold their house and moved to the Twin Cities. But when it came time to file taxes, Ojala learned there was a drawback to the North Star state. I found out I got hit by Minnesota for a fairly decent chunk of money because I get Social Security, said Ojala, a retired college professor. He was among several readers who submitted similar questions to Curious Minnesota, the Star Tribunes new community-driven reporting project. Thirty-seven states dont tax Social Security benefits. Minnesota is among a minority of states 13 that impose a state-level tax on Social Security benefits. Some states, like North Dakota, tax Social Security benefits at the same level as the federal government; others collect a lower tax than the feds, including Connecticut. In Minnesota, up to 85 percent of Social Security benefits are fair game for the tax collector, depending on ones income. Low-income residents are exempted from the tax; middle-income earners pay taxes on a lower portion of benefits. The answer can be traced back to the overall design of our states income tax system. Minnesota models its taxes based on the federal system, then makes some minor adjustments, said Jerry Zhao, an associate professor at the University of Minnesotas Humphrey School of Public Affairs. When the federal government started taxing Social Security benefits under President Ronald Reagan in 1984, Minnesota followed a year later. Though Minnesotas tax long matched its federal counterpart, state lawmakers in 2017 lowered the burden for middle income earners, so the state now taxes a lower portion of benefits than the federal government. The tax continues to be a recurring issue at the State Capitol. The state forecasts to pull in around $400 million each year from taxing Social Security benefits, according to estimates by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Republicans have repeatedly pushed to eliminate the tax in recent years. Some Democrats have also supported reducing the tax, though theyve stopped short of total overhaul. This year, lawmakers have pushed for several bills reducing the states tax by varying amounts; Gov. Tim Walzs two-year budget proposes cutting the tax by $22.9 million over the next two years. Minnesota has some of the highest taxes in the country. Though theres no state tax on food, clothing and other necessities, the state ranks 5th highest for overall tax burden, according to a 2018 WalletHub analysis. Brian Marum, treasurer of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, said the state should work on phasing out the tax on Social Security benefits. Marum said the tax places undue burden on Minnesotans senior citizens, pointing out that Kiplinger financial magazine ranked Minnesota as the least tax friendly state for retirees. Its just a burden that we dont feel is necessary, particularly for those folks who have worked 40 years and eventually want to enjoy the remaining years of their lives, he said. Others, including those who advocate for states retirees, say a full removal would go too far. While a full repeal of the Social Security tax is really appealing, we know that its also very costly, said Mary Jo George, associate state director of advocacy at Minnesota AARP. We want to make sure the state has adequate revenue as well in order to preserve and fund the essential services that many Minnesota seniors and their families depend on. Even though the state places low on affordability. AARP ranks Minnesota as the 11th best state to retire, citing the states health care and quality of life. Though Ojala doesnt like the state taking a cut of his benefits, he has no plans to move. Im losing money by living here, he said, but my family is worth it. Austen Macalus is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune. --- If you'd like to submit a Curious Minnesota question, fill out the form below: | http://www.startribune.com/why-does-minnesota-tax-social-security-benefits/507518881/ |
What Will The Smart Cities Of Tomorrow Look Like? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Zach Winkler, Zach is the Co-founder and CEO of Noonlight, on Quora: The intersection of safety and sustainability is currently driving the development of smart cities. The conversation around increasing public transit use, for example, is intrinsically tied to a conversation surrounding safety on public transit. If commuters dont feel safe riding public transit, its less likely that a city will meet their sustainable transit goals as people turn back to private vehicles or rideshare services. The smart cities of tomorrow are going to be about measuring the impact of one aspect of the citys operations upon another. For our public safety organizations, this means using available information from public transit programs, smart streetlights, crime monitoring technologies, and private companies such as Noonlight to craft better public safety strategies and improve emergency response. For example, first responders are currently plagued by false alarms, increasing response times and diverting resources away from situations that need them. Imagine if first responders could effectively mitigate false alarms, or if they had the data to better predict emergencies within their cities such as areas in a city where people feel the most unsafe. Factors like these would likely inform larger municipal initiatives, such as city lighting plans or sidewalk development. With the help of companies such as Noonlight, these ideal scenarios could become a reality. The smart city of tomorrow is only as smart as the information flowing through its public organizations, and as our cities become increasingly connected, we need greater coordination between our smart devices/technologies and public safety organizations. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/04/12/what-will-the-smart-cities-of-tomorrow-look-like/ |
What Role Will The Internet Of Things Play In Public Safety? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Zach Winkler, Zach is the Co-founder and CEO of Noonlight, on Quora: The potential for IoT is greater than we could have ever imagined. According to Bain, the IoT market is expected to double by 2021, and research from Gartner shows that the number of Internet connected devices already outnumbers the human population. With IoT devices rapidly becoming part of our daily lives its no surprise that public safety organizations have started to take note. Some local police departments, such as those in Charleston, SC or Berkeley, CA have reacted to the rise of DIY smart home security cameras by introducing security camera registration programs, allowing homeowners and businesses to put their IoT devices to work in service of bolstering public safety. These security camera registration programs encourage residents and local businesses to register the location of their exterior-facing security cameras with the local police department, allowing law enforcement officials to quickly locate potential crime footage. Owners will only be contacted if investigators determine useful footage might exist at their location and registration is entirely voluntary. These IoT devices, such as DIY home security monitoring systems, offer public safety officials greater access to contextual information about crimes and emergencies, which was previously unavailable or siloed. Greater access to crime footage or medical information via wearables ultimately improves emergency decision-making and can also provide investigators with stronger data for crime and safety analytics. Noonlights own platform enables similar connections between IoT devices and public safety organizations through a variety of integrations. With Noonlights Uber integration, car information and live location can be sent directly to the police the second you trigger an alarm within the Noonlight app. With Noonlights Nest Protect integration, the second your Nest Protect senses heavy smoke or a high carbon monoxide reading, Noonlight can send the fire department straight to your home, no call required. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/04/12/what-role-will-the-internet-of-things-play-in-public-safety/ |
What Are The Most Promising Uses For Blockchain We Haven't Seen Yet? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by David Schwartz, CTO of Ripple, on Quora: The most obvious and ready use cases involve payments and stores of value. Close to payments are use cases like securities settlement, trade finance, lending, and so on. These use cases typically involve a payment plus something else that perhaps can also benefit from blockchain and that become more feasible as payments get better. This reasoning is why Ripple focused on payments very early. Getting away from payments, the use cases can get more speculative. Ive talked about using private blockchains with zero knowledge proofs to solve problems such as tracking the provenance of luxury goods and vaccines. There, the blockchain adds the ability to have a consortium without having to have the expense and complexity of systems operated by a consortium. Ultimately, the advantages a blockchain brings center primarily around security and reliability. Blockchains pretty much dont have downtime. That cant be said around conventional databases that have complex failure modes. Blockchains dont have to worry about bad data getting into the system at a weak link because all data can be verified by all participants. This reduces operational complexity and cost because you dont have a central store to securely operate and protect. Its very early though and most of our guesses will probably be wrong. If we tried to speculate what the Internet would be used for back in the 90s, we probably wouldnt have guessed that streaming videos of cats would be up at the top. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/04/12/what-are-the-most-promising-uses-for-blockchain-we-havent-seen-yet/ |
What Is The Difference Between Science Denial, Pseudoscience, And Skepticism? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Robert Crease, Professor, Philosophy Department, Stony Brook University, on Quora: Science denial is different from anti-science, pseudoscience, and skepticism, and its important to distinguish between them. Anti-science is a rejection of science and scientific method altogether. Those scientists cant be trusted, I say; they are all corrupt; they are on the wrong track. Those engaged in anti-science dont pretend to think scientifically or even to want to. Anti-science is mainly an attitude, a personal response. You therefore cant respond to it by throwing more science at me. Responding to anti-science would involve showing how personally or socially destructive that attitude is. Dont you think you are going to hurt yourself if you continue to act this way? you might tell me. Look at people who refuse to take that medicine, you might say Look at those houses that fell because their owners didnt trust the engineers. Pseudoscience is a charade that tries to pass off false, unreliable, or unproven claims as scientific or at least as not needing any more justification. This is more than an attitude its an activity aimed at convincing others. Theres a motive behind it; its salesmanship; it involves some product that one is seeking to foist on others. I am certain it works because I saw it advertised on Goop without appealing to more evidence to justify what makes me certain. Responding to pseudoscience would require showing that the claims are not scientific. Responding would require trusting science to begin with and using scientific activity and evaluation as a measure against which to judge the pseudoscientific claims. Here are the studies that show it does not work. Skepticism involves doubting a specific finding for specific reasons. If I am dubious of some scientific claim because I sense some shortcoming or failure in the method by which it was obtained, or if I have reason to doubt an entire class of some findings, thats skepticism. Skepticism involves taking the validity of scientific procedure for granted, but doubting that that procedure was followed in this one particular case. Responding to it would involve carefully examining the procedure. If I am skeptical of a drug test because I am suspicious of the way it was tested, you could take me through the details of that test. Science denial involves accepting science and expert advice for most things I consult engineers when I buy a house, I listen to the weather people when making a decision about how to dress but when it comes to specific findings I dont like, I reject them as wrong. Thats essentially what THE WORKSHOP AND THE WORLD is about the different ways this happens, and how to respond. Lets take an example. Suppose I go to a doctor who tells me that I have a disease that requires a costly and painful cure. If I doubt the advice of all doctors on principle, thats anti-science. If I go to some untested cure that someone tells me is a surefire treatment, thats relying on pseudoscience. But if the doctor recommends me something, and I do some investigating, and find that Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic or that the online NIH site lists alternatives, some of them cheaper or with better results, and I meet people who have tried the treatment that is being recommended to me who have had negative results and then I hesitate and do not take my doctors advice, thats skepticism. I have some evidence for my judgment. But if I refuse to take the cure from my doctor whom Ive relied on for years, and tell him or her that I dont have that disease! or Thats the wrong cure! thats science denial. Theres no evidence, and I am not qualified to make the judgment. The problem is then that I am implicitly at least called on to justify my action which usually takes the form of accusing the doctor of ineptitude or conspiracy. Among other dangers there is that I am essentially slandering the doctor, undermining an important social institution. In any case, science denial undermines institutions, and is a question of motive. Science denial is motivated by the pursuit of short-term economic, religious, political, or other agendas. You may say that the difference between skepticism and science denial can be hard to discern. Thats true. I may do some investigating, and come up with evidence that is suggestive but not smoking gun, and I use that to justify my already existing strong inclination not to take the medicine. Its hard to tell. But it often is not. If there is zero scientific evidence for something, but you accept that something anyway, thats science denial. Or if there is near-complete scientific evidence for something and the outliers all disagree among themselves thats science denial. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/04/12/what-is-the-difference-between-science-denial-pseudoscience-and-skepticism/ |
Why is brown snow falling in the US Midwest? | Image copyright @SummerSongDes After a major winter storm hit parts of the US this week, residents of Minnesota have noticed something unusual about the fresh snowfall. Rather than blanketing the state in bright white powder, the snow was marbled with patches of brown and orange. Chris O'Brien, a meteorologist at the US National Weather Service, told Time magazine that the discoloration is caused by dust particles carried on strong winds all the way from Texas. Image copyright Mark Tarello "[The wind] picked up a lot of dust and got it entrained into the circulation of this storm system and pulled it all the way up into Minnesota where it fell with the precipitation," he said. Satellite images show large plumes of dust drifting northwards from the US-Mexico boarder. While dust mixing with snow has happened before, Mr O'Brien says it's unusual for it to travel such distances. "We get the discoloured snow sometimes, but usually it's from dust that's closer to here, not from all the way close to the Mexican border," he said. Image copyright @erik3815 Some on social media christened the off-white snow "snirt" - a portmanteau of snow and dirt. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47914720 |
Who is Julian Assange? | Getty Images Julian Assange's arrest is big news. Lots of people have different opinions on him, including whether or not he should have been arrested. Some might think of him as a journalist and campaigner, whilst others describe him as a hacker. Julian Assange is well-known for being the founder of a website called Wikileaks which he started in 2006. The site is used to publish or 'leak' documents and images from governments and other high-profile organisations which are confidential and wouldn't otherwise be seen by the public. EPA/Getty Images Wikileaks got a lot of attention in 2010 when confidential files from the United States were made public, including officially secret US military documents. Some people said that making the documents public exposed what governments are up to and were an important part of holding the authorities to account. Getty Images Julian Assange was arrested on Thursday 11 April 2019 Julian Assange was arrested by British police on Thursday 11 April in London and found guilty of breaching bail at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Bail is where someone is given permission to be released from police custody until the next time they are due to report in. In 2010, he was held in the UK after Sweden issued an international arrest warrant over an investigation in that country. He was then released on bail. After a long legal battle, in 2012 he was granted asylum status to live in the Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 and never handed back himself in. But on 11 April 2019, Ecuadorean President Lenn Moreno tweeted saying his asylum status had been withdrawn. An embassy is a group of people who represent their country, in a foreign country. It's often used to describe the building where they live too. The aim of them is to improve relationships between the countries and to also offer a place where people visiting can get support from their home country. In London for example, lots of countries including America. Australia, France and Ecuador have embassies. The UK has embassies in other countries too. Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012. At the time, he went there to avoid being forced to go back to Sweden where he faced allegations of crimes which he denied. The case has since been dropped. More recently, Assange has argued he couldn't leave the building because he was afraid he would be taken to America and put on trial for when Wikileaks released secret US documents. The US government has charged him with allegations of conspiracy to break into a computer, relating to a massive leak of classified US government documents as part of Wikileaks' work. The UK will now have to decide whether to sent him to America for investigation. Getty Images Julian Assange hasn't left the Ecuadorian embassy in almost seven years. Here, he is speaking to the media from its balcony. There has been a mixed reaction to his arrest. The Prime Minister Theresa May has welcomed it saying "This goes to show that in the UK, no-one is above the law." The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has said Assange shouldn't be sent to the United States to go on trial because he agues that he helped expose wrongdoing during conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The United Nations has called for his right to a fair trial to be respected during any process. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47910400 |
Did that $33 billion Permian Basin deal just put Pioneer Natural Resources in play? | Chevron Corp.'s $33 billion bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. may presage a new Permian Basin buying spree, with Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources Co. and Concho Resources Inc. among the next prime targets. Pioneer, Concho and Noble Energy Inc. surged Friday after Chevron unveiled plans to buy Anadarko, a deal that expands the supermajor's presence in the Permian region, Gulf of Mexico and East Africa. The transaction vaults Chevron into the rarefied air of rivals Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which in turn may be roused to make acquisitions of their own. Occidental Petroleum Corp., fresh off its own failed bid for Anadarko, may now find the tables have turned as its hefty footprint in the world's biggest oil field attracts the attention of acquisitive rivals. Investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt & Co and BP Capital Fund Advisors LLC both cited Occidental as a potential target. "From a big-picture perspective, the majors have really bought into shale, but from an asset perspective, the majors don't necessarily have the right asset portfolios," Tudor Pickering's Matthew Portillo said by telephone. "We do think this is going to be the spark that really catalyzes a lot of M&A." For Exxon, buying Pioneer or Concho would help the oil giant plug a hole in its Permian portfolio, Portillo said. Shell also will feel pressure to buy more acreage in the prolific stretch of West Texas and New Mexico, possibly by acquiring smaller players like WPX Energy Inc. and Cimarex Energy Co., Portillo said. BP Plc may also embark on expansionist takeovers, he added. | https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2019/04/12/33-billion-permian-basin-deal-just-put-pioneer-natural-resources-play |
Should I say 'disabled person' or 'person with a disability'?? | This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Author: Mary Ann McColl, Professor, Queens University, Ontario Recently, an Alberta woman with an obvious physical disability was asked to leave a grocery store and not come back because she could not pack her own groceries quickly enough. According to the report on CBCs Go Public, the checkout clerk said she was slowing down the line as she struggled to bag her groceries, and the store said no staff were available to help her. Presumably, neither were other patrons. This story is consistent with what many disabled people say they experience. The Human Rights Commission says that almost 60 per cent of all claims cite disability as the basis for discrimination. People with disabilities are routinely denied the rights we all know they are entitled to. A poll commissioned by the Rick Hansen Foundation, found that 90 per cent of Canadians agree that accessibility for people with physical disabilities is a right, not a privilege, but there is still a clear prejudice in how disabled people are treated. Disability is a sensitive topic. Fear of saying the wrong thing prevents people from saying anything at all, and makes us avoid having important conversations about disability. This avoidance in turn creates the kind of toxic environment that leads to situations such as the one described above. In our research at the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance, we worked with disability advocacy groups to assemble some guidelines to help readers gain confidence in their ability to participate in positive ways in the dialogue with people with disabilities. Here, we share those guidelines: Listen to how people talk about themselves The Canadian government has advocated people-first language which emphasizes putting the person first and the disability second: for example, saying a person with a spinal cord injury, or a person with a history of depression. Many disabled people, however, say the disability is not inside of them: they are not a person with a disability. Rather they are a disabled person someone who is disabled by a world that is not equipped to allow them to participate and flourish. But they are a person either way. Avoid objectifying people by referring to them as the disabled. Our advice is to listen to how people talk about their disability themselves, and take your cue from them. Avoid euphemistic language Language like differently-abled or diverse-ability suggests there is something wrong with talking honestly and candidly about disability. It might even suggest to some people that there is something shameful about disability; or that we cant talk about it directly unless we make it cute or pretty or funny. Avoid unnecessary emotional tone Disability is a fact of life for almost one-quarter of Canadians. Having a disability doesnt make someone a hero, a saint, a victim, a burden or a soldier. This type of hyperbole gets in the way of having authentic relationships with people with disabilities. These words suggest one-dimensional characters. Instead, think: complex, interesting people, just like everyone else. Avoid handicap The word handicap or handicapped is viewed as having a negative connotation an implication that people with disabilities are disadvantaged in society. That social disadvantage is something we should fight against, rather than merely accept and enshrine in language. Avoid calling a disabled person a patient A patient is a passive individual who has turned over responsibility for important decisions to a health professional. People with disabilities for the most part live independent lives in the community. They are no more patients than anyone else getting on with their lives in the community. Avoid calling non-disabled people normal If non-disabled people are normal, then that means that disabled people are abnormal. Yet disability is the norm for some people. We dont specify a persons gender, ethnicity, occupation or many other personal details when introducing them. Disability is a condition of life, like those others. It will be salient in some conversations and not in others. Here are some dos Do look people with disabilities in the eyes and address them courteously, as you would anyone else. Do ask if you can help, and how you can help. Do assume that people with disabilities have something to say, and be prepared to hear it. Do talk about disability. Its a fact of life for 22 per cent of Canadians. The more we talk about it, the easier it gets to have the important conversations we need to have with disabled people, and to ensure that the rights we promise to all Canadians are extended to them. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/should-i-say-disabled-person-or-person-w https://theconversation | https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/should-i-say-disabled-person-or-person-with-a-disability |
Has the time arrived for universal health coverage in the United States? | A: On my very first night on call as a pediatric cardiology fellow at Texas Childrens, I took care of a little girl who arrested three times, who made it through the night and I bonded with her family. I went to her grammar school graduation, her high school graduation, took care of her through her teens. She developed a heart rhythm problem and I prescribed medicine that worked pretty well. At the age of about 19 1/2, her mother called up and said she found her dead in bed. And when people went back and tried to figure out what was going on it was because her Medicaid ran out and she never refilled her prescription. And that was plenty for me to say this is not OK. We need some way of taking care of people throughout their life. A: Late 80s. I went from being the Chief of Pediatric Cardiology to getting a Masters in Public Health. Things to know about Dr. Arthur Tim Garson Education: Princeton University, summa cum laude; Duke University, MD<cq>; Baylor College of Medicine, fellowship in pediatric cardiology; University of Texas School of Public Health, masters degree in public health. Family life: Married to Susan Lauten Garson, two daughters, twin grandchildren and another on the way. Coolest thing about his father: Graduated from high school at age 10 and college at 14. Was CEO of lingerie business. Favorite quote: The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped Hubert Humphrey Favorite book: Yuval Noah Hararis Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. I loved that book and hated what it concluded. Something most people dont know: Once sold art. And lingerie. After all it was the family business. Something he doesnt talk about much: A neck injury left him partially paralyzed from which he has mostly recovered. Read More Q: So now single-payer or some version has now moved to the forefront of the political conversation about health care. A: Big picture: We must have health insurance for everyone in the country. How people get health insurance whether its public or private or through your employer is up for debate. What is not for debate is that everybody has got to have health insurance. Im delighted that the conversation has moved to where it is almost assumed that everybody ought to have health care. The real question is how to make it happen. And when, in practicality, we can make it happen. A: Yes. A: Bernie Sanders is not young nor was Hillary Clinton in 1992. The price of health care has now gotten so absurd that very, very few people can afford it. Even people offered employer-based insurance cant afford to pay even their part. I think its not just generational, its not just a political party. I would hope that virtually everyone in the Congress wants to see health care for everybody. You couldnt say the words universal coverage 10 years ago. It was the third rail. Now thats assumed. A: There is only one country with true single-payer and that is Canada. Every other country in the world has what is sometimes called a two-tier system. There is a public system and a private system. In the United States it is difficult for me to imagine prohibiting private insurance. I just dont see it. People are going to want something in addition to whatever the public system is. A: Think public school. The idea we should pursue is that everybody in the country has health coverage which provides adequate health care. The definition of adequate is going to be one of the immense discussion points moving forward. But go back to public school. For many its fine, its great. Some are less than great. In the future of medical care, were going to have to make some decisions on what is considered adequate and balance that against what health care costs and what the United States is willing to pay for it. A: Thats why we have votes. That becomes a matter of how the public wants to consider medical care. We made a decision in the United States that a certain level of basic education is required. That is a public decision. And, in fact, you cant opt out of first grade. A: Labels, like Medicare for All, get people talking about the words but not the concept. Theres a lot of definitions of a right. I just think everybody ought to have coverage that is adequate for health. Period. The problem is no one wants to pay more. Thats where the rubber is going to meet the road. That means that whatever we do we have to reduce the cost of health care. That was the immense problem with Obamacare. It did not save money. A: We waste a trillion dollars a year. That is one third of the dollars we spend. Lets go after those. Q: Be specific on ways to cut health care costs A: The price of prescription drugs should be cut 25 percent. There are systems in the world that tie the price for a drug to its effectiveness. New drugs should be submitted to an analysis of how much good they do, and how much improvement they bring to a patients life. You cant charge a lot for a drug that cannot add years to your life. A: Pay both physicians and hospitals for value and quality measures rather than volume. We know there is a huge association between increased volume and increased cost. But I dont think its purposeful that people go out and say Im going to make more money therefore Im going to do this test, or Im going to do this operation. The former administrator of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote a paper in 2012 and said we spend $200 billion in over-treatment a year. That would pay for the entire uninsured of the United States right now. A: There is administrative waste in our health care system and that includes the insurance companies. There are tremendous inefficiencies with different billing practice, different measures for quality. For example, one insurer wants data on 30-day re-admissions for heart failure and another for 60 days for pneumonia. I dont know what insurance company executives are supposed to get paid but theres a lot of money out there. A: I call it a single safety net. Everyone should have a basic level of health care and that health care is paid for by the government. That does not mean provided by the government. Medicare is not provided by the government. It is provided by the doctors but is paid for by the government and then you can then buy insurance on top of that privately either through your employer or you can pay for it yourself. It might take 10 years to get to where Id like to see us. The eventual goal is just like every other country in the world. Everybody has that basic level of care. Were the only people in the world who dont have that. A: We have some running room in that the population is increasing. I think Houston is lucky in that some of that slack of the changes will be taken up by population growth. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Has-the-times-arrived-for-universal-health-13763073.php |
Is Stephen Miller winning the battle over US immigration policy? | Stephen Miller was a sophomore in high school, back in the early 2000s, when he began drawing attention for his outspoken conservative views. At Californias Santa Monica High, a big, diverse public school with many immigrants and children of immigrants, Mr. Miller went around campus saying everyone and their parents should speak English or get out of the country, says Kesha Ram, a Santa Monica alum whose father immigrated from India. Hed walk up to you, and hit you with a barrage of dubious statements that would leave you breathless, says Ms. Ram, a former Democratic state legislator in Vermont who has known Mr. Miller, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, since middle school. Like, how much carbon dioxide volcanoes emit into the atmosphere, versus a car. Recommended: After California wildfires, what survivors say they gained from loss Today, Mr. Millers style is no less provocative and his far-right views lie at the center of controversy amid a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and upheaval at the Department of Homeland Security. With a singular, hawkish focus on immigration, Mr. Miller has been portrayed as the puppet master behind the scenes, pulling the strings on immigration and border policy. His fingerprints are everywhere. As White House director of speech writing, hes had a hand in shaping Mr. Trumps most memorable public addresses from the Inauguration Day promise to end American carnage to the Oval Office speech in January that depicted violence by illegal aliens as a crisis of the soul. Mr. Miller was reportedly behind the abrupt withdrawal last week of Ron Vitiello as Mr. Trumps nominee to become director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Mr. Miller told the president that Mr. Vitiello did not support the idea of closing the Southern border, as Mr. Trump has threatened to do. And according to The Washington Post, Mr. Miller was involved in a White House proposal to move detained immigrants to sanctuary cities as a form of political retribution against Democrats. Mr. Trump tweeted on Friday that the White House was considering the idea. Mr. Millers few public appearances as a White House official have been fiery. Early in Mr. Trumps tenure, soon after the announcement of the so-called travel ban that Mr. Miller helped craft, he asserted on TV that the presidents national security decisions will not be questioned. In August 2017, Mr. Miller appeared in the White House briefing room to discuss his plan to cut legal immigration in half, and got into a smackdown with CNNs Jim Acosta over the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. Yet as one of Mr. Trumps longest-lasting aides, he has generally kept a low profile, seeming to understand that in Mr. Trumps orbit, its never good to eclipse the president. Indeed, when Mr. Trump was asked by a reporter this week if he might put Mr. Miller in charge of the Department of Homeland Security since, the reporter said, hes basically already running it the president replied: Stephen is an excellent guy, but theres only one person thats running it. Its me. This assertion points to a core truth of this presidency: On the issues Mr. Trump cares deeply about, such as immigration, hes really the boss. Mr. Trumps dire talk of Mexican drug dealers and rapists on day one of his 2016 campaign was all him. But the young, ambitious Mr. Miller has the presidents ear, and knows how to play to his worldview. He also knows how to work the bureaucracy. Mr. Millers deeply held vision on immigration doesnt always carry the day, but his proximity to Mr. Trump makes him extraordinarily powerful all the same. GOOD COP, BAD COP While Mr. Miller may appear ascendant these days, he is not the sole power center in the White House on immigration policy. Jared Kushner, another top Trump aide and the presidents son-in-law, is also deeply involved in immigration, working for months on a separate, legislative track on Capitol Hill, centered on legal immigration and border security. Like Mr. Miller, the more genteel Mr. Kushner also tends to operate behind the scenes, and of late has been working with Vice President Mike Pence on an immigration reform package in Congress including an increase in some legal forms of immigration. Mr. Millers modus operandi, by contrast, is unilateral presidential action over the painstaking work of legislating. | https://news.yahoo.com/stephen-miller-winning-battle-over-us-immigration-policy-185006211.html |
How Will EVA Change Performance Metrics, If At All? | Getty A Once-Popular Performance Metric May Be Returning and It Has Implications for Executive Pay EVA (Economic Value Added) may be making a comeback as a performance measure for companies, and this matters for compensation governance. Though popular in the 1990s, EVA fell out of favor over the past two decades and is today used as a measure by fewer than 10 percent of companies. But the acquisition of equity research firm EVA Dimensions by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), one of the two top proxy advisory firms, in February 2018 resurrected the possibility of EVA returning as a major force in performance measurement. According to an ISS paper published last month entitled Using EVA in Pay-for-Performance Analysis, ISS plans to present EVA metrics for informational purposes in the 2019 proxy season. The ISS report highlights that they will compute, report and analyze a set of EVA metrics, and include them in this years proxy reports while continuing to seek guidance from institutional investors regarding the value they see in EVA metrics for future use. The return of EVA could have major implications for how boards, proxy advisors and equity analysts decide on executive compensation, as it would raise the issue of the rules of the game and the definition of good performance being changed at a stroke. Companies and investors should pay close and educate (or re-educate) themselves on EVAs fundamentals. EVA is equal to Net Operating Profit after Tax (NOPAT), minus [Total Capital (TC) x Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)]. Sample EVA Calculation Farient Advisors, LLC. This equation enables the tracking of value creation from one period to the next, including apples-to-apples comparisons of companies with significantly different business models and capital structures. Tying executive compensation to EVA allows for boards and shareholders to see clearer correlations between executive performance and pay. EVA has advantages over other, more widely-used measures such as the GAAP earnings, which fails to account for significant company differences, and stock prices, which track only perceptions which may or may not have much at all to do with management activities and achievements. To create value under the EVA performance metric, earnings must grow more than the return required by investors on any new capital invested. In other words, a 20 percent growth in earnings is much more likely to drive up value if it is achieved with minimal capital expenditure than if it is the result of a major acquisition. This excludes major one-off increases in how much a company is worth which result from spending more money, instead focusing on how executives generate growth through less costly, more sustainable means. This was a major reason why investors embraced EVA in the 1990s when they built evaluation models around the principle of measuring earnings relative to the cost of capital, and whether value was really being created or it was merely the smoke and mirrors of acquisitions or temporary spending sprees. EVA was also used by many companies in their incentive plans by essentially awarding management a defined share of EVA growth over time. This EVA plan worked particularly well for large, multi-divisional, capital-intensive firms, promising an enduring, definitive linkage between management rewards and value creation. Once calibrated, this mechanism could operate without budget-based goal setting or any significant plan changes over many years. For example, Genesco has had its EVA plan in place for nearly two decades, while Ball Corporation is going on its third decade. This longevity is itself a benefit, with EVA companies knowing that they will reap the rewards of profits exceeding the capital used to generate them, even if it takes years for their projects to mature. This extends managements time horizon beyond the end of the fiscal year, enabling it to effectively balance short-term and long-term imperatives. The Dot-Com boom of the late 1990s exposed one weakness of EVA when the burgeoning tech companies saw value creation heavily lag investment for multiples years in a row. (This issue is once again extremely relevant given the new generation of tech companies such as Ubers planned IPO and Lyfts recent IPO which are moving into the public realm while having multi-billion-dollar yearly losses). EVA is also a non-standard measure, subject to numerous adjustments, which increase complexity for management while stoking suspicion of possible fiddling among investors. Finally, any incentive plan is only popular if it is paying out. In the wake of the dot-com bust in 2001, many bonus plans, including EVA plans, were dropped. By the time business began to recover in the early 2000s, new standards for accounting and compensation programs had grown up that would run counter to the EVA philosophy and mechanics, including a lower tolerance for non-GAAP metrics driving incentives. In spite of these drawbacks, many investors and governance experts have long remained interested in bringing EVA back as a widely-used metric. EVA bonuses require management to overcome a capital hurdle before getting paid, which is attractive to fund managers looking to hold management to a higher standard. And ISS is in the business of creating governance standards, including for compensation governance, to advise their investor clients how to vote their proxies. With ISS starting to incorporate EVA as a performance metric, companies and their boards will have to invest in learning or refreshing themselves this metric. Companies can prepare for the advent EVA, and potential renewed interest in it by investors, by taking the following steps: Calculate both a basic EVA (as ISS is likely to calculate it across all companies) as well as an adjusted EVA (based on NOPAT, Capital, and Cost of Capital suitable to your sector) to see where they would stack up Determine the degree to which their EVA level or growth trends provide an accurate reflection of company value creation over the last three-to-five years Prepare to explain the companys position on the applicability of EVA as a measure in shareholder engagement activities, including in disclosures and other communications, as appropriate Some companies with the right set of characteristics noted earlier may even find that EVA is a better metric than the one(s) they are currently using. And with the mandate by ISS, they will have an easier time justifying tracking and reporting it, and even building it into their reward system. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinferracone/2019/04/12/how-will-eva-change-performance-metrics-if-at-all/ |
Is Bullpen Standing Between Dodgers And A Championship, Again? | Getty Heres to hoping the Dodgers have bottomed out, that losing four in St. Louis is the worst of it. You know, since they don't have any five-game series on the schedule. Cards pitchers cooled hot Dodgers bats which happens Monday through Wednesday while starters Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling struggled and Hyun-Jin Ryu hit the injured list with a bum groin. Walker Buehler pitched like a man making his third spring start of the year (which he was) in game four Thursday. And the bullpen was a mess the entire time. The bullpen is a mess just plain generally, everybody, and Im beginning to think its Andrew Friedmans Kryptonite. Its his Waterloo. Or perhaps, like Steve Sax with the throwing that one year; you cant explain Friedmans bullpen construction, but you know its a recurring problem and he just can't help himself. Its like a personnel mans version of the yips. And it might be the difference between a championship team and, well, something less than. Again. While I wrote that it was way too early to panic eight days ago, thats out the window now. Look, obviously its just four games were focusing on here, but with the previous 10 included we've seen enough of a sample size to say that the pen as constituted is a loser. Im sorry, but Yimi Garcia simply is not a major leaguer. JT Chargois, promoted-and-demoted-already-from-and-to-Oklahoma-City, is not a major leaguer. Banished-but-given- a-role-he-wasn't-qualified-for-earlier Brock Stewart is not a major leaguer. Pedro Baez is an up and down pitcher and right now hes down. Joe Kelly is an up and down pitcher who at the moment is down. Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro, Kenley Jansen, and to some extent Scott Alexander are A-OK. Jeremy Hellickson is a major league pitcher who was available all winter long, and for a song. I mentioned him twice in January (here and here) so this isnt a second guess. An extra starter allows for an extra reliever; say, Mr. Stripling or Julio Urias. Bud Norris is a major league relief pitcher available as we speak. He doesnt have a Cy Young Award on his resume but hes a major league pitcher who can be in the fold this afternoon. Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel are expensive alternatives, but as Ive often said, Ill glad pay an extra fifty cents for a Dodger Dog; a buck if they actually cook the thing all the way through. There are always things you can do. Always. Ideally, Ryu misses just the one start and Julio Urias heads to the pen where he can be relied upon. Ideally, Clayton Kershaw returns Monday, pitches six or seven good innings and Stripling goes to the pen where he can be relied upon. Ideally, Rich Hill comes back solid a week or so afterwards and the Dodgers have a surplus of pitching of one kind or another. And no more bodies fall. Or none of the same bodies fall a second time. I dont know how much of the above can be expected to occur especially the part about bodies not falling and under the suggested timelines, but in the interim Id like to see changes. Id like to see actual major league pitchers coming to Los Angeles. There are applicants out there waiting for the phone to ring. Its not that complicated. See pitcher, employ pitcher. Skip the men with long injury histories in favor of the ones with histories of success. A troublesome bullpen is not a division loser, necessarily, and a four-game losing streak is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. But Friedmans relief pitcher issues have gone on long enough. The definition of insanity is Yimi Garcia and Chris Hatcher and Ryan Madson. Wilmer Font and Josh Ravin and Jim Johnson. Joel Peralta and Nick Tepesch and John Axford. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I could continue with the list of incompetents, but Ill spare you. Youre frightened enough already. This isnt rocket science, people. Or brain surgery. But if I needed one of those types of professionals, I can assure you it wouldnt be Andrew Friedman. Or Yimi Garcia. And remember, glove conquers all. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardcole/2019/04/12/is-bullpen-standing-between-dodgers-and-a-championship-again/ |
What Will 2019 Look Like For EOG Resources? | Houston-based E&P company EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG) fortunes are looking increasingly favorable as we head further into 2019. The oil driller significantly reduced its cost of drilling after oil prices fell from their 2014 highs. Recent data points to EOGs finding and development costs coming in at $8.90 currently, down from $12.45 in 2016. Additionally, depreciation costs are down 40% over the last four years. Furthermore, the company has projected that it has 13 years of premium inventory at the current drilling rate. Currently EOG Resources produces 970 MBoE of premium inventory. Premium inventory is defined as inventory where the company achieves break-even above a price of $45 per barrel. We currently have a price estimate of $116 per share for EOG Resources, which is higher than its market price. View our interactive dashboard EOG in 2019 and modify the key drivers to visualize the impact on its valuation. Trefis With EOG Resources able to achieve positive cash flow with the price of oil being above $55 a barrel, and with the companys debt not too high (the current ratio of the company is at 1.25) we believe that EOG could use the excess cash to improve its portfolio, pay a dividend, or buy back stock. All of which would be positive for its stockholders. Key facts: The Eagle Ford well costs are expected to fall this year from $4.5 million to $4.3 million, similarly at its other big operation, the Wolfcamp basin, costs are expected to fall from $7.5 million to $7.3 million. We expect the average realized price for oil in 2019 to be around $61 a barrel, in 2018 the company achieved an average realized price of $59 per barrel. The company was producing 765,000 BP/d of oil at the end of 2018, and we expect that the company will expand its production by anywhere from 10-15% for the year. The company currently produces 23,000 McF/d of natural gas. We believe it can add an additional 5% to capacity in 2019. The company achieved a return-on-capital-employed of 15% in 2018, which was best among its peers. We expect that ROCE could come in at 16-17% in 2018. Overall, the company is well placed to see an upside to its revenue, margins, and therefore stock in 2019, as it improves its production efficiency, and increases output. Create your own price forecast for EOG Resources by changing the base inputs (blue dots) on our interactive dashboard. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/12/what-will-2019-look-like-for-eog-resources/ |
Can Alicia Vikander's 'Tomb Raider 2' Avoid The 'Tomb Raider' Trap? | Photo by Ilzek Kitshoff - 2017 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved. Well, this is a surprise. Deadline reports that MGM has hired Amy Jump to pen a sequel to last year's Tomb Raider reboot. The film was a modest ground-rule double, earning $56 million domestic but overperforming overseas (including $78.4 million in China) for a $274.65 million global cume. That was about even (sans inflation) with Angelina Jole's first Tomb Raider ($274.7 million in 2000) and was 2.92x its $94 million production budget. Whether the Alicia Vikander flick performed well in post-theatrical or MGM just wants more franchises for the sake of having more franchises, this is an interesting development. As someone who liked the last Tomb Raider but felt that Vikander's winning Lara Croft deserved more than just an origin story rehash, this is relatively good news. Jump is best known for co-writing Ben Wheatley's movies (Free Fire, Kill List and High-Rise among others). Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons penned the first flick, which was a loose adaptation of the rebooted Tomb Raider video game, and we can hope that they hire a female director this time out. Warner Bros. released the previous Tomb Raider, while the Jolie flicks (including The Cradle of Life in 2003) were courtesy of Paramount/Viacom. I do not know if they will be distributing this one as well, but I'd bet on it accordingly. If you recall, Tomb Raider was one of a handful of would-be event movies that got steamrolled (especially in North America) by Black Panther and its Titanic-like monopoly on domestic filmmaking dollars from mid-February to late March. Simon West's first Tomb Raider movie, which gave us a very young Daniel Craig, was pretty terrible (and clearly mangled in post-production), but hype, interest and a prime star+character combo pushed it to a $47 million debut (huge even in 2001) in June of 2001. It was frontloaded, but it still sits with $131 million domestic as the biggest-grossing video game-based movie ever in North America. I'm presuming it's about to lose that crown to Detective Pikachu in a few weeks, but I digress. The Cradle of Life was a far superior action-adventure flick, with a fine foil in Gerard Butler, but audiences had been burned once already and the film earned just $65 million domestic and $156 million domestic on a $95 million budget. It's a phenomenon, where a lousy franchise starter is a big hit thanks to hype and interest only to see the superior sequel pay for its artistic shortcomings, that I call the Tomb Raider Trap. Think, for example, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. That 2016 release bombed with $235 million worldwide despite being everything we wanted from the $495 million-grossing TMNT movie two years prior. So while the first Tomb Raider was squarely "okay," we'll if A) the sequel will be better and B) if folks will be willing to show up a second time. It's frankly a coin toss, as this may look like, on paper, the kind of "just because the first one made money doesn't mean folks want a sequel" scenario, as we saw last year with Pacific Rim: Uprising. Still, if you're one of those folks crowing about the possibility of a gender-bent Indiana Jones or 007, you might want to actually show up for a new Lara Croft movie, since she's not just a female version of a famously male action hero. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/04/12/tomb-raider-alicia-vikander-angelina-jolie-box-office-video-games-gerard-butler-daniel-craig/ |
Is CVS Health Fairly Valued? | As per our Trefis Valuation methodology, CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) stock is worth $62, which is about 15% higher than the current market price. Our Price Estimate is based on a P/E multiple of 10.84 and an earnings estimate of $5.80 for FY 2019. The company had a mixed FY 2018 wherein they posted a revenue of $194.6 billion, up by 5.3% year on year. While the earnings were negative, which was attributed to goodwill impairment charge of $6.1 billion related to the Long Term Care business. For Fiscal year 2019 we expect CVS Health to have a positive growth and report revenues around $200 billion and Net Income is also expected to increase to $5.8 billion. In addition, here is more Consumer Staples data. The growth in earnings are preceded by a positive expected growth in Total revenue estimated at nearly $200 billion from its 3 segments for FY 2019. Revenue from the Prescription Drug segment is expected to be nearly $53.6 billion in 2019 as the retail prescriptions are expected to continue to rise in the US and so is the average revenue per prescription. Revenue from OTC Drugs & General Merchandise segment is expected to continue growing and generate nearly $13.1 billion in 2019. The growth will be primarily pushed by the increasing number of CVS drugstores in the US. Revenue from Pharmacy services segment is the highest contributor to the Total Revenue of the company and is expected to continue to be so. Trefis estimates the segment to generate $132.9 billion in 2019. The growth is expected to be pushed by a higher number of mail order and pharmacy network claims. The high goodwill impairment in 2018 is expected to be a one-time event and the company to recover and post Net Income of approximately $5.8 billion, which leads to an earnings of $5.80 for 2019. In conclusion, CVS Health looks positive for the ongoing year, and according to current Trefis estimates the stock is undervalued by around 15%. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/12/is-cvs-health-fairly-valued/ |
Can AI Save Us From Bias In The Diverse, NonBinary Workforce Of The Future? | Laura Gomez CEO Atipica Laura Gomez Hiring biases have held back minority and female applicants, especially in the tech industry, where white and Asian men hold most of the jobs. Consequently, startups and big companies have attempted to tap emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to improve their recruiting processes. But those efforts are likely to get even more challenging as more applicants identify as more than one ethnicityor as neither gender. At the Forbes CIO Summit in Half Moon Bay, California, on Monday, Laura Gomez, CEO of $10 million diversity HR software startup, Atipica, said her companys algorithm allows us to understand aggregate resume data, Census, Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data to predict who is in workforce. Theres a lot of data gaps around diversity and inclusion, Gomez said. It has to be self-reporting a lot of people dont like to self-report. We are trying to fill those gaps and make sure leaders understand where those gaps are. Efforts to use AI in recruiting have hit some rough spots: Last year, an in-house project by Amazon to build a tool to select the top candidates using artificial intelligence was shelved after executives realized the program was penalizing womens rsums. The reason, according to Reuters: The AI system had taught itself, based on past Amazon hiring patterns, that the most successful candidates were male. LinkedIn, with 600 million users in its system, realized that its recruiting algorithm, which surfaces prospective candidates for recruiters, was at risk of compounding hiring bias. Last year it rolled out Representative Results, a change to its algorithm that makes sure AI doesnt introduce bias, such as showing more male candidates in search results. It would be possible to create biased systems. We wanted to make sure that that bias didnt get out of control, John Jersin, vice president of product, talent solutions and careers at LinkedIn, said about the companys software. We can use techniques to influence people to reduce bias in outcomes." From left: Laura Mandaro, Forbes Media; Laura Gomez, Atipica; John Jersin, LinkedIn; and Nicole Sanchez, Vaya Consulting, at the Forbes CIO Summit Forbes Media Jersin says LinkedIns efforts around diversity started with gender because its the easiest one to get a significant dataset on. Its a 50/50 split just about. The majority of LinkedIns users may fit into gender binaries, but for the coming workforce this may not be the case, according to Nicole Sanchez, founder and managing partner of Vaya Consulting, which leads Fortune 500 companies in diversity and inclusion training. Fifty percent of those who identify as Gen-Z living on the coasts thought about their gender and identify somewhere on a nonbinary spectrum of gender. As much as we want to drive for something simple like gender, for the next set of workers, gender is decreasingly meaningful, said Sanchez. Recruiting for the existing workforce rather than the one that is coming has caused hiring professionals to reinforce biases, perpetuating a flawed system. Although 21% of computer science degree earners are Black or Latinx, but they make up just 10% of technical employees in the tech workforce, according to a 2018 study from the Kapor Center. Whats happening is folks are using LinkedIn, looking at a picture and guessing, Sanchez said. There are laws that say you cant ask someone their race and gender on the way in, but the proxy were currently using solidifies our old broken system of looking at each other and assuming increasingly Im going to be wrong as Gen-Z comes into the workforce. As much as humans have baked their own bias into AI and machine-learning models, yet another challenge is that these systems are only as good as the data theyre based on. Sanchez isnt convinced that technology can wholly solve hiring biases. In the next decade, were going to be a county with a majority of people of color, and our systems are not ready for it, said Sanchez. As much as we want to nail down data, because were about data-driven solutions, our datas wrong. Some of the work that we have to do has to be shepherded in by humans. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamelton/2019/04/12/can-ai-save-us-from-bias-in-the-diverse-nonbinary-workforce-of-the-future/ |
Have digital dating and #MeToo meant the end of the meet-cute? | The meet-cute is dying. Technology has changed how people are introduced, and fewer people meet in public places that were once playgrounds for singles. At the same time, awareness of what is and isnt sexual harassment has left people cautious about come-ons that were once seen as cute and now called out as creepy. Ten years ago, it was that random encounter, said Maurice Smith, a 37-year-old consultant who lives in Philadelphia. Now, people dont want to do the traditional thing. They just want to swipe. Its not that people dont want to strike up conversations with strangers and fall in rom-com-style love. Its that they dont know how. Its a lot easier to make a move in a way that society says is acceptable now, which is a message, said Philadelphia-based matchmaker Erika Kaplan, rather than making a move by approaching someone in a bar to say hello. Its just not as common anymore. In 2017, more singles met their most recent first date on the internet (40 percent) than through a friend or at a bar, according to Singles in America, a Match.com-sponsored survey of 5,000 people nationwide. Suzann Pileggi Pawelski, who along with her husband wrote the book Happy Together, said opportunities for random encounters are fewer today when groceries can be delivered, you can exercise with an app and you can telecommute from home. That means less practice in striking up conversations. For young people who have spent most of their dating lives courting strangers online, swiping feels easier than approaching the local hottie at the bookstore. Thomas Edwards, a dating coach known as the Professional Wingman, said when singles dont practice this, they develop a lack of skill set and more fear of rejection, he said. And honestly, we become lazy. Edwards said the men he coaches are more confused than ever about talking to women. And since the MeToo movement has empowered women to speak about their experiences with sexual harassment, its forced men to reckon with how they talk to women. They dont know where the line is, said Edwards. It could be for someone. But Jess DeStefano, a 28-year-old theater production manager, said using apps like Tinder and Bumble provides clarity. Theres no guessing if someone is interested. By matching with you, they have indicated they are. On Tinder, theres at least a baseline, she said. You know what theyre there for. Kaplan, vice president of client experience for the matchmaking service Three-Day Rule, said men are afraid to approach women for fear of being too aggressive or forward. In turn, women have been conditioned to be surprised and almost confused or put off when a guy makes a move to say hello at a bar. Kaplan said clients in their 40s and older feel comfortable with a call before the first date. Those in their 30s and younger are totally spooked by it. Amber Auslander, a 20-year-old student who identifies as queer and prefers polyamory (being in multiple relationships with the consent of everyone involved), said dating online takes the guesswork out. Her profile says she prefers polyamory, so someone who matches with her is fine with it. In person, theres this disclosure that can be uncomfortable. Auslander has never seriously dated someone she met in person. Ditto for her friend Thyo Pierre-Louis, also a student, who identifies as bi-gender. Pierre-Louis said hes never approached someone for a date in person. Theres this innate defensiveness [like] Dont talk to me, stranger. On the internet, that doesnt exist. Its a completely different standard of privacy, he said. | http://www.startribune.com/no-we-haven-t-met/507851602/ |
Is Uber really worth $100bn? | Image copyright Getty Images Everything about Uber is big. The taxi app and delivery business is America's biggest venture capital-backed company. It is forecast to raise $10bn ($7.6bn) when it sells its shares on the New York Stock Exchange - one of the largest amounts on record. And the 10-year-old company could be valued at as much as $100bn when it floats. However, the other big thing about Uber is its losses which, although down on the previous year, hit $3bn in 2018. It is the question that Uber's chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, will face over the next few weeks as he embarks on a roadshow to visit potential investors ahead of the flotation, which is expected in May. Uber is not the first of its ilk to float this year. Of the so-called unicorns - venture capital-backed businesses valued at $1bn or more - Uber's closest US rival, Lyft, floated at the end of March, while online scrapbook company Pinterest is expected to list its shares next week. But so far, those initial public offerings (IPO) have shown that there is some caution over valuations. Lyft's stock price has fallen 15.2% since it floated. Pinterest has priced its shares at between $15 and $17 each, which gives it a value of up to $11.3bn. However, that is still below the $12bn valuation the company had during its most recent round of private funding two years ago. Kathleen Smith, from Renaissance Capital, says: "I think sometimes they are a little bit tone deaf because they've been in a world where everyone has been climbing all over themselves to get to invest in their companies. "They think then 'oh, that means they'll roll out the red carpet in the public markets' - and it's not that kind of place." The company is unlikely to make any money soon, according to the IPO documents it filed on Thursday. "We have incurred significant losses since inception, including in the US and other major markets," it said. "We expect our operating expenses to increase significantly in the foreseeable future, and we may not achieve profitability." It expects losses to continue in the "near-term" because of higher investment in areas such as increasing the use of its apps, expanding into new markets and continuing to develop its autonomous cars division. In a letter to potential shareholders, Mr Khosrowshahi said: "We will not shy away from making short-term financial sacrifices where we see clear long-term benefits." Jordan Stuart, from Federated Investors Inc., says investors are willing to be patient when it comes to profit, but only if a company can spell out how it intends to get there. Amazon, for example, didn't make an annual profit until six years after its 1997 flotation. Even then it took while before investors could see a sustainable path to profitability. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Lyft celebrated as its shares began trading but the price has since fallen by more than 15% Mr Stuart said: "The stock really moved let's say five or six years ago when they were really able to show 'hey, we can turn off investment to show profitability if we want and give up top line growth for bottom line growth but we're not going to do that'. "Some of these companies, if they can show that scalability, that ability to turn that profit nozzle on or off, then I think investors... are going to give companies a chance to say 'this is worth X amount of billions of dollars'." Uber's sales are growing. Revenue has risen from $3.8bn in 2016 to $11.2bn in 2018. Gross bookings from Uber's core business - which accounts for the majority of sales - jumped from $18.8bn in 2016 to $41.5bn last year. In its filing, Uber says it expects people to move away from the expense of owning a car to using services to get around. Uber is also investing in e-bikes and e-scooters where it hopes to capture customers who make shorter journeys. But investors want to see a plan. Mr Stuart said: "I do believe [investors] have raised the bar and said 'we're not going to look at clicks or eyeballs or users anymore unless you can show us where is that profitability'." Dan Ives, managing director and equity analyst Wedbush Securities, said the company's IPO filing is the first time people will be able to "really get under the covers of Uber to understand the financials". But there are some areas of concern. The firm's US and Canadian business does not appear to have recovered from the #DeleteUber campaign in 2017 - not a stellar year for the company - which was first spurred by claims that Uber attempted to break a taxi strike by New York taxi drivers. Image copyright Getty Images The hashtag then reappeared on social media when former Uber engineer Susan Fowler wrote a blog which alleged a toxic work environment at the company. Uber said "our ridesharing category position generally declined in 2018 in the substantial majority of the regions in which we operate impacted in part by heavy subsidies and discounts by our competitors in various markets". Another potential concern is the employment status of Uber's drivers. They are classed as independent contractors, but Uber is still facing legal issues about this and if workers were to be considered employees then Uber could face higher costs. Uber did not specify what price it will sell its shares at - that is something to be determined over the coming weeks as Mr Khosrowshahi meets potential investors. "A lot of technology investors are looking for is who is going to be the next FAANG," said Mr Ives, referring to the acronym for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet, which is the parent company of Google. But Ms Smith said: "In light of the fact that we have seen Lyft and its very poor trading and then in seeing what Pinterest is doing tells me that investors may be a bit more 'wait and see' about Uber." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47871117 |
Which Miami restaurants serve food until late in the night? | Handout Miami runs on a different schedule than most cities in the U.S. Nobody shows up to a club before midnight, because most headlining DJs arent even on the premises until 1 or 2 a.m. Some clubs dont even find their swing until close to dawn (you know the ones). This thriving after hours party scene combined the citys heavy influx of European and South American culture has created a world where grabbing dinner at 10 p.m is pretty much the norm, and brunching is just as acceptable at midnight as it is at midday. If youre new to the night-owl schedule and at some point find yourself scrolling through Yelp at 1 in the morning on the hunt for someplace to grab a bite, never fear weve made a list of our favorite Miami eateries that are open late (late) night. Myn-Tu Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month Get full access to Miami Herald content across all your devices. SAVE NOW #ReadLocal The only restaurant in Miami licensed to serve alcohol until 5 a.m., Myn-Tu features dishes that blend French and Japanese flavors, all served in a strobe-lit lounge with mirrored walls, live entertainment and pulsing beats. Its conveniently located next to its sister club, the iconic Mynt Lounge, so you can keep the party going after youve fueled up on French Orange Duck and Asian tacos. Head there on a Monday night for a Moulin Rouge-inspired experience complete with sultry cabaret. Hours: Monday, 7:30 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. Details: 1905 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; www.myn-tu.com Big Pink Youd be hard-pressed to find a local who hasnt ended up at the Big Pink drunk and hungry at 3 a.m. at least once. Located right across the street from Story, the decades old spot is a late-night staple, made famous by its massive menu of more than 200 items. Five egg omelets, larger-than-life burgers, and chicken n waffles that are celebrated city-wide are just some of the tasty treats you can dig in to all the way until 5:30 a.m. Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 8 a.m. - 5:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 12 a.m. Details: 157 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; http://mylesrestaurantgroup.com American Social Brickell MIAMI, FL - March 7, 2015 - People enjoying themselves at American Social a sports bar and restaurant near Brickell Ave and the Miami River. Gaston De Cardenas Gaston De Cardenas AMSO just launched a brand new late-night happy hour offered every night from 10 p.m. until closing time, which ranges from midnight to 3 a.m. depending on the day. Youll find all your favorites on the menu, including the riverside restaurants famous walnut hummus, smoked wings, cheeseburgers and pork belly empanadas, all ranging from $3-$8. If you want to keep sipping, the menu includes $3 margaritas and house wines, $5 specialty shots, and $8 cocktails not to mention half-off select libations. Hours: Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 3 a.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Monday-Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. Details: 690 SW 1st Ct., Miami; www.americansocialbar.com Upland Miami The California-inspired SoFi hotspot Upland also offers a late-night happy hour, including three specialty cocktails for $9, a selection of wines for $8 and draft beers for $7, and some delicious items off the main menu, like the Upland Cheeseburger. The happy hour runs from 10 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 p.m. until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Hours: Friday, 4 p.m. - midnight; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. - midnight; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. Us too. We think it especially hits the spot when the midnight munchies set in. Hours: Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.; Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. Details: 1424 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; www.drunkendragon.com El Tucan El Tucan Handout Recently reopened with new entertainment and a reimagined Asian-inspired menu, El Tucan is a lush, tropical lounge-meets-supper club where you can watch aerialists swing from the ceiling and listen to world-class singers while sipping creative craft cocktails and nibbling dishes like pork belly bao buns, spicy hamachi tacos and more. The resto-lounge serves food every day except Mondays and Tuesdays from 7 p.m. - 3 a.m. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 7 p.m. - 3 a.m. Details: 1111 SW 1st Ave., Miami; www.eltucanmiami.com Versailles Wed be remiss if we didnt mention Versailles. Youll get it all here wonderful down-home Cuban food thats unfussy and deliciously greasy; old-timers at the ventanita arguing politics and swapping stories about life in Cuba; and waitresses who know all of them by name and and slip extra-fluffy pastelitos to their favorites. Hours: Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. - 2:30 a.m.; Sunday-Thursday from 8 a.m. - 1 a.m. Details: 3555 SW 8th St., Miami; www.versaillesrestaurant.com | https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/restaurants/article229193454.html |
Whats it like to die on Game of Thrones? | On one hand, he was exhausted. Filming the death scene of Meryn Trant, the loathsome character Beattie portrayed on HBOs Game of Thrones, started around 8 a.m. and it was now about 9 p.m. For the last 10 hours or so, prosthetic wounds had covered his eyes, rendering him temporarily blind, and fake blood kept squirting up his nose. Ian Beattie fell to the floor and lay there. He felt conflicted about what would come next. Beattie is part of a not-so-exclusive club: actors who have been killed on the past seven seasons of Game of Thrones. Ranging from anonymous extras to beloved main characters, theyve all met a dizzying blend of violent departures and have all had to adjust to life after working on one of the centurys most popular shows. It absolutely broke my heart, Beattie says. It hit me psychically, and thank goodness I was wearing prosthetics because nobody could actually see that I was crying. On the other hand, this was it. The end. It doesnt always happen this way, but Beatties death scene was his final one on set. So as much as he wanted a hot shower, he also didnt want to hear the words director David Nutter was about to shout: Thats a series wrap on Ian Beattie. Game of Thrones isnt the first series to dispense of seemingly indispensable characters, but it has been the most prolific. The show decapitated its main character, Ned Stark, in the first season and has basically played whack-a-mole with its cast since. It was a quite funny day really, he says. I think at one point I was walking around with my head in my hands having a bit of a laugh. At least Sean Bean, who played the Stark family patriarch, knew it was coming, which seems to have helped lighten the mood. He found it refreshing that a show could have the courage to swiftly kill its hero. But even Bean could not anticipate what was to come: I didnt realize just how brutal it would be in terms of actors being slaughtered. And unlike Bean, many of those actors did not know when theyd be slaughtered. When a notable character is about to be sent to their grave, Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss prefer to deliver the news themselves. Sometimes it happens over the phone, and sometimes its a face-to-face meeting or dinner. Its a phone call you really dont want to take, Beattie says. Will you accept a conference call from David and Dan? No, I bloody wont, thank you very much. Sibel Kekilli was starting to think that maybe her character, Shae, who fell in love with Tyrion Lannister before betraying him in the fourth season finale, stood a chance. I was expecting Shae was going to die on the third season, she says, and when I got the script I was like, OK, shes still alive. So she went up to Benioff herself and asked if Shae was going to stray from her fate in the book and live. Unfortunately not, he told her. Kristian Nairn, on the other hand, suspected Hodor, the gentle servant who was able to say only his own name, would not make it to the series finale long before Benioff and Weiss broke the news to him. It felt inevitable. (Hodor) was kind of one of the fan favourites and he was such a nice, sweet guy, Nairn says. I just knew there was no way he was going to make it to the end. Dying can be a bit easier when you go onto the set with low expectations. Rob Ostlere holds the honour of being the first character to die on the show. About six minutes into the cold open, hes sliced by a White Walker, so he knew his time was going to be limited. To be honest, when you do those smaller parts, youre just happy to see yourself up there because sometimes those things can get cut, he says. Of course, some deceased characters couldnt fade into the background, even if the actors wanted them to. Jack Gleeson, who played Joffrey Baratheon, easily the shows most hated character, told the media that he was through with big-budget television and film productions after he left Game of Thrones, citing his distaste with becoming a cultural obsession on and off-screen. Hes since focused on smaller theatre projects instead. Brenock OConnor, though, remained surprisingly cool when he found himself in a similar position. Despite auditioning for only a one-episode appearance in Season 4, OConnor, who played Olly, worked his way into some of the shows biggest plot points, such as the killing of Ygritte and the shocking murder of Jon Snow. That translated to more trouble off the set than on it. I hadnt even seen (the episode) when I received my first death threat, he says. Later that same day, a high school classmate handed OConnor his phone to show him a photo: It was my face Photoshopped onto Hitler. On set, the actors must at least temporarily ignore the hubbub surrounding the show and focus on dying their best death. Natalia Tena, who played Bran Starks Wildling sidekick Osha, knew she had only so many takes to hit her mark after Ramsay Bolton stabbed her in the neck. If she couldnt nail it, theyd have to redo her prosthetic and scramble the entire days schedule. It was the most technically intimidating scene Id ever done, she says, so I felt kind of elated when we got it. OConnor actually had fun performing his stunt. But his mother, on set because he was still a minor at the time, had much less fun watching her sons mock hanging take after take. (Nairns mother also couldnt watch her son be torn apart by the White Walkers foot soldiers. When she finally did, weeks later, she was still very upset.) When the director calls a wrap, reality sets in. Kekillis death scene ended up being her final one on set, but it wasnt the final scene of the day. After it was over, the rest of the crew had to keep on working while she prepared to leave. And that was the hardest part: having to watch everyone move on without her. I think its different ending all together, the whole show. Then you are not alone. But that day it was just me who had that last scene, and there was no time to really say goodbye and I felt, actually, really alone, Kekilli says. She didnt watch the show until this past year. It was too hard. But then she couldnt take it anymore. Really? Its like the whole world is watching Game of Thrones and you are the only one who is not part of this religion, she says. Shes almost caught up now and anticipating the final season. So is Beattie even though he, too, was a bit of a mess in the days after leaving the set. He remembers it as a genuinely awful few weeks. He had trouble focusing on upcoming projects. He missed his friends. He loves seeing his Game of Thrones kin. He remembers running into Kristofer Hivju the red-bearded actor who plays the (as of now) living Tormund Giantsbane in the airport, sometime around Season 6. Theyd never met during the show, but that didnt matter. We looked at each other, pointed and went up and gave each other a big hug. Because it was like he was part of the family. Its a remarkable bond, Beattie says. And thatll never go away. | https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2019/04/12/whats-it-like-to-die-on-game-of-thrones.html |
Should Edmonton Oilers bring back Ralph Krueger as President of Hockey Operations? Coach? | This in from Southamption football club in the Premier League, their news that former Edmonton Oilers coach Ralph Krueger is moving on as team chairman: #SaintsFC can confirm that Chairman Ralph Krueger has departed the club. Read the full statement: https://t.co/qkY3BuTofC Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) April 12, 2019 Southamptons Chinese ownership, Gao Jisheng and his family, also fired vice chairman Les Reed and technical director Martin Hunter in November. Reed, in particular, played a key role in establishing the team in the Premier League through his astute recruitment of players and has since become technical director at the Football Association, the Associated Press reports. The Southern Daily Echo in England reports: Kruegers chief aim as representative of ownership was surely to make the club a profitable business and, given the way both (owners) Katharina Liebherr and Gao Jisheng have wanted things, a self-sustaining one that requires no investment from them. Krueger admitted that he was concerned about Saints when he came into St Marys in February 2014 after the departure of Nicola Cortese. He said in interviews that he felt his first job was to set a different course of direction for the club, and to then build it further with Cortese having steered them from League One to the Premier League. Katharina Liebherr surely appreciated that Krueger did a quite amazing job. After all, the ownership which he first represented sold 80 per cent of their stake for 210m, an eye watering profit. Therefore, he did his job in spectacular fashion. He did that too for Gao Jisheng, smoothing the way for his takeover and managing to fight against the odds to get the Premier League to overturn its original decision to block the deal. Again, it was job done. During his time at the club the accounts have generally been positive, and again delivered on the objectives of the ownership. Krueger left after a succession of failed managers and a string of expensive transfer flops and ill-judged contract extensions. My take Krueger has had an amazing career, as head coach of the Swiss national team from 1998 to 2010, then moving on as a coach of the Oilers, 2010-13, before taking over as chairman of a Premier League team in 2014. The move from NHL head coach to Premier League chairman is one of the strangest moves Ive seen in pro sports, but speaks to Kruegers remarkable intelligence, positivity and connections. Bob Stauffer of the Oilers had this to say about Krueger: Ralph was a first class guy to deal with and had a POSITIVE culture going with Hall, RNH, Eberle, Yakupov and Schultz. The intrinsic core beliefs he has are conducive to success for todays generation of athletes. Im not sure about Krueger as a director hockey ops in Edmonton, but I definitely think he should be in the running to be coach here again. He did a great job with Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup, leading that team to the gold medal games vs Canada. He also was head coach of that 2012-13 Oilers team a badly flawed squad from a player personnel point of view which was in competition to make the playoffs. Its widely seen as a huge mistake that GM Craig MacTavish fired Krueger and replaced him with Dallas Eakins, who flopped with the team. Its one of the big unanswered questions about the Decade of Darkness, whether or not if given time Krueger could have gotten more out of that team led by Taylor Hall. Krueger strikes me as the kind of man manager who can breed offensive confidence in players. Of course, players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have all the confidence in the world, but it strikes me that Krueger might be the perfect tonic for working with young attackers like Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody. As for hockey ops, Krueger clearly has management experience but he lacks NHL executive experience. Of course, he completely lacked Premier League executive experience as well, yet the reports out of Southampton are generally positive. That said, the team has struggled to avoid relegation in recent years, and there is that string of failed managers and bad signings on Kruegers watch. I certainly dont think Krueger should be in the running for GM of the Oilers. He should certainly be considered. A combination of Ralph Krueger/Keith Gretzky could be a very good one for the #Oilers and change how player personnel in the organization is handled, among other things. Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) April 12, 2019 Staples on business David Staples: Alberta needs Notleys wisdom and Kenneys fight to win oilsands campaign At the Cult STAPLES: Oilers fans hunger for front office purge of Nicholson and others | https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/should-edmonton-oilers-bring-back-ralph-krueger-is-president-of-hockey-operations-coach |
Did the NBA force Dirk Nowitzki to retire? | by Daniel Tran Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is riding off into the sunset and ending his career in the NBA, but some fans are skeptical of the circumstances. The Big German never made an official retirement announcement throughout the season, but with all the video tributes and honorary All-Star selections, many feel the league basically forced him to retire. Still, it was obvious Nowitzki couldnt keep up with the younger players and he knew it was time to leave. If you want to know how it feels to be loved and rejected at the same time, just ask Dirk Nowitzki. Not once did he say this was going to be his last season. Still, the rest of the NBA decided it was time for him. He was given an honorary All-Star selection he never asked for, had a game stopped for him so he could get a standing ovation like he was leaving, and he's getting video tributes despite never announcing this was his last season. These are the actions of a league that wants him to go away while he can still keep his dignity. The NBA forced him out! He may have never said it was his last season, but it sure looked like it the way he was moving on the court. Nowitzki was never the most agile player in the NBA, and age has robbed him of any ability to move on defense where teams have been exploiting him all season. If he is a liability on that end of the court, he wasn't going to be playing many more minutes next year anyway. His body isn't exactly cooperating either. Dirk opted to get surgery last year to alleviate pain in his ankle, and instead of being ready for the beginning of the season when he was supposed to be, he didn't make his debut until December. As a competitor, it must've killed him to be unable to dominate the way he was used to. He might not have said it with his words, but his body knew it was time to hang it up and retire. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.oregonlive.com/tylt/2019/04/did-the-nba-force-dirk-nowitzki-to-retire.html |
Are Home Offices Fueling a Mental Health Crisis? | Since the inception of assembly lines, a single work model has not had as much impact on global socioeconomics as the rise of telecommuting. From workforce equality, to environmental sustainability, to economic development, remote work has unprecedented opportunities to solve global crises but it is also fueling a new one. Getty In the 2019 State of Remote Work report produced by Buffer, the thousands of remote workers surveyed rave about the work-life balance, schedule flexibility, and work performance, that being able to work offsite lends in their lives. However, when asked about the downsides of location flexibility, 49% of remote workers note that their biggest struggle is wellness-related. More specifically, 22% cant unplug after work, 19% feel lonely, and 8% cant stay motivated. These statistics could have a number of subjective influencers, such as the management style of their boss, their local connection speed, their personality or even which organization tools are used. However, there is one dominant common thread that cant be ignored: 84% of all remote workers are working from a home office. The ability to work from anywhere has recently sparked the digital nomad movement in which professionals are able to travel the world, packing nothing but a laptop to keep them active in a part-time or full-time job. As glamorous as this might look on social media, the reality is that most remote workers are anxious to leave the time and distance of traveling during their commuting days, and instead just clock in from where they are already at. Any remote worker will tell you that replacing suits with slippers is a liberating transition. However, it seems as though the confining corporate cubicles that we are so anxious to escape may actually be boosting our behavioral health. Dr. Amy Cirbus, PhD, LMHC, LPC, and Manager of Clinical Quality at Talkspace, reports, Remote workers often experience symptoms of anxiety and depression at a higher rate than people commuting into traditional office spaces. Specifically, they report feelings of isolation and loneliness and high rates of worry about job performance and stability. Insomnia and sleep disturbance are common, along with increased fatigue, irritation, sadness and feelings of disconnection. Remote workers report a lack of concentration and focus that can compound and exacerbate these mental health challenges. It can lead to a loss of self-worth and a questioning of ones abilities. Hidden among the dream of flexibility and independence are these subtle dangers: The freedom of higher autonomy also results in a heavier operational load of self-management responsibilities including IT troubleshooting, time management and task prioritization. A lack of environmental markers in career development (such as moving from a small cubicle into a large corner office) can prevent workers from recognizing progress and achievements. Over time, this can lead to concerns like career stagnancy or imposter syndrome. Freelancers (over 36% of the US workforce) have the unique pressure of both finding work and producing it. This constant state of being in the hustle can contribute to sustained stress. Because the success of distributed teams is often measured by results, workers can be tempted (or pressured) to overwork to inflate their output. This can result in unpaid hours, lack of sleep, poor engagement in personal relationships or mental burnout. The idyllic serenity of an uninterrupted home office environment easily translates into deeply focused work sessions, which is great for productivity, but terrible for ergonomic health. The distractions of coworkers and bustling office activity subconsciously prompt us to take break from our sedentary work often enough to maintain visual, auditory, mental and chiropractic health. Speaking of chiropractic health, without significant intention and investment, most home offices are not equipped with ergonomic seating options. Over time, a workers chin, shoulders, and back being in a compromised position can contribute to feelings of stress and depression. When workers are geographically isolated, they can easily be informationally isolated as well, which prevents access to the resources they need to complete tasks. Compromised efficiency can cause increased worry about job performance, team trust, feelings of safety in job security and a lack of confidence. Like the natural selection of all permanent species, the key to success isnt to revert, its to adapt. Instead of racing back to headquarters to cure your office FOMO, try these strategies to keep your mind and emotions sharp: Invest in a Home Office - If you are going to spend almost 24 hours a day in a single environment, it should certainly be a place that inspires and supports you. Mentally trigger schedule boundaries between your personal and professional time by defining a dedicated space to work. Then, deck it out with ergonomic features like supportive seating, lifted screens, and over-ear headphones. Diversify Interests - To strengthen confidence that isnt defined by your work output, develop a sense of fulfillment outside of work. Stick to strict working hours, then contrast it with some exclusively personal and/or social time, such as participating in a group hobby, exploring local attractions as a family, or volunteering at a local organization. Communicate Transparently - Anyone who maintains a long-distance relationship with a loved one can testify that a connection is only as strong as your communication. No matter how introverted you may or may not be, avoid feeling isolated by building a variety of channels of support to discuss your life (both personal and professional) with. Virtual coworker meetups , starting a video chat thread with a coworker, or chatting with a mental health professional for advice are great places to start. Increase Movement - Its dangerously easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle when you live and work in the same few hundred square feet. To improve your mental, cardiovascular, visual, and emotional health take breaks often during your work day, but not just a quick rabbit hole watching YouTube videos. For maximum benefit, step away from the screen and really get the blood moving with a short walk or workout. Build a Support Network - Lets face it, life isnt always sunshine and rainbows, so design some umbrellas to use on the chance that a rain cloud shows up. Whether it be friends or fencing, figure out strategies that engage your soul and stimulate your brain, then integrate them into your life so they are easily accessible in times of need. The short version is this: the government enforces thousands of occupational policies to keep you happy and healthy at work. When you create your own office, the importance of these regulations is not voided. But they are now your responsibility to design and enforce. Invest in your work by investing in your self-care, which can be as easy as plugging a few jumping jacks and personal phone calls into your daily routine. Research indicates that both exercise and connecting with others, even in short bursts, produces endorphins that boost mood, increase creativity and esteem, and decrease anxiety. Dr. Cirbus encourages. The key is the consistency. One afternoon walk or one lunch break with a colleague or friend wont eliminate these mental health challenges. Share your tips with other virtual professionals around the world using the hashtag #happyhomeoffice, because apparently 49% of us need some advice. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurelfarrer/2019/04/12/are-home-offices-fueling-a-mental-health-crisis/ |
Can The Utah Jazz Upset The Houston Rockets? | Getty Just under one year ago, the Utah Jazz suffered a gentlemen's sweep at the hands of the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. The five-game series included four double-digit victories for Houston, and the Rockets outscored the Jazz by 9.5 points per 100 possessions, according to the league's website. It wasn't close. It may not be the likely outcome, but the answer to that question is: "Yes." Simple Rating System (SRS), housed at Basketball Reference, combines a team's point differential with its strength of schedule. Last season, the Rockets had an 8.21 SRS, good for 27th in NBA history and first in 2017-18. This season, they're at 4.96, 197th all time and fifth in 2018-19. Utah, meanwhile, is fourth in SRS this season. Of course, that doesn't tell Houston's full story. Before February 1, the Rockets were plus-1.5 points per 100 possessions (12th). Since then, they're plus-9.9, according to NBA.com/stats. That's the best Net Rating in the NBA over that span, just ahead of Utah's plus-9. But an SRS dropoff that big is significant enough to assume the Rockets aren't quite as good as they were last season. At least they haven't shown themselves to be yet. Maybe that's what they'll use this opening-round series for: a reminder to the league of just how high their ceiling might be. Or, maybe that's what the Jazz will do. Again, they top the Rockets in both SRS and Net Rating this season. In the four games Houston and Utah split in the regular season, the Jazz were plus-1 point per 100 possessions and held Houston to an Offensive Rating almost 16 points below their season-long clip. James Harden played in all four of those games and averaged 35 minutes. Of course, the catch is that three of those games came before Christmas, when Houston had yet to flip the switch. And in the February 2 meeting, the Rockets trounced Utah by 27 points. Now that they've clicked in, they're a much scarier opponent. But, if healthy, there's reason to believe Utah's the deeper team. And that's where the Jazz will have to make hay. If you sort every player in the NBA with 250-plus minutes this season by the average of their ranks in 10 catch-all metrics (Real Plus-Minus, Player Impact Plus-Minus, Box Plus-Minus, Win Shares per minute and Game Score per minute, as well as the cumulative variations of each), Utah has four players in the top 60 and 10 players in the top 200. Houston has three in the top 60 and seven in the top 200. In the brief stretches when Harden is on the bench, the Jazz backups will need to be significantly better than Houston's reserves. So, while most people will focus on the need for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell to be great (and that need is real), the more important duo might be Joe Ingles and Derrick Favors. Despite the fact that they start, those two have more or less become the engine of Utah's second unit. They're often the first two starters to come out of the game. And in Favors' case, that usually happens pretty early. Jazz coach Quin Snyder then gets both back on the floor when the opposition starts to send its subs in. And the Ingles/Favors pick-and-roll has torn subs apart this season. According to Cleaning the Glass, Ingles and Favors have played 925 possessions together without Mitchell, Gobert and Ricky Rubio. Utah's plus-17.2 points per 100 possessions (99th percentile) with those lineups on the floor. Now, this isn't suggesting that the Jazz can get by on great bench play alone. Mitchell and Gobert are going to have to be stellar for Utah to stay within striking distance during Harden's minutes. It helps that both are better than they were a year ago. But it's winning those second-unit minutes that could lead to a different series outcome than the swift conference semis of 2018. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/andybailey/2019/04/12/can-the-utah-jazz-upset-the-houston-rockets/ |
What would David Griffin want in a trade for Anthony Davis? | David Griffin has reportedly been named to lead the New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations. One of the most important orders of business will be navigating the trade for Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. Griffin, who worked on NBATV this season, was asked about what he would do if he was in charge of the Pelicans while figuring out what to get for Davis. If I was holding their cards, I would probably want to be in a situation where I got at least one young player that projected potentially to be a star, Griffin said on air. Draft picks, an elite role player, someone that could further the cause for us as a winner because when youre bringing young kids to the floor, you need those guys to galvanize a group. Take a look at the video clip from Jan. 29 below: Heres David Griffin on what his Anthony Davis plan would be if he was in charge. Looks like he got his wish hes just been hired by the New Orleans Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/ALq31iKw8T Sahal Abdi (@sAbdi28) April 12, 2019 In the same broadcast, Griffin was also asked about the Pelicans potentially trading Jrue Holiday in the rebuilding process. Griffin was not in favor of that. I sure dont, Griffin said. I wouldnt go that far in that market. I dont think they could withstand that sort of rebuild. And frankly, I really am high on Jrue Holiday for example. I dont think youre that terribly far away being competitive if thats what ownership set out to be. Griffin on whether he would have looked to move Jrue after Davis' trade demand (Spoiler: no)https://t.co/q21bQKPnZE PhilJFry (@PhilJFry5) April 12, 2019 | https://www.nola.com/pelicans/2019/04/what-would-david-griffin-want-in-a-trade-for-anthony-davis.html |
Should Symantec Investors Worry About HYPR? | Getty Security software maker Mountain View, California-based Symantec has been struggling for years -- but a turnaround is in the offing according to Goldman Sachs. Yet Symantec is losing market share to a fast-growing startup that offers password-less security. Symantec declined to comment on the record. (I have no financial interest in the securities mentioned in this post). Symantec is in the cybersecurity business offering "consumer digital safety and enterprise security." Its consumer products include Norton-branded security services and LifeLock identity protection. It sells endpoint, network, web, and cloud security solutions to companies -- these account for most its revenues while its consumer products supply the bulk of its profits. Over the last five years, the stock has gained nearly 19% -- an uninspired performance characterized by considerable bouncing up and down between a low slightly south of $17 in 2016 to nearly $33 last September. The shares have risen in 2019 from $19 to nearly $24. Symantec's revenues have been shrinking and its profitability has been hard to discern. Over the last five years, its revenue has declined at a 6.9% annual rate to $4.83 billion in 2018 when it earned no profit, according to Morningstar. But in March, Symantec gave investors an upside surprise. It reported fiscal third-quarter results "that surpassed analysts' expectations. The company posted revenue of $1.22 billion, roughly 3% above consensus forecasts, and said that stronger operating margins helped it beat per-share earnings expectations," according to TheStreet.com This prompted Goldman Sachs to upgrade its stock on April 8 on the back of what it called signs of "sustained growth" from its current billings and prompting its shares to pop 7% after Goldman set a 12 month price target of $28 -- up from its previous target of $23. Goldman wrote that for its upcoming fiscal year, Symantec would "should show improvement on essentially every key metric, driven by a return to more normalized execution, stabilization in business mix, and the benefit of revenue already on the balance sheet," according to the Street.com. But there is plenty of competition in Symantec's markets. For example, Gartner Group highlighted one such market -- The Identity and Access Management and User Authentication security market -- which totals $18 billion in revenue. There Symantec faces competition from rivals including HYPR -- a Manhattan-based provider of "decentralized authentication, enabling true password-less security." HYPR -- which says it grew 400% between 2017 and 2018 and expects to repeat that performance this year and has raised $13.8 million in outside capital -- says it has taken customers such as MasterCard and Aetna from Symantec and RSA (a Dell unit). HYPR believes that hackers are going after centralized password stores when they hack into the likes of LinkedIn, Yahoo, and Twitter. According to my January 2019 interview with CEO George Avetisov, "We are solving the problem of big breaches in which hundreds of millions of passwords are stolen. The number one initiative of chief information security officers is to get rid of passwords." The key to HYPR's solution -- which is being adopted by MasterCard -- is to shift authentication from the supplier's database to consumers' smartphones. "A lot of people have the same password for each of their accounts. HYPR moves account keys from a central store to your phone. This means that the hacker can't attach the bank's network -- he as to attack each user's phone," said Avetisov. Mastercard started using HYPR in 2017 and as a result"has reduced mobile payment fraud, essentially stopped credential reuse attacks, and enhanced its user experiences with faster, hassle-free transactions," according to Cardrates. HYPR was started in 2014. As Avetisov, a Brooklyn Tech graduate, explained, "We started the company with three cofounders. We wanted to make use of the iPhone 5S's fingerprint reader and we got MasterCard as an early customer. We raised capital from RRE Ventures. We will grow revenues at over 400% in 2018 and have 10 to 50 employees in New York City, Toronto, and London." HYPR charges companies based on the number of users per year in the range of $75 to $100 for a service that provides consumer authentication and employee access. The company charges between $17 and $80 to reset each password. HYPR has to endure very long sales cycles since it is working with financial institutions. As Avetisov said, "Procurement takes a long time. It is political and bureaucratic and we need to convince people on the business side, in the information technology department, and the chief information security officer." And there is lots of competition -- but HYPR believes it enjoys a competitive advantage. "Gartner says there are 200 vendors in the space. But there are only a few that offer password-less security. There are lots of tw0-factor authentication providers -- but they don't remove the password. We win because we offer decentralized password-less mobile security," he said. What's more, HYPR sees a $20 billion addressable market consisting of $18 billion in revenue for employee authentication and another $2 billion for consumer authentication. Companies like Microsoft and Google are working on the same problem -- so it remains to be seen whether HYPR will be able to maintain its technological lead, fall behind, or will be acquired. Meanwhile, Symantec's recent resurgence suggests that HYPR is not a big threat to its growth -- though perhaps it would make a tasty acquisition. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2019/04/12/should-symantec-investors-should-worry-about-hypr/ |
Will Women Make History at Warren Buffett's 2019 Berkshire Hathaway Weekend? | At last years Berkshire Hathaway meeting in Omaha, three women met and wondered out loud why female investors were so underrepresented in the conferences and meetings of one of the premier investing events of the year. But it wasnt just in Omaha that female investors were missing at the table. At a time when women are making substantive progress in many fields, two statistics underscore the problems faced by female-owned investment companies. First reported in a landmark study by the Knight Foundation Ownership Diversity in the Asset Management Industry these are: Among all investment companies operating in the U.S, only about three percent are owned by women. The total value of Assets Under Management (AUM) controlled by female investors, represents only one percent of all U.S. investment company AUM. So Kim Shannon, the founder and CEO of Sionna Investment Management, LJ Rittenhouse, Berkshire author, financial analyst and inventor of Candor AnalyticsTM and Barbara Ann Bernard, the founder and CEO of Wincrest Capital, decided to do something. 2019 Rittenhouse Rankings To raise awareness about the gender bias gap in the investment sector possibly one of the biggest (and most ignored) gaps in business we would host a conference in Omaha around the 2019 Berkshire Hathaway meeting weekend and explain why this gap persists. We would present the case for growing AUFM: Assets Under Female Management. A vast body of research dispels this myth. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that among the 50 largest U.S. hedge funds, only two were run by female executives. And yet, this same report confirmed that the 2017 year-end returns generated by female-owned hedge funds were the same or superior to male-owned hedge funds. Last May, we thought this conference was an audacious idea. Today it appears that conversations about gender bias in investing are reaching a tipping point. Here are recent landmark studies: In December, Morgan Stanley published an in-depth study led by Carla Harris, Vice Chair of Wealth Management on The Growing Market Investors Are Missing The trillion-dollar case for investing in female and multicultural entrepreneurs. These researchers evaluated how firms led by women and people of color are consistently underfunded. They wondered if it is because most asset allocators and investors are white men who are twice as likely to think that female and minority-owned businesses perform below the market average compared to non-minority, male-owned businesses. BLOOMBERG NEWS But this underfunding perception did not hold up. In fact, the researchers found that not only did returns generated by multicultural-owned investment firms match market returns, but also that female-owned investment firms produced returns that beat the market by 2 percent annually. These findings are supported in a May 2018 report by the Boston Consulting Group Why Women-Owned Startups Are a Better Bet. Here, researchers found that women-led startups generated more than two times the amount of revenue per dollar invested than did comparable male-owned startups. And yet even with results such as these they found that female-owned early stage start-ups received, on average, $1 million less than a comparable male-owned start-up. The Knight Foundation once again is leading the way. Since 2010, the Foundation has increased its holdings in female and diverse asset management funds to over 20 percent of their current total endowment. Another initiative that is changing minds and practices is the Canadian Gender and Good Governance Alliance. It is a partnership of leading non-profit organizations that represent over $4 trillion in assets, 5 million employees, 200 CEOs, 13,500 board directors, and, also government representatives and regulators. In 2017, the Alliance published a ground-breaking document: The CEO Blueprint: How to Build and Lead Gender-balanced Organizations. The report recommends that boards work with management 1) to integrate the gender initiative with the business strategy; 2) to set targets and regularly remeasure progress; and 3) to build awareness throughout the organization and tie compensation to goal achievement. The research is clear: we invest in people we trust, and most often the people we trust are those who look and think like us. If we want to support women-owned businesses, we need more female investors and female-owned investment companies. The challenge to grow female-owned investment firms was evident in February when I attended the Columbia Business Schools prestigious two-day Value Investment conference. When moderator Jason Zweig asked the women in the audience to stand up, it appeared that among the 400 or so attendees, only a few dozen were women. Then Zweig asked these women if they intended to make investing their career. Only a few raised their hands. At our conference next month in Omaha, we will network, discuss and recommend strategies to boost AUFM. 2018 Bloomberg Finance LP Melinda Gates cares about this issue too. Recently, she tweeted Bias can be woven into the fabric of an organization or designed out of it When women control the money, female founders get funded. Amen. If you are in Omaha for the Berkshire meeting, come to our Variant Perspectives Conference on May 3. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurarittenhouse/2019/04/12/will-women-make-history-at-warren-buffetts-2019-berkshire-hathaway-weekend/ |
Can the 76ers make a deep playoff run with an ailing Joel Embiid? | CLOSE SportsPulse: Jeff Zillgitt says while the Eastern Conference isn't totally wide open, at least four teams are very serious contenders. USA TODAY Sports PHILADELPHIA Oh yes, there is pressure. The Philadelphia 76ers feel it everywhere they turn as they embark on a second straight playoff appearance. The pressure began before this season started when head coach Brett Brown said the goal is the NBA Finals. And that was before general manager Elton Brand traded for Jimmy Butler in November and Tobias Harris in February, giving the team a starting five surpassed only by the Golden State Warriors. And that was before all those hopes and expectations were turned into panic over the possibility that the key to all of it, 7-foot center Joel Embiid, isn't fully recovered from a knee injury despite having most of the last two months to rest. In fact, he was listed as "doubtful" for Game 1 on the NBAs injury report Friday. He did not practice. When asked if he would be ready for Saturday afternoon's tip-off, Embiid said, "I have no idea." So yes, there is pressure as the Sixers, 51-31 in the regular season, open their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, who finished 42-40. "Absolutely," Brand said. "We embrace it, though. If you dont have pressure, youre not in the playoffs, and there are no expectations. This is where we want to be. Our goal is to bring a championship to the city and to these fans. It comes with the territory." That's why the Sixers were doubling down on their goal to go farther in the playoffs this season than last, when they lost in the second round to the Boston Celtics. That means getting past the Nets in the first round without Embiid at full strength, and likely the Toronto Raptors in the second round. Toronto finished second in the East, has a matchup nightmare in Kawhi Leonard and can easily go nine players deep. "I would feel like a coward sitting in front of you all saying, My goal is to lose in the second round,' " Brown said. "I feel like it has to be that. ... We get how hard it is to be the last man standing. We get how hard it will be coming out of the East. "But to me, the goal cant change, and thats the way it is." NEWSLETTERS Get the Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Sports news, no matter the season. Stop by for the scores, stay for the stories. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-0001. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters GET READY FOR THE PLAYOFFS The desired result will change, however, if Embiid isn't healthy. And there is every indication that he isn't. Brown said his "gut feel" is that Embiid will be ready to play Saturday. But Brand said "it's possible" that he won't. Embiid has missed 14 of the last 24 games, including the last three and five of seven. For weeks, the Sixers have insisted it was mostly so Embiid can rest to ensure that he's ready for the playoffs. We know that's not true anymore. Brand didn't necessarily rebut a reporter who asked if it's an issue that Embiid appeared to have gained 10 or 15 pounds while he was sitting out. "I dont think its a weight issue," Brand said. "Like I said, hes focused on his diet. Hes focused on his cardio and his conditioning." Brown later added: "I think hes doing some good work behind the scenes, but theres nothing like playing basketball to get in shape to play basketball." Embiid has been running on an underwater treadmill, Brand revealed, but he hasn't been playing basketball. Embiid's conditioning was a problem in the playoffs last year, too. He missed the final eight regular season games and the first two games in the first round after fracturing a bone in his face. The Celtics, a deep team like the Raptors, then wore Embiid out in the second round. Sure, Embiid can technically work his way into shape in the first round against the Nets. He is a dominating force at center who averaged 27.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. And the Nets don't have anyone who can cover him. "I am (concerned)," Brown said about Embiid's conditioning, "but all we should be reminded of is to look at the game he has played statistically when he has had rest. They are dominant. ... They are completely jaw-dropping stats." Brown is right about that. Embiid missed eight straight games after playing in the All-Star Game and had 33 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Indiana Pacers in his return. He missed one game due to "load management," then had 37 points and 22 rebounds in a win over Boston. He missed three games and had a triple-double with 34 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee is the Eastern Conference's top seed, Boston is No. 4 and Indiana is No. 5. Also, in the 10 games the Sixers' starting unit has played together, they are 8-2, including wins over the Bucks on the road and the Celtics at home. So, yes, there is talent. "I dont want to go into doomsday scenarios," Brand said. "But you look at how the series went. Of course, you look at the factors health and what was going on out there. You definitely have to look at that." That doesn't guarantee another chance next year. Not when Butler and Harris can become free agents. Not when Ben Simmons still hasn't developed a jump shot. And not when J.J. Redick, even though he had a career season, turns 35 in June. And mostly, not when Embiid has already missed two full seasons and at least 18 games in each of his next three. There simply might not be a better chance than now, however flawed the Sixers might be. Martin Frank writes for the Wilmington News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/sixers/2019/04/12/joel-embiid-health-looms-over-sixers-eastern-conference-playoffs/3453569002/ |
Why is food such a sensitive subject? | Image copyright Getty Images Earlier this week, a restaurant in New York made headlines for rather unfortunate reasons. Lucky Lee's, a new Chinese restaurant run by a Jewish-American couple, advertised itself as providing "clean" Chinese food with healthy ingredients that wouldn't make people feel "bloated and icky the next day". It told Eater website: "There are very few American-Chinese places as mindful about the quality of ingredients as we are." It prompted a fierce backlash on social media from people who accused the restaurant of racist language, cultural appropriation, and a lack of understanding of Chinese food. The restaurant's Instagram account was besieged with thousands of angry comments, including some which questioned the credentials of a white couple running a Chinese restaurant - as well as comments from defenders who accused the "online slacktivists" of being easily offended, and targeting the restaurateurs simply because of their race. The whole debate became so polarised that ratings site Yelp placed an "unusual activity" alert on the restaurant's page after it was flooded with both positive and negative reviews, many seemingly from people who hadn't actually been to the restaurant. Lucky Lee's has since issued a statement saying that it was not "commenting negatively on all Chinese food Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and comes in many different flavours (usually delicious in our opinion) and health benefits". It added that it would "always listen and reflect accordingly" to take "cultural sensitivities" into account. The owner, Arielle Haspel, told the New York Times: "We are so sorry. We were never trying to do something against the Chinese community. We thought we were complementing an incredibly important cuisine, in a way that would cater to people that had certain dietary requirements." Image copyright Lucky Lee's The uproar is the latest in a series of rows over food and cultural appropriation. US celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern came under fire for saying that his restaurant Lucky Cricket would save people from the low-standard "restaurants masquerading as Chinese food that are in the Midwest". Critics accused him of being patronising towards smaller restaurants run by immigrant families, and he later issued an apology. Meanwhile, in the UK, supermarket chain Marks and Spencer was accused of cultural appropriation after it produced a new vegan biriyani wrap, despite the Indian dish normally being served with rice and meat. And Gordon Ramsay's new London restaurant, Lucky Cat, was criticised for selling itself as an "authentic Asian Eating House" - despite not having an Asian chef. Food can be closely linked to identity For many people - particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds - food can be both personal, and political. Second and third generation immigrants often have "a sense of loss of their own culture - their attire is western, their language is western, and food is almost the last of the cultural domain that they retain a vivid memory of", Krishnendu Ray, a sociologist and professor of food studies at New York University, tells the BBC. Many Chinese Americans have talked about their experiences growing up - for example when classmates would make fun of the food in their lunch boxes. Luke Tsai, a food writer in the San Francisco Bay Area, says: "We grew up in the US with a sort of in-between status of our identity. It was hard to find acceptance in a lot of mainstream culture. He remembers being "slightly ashamed" of Chinese food when he was younger - "I didn't want to bring Chinese food for my lunch at school - I wanted a sandwich or pizza to fit in." That's gross!'" "But for many of us as we got older, we remembered the food our parents cooked us, and it became a great source of nostalgia for us - in a way, embracing that was embracing the Asian, immigrant side of our identity." Many Chinese restaurants deliberately adapted their menus to serve more fried foods or thickened sauces because those were items a "mainstream white audience" were more familiar with, he adds. "The reason that they opened those restaurants was not because they couldn't cook their 'true' Chinese food, it was because that was what they did to survive and cater to their audience. "So to see that flipped around nowadays, and have a white restaurateur open a restaurant and say 'we're not like those Chinese American restaurants you know about, we're serving clean Chinese food is particularly hurtful and offensive for a lot of people." There's also a historical context to this. In the 1880s, the US passed legislation barring Chinese workers from immigrating to the US. Only a few categories were exempt - including restaurateurs - and historians say this contributed to a boom in Chinese restaurants in the US. Yet "American exposure to Chinese food has mostly been cheap Chinese food", and the cuisine has been associated with "a kind of disdain" due to the presumption that it is associated with "cheap ingredients and mostly untrained labour", says Prof Ray. "Very few Americans realise or know that China probably had the most sophisticated food culture in the world at least 500 years before the French did." Some of the sharpest criticism on both sides has been around ownership. Some negative social media comments about Lucky Lee's have focused on the fact that the owners are white - while critics have responded that it would be ridiculous to suggest that only Chinese people are allowed to cook Chinese food. Francis Lam, host of The Splendid Table radio programme, believes that a lot of the furore around cultural appropriation and food is due to a "disconnect in the conversation". "I think if you're a chef or restaurant owner, it's fair to say you probably put a lot of yourself into your business, and don't want to hear it when you think people are saying 'you're not allowed to do that'." However, he thinks that for those opposed to cultural appropriation, the issue is "not about who's allowed or not allowed to do things", but rather about the manner in which things are done. "If you are going to promote yourself as someone who cooks or sells food from a culture you didn't grow up in, I would say it's also your responsibility to make sure you're doing it in a way that truly respects the people who grew up in the that culture - and the people who frankly invented some of the things you're doing." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Andy Ricker says chefs need to be respectful - but also need a thick skin Andy Ricker, an award-winning chef and bestselling cookbook author, spent 13 years learning about Thai cuisine, familiarising himself with ingredients and the language, before starting the restaurant chain Pok Pok. He is recognised as an expert in northern Thai cuisine - and his approach has been praised by Asian chefs and food critics. However, others have also questioned why a white chef has become seen as the authority on Thai food, rather than a Thai one. He suggests chefs should "be aware that language is important", and try "to be as accurate and faithful as you can". "I can't say that I'm making authentic food because I don't have any claim to that." The most important thing for chefs like him, he says, is to "be respectful and not claim anything is yours. Don't apply labels to food - don't just add chillies, basil and peanuts to something and call it Thai, or put something in a sandwich and call it Banh Mi you're playing to clichs which is not a good look". He also says it's crucial for chefs to "grow a thick skin - it doesn't matter what's in your heart of how careful you are about what you say, there's going to be people who just aren't having it." Meanwhile, Chris Shepherd cooks a range of cuisines at UB Preserv in Houston, Texas, but says highlighting and cherishing the cultures that inspired him is important to him. Image copyright Julie Soefer Image caption Chris's dishes include "boudin siu mai" - a take on a type of Chinese dumpling His restaurant's bills come with a listing of his favourite local restaurants, and the message "we'd love to have you back at UB Preserv, but we politely request that you visit at least one of these folks first". These days, there seems to be constant debates about identity politics, and an endless stream of incidents provoking outrage. It can certainly feel tempting to keep politics out of food. But commentators argue that the food business, like any other business, is linked to power structures and privilege - and it's not a level playing field for everyone. "If you're opening a business you're already engaging with the public, making decisions about who you're going to hire, who can afford to eat at your restaurant, what your staff is going to look like - there's hundreds of decisions you're making that will have an impact on society," Mr Tsai says. Meanwhile, Prof Ray says that his research suggests some ethnic minority chefs may face specific barriers. "There is a tendency to 'ghettoise' Chinese, Mexican and Indian American chefs into cooking 'their own food', whereas white chefs tend to find it easier to cross boundaries", and are seen as "artistic" when they do." Image copyright REY LOPEZ Image caption Kwame Onwuachi, 29, has been nominated for awards for his cooking Kwame Onwuachi says in his memoir that, during a casting session, a television producer told him that US audiences would not be prepared to see a black chef like him doing fine dining. Similarly, chef Edourdo Jordan has previously told GQ that some people found it hard to believe he was the owner of a restaurant serving French and Italian food. Mr Ricker agrees that white chefs face some advantages when cooking in the West. "Of course in white dominant culture, white people always get away with more than other people. But I would say this too - if you're a westerner trying to cook in Thailand you're faced with a massive amount of scepticism and sometimes downright derision. I think it's human nature for the dominant culture to pigeon hole people who're not of their culture." It all comes down to money These perceptions also have financial implications that affect restaurants' bottom lines. In one study, Prof Ray found that the dishes from certain cuisines were seen as more prestigious, enabling restaurants to charge more. For example, an average meal at a Zagat-listed French or Japanese restaurant cost about $30 more than an average meal at a Zagat-listed Chinese or Southern restaurant in 2015, his research found. Chef Jonathan Wu encountered this when he opened a high-end Chinese restaurant, Fung Tu, in New York. The restaurant received excellent reviews, with Bloomberg calling the food "genius", and the New York Times giving it a two-star, "very good" review. Image copyright Paul Wagtouicz Image caption One of the dishes at Fung Tu - egg whites poached in a broth with Toona sinesis leaves But Mr Wu says he received a lot of "blowback" for its prices, with complaints that the restaurant was "too expensive for what it is". Fung Tu closed down in 2017, and was reopened as Nom Wah Tu, a dim sum restaurant with lower prices. Mr Wu says there is still an "expectation that Chinese food is cheap". He compares how hand-made Chinese dumplings are sometimes sold for "five for a dollar", whereas a high-end plate of ravioli can sell for "$45 a plate". "If you tried that for a plate of dumplings, people would freak out." In a way, the whole cultural appropriation debate is also "a symptom of a very visible, assertive, middle and professional class" of people from ethnic minorities in the US, says Prof Ray. And US perceptions of Chinese food could be radically different in 20 years' time, due to China's economic rise, and a growing Chinese middle class presence in US cities. Prof Ray says a similar process happened from the 1980s with Japanese food, as the culture became associated with affluent immigrant groups or businessmen. In the meantime, the cultural appropriation debate is likely to continue - but not everyone thinks that's a bad thing. "We're experiencing growing pains in this whole conversation, but the bigger picture is that it's amazing to see how the American palate has widened, and there is a greater market acceptance of different stories and backgrounds," says Mr Lam. "These conversations can seem frustrating and tiresome, but you have to have them." Mr Ricker agrees. "There's a lot of angst, anger and defensiveness out there, [but] it's important that people understand the sensitivity around food and culture, because they're very powerful things. I don't think it's comfortable for anybody, but it's certainly necessary." | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47892747 |
Should Minnesota grade every public school? | A bill at the Minnesota Legislature would require the state Department of Education to create a grading system for Minnesota's schools, assigning each school an overall score to give parents an idea of the quality of the school. These types of ratings, known as summative scores, are already available from private groups like the website GreatSchools. That's not how Minnesota currently provides information to parents about schools. The state's school report cards show a snapshot of several metrics state test scores, attendance rates, graduation rates and others with the ability to access more detailed information, and information for specific subgroups like racial groups or English Language Learners. The state system presents the data, but it's up to parents to decide which numbers are important to them. ___ The nonprofit news outlet MinnPost provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News. ___ Advocates for creating a single grading system in Minnesota argue that it's too difficult for parents to parse all that educational data. "I've heard loud and clearly from many families that they are in support of this bill for the main reason of having something that's simple, easy to understand, and gives them a starting point on making a best decision for their kids," Rashad Turner, with the education-reform organization Minnesota Comeback, told an education committee last month. But not everyone agrees that simpler is better opponents of giving schools a single rating say that those ratings oversimplify how schools serve kids, make it easy to gloss over differences in how various groups fare at schools and fail to capture the things that families are really looking for in schools. Summative scores for Minnesota schools are already available from websites like GreatSchools and Niche. GreatSchools summarizes scores for schools from 1/10 (below average) to 9/10 (above average). To determine these ratings for high schools, GreatSchools claims to use state test scores (determines 24% of the overall score), college readiness (via college entrance exam participation and graduation rates, 50, advanced course participation (12%) and equity ratings (14%). For elementary schools, ratings are based on student progress (25, equity (28%), and test scores (47%). Edison High School, a school in northeast Minneapolis where 75% of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch and 27% of students are English learners, gets a 1/10 on GreatSchools' rating. The bill before the Legislature asks the Department of Education to come up with its own summative scoring system, so they might choose to emphasize different data points and give them different weights in the overall score. As of last April, 45 states either used summative ratings or planned to use them, according to EdAllies, a Minnesota school-reform nonprofit that supports creating a summative system. Proponents of a system like this would say making summary-level information about Edison and other schools available gives parents a starting point from which to dive into the more detailed information. But to opponents of using summative scores, GreatSchools' 10 point scoring system is far too simple, and misses information that might actually be really important to parents. That information isn't available from GreatSchools, but state data show that 45% of English language learners at Edison are meeting their learning goals above the district average and a little below the state's. At Minneapolis' Southwest High a school that GreatSchools rates a 6/10 the rate is just 36%. You can find the information about English language learners on the state's existing report card website, though you have to look around for it. Critics of summative scores like the one GreatSchools uses argue that the harm of such scores goes beyond obscuring information. GreatSchools scores are displayed on the real estate site Zillow, potentially influencing where families especially those with enough resources to have options choose to move. That could have the effect of concentrating poorer students in lower-performing schools. Overall, the state's dashboard presents much of the same data as GreatSchools, it just avoids summarizing or making judgments about it. Some committee testifiers said this provides parents more nuanced, high-quality information. Others argue the site is disorganized and doesn't help parents make sense of the numbers. Comparing multiple schools requires digesting several screens of data. "The dashboard is confusing. If the school is in the bottom 5%, most parents don't know," said Khulia Pringle, a parent and family advocate, in committee. "I think a one through five, A through F, or 0 to 100 rating system will give parents an easier way of understanding the data." Of course, any data-driven system necessarily only gives a partial picture of a school. Parent polling suggests what they're looking for from schools is yes, academics, said Jack Schneider, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell who studies school ratings and does not believe summative ratings capture schools' ability to educate children well. But parents also care about critical thinking, creative inquiry, citizenship skills, artistic and creative skills, social and emotional wellbeing, student safety and school culture, among other things, some of which Schneider argues states should try to capture in school performance data. "It's a broad range of stuff that is not even remotely measured by a graduation rate or an average," he said. The nonprofit news outlet MinnPost provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News. | https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/Should-Minnesota-grade-every-public-school-13762745.php |
Can Londons Knife-Crime Crisis Be Stopped? | On a cold spring morning last week, I went to Homerton hospital, in Hackney, East London, to meet Franklyn Addo, a youth worker whose job is to appear at the bedsides of young people, mainly boys, who have been stabbed, shot, or otherwise violently assaulted, and to persuade them to change their lives. Addo, who is twenty-five, has cropped hair, a wisp of beard, and wore a gray sweater with a security pass on a red lanyard. Redthread, the non-governmental organization that he works for, places youth workers in hospitals across London and the Midlands, and runs programs that help young people navigate the health-care system. The organization is named for the ball of string that Ariadne gave to Theseus to guide him out of the Labyrinth, after he had slain the Minotaur. Violence among young people in London is at its highest level in a decade. I met Addo in the hospital caf, where he ordered a sausage sandwich. This is our second office, he said, indicating tables occupied by couples with newborn babies and older people with walkers, passing the time. Addo grew up less than a mile from the hospital, on the Pembury Estate, a housing project that, in the summer of 2011, was an epicenter of the London riots, which were sparked by a police killing and rapidly ran out of control. That fall, Addo enrolled at the London School of Economics, to study sociology. He joined Redthread after watching its videos online. All my friends are investment bankers and such, Addo said, of his classmates. I just felt compelled to do something. A lot of us are being forced to reckon with our realities rather than be individualistic. Addos actual office is in the emergency room. He meets patients when they come through the door. Seeing them from as early as possible helps you remain etched in their memory, he told me. If someone isnt fully conscious, Addo will introduce himself anyway. Redthread workers are often present in the resuscitation room, where penetrating-trauma injuries have tripled in some London hospitals between 2010 and 2017. It was called the resurrection room by a young person the other day, Addo said. Around half of the patients whom Addo works with are under eighteen. He accompanies them to CT scans, to check for organ damage, and interprets what the doctors and nurses are saying. They cant take, you know, reams of time to explain, Addo said. Often he finds himself mediating between distressed family members and medical staff. Theres a lot of dynamics to manage, he said. He is also looking for what educators call a teachable momenta chance to encourage the victim to see his injury as an opportunity to get some professional help. Sometimes the moment comes; often it doesnt. Addo has been based at Homerton for almost two years. Some of his patients have been admitted several times. What we will do is be persistent, he said. We will have the same conversation. Its just not tiring of trying with these young people. There are occasions for hope. Earlier in the week, Addo had received a message on Twitter that a teen-ager had been wounded in the neighborhood. I cant be too specific, Addo said, describing the message. Basically, Someone might have come to your hospital. Can you check it out? It was the first time that he had been alerted to a patient by the local community rather than by the police, or by emergency personnel. That was lovely, Addo said. It was around 8 P.M. He wasnt working that night, but he headed to the emergency room anyway. When he arrived, the patient had already been discharged into police custody. Addo found out that he had also been removed from London, for his safety. But, a couple of days later, Addo was able to arrange a meeting. I met with him eighty miles from here, Addo said. We managed to engage, and now we will be able to offer support that could genuinely change his lifes trajectory. Embedding youth workers in emergency rooms is one of the most visibleand intuitiveelements of the recent attempt to recast knife crime in London as a public-health crisis. This past September, Sadiq Khan, Londons mayor, set up a Violence Reduction Unit at City Hall to cordinate initiatives run by the police, schools, the National Health Service, and local authorities into a long-term, citywide campaign. The V.R.U. is based on an effort in Scotland, begun in 2005, that has helped to cut the homicide rate there in half. On April 1st, Prime Minister Theresa May took a rare break from the all-consuming work of Brexit to host a summit, during which she commended the public-health approach to reducing knife crime. We cannot simply arrest ourselves out of this problem, she said. The government has proposed imposing a legal duty on teachers and nurses to report young people whom they suspect of carrying knives. In truth, London is caught in the confluence of two immensely complex phenomena, neither of which is obvious or easy to solve. One is an alarming, general rise in knife crime across the country. Between 2011 and 2018, the number of crimes involving a sharp instrument recorded by the police in England and Wales rose by almost a quarter. Rapes that involved a knife increased by sixty-nine per cent. Fatal stabbings are at their highest level since Home Office records began, in 1946. Almost eighty per cent of people caught in possession of a knife are adults. At the same time, serious youth violence in Londona broad definition that includes sexual offenses, gun-and-knife crime, and other forms of attackshas risen by almost twenty per cent. There are communities and demographics in which these two problems merge. Around half of males injured by knife crimes, and half of the male perpetrators, are black and under the age of twenty-four. They also are more likely to be poor, excluded from school, and vulnerable to mental-health problems. If you focus on the weapon, you can miss everything else. Addo told me that knives were involved in only about twenty per cent of the cases he sees at Homerton. We see all manner of mundane instruments used as weapons, from bricks on the street, to poles, to bottles in clubs. We have become fixated on knives, but its violence, he said. It is the desperation that causes you to weaponize anything around you. Part of the horror is how familiar all this is. A graph of knife crime in London over the last decade forms a U. It was high, then it fell, and since 2016 it has been rising fast again. The nightmare is recurring. Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor in charge of Londons new anti-violence strategy, set up a similar unit, in Hackney, nine years ago. It, too, was based on the Scottish model. You can go round and round, and the real frustration is that, at moments like this, you get absolute focus, she told me last month. And then after a year and two years, it peters out. John Poyton, the chief executive of Redthread, set up its violence-intervention program in the emergency department of Kings College Hospital, in Lambeth, as a pilot scheme, in 2005. He thought that he might do it for a year. Weve got to actually get to grips with the fact that its not a recent phenomenon, he told me. Its not even a ten-year phenomenon. Everyone has their own explanation for the latest increase in violence, from public-spending cuts, which have led to the closing of around a hundred youth clubs in London and reduced mental-health services and police funding; to new forms of drug-dealing, which are increasingly reliant on minors; and the dizzying impact of social media, a chilling hip-hop variant known as drill, and Londons claustrophobic, fractious inequality. The newest theories, and their related fixes, are guaranteed the most attention, whatever their utility. Last month, the police erected airport-style metal detectors, known as knife arches, outside night clubs in Londons West End, to deter people carrying weapons. In January, two twenty-one-year-old rappers, Skengdo and A.M., were given nine-month suspended jail sentences for performing a song whose lyrics contravened a court order banning rhymes that describe intrusions on to any other gang or groups perceived territory, or certain London postcodes. It makes the police look like theyre doing something, A.M. told the Guardian. The concept of the teachable moment was popularized by Robert Havighurst, an educational theorist at the University of Chicago, in the early nineteen-fifties. When the body is ripe, and society requires, and the self is ready to achieve a certain task, the teachable moment has come, he wrote. The idea is predicated on a certain synchronicity between the mind of the student and the mind of the teacher, but the event itself is spontaneous. Pain and vulnerability can help. It can go wrong. Barack Obama used the phrase to describe the controversy that erupted after the Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., was arrested while trying to enter his own house, in the summer of 2009. What I always say about teachable moments, that its hard to predict, Addo told me in the hospital caf. He recognizes that, for some of his patients, it is an achievement merely to have survived. I empathize, he said. The first thing is a show of humanity. Then Addo asks about their ambitions. Subtle questions, he said. Its just speaking through the potential outcomes, and making it real for them. But not everyone who has had a terrible experience will have an awakening. One response to trauma is to be overwhelmed to the point of dullness. They can also dissociate, Addo told me, and be resigned to, like, the massive structure. It is impossible to know whether London, now in the third year of its knife-crime emergency, is entering a teachable moment or whether it will succumb to dissociation. When I saw Linden, the deputy mayor, she told me that there were early signs that violence was stabilizing, but that it was too soon to tell. The risk of acknowledging that something is complicated and deep-rootedthe connotations of a public-health crisisis to accept that it is also somehow inevitable or a part of city life. The challenge is to be deliberate and outraged at the same time. At the end of our conversation, I asked Addo what he was doing next. He looked at his watch. At lunchtime, he was due to see a young man who had been wounded and admitted to hospital a couple of weeks earlier. Now they were going to meet at a local dessert parlor. Im quite excited, Addo said. Honestly, every opportunity to interact is an opportunity to change the trajectory. It genuinely, genuinely feels like a sense of urgency. He rose to go. | https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/can-londons-knife-crime-crisis-be-stopped |
Why are Rosamund Pike and Kate Winslet stuck in the CGI Moominvalley? | Always got slightly disconcerted by the Moomins. But they always made me nervous as a boy and, if were being honest, still do now. The original Moomins series more or less split the children who watched it into two adult camps: those who are still filled with a deep abyss of dread (me), or those who still buy Moomin-themed cups and Moomin-themed plates and Moomin plushies, even though theyre 40. And so this week to Moominvalley (Friday 26 April, 5.30pm, Sky One), where the Moomins are back, moving in that way they do, with their big eyes and their animal nudity, ready to either terrify or delight a new generation of children and keep the novelty teacup industry ticking over well into 2049. The latest iteration has everything: a crowdfunded pilot episode; an Oscar-winning director (Steve Box); and an all-star cast, featuring Taron Egerton (too big for this), Rosamund Pike (too big for this) and Kate Winslet (its Kate Winslet!). Things are still wholesome and sprinkled with woodland magic you always feel as though someones day can be unutterably altered by a mushroom but now the ink-and-primary-colours of the original art style have been switched out for squishier, blander computer animation. It is Easter, so I suppose this is what we want now: CGI remakes of beloved old childrens books, voiced by British actors Americans have heard of. It happened already with The Gruffalo (nice, colourful, smoothly made and very cute!) and Watership Down (horrible, but not quite horrible enough! Seemingly rendered on a chipped PS2! ), featuring, variously, Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden, Robbie Coltrane, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega and, because hes always about, Ben Kingsley. We are, frankly, about three ChristmasEaster weekend cycles away from a gritty reboot of The Very Hungry Caterpillar featuring Tom Hardy; a completely method performance where Hardy yells IM HUNGRY! in a Bane voice through huge mouthfuls of plums and sausages. I suppose the all-star cast is, if nothing else, a paean to the enduring appeal of the Moomins. Spiritually, Moominvalley is still the same as the beloved comics and cartoons that spawned it: the first episode sees Egertons Moomintroll tormented by Bel Powleys Little My, so he (spoilers!) sulks off to build a wooden house on the back of a giant turtle, because of course he does. And the creators have veered away from giving the Moomins, like, breaks to take selfies, or a top #100 rank on Fortnite, or a segment where Moomintroll teaches Moominpappa how to clumsily floss. Listen, its not going to change your life, but its nice enough to sit down and watch with your family after a roast. Sit back and let the threatless world of the Moomins soothe your battered soul. Try not to fixate on how eerie it is that they never really blink. | https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/13/moominvalley-sky-tv-rosamund-pike-kate-winslet |
Can the U.S. compete with China on 5G? | President Trump declared Friday he wants private companies, not the federal government, to take the lead in building Americas 5G telecommunications network. In the United States, our approach is private sector-driven and private sector-led, he told reporters in a White House appearance alongside Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai. Trumps statement was billed as an effort to promote a new spectrum auction and the allocation of new funds for bringing faster Internet service to rural areas. But, as Fortunes Aaron Pressman reported yesterday, both initiatives were old news; Trumps real aim was to squelch a well-funded lobbying effort to get the government to build the 5G network and lease it to private carriers. Politico offers a concise primer on the warring factions in the U.S. 5G debate. One on side: Pai and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who say building out the new high-speed network should be left to telecommunications giants like AT&T and Verizon. On the other: a coalition of Trump loyalists including Newt Gingrich and Trumps 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, who argue that, to ensure the U.S. doesnt fall behind China, government must seize the initiative in developing 5G. The Gingrich-Parscale camp touts a plan for the government to share 5G airwaves, via a third-party operator, with wireless companies on a wholesale basis. Backers of that approach, per Politico, include Rivada Networks, a politically connected firm backed by Trump ally and venture capitalist Peter Thiel that counts GOP operative Karl Rove as an investor and adviser. The Gingrich-Parscale plan is a modified version of an idea floated in a U.S. National Security Council memo revealed last year by Axios. The memo advocated federal takeover of the 5G mobile network on the grounds that China has achieved a dominant position in the manufacture and operation of network infrastructure. The NSC proposal was quickly killed off, according to the Financial Times. Critics of the Gingrich-Parscale alternative say it smacks of nationalization. AT&T and Verizon, through their trade association, have decried the idea. All four major U.S. carriers are rolling out their own 5G pilot programs, and promise 5G-compatible phones as early this year. Trumps comments yesterday appear to clarify whos side hes on. Whats unclear is whether the market-led approach will enable the U.S. to build out a 5G network faster and more effectively than China. One prominent skeptic: Democratic FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who tweeted Friday: So far this Administrations interventions on 5G have done more harm than good. The Wall Street Journal noted that many Wall Street observers, too, are skeptical the policies announced Friday would do much to change the daunting math for private-sector companies tasked with building the costly new networks across the U.S. A report issued last summer by Deloitte Consulting, summarized here by Aaron, agues China is winning the 5G race. The Washington Post says this report by Cisco Systems offers reasons Americans should breathe easier about the competition with China on 5G. Yet another report issued this month by global telecommunications research firm Analysts Mason concludes the United States is tied for first with China in global 5G readiness. About the only thing everyone does agree on when it comes to 5G: the stakes are enormous. More China news below. | http://fortune.com/2019/04/13/can-the-u-s-compete-with-china-on-5g/ |
What will happen to Oracle Arena when the Warriors leave for San Francisco? | Golden State Warriors' fans arrive for Warriors' game against Detroit Pistons at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, March 24, 2019. Golden State Warriors' fans arrive for Warriors' game against Detroit Pistons at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, March 24, 2019. 1 / 9 Back to Gallery When the Golden State Warriors leave Oakland for San Francisco at the end of this season, Oracle Arena's lights won't go off forever. Although the Warriors will be gone, Oracle will continue to host concerts, events and other sporting events, like high school and college games. That's the short-term plan. Long term, there are more questions. The stadium is tied up with the Oakland Coliseum, home (for now) of the Oakland A's. The 135-acre Coliseum site has had a number of proposals over the past few years as the A's planned and re-planned their exit from the area. In most of the proposals, the Coliseum is torn down and the area is redeveloped for residential and commercial use. ALSO: Ayesha Curry says San Francisco home prices have given her and Steph 'sticker shock' "The arena sits on 135 acres that is one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the Bay Area," Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf said in 2017. "We can't have a piecemeal decision and it has to be done with the community by our side every step of the way." The plans have Oracle Arena staying in place as a concert and event venue. ALSO: Steph Curry is an 'avid customer' at this surprising Bay Area food spot But that's all contingent on the A's actually getting a new stadium. They've got a plan to move to Howard Terminal, but financial negotiations with the port are still ongoing. The team hopes to begin construction in time to open their new stadium for the 2023 season. The Warriors will kick off the 2019-20 season at Chase Center in San Francisco's Mission Bay. The 18,000-seat arena hosts its first event on Sept. 6, when Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony perform. | https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/What-will-happen-to-Oracle-Arena-chase-center-13761030.php |
Are Fuchsias a good hanging basket plant in Louisiana? | Question for Dan Gill: I saw the most gorgeous fuchsias when I lived in the San Francisco Bay area, but years ago I was told that we couldnt grow them here because its too hot. I just couldnt resist buying one two days ago for a hanging basket. Denise Answer: The main issue is that fuchsias do not do well in heat. As a result, we cannot grow them over the summer. Once daytime highs start staying in the 80s, and certainly as they hit the 90s, and nighttime lows stay in the 70s, the plants quickly lose steam and languish. Generally, they die sometime during the summer from various fungal infections. They do, however, make attractive container plants or hanging basket plants from late winter/early spring to late spring/early summer. So, you can enjoy them from the time they arrive at the nurseries in February all the way through late May early June. But thats it. However, may gardeners consider it well worth the investment to enjoy these incredibly beautiful plants for three months or so. The later in the season the plants are purchased, the less bang for your buck. So, buy them as soon as you see them in the nurseries in early spring. Place them in a location that gets shade most of the day, although morning sun is fine. They do not like to get too dry between waterings, so water whenever the soil surface begins to feel dry. Dan Gill is a horticulturist with the LSU AgCenter. Email questions to [email protected] or add them to the comment section below. Follow his stories at www.nola.com/homegarden. | https://www.nola.com/homegarden/2019/04/are-fuchsias-a-good-hanging-basket-plant-in-louisiana.html |
What does Vienna have that Montreal doesnt? | If so, that title may go to Vienna. On March 13, for the 10th year in a row, the Austrian capital was named the best city in the world for quality of life, according to the annual Mercer Quality of Living survey. The top spot was not voted on by locals, tourists or journalists, but expats assigned to work abroad in locations where the quality of living or infrastructure differs from their hometowns. Everything from crime levels to waste management is taken into consideration, including public transit, electricity supply, phone services, education and climate. The only Canadian city to make the top 10 this year was third-place Vancouver. Toronto scored 16th, Ottawa 19th and Montreal came in 21st. The Economist also jumped on the Vienna bandwagon, naming it the worlds most livable city in 2018, knocking seven-year champion Melbourne off the podium. Canada did well by the Economists standards, tying Australia with three entries Calgary (4), Vancouver (6) and Toronto (7) in the top 10. But despite Canadas fine showing, Vienna is the city to beat or better yet, emulate. So proud are the Viennese of their high standing that they invited 140 journalists, including yours truly, from 14 countries to a symposium in October whose goal was more or less to show us all what they do so well. The focus was not so much on Mercers criteria, but rather the quality of life related to arts and culture, and also the challenge of preserving history while embracing modernity. Vienna Tourist Board director Norbert Kettner spoke at great length of the importance of students, artists and entrepreneurs, and also of the role of beauty, which pervades all aspects of a city. Topics ranged from a citys identity to its branding and energy, and a metropolis as a living organism. More like historical. Yet Vienna is known for its dichotomy between old and new waltzes and atonal music; wiener schnitzel and Michelin-starred cuisine; Mozart and Conchita Wurst, the Austrian recording artist, drag queen and winner of Eurovision 2014. Ground zero of the Vienna arts scene is the city centres 19th-century State Opera and the Musikverein, home to the Vienna Philharmonic, an orchestra considered one of the finest in the world. Every night in Vienna, 10,000 seats are filled in concert halls, 75 per cent of them by residents. Lining the citys famous Ring Road are theatres and historic Habsburg-era palaces, including the magnificent Belvedere museum one of dozens, ranging from the captivating Kunsthistorisches art museum to the Natural History Museum steps away. And yet unlike, say, Venice, Vienna is not seemingly frozen in time. Its contemporary side is also flourishing especially outside the city centre, in the 6th and 7th districts filled with branch restaurants, bars and boutiques. Heritage can be a blessing, but also a burden, said Kettner. Use the past as inspiration, but question what your legacy will be for the next 100 years. And sometimes being considered old-fashioned helps a city. It takes courage to say, Its not old-fashioned, its character. Viennas civic profile is as impressive as its cultural riches. At about the same size as Montreal (Viennas population is 1.8 million to Montreals 1.7 million), Vienna offers 1,170 kilometres of bicycle paths (compared to our 350 km) and 98 metro stations (compared to our 68). Travelling the 18 km from the Vienna airport to the city centre (three km further than in Montreal), there are not one but two quick public transit options: the 16-minute express City Airport Train for 12 ($18) or the 25-minute S-Bahn train for 4.40 ($6.60). Those up in arms over Projet Montrals plans to reduce the number of cars in our city would have plenty to grumble about in Vienna. Cars are discouraged, parking is costly and extremely limited, and the most important roads within the city centre are closed to motor vehicles. The politics are to make it not too comfortable for cars, tour guide and Vienna native Niki Knig told me, which made people unhappy at first, but now even the critics see how good it is. The result: the number of residents walking, cycling scootering! and taking public transport has increased 10 per cent since 2013, while private motor traffic has decreased by 13 per cent. Operating since 1865, Viennas electric-powered tram network is the fifth-largest in the world, coming in at about 176.9 kilometres. Many decisions were made because the city was poor, says Kettner. For instance, keeping the streetcars. After the war, we were not wealthy enough to abandon them, and today cities like Paris are introducing them. As for housing, accommodation in Vienna is plentiful and inexpensive. More than 80 per cent of residents rent, and two-thirds of citizens live in municipal or publicly subsidized housing, which facilitates employment in the city centre for low-paid workers. In Montreal, social and community housing represented only 11 per cent of rental units in 2013. Regarding education, Austria enjoys a free and public school system, and the federal ministry of education is responsible for funding and supervising primary, secondary and tertiary education. Vienna is the largest university city in the German-speaking countries, with a university student population 25,000 greater than in Montreal. While German is the official language of Vienna, most schoolchildren also get a solid grounding in English. Communicating in English is commonplace, particularly in hotels, stores, restaurants and other places used to dealing with tourists, though Austrians certainly appreciate the occasional bitte (please) and danke (thank you). When it comes to tourism, no surprise, Vienna comes out ahead, with 15,510,000 visitor overnight stays in 2017 a record year for them compared to 10,800,000 overnight stays in Montreal (which was up 5.1 per cent from 2016). But then, European cities will always have the edge, with Viennas palaces, parks, museums and more enjoyed on tours ranging from The Third Mans filming locations to the apartments of Empress Sisi. And Vienna is less expensive and less overrun with visitors than tourist meccas like Barcelona, Paris or London. Wait, youre thinking, Montreal has food! Well, so does Vienna. Although raves for Austrian cuisine are rare, the restaurant scene in Vienna ranges from establishments on the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list and chic cafs to wine bars, called heurigers, located on some 1,700 acres of vineyards on the outskirts of the city. The Viennese flock to heurigers at harvest time, much in the way Quebecers head out to cabanes sucre in spring. The 100-stall open-air Naschmarkt is comparable to Jean-Talon Market, save for the fact that one can enjoy local charcuterie and cheese with a glass of superb Austrian wine while standing outside soaking up the scene. As for street food, there are no trucks per se, but lineups are long at the Bitzinger sausage stand near the opera house; it sells beer along with the bratwurst, as do many street stalls around the city. But what Vienna does better than anyone is coffee-house culture. Customers are actually encouraged to linger over a mlange (Viennese coffee) while reading the daily (print!) newspapers, and there are several such coffee houses in every neighbourhood. Thankfully not. Most shops are closed on Sundays, service staff can be aloof, and there are certainly bad restaurants and overhyped museums. Politics looms large in Austria, considering its history rife with militant nationalism and anti-Semitism. Yet despite the rise of the right in Austrian politics, Vienna remains a left-wing bastion, priding itself on being a multicultural city. As of January 2018, Vienna was home to people of 181 nationalities. Vienna can also be, well, a little dull for some or, as a friend describes it, Too clean, too perfect. Slow is a word that comes up often when describing the pace of life. No! replies Jasper Sharp, the British-born art historian and curator of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Theres a humanity to the place we live in. In London and New York Im always chasing my tail. When I was 24, I didnt care about hospitals, transportation or schools. Now I do, and here they function. No, its not Berlin, New York, London or Paris. Its Vienna, and its remarkable as it is. | https://montrealgazette.com/life/what-does-vienna-have-that-montreal-doesnt |
Did Netflix and Amazon Prime give the measles new life? | CLOSE Outbreaks across the U.S. have forced officials to declare emergencies. It dates back to the anti-vax movement. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY Measles is a scary disease. But its current comeback tour is also a symptom of an even scarier epidemic: The proliferation of false or unreliable health information among consumers susceptible to unwarranted anxieties, dubious medical theories and unproven remedies. Epidemiologists attribute the national measles outbreak to rising parental skepticism about the vaccine that had virtually eradicated the disease in the United States before rise of the anti-vaxxer movement. Much of that distrust can be traced to the discredited theories of a now-defrocked scientist named Andrew Wakefield and a growing body of research credits social media and search titans like Facebook and Google and streaming video providers like Amazon and Netflix for disseminating Wakefield's work long after legitimate scientists had debunked it. How to check your records Other internet-fueled "misinfodemics" have been implicated in accelerating the spread of Ebola in west Africa and tooth decay in rural Australia, where conspiracy theories about fluoridation abound. Fanning the flames A massive study of Danish children released last month was only the latest to find no evidence supporting Wakefield's claim that the vaccine commonly administered to protect against measles, mumps and rubella increases the recipients' risk of autism. But "Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe," a 2016 documentary Wakefield directed, was still being distributed by Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and other streaming services until this year, when distributors finally yielded to objections raised by doctors' groups, public health advocates and congressional critics. Amazon pulled "Vaxxed" and at least four other anti-vaccination videos from its Prime Video line-up last month after California Congressman Adam Schiff fired off a letter warning Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that his company might be abetting a public health crisis. "There is strong evidence to suggest that at least part of the source of this [anti-vaccination] trend is the degree to which medically inaccurate information about vaccines surface[s] on the websites where many Americans get their information, among them Amazon," Schiff wrote. ". . . The algorithms which power social media platforms and Amazon's recommendations are not designed to distinguish quality information from misinformation or misleading information and, as a result, harmful anti-vaccine messages have been able to thrive and spread." Netflix and Hulu have also eliminated anti-vaxxer videos from their line-ups, although it's unclear when or why they chose to do so. Combatting falsehood with context Like many journalists weaned on the First Amendment faith that accurate information will prevail over bad in the evolutionary competition for survival, I have a reflexive distaste for anything that smacks of censorship. That's what Google has tried to do by deploying human evaluators to scrutinize the trustworthiness of what it calls YMYL websites that is, those that endeavor to advise users in making decisions about purchase and investments (Your Money) or health care (Your Life). Revised guidelines the search-engine company distributed to website reviewers last summer prioritize information sources whose authority and expertise is recognized by peers in industry and academia. In a similar effort to provide more context about news shared on its site, Facebook has augmented the data users see when they click on the Information icon that appears prominently in many posts. Besides providing third-party descriptions of the web-site that originally published the news and related articles from the same publisher, the expanded features shows how often the information has been shared and which of your Facebook friends is sharing it. Other things being equal, you might scrutinize a health study posted by your teenage neighbor more skeptically than one posted by practicing pediatricians from three different hospital groups. Kelly McBride, who chairs the Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Poynter Institute, applauds the steps Amazon, Google, and others have taken to stem the tide of bad health information. But she notes that Silicon Valley has been woefully slow to react to evidence that internet-fueled psuedo-science was depressing vaccination rates. "It has taken 10 years for platforms to address the problem," McBride says. "It took an actual outbreak." Trafficking in toxic rumors Streaming organizations that purport to offer users a curated selection of entertainment and news have an added obligation to impose filters more exacting than the algorithms showcasing what other subscribers are "watching now." "This isn't the government censoring what its citizens can see or read," McBride points out. "These are private platforms saying they've chosen not to amplify bad information, which is a perfectly legitimate business decision." Content providers like Amazon and Netflix don't just have the right to reject pseudo-science peddled by charlatans; they have a moral duty to do so, one that can't be mitigated by the fact that a bogus documentary is trending. Like the grocers who wittingly or unwittingly sells tainted meat, they shouldn't be excused from accountability just because the cuts they offer are especially popular with their customers. Brian Dickerson is the Free Press' editorial page editor. Contact him at [email protected]. Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/brian-dickerson/2019/04/13/measles-outbreak-fake-news-vaccines-anti-vaxxers/3446475002/ | https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/brian-dickerson/2019/04/13/measles-outbreak-fake-news-vaccines-anti-vaxxers/3446475002/ |
Who Gets to Decide Who Is an Authority on Food? | Over the last couple of years, with the releases of films such as Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and Wonder Womanmovies led by women and people of colorthere has been an outcry in the entertainment industry to diversify not just the crew and leadership behind the camera, but the critics pool as well. There are a number of arguments for this, including that the people reviewing these movies should also be reflective of the audiences for whom they were intended. Such a call for diversifying the critics circle is happening in the food industry as well. Historically, just like in entertainment, its impossible to deny that the majority of food critics have come from similar backgroundsnotably white, male, and upper middle class. That monoculture has had both indented and unintended consequences, but they usually result in the tokenism and exoticism of certain dishes, ingredients, and the communities these cuisines represent. This topicevaluating who is qualified to cook, write, and review foodwas an overarching topic at last weekends Cherry Bombe Jubilee, a day-long summit hosted by the bi-annual magazine and weekly podcast of the same name. In its sixth year, Cherry Bombe Jubilee is the largest female-food conference nationwide. On the cusp of publishing her first cookbook with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt later this month, New York Times and Bon Appetit contributor Priya Krishna outlined the circuitous route in finding her writing voice and specialty. In our field, the question of who gets to be an authority comes up a lot, Krishna said. I feel like it when I read about a tea company founded by a woman who claims to have invented chai. Krishna explained that when she was first starting out in food writing, shed often pitch stories about restaurant dishes, interesting people, and Indian foodbecause thats what I knew. Nevertheless, Krishna said she didnt want to just write about dosas. I had much bigger ambitions. I felt tokenized, Krishna said. At times, I felt I wasnt good enough to write about other things. But I was a freelancer and needed to pay rent, and this paid the bills. Padma Lakshmi, who wrote the forward for Krishnas book and also appeared on the Cherry Bombe Jubilee stage later in the day, reiterated similar feelings she expressed in her 2016 memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate. Often in my own career, Ive felt like the odd duck because I didnt see people around me who looked like me, Lakshmi said, describing later how after moving to the United States at the age of four, she observed that most Indian cultures were (mistakenly) lumped together by U.S. critics into a singular pan-Indian diet, regardless of the sheer diversity across the subcontinent. Krishna admitted she was originally uneasy about the title of her book, and that she was unwilling to have the word Indian in the title. She was concerned it would end up in ethnic bookstores and wouldnt be placed next to a cookbook from the likes of Nigella Lawson. But her publishers at disagreed, and they settled upon a final title: Indian-ish. But, as Krishna notes this book has both paneer and pizza, the true heart of the book might reside in the subtitle: Recipes and Antics From a Modern American Family. Krishna also observed how her culture has become popularif not misappropriatedin the food world over the last few years, describing how hipster coffee shops are now churning out turmeric lattes as just one prime example of drinks and dishes that have been served in India for centuries, but frankly only received attention in the United States when white people started talking about it. Publications, mostly still run by white people, often feel like they cant publish content without being attacked for appropriation, Krishna posited. Its not hard to see why there has been an endless amount of cover stories about roast chicken. Krishna suggested a fix, to wild applause from the Cherry Bombe audience: Hire people from all backgrounds. Mastheads cant all be people from the same background, the same part of the country, Krishna said. The more perspectives in the kitchen and in publications, the less tokenized the food will be, she argued, and thus the more inclusive restaurants and publications will feel to their respective audiences. And that doesnt just go for the critics themselves, but also the way they perceive the people they are covering and, often, honoring: There should never, ever, everbe an award called best female chef. Krishna also argued that, as people of color, were not off the hooked. She explained that she was pigeon-holed in her specialty because she knew Indian food, but that her other pitches didnt go deep enough. So she started putting more reporting into her pitches, resulting in a myriad of different reporting assignments, including writing about the opioid crisis in Kentucky. I criticize white dudes about miswriting about Indian food all the time, but that doesnt mean were all not prone to mistakes. We all have to do the homework, Krishna continued. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of others who need to do the homework. In shopping her book, Krishna said she received comments from prospective publishers and editors such as Where is the curry?, that there were too many ingredients, and even publishers remarking that they were already producing a lot of immigrant stories while asking for something else. Even after a panel discussion just a few weeks ago, an audience member told Krishna to stay in her own lane. This shit still happens, Krishna said flatly. Regardless, Krishna says she still has hope that as more women and people of color take on more roles of authority and management in the food industry, that they will also lift up others in less privileged positions. I hope, as women well go out of our ways to make respective work environments more inclusive at all levels, Krishna said. Some days, I feel like these goals are really far away. But today isnt one of those days. | http://fortune.com/2019/04/13/cherry-bombe-jubilee-food-critics-chefs/ |
Did Irwin Jacobs improve the companies he targeted? | Lord only knows how many different businesses Irwin Jacobs touched during his career, but it was his high-profile public role as a takeover artist that turned him into a celebrity. Now such people might be called activist investors, but takeover artist or corporate raider is what they were known as in the 1980s. Thats when Jacobs routinely made financial news, by jostling for control of the Pabst Brewing Co., the Walt Disney Co., Kaiser Steel and other companies. A Jacobs investor group hardly ever got control. Yet when Jacobs sold his stake and moved on, as he reportedly did at a big profit with Disney, he still claimed a big win. I think Disney is better off than its been in years, he told the Washington Post in 1984, after Disney had restructured itself. I have served a purpose in that company. At the time that kind of statement probably led to nothing but eye-rolling among corporate managers, yet the argument still holds up. Jacobs, 77, died last week in a personal tragedy, shooting his wife and then himself. Though still well-known in local business circles, his celebrity peaked back in the 1980s. And its important to understand that era, of how there came to be an opportunity for guys like Jacobs and how having them in the market forced companies to clean up their operations. Shareholders back then had been through a rough patch, as only the lucky or the masterful could have made much money in stocks in the 1970s. The price-to-earnings ratio of the S&P 500 into the early 1980s didnt get out of the high single digits, maybe half of what it is now. There also had been plenty of pain in the broader economy, with an unhappy combination of stagnant economic growth and price inflation. Americans had started feeling increasingly anxious about global competition, particularly as more Americans turned to Toyota and other imported brands for reliable and economical cars. It was also just after the golden era of American conglomerates, big holding companies like Teledyne that bought company after company in all sorts of different industries. It wasnt just dealmaker CEOs who assembled unrelated businesses. Our local food giant General Mills once owned both the maker of Play-Doh and the retailer Talbots. To the takeover investors, American companies looked unfocused and unresponsive to shareholders and were presided over by executives who appeared a little too satisfied just to be part of an exclusive club. For those who sought to take on these companies, a hardscrabble background was an advantage. Victor Posner, whose shamelessly self-serving ways eventually got him banned from any involvement with a public company, is often credited as the pioneer of hostile takeovers. He reportedly gave up formal schooling to go to work at age 13. The real skill here wasnt knowing how to add a lot of value to the products or services. It was understanding how much more some asset would be worth if it could somehow get carved out and sold to the right buyer. And the takeover investor had to have thick skin, as a lot of feathers get ruffled in a takeover fight. Irwin Jacobs was already in the family business by the time he finished high school and gave college just a couple of days before quitting. His early years in business dont sound like they could have been easy, moving from buying and selling burlap bags to lots of other products. A turning point in his career was buying the Grain Belt brewery, a deal that both netted a return as well as introduced him to a future partner, the banker and investor Carl Pohlad. Theres not nearly enough space to fully cover the busy period that followed. In a more or less typical project, he invested a couple of years into trying to take over Pabst, through tender offers, lawsuits and proxy campaigns. This and other forays turned him into a media star. I like to buy dollars for 50 cents, the Wall Street Journal reported him explaining to a rapt audience of securities analysts in 1985. Corporate CEOs along with boards of directors found ways to fight back, including measures like granting special rights to existing shareholders in a takeover, thus throwing sand in the gearbox of a takeover attempt. Companies also would buy back the corporate raiders stock, a practice called paying greenmail that let the raider pocket quick trading profits without completing a deal. Jacobs said he was serious about wanting to be in charge, not simply being a corporate raider. He proved it when his group in 1985 did seize control of a big American corporation, AMF Inc. In a conversation with the New York Times once the deal closed, Jacobs didnt bother masking his contempt for the AMF brass and their fondness for limos, private jets and executive dining rooms. It wasnt long before market conditions changed enough for takeover activity to wind down. In looking back, American companies had become leaner and better focused, but not without costs. An example we are still living with is called Revlon duties for board members, named from a lawsuit brought in the battle for the beauty-products company. The suit established a legal obligation for corporate boards in takeover situations to simply pick the highest price for shareholders. That seems to be one reason shareholder value now completely swamps any other consideration in overseeing public companies. Jacobs didnt completely leave the public eye as takeover activity subsided. For years he remained a favorite source for journalists, if for no other reason than his willingness to get on the phone and respond to questions. And thats maybe one of the reasons to look back wistfully at the takeover era. Jacobs sure made it sound like he was having an awful lot of fun. | http://www.startribune.com/did-irwin-jacobs-improve-the-companies-he-targeted/508505652/ |
Will gaffes on social issues affect Alberta election results? | CALGARYThe economy, not social issues such as LGBTQ rights, will be top of mind for Susan Yuen when she votes for the United Conservative Party in Albertas election on Tuesday. The social issues, as important as they are, do take a back burner, because what good do the social issues have if people cant survive and cannot feed their families? she asked at a pro-oil rally in Calgary last week. United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney speaks during a campaign rally in Edmonton, Alta., on Friday, April 12, 2019. ( CODIE MCLACHLAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS ) The accountant has seen 30 to 40 per cent of her colleagues at her oil and gas company get the chop. We have to prioritize whats important and I think whats important right now is the economy and getting it back on track. The right-of-centre UCP led by Jason Kenney has been dogged by revelations of racist and homophobic remarks by candidates in open nomination contests and during the campaign. Kenneys own history fighting LGBTQ rights as a young man has been put in the spotlight. He pins it on social mores at the time and has said its something he regrets. Article Continued Below The phrase lake of fire a reference to a Wildrose candidates blog post describing where unrepentant gays would spend eternity has become shorthand in Alberta for politically damaging bigotry. In 2012 the economy was booming. Article Continued Below When people are thinking about economy and jobs, theyre not necessarily thinking about equity, said University of Calgary political scientist Melanee Thomas. Thomas said shes bothered by the either/or framing around the economy and social issues in this election, because research shows that diversity tends to have big economic payoffs. For instance, it tends to attract and retain skilled workers of all orientations and backgrounds. These things are the same issue, she said. You do not get to separate them. This election is also happening against the backdrop of a general swell in far-right populism and the attendant anti-immigrant sentiment espoused by U.S. President Donald Trump and the amorphous yellow-vesters. People might be more numb to it, said Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary. The nerve is not as sensitive as it would have been in previous times. Kenney has argued that the NDP has led a fear-and-smear campaign by harping on UCP gaffes, because the New Democrats cant defend their economic record in government. The NDP has been trying to woo small-c conservative voters unable to stomach views emerging from the UCP camp. Kenny has distanced himself from remarks that led two star Calgary candidates to resign early in the campaign. The left-leaning Press Progress website published part of a private 2017 Facebook conversation in which Caylan Ford seemed to lament the replacement of white people in their homelands. Eva Kiryakos said someone outside the party was trying to smear her by threatening to release online posts in which she called Muslim migrants in Europe rapefugees and took aim at transgender washrooms in schools. Kenney thanked Kiryakos for her selfless decision to step aside. Other candidates have come under criticism, but remain in the race, including Mark Smith, who in a 2013 sermon mentioned pedophilia while suggesting homosexual relationships arent good love. Kenney condemned the remarks, but said he was confident Smith would live by the UCPs tolerant ethos if re-elected. Williams noted bozo eruptions didnt rear their heads until late in the 2012 campaign. In addition to the lake of fire debacle, another candidate suggested he was better able to lead his constituents because he was white. Wildrose leader Danielle Smith also argued the science of human-caused climate change was unsettled. The impact was sudden and devastating in that particular case, but this time, its been a prolonged drip, drip, drip, Williams said. It has had an impact. The question is will it have enough of an impact to make a difference one way or the other. She said she cant understand why, on a strategic level, Kenney hasnt been more strenuous in his condemnations. Certainly some people are questioning if theres some sort of debt owed to those (social conservative) constituencies within the party or if Jason Kenney himself is more sympathetic to some of those views. Thomas suggested those who have espoused racist or white nationalist views seemed to have been dealt with more harshly than those who made homophobic comments. I dont think this is a bozo thing, she said. I think this is understanding that social conservative voters put some conservative parties ahead. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2019/04/13/bozo-eruptions-will-gaffes-on-social-issues-affect-alberta-election-results.html |
Can Hellboy generate any box office heat? | Hellboy leads a pack of four new movies widely released into theaters this weekend. And while director Neil Marshalls antihero reboot will likely finish best among them, it might find the sledding a little tougher when it comes to dethroning last weeks top film. That would be the DC Comics/Warner Bros.' adventure comedy Shazam!, which makes a persuasive case for moderately budgeted superhero movies - and which might end up being remembered as a quiet game-changer where thats concerned. (Thats what weve come to: A $100 million production budget is now considered moderate for superhero films.) Shazam! is coming off an impressive $70 million opening weekend domestically and $196 million globally. That, combined with a healthy 90 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggests another strong weekend on tap. Little movie review: A Big ripoff with a secret weapon 14-year-old Marsai Martin proves to be a dimpled, scene-stealing delight. On the other hand, Hellboy could have its legs cut out from under it by dismal reviews. As of Friday afternoon (April 12), it had a 13 percent approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 124 reviews. According to Box Office Mojo, its expected to take in $14 million to $17 million in its opening weekend. That number will probably lean toward the higher end of that scale if its take from Thursday night previews means anything, but it still wont likely be enough to topple Shazam! Watch me talk more about this weeks box office highlights in my weekly movies segment for WVUE-Fox 8 television. You can watch it in the video below, and you can tune in live every weekend at 8:40 a.m. | https://www.nola.com/entertainment/2019/04/can-hellboy-generate-any-box-office-heat.html |
Is A Fragmented Internet Inevitable? | Getty Images As governments across the world have awoken to the immensely disruptive power of the internet, they have moved swiftly to contain and shape its forces in ways that mirror their national interests. Not since satellite television removed the last vestiges of informational sovereignty by enabling nations to forcibly beam their narratives and beliefs inside the borders of foreign countries have governments dealt with such a loss of control. The internet has profoundly reshaped our informational landscape. No longer do a small pool of elite gatekeepers in each country control informational access. Instead, the failure of governments to foresee the impact of the web meant its early years were largely left to the hands of technology companies to oversee. The ad-supported nature of these platforms meant they naturally gravitated towards freely provided user-generated content, creating distribution systems that enabled anyone in the world to broadcast their thoughts and beliefs in realtime to the entire planet or communicate privately with their friends, neighbors and colleagues. Over time, the web naturally consolidated into a handful of walled gardens that today have in many ways become the internet itself. These digital dictatorships transcend traditional national borders, enforcing their beliefs, narratives and rules on the world at large. Rather than a small set of elites in each country setting the ground rules for the internet for their respective societies, a single centralized set of elites in Silicon Valley set the rules for all countries. These rules prioritize profit over privacy and physical safety, are entirely opaque, have no genuine recourse or appeals process and change constantly at the whims of their owners. Most importantly, these global rules are built on a premise that Silicon Valley represents the perfect pinnacle of human achievement that all peoples on this planet must strive towards as the one true correct set of narratives, beliefs, perspectives and understandings. In essence, Silicon Valleys enforcement of a single set of global rules of what is permissible to say, see and believe online represents a new generation of enforced cultural colonialism. Under Silicon Valleys approach to internet governance there is no room for societies, cultures or beliefs different from its own. Much like its colonial predecessors, the Valley believes the world should look like itself and leverages its near-absolute power over the informational landscape in countries across the world to forcibly delete narratives and beliefs that run contrary to its own and corral entire societies into conforming to what it believes they should be like. The early internet flourished so successfully because it respected societys differences. Across the world people speak different languages, have different backgrounds and experiences, are shaped by different narratives and share different beliefs. The early internets distributed nature was designed for survivability and redundancy, but such an architecture meant it respected our global differences. Entirely by accident, the internet came into being in a way that respected that across the world we are different people. In contrast, todays increasingly centralized web is restoring the concept of centralized gatekeepers, but this time replacing country-specific gatekeepers that reflected local cultural narratives and beliefs with a single set of global gatekeepers enforcing Silicon Valleys version of culture globally. Under this new centralized gatekeeping model there is no room for difference. Countries are not permitted to have their own unique cultures consisting of narratives and beliefs that differ from those of Silicon Valley. There is only one set of rules and they apply to all countries equally. Such an approach simply cannot work in a world in which countries have the power to push back. National governments throughout the world are increasingly finding that Silicon Valleys profit over privacy and safety mindset is incompatible with their own societal values. Definitions of what constitutes illegal and unethical content also differ wildly across societies. Rather than forcibly export Americas beliefs to the world to the point of replacing all other cultures, social platforms have instead run into the reality that when cultures collide, governments will take steps to ensure the continuation of what their societies value to protect their cultural heritage. As Silicon Valleys beliefs increasingly conflict with those of the rest of the world, there is simply no alternative but for this centralized model to give way. There are only three possible pathways forward. The first is that Silicon Valley embraces our collective diversity and differences and replaces its centralized set of rules with country-specific rules that voluntarily fragment themselves. This would ensure global connectivity that reflects local diversity. The second is that governments across the world pass new legislation that forcibly fractures the internet by creating mutually incompatible rules that balkanize digital regulation. Under this model the companies will either be broken up via legislation or will be forced to change to localized rules, but under the terms of governments across the world, rather than on their own terms. The third option is both the most Orwellian and perhaps the most likely in the immediate term. Leveraging their immense control over the informational landscape, social media companies could take active control over the narratives in each country, blocking any discussion or embracing of local regulations and promoting narratives that portray their centralized rulesets in a positive light. Given that Facebook and Twitter in particular increasingly form the conduit between civil society and their elected or appointed representatives, it would not take much effort for them to combat the push towards increased regulation. Putting this all together, it is clear that the current approach of a single centralized set of content rules enforced at planetary scale and their attendant demands for a single uniform society that removes all diversity and difference from the earths population is simply not tenable. The centralized web has no choice but to fracture. In the end, the only question is which path we take towards a fragmented internet and how successful it will be. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2019/04/13/is-a-fragmented-internet-inevitable/ |
Do we have a moral duty to pay taxes? | By Brookes Brown Brown is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Law, Liberty, & Justice Program, Clemson University Its tax season. Americans will pay an average of US $10,489 in personal taxes about 14 percent of the average households total income. Most will do so because they think it is their civic duty. Many believe they are morally obliged to obey the law and pay their share. But as tax day approaches, many Americans will bemoan their tax bill and complain that it is unfair. Reasons to obey the law Many philosophers agree that we should obey the law. In his book, The Crito, Plato, for example, describes Socrates choice after the Athenian jury sentenced him to death for impiety. Crito, a wealthy friend of Socrates, arranges for him to escape from the prison a night before his execution. Socrates refuses saying he ought to obey the law. In explaining his decision, Socrates hinted at roughly three reasons why it would be wrong for him to break the law: First, he had chosen to stay in the city for many years despite being at liberty to leave if he did not like the laws. Second, he might hurt other people by damaging the state if he disobeyed. Finally, he had benefited from the laws in the past. More recent scholars endorse many of these claims. Eighteenth-century philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that citizens agreed to the law of the state by continuing to live in the place. Locke, for example, held that if a man owns or enjoys some part of the land under a given government, while that enjoyment lasts he gives his tacit consent to the laws of that government and is obliged to obey them. Twentieth-century British philosopher R.M. Hare suggests that citizens should obey the lawto promote good social outcomes. Another British philosopher of the same era, H.L.A. Hart argued that citizens should comply out of fairness to others who obey. He held that it is unfair, and therefore wrong to benefit from their actions, without doing the same for them in turn. Yet it is hard to see why these arguments would give the average citizen a moral responsibility to pay their taxes. Most of us never consented to the law. We were simply born here. Leaving would be costly, and even the chance to emigrate is dependent on another countrys willingness to accept us. Given the amount of government waste and its total budget individual citizens could think that their tax bill is unlikely to make a difference to the services the government can provide. Even if they agree with how the government spends money, they might therefore conclude they have no reason to contribute. After all, one persons ten thousand dollars is not going to determine whether the military can secure national borders. The most commonly defended argument from scholars for why one should pay taxes is a duty of fair play. Fair play is the notion of reciprocity, the idea that you should not take advantage of others. As philosophers like George Klosko argue, people benefit from their fellow citizens paying their taxes. They enjoy the roads that everyone helps pay for, the fire departments they fund. They ought to pay back fellow citizens who benefited them, just like you ought to do something for a friend who gives you a ride to the airport. The case against paying taxes As a philosopher who studies civic ethics, I have argued in a recent paper that this kind of responsibility still does not explain why one should pay taxes. The idea that we have to pay your taxes because other people have benefited by paying theirs rests, from my perspective, on a wrongly narrow view of what it means to satisfy ones duties of reciprocity. All that reciprocity requires is that one should compensate people for the work they have done that benefits us. Just like we can repay a friend who gives us a ride to the airport by doing something else that benefits them say, making them dinner or helping them move so too can we repay our fellow citizens by doing something other than paying our taxes. Lots of actions benefit your fellow citizens that you might pay for taking a pay cut to do legally discretionary work to help the environment, volunteering to do policy research, choosing a career in public service over a more financially rewarding line of work, and more. If you do enough such acts, it could be argued, you would have no duty of reciprocity to pay your taxes. You would already have done enough to compensate your fellow citizens. Why pay taxes Given this, the best argument for paying our taxes, as I argue in my paper, is intellectual humility. And here is what it means. Satisfying these duties of reciprocity requires successfully compensating our fellow citizens for all the burdens they took on our behalf. As one can imagine, it is a hard calculation to make. It is difficult to know if we have done enough. If we choose not to pay taxes because we think we have already repaid our fellow citizens in other ways, we run a strong risk of getting it wrong. Paying the tax bill is one way of avoiding that risk and making sure we treat our fellow citizens fairly. Editors note: This piece is part of our series on ethical questions arising from everyday life. We would welcome your suggestions. Please email us at [email protected]. | https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2019/04/do-we-have-a-moral-duty-to-pay-taxes.html |
What does the rest of Europe think about our Brexit shambles? | Patrick van IJzendoorn The Netherlands Patrick van IJzendoorn, De Volkskrant From the first, it was clear this would end in a quintessentially English muddle Near where I live stands the old dwelling of Italo Svevo, the Italian writer and factory owner. This England is so different, he wrote in one of his daily letters to his wife, who had stayed behind in Trieste. With this remark in mind, as well as my own observations on this blessed bit of land since 2003, the vote to leave the EU didnt surprise me. The romantic anglophile in me even has a soft spot for this audacious, quixotic decision. But from the first moment it was clear that it would end in a quintessentially English muddle. The country was woefully under-prepared for such a momentous move. Apart from a disappointing generation of political leaders there is a lack of long-term planning. The British excel in organising royal weddings, state funerals and Olympic Games, but otherwise improvising seems to be the default approach. And one cannot improvise Brexit. There was imperial nostalgia. I sensed a mood of pride and patriotism, too, after glorious events like London 2012 (the opening ceremony!) and the Diamond Jubilee. What surprised me as a journalist was the fact that pro-Brexit politicians were more willing to be interviewed and that, at the start of any conversation, Brexit voters praise continental culture (Dutch paintings!). My view of Britain has not fundamentally changed. I have never taken Brexit personally and I have not had Johnny Foreigner-go-home like experiences. On the contrary, I remember the moment when my Remain-voting neighbour was both relieved and happy when I told her that my love for the country and its people was untouched. A love, by the way, that includes my Brexiter-friends. The playful mood during most Brexit protests, I think, has been rather British. And I hope this remains the case regardless of the outcome of this peculiar episode in the island story. France Sonia Delesalle-Stolper, Libration Breakfast with a Brexiter MP. I go continental. He has the full English This is a typical day in my life covering Brexit. 06.30: I am ex-army, my dad never surrendered, unlike the French! I see the MP Marc Francois, riding a unicorn and wielding a sword in front of EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. I wake up with a jolt and realise I am (not) completely hallucinating. Marc Francois is just wrapping up his interview on Radio Four. 07.15: Off to Westminster. I bump into my neighbour and her dog. She barks at me: What a shitshow! What is going on? Once again I regret having ever told her that I was a foreign correspondent. 08.30: Breakfast with an MP. He is an ardent Brexiteer so I will explicitly pick the continental option. And he will respond with full English. It works every time. 09.15: Breakfast wrapping up. I wanted you to realise that we are not monsters and we like you, the MP says. Hmmm. It is amazing how worried British politicians have become about their image abroad. 09.30: My chief editor calls me: So, tonight is the crucial vote? I sigh: Yes, maybe. But maybe not. It all depends on the amendements that the Speaker will allow on the motion. If he allows the vote because, according to a convention dating back 1604, he might not The line clicks. My editor has hung up on me. Clearly, not clear enough. 11.00: I walk past parliament and spot more European flags than I could have counted in my 20 years in this country before Brexit. Having repeatedly learnt divorced, beheaded and two world wars and one World Cup, it seems the English have finally broadened their horizons beyond the Channel. 18.00: I watch the debate in parliament. My kids mess about. I scream Orrrrrrdddeeerrr!. 22.30: I try to summarise for the paper: MPs in tears, naked buttocks in the chamber, Corbyn promoting falafels at the British kebab awards, Theresa May vlogging in Downing Street. Ah non, pas a! I cry myself to sleep. Jakub Krupa Poland Jakub Krupa, Polish Press Agency For many, if not most, of the million Poles in Britain, this is their home If you ever thought that a legally non-binding parliamentary process of voting in the House of Commons on an amendment to an amendment to an indicative proposal with both main parties being deeply, personally divided is confusing try explaining that in another language. Aside from this, my job as a UK correspondent is made very special and potentially a little trickier than that of my colleagues by the fact that I serve two distinct groups of readers: those back in Poland, who have the unexpected benefit of seeing key debates broadcast live on television with a Polish voiceover of John Bercows orderr!, and a large diaspora community here, looking for some definitive answers on Brexit (good luck with that!). One of the most striking features of Brexit coverage for me is how often people ask me if I know any Poles going back home, by which they mean to Poland. Yes, the number of Poles leaving Britain is a bit higher than it has been in previous years, but nowhere close to Brexodus levels that some had feared. For all we know, those who decide to move to Poland are mostly early career professionals looking for new opportunities in the countrys thriving economy, and relatively young couples. The reasons behind their decisions, however, are much more complicated than it might have seemed at first. While Brexit uncertainty was perhaps what made them take a step back and reconsider their long-term plans, it rarely ever was the main reason for their move. So many migration stories start in the same, slightly accidental, way: I came here for a month, and then In most cases, it was not meant to be a permanent move, but something that evolved into such over the years as we gradually developed our attachment or even love to our new country. of the one million Poles in Britain this is their home now. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stefanie Bolzen Germany Stefanie Bolzen, Die Welt Our readers are incredibly knowledgeable but they are fed up with it The day after the Brexit referendum in 2016, I went to Romford. I was keen to talk to people in one of the highest Leave-voting constituencies. In a pub on South Street, I chatted to an elderly lady who was sitting at a table next to her two sons. Both had voted for Leave. She had voted Remain. I asked her. There was this logo on a red bus, saying our money should remain in the UK. Thats why I voted for Remain, she said. The country has been on a steep learning curve ever since, especially about the European Union. And I myself about this country. I started this job in 2013, arriving from Brussels after four years spent covering EU affairs. I did not expect my move from the heart of Europe across the Channel to be such a massive leap. Maybe my first reporting assignment should have been a warning: it was David Camerons Bloomberg speech. It is a privilege and a challenge to be the UK correspondent for a German newspaper. Our readers back home are incredibly knowledgeable about this place. They speak the language, read British news online, travel to every corner of these islands. They watch BBC shows, attend British universities. By now they all know Mister Order! Ordeeeer! John Bercow, too. Like the British public they are fed up with Brexit, though. For what purpose? they ask. Despite growing exhaustion, I still try to find answers. When talking to the author Hilary Mantel a while ago, I found one persuasive explanation: England has been too long a nation to see her own nationalism, she said. There is something unquestioning in the English mindset. Whether or not the merciless Brexit learning process will change that, I dont know. I only know it is an incredibly exciting time to be a reporter in this place. When, in a surreal speech in the evening of 20 March, Theresa May launched an attack on parliament and criticised it for infighting and political games that had robbed the British people of their Brexit, I couldnt believe it. Here was a prime minister branding as enemy an institution that we Italians regard as a cradle of western democracy. This the latest absurd paradox of Brexit: that as Italian and European readers are becoming rather fond of the glorious House of Commons and of the British parliaments theatricality, the British seem increasingly unhappy with it: according to a recent survey, more than half of them would like to see a strong leader willing to break the rules. And yet, now more than ever, Britons should be proud of their parliament and of the mess it has unleashed. Because its political debates are authentic, intense and passionate. Because serious politics, such as dismantling 40 years of links with the EU, is a far slower and more tortuous process. And because in other countries, the parliament does not have the same character or importance: in Italy, for example, there have been brawls, and debates are quashed with votes of confidence; in France the parliament comes a strict second to the lyse; and in Germany there is just not the same emotion. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing John Bercow at Westminster. Today the Speaker is an idol in Europe for his bellowed rhetoric that blends Shakespeare and Monty Python. Despite the Munchian zeitgeist (never has an exhibition seemed so timely as the British Museums this April), British politics is ever more appreciated abroad; Mr Speaker explained to me why it is because, here, the parliament is the soul of everything. No one knows how its going to end. But, meantime, God save Westminister. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/13/what-does-the-rest-of-europe-think-about-our-brexit-shambles |
Is there really a quarterback competition at Ohio State? | COLUMBUS, Ohio New coach Ryan Day is doing his best to convince everyone theres a quarterback competition at Ohio State. He contends redshirt freshman Matthew Baldwin, who spent last season rehabbing a knee injury, has a chance to beat out the much-ballyhooed Justin Fields, a Georgia transfer and former five-star recruit in 2018. I dont really know right now, Day insisted after both quarterbacks showed potential in the spring game Saturday. Im going to keep looking at it. I know I keep saying that to you and everybody wants to know, but I dont think right now were going to make a decision on that. I think it will continue through the preseason. Make no mistake, though, the arrival of Fields was a seismic game-changer for Ohio State, which was losing Heisman finalist Dwayne Haskins Jr. to the NFL draft. When the news came out that Fields was jumping schools, Tate Martell, last years backup and seemingly the heir apparent at Ohio State, quickly announced his transfer and caught on with Miami. The mobile and undersized Martell saw the writing on the wall after Urban Meyer decided to retire. Fields was a guy who fit right into Days offensive plan, the one that made a superstar out of the rifle-armed Haskins in his one and only year as a starter. Next in line was Baldwin , who started for one season in high school, injured a knee in his last prep game in 2017 and has yet to play in a college game. For what its worth, both had their moments in the spring game, with the advantage of wearing no-contact jerseys in a scrimmage that had limited tackling. They both flashed at times, Day said. Its still a work in progress. The book on Fields is that he can make most of the passes Haskins did but is more mobile. Baldwin personally recruited by Day out of Texas can sling it, too. But Fields who acknowledges he chose Ohio State because he sees it as his quickest and best route to the NFL is Days biggest prize thus far. (Fields) made plays, Day said earlier in the spring. Came out with a good attitude in terms of understanding what it takes to be a quarterback preparation-wise. Did a good job early on. So hes picked it up pretty quickly overall. The fact that hes able to kind of run the offence right now with not a lot of reps under his belt is pretty significant. Fields is saying all the right things. I knew I would kind have to work to get the starting job, he said. I mean, coach Day didnt promise me anything. He told me I would have to come in here and work for it, so Im just looking forward to getting better. Baldwin contends he wasnt surprised or deflated when Ohio State went after and landed Fields. When asked about his chances to start, Baldwin noted that Fields went to Georgia expecting to play and then got stuck behind Fromm on the depth chart. Thats part of making your decision are you going to have a chance to play? Baldwin said. Thats something I definitely thought I had coming in here. It is a different thing when they bring in (new) guys, but every coach, if there is a chance to get a really good player theyre going to go out and get him. So thats just something you have to accept and move forward. NOTES: Thayer Munford, the only returning starter on the offensive line, missed spring practice due to and injury, as did safety Jordan Fuller. Also held out of the spring game due to injuries were linebacker Tuf Borland and running back DeMario McCall. Punter Drue Chrisman proposed to his girlfriend , Avery Eliason, on the field at halftime. She said yes. More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/APTop25 Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacy | https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/football-sports-pmn/is-there-really-a-quarterback-competition-at-ohio-state |
Why are strokes on rise for the young? | When the news broke that Luke Perry, the heartthrob star of 90s show Beverly Hills, 90210, had died of a stroke, it briefly felt like another terribly sad but all too common celebrity death announcement. But then you do a double take: Perry was just 52. He wasn't overweight, and he'd never been a known heavy drinker or drug taker. Then Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, 32, revealed last month she had a life-threatening stroke when she was 24. There is evidence to suggest strokes are increasing among younger people. According to a recent US study published in the health journal JAMA Neurology, the rate of people under the age of 45 hospitalised due to strokes is rising. At the same time, stroke hospitalisation is declining among the older age groups. Public Health England recently found that between 2007 and 2016, the average age for a man to have his first stroke has dropped from 71 to 68, and for women it fell from 75 to 73. Over the same period, the number of first-time strokes suffered by 40 to 69-year-olds rose from 33 per cent to 38 per cent. Advertisement In New Zealand, about a quarter of all strokes occur in people under the age of 65. About 40 children have a stroke every year. While many cases of stroke are hereditary or caused by pre-existing health conditions studies show that our modern lifestyles are playing a part. Rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and alcohol consumption all known risk factors for stroke are rising and at the same time we're becoming more sedentary than ever (another stroke risk factor). Actor Luke Perry died after a stroke aged 52. Photo / AP Things like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and eating unhealthy foods can damage your blood vessels, increase your blood pressure and make your blood more likely to clot. "We predict that with increasing rates of obesity, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles, the number of strokes across the UK is likely to rise by almost half (44 per cent) in the next 20 years," said Alexis Kolodziej, deputy director of policy and influencing at the UK's Stroke Association. Some of the risk factors are specific to women. High levels of oestrogen the female hormone can make your blood more likely to clot. And during pregnancy, conditions like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes can raise the risk of a stroke. Other theories include contraception use. If you see any of these three signs, it's time to call 111. | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12222121&ref=rss |
Why Are Golfers Putting With the Flagstick in at the Masters? | If the Masters is the first golf tournament you've watched this year, you were probably surprised to see some players leaving the flagstick in while they putt. This is an odd sight for sure, since having a putt hit the flagstick used to be a penalty...but not anymore. As part of a "modernization" of the rules that went into effect on Jan. 1, golfers of all levels are now permitted to leave the flagstick in the hole when they putthitting it no longer results in a penalty. Here's one thing the rulemakers might not have considered: leaving the flagstick in provides a competitive advantage. Bryson DeChambeau, the famously science-over-everything 25-year-old, was the first convert. He said last year that he's seen experiments suggest that it's advantageous to leave the flagstick in for all puttsif a putt is going to fast, the pin serves as a backstop, so when the ball hits it, it loses momentum and drops. Additionally, having a stick in the middle of the hole provides an extra object of focus, making depth perception easier. Not every player leaves the flagstick in, but DeChambeau and many othersincluding Adam Scottare all-in on it. | https://www.si.com/golf/2019/04/13/putting-flagstick-hole-masters-augusta-national |
Who Are Apple's iPhone Contract Manufacturers? | ASSOCIATED PRESS This coming Monday, a highly anticipated trial between Qualcomm and Apple will start in San Diego. The legal showdown is the next, important chapter of a two-year conflict between the two technology powerhouses and now, in this trial, Apples contract manufacturers. You can get caught up to speed on the prior two years here. Next weeks festivities are complex, as it is the amalgamation of four lawsuits brought together. Here is suing whom: Apple is suing Qualcomm for the alleged lack of payments for volume discounts as part of its BCPA (Business Cooperation and Patent Agreement), violating FRAND pricing for its wireless IP, and using its monopolistic position to charge too much for its IP. Apples contract manufacturers are suing Qualcomm similarly, for charging too much for its IP. Qualcomm is suing Apples contract manufacturers for withholding payments for the use of its IP Qualcomm is suing Apple for alleged tortious interference between Qualcomm and the contract manufacturers. There has been and will continue to be much press about this conflict, but today I wanted to shed light on Apples relatively unknown contract manufacturers (CMs) or Original Device Manufacturers (ODMs) who are at the center of this conflict. ODMs, for the uninitiated, work on behalf of companies like Apple to manufacture their smartphones. Apple doesnt manufacture its own devices and doesnt actually have an IP agreement with Qualcomm; Qualcomms agreements are with the ODMs. I had a few decades of experience with ODMs when I was a hardware OEM and chip guy, and ODMs are an interesting bunch. Lets take a closer look at who these ODMs are. Foxconn, $152B revenue Apples biggest ODM is Taiwan-based Foxconn (officially known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., LTD). Foxconn is the worlds biggest provider of electronics manufacturing, employing 250,000 worldwide (as of 2018), with manufacturing sites in Taipei, Suzhou, Mexico City, Madrid, Cleveland, and more. Most of its manufacturing is done in China. Foxconn was founded by CEO Terry Gou back in 1974, with the stated goal of providing low cost mechanical and electrical parts to drive down the overall cost of electronics worldwide. I had met Terry Gou many times one on one when I worked in product management at Compaq Computer and did billions in business with him. Back then, Foxconn made cheap power supply PCBs (printed circuit boards) and connectors. ASSOCIATED PRESS Today its a powerhouse, a public company with revenue of over $152B in 2018. Foxconn specializes in the manufacturing of smartphones, PCs, servers, power supplies, and connectors. In addition to Apple, its top 5 customers include Dell, HP Inc., Samsung, and LG. Youve likely used a Foxconn-manufactured productits repertoire includes iPhones, iPods, iPads, and the Apple Watch. The company has to be applauded for providing so much economic opportunity for 250,000 of its workers, but its not without controversy. It has suffered from allegations of poor working conditions, with long working hours. In 2010, 14 Foxconn employees committed suicide, a spate that was attributed to at the companys high-pressure, exploitative work environment (read an excerpt from Brian Merchants The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone, published by The Guardian here). Apple vowed to investigate the manufacturer, with Tim Cook reportedly meeting with suicide-prevention experts and top Foxconn management in 2011. Ultimately Apple decided to maintain the working relationship. The company also recently drew headlines (many negative) over its plans to build a manufacturing hub in Wisconsin, incentivized by the largest public subsidy package ever granted to a foreign company by the U.Sapproximately $4.5B worth of incentives. Foxconn initially promised to provide as many as 13,000 well-paid jobs by 2022, an economic impact that was thrown into doubt by reports that Foxconn was considering cutting manufacturing and utilizing the Wisconsin facility solely for R&D (Bloomberg recently published a scathing report on the deal here, if interested in reading more). Recently, according to CNN, Foxconn walked back earlier reports and said that it would, in fact, utilize the Wisconsin facility for manufacturing, though it remains unclear how many jobs would fit under that umbrella versus R&D and knowledge worker roles. Foxconn is the giant in the industry, and I feel its safe to say was built, in part, by Apple. I worked at Compaq with Dan Riccio, a Compaq mechanical engineer at the time, now Apples head of Hardware, who I know knew Gou and worked with Foxconn. Wistron, $29B revenue Next is Wistron, another Taiwan-based manufacturer of computer and consumer electronics products. Wistron got its start as the manufacturing branch of Acer, spinning off of the PC maker back in 2000. Its lines of business include notebook and desktop PCs, server and storage systems, handheld devices, and various networking and communication products, but its best known as one of the worlds largest manufacturer of notebook computers. Its big-name partnerships include Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Hewlett Packard, and, of course, Acer. BLOOMBERG NEWS Wistron is a publicly traded company that, as of 2018, employs 83,000 people worldwide, in manufacturing and support centers across China, Malaysia, Mexico, the Czech Republic, and the United States. In 2018, Wistron raked in revenue of $28.9B with gross profits near $1.21B. Wistron was in the news Friday in Patently Apple regarding the Indian government suspending Apples import permit asking the question, Did Wistron or another Apple supplier try to hide their non-compliance with e-waste rules? Being a global smartphone/PC ODM is tough. Pegatron, $44B This brings us to Pegatron, also headquartered in Taiwan. Pegatron began its journey as the production arm of ASUSTek Computer (also known as ASUS), spinning off in 2008. ASUS, for that matter, still holds roughly 17% of the companys shares. Pegatron specializes in the manufacturing of desktop and notebook PCs, wireless systems, motherboards, game consoles, smartphones, and TVs, and boasts both Apple and HP as its biggest customers. The iPhone 4 and iPhone 5c were both manufactured by Pegatron. 2016 Bloomberg Finance LP As of 2018, Pegatron employs roughly 90,000 people worldwide, in Taiwan, the Czech Republic, China, Mexico, Japan, and the United States. In 2018, it pulled in a revenue of $44.43B with profits of $1.29B. Like Foxconn, Pegatron has also come under scrutiny in the past for worker conditions at its factories near Shanghai, which manufacture Apple products (see the BBCs undercover report here). In 2016, Bloomberg got a tour of the factory and reported that Pegatron and Apple adopted new procedures to keep iPhone assemblers from amassing excessive overtime. Pegatron recently signed onto Apples commitment to run their Apple production on 100 percent clean energy. Compal, $32B revenue Lastly, lets talk about Compal. The smallest of these 4 ODMs, Compal is also located in Taiwan and employs roughly 64,000 people. It was founded in 1984 and is known primarily for manufacturing notebooks, mobile devices, connected devices, liquid crystal displays, and health care products. Compal is purportedly in the midst of trying to expand beyond its primary PC business, dipping its toes into the mobile device and industrial computer sectors, according to Nikkei Asian Review. BLOOMBERG NEWS Compal is responsible for the manufacturing of many products you may have used at some pointAmazon Alexa, Dell and Lenovo PCs, Apple iPads, HTC, and Sony smartphones. Compal brought in $32.09B in revenue in 2018, with profits of $987.67M. The companys main manufacturing plant is in China, and, in addition to its headquarters in Taipei, it has offices across South Korea, the UK, the United States, and China. Wrapping up Hopefully, these Apple iPhone ODM profiles will serve as useful background information on some of the lesser-known players in the larger Apple-Qualcomm feud, which is set to reach a crescendo in the coming weeks. The net-net, Apples top 4 iPhone smartphone ODMs are very large and sophisticated companies, driving $260B in revenue, are based in Taiwan, do most of their manufacturing in China, employing half a million people. Keep that in mind as you follow along with the trial the next six weeks. I will be following the trial with intereststay tuned for further coverage. Note: Moor Insights & Strategy writers and editors may have contributed to this article. Disclosure: Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided paid research, analysis, advising, or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Advanced Micro Devices, Apstra, ARM Holdings, Bitfusion, Cisco Systems, Dell EMC, Diablo Technologies, Echelon, Ericcson, Frame, Gen Z Consortium, Glue Networks, GlobalFoundries, Google (Nest), HP Inc. HewlettPackard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, IBM, Jabil Circuit, Intel, Interdigital, Konica Minolta, Lenovo, Linux Foundation, MACOM (Applied Micro), MapBox, Mavenir, Mesosphere, Microsoft, National Instruments, NOKIA (Alcatel Lucent), Nortek, NVIDIA, ONUG, OpenStack Foundation, Peraso, Portworx, Protequus, Pure Storage, Qualcomm, Rackspace, Rambus, Red Hat, Samsung Technologies, Silver Peak, SONY, Springpath, Sprint, Stratus Technologies, TensTorrent, Tobii Technology, Synaptics, Verizon Communications, Vidyo, Wellsmith, Xilinx, Zebra, which may be cited in this article. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2019/04/13/who-are-apples-iphone-contract-manufacturers/ |
Has Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo learned from last season's mistakes? | Torey Lovullos greatest attribute as a manager is his ability to build trust with his players. But it can also be his biggest weakness, as we discovered late last season when his stubborn faith in players contributed to the Diamondbacks collapse. The theme for this Diamondbacks season is the roster makeover, most notably the trade of Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals. But its fair to question how much Lovullo learned from last seasons mistakes. Its early, but the answer so far appears to be not much. Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. On Friday afternoon, Lovullo admitted to second-guessing his decision Thursday night to stick with pitcher Zack Godley through trouble early in the sixth inning. Godley stayed in trouble, the Padres scored five runs in the inning and eventually won, 7-6. I believe in starting pitchers, Lovullo said. I think they (have) got to carry the workload and they have over the past couple years. However, I need to be a little bit more situationally aware of whats happening and the pace in which its happening. I cant let situations get away from our starting pitchers like that. Thats on me last night. That quote displays an admirable level of self-awareness. But its also disturbingly similar to what Lovullo said several times last August and September when the Diamondbacks went from first place in the division to out of the playoffs. For instance, in a game against the Padres in late August, Lovullo opted to stick with Godley even though Godley had given up three runs the previous inning. A lead was lost and eventually, so was the game. After a restless night, Lovullo vowed to shift his thinking. "I'm wearing a little bit of what happened yesterday," Lovullo said the next day. "Yesterday is an example of where I should probably pay attention to things a little bit closer and keep a shorter leash on him in that fifth inning." This is not meant to bash Lovullo. In the offseason, the Diamondbacks wisely signed him to a two-year extension through 2021. Under Lovullo, players know where they stand. While many managers and coaches say they have an open door, Lovullo doesnt need one. He seeks out conversations. Players dont always like what they hear, but as Lovullo likes to say, they realize it comes from a good place. Lovullo has earned their trust through actions as much as words. He often can be hesitant to pinch-hit for a struggling batter. To show faith in a starting pitcher, hell refuse to order activity in the bullpen. Get crucial breaking sports news alerts to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters I want to show the starting pitcher there is no better option down in the bullpen; its on them, Lovullo said. Theres nobody thats going to save the day and fly in with a blue cape. I want to create that mindset. Lovullo is even careful to avoid allowing a pitcher on the mound to hear the bullpen phone ring, which is possible when there is a small crowd at Chase Field. We have a strategy for that, Lovullo said. Well either wait for the roar of the crowd and (pitching coach) Mike Butcher will stand right next to the phone so they wont hear it ring, or on certain nights, well just use walkie-talkies. Thats how valid these feelings are in these players. They could hear a phone ring and it could change their mindset. That ought to tell you what showing a lot of faith in a pitcher can do for them. But faith needs to be rewarded, at least in sporting endeavors. A season ago, Lovullo stuck with Brad Boxberger as a closer far longer than warranted because he didn't want to damage Boxberger's confidence. At some point, a managers heart must develop a Belichickian crust that allows him to make decisions that give his team the best chance to win. A players feelings can be massaged later. Lovullo seems to realize this, although it goes against his nature. I think Im the eternal optimist, said, but every once in a while Ive got to pull back and be the realist. So far, thats been easier for Lovullo to preach than to practice. Reach Kent Somers at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @kentsomers. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2019/04/13/torey-lovullos-needs-learn-mistakes-he-made-last-season/3454108002/ |
Is it the year of the political minnows in Greater Manchester? | This could be the year that smaller parties really make an impact in Greater Manchester, with Bolton being the place to watch. The new Farnworth and Kearsley First party really shook up politics in the town in 2018, taking three seats from the ruling Labour group and now, another new party is hoping for similar success. Horwich and Blackrod First is standing candidates on a similar hyperlocal platform. Labour is already under pressure, having lost its majority earlier this year after a member quit the party. It is still clinging to power with the support of some independent councillors, but further losses would mean deals have to be done and smaller parties may suddenly discover they have a much louder voice in Bolton. Trafford was the scene of the story of the night in 2018 as the Conservatives lost control of their only local authority in Greater Manchester. It has since been run as a minority Labour council and the party needs only a couple of gains to take overall control. The Conservatives will be hoping to reverse their decline. Image copyright david dixon Image caption The battle for supremacy at Trafford Town Hall has been hard fought in recent years Stockport is also run by a Labour group without a majority and this lack of control was brutally clear in March when the council's budget was voted down by opposition councillors for the first time since the 1980s. It was passed at the second time of asking, but only after some concessions were made to the Liberal Democrats. If there is to be any signs of life from the Lib Dems nationally, it is likely to show in places like Stockport. The Lib Dems will also be hoping to make further gains in Manchester, where Labour enjoys an enormous majority. In 2015, all 96 councillors were Labour, but the Lib Dems have won two seats over the last couple of years and narrowly missed out on a third at the last election. But while further gains are possible, even the most optimistic of Lib Dem campaigners will be expecting nothing less than another massive Labour majority in the city this May. Chipping away One of the biggest issues across the region is the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, a plan for the building of tens of thousands of new homes over the next couple of decades. Conservative support for a controversial housing development in Flixton was partly responsible for the party losing control of Trafford council last year and this time around, there is strong resistance to parts of the plan in Stockport. Much of the fiercest opposition though is in the north of the region, with thousands of protestors meeting across Rochdale, Oldham and Bury. Labour hold massive majorities in Rochdale and Oldham but their hold on power is weaker in Bury. The town also includes Greater Manchester's largest Jewish population and a combination of housing protests and anti-Semitism concerns could create a dangerous cocktail for the party in the town. Wigan is another council with a large Labour majority, but there are also three independent parties looking to make further gains there, and Salford and Tameside are safely Labour too. Opposition parties can only hope to chip away at, rather than overturn red majorities there. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-47854055 |
Could Harry and Meghans child pay US taxes? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child in April The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child and along with the excitement and nerves of being new parents could come an unwanted tax bill. As US citizens, Meghan - and her child - are liable to pay US taxes. With the baby's due date and the US's tax day - 15 April - fast approaching, here's a look at why these royals could be forced to pay money to the US government. The US is one of only a few countries to charge tax based on citizenship and not residency. Other countries that tax non-resident citizens include Eritrea and Myanmar. This means that even though the duke and duchess will be living at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, the US government still expects Meghan to file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - the US tax authority. Image copyright Reuters Image caption US-born Meghan will pass her US citizenship on to her child That goes for Prince Harry and Meghan's baby too. Any American who has lived in the US in the last five years automatically passes on their citizenship to their offspring. Meghan is expected to apply for UK citizenship, but that process takes time. Ahead of their wedding in 2018, Harry's communication's secretary, Jason Knauf, said Megan would be "compliant with immigration requirements at all times". That means she needs to live in the UK for at least five years. Once she is a UK citizen, the duchess could renounce her US citizenship and her tax liability. That process isn't simple either and it requires paying - you guessed it - more taxes. The US government charges an exit tax on all assets owned by anyone above the age of 18-and-a-half years renouncing their citizenship. While the Duchess of Sussex will be able to renounce her US citizenship in a few years when she becomes a UK citizen, her child will have to wait until he or she is at least 16. Under US law minors under the age of 16 are "presumed not to have the requisite maturity" to relinquish citizenship. The US and the UK have an agreement that gives US citizens a tax credit based on the amount of tax paid in the UK, but that's unlikely to erase either Meghan's or her child's US tax bill. US citizens living aboard are obliged to pay taxes on income, gifts over $15,797 (12,080) assets over $200,000 (152,930) and disclose any foreign bank accounts. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Meghan and her baby will have to report any gift they received over the past year if the total value is over $15,797 (12,080) For Meghan, this will include baby shower gifts. Her child's birthdays could become an accounting exercise. Any future income from investments or trusts put in the child's name will also be taxable. "All the royals are probably beneficiaries of various trust and they will need to be careful," says Sam Ashley, US tax director at The Tax Advisory Partnership. Mr Ashley does not advise any members of the Royal Family but says it's likely the advisers they do have started planning for this a long time ago, possibly even before the wedding. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US requires all citizens - regardless of where they live - to pay taxes Royal income As an actress, Meghan was reportedly paid $50,000 per episode of the show Suits. While she is no longer a working actress she will receive some payments whenever the show is rebroadcast. The duke and duchess's expenses - such as living costs, travel, clothing - are covered by Harry's father for their role as working royals, representing the Queen. The Prince of Wales funds his sons and their families with income from the Duchy of Cornwall. Its likely that when Harry accepts any money from his father he keeps his accounts separate from Meghan's to avoid giving the US tax authorities any insight into the Duchy or any other family trusts. Any money given by Prince Charles directly to Meghan or his grandchild will have to be declared to the US authorities and will be taxable. The potential exposure of the Royal Family's complicated finances is a bigger risk than a large tax bill. "The Royal Family likely have some quite complicated trust structures to pass down family wealth and it's unlikely they would want the US to look into that," says Mr Ashley. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Advisers have probably been planning for Meghan's US tax return since her engagement was announced Most married couples in the US file their taxes jointly, but the duchess will probably file as an individual to avoid revealing her husband's finances. Children who earn under $2,000 can file their taxes with their parents', but a royal baby will possibly have gifts and inherited assets that will have to be declared to the IRS. No matter what insight the US government gains into the Royal Family's finances - and experts stress that is likely to be limited - the public won't get that same view. US tax returns are confidential. Renouncing US citizenship But if both royals do give us their status as Americans they won't be alone. Many wealthy and well-known figures have given up their US citizenship and ditched US tax liability. Image copyright HoC Image caption Boris Johnson, former UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson The former foreign secretary relinquished his US citizenship in 2016. He was born in New York to British parents. All children born in the US are automatically US citizens. In 2013 he called the US taxation system "absolutely outrageous" when US tax authorities demand he pay capital gains tax on the sale of his north London home. Image copyright AFP Image caption Prince Albert II of Monaco Prince Albert II of Monaco The son of US actress Grace Kelly found himself in a similar predicament as the child of Harry and Meghan will soon be in. His mother passed on her US citizenship which he renounced at age 21. He became Prince of Monaco in 2005. Image copyright PA Image caption Tina Turner Tina Turner The US-born actress voluntarily relinquished her citizenship after living in Switzerland for 12 years. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Eduardo Saverin Eduardo Saverin | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47889162 |
Is The "Saving For The Future Act" Real, Or A Mirage? | Getty Going on two weeks ago by now, on April 4th, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced new legislation, the Saving for the Future Act, which proposes to take the experiments in auto-enroll IRAs undertaken at the state level in Oregon, Illinois and California, and roll it out nationally. I read through the fact sheet made available at the time as well as additional reporting by CNBC, identified a number of questions the answers to which would make a significant difference in evaluating the legislation, and waited for the text to come out. I'm still waiting. So while I'm waiting, here, at least, is the information its sponsors have provided, and the reasons why it's especially true here that the devil's in the details. Under the proposal, all employers with more than 10 employees would be obliged to contribute a minimum amount to an employee savings/retirement plan; this would be set at 50 cents per hour worked upon implementation, then would increase to 60 cents in two years, and increase with wage growth thereafter. For businesses with fewer than 100 workers, this would take the form of contributing via payroll deduction to"UP accounts" established on their behalf and run by the federal government. ("UP", according to the Third Way description but not, so far as I can tell, the fact sheet itself, stands for Universal Personal.) For larger businesses, the fact sheet doesn't specify the form any such savings/retirement account would take. Employees working at the smallest firms would have the option to enroll in such accounts on their own. Also, part-time workers would be included in the program but independent contractors would participate on an individual basis only. To partially offset the cost, employers would receive a tax credit equivalent to the cost of 50% of the minimum contribution for the first 15 workers, and 25% for the next 15. Workers participating as individuals, whether because their employers are too small to be mandated to participate, or because they are self-employed/independent contractors, would also receive this credit, up to a maximum of $1,000. To pay for these credits, the corporate tax rate would be increased from 21% to 23% and the top marginal individual income tax rate would be increased from 37% to 39.6%. The first $2,500 in savings would be directed to a savings account; as soon as the balance exceeds this amount, additional contributions are directed to a retirement account. Even though the employer contribution is fixed at a minimum dollar amount, workers themselves would be autoenrolled as a percent of pay, starting at 4% and increasing to 10%, with the option to opt-out or select an alternate contribution level. Government-run "UP Accounts" would have maximum employee contribution levels set at half that of 401(k) plans. The accounts' administration would be contracted out to a financial services company with target date funds. Upon retirement, participants would be able to annuitize their benefits into a lifetime benefit or an annuity-certain (say, until the Social Security Late Retirement Age), or take "automatic, regular withdrawals equal to a certain percentage of their account balance." So, yes, I have questions: The fact sheet says that employers with fewer than 100 employees would participate in the federal "UP Account" program. This all seems like nit-picking but it's not. The bottom line is this: the hope of making it easier for Americans to save for emergencies and for retirement is a worthy one. But there are so many ways it can go sideways that it's really just not enough to say "we have good and worthy intentions and the details will all sort themselves out one way or another." The details actually make a significant impact and have to be cared about sooner rather than later. Sound off at JaneTheActuary.com! | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2019/04/13/is-the-saving-for-the-future-act-real-or-a-mirage/ |
Who was Kelly Bryants favorite target at MUs spring game? | Coach Barry Odom sees positives in Mizzous spring football practices Missouri coach Barry Odom talks about the Tigers spring football practices Up Next SHARE COPY LINK Missouri coach Barry Odom talks about the Tigers spring football practices Kelly Bryants Faurot Field debut did little to manage the hype train surrounding Missouris new starting quarterback. Bryant, a graduate transfer from Clemson, completed 12 of 17 passes for 150 yards to help his Black team defeat the Gold 21-3 in Missouris spring game on Saturday. While his performance mainly came against the third-string defense, Bryant completed his first eight passes and played a little favoritism with wideout Jonathan Nance, a fellow graduate transfer from Arkansas. Nance caught three passes for 48 yards and made MUs offense look experienced, especially for a unit that is replacing former quarterback Drew Lock and wideout Emanuel Hall. Both Hall and Lock could go in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, which starts April 25. Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month Get full access to The Kansas City Star content across all your devices. SAVE NOW #ReadLocal I think the veteran piece helps, said Derek Dooley, MUs offensive coordinator, on Nance and Bryant. I wouldnt say they have a rapport. Theyre developing a rapport. You can tell both of them have been out there in big games. Nance made plays every scrimmage we were in. Bryant and Nance took their official visit together on Oct. 27 for MUs game against Kentucky, which resulted in a last-second loss, but the duo immediately clicked. While Bryant was the hottest quarterback on the market, Nance was under the radar and only got on the Tigers radar because of his high school teammate, MU wideout Richaud Floyd. Floyd told MU tight ends coach A.J. Ofodile, who was coaching receivers last season, about Nance, and Mizzou immediately got on his radar. Floyd hosted both players on the visit and discovered after the game that the two had decided to be a package deal and attend Missouri together. Hes a funny, goofy guy, Nance said of Bryant. Im a people person, too. We clicked together as soon as we met. I didnt know him at all, Bryant told The Star about Nance. He was one of the first guys to hit me up. Came here together for the first time here on our visit, and it seemed like we already knew each other. We took advantage of the rule and just wanted to take advantage of this last year that we have. It appears theyre already doing so. In his third series on Saturday, Bryant opened the drive by finding Nance for a 25-yard strike down the sideline on a back-shoulder fade. The two connected on the next play for a 15-yard gain over the middle. While Saturdays competition level wasnt that of a conference game, the showing was impressive given MU was without starters Albert Okwuegbunam and Jonathon Johnson, who both sat out due to injury. Nance originally committed to Missouri with the thought that hed be playing under Ofodile, but has enjoyed being paired with wideouts coach Garrick McGee, who was an offensive analyst on MUs staff in 2018. Ofodile said Nance was one of his favorite athletes to recruit, because his experience made him come off as a professional athlete instead of a high school recruit. If you didnt know him, youd think hes a serious, quiet kid, but hes really fun, comedian, McGee said of Nance. But hes been around now. Hes on his third program, really fourth, so he understands the urgency of what we want to accomplish. Im really glad we got him. Floyd and Nance first met in elementary school, when they played against one another in youth football before becoming teammates in middle school and later at Gulfport High School in Mississippi. At Gulfport, Floyd said Nance was always a play-maker, but wasnt as outspoken as he is now. With Nance needed to replace both the production and leadership left by Hall and fellow senior Nate Brown, he knows he has to make a quick impact, given he only has one year at MU. I just try to make sure Im doing everything right so the younger guys below me know how to handle business, Nance said. On Saturday, he provided a good example for that. | https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article229239364.html |
Are India's Political Parties Ignoring Climate Change? | ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.india.gov.in/ India is the 4th largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China, the US, and the EU. In 2018, carbon emissions rose worldwide, primarily due to increased coal consumption in China and India. Although both countries signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, they continue to rely on coal as an important source of energy. This poses a problem for climate change. After all, as the global salience of Asian economies increases, any solution to climate problems must include a massive switch over to renewables in these countries. But India also needs to think about climate change given its extreme vulnerability. Some of these effects are already visible in changed monsoon patterns, higher incidents of heat waves, drought, migration, and so on. However, it is less clear if the Indian electorate has registered the climate threat. India is a well-functioning democracy with competitive elections and regime change. It is holding parliamentary elections this year from April 11 until May 19. This is the largest exercise of democracy ever, involving about 900 million voters. And citizens are actively engaging in the electoral process, with about 70 percent expected to cast their votes. Some newspapers report that citizens are demanding climate action. If this is true, we should expect to see political parties talking prominently about their climate policies. We closely examined the election manifestos of the two leading national parties: the Indian National Congress and the BJP. The good news is that both parties talk about climate issues: by some accounts, this is the first time that major political parties have done so. But what is revealing is how little they talk, and how even this modest climate talk does not feature prominently in their platforms. Congress 55-page manifesto, Congress will Deliver, lists 52 action items, grouped in six sections: Employment and Growth (6 items), An Economy that Works for All (7 items), Pride in our Hard and Soft power (10 items), Good Governance through Independent and Accountable Institutions, (11 items), Self-esteem for the Deprived (9 items), and A Life of Dignity for All (9 items). The last section includes item #49, Environment and Climate Change and item #50, Climate Resilience and Disaster Management. There is no mention of the Paris Agreement. In the section on Employment and Growth, item #3 (Infrastructure) talks about renewable energy. In this 22,997-word manifesto, only 1,043 words (4.5%) pertain to climate change. The BJPs 45-page manifesto, Determined India, Empowered India, lists 220 action items, grouped in 12 sections: Nation First (14 items), Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Doubling Farmers Income (29 items), India as the Worlds 3rd Largest Economy (22 items), Infrastructure - Foundation of a New India (34 items), Healthy India - Determined India (8 items), Good Governance (29 items), Tomorrow's India (10 items), Education for All (15 items), Womens Empowerment (14 items), Inclusive Development (27 items), Cultural Heritage (11 items), and Foreign Policy (7 items). Here as well, there is no mention of the Paris Agreement. Climate change is noted in the section on Infrastructure (item #33 in the list of 34 items in this section), in the context of renewable energy capacity and the International Solar Alliance. Thus, in the BJP's 18,327-word manifesto, only 116 words (0.6%) pertain to climate issues. In America, the 2018 exit polls reveal that climate change does not figure among the top issues that motivated voting. The Indian story seems no different: climate policy is not dominating the political discourse, especially when it is placed alongside other issues such as jobs and national security. If election manifestos are a glimpse of voters' policy preferences and a preview of the priorities of the next government, this is bad news for India and for the world." | https://www.forbes.com/sites/prakashdolsak/2019/04/13/are-indias-political-parties-ignoring-climate-change/ |
Why is the law that spawned Flint's water catastrophe still standing? | CLOSE The Flint water crisis has taken a toll on residents of this Michigan city, who have been living with lead-tainted tap water for more than two years. Brian Kaufman, Detroit Free Press Videographer As the fifth anniversary of whats come to be known as the Flint Water Crisis approached, I gave Claire McClinton a call to get her take on things. A retired autoworker and stalwart union activist, McClinton was one of the first people I met when I began going up to Flint to report on the effects of Michigans controversial emergency manager law for the ACLU of Michigan. Even before an appointed bureaucrat with vast, unchecked powers made the ill-fated decision to begin drawing the citys drinking water from the Flint River, McClinton was decrying the dangers of Public Act 436 as a member of the Flint Democracy Defense League, a group she co-founded. More: Flint residents can sue former Gov. Snyder over water disaster, judge rules More: Whitmer signs 1st executive directive in response to Flint water crisis Our city was one of the those that had been put under the control of an emergency manager, explained McClinton. And we felt that we had to do something to expose and resist the decisions an unelected official was making for us, things like privatizing governmental services and selling off city assets. Buy Photo The water tower of the Flint Water Treatment Plant is seen on March 21, 2016. (Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press) "The way we saw it, we had to try and expose what was going on, and create some resistance to that mess. Then came April 25, 2014. Pursuant to an emergency managers order, the city began using the Flint River as its source of drinking water. The plan was to save $5 million over two years while a new pipeline bringing water from Lake Huron to Genesee County was being built. We knew this emergency manager law was undemocratic. We knew it was unprecedented, McClinton said in an interview recorded by the ACLU early in 2015. But we never dreamed we would be unable to use our municipal water. Then she succinctly zeroed in on the root of the problem, saying, We are being saddled with this toxic water because were living under a toxic system. A legacy of disempowerment In all, emergency managers were handed control of eight cities and three school districts. With one exception, all had majority minority populations. At one point, fully 50 percent of Michigans African-American population had democracy stripped from them. As of today, no emergency managers remain on the job. Local control has been returned to elected officials. But the law is still on the books, unchanged, lying dormant until another economic crisis rears up and local units of government are again thrust into crisis. No one denies that Michigans emergency management law played a pivotal role in creating the Flint water disaster. Even a task force appointed to by Gov. Rick Snyder who championed the law came to this conclusion: Numerous decisions were made between December 2011 and April 2015 that had some impact on the decision to use the Flint River as the primary source of drinking water for a city of Flint. Various state-appointed EMs served during this timeframe, and it was these EMs who made these decisions, not locally elected officials (their emphasis). To prevent future disasters, the task force recommended that a thorough review of the law be conducted. Despite that, as Flint residents prepare to mark the 5th anniversary of the fateful switch to the Flint River, PA 436 remains on the books, completely unchanged. The staggering cost of undemocratic rule At least 12 people died from the Legionnaires outbreaks that followed the switch to the river. An estimated 200 women suffered miscarriages and stillbirths because of lead exposure. An untold number of children suffered irreversible damage leading to lower IQs, behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Along with an array of health problems for adults, the harm caused by lead can be passed along genetically to future generations. Add in the massive damage cause to infrastructure and peoples property, and the total costs could well reach hundreds of millions of dollars once a flood of class action lawsuits are settled. McClinton was among a diverse group of residents who banded together in the summer of 2015 to collect water samples throughout the city to be tested by scientists at Virginia Tech, proving that lead levels were much higher than the city and state were claiming. Though they tried for months to deny it, Gov. Snyder and his administration eventually had to concede that a disaster existed. The state allowed Flint to switch back to the Detroit regional system, and an ongoing effort was begun to bring lead levels down and make the water safe to drink once again. But the cause of the problem remains unchanged, a fact that McClinton finds both bewildering and completely unacceptable. They finally admitted that the water was poisoned, but then they took action to try and make it safe, McClinton said when I called her recently. They also admitted that the real source of that poison was this toxic law, but theyve done nothing at all to address that problem. How does that make any sense? It doesnt. Curt Guyette is an investigative reporter for the ACLU of Michigan. Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/2019/04/14/emergency-manager-flint-water-crisis/3438525002/ | https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/2019/04/14/emergency-manager-flint-water-crisis/3438525002/ |
Would a political Fed rescue the world? | WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As a financial crisis spread across the globe in September of 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve gathered in an emergency atmosphere as requests flooded in from other central banks for access to dollars. FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo/File Photo/File Photo The swap lines that the Fed quickly approved helped ease intense financial stress in foreign markets, but also showed the U.S. central bank was prepared to stand behind the global system. The question is suddenly relevant for global economic officials and central bankers after moves by President Donald Trump to put two strong partisans on the Federal Reserve board. Both economic commentator Stephen Moore and businessman Herman Cain have been critical of Fed policies, and Moore in particular has opposed the extraordinary measures employed to stabilize the economy through the deepest crisis since the Great Depression. Should Trump shape a Fed that answers first to his politics, it could roil the landscape for other central banks, and for a dollar-dependent world financial system whose fortunes can swing dramatically based on Fed decisions. Im certainly worried about central bank independence in other countries, especially ... in the most important jurisdiction in the world, said European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, in Washington for spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. SENSITIVE MOMENT Trumps decision to consider close political allies for the central bank comes at a sensitive moment for the world economy and the IMF. Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde last week asked member countries to strive to do no harm, yet its largest shareholder, the United States, has become a concern. Trumps ongoing trade battles have been cited as a reason global growth is slowing, and the idea of a Fed stacked with officials looking first at the U.S. political calendar has overseas central bankers nervous. The IMF has commended the steady evolution of Fed policy under chairman Jerome Powell, but Trump has demanded he cut rates and Moore has endorsed the idea. The actions of one central bank often impacts the economies of other nations. But the rule of thumb is to set policy as much as possible on the basis of detached analysis, not to gain a short-term trade or political advantage. If the Fed were to cut rates to counter a U.S. slowdown, it would be one thing. But juicing a mostly healthy economy to make Trump look good would send a bad signal - and hurt countries that are grappling with their own economic problems. Lower rates could weaken the dollar, boosting U.S. exports and appealing to a core Trump campaign aim of expanding U.S. manufacturing jobs. But it would make it harder for the Bank of Japan to follow its own strategy of targeting specific levels for long-term bond yields, and undercut growth in Europe that the European Central Bank is trying to support. Emerging markets could see destablizing capital flows. You would really have to worry about this - that rather than be the strongest proponent of stability, the Fed all of a sudden becomes an agent of instability, said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Already some of Trumps policies have European financial leaders thinking about ways to boost the euro as a reserve currency on views the oversized influence of the dollar in global markets leaves Europe vulnerable to U.S. political decisions. POOR HISTORY FOR POLITICIZED FED Both Moore and Cain have yet to be nominated formally, and Cains prospects look bleak. Fed governors must be approved by the U.S. Senate, and enough Republican lawmakers have come out against Cain to scuttle his chances. Moore, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals about his policies, but in general has criticized the Fed flooding markets with dollars during the crisis and its aftermath. He has favored tying the Fed to a strict rule, based on commodity prices. Critics of rule-based monetary policy cite its lack of flexibility to respond to unexpected events. The Fed has had deeply political governors before, perhaps most notably in the 1980s when a group loyal to then-President Ronald Reagan opposed policy set by then-Chairman Paul Volcker, said William English, the former head of the Feds monetary affairs division and now a professor at Yale. They didnt succeed, English said, evidence of the influence of a strong Fed chair and of the limits an individual governor has in an institution with a strong technocratic bent, and on a policy panel that at peak strength includes 19 people. Twelve of them, moreover, are appointed by regional banks outside the presidents reach. But before Volcker, he said, the Fed did mold policy around the demands of Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, and arguably contributed to the runaway inflation of the 1970s. We did that experiment...The outcome was bad, he said. For the IMF and other global institutions, theres a broader issue if the worlds dominant economy steers away from the norms recommended for other countries, as the Trump administration has already done on trade. Whether it is the potential for unhindered government borrowing or a politicized central bank, the United States may be writing a script that other, less resilient countries, may be tempted to follow. The Fund likes to live in a world....where all of its members are treated evenhandedly, said Nathan Sheets, former under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs and now chief economist at PGIM Fixed Income. If the United States starts opening the Fed to partisan politics or shifting away from other norms, that is a risk for them. | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-global/would-a-political-fed-rescue-the-world-idUSKCN1RQ0AB?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FbusinessNews+%28Business+News%29 |
Why should contract workers be taxed like fat cats? | You've probably met them and didn't know it. They drive a company truck, they come to your house, and they fix something. Or they come to your house and help you remodel. They might also answer the phone when you order something from a catalog. In fact, they can be found doing almost anything. They are contract workers. They're self-employed. They may do all of their work for one company, but they aren't employees. So they don't have benefits. That means no employer-paid health insurance. No vacations. No sick time. No unemployment benefits. No 401(k). They walk the tightrope of the American workplace without a net. They have, some say, the thrill of complete freedom. I've met a lot of these workers lately as my wife and I started our manufactured-home restoration project. From what I've seen, it's a very tough life. The joy of complete freedom is, more often, a sustained dull terror. When you look at where their money goes, you begin to understand. What they have, mostly, is a lot of payments to make. And those payments must be made before they can pay rent, buy food, keep their car running or buy a pair of socks. To examine the up-front costs of being a contract worker, I used two online sources. One was an income tax calculator on the smartasset.com website. You can use it to calculate your total tax burden. In this case, I was using it to check the federal income tax and employment tax for workers in Texas. Another source was the Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator on the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website. It calculates the net cost of the Affordable Care Act insurance policy according to where you live, your income and your household size. I assumed a single worker, age 30, living in Dallas. As you can see from the accompanying chart, a contract worker earning $15,000 a year only $2,510 more than the $12,490 federal poverty guideline for 2019 would have to pay nearly 20% of income to cover the combined obligations of the employment tax, income tax and out-of-pocket premium costs for health insurance. Some may argue that the cost of health insurance premiums isn't a tax, but it certainly acts like one: As your income increases, your required premium increases. In any case, the bottom line for most workers is their take-home pay, the cash they can actually spend. At an income of $45,000, the total burden has risen to 35% of income. To put that in perspective, a high-earning single worker needs to have a taxable income over $160,725 to have a marginal income tax rate of 32%. The top tax rate anyone pays, at any income level, is 37%. So contract workers making $45,000 may have trouble making rent, but what comes off the top is right up there with the fat cats. | https://www.dallasnews.com/business/personal-finance/2019/04/14/contract-workers-taxed-like-fat-cats |
How Can We Be Sure Artificial Intelligence Is Safe For Medical Use? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of IDx Courtesy of IDx When Merdis Wells visited the diabetes clinic at the University Medical Center in New Orleans about a year ago, a nurse practitioner checked her eyes to look for signs of diabetic retinopathy, the most common cause of blindness. At her next visit, in February of this year, artificial intelligence software made the call. The clinic had just installed a system that's designed to identify patients who need follow-up attention. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the system called IDx-DR for use in 2018. The agency said it was the first time it had authorized the marketing of a device that makes a screening decision without a clinician having to get involved in the interpretation. It's a harbinger of things to come. Companies are rapidly developing software to supplement or even replace doctors for certain tasks. And the FDA, accustomed to approving drugs and clearing medical devices, is now figuring out how to make sure computer algorithms are safe and effective. Wells was one of the first patients at the clinic in early February to be tested with the new device, which can be run by someone without medical training. The system produces a simple report that identifies whether there are signs that a patient's vision is starting to erode. Wells had no problem with the computer making the call. "I think that's lovely!" she says. "Do I still get to see the pictures?" Wells asks nurse practitioner Debra Brown. Yes, Brown replies. "I like seeing me because I want to take care of me, so I want to know as much as possible about me," Wells says. The 60-year-old resident of nearby Algiers, La., leans into the camera, which has an eyepiece for each eye. "It's just going to be like a regular picture," Brown explains. "But when we flash, the light will be a little bright." Once Wells is in position, Brown adjusts the camera. "Don't blink!" she says. "3-2-1-0!" The camera flashes and captures the image. Three more flashes and the exam is done. She says still planning to examine the images and backstop the computer's conclusion. That reassures Wells. The test is quick and easy, which is by design. People with diabetes are supposed to get this screening test every year, but many don't. Brown says the new system could allow the clinic to screen a lot more patients for diabetic retinopathy. That's the hope of the system's inventor, Michael Abramoff, an ophthalmologist at the University of Iowa and company founder. "The problem is many people with diabetes only go to an eye-care provider like me when they have symptoms," he says. "And we need to find [retinopathy] before then. So that's why early detection is really important." Abramoff spent years developing a computer algorithm that could scan retina images and automatically pick up early signs of diabetic retinopathy. And he wanted it to work in clinics, like the one in New Orleans, rather than in ophthalmologists' offices. Developing the computer algorithm wasn't the hard part. "It turns out the biggest hurdle, if you care about patient safety, is the FDA," he says. That hurdle is essential for public safety, but not an easy one for a brand-new technology especially one that makes a medical call without an expert on hand. Often medical software gets an easy road to market, compared with drugs. Software is handled through the generally less rigorous pathway for medical devices. For most devices, the evaluation involves a comparison with something already on the market. Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of IDx Courtesy of IDx But this technology for detecting diabetic retinopathy was unique, and a patient's vision is potentially on the line. When Abramoff approached the FDA, "of course they were uncomfortable at first," he says, "and so we started working together on how can we prove that this can be safe." Abramoff needed to show that the technology was not just safe and effective but that it would work on a very diverse population, since all sorts of people get diabetes. That ultimately meant testing the machine on 900 people at 10 different sites. "We went into inner cities, we went into southern New Mexico to make sure we captured all those people that needed to be represented," he says. All the sites were primary care clinics, because the company wanted to demonstrate that the technology would well without having an ophthalmologist on hand. That extensive test satisfied the FDA that the test would be broadly useable, and reasonably accurate. IDx-DR surpassed the FDA's requirement. Test results that indicated eye disease needed to be correct at least 85 percent of the time, while those finding no significant eye damage needed to be correct at least 82.5 percent of the time. "It's better than me, and I'm a very experienced retinal specialist," Abramoff says. The FDA helped guide the company's software through its regulatory process, which is evolving to accommodate inventions flowing out of artificial intelligence labs. Bakul Patel, associate director for digital health at the FDA, says that in general, the FDA expects more evidence and assurances for technologies that have a greater potential to cause harm if they fail. Some software is completely exempt from the FDA process. A simple tweak in a routine piece of software may not require any FDA review at all. The rules get tighter for a change that could substantially alter the performance of an artificial intelligence algorithm. The agency has years of experience approving software that is part of medical devices, but new algorithms are creating new challenges. For one thing, the agency needs to be wary of approving an algorithm that's based on a particular set of patients, if it's not clear that it will be effective in different groups. An algorithm to identify skin cancer may be developed primarily on white patients and may not work on patients with darker skin. And many algorithms, once on the market, will continue to gather data that can be used to improve their performance. Some programs outside of health science continually update themselves to accomplish that. That raises questions about how and when updated software needs another round of review. "We realize that we have to re-imagine how we look at these things, and allow for the changes that go on, especially in this space," Patel says. To do that, the FDA is testing out a whole new approach to clearing algorithms. The agency is experimenting with a system called precertification that puts more emphasis on examining the process that companies use to develop their products, and less emphasis on examining each new tweak. Continued monitoring is another element of this strategy. "We're going to take this concept and take it on a test run," Patel says. Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Harris /NPR Richard Harris /NPR Because many algorithms will likely be in a state of continual evolution, "it's really important when a system is deployed in the real world that we monitor those systems to make sure that they're performing the way we expect," says Christina Silcox, a researcher at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy. She's enthusiastic about the prospects of AI in medicine, while alert to some of the challenges the FDA will face. "Right now we might see an update to a medical device every 18 months," she says. "In software you might expect to see one every two weeks or every month." Seemingly minor software glitches can occasionally have serious unintended consequences. One of the worst cases involved a radiation therapy machine that, in the 1980s, gave huge overdoses of radiation to some patients because of a software bug. Researchers looking at more recent incidents identified 627 software recalls by the FDA from 2011 through 2015. Those included 12 "high risk" devices such as ventilators and a defibrillator. Patel certainly doesn't want to see a high-profile failure, because that could set back a promising and rapidly growing industry. One challenge that's beyond the FDA's scope is figuring out how to resolve conflicting conclusions from rival devices. Genetic tests that are used to guide cancer treatment, for example, already provide conflicting treatment recommendations, says Isaac Kohane, a pediatrician who heads the biomedical informatics department at Harvard Medical School. "Guess what," he says, "The same thing is going to happen with these AI programs." "We're going to have built-in disagreements and no doctor and no patient will know what is right," he says. Indeed, IDx isn't the only company that interested in using an algorithm to identify early signs of diabetic retinopathy. Among its competitors is Verily, one of Google's sister companies, which is currently deploying its technology in India. (Google is among NPR's financial supporters). "Actually I'm quite bullish in the long term," Kohane says, as he looks out on the burgeoning field of AI. "In the short term, it's wild land grab." He says we need the equivalent of Consumer Reports in this area to help resolve these disagreements and identify superior technologies. He would also like reviews to examine not simply whether a technology performs as expected, but if it's an improvement for patients. "What you really want is to get healthy," he says. The cost of the camera and set-up for the IDx-DR systems is around $20,000, a company spokesperson said in an email. There are options to rent or lease-to-own the camera that can reduce the upfront costs. The list price for each exam is $34, the spokesperson said. But it varies depending on factors including patient volume. A technically accurate piece of software doesn't automatically lead to better health. At the diabetes clinic in New Orleans, for example, the system replaced a service that also checked for another cause of blindness, glaucoma. Nurse practitioner Brown visually scans Wells' images for signs of glaucoma, but that wouldn't happen when the work is handed off to someone who lacks her expertise. Instead, the diabetes clinic staff will refer patients to get another appointment for that test. Wells also got something that future patients might not a review of her retina images, so she could see for herself any suspected issues. That interaction with a health care professional was also an important moment to talk about her diet and what she can do to stay healthy. Chevelle Parker, another nurse practitioner, points to some silvery lines inside the eye's blood vessels. "That happens when your sugar levels are high," Parker explains. "It can also be an indication of diabetic retinopathy. So we're going to do a referral and send you on for complete testing." The software did its intended job. While Wells seemed a bit upset by the news, at least she has found out about this concern early, while there's still time to protect her vision. You can reach NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at [email protected]. | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/14/711775543/how-can-we-be-sure-artificial-intelligence-is-safe-for-medical-use?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr |
What's The Deal With Women In PropTech? | Getty A couple of months ago, I kicked off the #StartupLife series for this column. In order to gather responses for it, I reached out to my LinkedIn contacts asking all PropTech founders that saw my post to answer a few questions that then fed into the series. When I was compiling the answers for the first article, I noticed something shocking. Out of nearly 70 respondents to the survey, only 4 were women. Turns out, there are many successful women making waves in the space globally, in areas as diverse as advanced construction robotics, data analytics, investments, smart buildings and more. In future articles, I will run features on some of these women and their game-changing startups, but first I want to address something else. There is no readily available statistical data on the percentage of female founders in PropTech. I did some digging and found anecdotal information placing the female founder share of the industry somewhere between five and 20%, which makes the number that I got in my accidental survey about right. The share of women in real estate is around 15%, so the figures seem to add up. It is worth noting, however, that the data on real estate encompasses the entire industry, and that in the younger age groups the split is closer to even. For example, YEP Global, a networking group for young leaders across real estate whose board I sit on, has a 50/50 split in its membership. Perhaps women are just more sociable and feel they need to do more networking to secure their place in the real estate ecosystem, but I also believe the gender gap is slowly starting to close. Most likely because it sits at the intersection of real estate, which "boasts" the statistics we discussed above, and tech, a sector that has a notoriously tiny female population. However, there are darker factors at play as well. A couple of months ago, a report by the British Business Bank revealed that female founders get 157 times less funding than men. Behind this alarming headline sits an entire culture. This is not just down to there simply being less female-run businesses out there. In fact, the research also showed that start-ups with even one woman on the founding team are less likely to get funding than those run by men. Further, all-female teams are less likely to receive a "warm" introduction to a VC (an introduction from someone in their network) and therefore have a lower probability of receiving funding. It is clear that we have a problem. I've always said that I'm not the biggest fan of affirmative action to solve such issues, as this is likely to foster other kinds of discrimination, and the goal should instead be to eliminate discrimination altogether. Though there may be a variety of reasons for women not to engage with a particular industry, there aren't enough female founders out there (in PropTech or otherwise) because they aren't getting the money they need to launch their businesses. I reached out to members of the newly minted Women in PropTech group (WiPT), which launched in New York in late 2018 and will kick off its London chapter this May, to hear their thoughts on the matter. This is what some of them had to say. Heather Staff, Director at AgentSoftware told me that she used to work in consultancy prior to moving into PropTech, and felt the lack of diversity more acutely there than in this industry. Staff said, "I feel PropTech as an industry is more 'embryonic' and so there are fewer preconceived ideas, stereotypes, and expectations of women as a category of people within it, which has been quite refreshing." Her main gripe is the dearth of female developers, which she believes to be an educational issue: she thinks the problem starts at school and more needs to be done to change the image of what a programmer looks likes and does across the UK. Claire Owen, Founder at Loop Software, seconds her. Owen, a former estate agent, struggled to find female developers for her PropTech startup. She told me, "I found this remarkably disheartening as my perception of the tech industry was a much more balanced one, so I do think we have a lot of work to do to remedy this. For a start, young girls should be encouraged to code and to create. Its an incredibly creative industry which requires logic and imagination, and I think we can do a better job of showing the variety of roles needed within PropTech." PropTech consultant Jo Tasker has strong views and is not afraid to share them. She thinks that though the traditional property industry is more consciously sexist than the tech industry, as it is deeply rooted in a male dominant system with 'old school' traditional ways of working. Though the tech sector may be better, it's not by much, as she told me that, "I have clearly witnessed similar issues underpinning the sector - evidenced by the gender pay gap, the terrible stats on female founders and investment they receive, the bias-driven recruitment challenges and the low percentage figures of women in sector, and women on boards remaining almost stagnant for the past 20 years at 30%, and more." Though things have improved in the last decade, we still have a long way to go. Sammy Pahal, Managing Director of the UK Proptech Association, believes that The reason for the imbalance stems from stereotyping job roles for men and women. Society is starting to encourage more women to have a career in tech but there still needs to be more done to break down stereotypes. Also, most people hear about PropTech only once they have graduated and are starting a career in property. Therefore if the majority of people entering the property industry are men then the majority of people applying for PropTech businesses will be men. We need to promote career opportunities to students or professionals early in the career and highlighting successful women in PropTech to encourage other women to enter the industry or make the move from the property industry. We also raise more awareness of the different types of roles and experience needed within PropTech. Weronika Holt, EMEA Client Solutions Director at CBRE, is disappointed that PropTech, despite being a new sector, has inherited the gender bias and inequality that are inherent in real estate and in tech. She would like to see women supporting each other more, telling me that her wish is for women to "Empower each other. Empower girls, younger women, and fellow professionals to get the right education, get involved, challenge themselves, be confident, know their self-worth and get up when they fail and try again." It is not all doom and gloom, however. Lucy Sharp, co-Founder at Dot Residential, has had very positive experiences in her career so far. Prior to PropTech, she worked in FinTech PR and never felt any bias against her even when she decided to start a family. Sharp told me that, "Being a woman in Proptech is 100% something my co-founders and team have seen as a huge positive. There has been no stigma. Over lunch with the FT last week it was me the journalist looked to for answers, not our male CEO. I can't wait to get in front of VCs in the coming months - I see my gender as a HUGE asset. Ultimately people buy into a person, not your sex. I won't hear otherwise." It is clear that any industry with a strong gender imbalance is missing out on the huge potential that the category it is not tapping into can bring. Real estate and PropTech have a dearth of women, especially of female founders, and a long road ahead towards an even playing field. This undoubtedly needs to start in schools, as several of the women we heard from today pointed out. But, also, let's not forget the huge funding gap that female founders have to face. They need more money, above everything else! | https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelicakrystledonati/2019/04/14/whats-the-deal-with-women-in-proptech/ |
Why is the horseshoe crabs blood important to humans? | Horseshoe crabs help us. it is time we help them. The blood of horseshoe crabs detect bacteria in medical devices and vaccines. Up Next SHARE COPY LINK The blood of horseshoe crabs detect bacteria in medical devices and vaccines. If youve ever had an injection, vaccination or surgery, youve benefited from the mysterious creature known as the American horseshoe crab. In the 1950s, Frederick Bank discovered that the special cells in the horseshoe crabs blue blood prevents bacteria from invading the animals body. The animals unique copper-based blood contains a substance called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate, or LAL, which coagulates in the presence of small amounts of bacterial toxins. The LAL is used to test the sterility of medical equipment and virtually all injectable drugs. Scientists quickly put that information to work for the biomedical industry. Because of their value to the medical field, their eggs being a major food source for fish and bird species as well as serving as prey for sea turtles, alligators, horse conchs and sharks there is some debate as to what those impacts are having on the population. Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month Get full access to Miami Herald content across all your devices. SAVE NOW #ReadLocal Efforts have stepped up in recent years to try to identify spawning areas and those efforts along the Atlantic Coast are proving successful in determining population estimates that some organizations claim are on the decline while others argue is stable. Florida lags behind even though the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched a similar effort in 2015. The mid-Atlantic states began in the late 1990s. Florida is a big unknown when it comes to how the population is doing overall, said Clair Crowley, FWC crustacean fisheries biologist. We lack long-term data on the species, which is necessary to have when you want to examine a long lived species, such as horseshoe crabs. The development of the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch has increased our statewide surveys of the spawning population, and we hope to have a better understanding of increases or declines in the population over the next few years. SHARE COPY LINK Horseshoe crabs are all over area beaches during the spring. Here are 10 facts about the mysterious prehistoric creatures of the Lowcountry. FWC cant do it alone, however, and is relying on the public for help in identifying spawning areas. Crowley said the animals are most likely to spawn on sandy, low-wave action beaches. In Manatee County specifically, we have had reports from Robinson Preserve, around the Skyway Bridge and in Palma Sola Bay, Crowley said. In the right location, you can expect to see them in larger numbers during the new and full moons at high tide. Its not really a crab There are four species of the horseshoe crab, but only one exists in North America ranging from Maine to Florida. All three of the remaining species exist in Southeast Asia. They also arent crabs and are more closely related to spiders and other arachnids. They contain little meat for consumption, perhaps a benefit to their population, though anglers do harvest them for bait. The horseshoe crab is often called a living fossil, because they have existed nearly unchanged for 445 million years, predating the dinosaurs by hundreds of millions of years, surviving all five of the known mass extinction events. They may look a little scary from their ancient appearance but are harmless. They have sharp tails, which are designed to help them flip themselves over if turned over by a wave or while crawling through the mangroves. A horseshoe crab has 10 eyes, so they are sensitive to light. They have two primary eyes but also photo receptors in other areas, primarily along the tail. SHARE COPY LINK Montana resident Sara Sewall Johnson shot this video on May 2, 2017 of thousands of horseshoe crabs mating on the southern shores of Hilton Head Island. If you see a horseshoe crab turned over, never pick it up by the tail or the animal could be severely injured. Always use two hands, grab each side of its exoskeleton body and flip it over. Determining they are mating to help report a potential spawning area is fairly simple. The male and female will attach to one another and group mating is not uncommon. The female lays the eggs in the sand and juvenile horseshoe crabs look just like the adults, only smaller. They shed their exoskeletons up to 17 times in their 20-year lifespan so seeing a skeleton on the beach or in the mangroves doesnt mean it was killed. Information on how to report a potential horseshoe crab spawning area can be found at fwc.com or call 866-252-9326. The future for horseshoe crabs The animals value stock continues to soar, making its preservation more important than ever. Additional research also is leading to a better understanding of human vision. NASA is now testing LAL in space to assist in the diagnosis of astronauts. The Horseshoe Crab Conservation of Charles River in South Carolina is one organization saying the population there is stable if not increasing. They claim thats possible because of the research they do. They hand harvest the blood and return the animal to their natural habitat that same day and use just 1/20th of the LAL needed for traditional testing through its own technology. That means fewer donors are needed and the organization claims that if everyone followed their lead, The worldwide demand could be met with the blood collected from our biannual quota of donors without needing to bleed a single extra crab, according to its website. For now, Florida is playing catchup, but making progress considering the Sunshine State boats significantly more miles of coastline than other states. Public reports help us identify beaches that are crucial for spawning horseshoe crabs, Crowley said. Florida has many miles of coastline, making it difficult to survey without the publics help. Once we identify spawning beaches, we can conduct more regular surveys and tagging through our Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch program to understand population dynamics, movement and other important questions we have about horseshoe crabs. Crowley said part of the tagging program, Will help us understand movements within estuaries and along the coast. Currently, our work shows that the majority of crabs return to the same beach or one nearby during the spawning season. However, crabs have been recorded traveling over 50 miles, much further than we previously thought. | https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article229123239.html |
Does Donald Trump know about WikiLeaks? | by Cait Bladt Julian Assange, head of the hacker collective WikiLeaks, was arrested in London after Ecuador revoked his diplomatic asylum claim. Assange and his organization has been responsible for myriad hacks and data dumps in the last decade, including one of the Democratic National Committee in 2016. During the campaign, Donald Trump routinely praised both the hack and the group behind it, saying I love WikiLeaks. After the arrest, though, Trump turned on Assange, claiming he knows nothing about the group. Donald Trump didnt just praise WikiLeaks once or twice. According to Mother Jones, he celebrated the hacker group more than 140 times. During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly praised WikiLeaks, which released thousands of Democratic National Committee emails in an attempt to harm Hillary Clintons chance of winning the election. These werent isolated comments. Trump cheered on WikiLeaks more than 140 times. Loudly, and at great length. Now, though, Trump seems to have totally forgotten about the group. When asked by reporters what he thought of Assanges arrest, Trump seemed confused as to why the question would even be posed to him. Per CNN: Trump said Thursday he knows "nothing" about Assange or WikiLeaks. "I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It's not my thing and I know there is something having to do with Julian Assange," he said. "I've been seeing what's happened with Assange, and that will be a determination. I would imagine mostly by the attorney general, who is doing an excellent job. So he'll be making a determination. I know nothing really about him. That's not my deal in life." "I don't really have an opinion," Trump asked when reporters continued to ask questions. The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, wed love to hear what you have to say. | https://www.cleveland.com/tylt/2019/04/does-donald-trump-know-about-wikileaks.html |
Cant file (or pay) taxes on time? | The IRS said Friday that even with days to go until the deadline, about 50 million taxpayers have yet to file their tax returns. If you are among them, dont despair there are options. DONT DELAY If you dont think you will be able to complete and file your taxes on time, request an extension. Filing an extension helps taxpayers avoid penalties for a late return, according to the IRS. You can seek an extension through the IRS website, your tax preparation professional or most tax preparation software companies. While an extension provides more time to file, it does not provide more time to pay any taxes owed. The deadline to file individual tax returns and pay taxes owed is April 15 for most taxpayers. Because of area holidays, taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17. Advertising SPECIAL CASES Anyone can request an automatic tax-filing extension, but some people get extra time without asking, according to the IRS. Disaster victims, those serving in a combat zone and Americans living abroad automatically get more time to file. Check the IRS website for specific dates but victims of certain federally declared disasters such as last years California wildfires, the Alaska earthquake or severe storms in several parts of the U.S. are allowed to file later and avoid certain penalties. Military service members and eligible support personnel serving in a combat zone have at least 180 days after they leave the combat zone to file and pay. And U.S. citizens who live and work outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico have until June 17 to meet their tax obligation. DONT RUSH While its important to heed deadlines, its also critical not to rush when you file your taxes. The IRS reminds taxpayers that mistakes can happen when hurrying to file a tax return. Errors can mean longer processing times and possible tax refund delays. The best way to avoid common mistakes is to file electronically. The IRS estimates that about 70% of taxpayers can file their tax return at no charge by using the IRS Free File software. It also has electronic versions of its forms online for those that do not qualify for Free File. PAY UP, EVENTUALLY If you owe money to the IRS but cant afford to pay it at the moment, theres no need to panic, says Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA and tax expert at TurboTax. Advertising Contact the IRS to ask for an installment agreement when you file your taxes. If you qualify, an installment agreement will allow you to set up a monthly payment plan to pay your federal tax debt off over 6 years. If youre able to pay off your balance within 120 days, the installment plan wont cost you any additional fees. If you file an extension but you choose not to pay what you owe by the tax deadline, the IRS will charge you a failure-to-pay penalty and interest on the taxes you owe them. Contact the IRS to discuss your payment options at 1-800-829-1040. The agency may be able to provide other forms of relief to help you settle your debts. In some cases, the agency may be able to waive penalties. However, the agency is unable to waive interest charges which accrue on unpaid tax bills. Do not ignore the problem as failure to file or pay federal taxes can lead to serious and expensive consequences. _______________ Follow Sarah Skidmore Sell on Twitter @sarahssell If you have personal finance questions for the Associated Press, send them to [email protected] | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/cant-file-or-pay-taxes-on-time/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_business |
What happened when our TV critic watched 67 hours of Game of Thrones? | Ten years, 47 Emmys and innumerable shattered budgetary and viewing records later, Game of Thrones eighth and final season is about to dawn. Of the previous seven I apparently alone of my generation have not seen a single minute. This must, I am told by people pressing feverish hands to my shoulders and me to the sofa, be remedied. It is time, they say, that I enter the world of Westeros, the Wall and something called White Walkers and bingewatch until I believe. When you watch 67 hours of epically sweeping storytelling, you win or you die. I kept a diary of my long, long days and nights to find out which it would be. Season one incest and a eunuch I am a few episodes into it and I am overwhelmed. Its all so MUCH. So much plot, so much scenery, so much costumery, so much actors! And they seem to be bound by a rule that says they can either sport their own hair or their own accent, but never both. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Photograph: HBO I gradually inch my way to understanding at least the basics. Starks in Winterfell. Enemy family the Lannisters and a eunuch-spy called Varys in Kings Landing. Cersei and Jaime are twins, but are shagging. This is technically shocking but, when you see what Jaime looks like, actually quite sensible. Their brother, Tyrion, is a dwarf only barely tolerated by the clan and played by Peter Dinklage, the best actor of his generation despite here adopting an English accent that sounds like James Mason being pushed through a sieve. Good job he has all the best lines. Ooh, speaking of pushing things through things Jaimes just pushed Bran Stark through a window for catching him and Cersei at it. I am perturbed that this doesnt make me fancy him any less. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen more vowels than clothing is being married off to a massive Dothraki fellow in order to further her mad brothers ambitions to reclaim the Iron Throne. On the plus side, she has Iain Glen as her devoted protector, Ser Jorah Mormont. She has been given three dragon eggs as a wedding present. I assume these are not irrelevant. By the end of season one, I am exhausted. A lot has happened. The only bits I can really remember are Joffrey the one who looks like an evil Aled Jones being crowned king, Ned Stark being executed, thanks to the treachery of Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), who is Shitstirrer of the Seven Kingdoms and no mistake, and Daenerys being de-brothered and widowed but emerging unscathed from a pyre as the mother of three dragon hatchlings. OK. Some Kendall mint cake laid in, and on to season two. Can this be right?) to unseat Joffrey from the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, Aryas been attacked on her way to the Wall. I worry about the money being spent. Apparently the episodes in season one came in at about $5m (3.8m) a pop and by season six it was twice that. Every cent of it is up on screen. Westeros is a truly immersive world, without a false aesthetic note. I read that every costume is aged for two weeks so that it looks good ie correctly bad in high definition. The bad news is theres yet another family to keep track of: the Tyrells. Joffrey wants to marry the daughter of the house, Margaery, leaving a very relieved Sansa. The good news is the Tyrells are headed by Dame Diana Rigg, who is having a whale of a time. And there are the Wildlings. Neds bastard, Jon Snow of the Single Expression, has joined the Nights Watch, the brotherly army who guard the Wall, and is endangering his vow of chastity with Ygritte (Rose Leslie). She keeps telling him: You know nothing, Jon Snow and, looking at his ceaselessly baffled face. You cannot say shes wrong. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and the Unsullied. Photograph: AP In the south, there is a lot of nudity. So. Many. Boobs. And all so perfect that, while I do not want to think about the audition process that brought them before us, I do think each pair should have had top-line billing. Of course, the nudity isnt necessary. It never is. No, never. It brings in the punters. Generally male, heterosexual punters, and this is decidedly wearing. Beyond boob exposure, things get far more problematic. I am quite sure medieval times were rapey times. It doesnt mean it has to be reproduced here. Last season had Daenerys being serially maritally raped and then being tutored into being a better lover in order to stop him. Please. And now every other exposition scene seems to have a prostitute or two being violated in the background. It absolutely stinks and no, Brienne of Tarth does not make up for it. Season two ends with the Battle of Blackwater, in which the Lannisters are handily victorious over Stannis thanks to Tyrions mustering of all the wildfire in the kingdom. Robb weds Talisa instead of marrying one of Walder Freys daughters to forge the agreed military alliance, because Robb is the Great Ninny of Westeros and the High Seas. The White Walkers are on the move and Neds ward, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen, in an unexpectedly great performance), has been captured by, goddammit, another new family, the Boltons. Season three one wedding and lots of funerals A confession. I fast-forwarded through most of season three because a) Bran warging his way north is so very boring and b) the scenes of Ramsay Boltons torture and castration of Theon are awful and unforgivably gratuitous in every way. I stop for the Red Wedding, of course. Even I have heard of the Red Wedding and it does not disappoint even those of us who lived through Dynastys Moldavian marital massacre of 1985. The Ninny gone! Ninnys mother gone! Nine other main-to-middling cast members gone! Season four age versus beauty Oh my God, MORE PEOPLE. As the cast list grows longer, its impossible not to notice the divide between the old hands, the likes of Iain Glen, Diana Rigg, Charles Dance, Julian Glover, Donald Sumpter and so on, actors who inhabit their roles and dominate their scenes seemingly effortlessly and the younger set who are learning their craft and sometimes butting up against the limits of their talents. Season five give me strength Im not sure I can make it to the end, not like this. ), but bingewatching is inducing despair. Not so much at the programme, whose prowess as a periodically blindsiding storytelling machine remains a thing of wonder, but at life generally. In Brexity times, there is something particularly bleak about watching endless power plays among a handful of more or less corrupt entities. Flies, wanton boys, gods, all that. Its too much insight. Then theres the further emotional toll of Stannis burning his daughter at the stake to secure the Lord of Lights favour; Arya in her stolen face gouging out Meryn Trants eyes; and Reek, the terrified alter ego of the broken Theon, now Ramsays doglike servant. I cannot bear his suffering. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kit Harington as Jon Snow dead, but only slightly less animated than before. Photograph: HBO There is much to admire in Game of Thrones, but not much to love, and apparently such emotional investment as I have made has all gone into this one character and turned me against the whole. I am bolstered, however, by Cerseis much-deserved walk of shame, admiration of the CGI that made the integration of her body double so seamless, and relief that Lena Headey no longer has to wear that awful wig. And Jon Snow is killed, making him only slightly less animated than before. Season six brrrrrrrr! In short: Jon Snow comes back to life, and winter has come. Season seven more, please Very fast, this one. Sansa and Arya, reunited at Winterfell, finally see the Shitstirrer of Westeros for what he is and execute him. Cersei now looks like Joan of Arc, but is an ice-cold, fully fledged psycho working her murderous way through anyone who has ever wronged her. The final scene is tremendous, even by GoT standards, as the Night King riding an undead dragon blasts a pass through the Wall. A word about the dragons: theyre amazing. They look, sound and move exactly like dragons should. How we all share the same platonic ideal of a mythical beast beats me, but it is a joy to see it realised. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dany and Drogon: GoTs dragons are amazing. Well, I look forward to the scenes in which the people who have discovered that Jons real ancestry shows he is the true heir to the Iron Throne try to explain it to him. I want Tyrion (or perhaps a sentient dragon voiced by Patrick Stewart) to take the Iron Throne and for Peter Dinklage to have the longest, most storied career in acting history. I want Theon to find peace and Alfie Allen to get an award. Above all, I want whatever resolution the writers arrive at to feel organic and real, not forced. I dont want the love and time and attention that has been given to the series by the hundreds and hundreds of people involved in making it and the millions upon millions of fans who have committed to it to be betrayed. The new season of Game of Thrones can be seen on Monday 15 April at 2am and 9pm on Sky Atlantic | https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/14/what-happened-when-our-tv-critic-watched-67-hours-of-game-of-thrones |
Will Louisiana lawmakers work for minimum wage? | The Louisiana Legislature will consider two minimum wage bills in the session that began Monday (April 8), neither of which actually raises the wage or requires legislators to record a vote for such an increase. Well-played, lawmakers, well-played. One proposal, Senate Bill 155 by Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, would put a minimum $9 hourly wage in the state Constitution, a boost from the current $7.25 federal requirement. The increase would go into effect July 1, 2020, if statewide voters approve on Oct. 12, the same ballot on which most legislators will be running for re-election. Any future increases would come through the Legislature, as is the case now. Only Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee have no state minimum wage, putting them under the federal law that hasn't changed since 2009. Bills finally coming due for New Orleans S&WB The Sewerage & Water Board is now pretty darn sure it is short $73.4 million in overdue payments. The second approach, House Bill 422 by Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, would give cities and parishes authority to set their own minimum wage, repealing a 1997 law that forbids such local control. Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has unsuccessfully pushed legislators in the first three years of his term to approve an $8.50 wage, is backing Carters proposed constitutional amendment. So I ask you today, the governor said in his opening address to the Legislature, even if you have in the past not supported a minimum wage for our workers, give the people of this state a right to decide. ... let the people of our great state use their voices and their votes to determine if we should join the other 44 states that have enacted a minimum wage. Some Democrats applauded but Republicans remained unmoved, prompting one political observer to tweet: "Would love to understand the argument against letting people vote on whether to establish a state minimum wage." The answer is pretty obvious: If the people are allowed to vote on a minimum wage increase, they will approve it. A statewide telephone survey of 917 adults conducted Feb. 7 to March 15 by interviewers at Louisiana State Universitys Public Policy Research Lab, found that 81 percent of Louisiana residents would support a minimum wage of $8.50 an hour. That included 94 percent support from Democrats, 78 percent from independents and 72 percent from Republicans. Support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage fell dramatically, but was still a clear majority at 59 percent. The higher increase was backed by 85 percent of Democrats but just 46 percent of independents and 44 percent of Republicans. So, voting to give the people a voice is pretty much a guarantee of a higher wage even in the so-called red states. Thats what happened In Missouri, where 62 percent of the voters approved an increase in the current minimum wage of $7.85 to $8.60 an hour in January and an eventual $12 per hour by 2023. In neighboring Arkansas, 68 percent voted to raise the minimum wage from $8.50 to $11 within the next three years, starting with $9.25 an hour in January. For Louisiana voters to get that chance in the Oct. 12 election, Carter's bill would have to get two-thirds support in the Senate and the House. By comparison, a straightforward bill by Carter last year to raise the states minimum wage to $8 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2019, and rising to $8.50 the following year was rejected 21-17 by the Senate. A similar constitutional amendment never got out of committee. Things did not start well for the Duplessis bill, which was moved from a hearing in the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to the House Labor and Industrial Relations, which is more likely to kill it. It seems DOA for the session. The prospects for getting supermajorities for Carter's proposal are not yet clear. Having it on the October ballot is likely a turnout driver for Democrats including Gov. Edwards bid for re-election. Cantrell story on traffic cameras keeps getting worse It's getting harder and harder to believe the city's decision to lower the speed trigger for traffic camera tickets was about boosting safety. Someone will always argue that a minimum wage increase will kill jobs, but you would be hard pressed to find an economist who would argue that going from $7.25 in 2009 to $9 in 2020 would cripple many healthy businesses. Every year, I stand here and make the case for why we should increase our minimum wage and pass equal pay legislation, Edwards told lawmakers in his address. And every year that goes by without action, we are falling further and further behind. I challenge everyone in this room to look at your familys finances and try to imagine making it on $7.25 an hour. For thousands of Louisianians, that is their reality. Legislators can earn their pay this time by letting the people vote. Tim Morris is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write to Tim at [email protected]. | https://www.nola.com/opinions/2019/04/will-louisiana-lawmakers-work-for-minimum-wage.html |
Can A $1.5 Billion Bet On Fuel Cell Big Rigs Be A Game-Changer For Hydrogen? | Hydrogen-powered Nikola semi-truck, emitting no tailpipe pollution, could be running across the U.S. in a few years if the company's $1.5 billion bet pays off. Nikola Motor Hydrogen fuel cells have been a promising but elusive powertrain option for half a century, always improving but never quite solving cost, efficiency and fueling infrastructure snags that made them less attractive than batteries as a zero-emission alternative to gasoline-engine cars. Nikola Motor, an Arizona startup with a vision as brash as the one Elon Musk and Teslas founders cooked up years ago, aims to be the catalyst that moves this clean-power technology to the mainstream with futuristic semi-trucks and a coast-to-coast hydrogen station network to fuel them. And it wants carmakers like Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and Daimler to use those stations to expand their fuel cell vehicle sales beyond California and help create a broader ecosystem for hydrogen. It wont be cheap: Nikola is seeking $1.25 billion to fund it, on top of $300 million raised so far, CEO Trevor Milton tells Forbes. Hell make a big push this week with a Nikola-led hydrogen tech conference in Scottsdale, convening suppliers, partners, potential investors, future customers and carmakers, to gin up excitement and win powerful allies for his audacious plans. Nikola CEO Trevor Milton at the unveiling of the company's Nikola One truck. Nikola Motor You cant do this alone. Toyota and the others cant do it on their own and neither could we, he said. The thing that Nikola brings to the table is we actually provide the entire network, we're building 700 hydrogen stations around America. Milton thinks much faster refueling time and a big weight advantage relative to batteries works in Nikolas favor for long-distance highway runs. Hydrogen works way better on heavy-duty (trucks) and were 5,000 pounds lighter than Tesla, he said. Look at Anheuser Busch. They ordered 40 or 50 trucks from them and 800 from us. In fact, he claims Nikola has lined up $14 billion in truck leases from big shippers including Anheuser Busch and U.S. Express, each of which is a seven-year lease is worth about $1 million. Were sold out for eight years of production. But none of those orders turn into revenue until Nikola completes its fundraising push and gets into production, targeted for late 2022. Its fueling network, with stand-alone stations dispensing hydrogen extracted from water, using electricity produced by wind, solar and other renewable sources, will take much of the 2020s to set up. The next three years will be tough and require nonstop spending by the unproven startup. But its success would benefit companies that have been plugging away in hydrogen for years, improving the odds of getting industry support Milton seeks. Nikola intends to build 700 fuel stations across the U.S. over the next decade, making zero-emission hydrogen from water using electricity from renewable energy. Nikola Motor That's critical since the Trump Administration has largely abandoned efforts to keep the U.S. a global leader in low-carbon energy technology. At the same time, big global companies and investment funds, California, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and the EU keep pushing policies that foster lower-emission vehicles and spur business opportunities. Sales of electric cars are growing worldwide as batteries and component costs improve, led by Tesla, and increasing numbers of medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks and buses can be found on the streets of big cities and at ports. But the physics of long-range semis, hauling up to 80,000 pounds including the cab and trailer, could be a dealbreaker for Musks big-rig dreams. If you want to electrify heavy-duty trucks, a Class-8 truck needs seven tons or 700-kilowatt hours of battery in there, that makes four to five packs to store in the truck. By comparison, you get the same range from a few hundred kilograms of hydrogen, said Bernd Heid, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, who researches trucking industry trends and technology. Similarly, batteries require vastly more recharge time than either hydrogen or for conventional diesel fuel. With diesel, every minute of fueling provides 20 miles of range for a big truck, while with hydrogen, a minute of fueling provides 12 miles of range, Heid calculates. For a battery-powered truck, each minute of charging only provides 3 miles, he said. So for a truck to go 500 miles, it takes about 25 minutes for a diesel, 42 minutes for hydrogen and potentially more than two and a half hours for a battery truck. (Musk has said Tesla will have a network of Megachargers that provide 400 miles range in 30 minutes for its futuristic Semi, with its battery packs plugged into individual chargers to simultaneously repower them.) Trucking is a business that is ideally operating 24-seven, Heid said. Every minute or hour that you have downtime not operating, it doesn't make money. The filling or charging time is a huge business impact. Fuel cell and battery-powered vehicles are both electric, sharing the same motors and many other components. The key difference is that batteries store electricity and fuel cells produce it onboard as needed, in an electrochemical process that extracts electrons from hydrogen forced through fuel cell membranes. Aside from the electricity, the only byproduct is water vapor, rather than harmful diesel exhaust. Beyond cars and trucks, they've been used by NASA for decades, they work as stationary electricity generators and are being developed to power trains and even ships and ferries. For battery cars, its relatively simple to create public charging infrastructure to allow drivers to power up when parked, but even a fast charge can take 30 minutes or more. Fuel cell cars can be refueled in about the same amount of time as those using gasoline, though the number of public stations dispensing compressed hydrogen gas in California, which has the most, is just 37 currently, clustered in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County and down to San Diego. Dozens more are planned, but like the extensive Supercharger network Musk has built up for Tesla owners, Nikolas 700-station goal would be a game changer for cross-country travel. If there's suddenly this expansion of hydrogen infrastructure across the U.S., its a big deal, said Craig Scott, national manager for Toyotas U.S. advanced technologies group. It would be a very good thing to have more hydrogen stations opening upmore is more. Toyota has sold Mirai hydrogen sedans in California and Japan for the past few years, and operates two fuel cell trucks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with more on the way. It's even building a hydrogen plant at the ports, making the fuel from waste material, to power its fleet. The Nikola Tre is a battery-electric heavy-duty truck developed for shorter-range urban use. Nikola Motor Milton will elaborate this week on a strategy that will take the better part of a decade to realize. It includes prepping a 500-acre site for its plant outside of Phoenix, with plans to break ground early next year. Its designed to eventually crank out up to 50,000 semi-trucks a year, a massive amount of production capacity in the world of big rigs. Nikola has also unveiled three different models, including the long-range Nikola One, with a sleeper cab, the Nikola Two for shorter uses, and the Nikola Tre, a battery-only truck for shorter-range hauling. About 90% of all the orders that come in are coming in hydrogen, the other 10% are for electric, Milton said. The nice thing about Nikola is we're the only company that can say, yeah, we offer both and well shoot it to you straightbased on your needs. (Separately, Nikola filed suit against Tesla in federal court in Arizona last year claiming the design for its Semi unveiled in November 2017 was far too close to the Nikola One, which had its public debut more than a year earlier. Tesla tried to have the suit dismissed, but the litigation continues and may not be resolved until 2020.) There's no question that Nikolas aspirations may exceed its abilities, but it will take years to know for sure. In 2006, when Musk and Teslas original management team laid out a quixotic vision to transform the auto industry with a new generation of electric cars, few at the company's public debut in Santa Monica, California, thought success was in the cards. Thirteen years later Musks mission isn't complete but Tesla has achieved far more than expected and pushed auto rivals to go electric. If Milton achieves half as much for hydrogen, while automakers keep building up their fuel cell offerings as hydrogen finds its way into new applications, the impact would be dramatic. Nikola's Design Infringement Suit Against Tesla | https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2019/04/14/can-a-15-billion-bet-on-fuel-cell-big-rigs-be-a-game-changer-for-hydrogen/ |
How does home school fit into solutions for nontraditional students in Washington? | Earlier this month, Education Lab asked readers to send us their questions about nontraditional students a catchall for students who dont speak English at home, recent immigrants and refugees, homeless students, gifted learners, students with disabilities, students who have interacted with the justice system and much, much more. Basically, we wanted to know what you want to know about the square pegs in the round hole of a school system that seems to be set up to elevate students from more traditional white and middle-class households. But one of the first questions we received wasnt actually a question. Instead, reader Sarah Allen offered Education Lab a tip: You need to include home-school students as part of the exploration of nontraditional students. There are many, for lots of reasons. Coincidentally, Allens prompt arrived just a few days before Seattle Times reporter Marcus Harrison Green explored exactly why some black families, swearing off both public and private schools in Seattle, have chosen to home-school their children. It just didnt make sense to continue to subject my kids to a public school system that devalued them, mother Yasmin Ravard-Andresen said of her decision. Her family is part of a nationwide trend as more families of colors choose home school. Advertising Across the U.S., the number of home-schoolers reached 1.69 million as of 2016, the most recent year of data available from the National Center for Education Statistics. The number of white home-schoolers grew about 56% between 1999 and 2016, while the number of black home-schoolers grew a bit faster at 57%. Their participation in home school soared nearly 500% since 1999. The count of home-schoolers identifying as an other race climbed more than 300%. Aaron Hirsh, a Harvard graduate student and research affiliate with the Seattle-based Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), analyzed the data for a forthcoming report on home schooling. (The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds Education Lab through a grant, also provides financial support to CRPE.) Once seen as the exclusive domain of right-wing Christian families, the group of families who are choosing to opt out of traditional public schools is growing more diverse, Hirsh wrote in his draft report. Hirsh added that families of color arent alone. Though no data is available, preliminary research suggests that students who identify as LGBTQ are taking advantage of home schooling as an opportunity to escape the bullying, peer pressure and shaming that are endemic to many public schools, he wrote. Advertising The same is true for some Muslim families in the Evergreen State, according to Jen Garrison Stuber, advocacy chair for the Washington Homeschool Organization. She said her group has noticed a growth in home school among three specific communities in Washington: Black families, families of students with disabilities and Muslim families. Stuber said many parents in the latter group, regardless of race, have pulled their children out of public schools to avoid bullying and harassment. In 2017, a survey from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding found more than two in five Muslims with children in K-12 schools reported that their children were bullied because of their faith. Kathy Dameron, a home-school mom of two, has heard similar reports from other Muslim parents who joined a home school co-op that she established near Tacoma last year. I often get calls from parents saying, you know, theres a boy in their daughters class who always has one nasty comment to say about her, or someone pulls her hijab every day, and that they hate going to school, Dameron said. Her youngest daughter, now in the fourth grade, was an early reader and didnt get much support when the family tried private school. So, backed with research, Dameron persuaded her husband to home school their daughter. She has since continued to home school a younger sibling, and both speak and write Arabic something neither Dameron nor her husband can do. Thats nothing they could get in (traditional) school, Dameron said. I wish I could be like them! | https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/how-does-home-school-fit-into-solutions-for-nontraditional-students-in-washington/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_seattle-news |
Why Isnt Assange Charged with Collusion with Russia? | Prior to the publication of the stolen Democratic-party emails and internal documents, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks exhorted Russian government hackers to send them new material. That is what we are told by Special Counsel Robert Muellers indictment of Russian intelligence officers. (I wont offend anyone by calling them spies after all, they were just doing electronic surveillance authorized by their government, right?) Assange wanted the Russians to rest assured that giving new material to WikiLeaks (identified as Organization 1 in the indictment) would have a much higher impact than what you are doing i.e., hacking and then putting the information out through other channels. But time was of the essence. It was early 2016. If Hillary Clinton was not stopped right there and then, WikiLeaks warned, proceedings at the imminent Democratic national convention would solidify bernie supporters behind her. Of course, bernie is Bernie Sanders, the competitor who could still get the nomination. But if Assange and the Russians couldnt raise Bernies prospects, WikiLeaks explained, Mrs. Clinton would be a White House shoo-in: We think trump has only a 25% chance of winning against hillary . . . so conflict between bernie and hillary is interesting. In a nutshell: Knowing that Russia had the capacity to hack the DNC and perhaps Clinton herself, WikiLeaks urged it to come up with new material and vowed to help bring it maximum public attention. By necessity, this desire to hurt Clinton would inure to Sanderss benefit. And sure enough, WikiLeaks eventually published tens of thousands of the Democratic emails hacked by Russian intelligence. So . . . I have a few questions. Brennan & Co. couldnt tell us enough about our intelligence-agency mind readers confidence that Putin was rootin for Trump. Dont get me wrong: I dont think there is any basis for a criminal investigation of Senator Sanders. But there appears to have been no criminal predicate for a collusion investigation of Donald Trump, either not a shred of public evidence that he conspired in the Putin regimes hacking, other than that presented in the Clinton-campaign-sponsored Steele dossier (if you can call that evidence though even Christopher Steele admits its not). Yet, Trump was subjected to an investigation for more than two years on the gossamer-light theory that Trump stood to benefit from Moscows perfidy. Yes, of course, this cui bono claim was amplified by what were said to be Trumps intriguing, if noncriminal, ties to Russia. To my knowledge, however, the mythical pee tape of Steele lore has never been located; it is unlikely, then, that there are any Trump photos that compare, intrigue-wise, to a shirtless Bernie boozing it up in the Soviet Union. Surely that should have been worth a FISA warrant or four. The Assange Indictment: Weak and Potentially Time-Barred The most striking thing about the Assange indictment that the Justice Department did file is how thin it is, and how tenuous. Leaping years backwards, ignoring collusion with Russia, prosecutors allege a single cyber-theft count: a conspiracy between Assange and thenBradley (now Chelsea) Manning to steal U.S. defense secrets. This lone charge is punishable by as little as no jail time and a maximum sentence of just five years imprisonment (considerably less than the seven years Assange spent holed up in Ecuadors London embassy to avoid prosecution). This is very peculiar. Manning, Assanges co-conspirator, has already been convicted of multiple felony violations of the espionage act serious crimes that the Assange indictment says WikiLeaks helped Manning commit . . . but which the Justice Department has not charged against Assange. | https://news.yahoo.com/why-isn-t-assange-charged-230621910.html |
Who Is The Golden State Warriors Most Undervalued Free Agent? | Getty The Golden State Warriors face their most challenging path to a championship yet, as they set off on their quest for a fourth title in five years. Beyond June lies an even bigger threat to their dynastic ambitions as multiple key players approach free agency this summer and next. With no cap space available the Warriors will have to pay whatever it takes to retain free agents such as Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. With a skyrocketing franchise valuation and the Chase Center opening at the start of next season, theyll be generating plenty of income to pay higher salaries and the astronomical luxury tax bills. Using the same methodology from Forbes recent estimates of the most overpaid and underpaid players in the league, its possible to see who on the Warriors has been underpaid so far, and who might be in line for a contract thats out of line with the value they produce on the court. There are some important caveats to take into account. The methodology uses various metrics to calculate wins produced by each player, some of which derive value from box score counting stats, which means elements of the game such as on-ball defense dont always get fully captured. The methodology also assigns wins across the full 82-game season, so if a player misses a lot of games their value will be lower. And of course, any intangible benefits like fit with the team, chemistry considerations, and leadership qualities wont get picked up either. Despite these limitations, its still a useful tool in calculating the financial value of contracts. Kevin Durant Lets get this out of the way first. If Durant wants to return, the Warriors will pay him whatever it takes. Durants game has grown year-on-year with the Warriors, averaging career highs in rebounding and field goal % in 2016/17, blocked shots in 2017/18, and assists in 2018/19. Oh, and lets not forget those two NBA Finals MVP awards as well. Possessing "Full Bird Rights on Durant for the first time this summer, the Warriors will be able to offer him a five-year deal of around $220m, with a starting salary of just over $38.1m. And by this metric, theyd be right to do so. Across the three metrics, Durant averaged 12 wins over the year, meaning an expected salary of $35.7m compared to his actual 2018/19 salary of $30m. Interestingly that $35.7m is broadly in line with what his starting salary would have been if hed taken the four-year deal that was potentially on offer from the Warriors last summer when they only had his "Early Bird Rights. By turning that contract down and opting to play on another one-year deal, Durant opened up the door this summer to either get paid that $220m mega deal or leave for pastures anew. Klay Thompson Klay Thompsons case is somewhat trickier. He wants to stay with the Warriors, and the Warriors want to keep him. They will pay whatever they have to, most likely a five-year $190m deal starting at $32.7m. However, should Thompson be voted on to an All-NBA team this season hed be in line for a mega-extension similar to the deal Durant is eligible for. That didnt appear likely for much of the year after a slow start, but Thompson finished strong and there are no clearcut choices for the guards on the third string All-NBA team. So it is possible Thompson could end up being eligible for a contract bigger than Steph Currys megadeal. Either way, by this methodology, Thompson could end up being overpaid. He generated 3.8 wins over the 2018/19 season, leading to an expected salary of $11.3m against an actual salary just under $19m. Thats a negative difference of $7.7m. However, Thompson is uniquely hit by the imperfections in the model. Hes always been undervalued by some of these advanced statistics, largely because his on-ball defense generally doesnt show up in the box score through steals and rebounds. Its also hard to quantify the value of his on-court fit with Steph Curry, often taking the defensive assignment on the opposing teams toughest perimeter player and creating even more spacing just being on the floor. Chemistry wise hes so low maintenance that no-one ever needs to worry about him. Hes the perfect foil to Curry, and that alone is worth its weight in gold. Ultimately if the Warriors can lock up Thompson for five years there are plenty of reasons they should do so. Kevon Looney Kevon Looney comes out of this exercise as the Warriors best-kept secret. As they declined his fourth-year option they couldnt pay him any more than that last summer. In the end, they somehow brought him back for the veteran minimum. They may not be that lucky this year. Over the course of a very effective season, Looney averaged 6.4 wins. This equates to a salary of $18.9m, against an actual salary of $1.56m and a lower cap hit due to his veteran minimum status of $1.51m. Looney has very clearly been undervalued on the contract he played on this year and should be in line for a decent payday this summer. Whether he gets the full $17.4m difference he lost out on according to this methodology is another matter. But the Warriors are almost certainly going to have to give him a well-deserved raise if they want to keep him around. As one of their few recent hits from the draft, they'd be wise to do so. Andre Iguodala Although Andre Iguodala is not a free agent this summer, when he signed his $48m three-year deal back in the summer of 2017, many thought the Warriors would try to move off the final year $17.1m salary of the contract given the luxury tax hell they are approaching. Something happened on the way though. Iguodala has had a tremendous season, actually outplaying the $16m he was paid. He generated 5.8 wins, leading to an expected salary of $17.2m. Given that, and all those intangible leadership, chemistry and defensive benefits he brings, its looking more likely than ever that Iguodala will be in a Warriors uniform next year. Draymond Green Draymond Green is still under contract for the 2019/20 season but will be a free agent after that. At age 30, with a lot of high-intensity mileage on his undersized body, the Warriors could end up having to overpay Green, particularly on the back end if its a longer contract. Or perhaps not. After a down year offensively Green was always going to rate out a bit lower in this methodology than his likely true value to this Warriors franchise, especially due to missing 16 games with a variety of injuries. Yet he still managed to average 5.25 wins for an expected salary of $15.575m against his real salary just under $17.5m. Obviously, thats still a large difference from the full contract he could be eligible for next summer. But Greens value to the Warriors comes in his defensive versatility, leadership skills, and most importantly his playoff-level intensity. He provides that emotional spark that lifts the Warriors, as well as acting as the central nervous system of their league-changing defense. Before Green no-one thought you could win playing small ball. Now everyone else in the league is trying to play smaller, with switching, versatile defenders across the floor. The fact no-one else has been able to do it as well as the Warriors speaks volumes about Green's true value. In the end, what really matters for the Warriors is the value their players create in the playoffs. If they keep their historic core together theyll be operating so far above the cap that they wont be able to easily replace anyone who leaves. So despite the value produced in the regular season if the Warriors can afford it, and they can, everyone should get paid this summer. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmurray/2019/04/14/who-is-the-golden-state-warriors-most-undervalued-free-agent/ |
Is The Nuggets' Game One Loss The Beginning Of The End, Or Just What They Needed? | Getty The Denver Nuggets could hardly have had a better opportunity to come from behind to beat the San Antonio Spurs in their first-round playoff series opener on their home court at the Pepsi Center last night. Trailing the Spurs by a single point with 13.3 seconds remaining in the game, Gary Harris inbounded the ball to Jamal Murray, who dribbled around a Nikola Jokic screen into one of the most wide-open 17-foot jump shots of his entire NBA career. And clanked it off the rim. It was a disastrously fitting end which capped off one of Denvers worst shooting performances of the 2018-19 season. The Nuggets made only six of their 28 three-point attempts, or 21.4%. According to NBA.com, it was the teams fourth-worst performance from beyond the arc of the season, and their 48.7% true shooting percentage, which accounts for the value of two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws, was their 11th worst. The first key to Denver succeeding which I identified in my Nuggets-Spurs playoff series preview was to punish the Spurs when they double-teamed Jokic by making their open shots, and having failed to do this it is little surprise they came up short. According to FiveThirtyEights CARMELO NBA forecast model, the Nuggets chances of defeating the Spurs in the first round and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals dropped from 87% before the series started to 70% following their game one loss. And while 70% may seem to still bode relatively well for Denver, FiveThirtyEights political forecast model also famously had Hillary Clinton as a 70% favorite to win the 2016 presidential elections, and clearly nothing is guaranteed. Now that Denver has relinquished what should have been its formidable home court advantage to the Spurs, they will have to steal a game back in San Antonio, where the Nuggets havent won a game since March 4, 2012 a drought of over seven years. And while Denvers seeming inability to win on the Spurs home court would seem to put a thumb on the scales, tipping them away from their 70% favored status and over to San Antonios favor, they may have one counterbalance built into the quality of their team character and culture. If any single trait defines the Nuggets identity, it is resilience in the face of adversity. Denver was fourth on the list of teams whose players missed the most games due to injury this year, getting walloped right out of the gate in their second game of the season when starting small forward Will Barton went down with a hip injury that would sideline him for months. His fellow starters Gary Harris and Paul Millsap would also go on to miss extended time with injuries of their own. The Nuggets response to having their roster decimated was to open the season with a 35-15 record which represented the teams best season start since joining the NBA in 1976. Called upon to deliver in larger-than-anticipated roles, bench reserves such as Monte Morris, Malik Beasley and Torrey Craig stepped up bigtime in the starters injury absence, helping to keep Denver afloat as a top-two team in the West, where they ultimately finished as the second seed. The Nuggets general propensity to rise to the challenge with their backs to the wall was evident throughout the season in individual games as well. Per NBA.coms definition of clutch time, delineated as the final five minutes of games with a score differential of five or fewer points, Denvers 31 clutch wins were the most in the league, their clutch win percentage of 67.4% was likewise highest, and they had the third highest clutch net rating of 12.9. Additionally, according to NBA Miner the Nuggets were also tied for sixth in comeback wins of 15 or more points, and for seventh in comeback wins of 10 or more. Perhaps it is their youth and inexperience as the youngest team in the playoffs which makes it difficult to muster up their optimal level of performance from within, and thus find it easier to feed off of externally galvanizing factors. Whatever the reason, time and again this season the Nuggets have proven to be at their best when their backs are against the wall. The phrase this is a game they would have lost last season has often been repeated this season, and Denvers scrappy, never-quit attitude with plenty of results to back it up has become intrinsic to the teams ethos. Of course, not only Denver would have preferred to win game one, but doing so would have dramatically improved their chances of winning against the more experienced Spurs. But the short history of this season has been one of a team which discovers its best self under the most dire circumstances. So maybe, just maybe, if the Nuggets required a more powerful motivating force to sharpen their focus, heighten their intensity, and inspire them to perform at the peak of their ability, losing game one could be just the catalyst they needed. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelrush/2019/04/14/is-the-nuggets-game-one-loss-the-beginning-of-the-end-or-just-what-they-needed/ |
Is Kratom, an over-the-counter supplement, contributing to overdose deaths? | In an age where energy boosters, fat loss supplements, and pain relievers are easy to get over the counter, little is known about a supplement known as kratom an herbal extract which has been linked to at least 91 deaths, according to the CDC. It has become a go-to for many people suffering from opioid withdrawal and substance abuse, and as kratom becomes more popular in the U.S., scientists are trying to better understand how it affects the body, and how to test for it in people who overdose. Kratom is derived from a plant by the same name from Southeast Asia. It can be swallowed as a pill, brewed as tea, or crushed and smoked. Kratoms key ingredient, mitragynine, can cause stimulant or energizing effects -- similar to caffeine and amphetamines. At higher doses, it can cause opioid-like effects similar to narcotic pain medications. Because of this, it has become popular with people recovering from opioid addiction and drug abuse. People who abuse drugs, or are on chronic opioids, may view kratom as something [they] can get easily, and try themselves, Henry Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center, told ABC News. Kratom is easy to buy in stores or on the web. While it can relieve pain and make people feel more energized, scientists are unsure what doses are safe to take, or if it is safe to use at all. The supplement has been linked to 91 overdose deaths in 27 states, according to the CDC. In recent years, both the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have issued warnings about kratom use. As kratom has become more mainstream in the U.S., phone calls to the Poison Control Center for accidental kratom overdoses have skyrocketed. A recent study showed that the number of kratom exposures was 52.5 times higher in 2017 than 2011. Most of these phone calls came from young adults age 20 or older, and about 70% of them were men, according to the CDC. The people at the highest risk of kratom-involved deaths are those with a history of substance abuse. According to postmortem tests performed by the CDC, most people with kratom-involved deaths died by fentanyl and heroin overdose. These people often tested positive for multiple drugs, including prescription pain medications. It is unclear where kratom use increased their risk of overdose-related death. While kratom may have useful effects, right now, its wholly unregulated, Spiller told ABC News. "Most people are not aware of its risks, including potentially serious, drug-drug interactions, Spiller added. We need to let [people] know that just because kratom is a natural medication, that doesnt mean that its safe. It is quite potent, and can have serious, untoward effects. Navjot Kaur Sobti is an internal medicine resident physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock-Medical Center/Dartmouth School of Medicine and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit. | https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kratom-counter-supplement-contributing-overdose-deaths/story?id=62393199 |
What does Tiger Woods' Masters win prove? Why does it mean so much? | Arizona Republic sports columnist examines why Tiger's victory means so much. Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday, and it proves whats possible. Its possible to come back from the loss of your father. Even if at the time it seems like youve lost the will to continue without him. Its possible to come back from the loss of your family. Even if youre embarrassed, and everyone is judging you. Even if it seems like youre going to lose everything in the divorce. Apr 14, 2019: Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports) Its possible to come back from jail. Even if your mug shot is all over the news, and theyve got you out here looking crazy. Its possible to come back from a lost identity. Even if they knew you as a prodigy. Even if your hair isnt as thick and your waist isnt as thin. Its possible to turn back the clock. Even if its just one day, or one weekend. Its possible to show everybody that you might not be as good as you once were, but youre as good as you ever were once, to quote Charles Barkley, quoting Toby Keith. Its possible to come back from a broken body. Even if youve had surgery upon surgery. Its possible to come back from all of that. Its possible to come back from more. Get crucial breaking sports news alerts to your inbox. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Breaking News Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters You have to have faith that it can happen. You have to put in the work. You have to find people to trust and help you through the toughest times. But you can do it. Tigers comeback proved all of that and more. Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @WritingMoore. There's plenty Moore where this came from. Subscribe for videos, columns, opinions and analysis from The Arizona Republics award-winning sports team. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/golf/2019/04/14/tiger-woods-masters-comeback-win-proves-anything-possible/3466816002/ |
What does the world's largest single-building airport terminal look like? | Video The busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers is in Atlanta, Georgia and no 2 is in Beijing, both with tens of millions more passengers every year than their nearest rivals. So it might come as a surprise to hear that a new airport, set to open later this year, with what officials claim is the worlds largest terminal housed in a single building, is also in the Chinese capital. This will give Beijing a breathtaking flight capacity, surpassing Londons six airports. Until now the impressive structure has been under wraps but China Correspondent Stephen McDonell went along to have a look. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-47914210/what-does-the-world-s-largest-single-building-airport-terminal-look-like |
What Weapon is Gendry Making Arya in Game of Thrones? | Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere. The Game of Thrones season 8 premiere saw Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and everyone in their combined entourage arrive at Winterfell to begin preparing for the war that finally pits the living against the dead. One of the most welcome sights in the group was Gendry, who immediately fired up the castle forges and got to work making weapons out of the dragonglass from the mine underneath Dragonstone. As we know, dragonglass and Valyrian steel are the only two materials capable of killing White Walkers and wights. And thanks to the Hounds request for a war hammer, we learned that making larger blades out of dragonglass is no easy feat. Perhaps most intriguing at all, we also caught a glimpse of a design for a new weapon that seems like it may play a pivotal role in the coming battle. After reuniting with Jon, Arya stopped by the forges for a chat with Gendry, who she hadnt seen since the Brotherhood Without Banners sold him to Melisandre back in season 3. After the two shared some banter that fans speculated was flirtatious, Arya pulled out a drawing of what looked to be a double-ended spear with a dragonglass blade and a Valyrian steel blade that were both detachable. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now The season 8 trailer showed Arya fighting with a weapon that appeared to be staff-esque, so this could add up. Not to mention that when she was trying to become one of the Faceless Men, we saw plenty of staff-training montages. In a recent interview with Vanity Fairs Still Watching podcast, Game of Thrones armorer Tommy Dunne hinted that a weapon of this nature was on its way. There is one creation in season 8 that is absolutely phenomenal. Itll be a showstopper, he said. That was great to finish. It was great to make, great to design it that it was about to be reverse-engineered and made into two different items. Sounds like Arya definitely isnt planning on holding back when the Night King shows up at Winterfell. Write to Megan McCluskey at [email protected]. | http://time.com/5570457/game-of-thrones-arya-gendry-weapon/ |
Why is the left blinkered to claims about Assange and sexual assault? | In case youve forgotten, or have been confused by politicians who failed to mention it, let me remind you why I believe Julian Assange was in the Ecuadorian embassy for seven years before he was ejected and arrested last week. I dont believe it was for being a journalist or a truth-teller to power, and it wasnt for releasing evidence of Americas war crimes. He was in the embassy because, in 2010, Sweden issued an international arrest warrant so that he may answer allegations of sexual assault and rape. Assange would not accept extradition, jumped bail in the UK and absconded. So it was curious to hear Diane Abbott, when answering questions about Labours enthusiastic objection to Assanges possible extradition to the US to face charges of involvement in a computer-hacking conspiracy, say those sexual assault charges were never brought. The allegations were made, she generously conceded, but the charges were never brought. How about with the painfully obvious logical hole in the argument, that he jumped bail and was unavailable to be tried. That is why the charges were never brought. Integral to Abbotts remarks is the implication that they were dropped because of some reason other than Assanges escape. This suggests they were either not credible enough to be pursued, or dropped voluntarily, and therefore should not be the focus of the Assange case. This innocence-by-absence technical sophistry is at best ignorant, at worst, dishonest. One of the two charges actually expired, Assange was so successful in running down the clock. It really doesnt have to be this way. It is entirely possible to believe two things at the same time, that Assange should not face extradition to the US but that we should perhaps take a look at why he jumped bail and was in hiding for seven years. More than 70 MPs and peers have now written to Sajid Javid and Abbott, urging them to focus attention on the earlier Swedish investigations. But Abbott would rather focus on the politics than on the justice. We all know what this is about, she continued, when pressed. Its not about the rape charges, serious as they are. And there we have it. The rape charges are a distraction (serious as they are, of course). The conspiratorial we all know what this is about is a giveaway. Lets not be naive, Abbott is signalling, and pretend this is about something as peripheral as sexual assault charges when there is serious business afoot. The Swedish women are a ploy, a ruse, a way to meddle with The Cause. They are a front. This is a man against The Man, we all know what this is about. And yes, we do know what this is about. Its about relegating women and sexual assault to the back of the issues queue. There is a tendency by some on the left to have a hierarchy of worthy causes. At the top is all the big banner stuff; the US, imperialism, neocolonialism, foreign policy. Further downstream are social justice and economic redistribution. And all the way at the bottom of the waterfall are those who dont fit quite as neatly on one side or the other of the ideological odyssey between good and evil. Assange trips all the big-issue wires. This is but the latest indication of what I always suspected, that Corbyn is neither a closet remainer nor a Brexiteer; his only secret is his indifference to the messy issue where there is no clear David or Goliath. A case like Assanges gets to the heart of the whole resistance effort against big monopolistic powers victimising the little people. Assange's indictment is Trump's next step in his war on press freedom | Trevor Timm Read more The whole bro-against-the-machine shtick attracts women as well. Assanges patrons have included Jemima Khan, Vivienne Westwood, who in turn attacked Khan for abandoning Assange, and, most lately and bizarrely, Pamela Anderson. But to thrive in the man-led resistance, these women must also adopt the blinkered view that men of the left are on their side, and so are to be protected, even from other women. Assanges threatened victimisation by the US would be a worrying precedent and a reason not to extradite him, but that does not mean that sexual assault allegations should be brushed aside. In this country we have protections for whistleblowers, Abbott tweeted. Julian Assange is not being pursued to protect US national security. He is being pursued because he has exposed wrongdoing by US administrations. It also seems that, in this country, as long as we have the same enemies, we condone the protection of those who flee sexual assault allegations. Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist | https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/15/left-blinkered-claims-julian-assange-sexual-assault |
What Effect Does Group Coaching Have on Leaders? | Getty In a previous article, we looked at research conducted by Sally Bonneywell exploring how coaching supports the development of female leaders in particular, within a global organization. That article looked at what the research had to say about how individual coaching facilitated development. In this article, well go on to look at the effects of group coaching and how that impacted the development of the female leaders within the study. The research refers to a collective impact of coaching which was experienced in addition to a personal/ individual impact. The collective impact is broken down into three categories: Feeling Im Not Alone - Over half of the participants in the study shared that the group coaching experience left them with the realization that they werent alone. Hearing other female leaders in similar positions share their experiences, challenges, feelings, thoughts, and ways of looking at the world appeared to help normalize the experiences of others. The sharing in this way appeared to help highlight a collective nature to what was being shared and led to a feeling of connectedness to one another. One participant shared that she went from assuming she was facing things no one else was/had to, to hearing about what others had faced. This normalization led to her feeling that things were more manageable. Feeling Connected To The Group - Group coaching appeared to facilitate the development of connections between colleagues who worked together within the coaching space. The participants who experienced this referred to it as being positive and helpful. The relationships built within the group coaching transferred outside of this specific context and into the workplace. It impacted how colleagues related to one another in their day job and supported them in listening to one an others positions within discussions. However, not all participants had this experience as some felt they connected with the coaches - both during individual coaching and group coaching - but not with the group. This perhaps highlights that group coaching may not be beneficial to everyone. The researcher also notes that those who werent benefiting as much from group coaching may have excluded themselves from reporting back on it by missing the group sessions. Because of this, its worth remembering that the picture we have of group coaching may not be entirely complete. Giving Back - Group and individual coaching together led to some of the participants leaving with a desire to give back to others as a result of their involvement with the process. Some wanted to go on and develop their own coaching skills and for others, they reported using elements of the overall coaching initiative in running development sessions for women in their work remit. The work overall and the findings of this piece of research shows us that the individual and group coaching programme helped to develop the female leaders in many ways. The participants experienced growth in their skill set, found coaching supported them with their personal identity development, their ability to relate and increased their self-esteem, confidence, and self-appreciation. The impact that this has gone on to have on their career progression and development isnt known at this point but given the myriad of positive outcomes, its highly likely that their careers have gone on to be impacted for the better. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/carleysime/2019/04/15/what-effect-does-group-coaching-have-on-leaders/ |
What if fraternities helped instead of hazed? | Several years ago, I read an article in Rolling Stone magazine, Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy. The author, Andrew Lohse, is a former Dartmouth student. Lohse blew the whistle on truly repulsive hazing practices at Dartmouth and found himself expelled for his trouble, while his fraternity brothers escaped unscathed. The story was another example of the serious problems facing higher education today. Hazing is by no means unique to the Ivy League; there are more than 6,000 fraternity chapters at nearly 1,000 colleges and universities across the U.S., and every year brings at least one major news story about a hazing incident resulting in serious injury or death. No list is comprehensive, because the vast majority of hazing incidents go unreported. There have been over 200 hazing-related deaths 40 between 2007 and 2017 alone and there has been at least one death every year since 1969. The single most frequent cause of death is alcohol poisoning (with violence not far behind). Despite the official policies of most colleges, universities and the national fraternity leadership that prohibit hazing, and despite annual anti-hazing and hazing awareness efforts, conversations with college students reveal that hazing continues. And the statistics referenced above make clear that hazing practices are just as potentially lethal as ever. In addition to the creation of a social network particularly at larger schools much of the appeal is tradition. Fraternities and sororities have been a part of American college life almost since the founding of the country. Secret student societies existed in the early to mid-1700s. Although fraternal organizations have had their share of distasteful membership policies including racial, religious and ethnic segregation they have also served to promote scholastic achievement, brotherhood and service to the community. At least in theory. When one visits the websites for the National Pan-hellenic Council (governing sororities) and the North American Interfraternity Conference, the pictures convey smiling, clean-cut American youth engaging in healthy pastimes, forming fast, multicultural friendships, and participating in networking activities that open doors to future success. When asking fraternity and sorority members what they love best about their experience, many describe a sense of belonging. Andrew Lohse wrote powerfully that the hazing rituals at Dartmouth as vile and disgusting as they were created a bond that brought with it entry into the upper echelons of society and lasted for life. I wonder whether this sense of camaraderie could not be created in some other way. I know that fraternities and sororities often have philanthropic causes, but it strikes me that this is often an afterthought to hard partying. About 750,000 undergraduate students are members of a fraternity or sorority. Imagine the difference they could make if they were to devote their energies to helping, instead of hazing. Laura Hollis is a syndicated columnist. | https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/04/15/what-if-fraternities-helped-instead-of-hazed/ |
What picks do the Cardinals have in NFL Draft 2019? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The Arizona Cardinals, who went 3-13 last season, have the first pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which is April 25-27 in Nashville. Here are all the picks the Cardinals have in the draft: First round: 1st pick. Second round: 1st pick, 33rd overall. Third round: 1st pick, 65th overall. Fourth round: 1st pick, 103rd overall. Fifth round: 1st pick, 139th overall. Sixth round: 1st pick, 174th overall. Sixth round: 6th pick, 179th overall (via trade with Buccaneers). Seventh round: 34th pick, 248th overall (compensatory). Seventh round: 35th pick, 249th overall (compensatory). Seventh round: 40th pick, 254th overall (compensatory). See the picks the Browns have in the 2019 NFL Draft. For team hats, shirts or other gear: Visit Fanatics, Lids, Champs Sports or Dicks Sporting Goods. For game tickets: Visit StubHub, PrimeSport, SeatGeek or TicketMaster. To stream this teams games: CBS All Access: With CBS All Access you can watch live TV and more than 7,500 on-demand episodes across many devices. The first week of CBS All Access is free. Fubo.TV: Get a free trial and watch sports from across the globe. Hulu: The best in sports and drama shows. | https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/04/what-picks-do-the-cardinals-have-in-nfl-draft-2019.html |
What picks do the Rams have in NFL Draft 2019? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The Los Angeles Rams, who went 15-4 last season, have the 31st pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which is April 25-27 in Nashville. Here are all the picks the Rams have in the draft: First round: 31st pick. Second round: None (traded to Chiefs). Third round: 36th pick, 99th overall (compensatory). Fourth round: 31st pick, 133rd overall. Fifth round: 31st pick, 169th overall. Sixth round: 31st pick, 203rd overall. Seventh round: 37th pick, 251st overall (compensatory). See the picks the Browns have in the 2019 NFL Draft. For team hats, shirts or other gear: Visit Fanatics, Lids, Champs Sports or Dicks Sporting Goods. For game tickets: Visit StubHub, PrimeSport, SeatGeek or TicketMaster. To stream this teams games: CBS All Access: With CBS All Access you can watch live TV and more than 7,500 on-demand episodes across many devices. The first week of CBS All Access is free. Fubo.TV: Get a free trial and watch sports from across the globe. Hulu: The best in sports and drama shows. | https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/04/what-picks-do-the-rams-have-in-nfl-draft-2019.html |
Will Gov. Doug Ducey veto the Bash-Fontes-Block-Voters bill? | Opinion: The Republican controlled Arizona Legislature passed a petty, vindictive bill meant to hamstring Maricopa Countys Democratic county recorder and, in the process, would disenfranchise voters Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes giving a tour of an election warehouse. (Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic) The Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature passed a petty and vindictive bill meant to hamstring Maricopa Countys Democratic county recorder and, in the process, would disenfranchise voters. Its a needless spiteful action that will have the effect of preventing some American citizens from exercising their most fundamental right. And now its up to Gov. Doug Ducey to stop it. He can veto Senate Bill 1090. Legislation in search of a problem Under state law in-person early voting ends at 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Between then and election day a recorder can establish emergency voting centers for citizens dealing with unforeseen circumstances that would keep them from the polls on Election Day. In the last election roughly 3,000 citizens voted in centers set up by Fontes. It was a tiny fraction of the statewide vote, but Republicans in the Legislature still seem to believe that it was done only to benefit Democrats (even though there is no way to know who those 3,000 voters were.) As a result, the Republicans pushed through SB 1090, which takes the authority for establishing emergency voting centers away from recorders and gives it to a countys board of supervisors (controlled by Republicans in Maricopa County.) When voting is a crime Even worse, the bill requires voters to sign an statement swearing to an unavoidable emergency, and says that filing a false claim could result in the conviction of a class 4 felony, which gets you 1.5 to 3 years in prison. And remember, no one is saying these are illegal voters. These are citizens. Its ridiculous. Democratic Rep. Athena Salman said, This is another bill that will have the effect of suppressing voters in Arizona. Suppression is already a problem Republicans in the Legislature already have been trying to do that with legislation that would knock about 200,000 citizens off the permanent early voter list if they fail to vote in a couple of elections. Another plan to keep legal citizens from exercising their most basic right. NEWSLETTERS Get the Opinions Newsletter newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Our best and latest in commentary in daily digest form. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-332-6733. Delivery: Mon-Fri Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Opinions Newsletter Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters Rep. Randy Friese said of SB 1090, Maybe with this bill our elections will no longer be decided by voters, but lawyers and judges. What a waste that would be. Its up to Gov. Ducey now. He can sign the bill or veto it. Fontes put it this way in a tweet: The whole Nation is watching. I very much hope the Gov will veto this bill. AZs bipartisan Recorders AND Supervisors Assns. across the WHOLE state oppose it. ...the stakeholders have spoken in favor of voters. I hope the Governor is listening. https://t.co/IuB3VAXHKb Adrian Fontes (@Adrian_Fontes) April 13, 2019 The Republicans controlling the Legislature speak as if Fontes is guilty of having done a terrible thing. Near as I can tell his offense is trying to give eligible voters the best possible chance to vote. And thats bad because Reach Montini at [email protected] Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/04/14/adrian-fontes-doug-ducey-elections-arizona-legislature/3470378002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/04/14/adrian-fontes-doug-ducey-elections-arizona-legislature/3470378002/ |
What picks do the Seahawks have in NFL Draft 2019? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The Seattle Seahawks, who went 10-7 last season, have the 21st pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which is April 25-27 in Nashville. Here are all the picks the Seahawks have in the draft: First round: 21st pick. Second round: None (traded to Texans). Third round: 21st pick, 84th overall. Fourth round: 22nd pick, 124th overall. Fifth round: 21st pick, 159th overall. Sixth round: None (traded to Packers). Seventh round: None (traded to Raiders). See the picks the Browns have in the 2019 NFL Draft. For team hats, shirts or other gear: Visit Fanatics, Lids, Champs Sports or Dicks Sporting Goods. For game tickets: Visit StubHub, PrimeSport, SeatGeek or TicketMaster. To stream this teams games: CBS All Access: With CBS All Access you can watch live TV and more than 7,500 on-demand episodes across many devices. The first week of CBS All Access is free. Fubo.TV: Get a free trial and watch sports from across the globe. Hulu: The best in sports and drama shows. | https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/04/what-picks-do-the-seahawks-have-in-nfl-draft-2019.html |
Can going to therapy become as straightforward as going to the gym? | At Self Space, Jodie Cariss offers flexibility, online bookings and the chance to change therapist mid-treatment. Stuart Jeffries tries it out I am standing outside a building in Shoreditch, east London, admiring its elegantly distressed paintwork. It could be an artisanal cheese shop but for the name, Self Space, and the blurb on the window that reads: A good conversation with a qualified person. Lets hope. I have a session booked: 30 minutes of therapy for 44. I have many questions, and not just about my mental health. There is only one way to find out. A young, welcoming therapist who asks not to be named shows me into Room 1. I had selected her from an online roster on Self Spaces website of 11 therapists and life coaches, all of whom are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. I chose her because she has a kind face in her website photo and most importantly of all because she was free at 10am on Tuesday morning. We sit facing one another, her on a yellow chair, me on a blue one. At the outset, she identifies that Im conflicted: I am reporting on consumer-friendly therapy as well as being a troubled fiftysomething hoping to sort himself out before his dotage (my words, not hers). Of all the therapists rooms I have visited to air my woes or do interviews, this one is by far the smallest there is no space for a couch, still less for me to pace up and down. But Self Spaces approach to therapy is far from traditional in many ways. Over coffee at a nearby cafe after my session, the founder, Jodie Cariss, tells me that Self Space wants to revolutionise therapy, helping it to become as accepted a means of achieving and maintaining wellbeing as visiting the gym. Id like it to be acceptable that you work on your mental health in the same way that you work on your physical health we need to give it attention, she says. At Self Space, we really advocate the concept that everyday mental maintenance is an essential part of surviving. Self Space is one of several enterprises changing therapy in a way that would doubtless make Freud turn in his grave. They include Happy, a US app set up by Princeton graduates and billed as the Uber of emotional support, connecting lonely and distressed people to ordinary folks with extraordinary listening skills. These so-called happy givers are not trained, but rely on crowdsourcing and reviews for quality control. Jeremy Fischbach, the founder, said the idea came to him when he was going through a rough patch and found his best friends couldnt help. And for all of that to be anonymous, affordable? Fischbach says his app is not a substitute for therapy but at 40 cents (31p) a minute it can be a bridge to it. Another consumer-focused therapeutic service is offered at Alain de Bottons School of Life, which believes getting therapeutic help should ideally be an ordinary and wholly unsurprising process, akin to going for a dental checkup or getting a haircut. Therapy isnt for the select or distressed few; we believe that therapy is for everybody, proclaims the website. Self Space is similar in its bid to revolutionise how we think of our mental health but what strikes me about it is not so much the short sessions, but the transfer of responsibility to the person seeking help. With Self Space, clients book and choose time slots via an app, they pay online and can choose the regularity of their visits. The app is big on bundles: I could buy four 30-minute sessions for 176, or 16 50-minute sessions for 979. You can start and stop treatment, cancel sessions, and even change therapists. When I have had therapy in the past, this sort of freedom was inimical to the process: the shrink was someone to defer to because she had all the answers, rather than someone I might drop if I felt they were unsympathetic. It depends what it is were working on were not just short term, were across the scale, says Cariss. I find I develop a relationship with a client over some months and then I wont see them for a few months. Then something happens and they come back and the history [of our previous work together] is there and so is the trust to develop a relationship. In principle, I could see a different therapist on each occasion, as long as I agreed for my records to be shared within the practice. It isnt encouraged for the client to move around. However, it is good for there to be an option, says Cariss. Like so much of life, therapy is changing to accommodate the preferences of new demographics, those whom sociologist Zygmunt Bauman called liquid moderns, who create provisional bonds loose enough to stop suffocation. Cariss disagrees. This might be seen as a bit unconventional, but we have found it works and is more reflective of real life, where people work unsociable hours and hold jobs that can be unpredictable and where holding regular slots can be impossible or limiting. Revolutionary, too, I suspect, is Self Spaces desire to bust down the shrink from God-like authority figure. Classic Freudians, for example, may well sit out of sight as you monologue on the couch. You know nothing about your therapists life and any questions about it are met with the disempowering: Why do you want to know? But, says Cariss: Therapists dont have all the answers. Its not our job to fix the client. We didnt break it; we cant fix it. All we can do is shine a light where the client may not have been looking. Cariss has been a therapist for 15 years, having trained at the Tavistock Institute in London (part of the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust). She is also a member of the British Association of Drama Therapists, which uses healing aspects of drama and theatre as the therapeutic process. She describes therapy as a place of deprivation, meaning that the shrink is often encouraged to be a blank slate so that the client can redirect on to them emotions originally felt in childhood. That blank slate is deemed necessary for this process of transference. But Cariss says that happens even in short-form therapy: It doesnt depend on the length of the relationship. Nor does she automatically make herself distant or conceal her life outside the therapy room. Ive had clients ask if I have children. I think there is a lot that Freud would have an opinion on. But theres quite a lot of what he did that we have an opinion on. We keep conventional boundaries time and confidentiality, ethics, payment. These are what keep the work safe for all. A decade ago, one in six people had depression or chronic anxiety, but only a quarter of them were receiving treatment mostly drugs. The governments then happiness tsar, the economist Richard Layard, suggested that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was as effective as drugs and was preferred by most patients. Layards plan to scale up CBT for people with depression and anxiety was ditched by David Camerons 2010 government, but the problem remains. The government has estimated that about half of days taken off work in 2017/18 were due to stress, depression or anxiety. Cariss says it is no wonder that half of Self Spaces clients are referred through HR departments and corporate companies offering sessions to their employees. But she denies that what she is offering is 2019s answer to CBT, a quick fix that risks papering over the cracks. CBT is solution-focused, forward-looking, she says. Were about trying to get to the core. Self Space, which celebrated its first birthday in February, reached 77% capacity within its first three months, which Cariss thinks indicates the need for support in the mental health sector. Already, she is looking for larger premises to cope with demand and dreams of expanding the brand globally. It feels like its the right time for what we are doing, she says. People are much more open to talking. British companies are much more open to the idea that employers need to support people to reach their potential and thrive, not just survive. I am not sure I did much effective work in my 30-minute session. The blurb on Self Spaces website says: The probability is youll leave feeling better than when you came in. And although I do feel better, it is not because I have sorted out any problems, but because I have given them a preliminary airing. I feel I have something I didnt have half an hour earlier: namely a sense that I could do one-to-one work with this woman that would help me improve my health. That said, she may never hear from me again, or hear from me only after I have road-tested other candidates, including, possibly, the shrink I could hear treating another client in the next room. The choice is mine, and that in itself feels liberating. | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/15/can-going-to-therapy-become-as-straightforward-as-going-to-the-gym |
What Drove The AI Renaissance? | Wikipedia It is the present-day darling of the tech world. The current renaissance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its sister discipline Machine Learning (ML) has led every IT firm worth its salt to engineer some form of AI onto its platform, into its toolsets and throughout its software applications. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty has already proclaimed that AI will change 100 percent of jobs over the next decade. And yes, she does mean everybody's job from yours to mine and onward to the role of grain farmers in Egypt, pastry chefs in Paris and dog walkers in Oregon i.e. every job. We will now be able to help direct all workers actions and behavior with a new degree of intelligence that comes from predictive analytics, all stemming from the AI engines we will now increasingly depend upon. In recent years weve had some big changes in technology. Aside from the proliferation of mobile devices that has impacted us all, memory has become a lot cheaper, data storage has become a lot easier (in cloud, and elsewhere) and computer processing speeds have continued to outstrip previous records. It isn't just massive compute power. There are important algorithmic changes that have been developed. Plus, it is much easier to gain access to more data in an Internet-connected world, said Ted Dunning, CTO at data platform, AI and analytics company MapR. All three aspects (compute, algorithms, data) combine to make todays machine learning possible. Also and quite frankly, a lot of applications only need data availability... we could have implemented them 25 years ago pretty easily if the data had been available and the output of the model could have been integrated back into the business flow. So, in many ways, Dunning really heralds the modern era of the web as the key facilitator for the new age of AI. Information has become not just ubiquitous; it has also become easier to access and more accurately classified into structured, semi-structured and unstructured data in its rawest form. Tuning AI towards life Dunning and MapR point out that the new generation of AI & ML is now rediscovering ideas, some of which were first thought of some 50 years ago. The difference today is, each time keep adding a bit of something new. A bit of computing power here, better data there, new ideas for organizing and optimizing a network and after a while we get to build new AI systems that really do useful work. "A key to success [in the new era of AI] is to focus on the design of the human-AI interactions as much as in the AI itself," said Jesus Mantas, general manager and managing partner in IBM Global Business Services. Many AI programs focus primarily on machine learning algorithms and training datasets, but fail to address the most important success factors: the design of human-machine relationships, new AI-powered workflows and perfecting the choreography of processes, technology and humans. Those programs rarely scale or achieve benefits. The companies succeeding to scale AI and its benefits demonstrate that skilled, purposeful design of workflows and user interactions lead to faster adoption and business benefits." CEO of AI code analytics platform company Gamma is Vishal Rai. In general terms, Rai agrees that the AI renaissance has been driven by tectonic shifts in three areas in the computing world: computing power, swathes of data (and its accessibility) but also by human ingenuity. He points to new developments coming out of both Silicon Valley but further afield also (China being a prime example, Huawei builds its smartphone chipsets around its Kirin AI-enriched microprocessor) and says that this is all helping to create future industries such as autonomous driving and health care diagnostics. Cloud computing software intelligence and Application Performance Management (APM) specialist Dynatrace has now extended its AI-powered platform to include IBM Z mainframe support for CICS (a mainframe programming language), IMS (a mainframe database) and middleware. To put that in less technical terms, Dynatrace can be used to monitor software that sits on mainframes to make sure it stays healthy. Because the mainframe was never built to be hammered by devices with massively busy data streams like mobile banking apps, games and other online niceties. This means we need AI to understand what impact the mainframe is having on the newer systems we build. While enterprises are moving applications to modern cloud stacks for agility and competitive advantage, these applications often still depend on critical transactions and crown jewels customer data residing on IBM Z mainframes. This puts pressure on these resources to perform tasks that were not envisioned when the mainframes were launched, said Steve Tack, SVP of products at Dynatrace. Because Dynatrace provides end-to-end hybrid visibility [through our Davis AI engine], customers can optimize new services, catch performance degradations before user impact, and understand exactly who has been impacted by an incident. This enables customers to confidently innovate applications that leverage data from mainframes to increase revenue, build brand loyalty, and create competitive advantage. AI as a work of art Many would argue that the path to contemporary AI has been a long slog, but the systems we build now keep finding clever shortcuts so the momentum for the AI renaissance is actually building cumulatively. Some argue that AI never went away and that the current popularization of AI and its ensuing discussion is just a natural progression of a technology that simply needed to come through a period of adolescence. Either way, AI is in your smartphone and in your cloud computing services, so renaissance or not, lets hope it continues to become a work of art. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianbridgwater/2019/04/15/what-drove-the-ai-renaissance/ |
Whats New About Conspiracy Theories? | On the morning of December 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch, a warehouse worker and a father of two from Salisbury, North Carolina, told his family that he had a few things to do; loaded an AR-15, a .38-calibre revolver, and a folding knife into his car; and headed for Washington, D.C. Welchs intention, he later told police, was to self-investigate a plot featuringin no particular orderHillary Clinton, sex trafficking, satanic rituals, and pizza. At around 3 P.M., Welch arrived at Comet Ping Pong, a restaurant in Chevy Chase, where, he believed, children were being held in a network of tunnels. He made his way to the kitchen, shot open a locked door, and discovered cooking utensils. In an interview from jail, a few days later, he acknowledged to the Times, The intel on this wasnt a hundred percent. Hed found no captive children in the restaurants basement; in fact, as many accounts of the incident noted, Comet Ping Pong doesnt even have a basement. Far from being dissuaded by the new intel, believers in what had become known as Pizzagate dug in. Welch had dabbled in actinghed appeared as a victim in a low-budget slasher moviethus, it followed, his raid on the restaurant had been staged. That the plotters had gone to such lengths to cover their tracks showed just how much evil there was to hide. This shit runs very deep, a contributor to the subreddit thread r/Conspiracy wrote. All the while, the restaurants owner was receiving death threats. Some ten months after the incident at Comet Ping Pong, a prediction surfaced on the Web that Clinton would soon be arrested. Expect massive riots organized in defiance, an anonymous poster, Q, warned on the message board 4chan. Other prophecies followed: Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, would also be arrested; members of the media would be jailed as deep cover agents; there would be a Twitter blackout heralding a government purge. As Qs prophecies failed, more converts were won over. QAnon, as Qs world view came to be known, subsumedor, if you prefer, consumedPizzagate, and then it, too, slunk off the Web and into the world. Last June, an unemployed former marine named Matthew Wright parked a home-built armored truck on the Mike OCallaghanPat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which spans the Colorado River on the border of Arizona and Nevada. Wright, who, like Welch, was armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, blocked traffic for almost ninety minutes before surrendering to police. At one point, he held up a sign that said Release the OIG report, a reference to another QAnon prediction, involving the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General. Following his arrest, Wright wrote a letter to the White House saying that he simply wanted the truth on behalf of all Americans, all of humanity for that matter. America has always had a weakness for paranoid fantasies. According to some historians, the Founding Fathers were moved to write the Declaration of Independence by groundless fears of a British plot. Conspiracy Theories in American History, a two-volume encyclopedia, runs from Abolitionism to ZOG. (ZOG, an acronym used by survivalists, is shorthand for the Zionist Occupied Government, which, the encyclopedia explains, refers to an international Jewish conspiracy to undermine U.S. sovereignty and true Christianity.) In between are some three hundred entries, including Black Helicopters, Contrails, Illuminati, Moon Landings, Pan Am 103, and Roswell. In this context, Pizzagate and QAnon could be considered madness as usualjust two late-alphabet entries in the annals of national crankdom. A confirmed conspiracist now occupies the White House and, no collusion notwithstanding, theres evidence that an international conspiracy put him there. To paraphrase Q, perhaps its time to expand our thinking. Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum are professors of government at, respectively, Dartmouth and Harvard. A few years ago, they found themselves, in their words, startled into thought. Yes, they knew, crazy ideas were a fixture of American life. But not this crazy. The subject required more detailed and thoughtful interpretation, the two write at the beginning of A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy. Classic conspiracy theories, according to Muirhead and Rosenblum, arise in response to real eventsthe assassination of John F. Kennedy, say, or the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Such theories, they argue, constitute a form of explanation, however inaccurate they may be. What sets theories like QAnon apart is a lack of interest in explanation. Indeed, as with the nonexistent child-trafficking ring being run out of the nonexistent basement, there is often nothing to explain. The professors observe, The new conspiracism sometimes seems to arise out of thin air. The constituency, too, has shifted. Historically, Muirhead and Rosenblum maintain, its been out-of-power groups that have been drawn to tales of secret plots. Today, its those in power who insist the game is rigged, and no one more insistently than the so-called leader of the free world. Donald Trump got his start in national politics as a birther, promoting the idea that President Barack Obama wasnt born in the United States. Several news organizations have tried to keep track of the conspiracy theories Trump has floated since then. One list, posted by the Web site Business Insider, has nineteen entries. These include the claims that vaccines can cause autism and that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have been murdered. Theyre saying they found the pillow on his face, Trump said of Scalia, during the 2016 campaign, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. (The Business Insider list is limited to full-blown conspiracy theories, and excludes the Presidents more casual lies and fabrications.) No presidentindeed, no national officialhas resorted to accusations of conspiracy so instinctively, so frequently, and with such brio as Donald Trump, Muirhead and Rosenblum write. With Trump in power, they worry, theres a danger that his dark fantasies may be realized. Democracies depend on buy-in; citizens need to believe in certain basics, starting with the legitimacy of elections. Trump both runs the government and runs it down. The electoral system, he asserts, cant be trusted. Voter fraud is rampant. His contempt for institutions ranging from the courts (slow and political) to the Federal Communications Commission (so sad and unfair) to the F.B.I. (What are they hiding?) weakens those institutions, thereby justifying his contempt. As government agencies lose competence and capacity, they will come to look more and more illegitimate to more and more people, Muirhead and Rosenblum observe. Trump is so closely tied to the new conspiracism that it can be hard to tell the ranter from the rant. Then again, its hard to imagine his ascent without other key developments: the polarization of the electorate, a generation of attacks (mostly from the right) on the news media and government, and, of course, the rise of the Web. Spreading conspiracy theories once had a priceprinting or even mimeographing a tract costs moneybut now, as Muirhead and Rosenblum point out, anyone can post a madcap theory or a doctored photograph virtually for free. The Internet revolution has displaced the gatekeepers, the producers, editors, and scholars who decided what was worthy of dissemination, they write. The task seems self-punishing, like trying to housebreak a chicken. Nevertheless, this is the mission that Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent have chosen to take on. Research into conspiracy theories has been hampered by a lack of long-term systematic data, Uscinski and Parent, political scientists at the University of Miami and the University of Notre Dame, respectively, write in American Conspiracy Theories. Fortunately, methods are now available to better scrutinize what we think we know. One of these methods is polling. Uscinski and Parent commissioned a survey of more than twelve hundred Americans, which asked them to react to statements like Much of our lives are being controlled by plots hatched in secret places. On the basis of their answers, respondents were sorted into three groups: high (those predisposed to conspiratorial thinking), low (those opposed to it), and medium (those in the middle). Then the researchers looked at the cross-tabulations. The less educated the respondent, the more likely he or she was to be a high. The poor tended to be more conspiratorially inclined than the rich. Roughly equal proportions of Democrats and Republicans were given to conspiracizing, but among respondents who identified with neither party the proportion jumped. He wasnt even earlyhe was on his way home from a party! The conspiracy-minded, Uscinski and Parent conclude, deserve their reputation as outsiders. They are less likely to vote and more apt to view bloodshed as a form of political protest. While eighty per cent of the lows rejected the idea that violence is sometimes an acceptable way to express disagreement with the government, among the highs that figure dropped to fifty-nine per cent. It is disconcerting that, when asked about gun control, around half of those with higher conspiratorial predispositions wanted less strict gun laws, Uscinski and Parent observe. For more long-term data, they turned to newspapers. A battery of assistants sifted through more than a hundred years worth of letters to the editor published in the Times and in the Chicago Tribune. Letters that referred to any sort of group acting in secret at the expense of the common good were coded as conspiracy talk. (No effort was made to distinguish between talk about actual conspiracies, e.g., Watergate, and baseless speculation.) The groups denounced in such missives included the usual suspectsCatholics, Communists, Jews, the United Nationsas well as more surprising targets: ice companies, Lutheran newspapers, the Senate printing office, and the Prime Minister of Malta. The schemes, too, ranged all over the diabolical map, from Herbert Hoovers secret business deals to bankrupt the U.S. to a C.I.A. plot to spread lesbianism. When Uscinski and Parent tallied the number of conspiracy-coded letters published each year, they found no twenty-first-century surge in paranoid thinking. On the contrary, averaging out the short-term ups and downs, they conclude that the amount of conspiracy talk has remained constant since the nineteen-sixties and has actually declined since the eighteen-nineties: We do not live in an age of conspiracy theories and have not for some time. That we believe we do makes sense, since that sentiment, too, is a constant. Its official: America is becoming a conspiratocracy, the Daily News announced in 2011. Are we living in a golden age of conspiracy theory? the Boston Globe wondered in 2004. Its the dawn of a new age of conspiracy theory, the Washington Post declared in 1994. Presumably we could multiply examples back to Salem in 1692, but you understand the point, Uscinski and Parent write. Conspiracy scares are ubiquitous. According to their analysis, short-term variations in the rate of conspiracy theorizing do not coincide with changing economic conditions or advances in technology, like the Web. Such is their take on scares that its hard to imagine them finding anything new in the new conspiracism. Still, when it comes to paranoia in high places, they share some of Muirhead and Rosenblums concerns. When theres an uptick in conspiracy theorizing by members of the litedefined as government officials, entertainers, and journaliststhey observe a corresponding uptick in paranoid theorizing more generally. This means you, Donald Trump, they write. In 2015, a young journalist named Anna Merlan took a cruise to Mexico. Most of the passengers on board the ship, the Ruby Princess, were ordinary vacationers, but a significant minority had signed on for a cruise-within-a-cruise, dubbed by its organizers Conspira-Sea. The Conspira-Sea crowd was treated to lectures from various experts, including Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor whose bogus studies launched the anti-vaxx movement. When Merlan returned to shore, she wrote a lighthearted feature about the experience, for the Web site Jezebel, in which she poked fun at the Conspira-Sea-ers for having lost touch with reality. Then Trump was elected and Edgar Welch showed up with his guns at Comet Ping Pong. Merlan decided that perhaps she was the one who was out of touch. In Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power, Merlan immerses herself in various subcultures of suspicion. She visits a gathering of white nationalists in eastern Kentucky; attends the annual meeting of the Mutual U.F.O. Network, known as MUFON; and hangs out with proponents of redemption theory, a strain of nuttiness based on the idea that every American is owed a cache of cash held secretly by the government. One of her first stops is a rally of Pizzagate diehards in Lafayette Park, not far from the White House. This takes place in March, 2017, three months after Welchs arrest. Merlan finds the crowd split into factions, each convinced that the other is made up of plants. Shes interviewing a woman who wants to be known as LaLa when she notices a man filming them with his phone. The man accuses LaLa of belonging to the controlled opposition. He, in turn, is approached by other phone-wielding demonstrators and charged with working to undermine the cause. Youre protecting child molesters, bro, someone yells at him. But whos supposed to be doing the controlling or why is never quite clear. It seems that the core element from everyone inside this movement is distrust for everyone around them, LaLa relates to Merlan. Nobody knows whos on whose side, or what the truth is. Merlan encounters this dynamic frequently. People who believe conspiracy theories, it turns out, often suspect others who believe such theories of being crazy, or worse. At the MUFON conference, just outside Las Vegas, a speaker named Corey Goode, an eminent figure in the world of ufology, describes how, as a kid, he was taken to an underground facility at Carswell Air Force Base, in Texas, and trained to fight aliens. Later, Goode maintains, he roamed around the solar system doing surveillance and recon, until, finally, his government handlers performed age regression and sent him back home, once again as a child. Another U.F.O. researcher at the convention, Richard Dolan, tells Merlan hes worried about claims like Goodes, which arent particularly credible. Like the crowd in Lafayette Park, Dolan is concerned about plants, who he fears are out to undermine the whole ufology enterprise. History, he observes, is replete with provocateurs and disinformation coming from U.S. government channels. Americans, as Merlan notes, have long suspected the government of suppressing the truth about extraterrestrialssuch suspicions probably predate the term extraterrestrial. Other conspiracy theories, she observes, have even deeper roots. The charge of ritual child abuse, key to Pizzagate, was levelled against the Jews back in the Middle Ages. It has surfaced many times since, including during whats become known as the Satanic Panica rash of allegations that sent more than twenty Californians to prison in the nineteen-eighties. (Virtually all the convictions have since been overturned.) Conspiracism, Merlan concludes, has more or less always been with us: pizza-parlor workers have simply replaced day-care workers, who replaced Jews. But she also makes the opposite point. Like Muirhead and Rosenblum, Merlan believes that something novel and dangerous is going on right now. In her account, Trump gets a lot of the credit (or, if you prefer, the blame) and so, too, does the Internet. Merlan cites the Columbine shooting, which took place in 1999, before the age of YouTube, easily buildable blogs, and widely used social media platforms.After the shooting, no one came forward to propose that Columbine had been staged. Today, it is pretty much guaranteed that a mass shooting will give rise to a community on the Web that insists the victims are crisis actors. Merlan interviews Lenny Pozner, a former I.T. consultant whose six-year-old son, Noah, died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in 2012. Pozner has spent most of the past six years battling conspiracists who insist that the shooting never happened and that Noah never even existed. (In February, a Connecticut judge ordered Alex Jones, the owner of the Web site Infowars and a leading purveyor of the Sandy Hook-as-hoax theory, to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by the parents of slain children. In the deposition, in March, Jones claimed that a form of psychosis had made him believe the massacre was staged.) This category of recent conspiracy theorists is really a global network of village idiots, Pozner tells Merlan. They would have never been able to find each other before, but now its this synergistic effect of the combination of all of them from all over the world. There are haters from Australia and Europe and they can all make a YouTube video in fifteen seconds. | https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/22/whats-new-about-conspiracy-theories |
Is it really worth injecting vitamins? | Last month, a 51-year-old woman from Hunan, China, nearly died after blending 20 different fruits to create a homemade intravenous (IV) drip. She thought vitamins from the fresh fruit would benefit her health. Instead, she developed a fever and itchiness, and was taken into intensive care with multiple organ damage. After dialysis, and several rounds of antibiotics, she is now recovering. This is an extreme example, but she may have been inspired by the growing trend for IV in which vitamins and other substances are administered directly into the blood. The practice is very popular in Asia where IV drips are offered in beauty salons, often by unlicensed and unqualified practitioners. Those promoting vitamin IV drips claim they can boost energy, strengthen the immune system, improve skin, cure hangovers, burn fat, fight jet lag, and cure a myriad of other minor ailments. In the US, a bus will even come to your house to offer infusions as part of a party package, to "cure" hangovers. Treatments can be very expensive, costing anything from 120 to 3,000 in one London clinic. Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne and Chrissy Teigen have taken part in the growing trend, posting images of themselves on social media hooked up to IV bags. "The treatments are increasingly popular, particularly as a quick fix or hangover cure - but there is no evidence of benefits and they can potentially be dangerous," says Marcela Fiuza, from the British Dietetic Association. "Within a medical setting, we would never infuse anything intravenously, unless we absolutely had to," says Sophie Medlin, who used to work as a clinical dietitian and as a lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at King's College London. "There is simply no medical justification for administering nutrition intravenously in any case other than intestinal failure, because it is so high risk." Typically, in a medical setting, a patient who has anything injected intravenously would have a thorough medical history taken. Infusion of vitamins potentially puts the liver and kidneys under stress, and to go ahead without screening the liver and kidney function first is prohibited by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK. "That kind of provision is not being taken in most of the clinics I've seen practising intravenous vitamin drips," says Ms Medlin. Image copyright Getty Images What is in the bag of fluid varies around the world. In Taipei, customers can receive a menu to choose what kind of vitamins they want to include. In New Delhi, customers can pick between drips called "Basic" or "Thirsty" if for hydration, or treatments for skin called "Woke" or "Lit". There is even a drip named "Magic Markle" after the Duchess of Sussex. In London, along with detox and beauty drips, one outlet offers mood boosts. To boost their chances in university entrance exams, high school students in Hubei, China, were photographed hooking themselves up to intravenous vitamin drips. The image went viral, and the school claimed that the students had volunteered to take amino acids. As the school's infirmary became too full with the demand, the students took the IVs to the classroom where they could continue to study. Ms Medlin is shocked by this - she says that IVs should never be administered outside a carefully-controlled clinical environment. "Any time you put anything into your body intravenously, you're running the risk of infection from the site where it's entered your bloodstream," she says. For most people, a healthy balanced diet (and in some cases an oral vitamin supplement) is sufficient to provide all vitamins you need, says Ms Fuiza. Using IV drips mean that "people could be unknowingly receiving excessive amounts of nutrients which may have health implications, particularly for those having it regularly and people with background health conditions (known or unknown)", she warns. Lisa Rogers, from the World Health Organization, thinks that people are being overzealous in their ingestion of extra vitamins. "They think that it will give them a certain advantage. People only need vitamins in tiny amounts and only in the case of having a deficiency is it worth considering taking extra supplements," she says. Force-feeding vitamins into the veins via a drip could even put people at risk of a potential overdose, warns Ms Medlin. "IV drips push vitamins into our bloodstream in a force-fed way. We will probably just excrete at least 90% of what's being infused in, so actually the benefits are very minimal, if any at all, and the risks massively outweigh the benefits," she says. Even if no complications arise from injecting the vitamin drips, Ms Medlin says that ultimately, "You are just making very expensive urine. It is literally money down the toilet." from BBC World Service on BBC Sounds. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47803286 |
Does That Bible Come in Rose Gold? | The other day, in the garage of a yellow town house in South Los Angeles, half a block from the Santa Monica Freeway, Brian Chung and Bryan Ye-Chung considered several bouquets of flowers hanging in midair, alongside a book, against a pink backdrop. The book was the Gospel of Matthew. The pair were designing an Easter photo shoot for Alabaster, their new iteration of the Holy Bible, which resembles a high-end minimalist magazine. The aesthetic is less religious text, more Instagram influencer. Christianity today has sort of a bad rap, Chung said. The evangelical space is very much connected with Trump. We want to show theres a wider spectrum of Christians. We arent your stereotypical Bible-bangers, holding the God Hates You sign. Chung and Ye-Chung publish each book of the Bible as a separate volume; since 2016, they have sold some twenty-four thousand books. In the garage, they opened a foldout card table and arranged yellow and green flowers around the Book of Psalms. Are we shooting a Sprite commercial? Ye-Chung asked, sipping from a can of LaCroix. Wait for the magic, Chung responded, adding pink flowers to the display. Indie Christian music blasted from a white capsule speaker nearby. (Your love is so big, your heart is still beating over us.) I need a second LaCroix, Ye-Chung said. Chung, who was raised Buddhist, in Honolulu, used to have a negative impression of Christians. They were hating on Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code because they were about witchcraft, he recalled. So I was pretty turned off. He joined the faith in college, at the University of Southern California, after playing board games at an alcohol-free party. He de-pledged from his fraternity, Beta Omega Phi, and was welcomed by the Christian community. On campus, he saw his friends lugging around black leather Bibles with their names engraved in gold. He started carrying one himself, but, compared with his Blackberrythis was 2007he found it cumbersome and antiquated. I remember receiving my first marketing textbook, he said, and I was so pumped to read it. The Bible didnt evoke any such adrenaline rush. So the idea I had was, what if this was designed in a different way? He met Ye-Chung at a Christian event on campus and was captivated by the fact that they shared almost the same name. We knew we wanted to do something with art and faith, Ye-Chung said. It would be a brand. At first we wanted to do a magazine, but we didnt have an audience. We decided to just start with the Bible. Inspired by millennial brands (Away luggage, Warby Parker glasses) and life-style glossies like Kinfolk and Cereal, they began work on a designer Bible. Instead of traditional iconographyJesus, the Cross, Jesus on the CrossAlabaster uses more modern imagery: dried flowers, a broken crown, the Black Power salute. Chung flipped through the Gospel of Mark and stopped at a photo of a baguette and a glass of red winea millennials Communion. People think Christian art can look bad or cheesy, Chung said. He recalled Christian T-shirts from the early two-thousands that featured the MySpace logo and read God saved my space in heaven. He added, We wanted to look at how design impacts how people experience things. If you go to any big church in L.A., the Bible is up on PowerPoint, and it has a nice background. Upstairs, in the kitchen, an employee was dying eggs blue and gold for the photo shoot. A Chrissy Teigen cookbook called Cravings: Hungry for More was on the countertop, near the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. A graphic designer made coffee in a Chemex. Several bags of blown-up balloons rested on the floor. To modernize Jesus death and resurrection, Ye-Chung said, weve been playing around with the idea of a balloon. They set up a shot with a pearl-white balloon and two rocks, to be released on Alabasters Instagram account on Easter. The balloon is interesting, because its an object that rises, Chung explained. The balloon is Jesus. Good Friday is Jesus death. So were going to squish or deform the balloon, somehow, with this rock. Then, on Saturday, well put the rock on top of the balloon, to represent the stone over his tomb. On Easter Sunday, the stone rolls away, and Jesus has risen from the dead. Ye-Chung clipped a few daisies from a bouquet and tied them to the balloons string. So thats Jesus rising, he said. | https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/22/does-that-bible-come-in-rose-gold |
Can Tokenisation Open A New World Of Asset Management And Investment? | Getty Asset management and investment is an ever-changing and evolving space with fund managers, companies and individuals always looking for the next best way to get an edge in the competitive markets. Blockchain has been looked at, in combination with AI and Big Data, but this space is constantly moving. While these new technologies find their feet, they begin to offer even more ways in which this space can move with the times. Asset management and investment have traditionally been quite institutionalized and exclusive, with set rules and methods of how to do things. But with the introduction of Blockchain, AI, Big Data and a bevvy of other technological tools, that is all changing. Even more so, the exploration of blockchain tokenization also looks to be introducing a new face for asset management and investment. Assets, from Real Estate to Gold; to other precious metals previously out of the realm of general investment, such as Palladium; valuable works of art, and more, are now being sliced up and offered to investors to buy. However, this is not a new concept. The tokenization of an asset bears similarities to the process of securitisation, where financiers slice, dice and sell fractional ownership of an asset. In fact, the 2008 financial crisis sprung from this ideal when bankers securitised and sold trillions of dollars of collateralized mortgage loans that were completely divorced from the loans underlying risk profile. This is why the blockchain is an essential factor in this form of securitisation as these security tokens, which are becoming more and more popular in the form of STOs (Security Token Offerings) benefit from the lack of intermediaries involved. But, there are still other concerns and risks that spring up with this new world of asset investment. It is essential first to understand what tokenization is, not only as a new form of asset investment but also how it differs from securitisation. Tokenization started to gather momentum through 2018 and involves taking physical assets and placing their value on the blockchain by divvying up the overall value into tokens of value that add up to the total. As an example: if a person wants to invest in real estate, the usual way of going about this is to buy a piece of property, apartment, house etc. However, for most people, forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a full part of real estate is not feasible. And, looking at it from the other side of things, if you own some property and need money from the asset; the apartment is valued at $150,000 but you need $10,000, it is near impossible to achieve this without much hassle. This is where tokenization can come in. A person can convert an asset, in this case, say a house worth $500,000, into digital tokens of any value, and thus, each token represents an ownership percentage of that property. Doing this on a blockchain platform which enables smart contracts has added benefits as these tokens can be freely bought and sold on different exchanges. More so, if you buy all the tokens, you then own the entire asset, but, this is also where legal issues come into effect as the ownership will not be on any government-run registry, but it will be on an immutable blockchain and thus provable beyond any doubt. Concerns and securitisation The example given above is quite basic, but it immediately highlights some of the problems facing tokenisation - which is only in its embryonic phase. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain have no set global regulation with different countries taking different approaches to how this tech should be governed thus, if the token-issuing body sells the property then the token holders have their tokens, and no legal right to the property and no legal protection. The issues of securitisation can, to a point, be alleviated with the blockchain though. There is an apparent similarity between tokenization and securitisation, but the key differences are that the token is issued on a blockchain, and with that comes the guaranteeing of trust, transparency, immutability, non-corruption of data and non-duplication. And, the tradability/liquidity of the token is on a digital secondary market. Thus, the blockchain offers peer-to-peer trusted transfer of digital values while providing certainty and immutability of that transfer, which mitigates a lot of the risk but also limits the type of tokenisation that can be done to purely on-chain. There is a lot more that can be discussed and debated about the difference between tokenization and securitisation, but for this article it is only worth mentioning that the blockchain offers a way to remove intermediaries from the equation and make the tokenization and transfer of assets peer-to-peer and far more liquid and tradable and also help reach different assets not accustomed to securitisation. A new world, with new assets So, while there are a lot of teething problems that need to be dealt with before the housing market can move onto tokenization and the blockchain, there are still smaller, more accessible opportunities where blockchain tokenization can come to the aid of the traditional asset investment space. Gold has long been a traditional asset that many feel safe in investing, helping them diversify their portfolio. However, even with its ability to be cut down into small, investible, pieces, it is still a problematic asset to get one's hands on and to store. This has led companies of the scale of JP Morgan to look to tokenize the asset on the blockchain through its Quorum blockchain. The use here is not so much for the everyday investor, but rather a way to allow sustainable miners to earn a premium on global markets. This is instead an indication of new trading opportunities that the disruptive technology can create over the coming decade. But, for the everyday investor, there are new ways to get in on precious metals, and not just gold. Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel, known for its Palladium production, is working on launching its metal-pegged blockchain-based stablecoin which is another way to invest in the valuable Palladium. Electric car producers are worried about the future lack of palladium. The volume of the metal that we produce and sell is absolutely clear. There really will be a deficit of the material in the next few years, Nornickel CEO Vladimir Potanin said. What is interesting to note is that while gold has always been popular with investors - because of its stable growth - something like Palladium reaching the market, there could be excellent opportunities for investment. Palladium, used in cars and sometimes jewellery, has topped gold in commodities trading in the recent past. The price of palladium, 30 times as rare as gold, has risen by more than 50 percent since August, surpassing the price of gold for the first time since 2001. Nornickel is in a position to raise the output of palladium, but it remains a matter of investment. The company would not want to spark price volatility, but it would want to ensure the market that the necessary amount of the metals will be produced and offered to the buyers, Potanin also explained. Driven by both investor and trade interest, palladium appears to be responding to strong demand from the auto industry. More than 80 percent of the worlds palladium is used in the catalytic converters that help vehicles manage their pollutant output. Increased emission regulations across major markets including China would also increase the demand for electric vehicles, and thus palladium. This has already seen the metal reach a record price as it continues to rise without a sign of slowing down. The new face The investment world sits on the precipice of change once again. No longer is this ecosystem just about the big corporations, Wall Street, types who are putting their money into traditional stocks and assets; we are in a digital and inclusive world. Cryptocurrencies opened the eyes of many millennials as to how smartphone investing is both comfortable and rewarding. While the cryptocurrency bubble may have burst at the end of 2017, it has kick-started a new way of doing things. People now want to be offered chances to invest in the future, with the ease and availability that technology allows. Thus, blockchain tokenization, metal-pegged stable coins, cryptocurrencies and the blockchain as the driver, are allowing this new wave to create a new face of asset investment. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrynpollock/2019/04/15/can-tokenisation-open-a-new-world-of-asset-management-and-investment/ |
How much money does the Boston Marthon winner get? | Winning the Boston Marathon isn't always just about the fame and glory. According to the Boston Athletic Association, top finishers in the overall, masters, and push-rim wheelchair divisions will receive over $830,000 during this year's race. The fastest overall man and woman each win $150,000, while second place for each category gets $75,000 and third place takes home $40,000. For the masters division, the first place man and woman each get $10,000. Each category receives $5,000 for second place, $2,500 for third, $1,500 for fourth, and $1,000 for fifth. The top man and woman in the push-rim wheelchair division will earn $20,000. By comparison, the New York City Marathon and Chicago Marathon winner earned $100,000. | https://www.si.com/edge/2019/04/15/boston-marathon-prize-money-structure-winner-earnings |
Is A Gigging Life An Unstable One? | Getty A few years ago, the financial services giant Prudential released a report looking at the financial security of people working in the gig economy. It found that not only are gig workers in the US earning around 58% of what those in full-time jobs earn, they miss out on the employer-sponsored benefits such as healthcare and pension policies. The gig workforce makes up 16% of the total American workforce, with this rising 6% in the last decade. Whilst it has undoubted benefits, not least in terms of flexibility for both employer and employee, the authors worry about the unintended consequences of a rise in gig work. While the gig model is cost-efficient for employers, reduces their benefits costs and gives workers flexibility, these workers may in turn suffer from income volatility and lack of access to a benefits safety net, Prudential say. The money made by gig work may contribute to reducing the national income gap, but the decline in employer-sponsored savings and insurance plans is doing little to address the wealth gap. Without benefit protections, many gig workers are left financially vulnerable. An unstable world It's a topic that has also piqued the interest of researchers from the University of Oxford, who explore whether using gig economy workers helps to create a fundamentally unstable working world for both permanent and contingent worker alike. They suggest that the very practice of hiring people through sites like Freelancer.com may create instability in the working lives of millions in the developing world. "Our findings demonstrate that companies such as Uber and Deliveroo are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential concerns around the gig economy," they explain. "In developing countries vast numbers of people are being hired to do outsourced tasks by people in countries such as the UK and the US who have no idea about local employment regulations and their application." The authors highlight how frequently workers can be fired immediately, with much of their working week spent looking or waiting for work. What's more, they nearly always lack access to healthcare through their work. "The increasing global nature of the digital economy also brings into question the idea that additional barriers to migration will benefit workers in the UK, US and other developed nations," the researchers say. "Freelancers in the developing world can now offer their labour at cheaper prices through gig economy platforms and compete directly with domestically-based workers via the internet, from anywhere in the world. It is the commodification of labour rather than migration which needs to be challenged." The report paints a distinctly unhealthy picture of the gig economy and its impact on the labor market, but it must be said that their conclusions were drawn from just 152 face-to-face interviews and a survey of 656 online workers. The team do build upon previous work they've done in this field however. This previous study found that the flexiblity and autonomy present in gig work was highly popular, it comes at the risk of developing long, irregular and unsocial hours. This can be especially true if you're working internationally and have timezone issues to contend with. What's more, they suggest that gig work can be stressful as you're constantly battling for good ratings to thrive in a highly competitive environment. The competitive nature of online labour platforms leads to high-intensity work, requiring workers to complete as many gigs as possible as quickly as they can and meet the demands of multiple clients no matter how unreasonable, the authors say. The nature of gig work All of which doesn't necessarily mean that gig work is inherently bad. After all, research from Villanova University found that gig workers were happier than most other forms of worker, due in large part to the autonomy and flexibility mentioned previously. What it does mean however is that it probably suits people at different stages in their life. The Prudential research mentioned earlier, found, for instance, that gig work was most popular among Millennials who could fit the flexible work around their lifestyle. Gig workers in the Baby Boomer and Gen X age groups however tended to be forced into gig work because they lost their full-time job. For them, the lack of stability and uncertain income was a major concern as they were more likely to have mortgages to pay and families to support. This contributed to the perilous financial situation of 63% of the Gen X gig workers Prudential spoke to, who said they were struggling financially. It's tempting to use the gig economy phrase as a blanket expression, but the reality is that it covers a huge range of people, doing a huge range of things. Whilst there are highly skilled people doing very well in the gig economy, there are also those scrabbling to get by and who are turning to the gig economy as a last resort. What is pleasing is that it's a sector that is being examined more and more, with researchers such as Alex Rosenblat leading the way in her detailed examination of life as an Uber driver. The better understood the market is, the better society is able to provide some of the safety mechanisms that are present in more traditional forms of work. The variable nature of both the work itself and the things workers wish to get out of the work underlines the challenges inherent in doing this however. Policy makers aren't necessarily renowned for applying nuance to their work, but that, if nothing else, is certainly what is required in governing the gig economy. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2019/04/15/is-a-gigging-life-an-unstable-one/ |
Why Are Universities Losing Their Way? | Getty As troubles multiple in the American academy, its denizens blame everyone but themselves. Birthrates are falling, leading (after an 18 year lag) to lower enrollments; state legislators are putting parochial self-interests ahead of "investments" in the future; restrictive national visa and immigration policies are hurting our international enrollments; federal research support is not growing rapidly as in such farsighted countries as China, etc. Rarely, perhaps never, however, do you hear a university president say "We have at least partly brought our problems on ourselves, and the declining public support for higher education correctly reflects that the public feels higher education has lost its way." Here is another perspective, benefiting from the great work of Johns Hopkins political scientist Benjamin Ginsberg (The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of The All-Administrative University). For decades, the non-faculty staff of universities has grown dramatically faster than the faculty whose teaching and research are the core of what universities supposedly do. For at least 15 years (see my 2004 book Going Broke By Degree) I have noted the growing administrative bloat, but viewed it as an economic issue ---increasing university costs--not recognizing another big problem, namely that bureaucratization has diluted the impact that the faculty has had in determining the direction that colleges and universities are moving. At many universities today, there are more non-instructional professional and administrative staff than there are faculty, whereas 50 years ago, the ratio of faculty to administrators often approached two to one. As Ginsberg and others note, the faculty are partly to blame. They don't want to spend time talking to students about which courses to take or what majors offer the best vocational prospects after graduation, so they happily leave that to the student affairs or some other university bureaucracy. They don't want to teach a lot, and when they do teach they want to emphasize their personal scholarly interest. So implicitly a deal has been reached. "We will give up power to run much of the university and let you hire armies of 'deanlets' (Ginsberg's word) if you give us low teaching loads, decent salaries, good parking, and let us write obscure articles on obscure topics for even more obscure journals. " We will finance all of this by raising tuition fees aggressively, since the federal student loan program allows us to do so. The newly empowered administrators care little about academic values --finding truth and beauty, discovering new things. They are interested in amassing power and promoting values that resonate with the largely progressive university community, trendy things like diversity and sustainability, thereby crowding out a focus on knowledge and learning. All of this came home to me a few days ago when I received a little card from my university's fundraising arm asking me to give to it on "Giving Day", April 18. I was offered six choices. I could "give because I care about sustainability," "give because I care about community," "give because I care about student support," "give because I care about bobcat (school mascot) spirit," "give because I care about diversity + inclusion." Lastly, and clearly least, I could give "because I care about academic excellence." The academic mission of the university is almost an afterthought in this appeal. Lowering the temperature on our planet by one-millionth of a degree by the year 2040 (the probable outcome of a successful campus sustainability effort) or the achievement of a politically more correct race and gender mix in our student body is, by the listing of priorities, more important than "academic excellence." And promoting expanding the frontiers of knowledge through research does not even deserve a mention. I expect such a fundraising effort, if done 40-50 years ago would, in addition to academic excellence, appeal for supporting athletics, student scholarship aid, and would have also called for supporting endowed professorships, more faculty research funds, greater library acquisitions, etc. The appeal would mostly be to support the academic mission of the university. My university is far from unique in this changing emphasis. In my book Restoring the Promise (out May 1 from the Independent Institute) I detail how academic neglect has been accompanied by declining student learning and, perhaps more frightening, falling vocational advantages of a degree. Losing our way has cost universities and society dearly. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2019/04/15/why-are-universities-losing-their-way/ |
Is Britain's Start-Up Funding Set To Freeze? | Good news and bad for Britains entrepreneurs. The positive story is that their businesses attracted buoyant amounts of investment during the first quarter of the year though final figures are not yet available, private businesses are already ahead of both 2018 and 2017 for sums raised. Less happily, however, smaller and younger businesses appear to be finding the going much tougher than their larger counterparts. Analysis from Beauhurst, the market researcher that specialises in tracking private companies, shows that by 19 March, privately-owned companies in the UK had raised 1.94bn worth of investment since the beginning of 2019. That is the best performance since the second quarter of last year, when such companies raised 2.2bn and well ahead of the first quarters of 2017 and 2018 when they raised 1.25bn and 1.42bn respectively. The data is reassuring given the extremely volatile background against which businesses have been seeking investment. In many areas of the UK economy, Brexit-related uncertainty has prompted businesses and investors to put spending plans on hold. Indeed, official statistics show business investment as a whole has slumped in recent months. That privately-owned businesses have been able to continue attracting capital is therefore to be welcomed. However, the detail in Beauhursts data is more worrying. It reveals that the first-quarter investment total of 1.94bn was accounted for by just 193 deals. That was the lowest figure since Beauhurst began tracking deal numbers at the beginning of 2017. In the fourth quarter of 2018, for example, private companies concluded some 412 deals; in the first quarter of last year, deal numbers reached 392. In other words, while investment appears to be robust, we are seeing fewer capital raisings but much larger deals, with the bigger companies taking a disproportionate share of the funding that is available. Getty Beauhurst divides the universe of companies it tracks into four groups, according to their size and maturity: seed, venture, established and growth businesses. Of these, the largest and most mature companies, the growth businesses, accounted for around 1bn of the funding raised during the first quarter. By contrast, seed companies, the earliest-stage businesses, raised only 151m. This breakdown is worrying. It suggests that investors reaction to the uncertain environment may have been to pull back from funding younger and smaller businesses. While the largest private companies continue to attract good support, early stage companies are doing much less well. Beauhursts data also suggests that investment is not spread evenly across businesses operating in different sectors and industries. Of the 10 largest transactions during the first quarter of the year, no fewer than seven were investments in FinTech companies. It appears that businesses from beyond the FinTech universe are struggling to get a look-in. Beauhurst itself describes the data as a great validation of the UK's young and ambitious businesses in the face of Brexit uncertainty. Theres some truth in that the headline figures will come as a relief to those who feared Brexit anxieties might result in a freeze in capital-raising. Still, the detailed data is worrying if smaller and younger businesses continue to struggle to pick up funding, that would be a depressing trend. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidprosser/2019/04/15/is-britains-start-up-funding-set-to-freeze/ |
What about mother development? | Throughout the lives of our children, we mothers get loaded down with information and advice. Via pamphlets at the pediatricians office, posters on the wall at the elementary school and experience itself, we become experts in first words, first teeth and first steps, in weaning, potty training, going to school, making friends and leaving home. Always about them. We are led to believe the birth-to-vacate-the-premises process is exclusively about child development, when in fact, we mothers are silently moving from one profound stage of human development to the next, right alongside them. We could use some attendant educating about what to expect, not just when were expecting. But about all the stages of motherhood, from start to "finish," from the time the baby emerges and we are clueless, to the time they leave and we curl up in the fetal position and wonder if well ever come out. This information would not be a parenthetical paragraph inserted in a pamphlet about the Terrible Twos. It would be a whole pamphlet, or a series of pamphlets, or, a book, a companion book, say, to "Raising your Spirited Child," entitled "Raising Your Spirited Mother Self." The authors of such works could make it easy, staging us like butterflies, with the egg stage ending in a hatching. Baby hatches. We do, too, our mouths agape in just as much bewilderment and awe. Next would be the caterpillar phase, an especially long stage, when we grow and expand, in this case, our wisdom, while inching along and sometimes squirming right off the leaf we're trying to eat. At some point we would move into the chrysalis stage, about the time the kids move into college, emerging only after we have meditated our way into the butterfly the pamphlets told us we would become. As it is, as my last child graduated from high school four years ago, I couldn't fathom anything but uncertainty about my own future. Sometimes I lay curled up inside the chrysalis, simply breathing through the monumental changes to my daily existence over which I had no control. Other times I struggled against the hard walls of my necessary incubation, wanting out, but not finding an exit. I could hear people and events calling my name. But I had no choice but to stay where I was until, consistent with spring, I felt the walls begin to give way to the opening of wings. My wings. I had no idea. I thought I was in there forever, only to find there is life after the child-rearing years, and a good one at that. A pamphlet about the stages of motherhood would have alerted me to the waiting light, and especially the dark, that there is light after dark after light, with consistent, measurable progress along the way. Just like potty training. Mommy training. Just like baby weaning. Mommy weaning. Just like holding hands to cross the street, having our own hands to hold. Attention to mother development would have let me know, as much as anything, that the system is seeing us, watching our backs, upholding our progress, too. Such attention, of course, would require a wholesale reversal of romantic thought, about mothers as selfless, giving creatures needing nothing. Which will likely not happen in my lifetime when an overwhelming majority of the worlds leaders, still, will never be a mother. Meanwhile, I envision a pamphlet, right next to the ones about potty training and weaning. It would be aptly titled, "First in a Series: Mothers Start Off As Babies, Too." | https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190414/what-about-mother-development |
What's up with Taylor Swift's cryptic countdown posts on social media? | Taylor Swift is counting down to something big, teasing fans with cryptic posts on social media all which focus on the date April 26, 2019. The pop star's latest post Monday morning on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook showed a photo of pink ruffles captioned only with 4.26. At midnight on Friday, the pop singer updated her official website with a giant countdown clock, which will reach zero at 12 a.m. eastern on April 26. The next day she posted a cryptic picture of a pink and purple heart-shaped piece of jewelry. Then on Sunday she posted a picture of her hands adorned with rings, with what appears to be her wearing a yellow blouse. Reach Natalie Neysa Alund at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. CLOSE Taylor Swift hits back at people who criticized her tour plans as she picks up the Tour of the Year gong at the iHeartRadio Awards. Other winners included Alicia Keys, Cardi B and BTS. (March 15) AP Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/04/15/taylor-swift-cryptic-countdown-social-media/3470916002/ | https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/04/15/taylor-swift-cryptic-countdown-social-media/3470916002/ |
Has Sexism Become A Barrier To A Brexit Breakthrough? | This week, the British parliament once again rejected a plan by Prime Minister Theresa May's to leave the European Union. NPR's Korva Coleman speaks with Hannah Peaker, a leader of the Women's Equality party, about May's leadership and her critics. KORVA COLEMAN, HOST: We're going to turn now to the latest on Brexit. Tomorrow, the United Kingdom's Parliament will vote on several options for leaving the European Union as the U.K. scrambles to avoid crashing out of the EU without a deal in April. Prime Minister Theresa May could also bring her Brexit plan back to Parliament for a fourth time or lose the leadership post altogether if an election is called. The chaos has brought renewed criticisms of May herself, who had promised to resign if her deal passed last week. To break down that criticism, we've called Hannah Peaker. She's the chief of staff for the Women's Equality Party, which advocates for gender equality and more women in politics in the U.K. Hannah Peaker joins us now from London. Welcome, Hannah. HANNAH PEAKER: Hi. COLEMAN: Your group looks at the specific challenges that women in politics face. PEAKER: Absolutely. I mean, I think sexism or gender inequality has played a huge part in Brexit and the genesis of Brexit altogether, and that that has manifested itself most recently in very gendered criticism of Theresa May of it being about her inability to negotiate the right deal for the U.K. and that being about her gender. There's a phenomenon called the glass cliff, you know, akin to the glass ceiling, where women and minorities are much more likely to rise to senior positions in a time of crisis. And the problem with that is that you're much more likely to fail. And when women and minorities fail in those positions, it then has that circular effect of saying that it's based on their gender or their ethnicity. And therefore, we can't trust them to take on those positions. And I think Theresa May is right there. You know, the referendum was absolutely a crisis created by men. And what she's been criticized for alongside that is, you know, it's all about her inability to be human. COLEMAN: So let me push back on that a little bit. One American newspaper columnist, Anne Applebaum of The Washington Post, called Theresa May, simply, the worst prime minister in living memory. Applebaum says the problems May is facing are problems that May created - the unnecessary secrecy of her repudiated Brexit plan, calling snap elections in 2017 in which her party lost terribly. PEAKER: Right. Absolutely. There is nothing forgivable about May's leadership failures. PEAKER: ...Not the prime minister, and certainly not Theresa May. It's this trap that she is caught in where she is displaying power, which isn't acceptable to people, for a woman to be displaying power in that way. PEAKER: Oh, absolutely. There are vast criticisms of her leadership. Austerity is the single biggest criticism. It doesn't have popularity in many quarters anymore. But in terms of whether the criticism is balanced or gendered or, you know, this - a lot of people will say this has nothing to do with gender. Well, you have to remember 2017, the Daily Mail front page - Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon, who is the first minister for Scotland, and the front page of The Daily Mail said never mind Brexit, what about Legs-it. And it had a picture of the two women and comparing who had the better legs. So there is no way in which that is an ungendered criticism. PEAKER: Absolutely. So though she was not considered to be doing a brilliant job from the outset, there was a kind of national feeling that gosh, she was doing probably as well as most people could do. And then of course, the men who stepped back to give her power started circling again to take back power at the moment that it starts to seem like we might be moving towards Brexit, the outcome they want, or not moving towards it. And at that point, the language really, really shifted. And it stepped up. And you had people briefing against her. We are now, this week, in a position where they have said it is a condition of our support - her own members of Parliament within her party - it is a condition of our support for your deal that you resign. So that is a you know, a very explicit example of the ways in which they expect her to move aside so that they can get on with negotiating it. COLEMAN: That was Hannah Peaker, chief of staff for the Women's Equality Party of the U.K. Thank you, Hannah. PEAKER: Thank you. Copyright 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. | https://www.npr.org/2019/03/31/708599531/has-sexism-become-a-barrier-to-a-brexit-breakthrough?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=allthingsconsidered |
Will Advertisers Of The Future Need To Pay Consumers To See Ads? | Gener8 A major concern facing digital advertising today is how to balance privacy concerns with sending consumers messages that are relevant to them. On the one hand, most of us prefer to receive ads that hold some interest for us. I have to say I was taken aback when my Facebook feed started including ads for new homes in Colorado, which is more than 1700 miles from my home. This was likely prompted by the fact that I am searching for housing at the moment, but as I have no plans to leave Philadelphia seeing these ads was a bit startling. While I can speculate on a data-driven as to why I would get such an ad, in this case, the analytics were obviously lacking. While relevant messages are important, many consumers are simultaneously becoming increasingly concerned about the use of merged databases the product levels of knowledge about us that Ive heard my students refer to as spooky. Sometimes it may be clear that the advertisers know quite a bit about not only your buying habits but other information such as income and health-related issues. Gener8, a UK based company is launching software aimed at addressing this dilemma. The product is a browser add-on, as opposed to a separate browser, that allows consumers to block ads they dont want to see but get paid to view those they personally identify as being of interest (see graphic above). Consumers are thus allowed to select the type of ads they want to see and this applies across the web (excluding Facebook). For each ad viewed, the user receives tokens that they can either convert into currency or donate to charity. Gener8 To get more insight on this business model I spoke to Sam Jones, CEO, and Founder of Gener8. Jones believes the time is right for this model, stating Our mission is to be amongst the worlds first brands that enable people to control and monetize their data. We believe we will shake up the advertising industry by putting the consumer first. Jones, who previously served as Global Brand Manager for Red Bull emphasizes the advantage of data transparency for consumers. He states: We believe in transparency and we believe that people should be told about whats happening with their data and that they should have a choice to engage with it, to disengage with it or to do something about it. At Gener8 we simply educate people about the fact that they are valuable, about the fact that on nearly every website they go to their data is being used (sold) and, if the user would like, we enable them to participate in this transaction and be rewarded from it. First, my view of a few advantages: Advantage 1: Advertisers avoid blocking and target more effectively Advertisers are all too aware that ad blocking has become common, especially among very young consumers. More than 650 million people worldwide used ad blockers last year, costing advertisers an estimated $40 billion. By using Gener8s system, advertisers can reach an interested audience and collect additional data in a way that allows for even better future targeting. CEO Jones notes that strict new data sharing law in Europe actually benefits this product: Within Europe, we are now in a post GDPR environment which means that access to first-party data is harder than it used to be. Gener8 has a rich source of first-party data which the user has consented can be used for advertising purposes. This enables us to charge advertisers a premium in order to advertise to their target audience. They are happy to do this. Advantage 2: Consumers Avoid Ads They Dont Want And See Those They Do There is little question that Gener8s system will lead to consumers seeing more targeted messages. This should lead to a more engaged consumer and ultimately lead to more purchases and better ROI for the advertisers. Jones notes: Based on the case studies that we have run so far we have seen a 7.6x increase in click-through rate vs the industry standard CTR. So it appears that Gener8s common sense approach of showing people what they want, when they want does work. Steve M. Edwards, Professor and Director of the Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University's, an expert on digital advertising, sees good potential for Gener8's approach. He states, "When commercial speech is restricted, the ability to reach consumers with marketing messages becomes more valuable. If consumer opting-in is the price to pay for access, then the company which controls the pipeline to those consumers holds great power and a valuable commodity. If Gener8 can get enough consumers to participate and scale to the level of demand from advertisers, their first mover advantage will be huge. This is why Facebook is so valuable." Gener8 Advantage 3: People Get Paid For Viewing Ads While getting more relevant messages is a benefit in and of itself, the fact that there is monetary incentive to do so, assuming it is sustainable, provides an additional reason to participate. From a U.S. perspective, it is important for us to remember that our regulatory system has historically been less protective of consumer privacy than most other countries. While opt-in is the norm through much of Europe, opt-out has more often been the standard in the U.S. Yet, concerns in the U.S. do seem to be growing at least on some level. So while the advantages may be clear in the UK, there is an argument to be made that it may be more difficult to get the technology to take hold. Still, in the wake of Cambridge Analytica and new European regulations, there does seem to be a global concern. Moreover, Gener8 cites a global trend toward transparency in which consumers will demand more control over the use of data. Roadblock 2: Media Outlets Cut Out of Profits There is a long history of media content being supported by advertising, and consumers have some level of resistance to paying what would be sticker price for consuming media if there was not advertiser support. Obviously, magazines, newspapers, and websites that operate online have a vested interest against this technology as they are cut off from the system. A full shift toward advertising that pays only the middlemen and the consumers would clearly have a negative impact on the ability of some media outlets to survive. So media outlets have considerable incentive to resist Gener8s technology and try to convince ad agencies and advertisers not to participate. How this falls out will be interesting to see. Edwards of SMU thinks the time may actually be ripe for this type of approach in the U.S., stating, "Consumers are concerned about privacy, but they are still willing to provide companies a lot of information. That being said, government action may force companies to move from targeting without greater opt-in mechanisms. Gener8 may be at the right place at the right time to get ahead of the competition and solve a problem for companies resulting from future government regulation." If consumers opt out of targeted marketing messages, they will be bombarded with irrelevant information. Advertising overload." My own take on this is that it is going to be really interesting to see how it falls out because the advantages of the technology are significant. At the same time, the shake-up required is substantial, and the impact on advertiser-supported media a concern. One wonders whether, over time, some type of middle ground solution where media companies are involved in the process as well as middlemen and consumers could be the optimal solution. Time will tell. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2019/04/01/will-advertisers-of-the-future-need-to-pay-consumers-to-see-ads/ |
Is Broken Brexit Now A Perfect Storm Threatening Britain's National Security? | 2019 Bloomberg Finance LP Whisper it in the corridors of Westminster, but there is still a world beyond Brexit. A world that includes the realpolitik of Russia and China and Iran, of nation-state cyberwarfare and scattered IS Jihadis, and of the infectious far-right hatred making headlines post-Christchurch. The self-obsessed Brexit intermission from the real world will come to an end, one way or another, and then the U.K. will need to face up to the consequences. As Theresa May's cabinet divides and revolts, as the majority of her MPs demand there are no more delays, and as the petition to revoke Article 50 passes 6 million signatures, every option remains on the table but none can yet command a majority in parliament. Time and EU patience is fast running out. There is no credible argument to be made that a 'Brexited' Britain will be safer or more secure than it is now, whatever Leavers may claim, even under the most organized of exits. And a no-deal departure would be chaotic, leaving the country vulnerable at home and abroad, creating in the words of one former National Security Adviser "a really serious and immediate problem for British national security". But the far greater risk for Britain is a chaotic departure from the EU, followed or preceded by a snap general election that ushers in a Jeremy Corbyn government. Were Corbyn able to muster enough of a like-minded majority, his government would try to consolidate on the split from Europe by distancing itself from the U.S. as well. Britain would then be led by a prime minister described as a walking rebuke to the past 30 years of British foreign policy, a prime minister determined to destroy the special relationship with the U.S. on security, defense and intelligence sharing, a prime minister who prefers Iran and Russia to NATO. And that is the perfect storm now looming directly overhead. Strike One: Leaving the EU on any basis The arguments in favor of Brexit are political and economic. Politically, the same polarized views of Europe and its bureaucracies have not changed in a generation, they have simply become ever more acute and divisive. The economics are more contentious. Punchy advertising campaigns on the sides of battle buses do not automatically translate to reality, however much you might want to believe the rhetoric. On the security side, though, there are no genuine arguments, embellished or otherwise, there are just varying degrees of bad news. The world is more interconnected. Britain and its allies are ever more reliant on one another. Nation-state sponsored terrorism and cybercrime are borderless, and the responses must be as well. And resources wise, Britain cannot project its military strength as it once did, nor can it defend its shores alone. "Any form of Brexit makes our security more difficult to manage... the harder the Brexit, the greater the damage," a former head of MI6 told Sky News. We've been the only country in the world that has been a member of NATO, a member of the European Union and a member of the Five Eyes. It's given Britain a uniquely powerful and influential position in the world. We're now kicking away one of those pillars by leaving the European Union." According to the chair of the U.K. National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), EU tools allow us to respond quickly and intelligently to crime and terrorism in the UK and the EU. They make us better at protecting the public The fall-backs we're going to have to use will be slower, more bureaucratic and ultimately less effective. It will make it harder for us to protect U.K. citizens and make it harder to protect EU citizens. The draft Brexit agreement would guillotine U.K. access to well-established data and process systems after a transitional period. Loss of European Arrest Warrants. Loss of access to the Schengen Information System (SISII). Loss of access to the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). Sub-optimal border security, prompting the U.K.s National Audit Office to warn that organized criminals and others are likely to be quick to exploit any perceived weaknesses or gaps in the enforcement regime. And thats the best-case Brexit scenario, leaving with a deal. Strike Two: Leaving the EU without a deal With the level of interconnectedness in modern-day defense and security, and with the intelligence sharing and crime-fighting arrangements the U.K. and its peers rely on, the system is not designed to suffer shocks. It is well known that Brexit preparedness across government functions has been and continues to be woeful. The rabbit was caught in the headlights after the 2016 referendum, and its still there. And where some functions might lend themselves to bluster and force of will, defense and crime fighting do not. "In a no deal scenario," the U.K. government has said, "there would not be an implementation period. This means that any [security and policing related] operational cooperation that relies on EU tools and instruments at the point of exit, would stop. This would create immediate legal and operational uncertainty with the risk of operational disruption and potential security implications." There would be alternative "non-EU mechanisms" in place, but these "would not provide the same level of capability as those envisaged in a deal scenario, and risk increasing pressure on UK security, law enforcement and judicial authorities." This is critical to UK law enforcement. "In 2017, the UK sent and received over 163,000 requests and notifications for criminal records. That is over 3,000 a week or 600 requests and notifications to and from the EU per working day. Information available through ECRIS supports the UKs law enforcement agencies in the effective management of violent and sexual offenders." The Royal United Services Institute has warned that no-deal would mean the U.K. losing access to more than 40 different security systems and databases. As explained by the senior police officer charged with managing these risks: Some of the pan-European tools that British officers could lose access to have been in use for more than a decade If we exit the EU without a deal that gets switched off overnight. According to Europols European Counter Terrorism Centre, Europe is currently facing a vicious, new form of international terrorism. The clear shift in Islamic States strategy of carrying out special forces-style attacks in the international environment, with a particular focus on Europe, as well as the growing number of foreign terrorist fighters, demonstrates the new challenges facing the EU and its Member States. Islamic State may have been driven from its territory in Syria, but its ideology remains. And with anything up to 100,000 fighters under its flag, hundreds of whom have now returned to Europe to join the would-be extremists who didnt travel. Russia continues to flex its muscles, as seen in Salisbury, and China continues to play the long game. Meanwhile, Iran projects its influence through sponsored political chaos in the Middle East and terrorism further afield. Beyond that are the countless other challenges facing Britain in 2019. Online radicalization and the rise of the far-right. Cybercrime. Drug and people trafficking. The threats from AI and the vulnerabilities of the IoT. Not the best time to turn off the systems keeping the country safe from harm. Strike Three Leaving the EU and electing a Corbyn government Saving the best for last, whilst the chaos of Brexit deal or no-deal would stabilize over several years as new arrangements were put in place, a fundamental rewriting of Britains foreign policy, its approach to security and defense, its delineation of allies and enemies, would not. If Corbyn can snatch the keys to Downing Street under cover of Brexit, his priority will be to reverse seventy-years of imperialist foreign policy, to orient Britain away from traditional allies and towards the unknown. This has been the consistent theme in his dealings with Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Palestine, NATO, Hamas and Hezbollah. Corbyn doesnt believe in defense, the nuclear deterrent, sending troops overseas, gathering and sharing intelligence, NATO, and especially Americas role in the world. None of those form of part of his Marxist doctrine. And so chief amongst his priorities would be ending the special security relationship between Britain and America. As important as European security collaboration might be, the Anglo-American axis and the broader Five Eyes are central to the national security of both countries, but especially the U.K. When challenged that he doesnt believe in the special relationship with the U.S., Corbyn told an interviewer: Im not sure anyone has succeeded in defining it. And so when Corbyn surprised almost everyone, himself included, by comfortably securing the leadership of his party in 2015, the Washington Post suggested that he will do his best to sabotage relations with Washington. The resolve of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing community, combining the U.S., U.K. Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has been tested in recent months over Washingtons prohibition on Huaweis network equipment. The U.K. looked set to follow Europes risk mitigation instead of exclusion approach, but last week the U.K.s spy agency published a damning report that makes that less likely. It is hard to imagine Corbyn holding that line. And, with this in mind, perhaps there was some symbolism in the U.K. veering towards the U.S. on Huawei just days after the European Union appeared to do the opposite. The country's dedicated Huawei Oversight Board went as far as to say: "We can only provide limited assurance that all risks to U.K. national security from Huaweis involvement in the UKs critical networks can be sufficiently mitigated long-term." And then theres Russia. Last year, the Director-General of MI5 called out the Kremlins aggressive and pernicious actions by its military and intelligence services, referring to the alleged nerve agent assassination attempt on U.K. soil. In Corbyn, Russia would have the ultimate useful idiot, wrote former U.S. assistant secretary of state James Rubin, a leader of a top NATO government who genuinely believes the alliance should not exist, who blames NATO for tensions with Russia, and who has said he would never follow NATOs strategy of nuclear deterrence. Kremlin operatives would probably feel like they hit the power ball jackpot in a geopolitical lottery. As things stand, the Labour Party has finally secured an opinion poll lead, suggesting that combined with the abject chaos within the governing Conservative Party, the prospect of a Corbyn government is much more real than it has been before. Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed to an orderly resignation, but one that might be hastened by the ongoing civil war in her own party. Despite the public petition to revoke Article 50, there is no sign that a second referendum or a change of heart can command a majority in a British Parliament which cannot currently find a majority for any deal or no deal. On April 1, somewhat appropriately, they will all try again. In truth, the only route a diehard 1970s Marxist, anti-American could take to lead the U.K. would have to look something like this. Safety in numbers Last year, MI5's Andrew Parker talked up the national security benefits for the U.K. from Europes common values and partnership. He told an audience in Berlin that the threat landscape is shared across the nations of Europe, and that is how we [currently] address it. And whilst the Irish border has been thrust center-stage in Brexit, it is the borderless nature of all these very real threats that makes the chaos of Brexit so dangerous. Britains chief of counter-terrorism policing has reported a record level of activity, and last year told a committee of politicians that Id like to tell you we are matched to the current threat, but the reality is we are not. With 700 ongoing investigations, 3,000 active people of interest and 20,000 people under review, its hard to argue. The security threats against the U.K. have not diminished simply because there is now less media coverage because of Brexit. The same issues that have necessitated increased spend on intelligence and special forces remain. And nothing has yet changed as regards facing those threats - the same collaborative arrangements still remain in place. Russia. China. Iran. The rise of the far-right. The prospect of hundreds of returning Jihadi fighters. Emerging cyberwarfare capabilities and the accelerating threat from China, buoyed by staggering investments in AI. Reduced defense spending. Withdrawn access to multiple European law enforcement and security databases, the loss of data sharing agreements. And then, after all that, the U.K. elects a Corbyn government and finds itself isolated from both Europe and America - its two largest security and trading partners, seeking comfort and solace instead from Russia, China, Venezuela and Iran. Uncharted territory in the midst of a perfect storm. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/04/01/is-broken-brexit-now-a-perfect-storm-threatening-britains-national-security/ |
Are PhDs just cheap labour for universities? | When Karin Bodewits started her PhD in molecular biology at the University of Edinburgh, she felt excited and privileged, brimming with hope. Over the following four years, her enthusiasm waned. That seems like another person in another life, she recalls. I saw a world where unreachable glory was the goal and desperation the order of the day. Bodewits wrote a book about her disillusionment, shedding light on a university system failing to have open conversations about the power plays between supervisors and students, the lack of mental health support, and the absence of careers advice for PhD candidates. I wasnt prepared well for life after my PhD, she says. Read more Bodewits now gives careers advice seminars to PhD students, and is disappointed to see her experience replicated. The incentives behind PhD programmes are wrong, she says. At the moment it seems were training people because its cheap labour. If thats the incentive, then for purely research-based PhDs were training too many for the current labour market. This is a common complaint from PhD students frustrated with an academic careers pipeline that requires a succession of highly competitive short-term contracts in cities all over the world. Only a small number eventually obtain a coveted permanent role; research from 2010 suggests just 3.5% of science PhDs secure permanent academic positions. Theres evidence to suggest the pressure takes a toll on the mental health of PhD students, who report a higher rate of problems than the general population. Yet the universities minister, Chris Skidmore, recently asked universities to think about how we can get more people staying on for PhDs in the future. An increase in the research talent base will be vital for the government to deliver on its promised increase in investment in research and development to 2.4% by 2027, he said. According to Clare Viney, chief executive of Vitae, which supports the career development of researchers, we will need to double the number of researchers to reach the governments target. But not all of those jobs will be within universities they might be in the R&D department of a private company. One of the challenges is that the vast majority of PhDs want to stay in academia, says Viney. This is where the tension comes from. Eighty per cent of researchers want to become academics but the reality is its a lot less [who do so]. In some disciplines it could be as low as a few per cent. Viney thinks universities need to have honest conversations about managing the expectations of PhD students. They can also better help them understand the skills theyre developing go beyond subject knowledge, such as entrepreneurship, teamwork, innovative thinking and communication. Its about self-awareness and emotional intelligence, focusing on researcher as much as their research, she says. Although people development has been a common feature of the corporate world for some time, Viney says it is comparatively new within universities. They are waking up to the fact that theyre not just responsible for kit and keeping the lights on and making sure they have world-class facilities, but also that theyre developing people to be the best they can be. As a result, looking after early-career researchers is a new brief within the leadership teams at some universities. Among these is David Bogle, who is responsible for 6,000 doctoral students and 3,500 postdoctoral students at UCL. He agrees that PhD candidates can be too absorbed in the detail of their research, especially in the humanities and social sciences. Really careful analysis of evidence for a history PhD is hugely valuable for lots of public policy work, in the media and in the law, he says. But they tend to still be fixated on medieval papyrology rather than seeing the broader skills. Bogle has looked at mental health among doctoral candidates, and developed an action plan aimed at reducing isolation and increasing support networks. There is an issue, and Im still not clear in my own mind what it is, he says. Or is it because we put undue pressure on them? Broadly speaking, Bogle thinks a lot of work has gone into improving support, skills development and careers advice for PhD candidates in the past 10-15 years. Yet he acknowledges there is still a communication issue with employers, who universities have failed to convince of the value of a PhD. Ive been trying to tell that story. Weve all got to get out and do it, he says. These are very smart, very skilled people who are able to drive innovation in the economy. Theres a whole raft of smaller companies that want innovation but struggle with it. I think theyre a bit scared of how to handle these people who might challenge what they do. Bogle thinks the real problem is at postdoc level the short-term research contracts that are the next step after a PhD. Although they are classed as staff (PhD candidates are students), there are far more of them in universities than there are permanent academic jobs, meaning that securing a postdoc is no guarantee of an academic career. The mindset is wrong. Its not enough about the people were developing, and its too much about producing papers, patents and data, he says. Research funders are taking action. The Wellcome Trust has recently overhauled the conditions attached to the way it funds postdocs and PhDs. According to Anne-Marie Coriat, head of UK and EU research landscape, the funder will now place dual attention on the quality of science and the culture which sits around the way training is delivered, including diversity, proper supervision, looking after mental health, and support for researchers to transition to the next step in their career. This includes a transition fund that can be used for any work that relates to the next step, such as writing a policy paper or undertaking a placement in a school. Read more We think this will open up the optimism with which people should be facing careers in research, Coriat says. These skills are required in all sorts of different settings, but what we dont know is where those careers will be headed in 5-10 years time, because tech and data are really driving the pace. Coriat adds that quality advice on where science and research careers can lead is missing. As technology and automation transform the jobs market, she thinks gathering a live feed of data on how career paths are changing will be important. Frustration with the academic career path has existed for decades, but Coriat sees the current moment as the ideal opportunity to transform research culture for the better. Meanwhile, the governments commitment to increase research spend links beautifully with lots of other projects. She cautions that meaningful change will take time to deliver, but adds: Theres a lot of willingness to tackle this. | https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/apr/01/are-phds-just-cheap-labour-for-universities |
How Far Could A Human Travel In A Constantly-Accelerating Rocket Ship? | Roskosmos Human spaceflight has brought us beyond Earth, but we could potentially venture even farther. NASA Imagine that we could constantly accelerate at the same rate as Earth's gravitational pull, 9.8 m/s2, indefinitely. Dragos muresan, under c.c.a.-s.a.-3.0 While you'd initially speed up, you'll rapidly approach the speed of light. John D. Norton, via http://www.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/HPS_0410/chapters/Special_relativity_clocks_rods/ Owing to Einstein's Special Relativity, time will dilate and lengths will contract. Curt Renshaw As you continue to accelerate, the distances and travel times to faraway destinations will plummet. Wikimedia Commons user P. Fraundorf At the halfway mark, simply reverse your thrust to accelerate in the opposite direction for the remaining journey. NASA Reaching the inner Oort Cloud, at the Solar System's boundary, takes approximately one year. Wikimedia Commons user Skatebiker But it's only a little longer 4 years to arrive at the Alpha Centauri system, 4.3 light-years away. Alexis Brandeker Journeying to the Orion Nebula, located more than 1,000 light-years distant, requires just 15 years. Jaime Fernndez of http://www.castillosdesoria.com/ Only 20 years of traveling brings you to the Milky Way's center, 25,000 light-years away. Adam Evans / flickr Arrival at the Andromeda galaxy, 2.5 million light-years distant, is achievable after just 30 years. E. Siegel, based on work by Wikimedia Commons users Azcolvin 429 and Frederic MICHEL In fact, you could reach any galaxy presently within 15 billion light-years after merely 45 years of travel. NASA, ESA, Z. Levay, R. van der Marel, T. Hallas, and A. Mellinger Distant journeys are irrevocably one-way, as billions of years pass back on Earth. Mostly Mute Monday tells a scientific story about the Universe in visuals, images, and no more than 200 words. Talk less; smile more. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/04/01/how-far-could-a-human-travel-in-a-constantly-accelerating-rocket-ship/ |
Is K-Pop's Baddest Female CL Finally Making a Comeback? | It's time to get excited again because K-pop's baddest female, CL looks to be inching her way back into the spotlight. Former leader of one of K-pop's biggest girl group, 2NE1, CL has maintained a rather profile since their disbandment in 2016. CL pursued a solo career after, releasing several hit singles such as "Hello Bitches", "LIFTED" and "The Baddest Female" ( ). Despite that, fans have noticed that CL has fallen off the radar in terms of social media engagement. So, many fans were super excited to see that CL had finally updated her Instagram after being so quiet online. | https://www.eonline.com/ap/news/1028472/is-k-pop-s-baddest-female-cl-finally-making-a-comeback |
Can My Child Have An IRA? | Getty The tax return filing date is fast approaching and that has people thinking about their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Did I contribute already? How much can I save? Should I do traditional or Roth? A few of the smarter parents, however, are thinking beyond their own finances to those of their children. They wonder if their kids canor shouldbegin saving in their own IRAs. Lets be clear. Its downright foolish not to ask this. It might seem a small potatoes item now, but it could end up becoming a million-dollar question later. Literally. Children who have earned income should have their own IRAs. Heres why. Theres no lower age limit when it comes to starting an IRA. A Child IRA works in the same way as regular IRA except that there is a custodian overseeing the account, says Allison Clago, Managing Director, Investments at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, California. In fact, a Child IRA can yield unbelievable results. Lets say you start contributing roughly $3 a day to a Child IRA from the moment a baby is born. Thats about $20 a week, $80 a month or $1,000 a year. You get the picture. These contributions continue until that child reaches the ripe old age of 19. Then you stop. And do nothing. In fact, you do worse than nothing. The investments you select perform at 8% per yearthats roughly 3% below the average historical return. You might think thats bad. Its not. When that child retires at age 70 (because that's probably going to be the retirement age for todays newborns), that $19,000 Child IRA will have grown to more than $2 million! Thats a pretty good head start on retirement. In fact, many think its too good to be true. At first glance it appears farfetched. Its not. Its merely a display of the power of compounding. Remember, this money has been growing for six or seven decades. Well, yes. While nothing prohibits a child from establishing a Child IRA, a child needs a paycheck to offset an IRA contribution. IRA rules say that to contribute to an Individual Retirement Accountat any ageyou must have earned income, so you must have a job, says Ben Feldmeyer, Private Wealth Advisor at the Feldmeyer Financial Group of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Dayton, Ohio. Ouch! Oddly enough, infants and toddlers do earn money. But my kids are much older, you might be thinking. Is it too late for them to get one of those multimillion-dollar Child IRAs? Elementary school children can and do earn income (theres a public television show called Biz Kid$ if youre interested). Still, most parents wont see their kids earning the big bucks until theyre teenagers. And thats all right. The bad news is that teenagers will have missed out on a decade of saving in a Child IRA. The good news is a teenager is capable of working (and earning) more. With a summer job and part-time work during the school year, its not unreasonable to expect them to earn enough to contribute the maximum to their Child IRA ($6,000 beginning in the 2019 tax year). Teenagers can create a Child IRA that will grow to nearly $2.5 million when they retire at age 70 (again, this assumes their investments grow at 8% less than the historical average). They simply need to begin saving the upper limit in their Child IRAs at age 13 and repeat this each year until they go to college at age 18. Mind you, a childs income may affect any financial aid awarded based on the students need. On the other hand, such earnings are less likely to impact eligibility for true merit-based scholarships. Establishing a Child IRA, even a small one, can excite your child by showing them the positive results of savings and investment growth. Once they get old enough, they may discover they have a new-found liking of math. Maybe not calculus and trigonometry, but at least algebrathe everyday math fundamental to financial literacy. Its a parents dream! So, as that dreaded hour in mid-April draws ever closer, perhaps parents shouldnt be worrying about their own IRA. Maybe theyd be better off by asking whether their kids have taken care of their own Child IRA. It may seem like only a few dollars today. But, thanks to the power of compounding, it could be a thousand times more by the time the child retires. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriscarosa/2019/04/01/can-my-child-have-an-ira/ |
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