question
stringlengths 11
179
| article
stringlengths 522
97.6k
| url
stringlengths 35
310
|
|---|---|---|
Should the president have ultimate authority to decide who hears state secrets? | by Cait Bladt Tricia Newbold, a security expert with 18 years experience in the White House, has come forward to lodge grave complaints about the current administration and its handling of security clearances. Newbold claims experts in the office declined to provide high security clearances for 25 people, only to have their decisions overturned by more senior officials. The president has sole authority to decide who receives security clearances and is therefore within his rights to have deputies provide them. Tricia Newbold, who worked under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, told Congress that her office had denied 25 total applications for high security clearances for reasons including foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use and criminal conduct." According to the New York Times, Newbold said Carl Kline, the former White House personnel security chief and a political appointee, overturned his offices decisions. In one case, she said that a senior White House official was denied a clearance after a background check turned up concerns about possible foreign influence; employment outside or businesses external to what your position at the E.O.P. entails; and the officials personal conduct. E.O.P. refers to the executive office of the president. Mr. Kline stepped in to reverse the decision, she said, writing in the relevant file that the activities occurred before federal service without addressing concerns raised by Ms. Newbold and another colleague. In the case of the second senior White House official, Ms. Newbold told the committee that a specialist reviewing the clearance application wrote a 14-page memo detailing disqualifying concerns, including possible foreign influence. She said that Mr. Kline instructed her do not touch the case, and soon granted the official clearance. Newbold stated the concerns with security clearances were shared not only by members of her office. Per the Washington Post: n the case of one top White House official, described as Official 1 in committee documents, Newbold said that she and another employee denied the official a security clearance after a background investigation revealed significant disqualifying factors, including foreign influence, outside business interests and personal conduct. But Kline overruled their determination. In his decision, he failed to address all of the disqualifying concerns listed by Ms. Newbold and the first-line adjudicator, according to a committee summary of her response. Instead, Kline merely note that Official 1s activities occurred prior to Federal service, according to the panel. NBC News previously reported that Kline overruled a decision by two career White House security specialists to deny Kushner a clearance. When Official 1 applied for an even higher level of clearance, Newbold said that another agency contacted her to determine how we rendered a favorable adjudication, an inquiry she said reflected the agencys serious concerns. According to security veterans, overturning recommendations from professionals is extremely unusual. While it is within the presidents purview to grant security clearances, the chief executive typically defers to experts to avoid any indication of political bias. Per the HuffPost: Ned Price, a former CIA analyst who served as spokesman for the National Security Council under former President Barack Obama, said he was not aware of anything similar happening during his time in the White House. The process was sacrosanct in the sense that career officials had the final say. There was a recognition that even the appearance of political pressure could raise concerns, Price said. But heres the other difference: senior White House officials in the Obama era tended to be individuals who had served at high levels of career service or who had previously served in senior appointed positions. This administration is rather unique in the number of officials who have never held positions of public trust or who havent done so in many years. However, members of the White House, notably Jared Kushner, have pushed back against the allegations. Kushners security clearance has long been scrutinized by outside watchdogs and while he is not named in Newbolds testimony, many believe he is one of the 25 people she is describing. After the allegations became public, the Washington Post reports Kushner granted an interview with Fox News to defend the White Houses practices. Kushner, who Trump ultimately demanded be granted a permanent top-secret clearance despite concerns of intelligence officials, told Fox host Laura Ingraham that he cant comment for the White Houses process. But I can say over the last two years that Ive been here, Ive been accused of all different types of things and all of those things have turned out to be false, he added. Weve had a lot of crazy accusations, like that we colluded with Russia. ...Kushner laughed and said: Look, I can say that in the White House I work with some phenomenal people and I think over the last two years the presidents done a phenomenal job of identifying what are our national security priorities. Hes had a great team in place that are helping implement it, and I hope Ive played a good part in pushing those objectives forward. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee, which heard Newbolds testimony, were quick to decry the investigation as overreach. Per Politico: In a response memo, Republicans on the Oversight Committee complained that Democrats took Newbold's interview out of context and mischaracterized her knowledge of the reasons top officials overruled her security clearance decisions. They also argued that Newbold's testimony was "overblown" because only a handful of security clearance applications she denied were for very serious reasons. If Kline overturned onlyat mostfive clearance adjudications with very serious concerns out of five thousand, Ms. Newbolds concerns seem overblown, Republican aides wrote in their memo. Kushner claims he had been thoroughly vetted and had complete faith in the decisions made. And on Monday evening, he implied that his business dealings had contributed to the lengthiness of the vetting process. "When I came to Washington, I had a very successful business career," he told host Laura Ingraham. "I had extensive holdings. I disclosed all of my holdings for the Office of Government Ethics, and what I did with them is they told me what to divest, what to keep, what rules to follow. We followed all that." Although, as CBS News reports, the public has long been aware of the many issues raised in Kushners own application for security clearance. However, as Major Garrett reported in July 2017, Kushner initially had to update a federal disclosure form needed to obtain a security clearance three times and added more than 100 names of foreign contacts through the updates after initially providing none at all. His first form had no foreign names on it even though people applying for a security clearance need to list any contact with foreign governments. At the time, Kushner's team said it was prematurely sent. 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/should-the-president-have-ultimate-authority-to-decide-who-hears-state-secrets.html |
How Many Homers Could Christian Yelich Hit? | ASSOCIATED PRESS The excellence of reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich has snuck up on a lot of people. When the Brewers traded for him an offseason ago, he was largely regarded as a promising player on the way up, but not one of the elite players of his era. I can proudly state that I saw this coming a long time ago. In 2015, I wrote on Fangraphs that he would one day have "hardware on his mantel". Two years later, again on Fangraphs, I compared him to some guy named Hank Aaron. Now I'm going to be wrong as much as the next guy, so when I'm this right, I am going to claim it. Well, like the Hammer, Yelich does not look the part of the power hitter. As young men, both were slightly built compared to your typical power hitter. You don't need to be a hulk to mash, however. Both possessed whip-like bat speed and torsos that suggested that the power would come. They would hit first, and hit for power later. And then do so for a long, long time. It actually took Yelich a little longer than I thought to have his initial power breakthrough. Going into 2018, he had never hit more than 21 homers in a season. Part of that was the extreme pitcher-friendly nature of Marlins Park, but most of it was his extreme ground ball-centric output, which we'll talk more about in a second. He hit 36 last year, playing his home games in the much more hitter-friendly Miller Park. Simple. He crushes the baseball. In each of the last four seasons, his average exit velocity has been over one full standard deviation higher than the average major league regular. Well, Yelich has also had one of the lowest average launch angles among that population. Yup, the launch angle fever that has swept the game in recent years has somehow missed this guy. Last year, in his MVP campaign, Yelich's average launch angle of 4.6 degrees was the sixth lowest among the 126 NL regulars with the most batted balls. Those who finished behind him (Eric Hosmer, (1.3) degrees, Ian Desmond, 0.0, Travis Jankowski 1.9, Jon Jay 3.3, and Orlando Arcia, 3.3) weren't exactly on his heels in the MVP voting. The first two have the ability to hit the ball hard in the air (but rarely do), and the latter three are slap hitters. Yelich is an outlier among outliers, an MVP with a miniscule average launch angle in a launch angle-crazed era. Let's go to the numbers to make the point even clearer. NL regulars had an average fly ball rate of 32.0% last year. Yelich's was 22.3%. He hit all of 96 batted balls with launch angles between 20 and 50 degrees last season, the standard definition of a fly ball. 32 of them, a full third, left the yard. (He also hit four line drive homers in 2018.) 33.3% of Yelich's fly balls left the yard, compared to an MLB average of 14.5%. 45 of those flies, 46.9%, were hit at 100 MPH or harder, compared to an MLB average of 20.6%. If Yelich raised his fly ball rate to that 32.0% league average, and maintained his 33.3% homer rate, that's 14 more fly ball homers, raising his seasonal output to 50. This is very, very doable. (Small sample size abuse alert: through last night's games, Yelich was running a 42.1% fly ball rate, 8 of 19, and 4 of those 8 fly balls had left the yard.) 50 homers is a realistic scenario that doesn't require much mind-stretching. But let's say Yelich raised his fly ball rate to Matt Carpenter-esque levels. He posted a 45.9% fly ball rate last year, striking 186 batted balls at launch angles between 20 and 50 degrees. Yelich doesn't walk as much as Carpenter, so he'd hit even more fly balls, and if he continued he drive a third of his fly balls over the wall, would hit an amazing 70 homers. Is that an outlandish total for Yelich to reach at some point. Probably. He'd have to totally change who he is as a hitter to get there, and that is definitely not a good thing. Let's take a step back and survey the landscape. Yelich still has the body of a very young man. There is additional physical development coming. He is already an elite hitter who is just beginning to tap into his power. He plays his home games in a ballpark conducive to power hitting. He has a unique batted-ball profile for a power hitter that has helped shape who he is, and he, over time, can be expected to gradually tweak it in the direction of more power at the slight expense of some hitting proficiency. It happens to all of the great ones; they hit, then they maximize their power, and then harvest that power for a very long time, until it is all they have left. Paging Dr. Pujols. While it might not be realistic to project Yelich to ever approach Barry Bonds' single season homer record, I'm going to step right up an plant my flag on this one: Christian Yelich will hit 500 homers in his career. He's only at 99 now at age 27, but 36 has a chance to be his low-water mark for quite an extended period. Of the 27 major leaguers who have hit 500 career homers, exactly six of them posted their seasonal high prior to Yelich's current age - Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols did so at age 26, Jimmie Foxx at age 24, Reggie Jackson at 23, Eddie Mathews at 21 and Mel Ott at 20. 16 of them did so at age 30 or older. An awful lot of the 500 homer guys did not have large, strapping frames in their twenties. Many of them packed on a ton of mass in their thirties, via natural and somewhat unnatural means. I'm struggling to find a single name on that list who could have packed on thirty pounds at age 27 without negatively impacting their overall game. Except for Aaron. And someday, Yelich. The only pitfall that could get Yelich is the nagging back injuries that have cropped up from time to time. He seems to have put them behind him, but you can ask Scott Rolen and others about what back injuries can do to a career. You can still be great on a per game basis, but forget about those big-time counting numbers. He's the type of hitter you'd build in a lab, if you weren't focused on all of the wrong things, like launch angle. Yelich takes balls, swings at strikes, squares the ball up to all fields, and turns and fires for power on the balls he knows he can handle. Over time, he'll make the tweaks necessary to maximize his output, while all of his fly ball crazy peers will be staring at infield overshifts and paddling like to crazy just to stay employed. Enjoy a master in search of his peak over the next few seasons. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyblengino/2019/04/03/how-many-homers-could-christian-yelich-hit/ |
Is Privacy Under Threat From All The Know-Your-Customer Documents Stored With Countless Services? | Nuggets, Noun Project European anti-money laundering legislation means customers and businesses are required to provide potentially sensitive documentation to prove their identities. Right now, were stuck with a system that forces customers to duplicate key processes, and means sensitive personal documents are stored in multiple locations with multiple services. Thats a poor experience for customers. More seriously, it greatly increases the risk of data breaches. Recent years have proved with increasing frequency just how urgent those risks are. Reform is under way but is neither wide-ranging enough nor fast enough. We need a system that enables individuals to stay in control of their personal documents, so they can use them to verify their identities when required without having to store them in vulnerable third-party locations. Such a system might have sounded like a pipe dream until recently. But decentralized digital identities, enabled by blockchain technology, make it a far more viable concept than many might believe. The current KYC model is broken KYC processes enable regulated institutions to verify the identity and intentions of individuals or businesses to whom they provide services. Thats essential for complying with fraud and anti-money laundering regulations. As such, their importance is beyond doubt. Theyre vital for minimising criminality in the global financial system and other services. But the wide range of services requiring KYC has created an inefficient mesh of heavily overlapping processes. Every time a customer wants to start using one of these services, they have to navigate almost identical processes making the experience inefficient and frustrating. More worrying is the fact that some of customers most sensitive personal documents end up stored in various locations by multiple third parties. There is now ample evidence of the vulnerability of even the worlds largest data referencing companies. The Equifax data breach in 2017, for example, exposed sensitive personal information belonging to 143 million Americans. The longer banks, mortgage providers, brokers and other regulated bodies rely on this approach, the greater the likelihood of another big breach like the recent one in America. Reforms dont go far enough Many people are aware of the weaknesses of the current system, and are developing new approaches. One example is asking customers to go through the KYC process just once, with an organisation the regulator has approved as a trusted verification party. Once the customer has passed this initial KYC, they can use their certification as an attestation of their identity when other service providers ask for verification. The major advantage of this approach is in customer experience. It means people only go through KYC once, rather than multiple times. The problem is, most banks and services wont accept each others attestations for business and insurance reasons. And this approach doesnt solve the central issue that sensitive personal information is still being stored by third party providers (TPPs). Reducing the number of TPPs storing this sort of data can be seen as a step forward. This effectively atomises all the data securely to individuals and beyond, rather than holding it in honey pot silos. And its surely common sense that personal information should only be held by the individual it belongs to. In fact, blockchain-powered platforms make it possible to create a secure, efficient KYC system that achieves this, while also keeping regulators satisfied and giving businesses a way to offer the same services without the costs and risks of storing personal data. A new approach to personal document control It seems the regulatory environment could be open to change in this regard. Theres real potential for regulators to seek out and support new KYC methods that avoid the risks of TPP storage. Technologies like blockchain, zero-knowledge cryptography and biometrics are proving themselves as powerful components in vastly more secure systems than anything available today. It wont be long before these technologies are rolled out, enabling individuals to own and store their own KYC documents, and keep them updated. In this scenario, an individual who wants to interact with a service provider requiring KYC verification can present their information with read-only access and ideally only as an attestation. This can be achieved using key pair cryptographic signatures, or a multi-signature smart contract in conjunction with the service provider and/or regulators digital identity. When the individual signs that request with their own digital identity, the service provider and/or regulator will have access to a timestamped KYC document for the individual. This document will only be accessible by the specific service or regulator, for the regulatory period required. This delivers on the twin aims of improving customer experience with only one source of KYC, and eliminating the need for any other party to store the customers information. Evolution, not revolution As the system exists today, this new approach could transform the simplicity and security of KYC processes required by current regulations. But its the future potential that looks really exciting. In the context of Open Banking, for example, where customers will be enabled and encouraged to switch providers easily and use a range of different services at once, the importance of simple, secure KYC processes will only increase. Using blockchain platforms, we can establish ownership and control of personal documents and an attestation model. We will no longer need to have sensitive personal documents stored in vulnerable third party silos. Well be able to meet regulators requirements, make life easier for customers, and eliminate the danger of third-party data breaches. KYC can become as easy as ABC. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/alastairjohnson/2019/04/03/is-privacy-under-threat-from-all-the-know-your-customer-documents-stored-with-countless-services/ |
What If It's Just Us? | NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle When it comes to the question of extraterrestrial life, humans optimistically assume the Universe is prolific. After all, there doesn't appear to be anything particularly special about Earth, and life not only took hold here on our world, but evolved, thrived, became complex and differentiated, and then intelligent and technologically advanced. But this is not a question that can be answered by appeals to either logic or emotion, but by data and observation alone. While our investigations have revealed the existence of an enormous number of candidate planets for life, we have yet to find one where intelligent aliens, complex life, or even simple life is known to exist. In all the Universe, humanity may truly be alone. Dennis Davidson for http://www.nss.org/ A generation ago, we knew almost nothing about the planets that exist in the Universe beyond our own Solar System. We knew then as we do now that there were hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way alone, and thought there were hundreds of billions of galaxies throughout the visible Universe. (We know now that there are more like 2 trillion galaxies throughout our observable Universe.) All told, there are some 1024 stars in the observable Universe. For a very long time, all we could do was speculate as to whether they had planetary systems around them. We didn't know what fraction of planets were likely to be Earth-sized; we didn't know what their orbital distances from their stars would be; we didn't know how common or rare a world like ours might be. But over the past 30 years, the landscape of exoplanet science has changed irrevocably. ESO / M. Kornmesser A combination of direct imaging, radial velocity studies, and measurements of transiting exoplanets have revolutionized what we know is out there. Led by NASA's now-defunct Kepler mission, we've learned so much about what's out there, including that: somewhere between 80-100% of stars have planets or planetary systems associated with them, approximately 20-25% of those systems have a planet in their star's "habitable zone," or the right location for liquid water to form on their surface, and approximately 10-20% of those planets are Earth-like in size and mass. A substantial fraction of stars out there (around 20%) are either K-, G-, or F-class stars, too: Sun-like in mass, luminosity, and lifetime. Putting all these numbers together, there are around 1022 potentially Earth-like planets out there in the Universe, with the right conditions for life on them. In our Milky Way alone, there may be billions of planets with Earth-like chances for life. NASA / Ames / JPL-Caltech But knowing there's a bird in the bush is not the same as having one in your hand. Similarly, having a planet with the raw ingredients for life and similar conditions to what we had in the early days of Earth doesn't necessarily guarantee that life will arise on such a planet. Given all the events and circumstances that have transpired over the past 4.5 billion years including the evolutionary twists and turns that occurred as the result of seemingly random processes it's safe to say that the exact way life unfolded on Earth is cosmologically unique. X-Files / Fox / Rodrigo Carvalho If we demand that we be scientifically honest and scrupulous, and look at the evidence without judgment in either optimistic or pessimistic directions, this is truly the limit of what we can say as far as the odds of life elsewhere are concerned. Our hopes and fears about the existence of aliens, of being cosmically alone, or any other point on the spectrum of possibilities have no decisive evidence to support or refute them. While it may be exciting to speculate about thousands of spacefaring civilizations in the Milky Way right now, or intelligent aliens modifying their cosmic backyard or deliberately hiding from Earth, there is simply no evidence for this. Hypothesizing a slew of possibilities that haven't been ruled out might be a clever exercise that will someday lead to greater knowledge, but we can say nothing definitive about them today. Jenny Mottar All we know is that, if a planet was formed similar to Earth in the distant past, there are three big steps that must have occurred in order to get a recognizably advanced civilization like our own. 1. Life must have somehow arisen from non-life. This is the problem of abiogenesis, or the origin of life from non-living precursor molecules. To go from the raw ingredients associated with organic processes to something that's classified as life, which means it has a metabolism, responds to external stimuli, grows, adapts, evolves, and reproduces, is the first big step. It occurred at least once, more than 4 billion years ago, on our world. We have no idea how frequently, out of the multi-billion planetary candidates in our galaxy or out of the 1022 candidates in the visible Universe, this may have occurred. Melmak / pixabay 2. Life must have thrived and evolved to become multicellular, complex, and differentiated. For billions of years, life on Earth was single-celled and relatively simple, with copying errors from one generation to the next providing the overwhelming amount of variation in organisms. Wherever resources abound, the simplest organisms to first make use of them fill that ecological niche. Under most circumstances, they find a way to persist. It's only when something changes, such as resource availability, the survivability of the environment, or from competition, that extinctions occur, leaving open the possibility for a new organism to rise to prominence. Extinction events and selection pressures gave rise to many critical evolutionary steps on Earth: DNA absorption, eukaryotic organisms, multicellularity, and sexual reproduction, among others. This could be an inevitable occurrence on a planet with life, or it could be an ultra-rare event that happened to take place many times on Earth. We don't know. NASA 3. Intelligent life must have evolved, with the right traits to also become a technologically advanced civilization. This may be the step with the greatest uncertainty of all. It's been over 500 million years since the Cambrian explosion, and it's only over the past few hundred years that life on Earth has achieved the technologically advanced state that an extraterrestrial observer would recognize as a sign of intelligent life. We can broadcast our presence to the Universe; we can reach out beyond our home world with space probes and crewed space programs; we can look and listen for other forms of intelligence in the Universe. But we have no known instances of success on this front in our Universe beyond our own planet. Life like us could be common, or we could be the only example within the limits of our observable Universe. University of Rochester The notion that we can quantify the odds that a form of intelligent life arises in our Universe based on the scientific knowledge we have today is old: it goes back to the mid-20th century at least. The Drake equation was a famous way to parameterize our ignorance, but we still remain ignorant about the presence of alien life and alien intelligence. Hypothesized solutions have included: that they're there, but we aren't listening properly, that intelligent life self-destructs too quickly to maintain a technologically advanced state for very long, that intelligent life is common but usually chooses isolation, that Earth is purposely excluded, that interstellar transmission or travel is too hard, or that aliens are already here, but choose to remain hidden from us. These proposed solutions usually leave out the most obvious option: that one of the three above steps are hard, and that when it comes to intelligent life in all the Universe, it's just us. Ryan Somma / flickr Our scientific discoveries have led us to a remarkable point in the quest for knowledge about our Universe. We know how big the Universe is, how many stars and galaxies are in it, and what fraction of stars are Sun-like, possess Earth-sized planets, and have planets in orbits which are potentially habitable. We know the ingredients for life are everywhere, and we know how life evolved, thrived, and gave rise to us here on Earth. The answers may be out there, but we must remember the most conservative possibility of all. In all the Universe, until we have evidence to the contrary, the only example of life might be us. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/04/03/what-if-its-just-us/ |
What if toxic masculinity is the reason for climate change? | Most likely, your unconscious bias answers that they are female. This is the type of answer Dr. Aaron Brough of Utah State University is trying to get to the bottom of through his research. Brough co-authored a paper with professors from four other universities to understand how gender norms affect sustainable decision making. They report data from seven experiments that included over 2,000 participants from the US and China. What they found was remarkable. They found that both men and women associated doing something good for the environment with being more feminine. And when mens gender identity was threatened, they tried to reassert their masculinity through environmentally damaging choices. The report states that men may be motivated to avoid or even oppose green behaviors in order to safeguard their gender identity. This unearths a deeply held unconscious bias that Brough and team call the Green-Feminine Stereotype. Once this unconscious bias is revealed, it has the potential to help society shift our increasingly precarious relationship with the environment for the better. If it remains hidden, it has the potential to greatly damage our environment permanently. In one of Brough and teams experiments, both men and women were asked to recall a time when they did something good or bad for the environment. Those who recalled having done something good for the environment rated themselves as more feminine than those who recalled having done something bad to the environment. One might expect this type of gender stereotyping around green behavior to happen only when someone is concerned about how they appear to others. But even upon self-evaluation judged themselves feminine when acting responsibly towards the environment. This experiment shows how deeply held this bias is. Another experiment took the idea further and applied the concept of the Green-Feminine Stereotype to product and brand selection. Male participants were exposed to one of two Walmart gift cardsone that used more comically feminine design elements like pink and floral, selected to threaten masculine stereotypes, or another gift card that was designed to not threaten masculinity. The men were then asked to make a series of choices between green and non-green products to purchase. Men who were shown the gender threat gift card chose more non-green products than men shown the other gift card. That means that when men felt emasculated, they asserted their masculinity and safeguarded their gender by making choices that would ultimately harm the environment. To take this concept further, the group worked with BMW in China to test two print ads of the same car. The only difference between the ads was that the word eco-friendly was replaced in one ad with a more masculine Chinese word for protection. What they found was that men evaluated the protection option more positively than the eco-friendly option even though it was the same car. It seems regressive to do so. With so many brands launching with a female-only audience due to lack of representation in products and market understanding, it seems like a perfect time to rebrand eco-friendlys association with femininity as a positive thing. And mens affiliation with positive environmental steps as a human-affirming truth that shifts us from negative and segregated gender identities into our roles as humans on this planet. The more interesting opportunity seems to be in exposing the toxicity present within the unconscious bias that acting green is a feminine and therefore weaker or negative thing. Exposing the fact that our society creates a toxic hierarchy around femininity as a lesser thing. Brough himself cited gender research around gender incongruence and the great penalties that men (and women) face when they dont fit stereotypical gender norms. Research suggests that men experience greater psychological damage or face harsher consequences when associated with feminine qualities. As a society, we are beginning to address these problems with corporate unconscious bias training, exposure and conversation. But when it comes to our environment, our toxic masculinity is greatly affecting our shared environment for the worse. Brough sums it up nicely, We need to overcome our unhealthy judgements of gender incongruence. And men need to be confident in their self-identity and decide to live a sustainable lifestyle without caring what other people think. Lets begin the conversation to start overriding our natural judgements. Our future depends on it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolyncenteno/2019/04/03/what-if-toxic-masculinity-is-the-reason-for-climate-change/ |
What is Victor Bailey Jr.s future with Oregon basketball? | EUGENE Oregon could see a number of early departures this offseason and one player with an uncertain future is guard Victor Bailey Jr. The sophomore averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and shot a team-best 39.8 percent from three-point range in 19.1 minutes with eight starts in 37 games this season, all improvements from his freshman year. However, Bailey Jr. saw his playing time plummet during Oregons stunning l10-game win streak to a Pac-12 tournament championship and appearance in the Sweet 16, where he did not play at all for the first time this season. Following Oregons loss to Virginia, Bailey Jr. said he had not considered his plans for next season. (I) try and be there for my teammates, he said. Try to be there for my seniors. Paul (White) is my roommate. I can see the look in his eyes how sad he is, how bad he wanted it. Right now as a friend I just want to be there for him and thats all Im thinking about right now. The Dallas, Texas native confirmed he is enrolled in classes at UO for the spring quarter, which began this week, and would make any decision about his future with the program in the coming weeks. The Ducks lose White and Ehab Amin, Bol Bol has declared for the NBA Draft and Louis King, Kenny Wooten and Payton Pritchard are all at least considering testing the waters of the draft, with King the most likely to leave. Will Richardson is in line to return at guard, where Oregon is adding junior college signee Chris Duarte and is pursuing five-star prospect Cole Anthony and four-star recruit Cassius Stanley. If Pritchard returns and the Ducks sign either Anthony or Stanley or both, its hard to project Bailey Jr. having a more significant role next season. Oregon coach Dana Altman said he told all the players he wanted them to return in 2019-20, but they need to act in their own best interests in deciding their futures, whether thats entering the draft or pursuing other options. I told them all in there I want them all to come back but I want them to do whats best for them, Altman said. "This isnt about Oregon, its about each individual player. I say that every year. Theyve got tp do whats best for them and I hope that they feel Oregon is the best for them; thats what our hope is. I want them to do what they and their families feel is the best for them. They chose Oregon because they felt like it was the best for them. I sure hope everybody still feels that way. I never twist anybodys arm. I tell them how bad I want them to stay and hopefully they will. | https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2019/04/what-is-victor-bailey-jrs-future-with-oregon-basketball.html |
Why Does Snap Want To Launch A Gaming Platform? | 2019 Bloomberg Finance LP Snap is reportedly prepping to launch a new gaming platform during its Snap Partner Summit that will be held on April 4th, allowing third-party developers to create games for the Snapchat app. Below, using underlying Trefis analysis, we take a look at the potential of a gaming platform for Snap. Gaming could help Snap further improve user engagement, helping to drive user loyalty and ARPU There could be multiple avenues for monetization, including revenue from the sale of games, from advertisers looking to place ads inside games, and also from in-game purchases. Snap has access to a prime demographic, with Snapchat reaching ~80% of U.S. social media users in the 12 to 24 age group per eMarketer in 2017. Its engagement levels have changed since then given intense competition from Instagram, but it still has a broad reach. Snap also has a track record of innovation in areas such as augmented reality gaming, which projects digital objects onto the real world using a smartphones camera. Snap acquired Prettygreat, an Australian gaming developer, last year, giving it an in-house game development team The company reportedly acquired web-based 3D game engine PlayCanvas, allowing it to provide more robust developer tools Tencent the owner of the WeChat messaging service and one of the largest gaming publishers holds a significant stake in Snap, and there is a possibility that it could cooperate with Snap in publishing mobile games. Tencent could bring some of its popular games including Clash of Clans and Arena of Valor to Snap, adding some exclusive features. Tencent also has significant experience with monetizing gaming assets (mobile games accounted for ~$11 billion of its FY18 revenue). Its possible that the company could help Snap in this regard (though the degree to which Tencent will participate remains unclear). Trefis Our interactive dashboard analysis on Whats The Outlook Like For Snap In 2019 details our key forecasts and estimates for the company. You can modify key drivers to arrive at your own EPS and revenue estimates, and see more Information Technology company data. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/03/why-does-snap-want-to-launch-a-gaming-platform/ |
Has Bitcoin Entered A Bull Market? | Getty Bitcoin prices have climbed sharply over the last several months, rising more than 60% after reaching a recent low in December. Since late last year, the world's largest digital currency by market value has appreciated from roughly $3,122.34 to $5,074.30, an increase of roughly 62.5%, CoinDesk price data reveals. Some have answered in the affirmative, contending that the digital currency has indeed entered such territory. However, others are not so sure, emphasizing that investors should wait back and see what happens before coming to any conclusions. Bulls Weigh In Bitcoin has been in a bull market since mid-February, claimed digital currency trader Marius Rupsys, citing data culled from his short-term and mid-term algorithmic trading programs. He emphasized the positive developments surrounding the cryptocurrency, including Fidelity's announcement that it would start custodying bitcoin and U.S. pension funds investing in the digital asset. Over the last few weeks, prices have moved higher, and it seems we are breaking free of a consolidation period that has lasted for several months, he stated. Tim Enneking, managing director of Digital Capital Management, offered a similar point of view, stating that since bitcoin prices fell to nearly $3,000 in mid-December, many suspected this to be the bottom. This belief helped create "pent-up demand." "Once a serious upward move started, FOMO took care of the rest," helping fuel bitcoin's recent gains, he stated. Strong Sentiment Bitcoin has benefited from strong, positive sentiment in recent months, according to industry data provided by cryptocurrency analytics platform TheTIE.io. "We saw a very strong recovery in sentiment at the end of 2018," and "an even stronger rally in investment sentiment in early February 2018," said Joshua Frank, cofounder of TheTIE.io. "In March 100 day average sentiment score on Bitcoin peaked to the highest level it has been at since December 2017," he added. The chart below graphically depicts these changes in sentiment, as well as bitcoin's market capitalization (market cap). The TIE "As is apparent from the chart, 100 day average sentiment score is a leading indicator of price movement," noted Frank. "It remains strongly positive and is a bullish sign." Wait And See While some analysts seemed optimistic that bitcoin has entered a bull market, others seemed a bit more cautious, emphasizing that investors should wait and see how the market performs before jumping to conclusions. "I think the markets are looking healthier, but I think its very premature to say weve entered a bull market," said Marouane Garcon, managing director of crypto-to-crypto derivatives platform Amulet. "I do believe that weve exited the bear market, but that doesnt mean weve entered a bull market," he added. "Approaching the market with caution would probably be best as an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure," concluded Garcon. Joe DiPasquale, CEO of cryptocurrency fund of hedge funds BitBull Capital, offered a similar take. While bitcoin has experienced some notable gains lately, this isn't enough to conclude the cryptocurrency has entered a bull market, he said. Jon Pearlstone, publisher of the newsletter CryptoPatterns, went a bit further in his analysis, pointing to the key importance of the $6,000 price level. Until bitcoin has established itself above this point, we shouldn't even ask whether the digital currency has entered a bull market. Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2019/04/03/has-bitcoin-entered-a-bull-market/ |
What Role Will Blockchains Play In Cybersecurity? | Getty To this day, there are critics who question the sustainability, scalability and security of the blockchain network despite the fact that it has gained the attention of corporations globally. In order to generate world-class services and solutions for its clients, like many others, Deloitte partner companies around the world are collaborating to form their version of a blockchain consensus consortium. However, there are few assessments made by Deloitte partnering companies in regard to the security mechanism of the blockchain technology, which are as follows: The security mechanism tends to form public and private ledgers through a data and systems perspective, thereby reaching blockchains current level of security. To assess the current level of maturity of the technology, it uses the CIA triad model, which comprises of three key areas: availability, confidentiality and integrity. As fundamental security aspects for managing new networks and systems and for protecting information, the significance of non-repudiation and authentication, authorization and audit (AAA) is addressed. No system has ever been built that's 100% safe in terms of cyberdefense. Knowing cybercriminals are constantly seeking new ways of attacking systems and the lucrative nature of cybercrime, whichever system is considered to be safe today will surely not be tomorrow. The ability of a blockchain to mimic other network systems, standards and cybersecurity controls is essential in terms of adoption for organizations making use of blockchains in their technical infrastructure. Security Risks Attached To Private And Public Blockchains Public blockchains -- like the most popular Bitcoin blockchain and others like Ethereum, IOTA and more -- are designed to be accessible by anyone with a computer and internet access. They were intended to dispose of the requirement for a middleman. Redundancy makes these public blockchains slow and resources intensive due to the computational capacity and power that's required to carry these transactions. However, on the flip side, it makes them amazingly secure. Open public blockchains are most applicable where a pure decentralized transaction needs to occur. The Bitcoin network, for example, can process seven transactions per second, whereas Ethereum can process approximately 15-20 transactions per second. Here are just a few of the many public blockchain security risks: Blockchain code is still in its early stages and might be liable to presently obscure security vulnerabilities. Specifically, the Ethereum contract language is fairly new and there might be zero-day attacks that programmers could misuse. A genuine risk for the blockchain is the double-spending attack in which an attacker effectively goes on to make more than one transaction while utilizing only one coin and bringing about discrediting the "fair" exchange. The private key holders of each account are the ones on which the reliability of each entry rests. The partial reestablishment of the intermediary is done through private blockchains. By setting rules that are kept in place by either the starter of the system or by the starter of the network, nodes in a private blockchain network are validated and thereby require invitations. In general, the firms that set up a permission network are the ones that opt for private blockchains. This way the restriction on the access to the networking system is made on a few specific transactions. An invitation or permission needs to be obtained by the participants in order to join. However, after joining the network, the entity will have a key role in maintaining the decentralized nature of the blockchain. Here are a couple of the private blockchain security risks: The treatment of intermittently active or uncommunicative nodes. For inoffensive reasons, nodes may go offline; however, the framework should be built to operate devoid of the offline nodes. The verification process may be allowed to be performed by only certain nodes through administrators. The newly validated and verified transactions are then communicated to the rest of the network by trusted parties. Inventive Uses For Blockchain Security Creative utilization for blockchain innovation is now going beyond digital forms of money and can be particularly helpful to support cybersecurity. NXM Labs and Sirin Labs are just a couple of companies at the forefront of this movement. By executing thorough encryption and information appropriation conventions on a system, any business can guarantee that their data will remain secure and not allow systems operators to be able to modify it. As more individuals join, the overall web and innovation will keep on growing, more information will get delivered, and more programmers will endeavor to take or degenerate that information. The innovation behind blockchain is flexible and amazingly helpful for the eventual fate of the web, enabling clients to secure their information. Future Of Blockchain Security Information storage systems and database management will see a huge incursion of blockchain-secured systems in terms of the applied blockchain. Blockchain databases like BigChainDB are providing inventors with measurable blockchain-based databases for big data processing. In light of their expanded security, I believe blockchain-based fintech contributions will keep on springing up. Enterprises will keep delivering protected transaction-related innovation. Deloitte's Rubix has already been on the market for several years, while MasterCard now has its own distributed public ledger offering. Due to events like the Equifax catastrophe, data security and corporate uprightness have both taken a blow. This is where blockchains may actually come to the fore and complement cybersecurity. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/04/03/what-role-will-blockchains-play-in-cybersecurity/ |
What makes Green Day think four men are the perfect authors for a book about female empowerment? | Step aside, dilettantes. The new voice of female activism is here, and she is a natural disaster, a hurricane in the heart of the devastation, a runaway of the establishment incorporated. She is also fictional, dreamed up by four men: punk band Green Day and cartoonist Frank Caruso. Caruso has adapted Green Days 2009 song, Last of the American Girls, into a graphic novel of the same name, billed as an inspiring homage [to] and handbook for the rebellious every woman who refuses to capitulate. Its a rallying cry for rebel girls, a tribute to female empowerment. This infectious spirit has, of course, never been more relevant. You cant help but wonder if Green Day thought this through. Surely no self-respecting rebellious woman would buy a book about female empowerment by three washed-up punks. If only songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong could portray women as anything other than a random assembly of rabble-rousing tropes, including wearing makeup that looks like graffiti on the walls of the heartland, digging conspiracy theories and owning vinyl. Armstrongs manic punky dream girl is the nadir of publishings obsession with rebellious women. As the trend has proliferated, so the sharp edges of the women whose lives they document have been sanded down into vaguely aspirational #girlboss dross. It is also the nadir of Armstrongs songwriting. Green Days early work was surprisingly progressive, and rarely especially for US pop-punk overtly misogynist. But in recent years, fetishising, contemptuous and paternalistic language has soiled Armstrongs lyrics: irresistible women tease him with their devilish ways; the titular figure from 2012s Drama Queen is old enough to bleed now, and the video to that years Oh Love is inexplicably filled with barely clothed models. The irrelevance of punks old lags is well established: Rocks Not Dead, Its Ruled By Women, declared the New York Times two years ago. Rather than glom on to that wave with a cash-in book, Green Day would do better to cede the floor. | https://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2019/apr/03/what-makes-green-day-think-four-men-are-the-perfect-authors-for-a-book-about-female-empowerment |
Will the sluggish U.S. ever make aggressive carbon cuts to rival Europe's? | With a rocket launcher strapped to his back, President Ronald Reagan rode fearlessly upon a long-extinct Velociraptor while brandishing a machine gun: This is the imagery presented on poster board and carried to the floor of the Senate Chamber on March 26 that Republican Senator Mike Lee used to mock the Green New Deal, a proposal to rapidly transform the U.S. energy infrastructure and slash the nation's ample emissions of carbon dioxide. The Green New Deal, argued Lee, is not a serious solution to combatting climate change presumably as unserious as a dinosaur gimmick in the Senate. Instead, he contended (this time seriously) that the climate solution America needs is to produce significantly more babies. Yes, the predestined ingenuity from these babies will fix the global problem, Lee concluded. Unsurprisingly, the Senate voted no on whether to debate the Green New Deal. So with a still-emerging Green New Deal stalled in the Senate and nearly two decades after the U.S. released its first congressionally-mandated climate report the U.S. still has no long-term, coherent climate plans. Meanwhile, across the pond, Europe is on track to slash its carbon emissions by 2030 to around 50 percent of 1990 levels: Already, the European Union has made binding pledges to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 though a new analysis by the UK climate policy group Sandbag shows the European nation states can get to 50 percent by then or higher. This matters. Earth's climatic future will be heavily shaped by the four big players, or carbon emitters the U.S., EU, India, and China. Of these, the U.S. and EU are obviously similar in that they're a foundational part of the wealthy and long-industrialized Western world. But when it comes to slashing heat-trapping carbon emissions which are now at their highest levels in some 15 million years these two powerful unions are barreling down starkly different highways. While the EU spies a carbon-free future, President Trump has vowed to pull the U.S. from its biggest climate pledge, made back in 2015, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent of 2005 levels by 2025. Accordingly, the outlook for Uncle Sam's ability to slash carbon emissions and help avoid the worst of future climate scenarios might look grim especially on the heels of 2018 in which U.S. emissions shot up. Even so, the U.S. could still catch up (or nearly catch up) with the ambitious EU, though the Europeans have a growing head start. After all, it's not science, inventiveness, or technology that's holding the U.S. back. It's politics. "We can achieve those cuts," said John Quigley, the director of the Center for Environment, Energy and Economy at Harrisburg University. "Its purely a matter of political will. We dont have any, at least, on the federal level." Animation showing how the distribution over Earth's surface of annual average temperature anomalies has been shifting due to global warming since 1850.#GlobalWarming #ClimateChange pic.twitter.com/HNUmJaZS2l Robert Rohde (@RARohde) March 29, 2019 Indeed, it's challenging to get hundreds of heavily-lobbied Congress members who represent the interests of millions to agree on weighty climate policy. But it wasn't easy in Europe's parliament, either. "This has been politically contentious," said Andreas Graf, an energy policy analyst at the European think tank Agora Energiewende. "It's not like it was easy to get to those numbers. If it was easy, we would have even higher numbers." It comes down to quitting coal and accepting the economic inevitability that the future is, largely, renewable. Quitting an old habit Europe's biggest chunk of carbon reductions has come from cuts or planned cuts to coal-burning power plants. "It's all about coal," said Phil MacDonald, an analyst at Sandbag. "Coal is a dirty fuel that has an immediate effect on overall emissions," added MacDonald. Though, just like states in the U.S., not all EU member nations have weaned themselves off the fossil fuel (for example coal-happy Poland). But the UK has slashed coal rapidly, and that's made a dent. In 2012, 40 percent of the UK's power came from coal, but today, that's down to five percent, explained MacDonald. | https://news.yahoo.com/sluggish-u-ever-aggressive-carbon-110000106.html |
Does the F-35 Stealth Fighter Have Some Russian Jet 'DNA'? | Task and Purpose Security, Take a look. The Yak-141 Freestyle may not technically count as a predecessor to the F-35, but the JSF does seem to have at least some Russian DNA floating around its engine design and as the F-35 came to fruition in the United States, the Yak-141 Freestyle died a quiet death in Russia. However, if a resurgent Russian defense industry chooses to move forward with a carrier-based VTOL aircraft, at least one Russian legislator has called for the Yak-141 to be revived, most likely with a stealthier new look for a new Cold War. For all the yelling and shouting over the Department of Defenses much-maligned F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, theres an unusual, often overlooked footnote in the trillion-dollar projects history: its origins as an experimental Soviet fighter that only fell into Lockheed Martins lap because a desperate Russian aerospace company needed some cold, hard cash. Before the F-35, there was the Yak-141 Freestyle multi-role vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fighter born during a tumultuous period in Russian military history. Though the Yak-141s first flight in 1987 was a revolutionary contribution to the development of VTOL systems, the hovering death bird was largely developed as the Soviet Union came apart at the seams, and the newly-broke Russian military was in no position to continue development of the new aircraft after the Berlin Wall. (This first appeared in 2018.) The Yak-141 manufacturer, Yakovlev, suddenly was faced with the reality of capitalism: namely, you need money to do cool things. And nearly 30 years after the first flight of the Yak-141, the U.S. Marine Corps is taking off vertically from carriers with its F-35Bs. Heres how the experimental Soviet fighter gave birth to the most controversial aircraft of the modern era. The Soviets get vertical The Yak-141 was the supposed to be a major technological leap in Soviet Unions VTOL program, which kicked into high gear in the 1970s after the Soviet Union took note of the iconic Harriers development in the UK. But the program initially had trouble getting off the ground due to the dismal performance of the Yak-141s predecessor the Yak-38 Forger, which Soviet military officials deemed, well, a pile of flying dog dung following its unveiling in 1971. Despite its functional VTOL system, it lacked the extended combat range of the Harrier as well as reliable radar system and appropriately lethal armament not to mention the Yak-38s terrifying automatic ejection seat that both saved lives and surprised the heck out of the pilot when it shot them out of the plane without warning. Although the National Interest argues that the Yak-38 was a concept aircraft that was pushed into service to help fill holes in Soviet Naval Aviation and never meant for frontline combat, it was the operational VTOL aircraft in the Soviet arsenal for a decade. The Yak-141 was specifically designed by Yakovlev to address the shortcomings of the Yak-38, namely speed and range. Two flying prototypes were green-lit and flew in 1987, and the aircraft broke several records that, according to Yakovlev, make it the first aircraft to perform both VTOL flight and supersonic level flight. But after one of only two prototypes exploded while landing on the aircraft carrier Admiral Groshev in September of 1991, the program was effectively crippled. The Soviet Union was finishing its own economic and political disaster, and the resulting tumult that swept across the Russian military establishment creating a mountain of problems for Yakovlev to overcome if they wanted to see the Yak-141 fly again. The Cold War melts Luckily for Yakovlev, Americas favorite plucky multi-billion dollar defense contractor raced in to save the day. As the Iron Curtain receded across Europe, defense giant Lockheed Martin started to pour money into Yak-141 program in order to glean some sweet, sweet former Soviet engineering secrets. The two companies allegedly signed an agreement in 1991 (but not revealed until 1995) that outlined funding for additional Yak-141 prototypes, including a plan to fly the remaining operational prototype the Farnborough Airshow in September 1992. | https://news.yahoo.com/does-f-35-stealth-fighter-060000769.html |
Can Toronto Blue Jays' Randal Grichuk Become The New Jose Bautista? | Getty Toronto Blue Jays fans can only hope that right-fielder Randal Grichuk can do what Jose Bautista did for the rebuilding Blue Jays eight years ago. Yes, there are some interesting parallels with the timing of where the Blue Jays are in their rebuilding phase and the strategies at play when they signed the two players to big contract extensions. Believing that Grichuk will be a core piece for years, the Blue Jays have awarded him a five-year, $52 million contract extension. The club said there was no relation to the timing of the announcement, coming only hours after they had traded center fielder Kevin Pillar to the San Francisco Giants. But the move clearly came down to who the Blue Jays wanted to pay: Pillar at 30 or Grichuk at age 27. Grichuk has definitely more upside, although he's not as flashy as Pillar. Getty Let's look back to the Bautista era. In 2008, the Blue Jays were a slightly better than .500 club with a strong pitching staff. But they struggled to hit home runs and were destined to finish fourth in the five-team AL East Division again. Yet they were on the threshold of something big. They had acquired Bautista in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 21, 2008, and Bautista batted .214 and hit three home runs in 21 games after the trade. The next season, in 2009, Bautista showed more promise, cracking 13 home runs and raising his batting average to .235. And on July 31, 2009, the club made a pivotal trade by dealing Scott Rolen to Cincinnati to acquire Edwin Encarnacion. But Toronto struggled to win games and fans started drifting away, as the Jays saw their total attendance fall from over 2 million the previous season to 1.8 million. Then came the boom times in 2010. Bautista broke out with a major-league leading 54 home runs and finished fourth in the voting for MVP as the team hit a franchise record 257 home runs, led by such sluggers as Vernon Wells, Adam Hill, Adam Lind and Encarnacion. Toronto had a 10-win improvement, but the Blue Jays were still stuck at fourth in the division and overall attendance slumped again to 1.5 million. Prior to the 2011 season, the Blue Jays rewarded Bautista with a five-year, $64 million extension, and two good things happened after that. While Bautista led the majors again with 43 home runs, the club started winning more games and attendance started climbing over 2 million again. Finally, more pieces were added, including catcher Russell Martin, pitcher Marco Estrada, third baseman Josh Donaldson and first baseman Justin Smoak. Now the Jays had a contender and everything came together with back-to-back ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016 as attendance rose to over the 3 million mark. Now let's be clear. Grichuk hasn't shown Bautista-like power yet. But Bautista didn't find that power until he was 27 -- the same age as Grichuk. Grichuk came up through the Los Angeles Angels' minor-league system and was traded to St. Louis. Over four seasons with the Cardinals, Grichuk hit 66 home runs, including putting up 22- and 24 home-run campaigns in 2016 and 2017. After the Blue Jays acquired him last season, Grichuk got off to a sluggish start. After batting only .106 with two home runs and 7 RBIs in 25 games, he was put on the disabled list with a right knee strain on April 30. He returned on June 1 and had a strong finish to the season, tying Justin Smoak for the club's home run lead with 25. Grichuk may top out at as a 30-plus home run hitter, so it's unfair to compare him to Jose Bautista. But his contract extension is right from that old Blue Jays playbook. Lock up your biggest star for the long term and build around him, and hope he can lead a new renaissance. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtisrush/2019/04/03/can-toronto-blue-jays-randal-grichuk-become-the-new-jose-bautista/ |
Will Banks Become The Next Buggy Whip? | The changes in small business finance caused by digitization of the banking have turned the industry on its head. Getty For most of the 20th century, banks were the natural place to secure small business loans. It required mounds of paperwork and lots of man-hours. When banks essentially turned off the spigot in the late 2000s -- following the mortgage crisis and the post-Great Recession credit crunch non-bank lenders seized the opportunity. Thus, FinTech companies entered the marketplace and disrupted small business finance forever. The pioneers were firms such as Biz2Credit, Boefly, and OnDeck, which started with the purpose of facilitating small business lending around the time of the recession. A host of imitators followed their lead some successfully, others not. Today, more than a decade later, the marketplace is evolving further and companies whose primary mission was something other than providing capital have moved into small business lending. A natural progression came from Amazon and payment apps, Square and PayPal. One began as an online retail marketplace, the others were created to facilitate online payment transactions. Now, all of them have become big players in lending money to small businesses. They take advantage of the fact that they have access to the financial information of the companies that approach them for loans. They fill a niche in providing capital in relatively small amounts that would be unprofitable for banks to process. Last week, CNBC reported that Apple is now partnering with Goldman Sachs and MasterCard to launch a credit card that they can apply for via their iPhones. This offering is perfectly targeted to Millennials, who love convenience and conducting transactions on their mobile devices. Institutional investors, which would have ignored small business lending requests in the last century, began looking for yields and discovered how profitable small business loan-making can be. They smartly partnered with FinTech companies that could digitize the process and refer leads. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that consumer giants such as Heinz Kraft are moving into lending to small businesses. These traditional corporations are looking for new sources of revenue, particularly since Millennials are not the brand-loyal consumers that Baby Boomers and Gen X have been. Banks have to adapt quickly to adjust to all these new players entering the world of loan-making. Many banks did not foresee that technology would enable the completion of loan applications in less than an hour and that money could be in the accounts of small business owners in 24-48 hours. Traditional bank loans still take weeks even months to process. This is hurting some of the small businesses that need the most support. In low income areas, where it is less profitable to operate, banks have shut 1,915 more branches than they opened in the past four years. FinTechs advanced algorithms changed everything. While the largest banks have the resources to invest in technology that allows for online small business loan applications, regional and community banks often cannot or choose not to partner with FinTech firms. By doing so, they risk becoming obsolete. To survive and thrive, they must bolster their digital capabilities because that's what the marketplace demands. Technology has changed the way we watch movies, listen to music, order food, and get from one side of town to the other. Digitization, big data and AI are changing and improving the small business lending experience for both borrowers and lenders. Banks that do not keep pace may go the way of the buggy whip. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rohitarora/2019/04/03/will-banks-become-the-next-buggy-whip/ |
What Progress Is Being Made To Make Tech More Accessible For Women And Minorities? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Nancy Wang, Founder of Advancing Women in Product, on Quora: It makes me extremely happy to see all the organizations that are dedicated to the cause of empowering more women in tech (e.g., Girls in Tech, Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code)! I believe the first step to solving the problem is awareness - we need society to realize that this is a problem and that we need to address it. Sometimes, if everyone is of the same background or mindset, it can be hard to realize that its a problem that needs to be solved. Next, to really address the problem, we need to identify the root causes of the problem. For example, the reason I founded Advancing Women in Product (AWIP) was that I want to help more women become leaders in product management and tech. Part of the issues I discovered after surveying over 800+ women who had about 5-10 years of work experience and who were on the cusp of leadership roles were that: (1) they felt they lacked adequate job skills training to become an executive, and (2) they felt they had no executive mentors. Thats why skills-based training workshops and executive mentorship are 2 key pillars of AWIP. By focusing on having quality workshops training experienced women on their leadership and product management skills, as well as building a strong community of AWIP Ambassadors, we have seen a few hundred women succeed on their journey to becoming a product leader. And lastly, we need our allies (whether theyre male advocates or other similar-minded groups) to work together. That is why, at Advancing Women in Product (AWIP), male advocates are such an important part of the solution - not only is our board 50% male, but we also have a significant number of male supporters in our community (now numbering over 7,000 worldwide)! Having diversity of thought will yield the best, most inclusive solution. 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/2019/04/03/what-progress-is-being-made-to-make-tech-more-accessible-for-women-and-minorities/ |
How Many New Mammals Are Discovered Every Year? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. In recent years, about 4050 per year. This chart is generated from my database and shows the number of new living mammal species described by year. By my count, there are currently 6602 recognized species. A couple of interesting features: A huge peak at the very beginning (1758), which is the beginning point of modern nomenclature. All of these 162 species were named in the 10th edition of Linnaeuss Systema Naturae . (There were actually more species, but not all are now considered valid.) . (There were actually more species, but not all are now considered valid.) Everything is generally pretty spiky early on, because in some years important works were published that named a lot of new species, and in others nothing much was published. The 1840s peak is likely mostly the work of John Edward Gray at the British Museum, who named lots of new species. The extended peak around 1900 is the result of focused biological exploration all around the world. Biologists like Oldfield Thomas in London, C.H. Merriam in Washington, and Paul Matschie in Berlin named hundreds of new species, many of which are still considered valid. Since about the 1990s, the number of new species has increased again. This is the result of a couple of factors, including increased interest in taxonomy, changes in species concepts that favored the recognition of more species, and DNA and other molecular data that showed previously unrecognized diversity. The most productive recent year was 2014 with 57 new species. For extinct species, the pattern is different (and the numbers usually higher). Very few extinct species were named in the early history of biological nomenclaturepaleontology only really took off in the mid-19th century. You can clearly see the effects of World War I and II. The most productive year is 1987, with 285 new species, and recent years have yielded about 150 new species. Both of these charts are derived from my personal database of mammal names. Because taxonomy is never fully settled and these are counts of species I currently consider valid, the exact counts may be different for a different dataset. This is especially true for the extinct species chart in this answer, because the classification of living species is much better established. 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/2019/04/03/how-many-new-mammals-are-discovered-every-year/ |
Whats LSU coach Tony Benfords connection with new Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams? | Reports one way or another are linking current LSU interim coach Tony Benford for an assistant job under newly appointed Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams. Rumors regarding possible job changes for both Williams and Benford have been floated for weeks. Turns out, Williams and Benford have history. Williams was Marquettes head coach from 2008-14, and had Benford as an assistant from 2008-12. In 2011, Williams elevated Benford to associate head coach. The two knew each other before that, though. Williams said in a news release back when he hired Benford that the two have known each other since the mid-1990s. Ive known Tony Benford the entire 14 years Ive been in coaching, Williams said back in 2008. He was already a full-time assistant at New Mexico when I started at UT-Arlington. Since the BCS has been formed hes been in a BCS league the entire time. Williams started at UT-Arlington in 1994. Benford started at New Mexico in 1992. While Benford worked at Marquette, the Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament all five years. Marquette made the Sweet Sixteen in 2011 and 2012. Benford left Marquette after the 2011-12 season for his first head coaching job at North Texas from 2012-17. Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported earlier Wednesday to expect Benford to join Williams in College Station. Despite that report, Benford has not spoken with Williams regarding an assistant position, he told the Advocate on Wednesday. A senior LSU athletics official told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune that he hadnt heard anything regarding a potential departure for Benford. The official also said there was nothing new to report regarding suspended coach Will Wade. I have not had any communication with Buzz about Texas A&M, Benford told the Advocate on Wednesday. "... We talk throughout the year because of our relationship. Buzz is a good friend, but we havent talked about Texas A&M. Benford makes $325,000 annually and his contract with LSU runs out on June 30, 2020. Assistant Greg Heiars contract runs out in 2020 as well, while Bill Armstrongs contract expires on June 30, 2019. Benford has previously coached in the state of Texas, as he was North Texas head coach from 2012-17. Williams was most recently the head coach at Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to the same NCAA Regional that the LSU Tigers were in. Virginia Tech lost to Duke on a heartbreaker, while LSU lost to Michigan State. Rumors of a potential departure also circulated during the regional weekend. I really dont know, Benford said on March 29 of what the future holds. We just played a game against a really good basketball team. Im not even thinking about it, to be honest with you. While the coaching limbo continues, the trio of Benford, Heiar and Armstrong are continuing to recruit. Recruiting enters a dead period on Thursday, which runs through April 11. Were just moving forward, trying to line up recruiting and everything, Benford told the Advocate. Well keep moving forward until they let us know they need to let us know something soon. | https://www.nola.com/lsu/2019/04/whats-lsu-coach-tony-benfords-connection-with-new-texas-am-coach-buzz-williams.html |
Who is Timmothy Pitzen, who disappeared nearly 8 years ago from the Chicago area? | Timmothy Pitzen in an undated photo taken before he went missing in 2011. (Photo: National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children) A 6-year-old boy went missing in 2011. On Wednesday, a teen identified himself to police as the missing child and told them he'd escaped a years-long captivity, according to a Sharonville police report. The teen was found by authorities in Newport, Kentucky. Timmothy Pitzen of Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, would be 14 years old today. Police say they have not determined the recovered teen's identity. The teen told police he'd escaped two male captors, one with a spider-web tattoo and the other with a snake tattoo, after they held him for seven years. He said he ran across a bridge into Kentucky as he fled his captors. Timmothy disappeared on May 12, 2011, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. He was last seen at a water park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, according to the national organization that provides a database of missing children. More: Video: Teen says he's Timmothy Pitzen, missing from Illinois since 2011 More: Police: Teen found in Newport says he's missing Illinois kid who disappeared 7 years ago An age-progression photo depicts Timmothy Pitzen as a 13-year-old. (Photo: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) Mother Amy Fry-Pitzen found dead His mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen, pulled Timmothy from his kindergarten class for a family emergency one day before the disappearance, according to a Chicago-based CBS affiliate. But no family emergency existed, and Fry-Pitzen accompanied her son on a trip to the Wisconsin water park and a zoo in Brookfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His mother was later found dead in a Rockford, Illinois, hotel. A note left behind stated Timmothy would never be found, but that he was safe and being cared for by a loved one, according to CBS Chicago. CLOSE Teen found in Newport says he's missing child from 7 years ago Cincinnati Enquirer Aurora Police Detective Lee Catavu told the outlet that there isn't "a single person in her life that believes Amy Pitzen has hurt that child." The Aurora Beacon-News reported that Amy Fry-Pitzen struggled with depression and an "unhappy marriage" before taking her own life. Timmothy's grandmother, Laura Pitzen, told The Beacon-News she believed, especially because Timmothy was growing older, that he'd one day be found. "I feel it's not long, when he will be showing up," she said. SPRING SALE: Subscribe now for unlimited access to Cincinnati.com Father Jim Pitzen shares memories Timmothy Pitzen's father, Jim Pitzen, shared memories of his son with mystateline.com in 2017. Timmothy was a kindergarten student at Greenman Elementary School in Aurora, and Pitzen recalled the last time he saw his son, running toward a teacher before school. Timmothy had hopped out of his father's Jeep and told his dad he loved him. Cheryl Broach, Timmothy's teacher, told mystateline.com that she suspected something may have been amiss when Timmothy's mother didn't give her forewarning that she'd be pulling Timmothy from school. NEWSLETTERS Get the News Alerts newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Be the first to be informed of important news as it happens in Greater Cincinnati. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-876-4500. Delivery: Varies Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for News Alerts Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters "He walked down with his backpack on and he turned at the clock and waved, 'See you tomorrow.' I said, 'See you, Timmothy,' and he walked (away) and I would never see him again," Broach said. Pitzen said Amy Fry-Pitzen adored her son, and that he was the "one person she would never do anything to." "It's terrifying, not knowing where he's at," Pitzen said in 2017. "I keep hoping everyday that he comes home." Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/04/03/timmothy-pitzen/3355437002/ | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/04/03/timmothy-pitzen/3355437002/ |
Whats Next in the Fight Over Muellers Findings? | There was a moment of something like levity during Wednesdays meeting of the House Judiciary Committee. The committee had met to decide whether to grant its Democratic chairman, Jerrold Nadler, of New York, the power to issue a subpoena for Robert Muellers report on Russian involvement in the 2016 election. A week and a half ago, Mueller delivered his final report to Attorney General William Barr, who a few days later sent a short summary of its findings to Congress. Its expected that Barr will release the whole report, in some form, soon. These are high-stakes questions for Democrats on Capitol Hill, who contend that the report may contain damaging information about the President. Republicans spent Wednesdays Judiciary meeting arguing that Democrats were making a drama out of seeking the full report only to distract from their disappointment at its chief findings. The levity came when Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican, was questioning his Democratic colleagues motives. What did the Attorney General tell us that the principal findings of Mr. Muellers report were? Jordan asked. No new indictments, no sealed indictments, no collusion, no obstruction. David Cicilline, the Democrat from Rhode Island, interrupted to ask Jordan if he would yield some time for a question. I only have a little bit of time, Jordan warned. Cicilline insisted that his question was short. Jordan nodded his assent. You made reference to the Mueller report, Cicilline said. Because we havent. No, Ive seen the principal findings from the Attorney General, Jordan replied. There were laughs in the room, and even Jordan couldnt help but smile. The joke was in how clearly this exchange illustrated the polarized state of the current debate. The committee then voted to approve Nadlers subpoena power, on a party-line vote. The posturing will continue. Nadler said early in the meeting that, even if he was granted subpoena power, hed give Barr more time to coperate with the Committees requests before using it. If Nadler does eventually issue the subpoena, Barr will likely fight it, and the whole thing will end up as a matter for the courts to decide. Wednesdays session was on the undercard, the fight before the fight before the fight. And yet the proceeding served to show that, despite the White Houses exuberant claims of exoneration, Democrats still want to make a major political fight out of Mueller and his report. Theyre going to question Barrs role as Muellers interpreter and front man, and chase whatever leads they can find in Muellers report, once they get it. Earlier in the day, Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said on MSNBC that he thought it was inevitable that Mueller himself would be called to testify before more than one committee in Congress. Muellers investigation may be over, but Democrats arent done with him. | https://www.newyorker.com/news/current/whats-next-in-the-fight-over-muellers-findings |
Did umps botch review of Xander Bogaerts' out call in Red Sox-A's? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com Xander Bogaerts got a shiny new contract extension Monday, but the umpires weren't interested in paying him any favors. Scroll to continue with content Ad The Red Sox shortstop recorded two of Boston's four hits in a disappointing 7-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics late Monday night. He also was involved in a controversial call at home plate: During the second inning, Bogaerts tried to score from second base on a Mitch Moreland single but was called out at home plate after a cannon of a throw from A's center fielder Ramon Laureano. Red Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the ruling on the field, but after a lengthy review, the umpires upheld Bogaerts' "out" call and denied the Red Sox what would be their lone run. Well, a screenshot from NBC Sports Bay Area's broadcast of the game seems to show otherwise: Good work A's broadcast pic.twitter.com/jRcm2Tzvbu Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 2, 2019 It sure looks like Bogaerts' foot touches home plate well before the tag is applied. We're assuming the umpire crew had this same view while reviewing the play, so it's pretty surprising they didn't overturn the call. Maybe we need those robot umps to take over, after all. Alas, one run wouldn't have changed much Monday night, as Red Sox starter David Price got lit up for four runs over six innings while Boston's offense couldn't get anything going off Oakland starter Aaron Brooks. Story continues Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. | https://sports.yahoo.com/did-umps-botch-review-xander-160842775.html?src=rss |
Why is Beckhams MLS stadium deal taking so long in Miami? | David Beckham announces name, logo for new MLS team in Miami Former soccer star David Beckham announced that his new MLS team will be called Inter Miami, and he talks about what went into creating the team's logo. Up Next SHARE COPY LINK Former soccer star David Beckham announced that his new MLS team will be called Inter Miami, and he talks about what went into creating the team's logo. David Beckham and his partners have spent 278 weeks trying to bring Major League Soccer to Miami-Dade County. It took Fort Lauderdale 64 days to give them permission to start work on a stadium site. Fort Lauderdales city commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to let the Beckham group begin demolition work on Lockhart Stadium. The former soccer stadium sits on city land that the partners want for a training facility and a new 18,000-seat exhibition stadium. Just nine weeks have passed since Beckhams Inter Miami MLS franchise proposed the plan, and the city vote was the first time a South Florida government granted the partnership permission to begin moving dirt on a stadium site. We are all hands on deck city staff and the commission to expedite this, said City Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who also serves as Fort Lauderdales vice mayor. Last night was a big deal. 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 swift win in Fort Lauderdale fell on Day 1,952 of Beckhams stadium quest in Miami-Dade. It officially began on Nov. 27, 2013, when the office of county Mayor Carlos Gimenez confirmed one of Miamis worst-kept secrets: that Beckham wanted to negotiate with Miami-Dade to build an MLS stadium at PortMiami. The David Beckham groups rendering of a new Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where Inter Miami would play its first two seasons in Major League Soccer while its permanent home stadium is completed near Miami International Airport. Courtesy Inter Miami Weeks later, Beckham was on stage with Gimenez and MLS Commissioner Don Garber celebrating the future of soccer in Miami. But the deal was declared dead on May 20, 2014, when county commissioners bowed to pressure from the cruise industry and rejected the port as a stadium site. That vote was the first of many setbacks for Beckham and his team of lobbyists, lawyers and publicists who are still trying to nail down a stadium agreement in a political arena where sports teams are often popular punching bags. It requires an infinite amount of patience, and in many cases an absence of logic, said former Marlins president David Samson on the pursuit of a stadium deal in Miami. Samson successfully negotiated a 2009 agreement with Miami and Miami-Dade that had both governments contribute most of the money for a $639 million ballpark that brought Major League Baseball to Little Havana. It became one of the most unpopular votes in recent memory by the two governments, and the Beckham group has promoted its stadium plan as the foil of Marlins Park. Beckham still needs demolition permits and a formal stadium agreement in Fort Lauderdale, which would be home to the franchises training camp and youth academy while the squad play its games in Miami. The Beckham group had tried to bring the training camp complex to a public park in Miami-Dade, but balked at a rule in the county charter requiring a referendum. With the Miami negotiations for Melreese still under way, the Beckham group plans to play its debut MLS season in Fort Lauderdale in 2020, and then come back in 2021. It hopes to have a Miami stadium ready to go by 2022. Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer (left), joins David Beckham and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez to formally launch the leagues bid for a Beckham-fronted Miami franchise on Feb. 5, 2014. Hector Gabino El Nuevo Herald I dont think theyre panicking, said Xavier Suarez, a former Miami mayor and current county commissioner representing part of the city. His son, Francis Suarez, is the citys current mayor. They seem to be on their way. The Beckham partnership did not respond to interview requests Wednesday. In a referendum last fall, Miami voters approved waiving city bidding rules for Beckham but city commissioners still must approve a deal. Because other developers cant bid on the land, the stadium agreement requires four of the five city commissioners to vote for it. Thats added to the political lift for a soccer group that has already abandoned some high-profile stadium fights in favor of a new Miami location miles away. The shortest bid lasted just 36 days, when the Beckham group briefly pursued a stadium next to the Heats home at AmericanAirlines Arena. Both the city and the county suggested the basin next to the arena as the port possibility collapsed, but then-Miami Mayor Toms Regalado publicly declared the slip is off the table on June 11, 2014. After a year of mostly behind-the-scenes activity, the Beckham group in July 2015 switched to a mix of city and private land next to Marlins Park. That fell apart by December when the soccer partnership announced a new preferred home: a mix of county and private land in Overtown. Miami-Dade commissioners approved a $9 million land sale for the stadium in June 2017, but the transaction stalled when the Beckham group switched to a different site. In the fall of 2017, MasTec chairman Jorge Mas and brother Jos, MasTecs CEO, joined the Beckham partnership as the first local investors and began shifting the group away from Overtown. Last July, the Beckham group made it official by proposing a stadium, mall, hotel and commercial complex at Melreese. Its not clear whether the Beckham lobbying squad can secure the four votes needed on the Miami commission. That could leave Fort Lauderdale as a potential alternative for an MLS home and that wouldnt be a first. In 1988, an MLS franchise called the Miami Fusion was poised to launch its debut season in Miamis Orange Bowl. But team owner Ken Horowitz quarreled with the mayor at the time, Joe Carollo. The franchise ended up heading north to strike a deal with Fort Lauderdale. The city offered them a new home: Lockhart Stadium, and the team bearing Miamis name played there until 2001, when a struggling MLS pulled out of Fort Lauderdale. Carollo left office in 2001. Now he sits on the Miami City Commission again, a potential swing vote in deciding the Melreese agreement. He doesnt have fond memories of his last go-around with a soccer team. I said youre going to fail in Broward, Carollo recalled in a recent interview. Thats what happened. | https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/article228790019.html |
How do boomers stay relevant? | It's tempting for this generation to work harder and update their skills but learning the 'right' things is the answer An American study shows that more than half of older US workers are forced out of long-time jobs before they're ready to retire. The research suggests that up to 22 million of these people have, or will, suffer a layoff, forced retirement or other involuntary job separation. As Robin Ryan, author of Retirement Reinvention says, "Too many baby boomers are settled into jobs that their companies just can't wait for them to leave. And this may be the year that your company gives you the boot." Though there are no comparable studies for the local baby boomer workforce, Auckland-based career management specialist Janet Tuck at Career Clinic says they face their own challenges in the workplace. Advertisement "They have traditionally been hard workers, resourceful and pretty self-assured about the contribution they want to make. Many will have been relatively successful and made it to the top of their field. They might feel relatively confident about their value to an organisation, due to their solid work ethic. And its this feeling of security that might catch them out." She says workplaces are changing and the need to understand new developments has never been more important. "I often get asked 'How do I stay relevant?' This is a great question for a boomer. Because the temptation is for them to simply work harder, and try to update their skills, particularly the technical ones. But the answer isn't always about trying to keep up with all the latest thinking in their field. Learning is important, but learning the 'right' things is the key. The learning that will be most relevant and helpful, will be related to the skills that they already have. Building on existing strengths will enable boomers to leverage off these into new areas, especially the skills often referred to as soft skills." They should talk to younger employees in their organisations. Find out what matters to them, where they think things are going and what their ideas are. And then become a champion for them and their ideas. She also advises to read up on trends and developments in their industry. "Talk to others about this and find out where new ideas are being discussed and get involved with these conversations. They are a great opportunity to listen and learn, and also to contribute in a positive way." And that CV probably needs a refresh too. "Get help to do this if it hasn't been done in a while. It needs to look professional and present a person's strengths and achievements in a way that helps people understand the value they bring. Years of experience in one industry will give boomers lots of skills that are transferable to new areas. They need to practise talking about their skills in ways that are not locked into only one industry. "Many of my clients in the mid to late career stage, have not given any thought to their career development for many years. They are not prepared when the unexpected happens. And they have tunnel vision when it comes to what to look for. My job is often to help them realise that it is important for them to be open to new opportunities and jobs in new areas. This takes a lot of courage, but can be very rewarding when they successfully pivot into a new career. "Staying relevant and remaining in the workplace can be a challenge for boomers. How you look says as much about you as an out-of-date CV. Updating a wardrobe and a hairstyle can make a big difference to how you are perceived by others. If it's time for an updated look, go and do it." | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12219368&ref=rss |
Are there 67,023 regrets in the Prescott area over electing David Stringer? | Former Rep. David Stringer (Photo: Sean Logan/The Republic) I just read the latest article about former Rep. David Stringer and hold on, I feel the need to wash my hands. Again. And rinse out my eyes. Again. It just doesnt seem to go away. Prepare to feel dirty Information from an investigators report to the State House just adds to the disgusting creepiness of all the other reports that have come out about Stringer. Now we hear about a conversation Stringer had with activist named Merissa Hamilton, who works to prevent sex trafficking. It happened at a gathering in Prescott. In a conversation Hamilton recorded and streamed on Facebook, Stringer said he doesn't think sex trafficking is a concern, adding, "I don't like to demonize it." He also said that although he doesn't believe there is much child sex trafficking there are "a lot of 15-year-old prostitutes." hold on. Hands, again. Shouldn't have taken this long You may remember that Stringer didnt resign from the Legislature until reports were about surface concerning charges brought against him in the 1980s that involved paying for sex with boys, including one who was reported to be developmentally disabled, charges that ended in some type of plea deal and a sentence of five years of supervised probation. That ended it for Stringer, but he could have been gone -- and should have been gone -- a LOT earlier. Like back last summer when reports of racist comments first surfaced. This is when Stringer said there aren't enough white kids to go around" and that immigration represents an existential threat to the United States." 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 That all came out over the summer and yet Stringer was overwhelming elected in November. Overwhelmingly elected According to the Secretary of State's office, Stringer received 67,023 votes in District 1, which encompasses Prescott and surrounding communities. This was after folks there knew all they needed to know about him. Would a politician in District 1 get elected if he has an R after his name even if he says of sex trafficking, "I don't like to demonize it." hold on. Hands. Reach Montini at [email protected] Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/04/03/david-stringer-prescott-arizona-legislature-sex-trafficking/3360834002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/04/03/david-stringer-prescott-arizona-legislature-sex-trafficking/3360834002/ |
Do Happier Cows Make For Happier Consumers? | cowbrush.com I recently came across a fascinating product aimed at dairy farmers. Check out the video below, which shows a cow enjoying the product, called the BlissBrush, which is designed to help dairy cows reduce stress, enjoy themselves, and stay clean. I was not only fascinated by the video itself, but also by the fact that it represents a well-reasoned response to consumer trends for farm products on the part of its marketer. Todays consumers and especially many young consumers have a desire to know more about the products they buy, including food products. Driven by an increased awareness of and empathy toward the care of production animals, products aimed at enhancing the quality of food and/or improving the quality of life on farm animals are becoming more common. This is evident in the increased prevalence of marketing of organic, non-GMO foods, cage-free eggs, free-range chicken, and the reduction of use of hormones in dairy production. The BlissBrush is part of a significant trend among farmers toward the adoption of products and management practices that improve what's known as "cow comfort". Data indicates that comfortable cows are healthier, happier, and more productive. A recent study conducted at Cornell University suggests that the purchase of cow brushes by farmers pays off as well, finding that milk production increases by 3.5% in second lactation cows. I asked Eric Schreiber, CEO of Harmony Marketing Partners, who is actively involved in the marketing of this product to farmers for his take on why he believes the BlissBrush, versions of which have already been popular in Europe, as to why he believes this product is starting to catch on with U.S. farmers. He states: Cows, like all animals, have a natural need and desire to scratch itches, to be massaged, cleaned, and groomed. Recent scientific studies indicate that cows are equally motivated to access a brush as they are to access food, indicating a high need for these benefits. Providing access to an automatic rotating cow brush like the BlissBrush, allows cows to relieve these needs, decrease stress, improve cleanliness, and have a more enriched environment. Farmers are always interested in improving the health, care and overall welfare of their animals, and to them, they see advantages in providing cow comfort, improving hygiene, and increasing production. Data shows cows with access to brushes produce more milk. Harmony Marketing Partners Schreiber adds that farmers view the product as being economical in providing comfort to the cows while consumers like that the cows are provided with a better environment, leading to a situation in which, the cow, the farmer and the consumer all feel good." Brent Hershey, President of Hershey Agriculture, and owner of cowbrushes.com adds, "There is clearly a large unmet need for cow brushes in the US, and we saw a significant opportunity to bring a needed solution to dairy producers. Seeing the penetration in Europe, the trends in the US market and the lack of high-quality brush options convinced us this was the right thing to do." According to Schrieber, in Europe, approximately 70-80% of dairy farms have cow brushes, while penetration in the U.S. is currently an estimated 20-30%, but growing. I asked Leslie Carlson, Nathan J. Gold Distinguished Professor of Marketing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a noted expert on consumer behavior and green marketing for his take on the potential for cow brushes in the U.S. Carlson emphasizes that literature on the consumption of environmentally friendly products appeal to some consumers, but not all. He states: This form of consumption has parallels to green product consumption. That is, cows who have access to products such as these brushes seem to be happier which may result in higher production of dairy products. Similar to environmental product consumption, such considerations may prove to be quite attractive to some consumers as long as the price differential isnt too great. However, theres also literature which suggests that there are also consumers who dont care about the environmental aspects of products. Carlson expresses that hes not convinced that the appeal of cow brushes cuts across all consumers of any single age group and cautions against any strategy that leads to increased milk prices as a result. Still, he acknowledges that there is a segment who will find it appealing. My own take on this is that it is a nice marketing story in that the product leads to more comfortable cows and does address the concerns of at least a significant segment of consumers while also pleasing farmers. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2019/04/03/do-happier-cows-make-for-happier-consumers/ |
Can I abandon a Gmail address thats getting too much porn? | Someone has been using my Gmail address to sign me up for things online, and I consistently get explicit emails sent to my inbox and my spam box. I have decided to get a new email address, abandon my current one and delete it from my phone account. IMB Its amazing how little progress we have made in the past 30-odd years. First, any company that still emails people or adds them to mailing lists without a double opt-in is run by idiots. If anyone signs up for anything, they should get an email that they must click to confirm they really want whatever it is. This remains true even for porn sites. Second, Google has no problem censoring pornography in its search results, even if you turn SafeSearch off. However, it is apparently beyond its ability to provide an opt-in SafeSearch setting for email. Ive been using Gmail for 15 years it celebrated its birthday on 1 April and it has managed to put some remarkable emails in my Spam box. These include confirmation of my appointment at the London Passport Office, an editorial commission from the Guardian, a file shared by a colleague, and dozens of press releases and newsletters. Canning spam Having said that, you need to help. For example, if you access Gmail from a browser, you can choose a set of pornographic emails and select the option under More to Filter messages like these. In the smartphone app, you can select several porn emails, tap the three dots in the top right and select Report spam. (Technically, emails that you supposedly requested are not spam, but were just trying to retrain Googles AI.) Next, turn images off. Its hard to stop idiots from spamming you, but you dont have to look at their images. Using Googles priority inbox should also help. This tells Google to pre-sort incoming emails into separate sections, such as Social, Promotions, Updates and Forums. If your porn-spam is moved into Promotions then it wont be in your primary mail feed. In a browser, click the cogwheel for Settings, select Configure Inbox and tick all the options. In the Android app, tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) and then scroll down to Settings, near the end. Finally, select Inbox type and choose Priority Inbox. The instructions for iPhones and iPads are in the adjacent tab. If you can tame the porn spam, you might be able to salvage your email address. Whitelisting The tragedy of email is that most of us have no interest in around 75%-97% of the emails we receive. If thats the case, you may as well tell Gmail to put everything in the Spam folder, and whitelist the 3% or so that we actually want. It is probably easiest to do this in the web interface. Click the cogwheel icon and select Settings, then click Filters and blocked addresses. If you decide to create a new filter, putting your own email address in the To field should catch most things. If you abandon your mailbox, it will keep working, perhaps for some time. Eventually, however, incoming email will eat up the 15GB of storage space that Gmail shares with some other files in Google Drive. Once that happens, Google will start sending you serious warnings about the lack of space, and might even suggest you buy a bit more. Eventually, however, Gmail will refuse to send or receive any more emails. Incoming emails will be bounced, and the sender will get a message that says something like Your email could not be delivered because the account you are trying to reach has exceeded its storage quota. At this point, you could still rescue your mailbox by logging on with a browser, running some searches to find and delete hundreds of unwanted emails, and then emptying the bin to recover the space. Eventually, however, Google will delete the account. This will mean that neither you nor anyone else can use that email address again. That is sad news for the thousands of people who have common names: if you missed it at the beginning, its gone forever. Google doesnt seem to delete mailboxes quickly. It has said it could delete mailboxes after nine months, not that it would. Ive seen at least one survive for several years. Google also has an Inactive Account Manager, which lets you pass on your data (from Gmail, Blogger, YouTube and so on) to a trusted person after a specified amount of time. This could be important if you get knocked down by a bus Services tied to email addresses Abandoning or deleting an account sounds like an easy way out, but in many cases, it could be catastrophic. Your email address may identify you to dozens or even hundreds of websites and services. In Googles case, your emails, G-Suite and Gdrive files, Google Photos, Calendar, to-do lists and Play data will all disappear, along with your Chrome bookmarks and any apps, music, movies, books and games you have paid for. Further, Facebook and Instagram, your bank, your local council, your doctor and other essential services may all know you by your Gmail address. Of course, you can go to Google Take-out and download all your data, then go through all your websites and services and replace the old email address with a new one. If youre lucky, you wont have a lot to do, or to lose. For others, it will be a world of pain. I dont recommend it. Email it to [email protected] | https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2019/apr/04/can-i-abandon-a-gmail-address-thats-getting-too-much-porn |
Is Kim Jong Un About to Announce Something Major? | Kim Jung Un has visited his fathers birthplace, something he traditionally does before making big decisions, the Korea Times reported on Thursday. The North Korean leader traveled to Samjiyon County, in the northern part of the country bordering China, according to the Times. Kims father, Kim Jong Il, is said to have been born in the county, which is near Mount Paektu, the highest point on the Korean Peninsula. The younger dictator visited the area before major developments in recent years, leading some to wonder if a major development may be coming. His visit in November 2013 came about a month before the execution of his uncle and apparent political rival Jang Song Thaek. He paid another visit in late 2014, just a few months before announcing his intention to hold a summit with South Korea. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now He also visited after his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore, and before his third summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, says the Times. Read More: Meet Howard X, the Dictator Doppelgnger From Hong Kong Kim has pushed for development of Samjiyon County, and he made his latest visit under the guise of an inspection to learn about how the construction is now underway, the norths Korean Central News Agency reportedly said. The latest trip comes before the pariah state holds the first session of its Supreme Peoples Assembly on Apr. 11, where Kim is expected to announce his domestic and foreign policy plans and appoint several new officials. Kim said in mid-March that he was considering ending nuclear talks with the U.S. and resuming nuclear and missile testing. The remarks came just a few weeks after Trump and Kims second second summit in Hanoi ended abruptly without an agreement. Contact us at [email protected]. | http://time.com/5564067/north-korea-kim-jong-un-father-birthplace/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29 |
Is thick loo roll ruining forests? | Getty Images You might not know that a lot of toilet paper is made from wood pulp which comes from trees. And if you think about how much loo roll must be used every day all over the world, you can imagine that it can have a big impact on our planet! Now two environmental groups are warning about the popularity of thick toilet tissue, especially in the United States. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Stand.earth say the average four-person household in the United States uses over 100lbs (which is about 45kg!) of toilet paper a year. That is more than the any other part of the world. They're warning that this demand means the Boreal forest in Canada, just to the north of the USA, is under "severe threat" from industrial logging operations. Getty Images Facts about the boreal forest in Canada Canada's boreal forest covers 270 million hectares. One hectare is roughly the same size as a rugby pitch so it's huge! The boreal region is one of three global forest types - it contains the world's most northern forests. It's important for the planet because it stores carbon, purifies the air and water, and regulates the climate. Logging is when trees are cut down and processed to make timber and pulp. These can then be used to produce things such as loo roll but also furniture, paper and other products. The process can contribute to deforestation if it isn't managed properly, Deforestation is the name for when lots of trees are cut down. This is why the NRDC and Stand.earth want companies which make thick toilet paper to choose more environmentally friendly ways of producing it. Natural Resources Canada, which is part of the country's government and is responsible for its forests, says that Canada's deforestation rate is one of the lowest in the world and has been declining for 20 years. It also says that "many harvesting practices in the boreal forest now imitate natural disturbances" and that harvesting trees doesn't cause deforestation. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/47801518 |
How did my MP vote on Cooper bill on Brexit delay? | MPs have voted by the narrowest of margins - 313 to 312 - to force the prime minister to ask for an extension to the Brexit process. The bill, which was brought by former Labour minister Yvette Cooper, passed through the Commons in just one day. To find out how your MP voted, use the look-up below. Enter a postcode, or the name or constituency of your MP Seat vacant Click here if you cannot see the look-up. Data from Commons Votes Services. The draft legislation, which will now be debated in the House of Lords, would force the prime minister to ask the EU for an extension to the Article 50 process beyond 12 April and would give Parliament the power to decide the length of this delay. An earlier vote on whether MPs could seize control of the parliamentary timetable on Monday was tied 310 to 310, before the speaker rejected it with his casting vote. Please upgrade your browser Your guide to Brexit jargon Use the list below or select a button By Maryam Ahmed, Christine Jeavans, Edwin Lowther and Wesley Stephenson. | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47813060 |
What do the latest Commons manoeuvres mean for Brexit? | A cross-party group of MPs, led by Oliver Letwin and Yvette Cooper, forced through a bill in less than six hours to instruct Theresa May to seek an extension to article 50 and avoid a no-deal Brexit. It is very rare for backbenchers to take control of parliamentary business and force through legislation in just one day. The situation has come about because May has no Commons majority and some Conservative MPs are willing to work with opposition parties to thwart a hard Brexit. The bill passed through the Commons by just one vote, another unusual occurrence. Fiona Onasanya, a former Labour and now independent MP, voted in favour of the bill, prompting outrage among some Brexiters who believe she should have stood down following a jail sentence for repeatedly lying to avoid a speeding charge. Minutes before the narrow first vote, an amendment from Labours Hilary Benn, which would have allowed MPs to hold further indicative votes, was blocked in extraordinary circumstances, as the Speaker, John Bercow, was forced to make the casting vote after a tied result. Bercow, who said the situation had not happened since 1993 during the Maastricht treaty bill, said it was precedent for the Speaker to vote with the government, which had opposed the motion and the amendments. The bill is going to the House of Lords, where there is a strong majority against a hard Brexit. However, there are more opportunities to filibuster in the Lords, where every amendment can be debated and voted on. Some hardline Tory peers may try to talk endlessly to waste time and delay the process. Labour sources in the Lords still believe it is pretty likely to pass though. To a degree, no. May had already said she was going to seek an extension to article 50 possibly a lengthy one with a guillotine clause enabling the UK to leave immediately as soon as it has passed a withdrawal deal. However, the constitutional precedent is important as it shows that backbenchers have the appetite and ability to force the government to carry out instructions against its will. If there were any further threat of no deal, similar legislation could be passed swiftly again. It was partly a show of power by remainers and soft Brexiters. But it also provided an insurance policy in case Theresa May were to suddenly change her mind and decide to go for no deal on 11 April after all. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/04/what-do-the-latest-commons-manoeuvres-mean-for-brexit |
Can bacteria help us prevent salt damage to concrete roads and bridges? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Yaghoob Farnam, Drexel University (THE CONVERSATION) Bacteria, which have been working for millennia as natures stonemasons, could soon be enlisted to help neutralize the destructive effects of road salt. According to the Transportation Research Board, it takes about 10 million tons of road salt to keep roads safely navigable in the winter. And while its certainly an effective method for staving off snow and ice, around this time of year, we start to see the toll it takes on our infrastructure in the form of cracks, potholes and bumps. It turns out, those bumps arent just the inevitable annoyances that come with wear and tear theyre actually caused by a chemical that forms when road salt reacts with the surface of roads, bridges and sidewalks that are made from white-gray concrete. As a civil materials engineer at Drexel University, I spend my time teaching and developing advanced materials that we can use to build more robust roads, bridges, buildings and infrastructure. The concrete killer The chemical causing the havoc is called calcium oxycholoride CAOXY, in chemistry shorthand and it forms when a common type of road salt, calcium chloride, reacts with the calcium hydroxide that is an ingredient in concrete. CAOXY is a destructive component. When it forms inside concrete, it expands creating internal distress and cracks that are then amplified by the chiseling effect of the freeze-thaw cycle. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Association, winter road maintenance accounts for roughly 20 percent of state department of transportation maintenance budgets, through spending more than US$2.3 billion on snow and ice control. This does not include the billions of dollars needed to repair infrastructure damage caused by snow, ice and deicing salts, fixing potholes, patching and reinforcing roads and dealing with the corrosion that salt causes on the metal parts of vehicles. The annual direct losses caused by corrosion on U.S. highway bridges are estimated at $276 billion, approximately 3.1 percent of the nations gross domestic product. While research is underway to develop new types of concrete, such as self-heating concrete, that can melt snow and ice without the need for road salt, it might be more feasible to treat roads with something that would still allow the salt to do its job while counteracting its negative side effects by preventing the formation of CAOXY. Bacterial blockers derailing chemical reaction My multidisciplinary group at Drexel University, which includes civil, environmental and materials engineers, decided that any antidote for CAOXY-related damage would need to prevent the chemical reaction that forms it. But curtailing the reaction is tricky because it can occur at temperatures above freezing. This means that CAOXY can start forming almost as soon as the salt hits the road. One of the best ways to block the reaction from happening is to make sure there arent enough ingredients for it. So, we wanted to create another chemical reaction that could use up the calcium in road salt before it reacted to form CAOXY. Nature provided the perfect solution in the form of some talented bacteria. On the other side of our lab, students were examining bacteria called Sporosarcina pasteurii to understand how they performed their magic. The bacteria, which are commonly found in the soil, have the unique ability to convert nutrients and calcium into calcium carbonate or calcite also known as limestone, a common stone in Earths crust. This bacterium, S. pasteurii, is credited with depositing limestone as a binder (or glue), aiding the formation of coral reefs and helping to bind and stabilize soil. But the S. pasteurii findings that interested my colleagues and me were discovered about 15 years ago in Europe. This research showed how bacteria like S. pasteurii could make their own sort of concrete, a biomortar, that could be used to repair damaged marble surfaces, such as sculptures or historical buildings. Through their metabolism of the nutrients, the bacteria produce an enzyme that acts as a catalyst for calcite formation. The process also increases the alkaline nature of the surrounding environment, which also enables the reaction. Our group was hoping to put the bacteria to work repairing cracks in concrete, most of which has limestone as its main ingredient. The breakthrough came when we noticed one of the primary ingredients S. pasteurii needed to make its limestone is calcium. Where the S. pasteurii meets the road We put our idea to the test using samples of ordinary Portland cement, the kind used to build roads, bridges and sidewalks. In addition to a control sample that was made with no bacteria, we treated one sample in the lab with S. pasteurii and nutrient solution. Then, we exposed our samples to calcium chloride solution at varying temperatures, to simulate the winter environment in which a typical road salt-concrete interaction occurs. By measuring temperature changes indicative of CAOXY formation, measuring CAOXY amount and monitoring the acoustics of the samples with small sensitive microphones for the sounds of cracking, we saw that the bacteria-treated samples were left unscathed. And the S. pasteurii actually converted some of the road salt into calcite that helped to seal up the micropores that are precursors to cracks and potholes. I think so. S. pasteurii are a particularly hardy type of harmless bacteria that can be found in soil. They can form spores in order to survive in a wide range of temperatures and high- or low-acidity environments. This means they may lie dormant in the off-season and spring into action with the first road salting of the winter. And more importantly, the calcium carbonate they form seems to be harmless to their immediate ecosystem unlike road salt, which is known to affect nearby aquatic environments by the end of the season. Of course, more work is needed to fully understand the interactions of S. pasteurii with deicing salt and its effect on concrete performance. My colleagues and I dont yet know how quickly bacteria perform this chemical reaction, and we are working on promising ways for how we would add the bacteria to the roads in a real world situation. But this is a path worth pursuing, because its unlikely well be able to kick our addiction to road salt any time soon. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/can-bacteria-help-us-prevent-salt-damage-to-concrete-roads-and-bridges-113970. | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Can-bacteria-help-us-prevent-salt-damage-to-13740672.php |
What is social structure, and why does it help some but harm others? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Shervin Assari, University of Michigan (THE CONVERSATION) The college admissions cheating scandal has outraged millions, bringing to light the gaps between the privileged and less privileged citizens. Being a social scientist who studies societal origins of economic and health inequalities, it was clear to me that it was a manifestation of deep structural inequalities in the U.S. social hierarchy. Such structural inequalities appear in various forms, including wealth and health inequalities. They are inequalities deeply woven into the very fabric of a society. They can be observed across institutions such as legal, educational, business, government and health care systems. Inequalities occur because of an imbalance in the distribution of political and economic power. While one group has historically set the rules and writes the law of the land, access of others to wealth and resources have been limited. Blacks, for example, have been historically denied access to well-paying jobs, entrance into elite educational institutions, and wealthy neighborhoods. At the same time, whites have accumulated wealth, education and prestigious jobs that were systemically blocked for blacks. Such societal functions sometimes continue for centuries, with strong structures being built, reinforcing political and economic power. As an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan and a faculty member at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences, I have conducted several studies on how social factors such as race and class shape access to economic and health outcomes. My studies have shown that as a result of such structural inequalities, the very same economic resources consistently generate better outcomes for the privileged group. My studies have established that unjust social structures hinder non-whites, particularly blacks, who have been historically marginalized. Many in the U.S. want to believe that people can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I believe that the naked truth, however, is that there are powerful unjust social systems in place, operating for centuries, that help some but hurt many. Privilege builds power Historical patterns affect structure in many ways. For example, it gives those with money and inherited wealth a head start. Those whose families have had money for decades or centuries have far more access to good education and first-rate health care. Those who have been discriminated against, particularly blacks, are far less likely to have that same access or even the ability to catch up. In addition, my studies have suggested that even when blacks do achieve wealth and high education, their health still suffers. When black men become successful, they will pay for the rest of their life some health consequences. It is due to such injustice that social networks disproportionately help the privileged group. Structural inequalities upset many Americans sense of justice. But worse, these inequalities actually make many people sick. The harmful effect of inequality is not just because of being at a lower status. Even just being aware of it can make a person sick, some studies suggest. Seeing the world as an unfair place is a risk factor in itself for poor health. A chance to cheat In addition to the higher wealth of the individuals involved in the admissions cheating scandal, unjust social structure has played a role in giving the privileged an opportunity to cheat. It is not all about the cheater. The cheating-friendly context enables the cheater to cheat. Those with money, access and fame are generally favored by society, giving them extremely high levels of access to social power, resources and networking. In many countries, particularly the U.S., this system of privilege has been historically attached to skin color and other social identities such as race and class. The most common race involved in the college admissions scandal incident was white, the highest privileged race. Research has well documented the large and persistent inequalities between social groups in the U.S. While the U.S. as a whole is the wealthiest country in the world, it is also one of the most unequal ones. As there are more and more opportunities open for the haves than the have-nots, without any ill intention, the gap in society becomes larger and larger as the U.S. becomes a wealthier country. This is inevitable unless we find a policy solution for it. I hope this discussion can help bring understanding about why, without ill intentions, structural inequalities generate gaps across social groups. Social privilege is not a myth. It is real and consequential. It is up to us, the American society, to demand equity, and fight societal and structural malady. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/what-is-social-structure-and-why-does-it-help-some-but-harm-others-113622. | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/What-is-social-structure-and-why-does-it-help-13740669.php |
Should first Central SoMa developments be most shovel-ready or most beneficial? | City planners are headed for a clash with neighborhood advocates over the question of which Central South of Market development projects will win the first round of city approvals. Its a dispute that could lead to years of delays for millions of square feet of office projects and 9,000 housing units. On Thursday, San Francisco Planning Director John Rahaim will recommend that the Planning Commission prioritize three Central SoMa projects that are the most shovel ready, the ones ready to start construction soonest. In addition, he will ask the three developers to build their projects in phases, rather than all at once. That approach is diametrically opposed to the process favored by local nonprofits, who argue that the developments with the most community benefits goodies like affordable housing, open space, artists studios and child care facilities should be put at the head of the line. The order in which projects get city approval is significant, because those that are not picked will come up against limits imposed by Proposition M, the 1986 ballot measure that caps the amount of new office space that can be approved in a single year. Projects further back in line may have to wait as many as four or five years before winning approvals. How the dispute plays out could impact several lawsuits that themselves could delay development in Central SoMa. After seven years of planning and debate, the Board of Supervisors recently rezoned most of the portion of South of Market that extends from Market Street south to Townsend Street and from Second Street to Sixth Street. The rezoning, which runs along the future Central Subway line, will eventually allow for about 9,000 housing units and enough office space for 30,000 workers. The three projects the city says should go first are: 598 Brannan St., a 1.2 million-square-foot office development with a 1.5-acre park, child care facility, and a parcel that would be handed over to the city for affordable housing; 88 Bluxome, which calls for 833,000 square feet of office space, plus a community recreation center and swimming pool, a tennis club with 12 courts and an affordable housing site; and the Flower Mart project at Sixth and Brannan, a proposed 2.2 million-square-foot office complex that may include a new wholesale flower mart and an off-site land dedication for affordable housing. Prop. M allows the city to approve 875,000 square feet of office projects a year, space that accumulates during economic slowdowns but is quickly depleted during booms. Currently, 2.9 million square feet are available under the cap, 2.7 million square feet shy of the 5.6 million square feet proposed by developers in the Central SoMa area. That means the city will have to decide which projects may be approved right away and which will have to wait a year or two until more space is available. Under the Planning Departments recommendation, the Flower Mart would be allocated 1.4 million square feet, 598 Brannan would get 710,000 square feet, and 88 Bluxome the site of the San Francisco Tennis Club would get 500,000 square feet, Rahaim said. All three could be before the Planning Commission in June or July for approvals. Rahaim said he is opposed to any process in which the projects are judged based on benefits bestowed on the community, whether that be affordable housing, parks, or low-cost space for artists or makers. The projects are all paying the same impact fees and have comparable benefits, he said. They are all complying with the plan. That is the way it should work. There is a lot of discussion about Project X being better than Project Y. I dont want to have comparisons between the projects. But residents groups and developers both are criticizing that approach, arguing they were unfairly excluded from the first round of allocations. John Elberling, manager of the Yerba Buena Neighborhood Consortium, the legal arm of the affordable housing group Todco, said the plan to pick projects based on how far along they are in the planning process is unacceptable. He said the Planning Departments approach at best is arbitrary and capricious, and at worst is suggestive of inappropriate political favoritism. The consortium has come up with a factual, metric-based system to prioritize projects in a way that would incentivize projects to maximize their community benefits beyond the minimums required by the Central SoMa Plan, as the rezoning is called. Under the system projects would be awarded a score based on the amount of affordable space they are offering for housing, arts, nonprofit services, manufacturing, independent retail and other uses. Without maximizing the construction of these below-market spaces, Central SoMa will become yet one more sterile and expensive downtown business district instead of a genuine and diverse future SoMa community, Elberling wrote to the Planning Commission. We can never accept that, he said. The Todco plan has support from at least one of the developers left out of the first round of space allocations. Boston Properties is proposing to build 800,000 square feet of office space at 725 Harrison St., a project that would include 160 affordable housing units, public gardens and 30,000 square feet of space for makers. Project Manager Aaron Fenton said that he is puzzled that our project at Fourth and Harrison is not being considered for a Prop. M allocation. We have spent the last five years working on the project and invested significant capital to design a best-in-class, community-inspired, mixed-use development, he said. Our community benefits package is among the strongest of the group. Fenton also took issue with the fact that the three projects in the first wave are all clustered in the southwest corner of the plan area and therefore only that particular area of SoMa will be the beneficiary of community benefits. Our project is located in a dense residential area and the residents in our neighborhood will be the direct beneficiaries of the community benefits our project will offer, he said. Todco is one of four groups that have sued the city over the plans environmental study. Elberling said if the city agrees to the community benefits first approach, he would be inclined to drop his lawsuit, as might the other groups. He also said he is prepared to ask voters to approve the approach in a November ballot initiative. The office market is so hot that the developers really want to get approvals and get going. said Elberling. If we solve these problems, they could. District Six Supervisor Matt Haney said he is unclear as to the reasoning of the Planning Departments recommendations. I dont have anything against any of the projects, he said. But there is obviously a huge demand for office space right now. We should be in a position where we are getting as many public benefits as possible. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @sfjkdineen | https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Two-opposing-views-of-development-in-SF-s-13739857.php |
Where Does AI Fit Into The Modern Workplace? | Getty In a world where businesses move with the speed of lightning, there is a constant battle to stay on the cusp of the wave. Becoming a leader and maintaining this position means ensuring faster adaptability to changes and increasing speed in growth and development -- and as the co-founder of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, I've noticed that AI has become a panacea many companies turn to when they're searching for solutions to business challenges. According to 2017 Accenture research, artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to increase profitability rates by 38% by 2035. While there's a prevalent myth today that AI will eventually replace human capital, I've seen that modern-day AI technologies have ensured uninterrupted workflows, accelerated business processes, and improved individual employee productivity. Companies like the ones in this article provide actionable insights that allow managers to make better-informed decisions. And this may only be the beginning -- in 2017, the AI market was forecasted to grow at a combined annual growth rate of 52% from 2017 to 2025. Corporate giants dominating the market have already joined the AI race, making large investments at an increasing pace. In 2014, Google bought the London-based AI startup DeepMind for $660 million. DeepMind is a project with potential applications across a wide range of industries and tasks. The technology is already being used or investigated for use to predict patient deterioration in military veterans, plan cancer treatments and generate Google Assistant voices. Another industry mammoth, Amazon, follows suit in its AI technology applications and development. While Amazons product recommendation system is based upon AI, Alexa, the Amazon smart assistant, taps into the power of natural language processing to address the verbal requests of its users. Amazon has also brought AI to the shelves of the new markets it opened across a number of locations: at Amazon Go stores, customers dont need to spend time lining up for cashier services. All they have to do is choose the product they need and walk out, while the AI system monitors the products the customers pick up and charges them via the Amazon Go app. Salesforce embeds AI in its customer relationship management software to improve the sales and customer success processes for its user companies. Salesforce acquired a deep learning and natural language processing company, MetaMind, to enrich Salesforces Einstein platform with customer support and marketing automation. The market is increasingly becoming saturated with smaller companies and startups offering AI-powered tools that automate low-value, day-to-day tasks and improve corporate well-being as well. AiZimov, an application that uses AI to create personalized messages for sales teams, individuals, headhunters, and others, parses information from sources like social media and newspapers. The system has the power to recognize the psychological traits and behavioral patterns of the users to craft messages that will resemble their tone and personality. Zoom.AI leverages AI to provide personal assistance to its users on a daily basis, taking responsibility for administrative tasks that require time, saving employees time they can allocate to more vital work matters. The personal assistant manages schedules and coordinates meetings in the background. X.ai is another personal assistant designed to book and schedule meetings through email. When CCed in the email correspondence, X.ai's engine schedules calls by applying natural language processing technology to find an appropriate time. Conversica has developed an AI solution that takes on the communication and qualification process for leads. The system analyzes lead sources and generates responses before passing off the lead to a person. As businesses and their leaders are joining this AI race, there are a few things they should keep in mind. According to a study by McKinsey, while AI is the hot buzzword of today and the investment in AI technologies is on a rise, corporate adoption of artificial intelligence solutions is only at the beginning of the business transformation journey. (Twenty percent of McKinsey survey respondents were "using one or more AI technologies at scale or in a core part of their business.") However, the early adopters have already made significant strides to strengthen their position in the market. According to McKinsey, these businesses are 3.5 times more likely than others to state that they forecast profit growth by up to five points more than their peers. At the same time, companies looking to build or buy AI solutions must stay vigilant: There is no one-size-fits-all artificial intelligence solution that can help every business, and it's easy to get caught up in the AI craze without objectively estimating the value a solution can offer. C-level executives should think of AI implementation or development as a long-term journey rather than a destination; the goal is to begin the transformation with AI solutions that are scalable across departments, which can maximize the return on investment. It's important to prioritize the implementation of AI solutions across the business units that need the assistance most. One way to identify which areas need the transformation is to begin with the more digitized units with untapped data that can be processed and used to provide intelligent insights. Another strategy is to automate simple but time-consuming tasks, ensuring an interrupted workflow and an increase in the pace of the business growth. By customizing the newly adopted technology to the pain points of each business unit, company leaders can embark on this transformational journey more steadily and securely. This is especially important when it comes to the people in your business. As companies implement new technologies, human capital and AI solutions will likely begin to converge and require leaders to make decisions about the distribution of tasks performed by the employees and the machines. For instance, AI integrations can allow leaders to gradually automate low-skill tasks, so leaders will have to decide how employees can focus on the development and improvement of higher-level skillsets and use them to bolster progress on the departmental and overall company levels. As the AI wave is rising and increasingly involving large corporations and emerging businesses, AI makes a big promise of transforming the future of business organization and growth. But while it seems like all it takes is to adopt any AI technology to stay on the cusp of this wave, there are more facts to consider when initiating the implementation of next-generation solutions into the daily workflow. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2019/04/04/where-does-ai-fit-into-the-modern-workplace/ |
Can PR Professionals Influence Decision Making Within Top Management? | Getty There are some careers that seem to have a clearer path to the top. Based on a quick review on the internet regarding the most popular fields of study of todays CEOs, I found that computer sciences, economics, business management, banking and finance are among popular paths taken by top executives. They share numbers as a common language and have an affinity towards calculated decisions. The truth is that, for public relations (PR) professionals, influencing top management with our knowledge can be a grueling task. And we are the only ones to blame. Greater Value On PR Assets I believe that how social media is led today in some companies is the best example. A communications plan is set, roles assigned, and immediately, the youngest in the room has the responsibility to lead the organizations image and corporate reputation in front of hundreds of thousands. Dont get me wrong, you can find bright young minds leading social media strategies, but to think that being from Generation Z automatically grants leadership towards arguably the most important communications channel in a company, and one of the few that provides trackable metrics, is a huge mistake. Trackable metrics are precisely the type of assets that see interest from top management. And results can drive a larger budget for your team which, in time, will allow you to garner more positive metrics and validate access to key internal information -- and a seat along the C-suite. So, defining roles appropriately and measuring every step of the process can get you closer to influencing decision making. Being able to assess the future of an organization, based on its past or historical data of an industry, for a company set to hit a new market is not a job for the commercial team. No, dont let them fool you. Let them analyze potential competitors, the marketing mix and customer loyalty actions. These questions are answered by PR and communications experts. This structure, known as the stakeholder map, provides short- and long-term vision in a dynamic playing field and offers endless value to the companys bottom line. Now, youre one step closer on the road map leading towards top management. Quality Over Quantity This map is set at Monarch Air Group -- a company immersed in a fully value-driven industry (private aviation) has the necessary commitment and understanding from top management that allows communications to play its tune and guide its path through diverse audiences and stakeholders. This chair along the C-suite, although not with a top executive role representative, has been earned thanks to a methodic process of walking the talk with thorough facts and figures. Our main PR driver is having a tailored presence in media outlets that are read by our clients. Its not about quantity and appearing in 30 publications monthly, but rather getting mentioned in the three most coveted outlets. We, as communications professionals, define what is quality and when its obtained, in contrast to the predefined key performance indicators (KPIs). In our case, this means publications in top-notch luxury, lifestyle and aviation outlets. Having the tools to justify your job, whether you lead a team of 10 or are part of a one-man/women squad, is the first step towards impacting decision making in a company. On a daily basis, we manage the perception of thousands of stakeholders -- arguably the most important asset of a business. Nevertheless, this intangible needs to come to life with valuable metrics that support the contribution of communications to the bottom line. Whether it includes mentions in specialized outlets, engagement rates in Facebook or traffic on a website, its up to you and your team to justify if all the communications efforts in your company are worthy of influencing decision-making within top management. For once and for all, lets establish the building blocks that will position present and future PR and communications professionals as top executive material. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/04/04/can-pr-professionals-influence-decision-making-within-top-management/ |
Will Lebron James' Struggles With The Lakers Impact Kevin Durant's Next Move? | Getty Tonight the Golden State Warriors head to Los Angeles to take on the once-mighty Lakers. As the playoffs come into view, the Golden State Warriors look to have clinched the number one seed in the West again. Its been an up and down regular season for the Warriors, but in the end, they look well positioned for another run to the NBA Finals. For the first time in almost a decade, the same can not be said for Lebron James. Kevin Durants had a great season At the heart of the Warriors' success has been another excellent year for Kevin Durant. After averaging a career-high in field goal percentage (53.7%) and rebounds (8.3 per game) in his first year with the Warriors, and a career-high in blocked shots last season (1.8 per game), Durant has demonstrated his playmaking skills this year and is on pace to best his career-high in assists (currently at 5.8 per game). Hes still scoring as effortlessly as ever averaging 26.5 points per game (a high for his Warriors tenure) on 51.7% shooting, as well as racking up 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Of course, the playoffs is what really matters, and that is where Durant has really come into his own for this Warriors team. But this year hes demonstrated a comfort-level within the Warriors system and shown off yet more facets to his ever-expanding game. Durants free agency looms However, the specter of Durants legacy-defining decision has loomed over the Warriors season throughout. Its been the subject of relentless speculation which has led to some blow-ups along the way. Durant, for his part, has not said much publicly. When he has hinted at what factors could play into his decision hes indicated that his driving motivation on the court is growth as a basketball player, as that he finally wants to secure a max-level contract after playing on discounted deals the last couple of years. The Warriors can certainly offer him the latter, but there is a question mark over how much further he can grow his game here, given his progress as a player, especially if Golden State does complete the three-peat this year. The temptation to strike out on his own has been a constant undertone of much of the speculation linking Durant with other teams, most heavily the New York Knicks of course. The chance to start again in a global mega-city and resurrect a fallen franchise is a powerful narrative. Tonights matchup is perhaps a cautionary tale for Durant. Lebron James, this time last year the undisputed best player in the game, decided to take just that path last summer, joining a Los Angeles Lakers franchise that had been struggling to recapture their former glory. James took the bold step of joining the team on his own, trusting the front office to build a contender around him. Suffice to say it hasnt worked to date. James will miss this game, having been shut down for the season. His individual numbers may be as great as ever, but the Lakers have 35 wins so far, the same number as they finished with last year. Not all of that is on James by any measure. The front office has to take a large chunk of the blame. They passed on a trade for Kawhi Leonard, held out on Paul George only to see him re-sign with the Thunder, and failed to land Anthony Davis, unsettling their young core in the process. Last summer they surrounded James with a ragtag crew of veterans whose fit was questionable rather than the well-trodden path of shooters to space the floor. This summer they have a chance to put it right, but a year of Lebron James' late-prime has been wasted, and hes started to show his age a little with the first major injury of his career. Well, Durant is already likely to finish ahead of James for a spot on the All-NBA team. If Durant plays as he has in the last two playoffs and finishes with another Finals MVP he may arguably take over the top spot in the game. Then, sat before him will be his own choice about his future. There are important differences to consider. Durant is younger than James was when he left, and the Warriors are still very much in contention should he decide to stay, whereas the Cleveland Cavaliers were on the downswing. And with the move to San Francisco, the Warriors are poised for a reset moment in a major global city that could potentially salve some of that wanderlust. Staying this summer doesnt mean he cant leave later on. But there are similarities too. The chance to be an icon, the resurrector of a franchise in a global mega city that also happens to be mad about basketball. A front office with a historically sketchy track record but the cap space to get it all right, or horribly wrong. Some promising but unproven youth, and perhaps more depending on where the Knicks draft pick falls this year. The parallel is there to be drawn. When the schedule was originally announced, tonights game looked like it would be a juicy matchup between two playoff teams, and yet another thrilling installment of the rivalry between Lebron James and the Golden State Warriors. Instead, its a meaningless game at the end of yet another failed season for the Lakers, while for the Warriors all eyes are on the Larry O'Brien trophy. That alone should give Durant some pause for thought when free agency does finally roll around. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmurray/2019/04/04/will-lebron-james-struggles-with-the-lakers-impact-kevin-durants-next-move/ |
Can The Boeing 737 Max Brand Reputation Be Repaired? | Getty When the crashes of two 737 Max jets caused countries around the world and eventually the US to ground that Boeing model, Boeing stayed silent. As social media lit up, as 737 Max aircraft sat still on global tarmacs, as governments, airlines and pilots asked for guidance, Boeing stayed silent. In todays environment with a focus on transparency, clarity, credibility, responsibility and accountability, it is astonishing that a business would choose silence over straightforward, clear, action-oriented statements. We live in a world where there is no possibility of secrets. The Internet and social media spread news, information and outrage instantaneously. And yet, Boeing stayed silent. Nothing good can come from silence. There is a common expression that Silence is golden. When it comes to crisis management, silence means agreement. A leader cannot clam up or provide gratuitous statements such as we are humbled or this is a learning experience. People died. Leaders do not hide. Silence is destructive, not responsive. To be a leader, act like a leader. News reports indicate that Boeing leadership wanted to have all the facts first before saying anything. Then, when Boeing did speak the company spoke in engineering terms as if everyone listening had a PhD in computer science and engineering. As one reporter pointed out, Boeing believed that the issue was a business-to-business issue rather than a business-to-consumer issue. They seemed more concerned about the concerns of their airline customers who buy Boeings planes instead of the concerns of the air travelers who buy airline tickets. Boeing seemed surprised that people actually cared about the equipment on which they would be flying. After years of marketing telling us to care about the brand of microprocessor inside our computers, the cavity preventing ingredient in toothpaste, the breathable fabric in sportswear, Boeing should have known better. People do care about what makes a product perform. They care about the reliability of the performance. I care about the performance reliability of a laptop. When it comes to personal safety, I really care. Since 1982, there has been a standard playbook for handling crises. Do not stay silent. Take action now. Business has been taught to follow the masterful transparency of Johnson & Johnson, when its mega-brand Tylenol became the target of cyanide tampering, killing seven people (not including a few copycat deaths). Putting aside the issue that the world has changed since 1982, the fundamentals of crisis management have not: do not stay silent and take action now. Rather than take any chances with further deaths, J&J immediately pulled all bottles of Tylenol from shelves nationally over 30 million bottles worth over $100 million (1982 dollars). Additionally, J&J alerted hospitals, hospices and medical centers to the hazard and stopped all Tylenol production and marketing. For those consumers who already owned bottles of Tylenol, J&J stated everyone would be reimbursed. Basically, J&J acted like a responsible leader in an assertive, vocal manner regardless of the possibility that its stock price would take a beating. The stock price did turn sharply downwards but regained its losses in a year. J&J maintained control of the situation. Brands that stay silent, and cede control of events lose the leadership position. They are then in the position of having to reply, respond, react to the claims of others. Leaders must take the lead. Especially with the proliferation of media channels all vying to capture our attention, it is imperative to take command and take a stand. Yes. To rebuild trust, one thing is certain silence is not an option. To rebuild brand trust, here are five actions that Boeing should take now: Speak up and speak out early and often Do not wait around until everything is wrapped up in a neat package with a bow. Silence is golden if you are in the library reading room. People need and want to hear what Boeing has to say and what actions Boeing is taking now. Everyone is a consumer. Whether you are an engineer or an English teacher, whether you are a Boeing executive or a sales person on a business trip or a local baker on vacation, you are concerned about personal safety. Boeing needs to behave in a trustworthy manner to earn a travelers trust. Openness is an opportunity Openness is critical for trust. It is only a matter of time before the public discovers the facts about any issue. This is not a new idea. In 2007 (April) Wired magazine ran a cover story titled, Get Naked and Rule The World proclaiming that the smart enterprises are participating in radical transparency. Boeing should be open and transparent, not silent and opaque. Take control of the story Social media will grab as much as possible, not all of which will be positive or true. Boeing should be out front with what they are doing to address the situation. Ceding control of the story allows the Internet world including social media to create an atmosphere of distrust about Boeings intent and actions. Stay ahead of the news. Instead of waiting, responding, reacting and defending, take the lead. Act swiftly Actions speak louder than words. Demonstrate do not just discuss. Process management is not brand management. Waiting to get all the facts is viewed as avoiding responsibility. People do not care about Boeings data collection processes. They do care about the actions Boeing is taking now. Tylenol removed product from the shelves. They did not wait for retailers to do so. Boeing should have told airlines to ground the 737 Max planes. Instead, they waited for countries and airlines to do so. Do not wait until action is forced on you: take responsible action now. Promise what you can deliver and deliver what you promise. Setting up expectations that you cannot meet will help erode brand trust. Communicate a sense of urgency. Crate and communicate an aggressive plan of action. Fix the problem. Promise that the problem is fixed. Deliver what you promise. But, dont overpromise regarding the timetable. Right now, Boeing is saying the process for understanding what went wrong is taking longer than initially thought. This does not engender trust. If the problem is more complicated and taking longer to correct, this means that US airlines were flying Boeing 737 Max aircraft with a much more serious problem than Boeing admitted. Regulators are focusing on Boeings internal debates and the slowness of Boeings response. The FAA is saying that it will be weeks before Boeing provides a submission on how to fix the problem. And, then the FAA will have to agree to the fix. In the meantime, the Boeing brand is in a purgatory of its own making. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/larrylight/2019/04/04/can-the-boeing-737-max-brand-reputation-be-repaired/ |
Is Walgreens CEO Pessina Opening Up To A Big Merger? | Moira Forbes and Stefano Pessina discuss Walgreens Boots Alliance partnership strategy at Forbes Healthcare Summit 2018 Victoria Engblom photo After what he called "the most difficult quarter" since Walgreens Boots Alliance was formed, Stefano Pessina may be leaning toward more than just executing partnerships as a way to grow the global drugstore chain and boost its battered stock price. The Italian billionaire, who is Walgreens CEO and biggest individual shareholder, has long said he prefers partnerships rather than a large transformative acquisition. Theres been speculation dating back two years that Walgreens will buy the rest of giant distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp. that it doesnt own or might acquire a health insurer like Humana, which already has a joint venture with the drugstore giant to develop senior health clinics. But Walgreens hasnt made a sizable acquisition since its $4.4 billion purchase of more than 1,900 Rite Aids and Wall Street appears to be getting restless. By comparison, CVS Health spent $70 billion to buy Aetna, the nations third-largest health insurer. After being pressed on Walgreens quarterly earnings call by the noted J.P. Morgan analyst Lisa Gill, Pessina revealed the drugstore chain was reviewing some targets. "We are constantly reviewing a certain number of companies," Pessina said on a longer-than-usual 90-minute call Tuesday to discuss earnings. "Don't ask me the names, I cannot give you the names. But of course, until now, we have not found the right numbers to do a combination with these companies." Wall Street is looking for results from Walgreens partnership strategy after the drugstore chain in the last three years has signed deals with Microsoft, the grocer Kroger, Humana and UnitedHealth Groups urgent care business. For much of the last two years, such deals have been testing concepts and piloting healthcare services and technology to develop what executives have called the "drugstore of the future." But the partnerships won't churn out profits for awhile. On the partnership front, for the first time (Walgreens) highlighted the multiple partnerships formed over the past few years probably will not be accretive to earnings until 2022, which is likely later than street expectations, Mizuho Securities USA analyst Ann Hynes wrote this week. Meanwhil, Pessina has said repeatedly for the last two years that hes not going to execute a big merger or acquisition for the sake of doing one even though he said this week some acquisition could be done mainly financing them through cash. "I can just give the same answer that I have given in the past," Pessina said, responding to JP Morgans Gill. "We are open to any kind of partnership which makes sense, which is compatible with what we are doing, provided that the price is correct and provided that the organization of the company that we buy or that we merge is compatible with us because the prices are important. But also if you don't have a compatible teams at the end, the merger will not work and you will not be able to deliver synergies." | https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2019/04/04/is-walgreens-ceo-pessina-opening-up-to-a-big-merger/ |
What is 5G? | Faster connections and better capacity have got consumers excited about the capabilities As South Korean firms claim to have beaten their US rivals to become the first to roll out a super-fast 5G mobile network, we explain what exactly 5G is and what it means for you. 5G, for Fifth Generation, is the latest update to the raft of international standards that dictate how mobile phones should work. The rules, which cover everything from what frequency radiowaves should be to how cell towers should verify which phones theyre talking with, were finalised last May at a conference in California, where more than 600 delegates hammered out the last details needed to fully upgrade from the pre-existing 4G standard. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A KT technician checks an antenna for the 5G mobile network service on the rooftop of a building in Seoul. Everyone is very excited about the speed. Where 4G connections tend to offer download speeds of around 20Mbps enough to download a HD movie in 30 minutes or so 5G is expected to beat that by orders of magnitude: 500 to 1500Mbps, fast enough to get the same film in about 25 seconds. Probably not. In fact, the speed increases of 5G are so huge that mobile carriers have struggled to come up with practical examples of just how fast it is. In practice, almost everything you would do with a 5G connection would be instant, or limited by factors other than connection speed. But while faster connections might be the way to convince early adopters to pay a bit more to get 5G day one, the real advantages are less sexy: capacity, coverage, and latency. Never mind the hype. It should, yes. A typical 5G cell tower can handle a hundred times more unique devices than a 4G one could, according to Huaweis Paul Scanlan, the chief technology officer of the Chinese companys carrier business unit. That means that overloaded base stations should become a thing of the past at least, until the rise of the internet of things means that not only is your phone connected to the internet, but so are your credit cards, clothes and cans. More indirectly. What areas do and dont get coverage is still largely a business decision by carriers, who have to weigh the cost of new towers against the revenue from users. But the 5G standard allows for radically smaller base stations than was previously possible about the size of a mini-fridge which in turn means that masts can be placed in locations where they would never previously have been feasible. In urban areas, that could mean a mast on every lightpost; outside of cities, it means avoiding the unsightly blights that make it hard to get permission for new towers. The latency of a connection is the speed that it takes for single bit of data to do both legs of a journey. Historically, its taken second place to bandwidth, which is a measure of how many bits can travel down a connection in a second, but increasingly, latency is the more important factor. Gamers know that already: the difference between a 10ms latency and a 100ms connection is the difference between being able to pull the trigger faster than your opponent. But 5G connections, which can lower latencies to just 1ms, enable uses that havent previously been possible: from real-time VR connections, where high latency would introduce extremely unpleasant nausea, to remote-control robotics that can safely interact with the real world. | https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/04/what-is-5g-fast-mobile-phone-network-technology |
Does Brexit mean Breggxit for the humble scotch egg? | EU officials have announced that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, visitors from the UK will be banned from bringing animal-based products to the continent. Its a familiar situation. Youre heading off for a European holiday and have a long journey ahead of you. You know youll be able to grab a bite on the plane, train or ferry, but arent sure if any shops will still be open once you clear customs and begin the next leg. And then, when you finally reach your apartment, there will be nothing in for breakfast the next day. So you make a few sandwiches, and pack some scotch eggs or pork pies to go with the milk, teabags and chocolate digestives. Travel is about to get a little harder, though. EU officials said on Wednesday that under a no-deal Brexit, visitors from the UK will be banned from taking fresh meat, game, poultry, fish and shellfish, pet food, milk, eggs, honey, bone products and gelatine into Europe, under the threat of bringing serious diseases into the continent. While pet food, bone products and a slab of gelatine may not top your list of favourite snacks, these rules could mean no more scotch eggs, no more pork pies, not even a cheddar cheese sandwich. Customs officials will check for food when you enter the EU, so if you do bring anything like this, youll have to eat it beforehand. Commenting on the potential new rules, a senior EU official said: Any animal-based product is not what you will want to put into your luggage in case of a no deal. Because you will not be able to import ham, sausage or other products. Thats the end of that. There are similar restrictions elsewhere. Singapore famously banned chewing gum in 1992 in an effort to keep its streets clean, and travellers flying in with more than two packs face up to two years in prison and a S$100,000 (55,000) fine. In the US, Kinder Surprise Eggs are banned as a choking hazard because of their miniature toys, as is haggis for its use of sheep lungs and intestine casing. In-flight meals, meanwhile, are also theatened by Brexit. With EU customs commissioner Pierre Moscovici threatening major disruption and queues at the Eurotunnel exit and at the ports in the case of no-deal, airline caterers have been stockpiling supplies. Everything from pizza, ice cream and roast duck for business and first classes, of course is being stockpiled. There is some good news. If your idea of a European holiday is a quick trip to stock up on cheap wine and food and the Calais booze cruise has seen a surge of interest in recent months a French official says the sanctions shouldnt affect purchases coming into the UK. Eating only British cheese would be a pity for people in the UK, they said, hilariously. | https://www.theguardian.com/news/shortcuts/2019/apr/04/does-brexit-mean-breggxit-for-the-humble-scotch-egg |
Could the Tories woo Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould into crossing the floor? | Now that Jane Philpott and Jody Wilson-Raybould have been officially cut loose from the Liberal caucus, the question lingers as to whether they will remain independents or, ultimately, cross the floor to an opposition party. Senior Conservatives contacted by the National Post all said that there had been no discussions about wooing Philpott and Wilson-Raybould, and even hinted that it would be inappropriate to do so. Its not the time to have those conversations, said Lisa Raitt, the Conservatives deputy leader. No discussions around that, said Brock Harrison, spokesman for Conservative leader Andrew Scheer. However, that doesnt mean there arent corners of the Conservative Party that would heartily welcome the two ex-Liberals. No. Andrew MacDougall, a former spokesman for prime minister Stephen Harper, was much less supportive. When asked whether the pair should be wooed into the Tories he answered absofinglutely not. MacDougall is a vocal defender of both women. In a recent editorial, he called them victims of Trumpy tribalism. But he said that getting them to become Tories would quickly undermine their public standing. Making them partisan actors would only devalue whatever future revelations they have to share, he said. One of the chief criticisms that Liberal partisans are leveling at Philpott and Wilson-Raybould is that by questioning the actions of Justin Trudeau, they are clearing the way for a Conservative electoral victory. Our political opponents win when Liberals are divided, Trudeau said during his speech Tuesday ejecting both from caucus. In that sense, an image of Wilson-Raybould and Philpott at a lectern standing next to Andrew Scheer would play right into the Liberal narrative lambasting the pair as power hungry dissidents hell-bent on burning down Trudeaus rule. Only eight months ago, the Conservatives were successful in getting Ontario Liberal MP Leona Alleslev to defect to their party. At the time, Alleslev cited dissatisfaction with the Liberals approach to foreign affairs and trade. My attempts to raise my concerns with this government were met with silence, she said in a September, 2018 speech announcing her departure. While Alleslev voluntarily left the Liberals over ideological differences, the case of Wilson-Raybould and Philpott is different in that they were forcibly ejected over what they saw as a principled stand for prosecutorial independence. These two women have done something that transcends politics, said Alberta conservative MP Michelle Rempel, the Conservatives critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. This cant be about asking whether they will be useful in an election, rather, we need to look inwardly and ask how all Members of Parliament can give them respect for standing in support of the independence of our judiciary. I support you in speaking truth to power, your courage, and your strength. This is a moment when all Canadians regardless of political stripe will unite behind you because you have done what is good and just. You are on the right side of history. https://t.co/9M7FLJEWK6 Michelle Rempel (@MichelleRempel) April 2, 2019 Theres also the question of whether Wilson-Raybould or Philpott would even want to be Tories. It would be a particularly tough sell to get Wilson-Raybould to sign on with the Conservatives: Back when she was regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations she was frequently at odds with the government of Stephen Harper. She was a fierce critic of the Conservatives First Nations Financial Transparency Act and was frequently in the news to denounce what she saw as a lack of Tory consultation with Indigenous people in pursuing resource projects. Our relationship with the federal government remains challenged, to say the least, Wilson-Raybould said in 2014. If the events of the last few weeks have proven anything, its that Wilson-Raybould seems to prioritize principle over career ambitions something that could make her immune to even the most generous Tory offer. The same appears to be true of Philpott. She is a relative newcomer to politics and has no longstanding ties to the Liberal brand. She is described by friends as a woman of deep Christian faith and also represents a riding that was recently blue. When Philpott won election in 2015, she defeated Paul Calandra, a former parliamentary secretary to prime minister Harper. However, as health minister she also championed a number of policies that were opposed by the prior Conservative government, including medically assisted dying and harm reduction. In Philpotts Tuesday statement issued after her ejection from caucus, she continued to express loyalty to Liberal policies, saying that her actions were all motivated by a desire to avoid the consequences of letting the SNC-Lavalin issue slip by without government acknowledgement. This also isnt about political advantage or strategy, she wrote. It is frankly absurd to suggest that I would leave one of the most senior portfolios in government for personal advancement or merely out of friendship with Jody Wilson-Raybould. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: TristinHopper | https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/could-the-tories-woo-jane-philpott-and-jody-wilson-raybould-into-crossing-the-floor |
What Will Machine Learning Look Like In Twenty Years? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Keno Fischer, CTO at Julia Computing, on Quora: Machine Learning is a very rapidly moving field, so its hard to make predictions about the state of the art 6 months from now, let alone 15 - 20 years. I can however, offer a series of educated guesses based on what I see happening right now. We are still far away from AGI. Current generation machine learning systems are still very far away from something that could legitimately be called artificial intelligence. The systems we have right now are phenomenal at pattern recognition from lots of data (even reinforcement learning systems are mostly about memorizing and recognizing patterns that worked well during training). This is certainly a necessary step, but it is very far away from an intelligent system. In analogy to human cognition, what we have now is analogous to the subconscious processes that allow split second activation of your sympathetic nervous system when your peripheral vision detects a predator approaching or former significant other turning around a corner - in other words, pattern-based, semi-automatic decisions that our brain does in hardware. We dont currently have anything I can see that would resemble intentional thought and Im not convinced well get to it from current generation systems. Traditional programming is not going away. I sometimes hear the claim that most traditional programming will be replaced by machine learning systems. I am highly skeptical of this claim, partly as a corollary to the previous point, but more generally because machine learning isnt required for the vast majority of tasks. Machine Learning excels where dealing with the messiness of the real world, lots of data is available and no reasonably fundamental model is available. If any of these are not true, you generally dont have to settle for a machine learning model - the traditional alternatives are superior. A fun way to think about it is that humans are the most advanced natural general intelligence around, but yet we invented computers to do certain specialized tasks were too slow at. Machine Learning will augment most traditional tasks. That being said, anytime one of these traditional systems needs to interact with a human, there is an opportunity for machine-learning based augmentation. For example, a programmer looking at error messages, could use a machine learning system that looks at the error messages and suggests a course of action. Computers are a lot more patient than humans. You cant make a human watch millions of hours of programming sessions to remember the common resolutions to problems, but you can make a machine learning system do the same. In addition, machine learning systems can learn from massive amounts of data very rapidly and on a global scale (if any instance of the machine learning system has ever encountered a particular set of circumstances, it can almost instantly share that knowledge globally, without being limited to the speed of human communication). I dont think we have yet begun to appreciate the impact of this, but well probably see it in another 5-10 years. Well get better at learning from small or noisy data. At the moment machine learning systems mostly require large amounts of relatively clean, curated, data sets. There are various promising approaches to relax this requirement in one or the other direction (or combinations of small, well curated data sets to get started with a larger corpus of more noisy data). I expect these to be perfected in the near future. Well see ML systems be combined with traditional approaches. At the moment it seems fairly common to see ML systems that are entirely made of of neural networks trying to solve end to end problems. This often works ok, because you can recover many traditional signal processing techniques from these building blogs (e.g. fourier transforms, edge detection, segmentation, etc. ), but the learned versions of these transforms can be significantly more computationally expensive than the underlying approach. I wouldnt be surprised to see these primitives making a bit of a come back (as part of a neural network architecture). Similarly, Im very excited about physics-based ML approaches where you combine a neural network with knowledge of an underlying physical model (e.g. the differential equations governing a certain process) in order to outperform both pure ML approaches and approaches relying solely on the physical process (i.e. simulations). 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/2019/04/04/what-will-machine-learning-look-like-in-twenty-years/ |
How Agile Is Facebook? | Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg continued Facebooks radical about-face last week, calling for new government regulation on harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability. This comes less than a month after his privacy-focused vision for the future. Facebooks latest initiatives remind me of Thomas Friedmans comment about climate change: They have to avoid what is unmanageable and manage what is unavoidable. Friedmans observation could be Facebooks template for changeand their ability to change could be a blueprint for agile leadership. This will be a telling real-time case study for all leaders today. Because the biggest challenge most of us face is managing transformationof our business models, our distribution models, and most fundamentally, helping our employees be agile enough to succeed and stay resilient in the midst of the stressors that change creates. Whats unmanageable: Facebook built their $500 billion business on advertising purporting to be content and agnostic data sharing. Under a stance of openness, they have for years circumvented regulations and norms pertaining to other ad-driven information providers like broadcast companies, content companies and news organizations. But openness empowered some unmanageable players: Internet trolls, fake news purveyors and hate groups proliferated quickly and all over the platform. This put Facebook on the defensive and now requires them to change rapidly or face existential threat. Whats unavoidable: Facebook is so big, and so deeply woven into billions of lives, that they are colliding with public opinion and government policy. Political candidates are calling for a breakup of tech giants, arguing that they are monopolies that surreptitiously betray users trust. And the #leavefacebook reaction of some users creates perfect conditions for a competitor to come in promising greater privacy and security. Speed Vs. Agility Facebooks culture of move fast and break things helped it move with impressive speed in the past. But the transformation Zuckerberg outlines will take agility as well as speed. Last year, when all hell broke loose on the privacy front, Zuckerberg and his team were slow to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. They treated privacy and data protection as a public relations problem. Now, Facebooks technologists have to create a set of as-yet-undetermined innovations which will require a profound understanding of where their current customersand the worlds governmentsare going culturally. Achieving this requires an agile mindset that responds quickly to the fast-changing scene. Zuckerbergs leadership challenge will be to change the mindset of his workforce. In an agile organization, people keep learning, enabling them to transcend traditional boundaries. At a personal level, each employee will have to adopt a fresh point of view about what the business delivers, what the customer deserves. A change of this scale will challenge every Facebook employee to develop personal resilience. Agility includes the skills to deal with mind-bending change, move fast, and not falter in the face of unfamiliar team dynamics. For all the stress and adversity that agility inevitability creates, resilience skills empower people to make those changes and quickly return to a sense of personal equilibrium. In fact, as our research in training people to be resilient makes very clear, people who are agile but not resilient run a high risk of burning out Resilient people dont ignore or fear changethey embrace it with confidence. Resilient cultures build confidence with fast learning cycles that blend internal and external experience, a growth mindset, open-mindedness and empathy. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote an entire book examining her resilience in the face of devastating loss (2017s Option B). She noted that supportive relationships and gratitude for what is good in our lives are also essential parts of resilience. As leaders, we have to acknowledge that sometimes our own hubris can keep us from being agile. Sandberg also wrote, When companies fail, its usually for reasons that almost everyone knows but almost no one has voiced. Now that Facebooks leadership itself has voiced the reasons for its troubles and a different way forward, it will be fascinating to see how Facebooks employees find both the agility and resilience to make the turn. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/janbruce/2019/04/04/how-agile-is-facebook/ |
What Are The Shortcomings Of Spreadsheets? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Hjalmar Gislason, founder & CEO, GRID, on Quora: Spreadsheets changed the world. Theyve revolutionized how business is done. Industries everywhere run on them. Theyre also rife with errors. An estimated 88% of spreadsheets include mistakes, and half of those used by big businesses have material defects. All those errors cost businesses billions. Harvard researchers had an infamous error in an influential economics paper. JP Morgans so-called London whale fiasco, which led to a $6 billion loss, involved a spreadsheet error. The horror stories keep coming, which explains why some people even argue spreadsheets are ruining the world. So for everyone, in every business, struggling to avoid spreadsheet errors, know that youre far from alone. The good news is that lots of spreadsheet errors can be avoided. For starters, when creating or working on a spreadsheet, make a habit of using data validation functionality. Its a surprisingly little known and rarely used feature of Excel, the first and most popular platform for creating spreadsheets (although Google Sheets has grabbed a substantial share). Data validation can make a big difference. It allows you to restrict the type of data or values that can be entered in. It can also provide error messages, alerting you when theres something to check. But these tools cant protect against human error. And a spreadsheet quickly takes on a life of its own. Someone creates it, but then other people look at it and dont understand all of its complexities and vulnerabilities. They only see the tables, spotlight a couple of figures, and are tempted to draw big conclusions. Put these two things together, and you get data disasters. As a paper from the Actuarial Practice Forum put it, Other people might be more inclined to consider the possibility of an error, but they are unable to find it from ignorance; you would be able to find it, but youre overconfident about your work. Some third-party applications are designed to help with both these problems. They include proprietary algorithms that scan spreadsheets for possible data errors, and they limit access. Continuous Data Testing (CDT) can make a big difference as well. CDT runs test queries on the figures put into spreadsheets and checks for validity. Professors from the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts studied almost 100 people engaged in data entry, and found impressive results. Those not using CDT corrected 40% of their errors. But those who did use CDT corrected 100% of the errors, twice as fast. Its also helpful to build spreadsheets in stages and conduct your own tests on the results as you go, the U.S. Army notes. Locking the cells youre not using to avoid unintentional changes can help as well, as long as you unlock the field as soon as you spot an error so you can fix it right away. And sometimes, simple and avoidable clerical errors cause problems. For example, copying and pasting parts of a worksheet can make blocks of text disappear -- and that text might give crucial information about understanding and interpreting the data. Errors also decrease when spreadsheets are compiled by groups of people rather than individuals. One study found that groups of three made 78% fewer errors than people working alone. Interestingly, the groups that got along best made more errors than those who felt the work was less smooth. All this is no reason to avoid spreadsheets. They are a fantastic tool. They provide enterprises, work groups, small business owners and individuals with powerful insights. I even say they run the world. And theyre often the answer to a popular question at work: How can I do this without involving IT? Just about everyone has the ability to make spreadsheets and can use them to do more for themselves. But they can be even better than most people realize. And for those who choose to develop expertise, graduating from a basic user to a developer or even scripter, learning the ins and outs can make them even easier to create, faster to complete, and less riddled with mistakes. 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/2019/04/04/what-are-the-shortcomings-of-spreadsheets/ |
Will Indias Anti-Satellite Weapon Test Spark an Arms Race in Space? | Malcolm Davis Security, We take a look. Its been an interesting 48 hours in space news. For starters, the Trump administrations decision to fast-track US strategy for a return to the moon, aiming for American astronauts to land at the lunar south pole by 2024 (instead of the earlier plan of 2028) caught everyone by surpriseincluding NASA. The announcement generated intense debate about whether the new timeline is practicable, what it means for NASAs behind-schedule and over-budget Space Launch System rocket, and whether Congress will fully fund such a move. Its clearly designed to achieve a lunar landing in time for the end of what would be Donald Trumps supposed second term in office and, as explained by Vice President Mike Pence, its set in the context of a new space race against China. For space watchers, that was exciting enough. But the more dramatic news, which broke late Wednesday evening, was Indias test of an anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) in low-earth orbit (LEO). Promoted as a great achievement for India, Mission Shakti involved the destruction of a 740-kilogram microsatellite by a missile carrying an ASAT. The mission was led by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation, the government agency responsible for Indias military space capability. The satellite, known as Microsat R, was a live satellite (meaning it was in active use as a military reconnaissance satellite), though clearly it could also be considered a prospective target for an ASAT test. The low altitude300 kilometresof Microsat R means that most of the debris will re-enter the atmosphere and burn up quickly. That distinguishes the Indian test from Chinas 2007 ASAT test against the Fengyun-1C satellite at 800 kilometres, which produced a large debris field and generated significant international opprobrium for Beijing. The Indian test is much closer in nature to the US 2008 Burnt Frost exercise, in which a US Navy cruiser launched an SM-3 missile defence interceptor against a malfunctioning US satellite in a decaying orbit at 280 kilometres. The ostensible aim was to prevent toxic chemicals from spreading in the event of an uncontrolled re-entrybut the mission also demonstrated an ASAT capability to Beijing following its test in January 2007. Although much of the debris re-entered and burned up quickly, some was thrown higher into LEO and was a hazard for close to 18 months. The Indian ASAT test appears to be an attempt to demonstrate parity between Delhi and Beijing on counterspace capabilityat least against very low altitude LEO satellites. As Brian Weeden and Victoria Sampson note in their 2018 global counterspace assessment, China has certainly deployed direct-ascent ASATs designed to destroy US satellites in LEO. Those weapons could easily be directed against Indian satellites too. In a crisis, that would give China the ability to reduce the terrestrial capability of Indian military forces. It would compromise effective command and control and eliminate space-based intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, leaving Indian forces deaf, dumb and blind. Without an Indian ASAT capability, China has little to fear from an Indian response in kind and could gamble that Delhi wouldnt risk escalationfor example, by using nuclear weapons. So, its likely that Indias actions were motivated by a desire to establish credible space deterrence against China, and potentially against Pakistan (though it must be noted that the Pakistani space program is nowhere nearly as advanced as Indias). The test also contributed to Indias ability to undertake ballistic missile defence. An ASAT test against a LEO-based satellite demonstrates the ability to intercept longer-range missiles, which fly faster and higher than short-range tactical missiles that generally fly within earths atmosphere. Thats a message to both Pakistan, which has Shaheen-II and Shaheen-IIImedium-range ballistic missiles, and of course China, which has a full range of ballistic missile capabilities that can reach targets across the length and breadth of India. The window of opportunity for conducting ASAT tests may be closing soon. There are long-running efforts to promote and strengthen space arms control and legal norms against space weapons. Nothing in the panoply of current space law prevents testing of ASATs, but China and Russia are promoting the draft UN treaty banning the placement of weapons in space (the PPWT proposal) and continue to push the proposed Prohibition on an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) agreements. The US and other nations are rejecting these ideas because theyre unverifiable and would leave Chinese and Russian direct-ascent ASATs intact. India may have decided to ensure it has a declared ASAT capability now to avoid any possible political fallout from refusing to sign or withdrawing from such agreements in the future. | https://news.yahoo.com/india-anti-satellite-weapon-test-155500094.html |
Can honey protect the stomach from aspirin? | Q: My mother has neck and back pain and sees a physical therapist for it. When her PT was unavailable for a few weeks, she was in considerable pain. I suggested she take aspirin for pain relief, but it gives her terrible heartburn. All NSAIDs do. A few weeks ago, I read about a study in which rats with NSAID-induced ulcers were given honey. In two weeks, the honey had healed 83 percent of the ulcers and protected their stomachs from further damage. I decided to perform an experiment: Mom agreed to try taking honey with her aspirin. The result: no heartburn! I may be more excited than she is because my experiment has worked so well. Maybe this has the potential to help other people who have to take aspirin for a medical condition but experience irritation. A: Your experiment is fascinating. A review of research suggests that honey can heal ulcers in rats (Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, July 15, 2018). That said, until there is a clinical trial with human subjects, this approach is at best experimental. Q: I have had dry eyes for years and tried all sorts of artificial tear products. When I went for my most recent eye exam, I mentioned this to the doctor. She did some tests in darkness with a direct light. She said my tears were (in my words) more globby, I believe, and therefore not coating the surface of my eye correctly. She suggested I take oral krill oil. It works! I hardly need to use eyedrops at all. A: When the tears become too viscous, as yours had, they may not do the job of protecting the cornea as they should. A study in people with type 2 diabetes and dry-eye disorder found that omega-3 fatty acids improve the tear film and help the surface of the eye (Journal of the American College of Nutrition, January 2017). Krill oil is derived from tiny marine creatures that are a great source of these omega-3 fats. A study in the journal Ophthalmology (January 2017) found that supplementation with krill oil improved symptoms of dry eye disease. On the other hand, a relatively large clinical trial comparing omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil to placebo found no benefit for dry eye (New England Journal of Medicine, May 3, 2018). Q: My doctor prescribed an antibiotic (levofloxacin, or Levaquin) and a probiotic (Primadophilus) for an infection. I am to take one pill of each per day, but it seems to me like one cancels out the other. The doctor says there are no conclusive guidelines on how these are to be taken. A: People often turn to probiotics to help the digestive tract recover from a course of antibiotic therapy. That is because antibacterial drugs can disrupt the ecology of the gut bacteria. The science surrounding this concept has been controversial. A study of probiotics following antibiotic treatment demonstrated that these beneficial bacteria can actually slow recovery of the normal microbiota (Cell, Sept. 6, 2018). What may work better is to restore the microbial ecology with a transplant of stool taken before the course of antibiotics. | https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/can-honey-protect-the-stomach-from-aspirin/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Why Do Bar Charts Work? | Marc Soares There are dozens of chart types for visualizing data, yet analysts come back to bar charts, time and time again. Simply put, bar charts are really good at what they do: theyre quick to create, show comparisons clearly, and are easy for the audience to understand. Theyre a staple in the data visualization arsenal. Basic horizontal bar chart Its a classic bar chart: horizontal bars, sorted in descending order. In the following visualization, showing the wind producing capacity of different US states, Marc Soares displays the top 10 states ranked in order of their megawatt output from 2017. The horizontal bars allow your brain to compare two states based on the bar length while vertical reference lines give you the magnitude for each state. All bars start at zero so that the bar for Texas with around 23k megawatts is about four times the length of the bar for California, while Oregons bar is about half the length of California. Marc Soares Even a reader without experience interpreting data visualizations will be able to understand that Texas is leading in this list and is creating significantly more output than the other states. Marcs design is clean, minimalistic and effective. The data, labels and reference lines he included help his audience but dont clutter up the chart. Basic vertical barchart In the next example, Jamie Biggs created a visualization to show the dominance of J.M.W. Turner artwork in the Tate Collection when compared to all other artists. Jamies choice of a vertical bar chart brings out his message clearly that the amount of Turner art work literally towers over that of all other artists combined. Vertical bars have one noticeable limitation compared to horizontal bars: as soon as we have more than about 10 bars being displayed next to each other on a normal-sized screen, labels can become hard to read. Vertical bars simply dont afford that much space for text labels below or above. Jamies chart with two bars works well, because it uses the space effectively and his colors are well-chosen. Jamie Biggs Diverging bar chart With a diverging bar chart, you can show how certain attributes differ from a common baseline. Whether you are displaying profit numbers for product categories or the time athletes took to run a certain distance compared to the average, diverging bars help categorize attributes (or products or athletes) above and below a common baseline. Brayden Schuts chart below is a great example of this. Hes visualized the perception of men and women as equally capable of leadership roles. Scores differed for all G7 countries, so he used the G7 average and then showed the higher-ranking countries on the right and lower-ranking nations on the left of that baseline. In his visualization, he uses the length of the bars to indicate how much countries deviate from the average. The direction of the bars shows whether they are better or worse than the G7 average and the two different shades of purple further accentuate this point. Brayden Schut Shorten time to insight The previous examples showed you that bar charts are simple to understand and can significantly shorten the time to insight for your audience. A message such as Texas is the biggest producer of wind power in the US needs to be backed up with facts and displaying the data in the way Marc did in his chart makes it very clear for his readers just how much wind power Texas provides compared to other states. Finally, here are some quick tips to help you get started designing effective bar charts: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/evamurray/2019/04/04/why-do-bar-charts-work/ |
Is Socialism Popular Or Is Socialism Polling Popular? | ASSOCIATED PRESS In the past few months, weve seen a flurry of new polls on socialism. An Axios/Harris Poll online survey in late February found that 37% of Americans would prefer to live in a socialist country. In a Fox News survey of registered voters, 25% had a favorable view of socialism. A new Zogby Analytics online poll found a similar result: 29% of likely voters had a positive view. In the poll, only 13% of Democrats wanted the national Democratic Party to declare itself a socialist party (Republicans, unsurprisingly, were more eager than Democrats to see the Democratic Party label itself that way). The Harvard Center for American Political Studies/Harris online poll has been asking registered voters about ideological and political labels they most identify with, and they included socialist and Democratic socialist as choices for Democrats. In February, 2% of Democrats chose socialist as their top label, and 4% Democratic socialist. In a March Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom poll, 56% of likely Democratic caucus-goers said they would be satisfied with a presidential candidate who thinks the country should be more socialist. You get the idea. There are a lot of new questions. The scattershot surveys have made headlines, but they dont tell us how views of socialism have changed over time or whether support for it is growing. Trends with identically worded questions are few and far between. Only two that Im aware of take us back even a decade. In Gallups question, first asked in 2010, 36% had a positive view and 58% a negative one. In their 2018 poll, a virtually identical 37% had a positive view and 58% a negative one. Socialism was as popular as the federal government, which as most Americans know, has not been very popular for a long time. In Fox News trend, 23% in 2009 said moving away from capitalism and more toward socialism would be a good thing and 65% a bad thing. In 2019, those responses were 24% and 54%, respectively. A handful of questions give us a sense of socialisms long-term trajectory in the US. The context for these questions was different, but some answers are similar to what we find today. One topic that interested the editors of Fortune, the sponsor of polls conducted by Elmo Roper, was how the life of the nation would change after World War II ended. A quarter in the pollsters in-person survey said it would be good, 40% bad, and 34% didnt know. In a separate question, 15% expected they would gain from socialism, while twice as many, 32%, felt they would lose. A quarter said it would make no difference and 28% didnt know what it would do. Only small numbers of people in the poll wanted government to own or operate key industries, but there was general support for regulating some of them, especially banks. Between 1937 and 1948, when Gallup included socialist as an option when they measured party identification, around 1% identified that way. What socialism means for most people may have changed since the 1940s. In Gallups question from 1949, 34% answered that socialism meant government ownership or control and 12% equality. In their 2018 survey, 23% gave an answer touching on equality and 17% on government control In almost all polls that probe views on socialism today, Democrats have a more favorable impression of the term than Republicans, and young people are more positive than older ones. In the polls that compare the two ideologies, capitalism is viewed more favorably than socialism. In many questions like the Roper one from 1942, the dont know responses are large. Polling on socialism is clearly popular right now, and it will be so until another issue catches fire and pollsters attention. But socialism itself is not becoming more popular among most Americans. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/bowmanmarsico/2019/04/04/is-socialism-popular-or-is-socialism-polling-popular/ |
What Are Meghan Markle's Royal Baby Name Options? | Meghan Markle is due to give birth this spring, but the anticipation over what shell choose as her first royal baby name has been in full swing since she announced her pregnancy in October. Whether she and Prince Harry will name their royal baby with something conventional by royal standards or something different is up for debate. Though its been widely believed that the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry are going against convention in their marriage, the notion that their approach to their royal duties breaks tradition is basically false, according to Victoria Arbiter, a royal expert and commentator for CNN. The royal couple doesnt tend to stray as far from tradition as people may think, she says. They havent broken any rules, but theyre certainly doing things their way, Arbiter tells TIME. The naming of this royal child is, in essence, less consequential than the naming of royals who are higher on the line of succession. Meghan Markles baby will be the seventh heir to the throne, providing a bit more leniency to the naming process, Arbiter explains. Because the child will likely not have an HRH affixed to its name it will not be called a prince or princess unless Queen Elizabeth issues a new patent decreeing it, which she has previously done in 2012 for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges children the naming process for Meghan and Harry has even more space for creativity. Arbiter also says the queen would discuss this decision with the parents before writing the patent. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now As the stakes are a bit lower than they are for HRH-affixed royal names, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could definitely choose to call the royal baby something untraditional, according to royal expert, Vanity Fair royal correspondent and the author of Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss, and Love, Katie Nicholl. Theres a lot of speculation that Meghans going to want to go for something quite untraditional, possibly an American name or a modern name. Its possible, Nicholl tells TIME. But, Nicholl says, its probably more likely that Prince Harry will yearn to follow tradition. If you look at the names of royal children, they are quite traditional names. They often reflect the family tree, she explains. I think Harry will be keen to honor that tradition. Arbiter adds that the pair may look to the family tree for inspiration. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may honor Prince Philip, just as it was a given that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge named their first child Prince George now the third in line to the throne after King George VI, Queen Elizabeths father. If thats the case, it wouldnt be Prince Harry fighting alone for the traditional, though, Nicholl predicts. I think [Markle] understands and respects the traditional institution that shes married into. At the end of the day, Arbiter says that the name of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles baby will be completely up to them. The queen only plays a small role in naming the child. Parents get to make their own decisions and choose their childs name. The queen is not a dictator by any stretch of the imagination, Arbiter says. Still, including the Queen in the naming and making sure shes notified of the final decision first is definitely a royal custom. Shes the head of the family, shes been Queen for over 66 years really its just a mark of respect to the matriarch of the family, Arbiter says. Write to Rachel E. Greenspan at [email protected]. | http://time.com/5562700/meghan-markle-baby-name-options/ |
Did Joe Biden miss his moment? | The 360 is a feature designed to show you diverse perspectives on the days top stories. Former Vice President Joe Biden is under fire after Nevada legislator Lucy Flores said he inappropriately planted a big slow kiss on her head at a 2014 campaign rally. A second woman claimed Biden made her uncomfortable when he leaned in to rub noses at a 2009 fundraiser. Both women said the contact was not sexual but that it crossed lines. Some argue he could divide Democrats generationally and wonder whether he can succeed in a post-#MeToo world. One older Democratic donor likened Biden to a friendly grandpa from a different generation, but others say his candidacy could alienate younger voters who may see his behavior as creepy. There were already questions over whether 76-year-old Biden is too old to run. Now some are asking whether hes also too old-school and if the Joe being Joe defense will fly in 2020. Biden has yet to officially declare his candidacy, and it remains to be seen if the controversy will affect his decision. During a news conference Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: I dont think that this disqualifies him from being president. Not at all. However, she had previously conceded that Biden needs to be more aware of how his actions could be received. For Bidens part, he first issued a statement saying he doesnt recall the incident as described by Flores but added: We have arrived at an important time when women feel that they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention, and I will. On Wednesday he commented further in a two-minute video posted to Twitter in which he vowed to be more mindful of personal space, but still stopped short of an apology to the women who have spoken out against him. Social norms have begun to change; theyve shifted, and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset and I get it, he said. Perspectives Biden is not a sexual predator, but hes out of touch and should reconsider running. I dont think Bidens avuncular pawing is a #MeToo story. But if Biden was more oblivious than predatory, his history still puts him out of step with the mores of an increasingly progressive Democratic Party. On Sunday, the New York Times reported that some Democrats are bracing for an extended reckoning about Mr. Biden and gender if he enters the race. The inevitably of such a reckoning should make Biden reconsider getting in. Michelle Godlberg, New York Times Biden represents an old era in a moment when voters want a new one. In short, Biden proudly, but also problematically, represents an old era at a time when many voters want a new one. Generations are split on Biden. Anyone who knows Biden knows that he is a very warm and tactile personality. There are a million examples of it. Its not lasciviousness. Its just his style. The problem he has is that these gestures, which he and most of the recipients viewed as benign, are now being judged in a different time and through a different lens. David Axelrod, Politico Biden needs to knock if off but so does the mob. What we all are learning, we should hope, is that we should respect women who have the courage to come forward about their experiences with unwanted physical contact. They deserve the benefit of the doubt both about their versions of events and about how they were made to feel. But it is also important and a sign that a social movement is maturing into a social norm to recognize that not every offense is of equal severity. Also worth factoring in is whether an alleged perpetrator was acting with malevolence or just cluelessness. Karen Tumulty, Washington Post | https://news.yahoo.com/joe-biden-miss-moment-010542144.html |
Will Joaquin Phoenixs Joker top Jared Letos iteration? | by Deron Dalton The official trailer of Joaquin Phoenix as the titular role in Joker is out, and many fans are loving his seemingly creepy take. But even with Phoenixs standalone film, Jared Leto will allegedly reprise his iteration in Birds of Prey. Thats a lot of Joker! While some critics werent big fans of Leto in Suicide Squad, theres a legion of fans who think Letos version is the best. Some have high hopes Phoenixs version. Following the first look of Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, fans are hyped for the standalone film. He hasnt even shown up in the characters iconic clown makeup yet, but fans are ready for a deep dive into Jokers origins. James Hibberd wrote for Entertainment Weekly: Phoenixs look free of clown makeup is presumably how we first meet the character in the film. But his green shirt and jacket give a nod toward the Jokers traditional color palette. Joker is expected to be a standalone origin story thats not entirely dissimilar to Taxi Driverand that photo definitely has a Travis Bickle vibe. I wouldnt quite classify this as like any genre, Phoenix has said of the film. I wouldnt say its a superhero movie, or a studio movie or a It feels unique, and I think more then anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so thats exciting. I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isnt, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think thats what Todd sees appealing about this idea. #Joker looks like exactly what I wanted it to be. The visual style is dark and gritty, the twisted humour lends itself so well to this character. Joaquin just disappears into this role, I could not be more excited! pic.twitter.com/PXQnye2m72 Declan Mckinney (@DeclanMckinney) April 3, 2019 Some critics blasted Jared Letos version of Joker following Heath Ledgers Oscar-winning performance in The Dark Knight. Others gave Leto much praise for breathing freshness into the character. Daniel Falconer wrote for Screen Rant: The film also served as the launch pad for the reinvention of classic DC villain, the Joker. Here he would be played by Jared Leto, with the actor embodying a Joker like none wed ever seen before in film. Covered in tattoos and unafraid to flash the flesh, many passed judgment on the new Clown Prince of Crime before he had even made an official debut. Falconer gave us 15 reasons why Letos version of Joker is the GOAT. Below is the #1 reason! Theres no denying that Letos version of the Joker is one of the most modernized weve ever seen, but its also fair to say that hes the closest adaptation of the character from the comic book renditions weve seen in the past. Hes unafraid to suit up, and has the perfect bold green hair, prominently red lips, pointed chin, and black eye makeup. Hes also the closest shape to that of the Joker were used to; Leto is slim and tall, reminiscent of those weve seen on the page. Whats magical about the overall finished look, however, is that inspiration has clearly been taken from a number of Joker comic book incarnations, rather than taking just one on board and running with it. Wearing a magenta suit one moment and a tuxedo the next, Leto and those who worked on the film were clearly unafraid to give the Joker their all. Fans allegedly may be able to catch Letos version of Joker in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), after he was seen in set photos, but theyll have to wait and see. why are people slandering Jared Letos Joker... he really was the modernised version of the joker, & he did a great job at making that... also he wasnt the main character of Sucide Squad, he was just apart of Harleys story. #JokerMovie pic.twitter.com/wtofN86fGV THE B ARMY (@army_britneys) April 3, 2019 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/will-joaquin-phoenixs-joker-top-jared-letos-iteration.html |
Should politicians really be hugging people in the first place? | by Cait Bladt Several women have come forward to share stories about times former vice president Joe Bidens insistence on physical contact has made them uncomfortable. Biden has long been known as a touchy feely guy, but women are now coming forward to say his behavior was not wanted or consensual. Shaking hands and kissing babies is seen as a necessary skill for politicians, connecting with constituents on a human level. After Lucy Flores published her story about Joe Bidens non-consensual kiss during a 2014 campaign event, Biden and his camp released a statement to the public. Biden claimed he had never touched a women in a way he thought was inappropriate and reaffirmed his commitment to womens rights. NEW: Statement from Joe Biden saying in all his years in public life, taking photos and giving hugs, not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention. pic.twitter.com/P0OuFeWDXu Matt Viser (@mviser) March 31, 2019 Some of Bidens colleagues and friends rushed to his defense, saying physical touch was just part of his personality. "It is a big part of who he is that he hugs people and connects with people and talks to people," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) says of former VP Joe Biden amid claims of inappropriate touching from two Democratic women https://t.co/EWuNXyh9jd pic.twitter.com/oCUPzjewKL CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 3, 2019 While others said Biden merely came from an antiquated world and had continued with the same behavior. WATCH: Peggy Noonan says former VP Joe Biden came from a previous era of American politics, when everyone "started to hug and kiss" #IfItsSunday@Peggynoonannyc: Joe Biden "came from the fleshy world of '60s and '70s politics" pic.twitter.com/SM7y2xdeHh Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 31, 2019 Not everyone accepted these explanations. Many people took to Twitter to share their views on the Biden storyand the social norms of hugging in general. Some said being a hugger or from a community that values physical contact is not an excuse to enter anyones personal space. Re: the Joe Biden thing, I come from a culture where almost everyone is friendly. I dont remember the last time I met a friend of a friend or an acquaintance & we didnt hug and kiss on the cheek...but Ive never been hugged/kissed by an elder in a place of power in that way. abk (@Rrrrnessa) April 2, 2019 The debate quickly became heated as many people rushed to Bidens defense, saying he hugged women and men indiscriminately. Some argued that Bidens behavior towards women has always had a different quality to it than his interactions with men. His treatment of women was roundly criticized as being paternalistic and patronizing. Getting reports that Joe Biden also hugs men. Cool. Fucking tight. The issue isnt about a normal ass hug and you know it you insincere dolts. Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) April 2, 2019 Other public figures began speaking out about how hugging is frequently unwanted and uncomfortable, forced upon them by strangers. People try to hug me at speaking events and even say "I don't shake, I hug" and reach to grab me...totally ignoring my agency or consent. I actually have a negative connection with hugging and save it for people I know and trust I extend my hand to make it clear that's it for me https://t.co/fMNdFIqpAk 4/6 (@FeministaJones) April 3, 2019 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/should-politicians-really-be-hugging-people-in-the-first-place.html |
Can redevelopment finally purge an old orphanages demons? | BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) An imposing Italianate-style building that looms over part of Vermonts largest city had such a troubled past that plans to redevelop it called for some mysticism. Dee Bright Star, an Abenaki woman who initially opposed the project, was brought in to conduct a spiritual cleansing. I just talked with them and asked them to go, Bright Star said of her conversations with the spirits she found there. They were very good and understanding. The 55,000-square-foot orphanage building, now called Liberty House, has been converted into 64 apartments and one condo. Elsewhere on the 32 acres, which have spectacular views of Lake Champlain and New Yorks Adirondacks beyond, construction is underway on what will become a total of 770 housing units, for elderly and low-income Vermonters but also including higher-end rental units and condos. There will also be 150,000 square feet of retail and business space. Twelve acres are being turned into a public park that will guarantee everyone access to the citys lakefront bike path. And there are high hopes that the project, scheduled for completion in 2025, will help ease a chronic housing shortage in the college town of 42,000 that has driven up the cost of living. Hopes are also high that the property can finally purge its demons. Advertising The original St. Josephs Orphanage building was constructed by the Catholic Church in the 1880s. For generations, it served as an orphanage or temporary home for children whose parents could not care for them. The orphanage closed in the early 1970s, and parts of the building were used as offices for the Diocese of Burlington, which covers the entire state. In the late 2000s, the church began looking for a buyer because it needed the money to help settle sex abuse lawsuits. Last summer, BuzzFeed News published a story about allegations of physical, mental and sexual abuse and even killings of children that occurred at the orphanage. The story prompted the Vermont attorney general, other law enforcement authorities and the church itself to reexamine the abuse alleged to have occurred there. The investigations continue. In 2010, the building was sold to Burlington College, at the time run by Jane OMeara Sanders, the wife of Bernie Sanders, the independent U.S. senator and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. She worked out a $10 million deal for the college to buy the building and surrounding land. Jane Sanders promised the deal would be paid for with increases in enrollment and about $2.7 million in donations. But her plans never materialized, and she left the college in 2011. The school closed in 2016, citing debt from the land deal as a major reason for its failure. Prompted by complaints filed by a Republican lawyer, federal investigators probed the land deal. It was only last November that a representative for Jane Sanders said she was informed that no charges would be filed . Advertising The church declined to comment on the redevelopment of the property. Jane Sanders did not respond to an email seeking comment. Peter Chojnowski is one of the buildings original tenants, having arrived in July 2017, when the apartments were first opened. The whole thing has taken a turn for the better, how this building is going to be utilized, Chojnowski said. The bad things that went on here with the diocese are going to keep creeping back up; its not going to go away, but the rest of it is a good thing. Eric Farrell, a longtime Burlington developer, had his eye on the property for years and bought part of it before the college closed. The final plans for the entire project, known as Cambrian Rise, were approved by city officials in early 2017. He notes that while some orphanage residents were alleged to have suffered there, it also provided a valuable social service. His job, he said, is to look forward. Im in the real estate development business, so of course I want to make a profit in compensation for the risks that we take, but you dont do this kind of work for the money; thats not what gets you up in the morning, Farrell said. What gets you up in the morning, the juice for this, really, is creating a community that people enjoy living in and enjoy working in. Farrell was the one who, after Bright Star spoke against the plans saying the development would destroy a once-spectacular, relatively undeveloped section of Burlington asked her to cleanse the building. Mayor Miro Weinberger is less mystical but acknowledges the buildings history and potential. The project and others across the city, he said, have already started to help alleviate the housing shortage. Vacancy rates, while still too low, are starting to rise, and rental rates are stabilizing, he said. That site has been the scene of a couple pretty dark chapters in Burlington history, he said. What is emerging now is much more hopeful. There is going to be a new, vibrant diverse community there that that will be entirely different. | https://www.seattletimes.com/business/can-redevelopment-finally-purge-an-old-orphanages-demons/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Did (Now-Retired) Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan Get A Raw Deal? Or Did He Get Off Too Easy? | Depending who you ask, ex-Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan was either fair game to be firedor unfairly faced a firing squad. Sloan, who took over at the scandal-plagued bank from John Stumpf three years ago, announced last Thursday that he was retiring as Wells Fargo CEO and president, effective immediately. It was the culmination of months of pressure on the 31-year company veteran who recently faced a brutal four-hour grilling on Capital Hill by the House Financial Services Committee, was widely derided for receiving total compensation in excess of $18 million in 2018, and was dogged by reports that his board of directors was looking elsewhere for a new CEO. Those cheering his departure did not hold back. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted that it was about damn time, and called on the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice to investigate Sloan for his role in all the Wells Fargo scams. She followed with an op-ed in the Washington Post excoriating CEOs like Sloan and proposing legislation that would make it easier to criminally charge and jail negligent corporate executives for wrongdoing. If top executives knew they would be hauled out in handcuffs for failing to reasonably oversee the companies they run, they would have a real incentive to better monitor their operations and snuff out any wrongdoing before it got out of hand, she wrote. Others, however, feel that Sloan was unfairly scapegoated by politicians who, buoyed by a new election cycle, are overstepping their bounds and shortsightedly interfering with the affairs of corporate America. I do see [Sloan] very much as a sacrificial lamb for Elizabeth Warrens crusade, says Renny Ponvert, the CEO of independent research firm Management CV, which analyzes executives teams for institutional investors. In Ponverts view, the lawmakers who targeted Sloan have been very reactive about stuff that really should be properly blamed on John Stumpf. He notes that the banks 110-page independent investigation into its retail sales practices found that Sloan was not aware of the magnitude of the issues [at Wells Fargo] or of their potential to cause customer harm. And, in Ponverts view, Sloan had done well in his attempts to get Wells Fargo back on track after its avalanche of issueshaving pursued a number of changes to the banks corporate culture and risk profile that put it on a very solid trajectory moving forward. Sloan also looked to alter Wells Fargos organizational structure, bringing in outsiders like chief compliance officer Mike Roemer, from Barclays, and chief risk officer Mandy Norton, from JPMorgan Chase, to reform arguably the most sensitive parts of his organization, Ponvert says. Youve got to be careful not to penalize the people who are put in the role of fixing their predecessors problems, he adds. If you do that, it starts to look like the political system, where its a big blame game and whoevers in charge gets pilloried for what happened previously. A Culture Issue Part of the issue, say observers, is that Sloan has been inside the bank for so long. David Tawil, the co-founder and president of corporate turnaround-focused hedge fund Maglan Capital, says that the multiple instances of failure that have emerged at the bank in recent yearsincluding activities that took place under Sloans leadershipwere simply too much to ignore. Frankly, I think he should have been taken out a lot earlier, Tawil says. Someone has to change the culture there, because theres clearly something wrong. He adds that in a post-recession world where no [Wall Street] executives were criminally indicted for their role in the financial crisis, there is still a great deal of pent-up anger against the financial sector in terms of accountabilityespecially at the top. Despite Sloan being largely exonerated by Wells Fargos independent investigation into the fake accounts scandal, he was still viewed as part of the problem given his three-decade tenure at the institution, says Robert R. Johnson, a professor of finance at Creighton Universitys Heider College of Business. He was part of the management team that was in place when the banks problems began. (Neither Sloan nor representatives for Wells Fargo returned requests for comment for this story.) One thing all observers can agree on is that Wells Fargo desperately needs an outsider to fill the CEO rolebut its not clear that its a job any prime candidate wants. Regardless, with the search process expected to take monthsand a new chief executive needing months more to assess the situation and implement their visionits clear that this is yet another major setback for the San Francisco-based bank. This is going to set [Wells Fargo] back something like nine-to-12 months in terms of its operating progress, Ponvert notes. It may not be jail time, but its still a sentence. | http://fortune.com/2019/04/04/wells-fargo-scandals-ceo-tim-sloan-retires/ |
Why did Anthony Davis give a fan the middle finger? | New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis was seen on video giving a fan the middle finger as he walked off the court on Wednesday night (April 3) following a loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the Smoothie King Center. According to a direct message that appears to be sent from Davis account on Instagram to an account that posted the video, he says the fan disrespected him and said something he didnt like. Multiple sources told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune that Davis was provoked by the fan. One source said Davis was told simply, (expletive) you, AD! which prompted his response. Based on recent history with the NBA, Davis is likely to be fined. The Pelicans security team was close by Davis and the team is cooperating with NBA officials. | https://www.nola.com/pelicans/2019/04/why-did-anthony-davis-give-a-fan-the-middle-finger.html |
Can redevelopment finally purge an old orphanage's demons? | BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) An imposing Italianate-style building that looms over part of Vermont's largest city had such a troubled past that plans to redevelop it called for some mysticism. Dee Bright Star, an Abenaki woman who initially opposed the project, was brought in to conduct a spiritual cleansing. "I just talked with them and asked them to go," Bright Star said of her conversations with the spirits she found there. "They were very good and understanding." The 55,000-square-foot orphanage building, now called Liberty House, has been converted into 64 apartments and one condo. Elsewhere on the 32 acres, which have spectacular views of Lake Champlain and New York's Adirondacks beyond, construction is underway on what will become a total of 770 housing units, for elderly and low-income Vermonters but also including higher-end rental units and condos. There will also be 150,000 square feet of retail and business space. Twelve acres are being turned into a public park that will guarantee everyone access to the city's lakefront bike path. And there are high hopes that the project, scheduled for completion in 2025, will help ease a chronic housing shortage in the college town of 42,000 that has driven up the cost of living. Hopes are also high that the property can finally purge its demons. The original St. Joseph's Orphanage building was constructed by the Catholic Church in the 1880s. For generations, it served as an orphanage or temporary home for children whose parents could not care for them. The orphanage closed in the early 1970s, and parts of the building were used as offices for the Diocese of Burlington, which covers the entire state. In the late 2000s, the church began looking for a buyer because it needed the money to help settle sex abuse lawsuits. Last summer, BuzzFeed News published a story about allegations of physical, mental and sexual abuse and even killings of children that occurred at the orphanage. The story prompted the Vermont attorney general, other law enforcement authorities and the church itself to reexamine the abuse alleged to have occurred there. The investigations continue. In 2010, the building was sold to Burlington College, at the time run by Jane O'Meara Sanders, the wife of Bernie Sanders, the independent U.S. senator and 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. She worked out a $10 million deal for the college to buy the building and surrounding land. Jane Sanders promised the deal would be paid for with increases in enrollment and about $2.7 million in donations. But her plans never materialized, and she left the college in 2011. The school closed in 2016, citing debt from the land deal as a major reason for its failure. Prompted by complaints filed by a Republican lawyer, federal investigators probed the land deal. It was only last November that a representative for Jane Sanders said she was informed that no charges would be filed . The church declined to comment on the redevelopment of the property. Jane Sanders did not respond to an email seeking comment. Peter Chojnowski is one of the building's original tenants, having arrived in July 2017, when the apartments were first opened. "The whole thing has taken a turn for the better, how this building is going to be utilized," Chojnowski said. "The bad things that went on here with the diocese are going to keep creeping back up; it's not going to go away, but the rest of it is a good thing." Eric Farrell, a longtime Burlington developer, had his eye on the property for years and bought part of it before the college closed. The final plans for the entire project, known as Cambrian Rise, were approved by city officials in early 2017. He notes that while some orphanage residents were alleged to have suffered there, it also provided a valuable social service. His job, he said, is to look forward. "I'm in the real estate development business, so of course I want to make a profit in compensation for the risks that we take, but you don't do this kind of work for the money; that's not what gets you up in the morning," Farrell said. "What gets you up in the morning, the juice for this, really, is creating a community that people enjoy living in and enjoy working in." Farrell was the one who, after Bright Star spoke against the plans saying the development would destroy a once-spectacular, relatively undeveloped section of Burlington asked her to cleanse the building. Mayor Miro Weinberger is less mystical but acknowledges the building's history and potential. The project and others across the city, he said, have already started to help alleviate the housing shortage. Vacancy rates, while still too low, are starting to rise, and rental rates are stabilizing, he said. "That site has been the scene of a couple pretty dark chapters in Burlington history," he said. "What is emerging now is much more hopeful. There is going to be a new, vibrant diverse community there that that will be entirely different." | https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/education/article/Can-redevelopment-finally-purge-an-old-13741618.php |
Whats in store for Wild after disappointing season? | The Minnesota Wild need a miracle. Without one over the next five days, their season is going to come to a bitterly disappointing end that not only snaps the teams six-year run of consecutive postseason appearances, but also spoils the guarantee from coach Bruce Boudreau that the team would, in fact, make the playoffs. Scroll to continue with content Ad What has to make this season so disappointing for Minnesota is where the team was coming from the previous two years, and just how wide open the playoff race in the Western Conference turned out to be. You may not have looked at the Wild as one leagues top teams before this season, but keep in mind only three teams in the NHL recorded more points than Minnesotas 207 during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, while they topped the 100-point mark in three of the past four individual seasons. It may have never resulted in a meaningful playoff run, but the Wild were always good enough to matter, even if they werent quite good enough to actually do anything that would make them stand out come playoff time. Add in the fact that the second wild card team in the West is likely to finish with one of the lowest point totals any playoff team has had in the salary cap era and it is kind of stunning that this team is almost certainly going to fall short, even when you take into account the injuries that have sidelined Mathew Dumba and Mikko Koivu for most of the season. They should still be better than this. That is almost certainly going to lead to more changes for an organization that has already undergone significant change over the past year. The first big question is probably going to be the fate of Boudreau, and given the circumstances it is worth wondering if he is coaching his final games in Minnesota this week. Story continues Anytime you have a team that will (again, barring a miracle) be now going four consecutive years without a postseason series win, and is likely to miss the playoffs by regressing by nearly 20 points in the standings, the job security of that coach, no matter their credentials in the league, is going to be in question. That is especially true when the team in question has a new general manager (Paul Fenton) that is almost certainly going to be looking for an excuse to bring in their own coach. Realistically speaking, it is going to be awfully difficult for the Wild to find a better coach than the one they have now (unless they can convince Joel Quenneville to take their job, if it becomes available) so there is definitely going to be a risk there if that is the direction they go. And that is a concern. But no matter who the coach is the future of the franchise is going to come down to the players Fenton and his staff are able to assemble. And that is where the real red flag should be for Wild fans. In his first full season as general manager Fenton dramatically overhauled the core of the team by trading Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Mikael Granlund in an effort to get younger. That also seems to have been the only primary objective because there is not much to suggest the team got better as a result of that sequence of trades. The early returns, especially in the case of Niederreiter (traded straight up to Carolina for Victor Rask), are looking poor. It is not necessarily the results of the trades that is most concerning right now, but the process behind them. In all three trades the Wild were trading core players, all of whom still had term remaining on their contracts beyond this season (meaning the Wild shouldnt have felt pressure to trade them when they did), at what was arguably their lowest possible values. If you are going to trade such significant players you need to make sure you are maximizing the return of that asset as best you can, and there is plenty of objective evidence to argue that the Wild did no such thing. You dont need to dig very far to see just how concerning the thought process was in these moves. At the time of their trades, all of Niederreiter, Coyle and Granlund were stuck in down years that could probably best be described as unlucky. Niederreiter, a proven 25-goal scorer that plays a heck of a two-way game and can drive possession, was getting just 14 minutes of ice-time and had what was the second-lowest PDO of his career (PDO simply being the sum of a players on-ice shooting percentage and save-percentage during 5-on-5 play). Everything about his season and his career should have indicated that he was due to bounce back at some point, whether it was this season or next season. The bounce back began almost as soon as he arrived in Carolina where he has been one of the Hurricanes best and most productive players. He looks like the player he has always been, and one that the Wild could absolutely use both this season and in future seasons. In return for that, the Wild received Victor Rask who is roughly the same age as Niederreiter, with a lesser resume in the NHL, and a career that seems to be trending in the wrong direction. It was the same situation for Granlund, a forward that scored at a 70-point pace over the previous two seasons and was one of the few difference-makers the team had at forward. And while the return for Granlund (Kevin Fiala, a long-time favorite of Fenton going back to his days as Nashvilles assistant general manager) looks better than the return for Niederreiter, its still worth wondering how much better it makes the team in the long-run. The only trade that is looking overly promising at the moment and could be a decent upgrade is the Coyle for Ryan Donato swap. Given that almost all of the Wilds roster is still under team control for the foreseeable future (Koivu, Eric Fehr, Brad Hunt, Anthony Bitetto, J.T. Brown, and Jared Spurgeon are the only players eligible for unrestricted free agency over the next two years) it is almost a given that any other significant overhaul of the roster is going to have to come through trades, and the early look into his process there is, again, concerning. If the Wild are going to turn things around in the short-term they are going to need to see significant steps from young players like Luke Kunin, Jordan Greenway, and Joel Eriksson Ek, while also hoping that Fenton and his staff gambled correctly on the likes of Fiala and Donato and dont continue to sell core players at their lowest value. Without any of that that its hard to see better days being on the horizon for the Wild. Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @AGretz. | https://sports.yahoo.com/store-wild-disappointing-season-190442392.html?src=rss |
Why did The View host Meghan McCain receive an LGBTQ diversity award? | Meghan McCain Meghan McCain received an unlikely award Saturday night in South Florida, and some people are confused. And by some people, we mean Twitter. The View cohost was presented with the Harvey Milk Foundation Lilla Watson Medal at the Diversity Honors Gala held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, near Hollywood. Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month Get full access to Miami Herald content across all your devices. SAVE NOW #ReadLocal I am deeply honored and touched to be receiving the @HMilkFoundation Harvey Milk Foundation Lilla Watson Medal at the diversity honors this Saturday. I have always been proud to be an #LGBT #rights advocate and ally & can't wait to celebrate love + equality this upcoming weekend. https://t.co/UeoHA16XqS Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 27, 2019 The award recognizes those who are transforming lives by living authentically and advancing inclusiveness, reads the invite for the ceremony. Twitter users like @Pisceanluvher, wrote, April Fools is NEXT week folks. And @CollyWobblesss just posted two words, Literal joke, along with a laughing emoji. April Fools is NEXT week folks. A.Robb (@Pisceanluvher) March 28, 2019 The 34 year old daughter of the late Sen. John McCain was actually surprised, too. McCain told Hotspots Magazine that despite being happy to get props, she did a double take when she got the invite. I think its unusual, I guess for a conservative, you know, gender straight woman, she said on the red carpet. Are you sure? Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the state of California, presented McCain with the award. We like to take someone who represents sometimes untraditional communities, Milk said on the red carpet. Meghan is on the opposite side of the political spectrum [but] is someone who has been a supporter of marriage equality before anyone else would support it. She understands all of those [LGBTQ] and trans] issues. He cited last years winner, labor leader Dolores Huerta, as another unconventional pick. | https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/news/article228821899.html |
Which homeowners around the U.S. pay the highest property taxes? | In 2018, U.S. property taxes rose an average of 4 percent to $3,498 per home. New Jersey homeowners pay the highest average property tax among all 50 states. Property taxes are a hot-button issue due to the new $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes. Property taxes rose 4 percent on average across the U.S. last year, a rate that's outpacing inflation and that could mean more pain for homeowners given a new cap on deducting state and local taxes. In 2018, property taxes on the nation's 87 million U.S. single family homes rose 4 percent to $293.4 billion, reaching an average of $3,498 per home, according to a new report from ATTOM Data Solutions, which runs a property database. Property taxes have been a hot-button issue of late because of a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes that was imposed as part of the Republican-led tax overhaul. Some homeowners in high-tax states have said the so-called SALT deduction cap means they owe the IRS this year, instead of getting refunds they received in previous years. Homeowners feel the pain of the new tax law The SALT deduction cap "is putting this question back in people's minds," said Todd Teta, chief product officer at ATTOM. "Any state or local tax initiative has been heightened in people's minds over the last two years, given it was in the news." There are indications property tax increases may be slowing in high-tax areas, Teta said. The difference between high-tax states and low-tax states has narrowed, resulting in a smaller gap between the states than in previous years, he added. Coastal states with big metropolitan areas, such as New York and California, are among those with the highest property taxes, while Southern states had the lowest rates. The state with the lowest average property tax in 2018 was Alabama, at $788 per home. U.S. states with the highest property taxes in 2018 New Jersey: $8,780 Connecticut: $7,222 New York: $6,947 New Hampshire: $6,253 Massachusetts: $6,019 District of Columbia: $5,480 Rhode Island: $5,368 California: $5,354 Vermont: $5,331 Texas: $5,265 U.S. counties with the highest property taxes | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/property-tax-which-homeowners-around-the-u-s-pay-the-highest/ |
What does Austin want from the LBJ Library's Summit on Race in America? | In April 2014, the LBJ Presidential Library set a particularly high bar for national conclaves. Four U.S. presidents, one sitting and three past, prominent activists and top celebrities as well as wall-to-wall crowds attended the librarys Civil Rights Summit, timed to salute the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Acts, signed on July 2 of that year by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The nations media covered the proceedings in minute detail. The upcoming LBJ Library Summit on Race in America, planned for April 8-10 followed quickly by the opening of an exhibit on the 60th anniversary of Motown sets another high conceptual bar. Although it too features some prominent participants, this time the subject is one that Austinites have a harder time characterizing easily. Asked what the summit hoped to accomplish, Mark K. Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and organizer of the summit, pointed to Johnsons address to congress in March 1965. I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy, Johnson said. I urge every member of both parties, Americans of all religions and of all colors, from every section of this country, to join me in that cause. LBJ used those words to open his most resonant speech, his appeal to the nation to support voting rights as a sacred trust in his quest toward equal rights for all Americans, Updegrove said. But as LBJ knew, the destiny of democracy is not preordained. It is in the hands of every generation of Americans with a charge to leave it stronger for the next. The salvation of history must be earned in our times. While they say they welcome a knotty discussion at the summit that does not look away from the harder questions, local community leaders and advocates also say the risk is that the summit conflates the topic of race, with its myriad definitions, with that of racism. Or that speakers will return to the same emotionally fraught themes without offering realistic solutions. Updegrove said the summit intends to follow an arc of discussion topics designed to examine race and racism from every angle possible within the course of three days. We will begin the first full day of the summit with a session called The Illusion of Color Blindness, in which Glenn Singleton (founder of Courageous Conversations) will look at one's skin color as an incontrovertible factor in everyday American life, Updegrove said. This should set the table for the balance of the summit. From there, the summit includes a wide array of speakers, including Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Campaign Zero founder Brittany Packnett, and musician and actor Wyclef Jean, who often speaks out on issues of race. Last week, comedian George Lopez was added to the line-up. Julio Irving Cotto, a member of the advisory board for Austins Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance Inc. and a senior vice president of the National Hispanic Institute, would like to hear an honest conversation about the complexities of race, or at least about prejudice and discrimination when it comes to nationality, as well as culture. Racism is felt not just from the context of color but also culture, Cotto said. It can also exist among a culture. I recently saw a term being used, ADOS, short for American Descendant of Slavery, and used to specifically distinguish African-Americans of slave descent. To me, that points to people drawing lines among races and cultures in an attempt to isolate a challenge or opportunity, Cotto said. In Austin, Latinos can be referred to in a lump sum group, or it can tend to be viewed as solely or mostly Mexican American. Although more and more, the city is diversified by many types of Latinos. Rich Garza, director of the former Pachanga Latino Music Festival, said something similar in 2015. He believes that Austins profusion of Hispanic culture is underestimated. I think the least understood part is how fragmented the culture is, Garza said in an American-Statesman story about the city's omnibus report on the influence of Hispanic culture on Austin. And that, in some instances, it competes with itself, especially with how things have changed in the last 15 years or so with the arrival of more immigrants from Latin America and Mexico of all classes. Updegrove said he hopes those nuances will be part of the LBJ Library discussion. We can expect the summit to address the complexity of America's situation on race, Updegrove said, offering different perspectives on what being a person of color means to ones experience in our country with the caveat that no conference on a subject as nuanced and personal as race can be complete or reflective of all points of view. History at home Ted Lee Eubanks, a certified heritage interpreter who has done fresh research on Austins racial history, tends to agree with novelist William Faulkner: The past is never dead. Its not even past. Austin is fettered by old habits, Eubanks said. Although the overt racism of Jim Crow is generally gone, what is dogging our community now is a covert, furtive racism that is insulted at even the thought that we might not be the progressive, all-embracing city that we believe ourselves to be. I would love to see a discussion about how vestigial racism, racism that isn't officially recognized as such, can be rooted out of our community, our city government and our civic organizations. Simone Talma Flowers, executive director of Interfaith Action of Central Texas, looks at the continued effects of Austins history of segregation, at its peak in the housing arena from the city plan of 1928 until the Fair Housing Act of 1968, another LBJ landmark. Those effects are still felt keenly by some, especially in schools and in the level of resources allocated to different communities. Flowers said. Ali Khataw, a Pakistani-American engineer, notes that race has life or death consequences. Health care is not available readily to the minorities specially living on the east side of Austin, Khataw said. Research has shown that people living on the east side of Interstate 35 will live approximately 10 years less than the people living on the west side. Lynn Meredith, a leading philanthropist who plans to attend the summit, said more has to be done to address various facets of racial inequity. I am particularly interested in inequalities in the criminal and civil justice, housing and education sectors, Meredith said. At the summit, I would like to witness a discussion on how to have successful, courageous conversations about these racial inequities and how they can change communities. Evan Taniguchi, an architect whose family was held in a concentration camp for Japanese and German families in South Texas during World War II, is concerned about an issue intertwined with segregation, integration and redlining. As a Japanese American with deep roots in Austin, I am very concerned that many of my African-American and Latino friends I grew up with have been displaced from their ethnic neighborhoods on the east side because of the rapid and rampant growth of Austin, Taniguchi said. As an architect/urban planner, Im a strong proponent of smart growth that promotes clean air and water and efficient public transportation, but racial equity must be maintained so we can preserve our diversity, which has made Austin the great place that it is. Nefertitti Jackmon, director of Six Square: Austin's Black Cultural District, a nonprofit that celebrates and preserves the arts, culture and history of Central East Austin, wants a focus on solutions. "Economic empowerment is one of the most essential factors in self-determination, Jackmon said. When individuals have full-employment, access to capital and/or wealth building strategies, they can create the change that they desire to see in their individual lives, in the lives of their family members and in their community. Austins role in this is to attract and retain companies with a demonstrable record of valuing ethnic diversity throughout the organizational structure." Michelle Alexander is a member of the cast of Zach Theatres production of Anna Deavere Smiths Notes from the Field, which includes guided discussions about the school-to-prison pipeline. She cites Sherilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund, one of the clarion voices in the play, on issues of economic and physical displacement. I grew up in Round Rock and only experienced black people when I went to church on the east side, Alexander said. Even that has changed drastically due to gentrification and pushing out old families and businesses that have been here for the longest. Austin, the more it grows, the less spaces for people of color exist. William Hyland, a Republican who lived in Cleveland and New York before moving to Austin in 2000, and who works in high tech marketing, finds it risky to bring up thorny political issues in polite Austin circles. People tend to fall into camps of 'don't care,' minimally informed or highly partisan, Hyland said. The political middle truly is double yellow lines and dead armadillos. State or corporate thumb-on-the scale efforts can be corrosive to those who benefit, he said. Similarly, he thinks the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has allowed both national political parties to carve out safe districts for majority-minority incumbents and has thereby increased polarization. Everyone dislikes partisan gerrymandering, he said, but do the unintended consequences of race-based gerrymandering also deserve scrutiny? We should be able to discuss topics like this in a structured, thoughtful manner, Hyland said, but the environment has become quite nasty lately. Carla Nickerson, a former police officer and also member of the cast of Notes from the Field, takes another tack. She said she thinks the city has studied issues related to race, but then the conversation trails off when time comes for action. How do we counter the epidemic of denial affecting people, organizations and municipalities who operate under the delusion that they have dealt with the race issue when the ugly reality exists in plain view every day? | https://www.statesman.com/entertainmentlife/20190404/what-does-austin-want-from-lbj-librarys-summit-on-race-in-america |
How Will Automation And AI Change The Nonprofit World? | Across all industries, technologies like automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are improving processes, increasing efficiency and aiding decision-makers. As these tools evolve and become even more advanced, there will be a greater number of potential applications across more fields, including the nonprofit sector. We asked a panel of Forbes Nonprofit Council members how they foresee this cutting-edge technology impacting their operations in the next five years. Here are their predictions for a nonprofit world powered by automation and AI. Photos courtesy of the individual members. 1. Streamlined Donor Communications As online platforms grow in sophistication, it will be easier and easier to automate donor communications that feel personalized and authentic. This will be a helpful step in long-term relationship building and cultivation. - Steven Moore, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust 2. Improved Donor Acquisition Strategies Consumer marketing strategies that have been developing for decades translate perfectly to nonprofit donor engagement and acquisition strategies. Nonprofits should look at AI as a way to learn more about their constituents and create customized communication methods, but be careful to keep processes in place to ensure the human connection isn't lost to technology. - Lindsay Crossland, The Salvation Army 3. Greater Insights Into Campaign Message Performance Aggregation of data and use of artificial intelligence via habits and performance are not on the way -- they're here! Using artificial intelligence will allow us to better know what messages work and when. Additionally, it can track volunteer engagement and "passions" to plug volunteers in where they will have the most connection. AI will likely create millions of jobs, which is exciting. - Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation 4. Cost-Effective Staff Training Tools Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are already in use as tools to train staff in many businesses. This is cost-effective and eliminates the need for teams to travel to one location for training. In some cases, these tools will eliminate jobs, such as multiple instructors and trainers. Other jobs, however, will be created in the areas of program design and computer technology. - Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc. 5. Automated Financial Processes I expect 90% of accounts payables to be automated. Software budgets will increase. Accounting software will perform "oversight and hindsight" while the human accountant provides "insight and foresight." Audit costs will shrink as blockchain adds triple entry bookkeeping. Amazing moments are ahead! - Ronald Tompkins, 82nd Street Academics 6. More Effective And Wider Donor Targeting Artificial intelligence will help us better understand who to target while other automation software will enable us to reach a much larger audience more often and with personalized messages for our donors. This will allow for more effective and wider donor targeting. - Gloria Horsley, Open to Hope 7. Increased Efficiencies To Carry Out And Monitor Your Mission Certain areas, like recruitment, lend themselves to AI because of efficiencies derived from machine learning. Machines can scan countless resumes in a fraction of the time it would take a human recruiter. In our field of microfinance, fintech innovations using AI may better ascertain the likelihood of loan repayment, and machine learning helps collect field data free from survey bias. - Rupert Scofield, FINCA International | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2019/04/04/how-will-automation-and-ai-change-the-nonprofit-world/ |
Who is Tim Ryan, the latest 2020 Democrat? | Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, a nine-term legislator who gained notoriety for his unsuccessful leadership challenge against Nancy Pelosi, launched a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday, joining one of the largest primary fields in U.S. history. Here's everything you need to know about the latest candidate to enter the crowded and diverse Democratic primary race: Biography Ryan was born and raised in northeastern Ohio in 1973. He played football in high school and was recruited to play for Youngstown State University. Because of a knee injury, however, he transferred to Bowling Green State University, near Toledo. After graduating from college, Ryan earned a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire and worked in the office of longtime Ohio Congressman James Traficant, who was expelled from the House after being convicted of numerous counts of tax evasion, bribery and racketeering. At age 26, Ryan was elected to Ohio's state senate. When his old boss Traficant became embroiled in scandal, Ryan ran an underdog campaign to fill his seat and won. At 29, he was the youngest member of Congress when he was sworn in 2003. Although he has served eight terms in the House, Ryan gained notoriety following Mr. Trump's election in November 2016. Citing Democrats' loss of Midwestern states during the election -- as well as the lack of youth in the party's leadership -- Ryan launched an unsuccessful bid to replace Nancy Pelosi, then House Minority Leader. After Democrats retook control of the House during the 2018 November midterm elections, the Ohio lawmaker again called for someone to replace Pelosi. Ryan, however, ultimately backed her bid to reclaim the speaker's gavel. Issues Ryan has not staked out a clear ideological agenda during his 15 years in Congress. He is not a member of any of the major Democratic caucuses in the House, like the pro-business New Democrat Coalition or the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He once earned an "A" rating from the National Rife Association (NRA) and has broken with his party to support fracking measures favored by Republicans. But Ryan has also been supportive of progressive proposals like "Medicare for all." Controversy Ryan's tenure in Congress has largely been scandal-free, but his repeated challenges to Pelosi's leadership may alienate some Democratic primary voters. What Trump says Although Ryan has been a fierce critic of the president, Mr. Trump has not yet tweeted about the Ohio congressman. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-ryan-2020-who-is-the-ohio-congressman-and-latest-democrat-running-for-president/ |
Whats it all about, Mr. Schultz? | Sign up here. - Ill Tell You What: None of us are doing enough - Tim Ryan, Ohio centrist, joins 2020 Dem field - DOJ defends Barr summary of Mueller report - You move! No, you move! We get what the point could be. If both major parties nominate radical populists, as they might, that would make Schultz working-class Brooklyn kid turned Seattle billionaire Starbucks CEO the lone voice in the field arguing that America still works. Hes been dangling the possibility of that kind of centrist independent candidacy for months now. But Schultz hasnt so far been comfortable in that space. His point has seemingly been that hes hoping the two major parties sort themselves out so that he doesnt have to run. Its the I will pull this car over... version of a presidential campaign. Now thats not to say that there isnt an appetite for that kind of norm enforcement in the electorate. Weve had so much upheaval in recent political memory that there would surely be many who would savor Schultzs promise that he might be the kind of president whom you might forget about from time to time. After two celebrity presidents, maybe boring could be beautiful. What voters are unlikely to embrace, however, is a contingency candidacy. There is a substantial minority of American voters who deeply distrust both parties. But while the percentage of the electorate that is affiliated has steadily grown, its important to remember that most voters are deeply committed partisans. None of the above would have considerable appeal in a contest between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, but its hard to imagine the state or states Schultz could actually win. Tonight, as he answers questions from our colleagues Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum as well as the audience here in Kansas City, Schultz will have his best opportunity yet to start making a case for his candidacy as something more than disaster preparedness. If he expects to be viable as an alternative next year, he cant wait to start sorting that out with voters. Even if its a small number of committed supporters, Schultz has to start building an army. Ross Perot used his own group, United We Stand, as a grassroots outfit in 1992. When folks signed up for Perot, they knew they were signing up for balanced budgets, trade restrictions and lots and lots of charts. He started putting a little substance forward in a framing speech in Miami last month, but hes still a long way from having an identifiable brand. We may be more than a year away from the vote, but if hes serious, time is already running short. To get 45 million or so people to vote for you, especially starting from essentially zero name identification, takes a lot more than just being the least bad alternative. [Watch Fox: Special coverage of the Howard Schultz town hall kicks off at 6 pm ET.] THE RULEBOOK: TOGETHER WE CAN Nothing can be more evident than that the thirteen States will be able to support a national government better than one half, or one third, or any number less than the whole. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 13 TIME OUT: IN AND OUT History: [On this day in 1841] Only 31 days after assuming office, William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, dies at the White House. The cause of death was officially reported as pneumonia. Born in Charles County, Virginia, in 1773, Harrison served in the U.S. Army in the old Northwest Territory and in 1800 was made governor of the Indian Territory, where he proved an able administrator. In the War of 1812, Harrison gained his greatest fame as a military commander In 1816, he was elected to the House of Representatives and in 1825 to the Senate. - Email us at [email protected] with your tips, comments or questions. SCOREBOARD Trump job performance Average approval: 42.6 percent Average disapproval: 52.8 percent Net Score: -10.2 points Change from one week ago: down 0.6 points [Average includes: NBC/WSJ: 43% approve - 53% disapprove; Pew Research Center: 41% approve - 55% disapprove; NPR/PBS/Marist: 44% approve - 50% disapprove; Quinnipiac University: 39% approve - 55% disapprove; Fox News: 46% approve - 51% disapprove.] ILL TELL YOU WHAT: NONE OF US ARE DOING ENOUGH This week Dana Perino and Chris Stirewalt unpack misconduct allegations against Joe Biden, the latest at the U.S.- Mexico border, and what happens when Dana tries to stay out past her bedtime. Plus, Dana has some trivia, and Chris reads questions from the mailbag. LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE TIM RYAN, OHIO CENTRIST, JOINS 2020 DEM FIELD Cleveland.com: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan on Thursday officially added his name to the list of Democrats vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in 2020. The Youngstown-area Democrat enters a crowded field with a significant name recognition deficit compared with the other high-profile candidates. Ryan announced he was running on his new campaign website just prior to an appearance on ABCs The View. A quiet revolution is happening in this country, Ryan said on his website. One that is driven by compassion and the independent spirit our nation is known for. Its time for us to invest in our values so we can focus on what really matters: healing and uniting our nation. Ryan, 45, becomes the 18th Democrat to have either entered the race or formed an exploratory committee. Over the past two years, Ryan has discussed bringing mindfulness into politics and wanting to court the yoga vote practitioners of which are overwhelmingly women. That was likely part of the reason he decided to appear on the women-centric daytime talk show just after announcing. Biden team moves ahead despite allegations - Fox News: Biden World is flashing signals that it's all systems go for 2020. The former vice president personally sought to tamp down the controversy with a Twitter video late Wednesday vowing to be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future. Moments later, a Washington Post story relayed the accounts of three more women claiming improper contact, on the heels of four similar allegations. But a source close to the former vice president said the controversy, if anything, has strengthened his resolve. Asked if the developments would slow Bidens decision-making process, the adviser answered: Absolutely not. The source added that a Biden announcement could likely come in late April after Easter or soon afterward. The release of the video on Wednesday came amid allegations from numerous women that Biden had made them feel uncomfortable with what was described as inappropriate touching. First 18 days of Betos campaign brings in $9.4 million - NYT: Former Representative Beto ORourke of Texas raised $9.4 million over the first 18 days of his presidential bid, his campaign said on Wednesday, the latest sign of his ability to attract online donors even within a packed Democratic field. The total, which represents Mr. ORourkes fund-raising haul for the first quarter of the year, is smaller than the first-quarter numbers of two rivals, Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Kamala Harris of California. But Mr. ORourke only joined the presidential race in mid-March. Mr. ORourke, who proved to be an extraordinary online fund-raiser during his unsuccessful run for Senate last year, received 218,000 contributions, with an average donation of $43, his campaign said. It also said that a majority of donors to his presidential bid had not donated to his Senate campaign. Sanders readies grassroots program - Politico: Bernie Sanders' campaign will unveil a slate of top hires and organizing kickoff events Wednesday the latest sign that he plans to harness his record-breaking grassroots army earlier and more strategically than he did during his first run for the White House. More than 1 million people have signed up to volunteer for his campaign, aides said, and the Sanders team will ask them Wednesday to host house parties across the country on April 27, a date that will double as the official launch of Sanders' 2020 organizing program. The campaign will provide volunteers at the gatherings with specific strategies and methods to begin helping Sanders. The Vermont senator will tape a special broadcast for supporters to watch at the parties. Michael Bennet diagnosed with prostate cancer, still mulling 2020 run - WaPo: Ahead of the launch of an anticipated White House bid, Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.) announced Wednesday that he has prostate cancer and will undergo surgery later this month. Late last month, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, the 54-year-old said in a statement posted to Twitter late Wednesday. While hearing news like this is never easy, I am fortunate it was detected early, and as a result, my prognosis is good. If he is cancer-free after the surgery, Bennet said he still plans to join the ever-growing pool of Democratic presidential hopefuls, according to the Colorado Independent. On Twitter, Bennet said he will have surgery in Colorado during the coming Senate recess, which starts next week. This unanticipated hurdle only reinforces how strongly I feel about contributing to the larger conversation about the future of our country... DOJ DEFENDS BARR SUMMARY OF MUELLER REPORT Politico: The Department of Justice on Thursday defended releasing an initial summary of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian collusion, saying it couldnt disclose the full report because it contained protected grand jury information. The statement came after some members of Mueller's team were reportedly unhappy with Attorney General William Barr's characterization of their investigatory work. A Justice Department spokeswoman said Barr provided the initial findings with the understanding that the report itself would be released after the redaction process and does not believe the report should be released in serial or piecemeal fashion. Reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post late Wednesday indicated that Mueller's team members told associates that their report contained acute evidence that Trump obstructed the investigation of Russian links to his 2016 campaign. Both reports also noted that Mueller's team had prepared summaries meant to be made public, but none of which have emerged. MORE INDICTMENTS LOOM FOR N.C. GOP CORRUPTION PROBE Charlotte Observer: Federal indictments against the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, a top political donor and two of his associates on bribery charges could be just the beginning of the scandal thats rocked the states political landscape once again. There could be more indictments to come, said Republican Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, the public official who the four are accused of trying to bribe. We dont know what may happen. And with a case this complex and complicated, it may takes months and months and months or years to get everything sorted out. Causey, in an interview with The Charlotte Observer, acknowledged the existence of recorded conversations between him and political donor Greg Lindberg, associates John D. Gray and John V. Palermo, and NC GOP chairman Robin Hayes the four men indicted for attempting to bribe Causey through campaign contributions from Lindberg funneled through the state party. GOP Rep. Mark Walker caught up in the mess - Politico: Republican Rep. Mark Walker has been caught up in a federal corruption probe that has rocked the North Carolina Republican Party and led to the indictment of former Rep. Robin Hayes. A Walker-controlled political committee received $150,000 from business owner Greg Lindberg at the same time Lindberg allegedly asked him to pressure North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to replace his deputy, according to a criminal indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Walker, a member of GOP leadership, is not named in the indictment. However, POLITICO has identified him as Public Official A using the indictment and Federal Election Commission records. And hes not the only one affected by it - Politico: A growing number of lawmakers are donating the contributions that their political committees received from a recently indicted businessman in North Carolina, the latest fallout from a federal corruption scandal that has roiled the state's GOP. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) plans to give the $15,000 he took in from Greg Lindberg to several different local charities benefiting soldiers at Fort Bragg, which is in his district. The GOP lawmaker says he didn't do anything wrong, but just wants to avoid the appearance of any impropriety. GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina has already returned his contributions from Lindberg to the Cleveland County Rescue Mission, a local charity in his district, while Florida Democrat Rep. Charlie Crist plans to give his donations to the Special Olympics. This week Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano explains the Constitutional history behind the Affordable Care Act: The legal battle over the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act ObamaCare will soon be back in court due to the largely unexpected consequences of a series of recent events. When the ACA was enacted in 2010, it was a stool with four legs. When the legal challenge to the ACA was before the Supreme Court in June 2012, the core issue was the Commerce Clause of the Constitution which delegates to Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce empower the Congress to compel people to engage in it by purchasing a health insurance policy. As the late President George H.W. But the Supreme Court is infallible because it is final, as Justice Robert Jackson once observed. It can do what it wants and call a penalty or an assessment or a command to eat broccoli a tax. By doing so, the ACA was saved. More here. PLAY-BY-PLAY House Panel Chair Rep. Richard Neal requests six years of Trumps tax returns - WSJ Report: Feds investigating possible Chinese spying at Mar-a-Lago - Miami Herald U.S. ready to send funds to Venezuela if leadership changes - Bloomberg AUDIBLE: HMMM I refused to concede because, here's the thing: Concession needs to say something is right and true and proper. You cant trick me into saying it was right. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams discussing her 2018 loss against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp during an event in New York City on Wednesday. FROM THE BLEACHERS The other day, one of your faithful readers brought up the subject about how you have chosen the 5 polls you use for tracking the presidents popularity. Having been down this road myself, I am content with the criteria you have used in making your selections. My new bone to pick at is a little more wonkish - You never put the margin of error spread in, which are published with each poll you list. The polling companies (and the occasional university) you use do admit that there is always errors in the samples and using weighting factors can only do so much to smooth out these errors. The good polling companies you are using all approach polls as having 95% confidence, with an error margin of +/- 3% (which is a total swing of 6 points.) This may not seem like much to most people, but it became the nightmare in 2016 when Mr. Trump broke the margins in several key states (we dont anoint presidents, we elect them - sorry Hillary.) Even though it appears on the surface that Trump is not a well-liked person, its the underlying policies that the majority of voters are really looking at. All that being said, publishing the margins of error for each poll might give us a little better idea on where the country really is regarding his popularity. Error margins are extremely important particularly as Election Day comes closer. Just a thought... Oh, and yes, I am a faithful reader myself, and enjoy the clear and unbiased commentary you express to us every Monday through Friday. You are always thoughtful and dont talk down to us. Keep fighting the good fight - were all in this together. John William Gibson, Coos Bay, Ore. [Ed. note: I certainly take your point, Mr. Gibson. A couple of thoughts: Since you cant tabulate an average margin of error for a polling average, I tend to think that including the numbers would be distracting. Weve already got quite a few gewgaws and gimcracks in there already. Secondly, the way to think about margins of error is that the top line number represents the midpoint on a spectrum. It is the result in which the pollster has the highest confidence. In 2016, national polling was actually more accurate on average than in 2012. There were certainly some misses on the state level, but generally speaking, the polls held up in 2016. Unfortunately for Clinton, national numbers are indicative but not what decide our presidential elections.] I too, believe the polls you choose to use are skewed. Was it not Rasmussen? Carlton Clunn, Eureka, Mont. [Ed. note: It was not. The survey conducted by The University of Southern California was the most predictive. But even if Rasmussen had been on the nose, it still wouldnt merit our attention. I could guess the height of the St. Louis Gateway Arch and might get pretty close, but that wouldnt make my guesswork a substitute for measuring.] Share your color commentary: Email us at [email protected] and please make sure to include your name and hometown. YOU MOVE! NO, YOU MOVE! Fox News: Two drivers in California were willing to waste a good chunk of their day duking it out for a parking spot The encounter took place in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday Dubbed the black car and the silver car, drivers in each vehicle appeared to spend close to two hours from 6:20 p.m., seemingly until past 8 p.m. trying to parallel park along a sidewalk. The first photo showed the two cars vying for a spot. The drivers of both vehicles waited in the street, eventually turning on their hazard lights and backing up traffic because of their standoff. As horns beeped, the two vehicles hadn't moved as of 7:19 p.m. But shortly after 7:30 a third vehicle left its spot, freeing up space for both the black and silver cars to park on the road. Both the black and silver cars quickly parked, before sitting in their cars for some time before getting out. The driver of the silver car eventually got out of their car leaving the dramatic scene after 8 p.m. AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES Not quite the 18th-century elegance of Dont Tread on Me, but the age of Twitter has a different cadence from the age of the musket. What the modern battle cry lacks in archaic charm, it makes up for in full-body syllabic punch. Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018) writing for National Review on Nov. 19, 2010. Chris Stirewalt is the politics editor for Fox News. Brianna McClelland contributed to this report. Sign up here. | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/whats-it-all-about-mr-schultz?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29 |
When does the new Trader Joes open in South Beach? | Trader Joe's exterior Weve heard rumblings for literally two years, but at last, it seems Trader Joes is opening in South Beach. Soonish. Folks over at local website The Next Miami spotted coolers going into the space at retail/residential complex 17 West at the corners of Alton Road and West Avenue. So that was a hopeful sign. We already started salivating for that Two Buck Chuck. Unlimited Digital Access: Only $0.99 For Your First Month Get full access to Miami Herald content across all your devices. SAVE NOW #ReadLocal But well have to wait a few more months. A spokeswoman for the Monrovia, California, based company told the Miami Herald that the store is aiming for a late summer opening. She said to check back with Trader Joes website, which currently says that the location at 1229 17th Street at is Coming Soon. As the Miami Herald previously reported, 17 West is five-story, mixed use structure that will also contain apartments and a parking garage with about 160 spaces for public use. A lot of locals sure will be, especially since the 61 year old supermarket chain (founded in Pasadena, California as Pronto Markets) has great deals, and deals are scarce in SoBe. We keep our costs low because every penny we save is a penny you save, reads the website. Its not complicated. We just focus on what matters great food + great prices = Value. | https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/news/article228826634.html |
Is Ledger's New Nano X Wallet Worth It? | With what seems like a new bull run for crypto, now might be time to buy a hardware wallet. I took the Nano X for a test run, comparing it to the S and the Trezor ONE wallet. Hardware wallets are the safest way to store your crypto, but they are not free. As a general rule, if you hold twice the cost of a hardware wallet in crypto, you should get one. If you decide to get a hardware wallet, always buy directly from the manufacturers website to avoid a potentially compromised version. Comparing The Nano X The table below gives the basic information for each bit of functionality, with a little more detail in the subsections following it. Be sure to read the expanded section on security after this, where both Satoshi Labs (creators of Trezor ONE and Trezor Model T) and Ledger weigh in. Nano X Nano S Trezor ONE Onboarding Connecting through bluetooth made onboarding and installing apps supporting different cryptos much easier than on a corded connection. Setup will still be difficult, but secure and straightforward. Sometimes you may need to unplug the USB-port and replug it for steps to register on the hardware wallet. Setting up the Trezor wallet is very similar to setting up the Nano S, though slightly easier to use. You set up on Trezors wallet website through Chrome and the device itself. 100. 5-6. The Ethereum App takes up a lot of room, but Ledger plans to release a smaller update next week. Unlimited. Mobility Bluetooth support through Ledger Live makes spending on the go much safer. Ledger Live supports your phones biometric security, making it easy to manage transactions on the go. Connect a smaller wallet to the X and keep larger amounts of funds in separate cold storage. The S travels well, even though it isnt built for mobile transactions. Slightly smaller than the X, the S is similarly reinforced with a brushed stainless steel sleeve. The S requires you having a computer, and having it out to make a transaction, not handy on the go. The Trezor is plastic on the outside with a digital reader, making it something you want to pack carefully. Its fine for travel in a safe place. Like the S, the Trezor requires a computer and the device out. This inconvenience makes it more secure, but not a good hot wallet. Security Ledger says they have a safer chip than other hardware wallets. This is meant to be more usable as a secure hot wallet, not safely disconnected long-term storage. To confirm your seed phrase, you select from 24 choices and confirm for each word in order on the device. Satoshi Labs offers completely auditable open-source code, allowing the community to fully vet their products. Mixed order entering of seed words across device and computer adds extra security against a potentially compromised computer. Price $119 $59 Trezor and KeepKey are both $99, making the S quite competitive. Many people prefer the Trezor onboarding experience and greater coin support as compared to the S.) $99 (or $159 for the color touch-screen Model T). Bottom Line Nano X is the only hardware wallet for someone who wants to spend crypto on the go in their daily life.The X is about mobility, so for safety, its best to keep large amounts of crypto on a separate hardware wallet. It could be worth the extra cost if even as cold storage only if you hold more than six coins or want a slightly easier onboarding experience. Nano S is the best budget choice. You get all the hardware benefits of the X for half its price. Think of S for storage, safely tucked away crypto. Trezor is best for someone looking for more coin support than the S who wants cold storage. At about $40 more, you might prefer it for a little easier onboarding than the S, too. Onboarding The Trezor blog says it takes about 5 minutes to get through its onboarding process. You have a pretty straightforward process of setting up a wallet, coming back to create your PIN and seed recovery after. Its worth noting Ledgers process is slightly longer and felt a little less intuitive the first go, you also have to complete your PIN and recovery seed before creating addresses without an option to come back. Overall, onboarding is comparable between the Nano X and the Trezor One because adding the bluetooth functionality helped speed up onboarding on the X to a comparable speed, with onboarding on the S being slightly more cumbersome. Security I spoke with both Ledger and SatoshiLabs, asking what they believe to be the key security difference between their products. Marek Palatinus, CEO of SatoshiLabs says open-source and an advanced passphrase entry method are key to Trezors security. Palantinus told me, Trezor One is built on the open-source code that is fully transparent and auditable. We believe that [an] open-source project is better suited to the security needs of the crypto community, as the majority of that community follows the "Don't trust--verify" principle. We do not depend on closed-sourced secure elements, which could compromise the security of the device. For the purposes of advanced physical security we have introduced the passphrase feature. Ledger CEO, Eric Larchevque says it comes down to the chips inside, While other hardware wallet companies build their products around a general purpose microcontroller (same technology found in toasters or remote controllers), Ledger uses chips designed to secure critical data (same technology found in payment cards, sim cards or passports). Ledger can therefore rely on battle tested chips and ensure a much higher level of hardware security. As a results of these efforts, the ANSSII (French National Cybersecurity Agency) granted the CSPN certification to the Nano S (Certification de Scurit de Premier Niveau/ First Level Security Certificate) after a comprehensive security evaluation. The Nano X is currently going through the same certification process. Twitter.com One thing on many peoples minds about the Nano Xs security is whether adding bluetooth functionality creates an increased security risk. Recently Ledger tweeted about this, stating Bluetooth is just a bearer, like USB. The Nano X operates on the assumption that the BLE connection is compromised. You always have to physically review and confirm a transaction on device. Coin Support Ledger currently supports 1,185 crypto assets, with many (ERC-20 coins) requiring the use of either MyEtherWallet (MEW) or MyCrypto. Trezor supports 1,071 crypto assets and does not require use of MEW or MyCrypto, but is compatible with both. One noticeable difference youll find right away between Ledger and Trezor is whether or not you have to download apps to support different coins. Say you want to hold Cardano and ZCash, for example. Trezor has native support built-in for nearly every cryptocurrency, while Ledger requires you to download an app for each different coin or token. The two companies took very different approaches here, with Trezor working with cryptocurrency developers to integrate support so theres nothing you have to do as a customer. Ledger, on the other hand, offers an easy direct app download through Ledger Live for about 30 popular cryptocurrencies, but you have to download third party software for the rest. At the same time, Ledger is known to add new crypto assets a little faster than Trezor. Larchevque says, Full integration in the Ledger Live requires another level of development which is much more complex and time consuming. We plan to add more assets natively to the Ledger Live by documenting the process and leveraging the open source community. We'll also do it internally for major coins. But we don't have any release date to share at this stage. Conclusion When it comes to the amount of coins you can have at once, Ledger X and Trezor definitely have the advantage over the S. The Ledger X supports 100 simultaneously, and the Trezor is unlimited. While most people who get into crypto start with Bitcoin, many find they want to add other cryptocurrencies throughout their journey. If you know youre a Bitcoin Maximalist and dont care about additional coin support, the S could be the perfect option. If youre an open-source fan, youll probably want a Trezor. If you believe in spending crypto on the go, the X is your best option. Hopefully this guide will make it easier to decide. Disclosure: I received a Ledger Nano X demo model to use in research on this article. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/leslieankney/2019/04/04/is-ledgers-new-nano-x-wallet-worth-it/ |
What Might A Russell Wilson Contract Extension Look Like? | Getty Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scores a touchdown in front of Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath (38) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (90) during the third quarter in an NFL Wild Card playoff game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. The Cowboys advanced, 24-22. (Max Faulkner/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS via Getty Images) photocredit: TNS via Getty Images Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson made news earlier this week when it was reported that he gave the team an April 15 deadline to sign the Super Bowl winner to a contract extension. The details of said demands are not yet known. However, theres a chance Wilson does indeed holdout until hes inked to a long-term deal. This is despite what has been reported on that end. The 30-year-old quarterback is heading into the final season of a four-year, $87.6 million extension he signed with Seattle back in July of 2015. Wilsons average salary of $21.9 million ranks 12th among quarterbacks, behind the likes of Alex Smith, Joe Flacco and Nick Foles. It goes without saying that Wilson is justified in wanting both long-term security and a short-term pay raise. Since entering the league back in 2012, Wilson has been among the most-productive and winningest quarterbacks in the NFL. Hes led Seattle to six playoff appearances, two Super Bowl trips and a Lombardi during that span. Statistically, the smallish signal caller has been just as dominant. Last season alone, Wilson completed nearly 66% of his passes for 3,448 yard and 35 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions. His performance helped what seemed to be a rebuilding Seahawks squad to a surprise playoff appearance after losing star defenders Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor the previous offseason. If Wilson were to receive an extension, hed be the latest quarterback to reset what has been a frenzied market in recent years. The question here is what said extension might look like. Outside of Wilsons performance and unwillingness to play out the final year of his deal, theres other factors in play here. One of said factors is market inflation. We start with that by looking at other recent extensions similar quarterback have signed. Aaron Rodgers Getty This past August saw the Packers Super Bowl winning quarterback sign a record four-year, $134 million extension in Green Bay. While his total value ranked fourth behind Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford, Rodgers average annual salary of $33.5 million reset the market completely. He also received the fourth-highest total of guaranteed money at signing ($79.2 million). Rodgers case is rather interesting in that he signed just a four-year extension. Given his relatively advanced age of 34 at the time of inking the deal, that made sense. Wilson himself is looking at a five-year deal. Matt Ryan Getty Months before Rodgers inked his deal with Green Bay, his fellow Super Bowl quarterback reset the market in a big way. Ryan netted $150 million in total cash over five seasons averaging out to $30 million annually. All three were records at the time. The devil is also in the details here. He got a whopping $100 million in practical guarantees. Thats a good $8 million more than Matthew Stafford at No. 2 overall. Ryans $94.5 million guaranteed at signing still ranks first among NFL players. These are the two quarterbacks we have to check in on when it comes to precedent for Wilsons yet-to-be signed new contract. Of the other highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, none are on par with Wilson. That includes the likes of Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr. Getty First off, Seattle would actually be smart to extend Wilson right now. Young quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Jared Goff and Dak Prescott are all up for new deals this offseason. Meanwhile, the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson will be eligible for extensions next march. All five will easily earn $30-plus million annually. None of the five have had the same successful on-field track record as Wilson. If the deal were to be inked here in the next couple months, Wilson is looking at $175 million over five seasons at an average annual salary of $35 million. His total cash would outpace Ryan with an average salary besting Rodgers. This takes into account market inflation and an increased salary cap. Its something weve seen with multiple free-agent deals this offseason. Of the $175 million in total cash, $110 million would likely be in practical guarantees with $100 million guaranteed at signing. Sure thats a high price for Seattle to pay, but the market demands it. If the team were to wait until next offseason, the franchise tag remains an option. This would pay Wilson north of $30 million total guarantees for the 2020 season. That makes no real sense from the teams perspective, especially considering it pushes the contract issue down the line and creates an unhappy Wilson. It would also create a higher short-term cap hit for Seattle. Getty The other option here would be franchising Wilson with the intent on signing him. However, that creates a major issue with the five quarterbacks mentioned above in line for extensions. Lets say Kansas City offers $150 million over five seasons for Patrick Mahomes. That would come after only two seasons as a starting quarterback. Wilsons camp led by Mark Rodgers would then demand something closer to $200 million. Its just the nature of the beast in an NFL thats seen record revenue create a robust market for top-end players due to an increased salary cap. Its in this that we expect Seattle to work out an extension with Wilson at some point before training camp starts in July. Anything less than that would create a large dark cloud over the Pacific Northwest. And no, were not talking about the typically overcast weather in Seattle. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/vincentfrank/2019/04/04/what-might-a-russell-wilson-contract-extension-look-like/ |
What Will Zoom's IPO Valuation Be? | Getty Video communications provider Zoom recently filed for an IPO, reportedly seeking $100 million in proceeds. The companys most recent funding round, a $115 million Series D in early 2017 led by Sequoia, valued it at around $1 billion. Zooms S-1 filing was noteworthy among recent tech IPOs most notably Lyfts in that it revealed that the company has already achieved profitability, a rarity among tech unicorns. This profitability, coupled with the companys massive growth in recent years, should allow it to price its IPO well above its Series D valuation, though the targeted range has not been reported. Our interactive dashboard Estimating Zooms Valuation breaks down the companys key value drivers and our forecasts for the near term, as well as Trefis valuation estimate for Zoom, which is around $6 billion. You can modify these metrics to arrive at your own estimate for Zooms valuation, and see more Trefis technology company data here. Overview Of Operations, Key Metrics Zoom generates revenue from subscriptions to its video communications platform. Basic subscriptions which have limitations on the number of participants and length of meetings are free, while revenues come from the companys Pro, Business and Enterprise offerings. Subscription revenue is driven by the number of paid hosts, in addition to the purchase of additional services and products such as Zoom Rooms. Nearly 75% of Zooms recurring revenue comes from annual and multi-year subscriptions, allowing for improved visibility and demonstrating the stickiness of the companys services. Zoom breaks down its revenue as revenue from Business Customers (defined as customers with more than 10 employees) and non-Business Customer revenue. Both revenue streams saw growth in excess of 90% in the most recent fiscal year, while the company saw growth of 97% in total business customers last year. Trefis Based on Zooms reported number of business customers and revenue, the average revenue per business customer comes out to around $5,000, and will likely increase going forward driven by pricing increases, improved uptake of premium services as well as newly launched products. We forecast continued strong growth in business customers over 40% this year albeit at a slower rate than in recent years due to the higher existing base. This growth will be driven by the rise of distributed teams and remote work, in addition to the company's compelling offerings and strong brand. Overall, we forecast growth of over 50% in business customer revenue this year, in addition to growth of over 40% in non-business customer revenue. Our forecast for total revenue this year stands at just over $500 million, which would represent year-on-year growth of 55%. For reference, the companys total revenue increased by over 100% in each of the last two fiscal years. Zoom Is (Impressively) Profitable Already As mentioned above, Zoom has distinguished itself from many of its peers in the tech unicorn club in that it has achieved profitability prior to its IPO, which should broaden its appeal to public market investors. The companys gross margins have stood at over 80% for several years, while its operating income and net income reached positive levels last year. Its operating income of $6 million implies an operating margin of just 2%, but assuming the company can sustain its impressive revenue growth, its margins should expand materially in the coming years. Based on our net revenue forecast of just over $500 million for this year, and our estimated revenue multiple of 12x, we estimate Lyfts valuation at about $6 billion. This is well above the Series D valuation, which makes sense considering the sustained revenue growth and profitability. In fact, given that growth and profitability, a 12x multiple may end up being conservative, but we believe it is appropriate given the competition in the video communications space in addition to the relatively limited differentiation therein. You can modify the valuation multiple or any other key forecasts in our interactive dashboard to see the impact that any changes would have on Zooms valuation. While it operates in a fairly competitive space, Zoom continues to see impressive growth as well as customer stickiness, driven by its focus on customer service and satisfaction. It has received numerous awards and recognition from organizations such as Gartner, and its net promoter score of 70 indicates high customer satisfaction. It will be important for the company to continue adding new products and services and focusing on customer satisfaction, considering the competition in the video communications space. If it is able to continue executing on its vision, however, our 12x revenue multiple could end up looking overly conservative. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/04/what-will-zooms-ipo-valuation-be/ |
Whos Going to Tell Trump? | Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Fight Back! Sign up for Take Action Now and well send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and well send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Travel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Scene: The White House Ad Policy Time: The present In Attendance: Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, Acting Son Eric Trump, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Mick Mulvaney: We got a problem here, people. When it got out that the president had asked why we cant have immigrants from Norway instead of what he called shithole countries, everybody understood that he meant white immigrants instead of dark immigrantseven though that nitwit Kirstjen Nielsen, in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounded like, for all she knew, Norway has the same demographics as Burkina Faso. Mick Mulvaney: The problem is that the presidents strategy for 2020 is to accuse the Democrats of trying to turn this country socialist. And Norway is, certainly by the presidents standards, a socialist countryuniversal health care, free education, welfare state, and all that. So if the president starts talking about encouraging immigration from Norway, he could be accused of thinking that we should flood the country with socialists at the same time hes warning that the Democrats could bring socialism. Current Issue View our current issue (There is a long silence.) (There is a longer silence.) Patrick Shanahan: Dont look at me. When I told him that the commanders on the ground believe theres another way to look at how the fight against ISIS is going in Syria, he took out his yearbook from that military high school for slow learners that he went to and lectured me about how he had a lot more military experience than his generals and that his platoon was almost named platoon of the month when they were only 10th-graders, even though the bone spurs made standing at attention during inspection an act much more heroic than McCains time in the Hanoi Hilton. (There is another long silence.) Mick Mulvaney: Eric, you might be wondering why we asked you here today. Eric Trump: You said you wanted to show me where my daddy lives. Mick Mulvaney: Well, yes, but also we wonder if you and your daddy ever talk about various forms of government. Eric Trump: No, we talk mainly about the various forms of women. (Starts to giggle) (There is another long silence.) Mick Mulvaney: Sarah Sarah Sanders: Not chance. I was there when John Kelly told him that Oz, where Dorothy went in the movie, wasnt a real country, so it couldnt be behind in NATO dues. He ranted for 20 minutes about how he was particularly good at geographythe best geography student the Wharton School of Finance ever hadand how he almost won the High School Geography Bowl in 1964 even though the bone spurs were already agonizing. He was still naming state capitals when we managed to ease our way out of the office. Eric Trump: (Looking around.) My daddy has a big house. Mick Mulvaney: Jared, I know you have a lot on your plate already. Jared Kushner: Yes, bringing peace in the Middle East, reorganizing the government, ending the opioid crisis, stabilizing our relations with Saudi Arabia and any country in a position to make real-estate investments, checking the worst instincts of the president, and revamping the menu at the Navy Mess. I love chocolate milkshakes. Mick Mulvaney: Bernhardt, take Eric to the Navy Mess, get him a milkshake Eric Trump: Chocolate milkshake! Mick Mulvaney: Chocolate milkshake, and leave him there. (Before David Bernhardt and Eric Trump can leave, Sean Hannity enters the room.) Sean Hannity: I heard about the problem, and Im here to fix it. Well just have a special report on Fox about how socialism has nearly destroyed Norwayriots in the streets, water shortages, no air traffic, hamburgers confiscated by roving bands of mad-dog vegans. Well call it Venezuela With Frostbite. The president will watch it, and I guarantee you that hell be tearing into Norway the next day. (There is a murmur of approval in the room.) Eric Trump: But I was just in Norway talking to the prime minister about getting a zoning variance for a Trump Tower Oslo, and everything seemed fine. (There is the longest silence so far.) Mick Mulvaney: Bernhardt, I thought I told you to take Eric to the Navy Mess for a milkshake. Eric Trump: (As hes leaving) Chocolate milkshake. | https://www.thenation.com/article/trump-norway-socialism-milkshake/ |
Will Restaurant Growth Push Chipotle Revenues Through 2021? | Yes, Trefis estimates a steady growth in the number of restaurants will take Chipotle Mexican Grills (NYSE: CMG) revenues to more than $6.6 billion by 2021. The company posted revenues of $4.86 billion and earnings at $6.35 for the FY 2018. In addition, here is more Consumer Discretionary data. Total Revenue: The company has put behind it the E-coli outburst and have been back on an increasing growth in revenues. The company has increased its revenue from $4.1 billion in 2016 to $4.9 billion in 2018. Trefis expects steady restaurant growth, and a revenue of $6.6 billion in FY 2021. Trefis Average Number of Restaurants: The addition in restaurants had slowed after the E. coli outbreak, but from 2016 they started adding new restaurants at a steady pace and the average number of restaurants increased from 2,250 in 2016 to 2,491 in 2018. Trefis estimates around 7% growth in the next 3 years as the company under the new CEO looks to increase its presence. Average Revenue per Restaurant: The average revenue per restaurant has also increased at a moderate but steady growth and was recorded at nearly $2 million per restaurant in 2018 from $1.8 million per restaurant in 2016. Trefis estimates the growth will continue as the company has ventured into digital sales along with catering and delivery and the metric is expected to reach $2.2 million per restaurant by the end of 2021. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/04/will-restaurant-growth-push-chipotle-revenues-through-2021/ |
Are YouTube pranks going too far? | by Keydra Manns Popular YouTuber Chris Monroe received backlash after releasing a video of himself kissing a woman he identified as his sister. The YouTuber is known for his pranks but fans felt this one went too far. Monroe isnt the only entertainer to receive backlash for a prank. In 2018 ,Logan Paul received backlash for posting a video of a dead body. A YouTube channel can be very lucrative, so while some see it as entertainment, others say these pranks are insensitive. YouTube channels have become incredibly lucrative, so entertainers are constantly competing with each other and are trying to find the next big prank to increase their following. According to Forbes, YouTube stars like Logan Paul are racking in major cash from pranks, regardless on if they are inappropriate. Logan Paul started his YouTube channel in 2015, but it didnt take long for his channel to explode. He has over 18 million subscribers as of early 2019, and Forbes reports he had 2018 earnings of $14.5 million. Plenty of pranks that shock viewers along with random topics that arent necessarily appropriate for our readers here at Forbes. Many who have watched the video find it disturbing and say Monroe went way too far. Back in late 2017 and early 2018, Paul received major backlash after uploading a prank involving a dead body. Fans were so offended that he released a formal apology. For anyone in the replies who actually wants to know whats going on; this dude has a YouTube channel called prank invasion where he always does a prank that ends in a kiss. This isnt his real sister hes just bating all his subscribers because his vids are memes at this point taurance (@fawnculture) April 1, 2019 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/are-youtube-pranks-going-too-far.html |
Who lived in Harry and Meghan's house? | Image copyright Carly b. talbot Image caption Frogmore Cottage sits within the larger Frogmore estate With the birth of their first child imminent, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have left Kensington Palace for their new home. Nestled in a quiet corner in the grounds of the grand Frogmore House in Windsor, Frogmore Cottage has a rich history - and Meghan and Harry are far from its first notable residents. A royal refuge Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Queen Charlotte had the cottage built as a rural retreat If Meghan and Harry are seeking a home hidden from the public gaze, then Frogmore Cottage is an ideal spot. From the very beginning it was intended as a secluded refuge from the pressures of royal life, with records of its occupants scarce. Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, had it built in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court. At the time it was fashionable for the wealthy to build large homes disguised as idyllic rural cottages. However, the queen also wanted somewhere for her daughters to "go off and escape George's madness", according to the writer and historian Helen Rappaport. "It was like a large retreat on the Windsor estate where she could go off and hunker down," said Dr Rappaport. "The king had bouts of madness. He was probably quite difficult to live with and she probably used Frogmore Cottage as a retreat." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption King George III reigned for almost 60 years, but suffered from periods of mental illness The 'hated' teacher Image caption Abdul Karim was one of Queen Victoria's closest confidants but was hated by many members of the royal circle Abdul Karim, an Indian Muslim, arrived in England in 1887 to serve at Queen Victoria's table during her golden jubilee celebrations. The 24-year-old made such a big impact on the aging monarch that within the year he had become an established figure at court. The queen made him her teacher - or munshi - instructing her in Urdu and Indian affairs. She lavished honours, titles and gifts on him, one of which was the use of Frogmore Cottage. She visited him at the cottage "every second day" and "never missed a lesson" from Karim, according to the writer Shrabani Basu. Ms Basu, who discovered diaries detailing their relationship., said Victoria developed a close, almost maternal relationship with Karim and would sign letters to him as "your loving mother" and "your closest friend". Karim refurbished the house and lived there with his wives from 1893. However, his close relationship with the Queen angered her family and courtiers and her death in 1901 brought his life at Frogmore - and in the UK - to an abrupt end. Within hours of her funeral, the new king Edward VII, who "hated" Karim, had his residences raided and his papers destroyed. He ordered him to return to India, where he died a few years later, aged 46. "She was his protector," Ms Basu said. "It was curtains for him. They just cast him off." Image caption Shrabani Basu discovered diaries detailing Karim's close relationship with Queen Victoria Impoverished Russians Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna with her daughter Irina in 1897 When Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918, his surviving relatives fled to the UK in a warship sent by their close relative, King George V. Among them was the tsar's sister - and the king's cousin - Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. On arrival in the UK, the grand duchess and her children lived independently for a while but soon ran out of money. In 1925, the king put them up in Frogmore Cottage, along with several of her sons and their families. When it became too crowded, the king made the nearby Home Park Cottage available as well. Marlene Eilers Koenig, an expert on British and European royalty, said the grand duchess was "nearly destitute" by the point she moved in. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tsar Nicholas II and King George V were first cousins The royal refugees' poverty meant the cottage soon fell into disrepair. Residents of grace-and-favour homes were required to pay for all internal changes but the grand duchess's "dire" financial situation meant she could not afford to maintain the house. A Ministry of Works official in 1929 found the cottage was in a "deplorable condition". "Wallpaper was tearing off the walls, the ceilings were dirty and the plaster was breaking off from the walls," added Ms Koenig. "The house needed more than a mere lick of paint." Dr Rappaport said the cottage had been "extremely neglected", was lit with "oil lamps and candles" and did not have a toilet that flushed. The refurbishment was paid for by the king, who also provided his cousin with a 2,400 annual pension. After the king's death in 1936, his son, King Edward VIII offered Xenia and her family Wilderness House, in the grounds of Hampton Court, and they left Frogmore. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Duchess of Sussex is due to give birth to her first child later this month Since World War Two, the cottage is believed to have been used as a home for members of royal household staff, although mystery surrounds it occupants. Perhaps this helps explain why the Duke and Duchess Sussex see Windsor as their "very special place". | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-46348857 |
Could The CW pick up Gotham from Fox? | GOTHAM: L-R: Ben McKenzie and Robin Lord Taylor in the Ruin episode of GOTHAM airing Thursday, Jan. 24 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Bobbie Matt Roush: The CW is pretty much a comic book/ superhero network now with very few exceptions and the best of those exceptions (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin) are on their last legs. But the circumstances are different. CBS dispatched Supergirl to The CW after just one season, while Gotham has had a full five-season run that was designed to take the story to where young Bruce Wayne evolves into the Caped Crusader, at which point its no longer an origin story. This end point was decided upon by the shows creative team in announcing a final season a year ago. So I dont see it resurfacing anywhere unless it takes a decidedly different form. Question: We watch NBCs Superstore every week and enjoy it a lot. However, weve always wondered if the show is taped at an actual store or on a soundstage. Its very realistic! Ray Roush: Ah, the magic of TV, and the craft of superior production design. The pilot episode of Superstore was indeed reportedly filmed in a repurposed Kmart store. But once the show was ordered to series, the expansive Cloud 9 set was designed on soundstages on the Universal lot. To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to tvinsider.com. | https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/tv/could-the-cw-pick-up-gotham-from-fox-1633562/ |
Which Disney movie will top 2019? | Attendees at the annual CinemaCon show at Caesars Palace werent doing much gambling. But they did debate whether Avengers: Endgame, The Lion King or Star Wars: Episode IX would lead the box office in 2019, according to Rich Gelfond, chief executive officer of Imax Corp. It says something about Walt Disney Co.s dominance in Hollywood that no other studio appears to have a shot at this prize. The Burbank, California-based company added to its film slate last month when it acquired 21st Century Fox Inc.s entertainment assets in a $71-billion (U.S.) deal. CinemaCon attendees got a peek at clips from The Lion King and Endgame, helping them formulate opinions about their prospects. But Disney didnt show any footage from Episode IX, which wont be released until the end of the year. For now, Avengers: Endgame has the edge. Its forecast to take in $585 million during its domestic box office run, according to analysts at Evercore ISI Research. Episode IX will yield $551 million, while The Lion King is pegged at $495 million. But overseas ticket sales may tip the scales. | https://www.thestar.com/business/2019/04/04/which-disney-movie-will-top-2019.html |
Can Collin Sexton emulate DeAaron Fox, follow his blueprint for second-year rise? | SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- At this time last year, Sacramento Kings rising sophomore DeAaron Fox was one of the NBAs worst players -- statistically speaking. Fox ranked 503rd out of 521 players in ESPNs Real Plus-Minus, a stat created to measure someones impact on team performance, tallied in net point differential per 100 offensive and defensive possessions. RPM takes into account teammates, opponents and additional factors. In that specific category, Fox was lumped in with former first-round draft bust Ben McLemore, New Yorks enigmatic Emmanuel Mudiay and defensive liability Isaiah Thomas. Foxs net rating was -10.1, which means the Kings were more than 10 points worse per 100 possessions with the fifth-overall pick on the court. He didnt make either of the All-Rookie teams. Look at him now. In Year Two, Fox has helped lead the surprising Kings to the precipice of a .500 finish -- their best season since 2007-08. He launched himself onto the Rising Stars squad, which features the leagues best first- and second-year players. He is likely at least in the running for Most Improved Player. Fox has really blossomed into a premier point guard, Cavs head coach Larry Drew said prior to Thursdays matchup. Just really seems like its happened overnight. He has really made tremendous strides and they have to be really excited about where he is right now and what the future holds for him. Hours later, Fox put the finishing touches on a 16-point, 10-assist and two-steal night, dictating the tempo throughout Sacramentos 117-104 win. As soon as the buzzer sounded, Fox greeted Cavaliers rookie Collin Sexton for a chat. Like Fox last season, Sexton currently finds himself near the bottom of some of those advanced metrics, ranking 504th in RPM and possessing a negative net rating. Thats life as a rookie. That happens when playing on one of the NBAs worst teams. By all accounts, Sexton has had a better first year. Hes going to make All-Rookie. The only question is whether it will be the first or second team. He has proven himself as a dynamic scorer, becoming the third rook in franchise history to tally at least 1,300 points and just the 10th in the last decade to hit that mark. He ranks third in the class in scoring, behind Rookie of the Year favorites Luka Doncic and Trae Young. Unlike many of his peers, Sexton has been on an upward trajectory all season, blasting through the rookie wall and playing his best despite opponents having a more detailed scouting report. But if Sexton wants to make a similar second-year leap, and become a player who impacts winning, its the non-scoring categories where he needs to grow. Fox has provided the blueprint. There are very few rookie point guards that get it off the bat, Larry Nance Jr. said. Take a look at DeAaron Fox last year. His year was up and down and now this year he is one of the better point guards in the entire NBA. The rookie point guard is a tough role, but Collin has certainly done a heck of a job of it. Foxs overall shooting percentage is up and hes become a reliable outside threat, making defenses pay for going under screens. Hes upped his assists from 4.4 per game to 7.3. The game has slowed down. He has more experience. Hes seeing plays develop. He also has better teammates, playing alongside lob recipient Willie Cauley-Stein and sharpshooter Buddy Hield, one of the leagues most formidable catch-and-shoot threats. More than half of Foxs total assists have come off passes to that duo. Last season, Fox created 1,020 assist opportunities. He finished with just 320 assists. He has created 1,545 assist chances this season and the Kings have converted 569 of those. By comparison, Sexton has created 909 assist opportunities. Thats despite not having Love, the teams best player, for 58 games. Thompson, the most accomplished pick-and-roll partner, has missed 37 games. If anything, Foxs leap has to give the Cavs some hope that Sexton could experience the same. Fox really plays under control, Drew said. Even when hes going his fastest, his decision-making is pretty solid. If there is anything I would say that Collin would take from his game its his demeanor throughout. Fox doesnt play at the same speed the whole time. He really does a good job of regulating his speed. I think when you do that, the game really slows down for you. Really see things more and instinctively you start making plays." Thats the same area Nance has identified for Sexton this summer. The next step is using his speed to benefit others, Nance told cleveland.com. Hes flying by, getting to the basket and getting himself layups and collapsing the defense and thats been awesome for us and awesome to see him be able to do that. The next step is being able to use his speed, now that hes garnering more respect and attention once he gets in the lane, its using that speed to drop off or kick out -- starting to see the play before it even gets there. After a brief chat with Fox late Thursday night, Sexton started walking toward the Cavs locker room. Nance was waiting. He dapped him up and threw his arm around the youngster. Nance had a message. That lob he threw to Quese (Marquese Chriss) was immense growth, Nance said. Told him at the beginning of the year, he probably would have shot that. Hes made that improvement and shown that growth. That pass he made was a veteran pass. That was the type of growth we are looking for. Thats really, really promising. It was the final basket of the game. It made the deficit 13 instead of 15. But, as Nance said, it wasnt a meaningless moment. Sexton spoke about trying to implement pieces of Foxs game into his own. Sexton sees similarities. Their speed. An attack mentality. A wont-back-down attitude. That final play looked familiar too. It looked like one Fox has made consistently in his breakout second season. Get Cavs Insider texts in your phone from Chris Fedor: Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with one of the NBAs best beat reporters -- just like you would with your friends. Its just $3.99 a month, which works out to about 13 cents a day. Learn more and sign up here. | https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2019/04/can-collin-sexton-emulate-deaaron-fox-follow-his-blueprint-for-second-year-rise.html |
Is Global Healthcare Ready For Broad 5th Machine Age Technology Adoption? | Depositphotos enhanced by CogWorld Healthcare, growing to $10 Trillion US globally, lags behind nearly 80% of other industries in innovative technology adoption, and in fact is at the bottom five across industries. However this is about to change in the next three years. From the WEF Future of Jobs Report, by 2022, adoption forecasts include: 87% big data, 87% biotech, 80% machine learning (a form of AI), 73% wearable technologies, 67% each for blockchain / IoT / AR-VR, 53% 3D printing, 47% stationary robots, and 40% non-human robots. This became a focused area of discussion at the W2O hosted session in March at SxSW EQ in the ER: Building Empathy Through XR which is now available on video and follow-up podcast. Anita Bose, Chief Business Development Officer, W2O Group moderated a highly interactive dialogue with Rasu Shrestha MD MBA Chief Strategy Officer and EVP Atrium Health and myself. We explored: what are the opportunities, challenges, investments, frontier examples and issues in healthcare such as ethics, genetic editing, big data, extended reality, AI and machine learning, biotechnology, wearables, blockchain, IoT, robots, quantum computing, 3D printing, empathy in the medical context, opioid management, aging, and much more. Dr. Shrestha provided a multi-faceted and nuanced discussion on how enabling technology can be in providing enhanced caring and empathy (deep EQ / emotional quotient) in healthcare with specific examples from his considerable insights in the medical system. This addressed the title about EQ in the ER: Building Empathy Through XR. EQ meaning emotional quotient and ER equating to the emergency room however in all contexts during the SXSW session. Getting into more specifics. XR (extended reality) is the umbrella term for Virtual Reality (AR) + Augmented Reality (VR) + Mixed Reality (MR). The XR marketplace is about $30B US for 2018 and more than $200B in three years. VR are the wearable goggles where you are totally immersed in a virtual (imaginary) environment and available widely in gaming for several years. AR are the games (Pokmon) and graphics tools (Snapchat) you see on most smartphones where you can overlay virtual objects with real objects. An example of MR would be the new Microsoft HoloLens 2 released in this year where the virtual objects are anchored and seamless with physical ones where you can interact directly with both. XR provides for training of patients and medical staff, can be used in pain management and in operating rooms. Moreover, good healthcare can be threatened by bias, where implicit prejudices could be a matter of life or death. But the extended reality (XR) spectrum AR, VR and MR can allow us to see beyond our own biases and foster empathy with people who are different than ourselves. I posed this question to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand, Executive Director, Fraunhofer HHI, Information Technology, TU Berlin. Thomas states: The use of virtual reality as a treatment method for stroke patients is something that we are currently investigating in a project together with the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. The largest impact however is from big data and machine learning (a form of artificial intelligence or AI). This sentiment is supported by experts globally. Dr. Niranjan Kissoon (VP Medical Affairs, BC Children's Hospital in Canada) states, We are now understanding the potential to harness big data and use computing learning and modeling in many areas in medicine. For instance, simulation of scenarios for problem-solving in critical care is gaining traction as well as our ability to build algorithms and models for many complex processes. The future has limitless possibilities. I look forward to a brave new world where (AI) technology can save healthcare providers time to show empathy to their patients while providing clear data-driven evidence of the optimal individualized pathway to health. Anita Bose, who hosted the SXSW session and as Chief Business Development Officer of W2O, commented: Digital advances and big data are poised to revolutionize the healthcare industry, an industry that has historically lagged behind. AI and machine learning, in particular, should have a significant impact since medical care is reliant on pattern recognition and predicting what may happen based on those patterns. In a recent Intel survey, 54% of healthcare professionals said they expected widespread AI adoption in the next 5 years and 83% anticipated more accurate diagnostic capabilities through AI. But the question then becomes, how do we accelerate innovation through these exponential advances while still maintaining the human touch thats required in the effective delivery of personalized health care. The top medical journal, The Lancet, published a comment March-end WHO and ITU establish benchmarking process for artificial intelligence in health. From the comment, Growing populations, demographic changes, and a shortage of health practitioners have placed pressures on the health-care sector. In parallel, increasing amounts of digital health data and information have become available. Artificial intelligence (AI) models that learn from these large datasets are in development and have the potential to assist with pattern recognition and classification problems in medicinefor example, early detection, diagnosis, and medical decision making. These advances promise to improve health care for patients and provide much-needed support for medical practitioners. This moves healthcare to high-quality evidenced based medicine where figures vary but are astonishing that often clinical recommendations are not based on high-quality evidence and this extends to clinical procedures as well. The application of technology can move the needle in a meaningful way to high-quality evidence. I then posed these questions to Naomi Lee, Executive Editor, The Lancet. And what are the expected outcomes of these uses? Naomi states: Currently AI in the clinical setting is still at a very early phase, and most clinical AI is being used in a research setting, rather than in routine clinical care. The potential of AI in health, however, is very exciting, and many feel that it will be AI that transforms healthcare in a way other digital technologies have so far failed to do. Much of medical practice is about pattern recognition for diagnosis and prediction, so AI should present an advantage here over humans alone, particularly now there are large amounts of digital data available. There is also interest in using AI to solve logistic problems in healthcare, for example around patterns of service use, which could realise some of the potential with less risk. In asking Naomi this follow-up question, How do we ensure there are clear guidelines for use and some level of standardization?. Naomi responded: There is a clear framework for medical research of a new drug that goes from laboratory work, to a first in human study, through clinical trials phase 1-3, and then post marketing surveillance. However, this framework is challenged for many reasons when we try to assess AI models, and we need to create a new system that builds on this, but addresses the benefits and challenges of AI models in health. The World Health Organisation and International Telecommunications Union have together formed a focus group that will create a benchmarking process for AI models in health. This is a vital first step to understanding which models perform well enough, in order that we can then examine the effect the models use has on hard clinical endpoints like survival. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand added the following to the AI impact in healthcare. The potential for AI assistance in the health domain and advancing the field of digital health is immense because AI can support medical and public health decision making at reduced costs, everywhere. For example, a significant amount of recent work on AI in health has gone into applications that revolve around image interpretation and natural language understanding. The topics covered include the analysis of X-ray, CT, MRI, digital pathology, cardiac, abdominal, musculoskeletal, foetal, dermatological and retinal images. In language understanding, the areas of biomedical text mining, electronic health record analysis, sentiment analysis on internet-derived data, and medical decision support systems have shown promising results. Other AI research addresses clinical processes, public health topics and prevention. Many of these advances of AI in these areas hold the promise to substantially transform the health space. On asking this follow-up question to Thomas, How do we ensure there are clear guidelines for use and some level of standardization? He commented: The potential of AI for health also faces a number of challenges. In particular, deep learning models are famously hard to interpret and explain - which may substantially hinder their acceptance when facing critical or even vital decisions. Hence, interpretability, explainability, and proven robustness (e.g. to outliers and to adversarial attacks) are crucial aspects that have to be considered for trustworthiness. This problem is complicated further because most modern AI applications are based on supervised learning and rely on data that are labeled. In the health domain, labels can typically be given only by qualified specialists. In addition, machine learning approaches must take into account the biases. Hence, in machine learning, algorithms and training data have to be considered in combination. The Focus Group on "Artificial Intelligence for Health" (FG-AI4H) established by ITU in partnership with WHO aims to meet the challenges by providing open, transparent and standardised processes for the evaluation of AI algorithms in the health space. I added to the exchange with these additional questions to Thomas. What are the benefits and risks associated with that? Thomas responded, Data sets are a necessity for AI methods. Health data are particularly sensitive. Creating and assessing data sets in this space that are of high quality for AI algorithm training and testing is a challenge. The Focus Group on AI for Health that is supported by ITU and WHO which are both United Nations organisations, offers a great opportunity here to provide such data sets. In summary, the SXSW session is a catalyst for a global conversation and collaboration to move to implementation of transformational technologies to improve healthcare while still emphasizing the human element with a focus on caring and empathy. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2019/04/05/is-global-healthcare-ready-for-broad-5th-machine-age-technology-adoption/ |
Did the USA women's national team abandon the old guard too quickly? | Jill Elliss decision to cut veterans loose is a change in the culture of a team that has historically treated new blood cautiously and has proven costly to the World Cup holders in defense The scene on Thursday at Dicks Sporting Goods Park has becoming increasingly familiar for the US womens national team: they scored a bunch of goals, which was positive, except they had to score them because they had conceded so many of their own. In this case against Australia, it was three goals the Americans conceded en route to a 5-3 win, and it marked the fourth time in their last six games that the Americans had conceded multiple goals, a worrying pattern. USA get better of Matildas in eight-goal pre-World Cup thriller Read more What a difference four years make. It was then that the US rode its defense all the way to a World Cup title, going 540 minutes in the tournament without conceding a goal. But that defensively sound US team was nowhere to be found in Colorado and neither are many of the players who made up that defensive unit. The starting fullbacks four years ago Ali Krieger and Meghan Klingenberg were phased out in 2017 after the Rio Olympics, along with backup center back Whitney Engen. Goalkeeper Hope Solos exit came first, as she had been unceremoniously kicked off the team and never invited back. It would seem that maybe even Ellis had considered the possibility Krieger, after two years out of the national team picture, was surprisingly called into the current US camp due to an injury to right back Kelley OHara, which exposed a disconcerting lack of depth at the fullback position, such that centerback Emily Sonnett has been the No 2 right back. What Ive always said is no door is closed, Ellis said this week. Coming out of Olympics, it was a time where I wanted to look for depth. The outside back position to start with hasnt been one with an overwhelming amount of depth, so I gave myself that time to look, to explore. Alis never been off the radar. Players that have played at that level are never off the radar but you look and explore. Explaining the Krieger call-up, Ellis added: With Kelley not being here, sometimes the experience piece is something you have to take into consideration going into a massive event like this. Krieger did not get on the field Thursday night. Instead it was Sonnett who started and was to blame for Australias first goal as she pinched in centrally like, well, a center back, and didnt shut down the space in front of Australias Lisa De Vanna. FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) And just like that we're tied!!! Lisa De Vanna sends it home and levels the score for Australia. pic.twitter.com/Vk1Bqy7KLH The arguments for moving on from the likes of Krieger and the other 2015 veterans are clear. Krieger, for instance, is 34 and has lost a step in her speed, such that she has moved from right back to center back for her club, the Orlando Pride. The US teams current starting fullbacks, Crystal Dunn and OHara both converted attackers are also superior options for bombing up the flank and adding numbers in the attack, which the 2015 veterans simply cant do as well anymore. But its a wonder that players like Krieger or Klingenberg, who still compete at a high level in the National Womens Soccer League, havent been getting call-ups all along, at least to offer some mentorship and leadership if not competition to the next generation of defenders. World Cup champions Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris announce engagement Read more Megan Rapinoe didnt mince words when asked about Kriegers return: I think shes been good enough to be here along but thats not my choice. Shes very good, but the experience that she brings, even just mentoring other players and the understanding she brings for what it takes to be an elite defender is invaluable, Rapinoe added. You have to have that balance of young and old, and you have to let the younger kids learn for themselves, but if you can help them in any way, then its a loss not to. She deserves to be on the team, and I think she can valuable member of the team. But the reality is that veterans like Krieger have quickly been phased out with seemingly no opportunity to fight to keep their job while young inexperienced players have walked into starting roles under Ellis. Up until recently, head coaches for the US womens national team had limited power to turn over the player pool in any given year. Since 2005, a provision in the teams collective bargaining agreement specified that 20 or more players would be under contract as year-round employees while so-called floaters players trying to break into the team could only be called in a maximum of four times per year for a total of 42 days out of a year. Only eight floaters total could earn call-ups each year. But Ellis has been free to do whatever she pleases with the roster since 2017, when a new CBA lifted all the restrictions on floaters. In contract negotiations, the players were supportive of expanding the player pool but lately, theres been lingering concern from some veterans that Ellis has taken that freedom too far, and youngsters have been thrown into the mix far too quickly. For instance: Alex Morgan, who today is an undisputed starter and the backbone of the US attack, had to wait almost a year under then-coach Pia Sundhage between her first cap and her first start. It took another year until Morgan earned back-to-back starts, even though it was obvious early on that Morgan would be the future of the US attack. Compare that to 20-year-old Emily Fox, whose first three caps under Ellis as left back were all starts and all rather shaky. Taylor Smith, another left back like Fox, also started in her first two appearances for the US but never played well enough to keep the spot. Meanwhile, a veteran like Klingenberg couldnt even battle them for the job that used to be hers, nor could she mentor them. In Tierna Davidsons case, Ellis trial-by-fire approach has seemed to pay off at 19 years old, she walked into a starting job in 2018, with her first nine US caps all starts, and now she seems to be a virtual lock at center back for the World Cup roster. But notably, her consistency has grown more suspect as the World Cup inches closer and she struggled in last months SheBelieves Cup. Cutting veterans loose and handing starting spots to young players may be changing the culture of a team that has historically treated new blood cautiously and forced youngsters to prove themselves before earning the embrace of the rest of the team. But the bigger concern is the more immediate one: its left the US team without some of the leadership and experience it clearly needs along the back line, and its costing them goals. Theres little Ellis can do about the past two years of call-ups now, unless she wants to give Krieger minutes on Sunday or maybe even consider Krieger for the World Cup. But if OHara is healthy, that seems unlikely because there wont be any other open spots for Krieger. As Ellis put it: I havent blinked in terms of Kelley not being at the World Cup if shes healthy, shes a player we need. Now, the US women have to ride out the experience they have on the back line, regardless of whether it includes World Cup appearances or not. Experience helps but I also the players Ive been playing on the back line have now really gone through it, Sauerbrunn said. Theyve played in the SheBelieves Cup, theyve played in Tournament of Nations, theyve played in qualifiers, so theyve played in big games and they do have experience now. Whether its enough experience or the right kind of experience will become apparent this June at the World Cup. | https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/apr/05/uswnt-soccer-defense-turnover-united-states |
What Should We Make of Joe Biden? | Everyones talking about Joe Biden. In the past week, several women have said that the former vice president and senator, who is mulling a 2020 run, made them uncomfortable with his overly familiar style of touchinghis tactile style, as he has called it. Others have come to his defense, saying Bidens warm approach has made them feel more comfortable in awkward situations. In response, Biden released a video promising to do better. Ive always tried to make a human connection, he said. Heres what they had to say. Story Continued Below *** Hes a relic from a previous era Amanda Marcotte is author of Its a Jungle Out There: The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments. Bidens behavior, as the women who complained about it have said, doesnt rise to the level of sexual harassment, and as such, its not disqualifying on its own. But it is indicative of a larger problem with Biden even considering running in the race, which is that hes a relic from a previous era, when casual sexism was the norm and white male entitlement was unchallenged. The Democrats have a number of much better candidates who are diverse, progressive, and forward-thinking to choose from, and any of them would make a much better contrast with Trump in the general election. *** This character assassination of Biden is underhanded, possibly shameful Judith Shulevitz writes about feminism, among other topics, for the New York Times and the Atlantic. All the op-eds about creepy Uncle Joe make me want to call up my now-long-dead rhetoric professor. What do you call the trope in which a part of a thing stands in for the whole? Id ask. Synecdoche, hed say. And isnt there a synecdochal fallacy? Well done, hed say (or I hope hed say). The false inference from the property to the essence. Its a sly feint, that false inferring. Its how you glide from Bidens old-school-pols touchy-feeliness to his unsuitability for office, without anyone quite noticing. New York Magazines Rebecca Traister made the move first. The gross physical familiarity and disrespect for the female politician he touched is classically, casuallyeven while non-cataclysmicallysymptomatic of everything thats wrong with him: Anita Hill, waffling on abortion, even his work on the Violence Against Women Act. Youd think that piece of legislation would weigh in his favor, but no: Even in that, Biden is That Guy: the paternalistic lawmaker for whom it is perhaps easier to write legislation protecting women than it is to simply listen to, believe, and take [them] seriously. Traisters disingenuousness lurks in that non-cataclysmically: Bidens touching isnt the problem, its what it symbolizes. In the New York Times a few days later, Michelle Goldberg did the same thing. I dont necessarily blame him, she wrote. His avuncular pawing isnt a #MeToo story. It just puts him out of step with the mores of an increasingly progressive Democratic Party. Translation: get out of our way, you disgusting old man. This, my fellow pundits, is underhanded, possibly shameful. Dont pretend to be having an elevated discussion of public policy when youre conducting character assassination. You have come to bury Uncle Joe, not review his record. Own up to it. *** Why cant they just apologize? Debra Dickerson is the author of An American Story and The End of Blackness. #MeToo is here to stay and its demanding restorative justice. We just want you to admit it. And stop it. Condemn it when you see it. So, its maddening the way these menso many of whose offenses are captured on filmcontinue to weasel word us. Social norms have begun to change. Bummer that no one protected Anita Hill from all those mean senators I was in charge of. His staff are denying the accusations, but staunchly supporting the womens right to speak. Even though they think those women are lying, apparently, given the denials: insult to injury! Laying hands on someone without their consent, let alone their participation, was always intrinsically wrong; white, male privilege just forced the rest of us to endure it. It ought to make Biden gnash his teeth to know hed spent 40 years in public life making women dread his approach. Instead, he seems to feel that hes been wronged, misunderstood, his good-hearted affection thrown back in his face. That he is just stoically taking one for the team. As we say in North St. Louis, Aint nobody stupid. This just wont do. Since the old-timers dont seem to get it, heres my gift to #MeToo perps yet to be unmasked before 2020. Repeat after me: Boy, how I wish wed known back then what we know now! It keeps me up at night that I made so many people feel uncomfortable, and I apologize. It wont happen again, and Ill work to rectify any of my past behavior that I possibly can. I hope you can forgive me. Thats it. Problem solved. And no one of Bidens generation will be going there anytime soon. That said, Bidens limp-wristed, passive voiced, mistakes were made non-apology likely wont cost him the backing of those already in his camp. He was always the guy who opposed busing when it counted, tortured Hill, opposed gay marriage, ran bankster defense, supported the Iraq War, and on and on. Mainstream Dem positions then, utterly unacceptable to the galvanized young progressives whose support is critical to winning in 2020. Also, I suspect, to middle-aged women like me who had to endure the leers, and gropings, and catcalls in silence for decades lest we be deemed humorless. He wasnt ahead of the times then, and, nearly 80, he isnt now. This will be just more reason to continue ignoring Biden, his time come and gone. Given the devastation of the environment, the economy and a Trumpian electorate, its impossible to see the calcified Bidens (and Clintons) contend with the post-Occupy AOC contingent. Desperate times, desperate measures. Handsy dinosaurs need not apply. *** Bidens touching problem is about as disqualifying a history as I can imagine Linda Hirshman is the author of Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment. When the Supreme Court looks at sexual harassment at work, it does not ask each woman how she feels about the conduct. It asks how a reasonable person would react. Hugging, boob vicinity touching, sniffing, whispering, rubbing, kissing. Joe Bidens not my boss, but he is considering running to be my ruler, the president. I think the Supreme Court has a good test. She would feel like she didnt want him to be her ruler. Because the first rule of a free country is that each person has the right to control access to their physical bodies. We call it life and liberty, but it all comes out of that basic starting gate. Once you have physical security life, liberty the pursuit of happiness can make its long awaited appearance. To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men. For too long women did not even have that first protection; they were outside the social contract. So a lifelong practice of violating womens hard-won status as gatekeepers to their own selves is about as disqualifying a history as I can imagine. If you dont like this, don't @ me. Send a note to Monticello. *** The Cut essay is an overwrought character attack on a man of high quality whos out of step Gail Sheehy is the author of 17 books, including Hillarys Choice and a current memoir, DARING: My Passages. Touching this subject is like touching a live wire at this point. I read the personal essay by Lucy Flores in The Cut as an overwrought character attack on a man of high quality whos out of step with younger womens new concept of personal space. Touching has been the mothers milk of most successful politicians foreverwhether hugging, shoulder-grabbing, back-rubbing, even kissing. The latest Biden attacker calls foul on him for Eskimo kissing. Yes, Biden should seek out a meeting with a group of prestigious womenmaybe suggested by the founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burketo apologize and discuss what the new rules are. That could educate countless well-meaning men. But only after hes begun making the difficult passage from his comfort in touching women to their plain disdain at being touched without consent. But there is a bigger concern here: My fear is that powerful male bosses may become wary of promoting outspoken women for fear of being tarred for touching that was standard not so long ago. Even worsemen who resent new rules on gender equity may find this a convenient argument against those hard-won gains. *** Assault is a crime. Ickiness is not. Danielle Pletka is senior vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. In this era of identity politics, apparently the mere fact of being a woman is sufficient qualification to comment on a politicians fitness for office. By lucky coincidence, I have also known (though only professionally) Joe Biden since I joined the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee more than a quarter century ago. Whatever the terms of disapprobation of the momentinappropriate touching? the notion that Biden is an aged pervert is beyond ridiculous. He is a warm, kind individual who believes he has more charm than he does. Socially, this is his worst sin. For conservatives, the temptation to sit aside and enjoy the circular firing squad that is the Democratic Party process for nominating a presidential candidate is huge. But there is a larger issue at stake, laid bare in the Kavanaugh hearing and elsewhere. Unsubstantiated and offensive allegations against men by women are not sacrosanct. They are as deserving of scrutiny as any other accusation. More importantly, women are not fragile flowers who cannot withstand the hugs of pre-Beto era men. It is as if we have returned to a pre-feminism era in which the weaker sex must prevail upon society to protect them from lotharios. Assault is a crime. Ickiness is not. Fussing over whether uncle Joes kiss was too warm serves mainly to distract us from discussing the real qualifications of those who aspire to the presidency. *** Social mores have changed and Joe has not Molly Jong-Fast is author of The Social Climbers Handbook: A Novel. None of what Joe Biden did is nearly as bad as what Trump is accused of but it doesnt matter, because Democrats shouldnt have to use the thrice-married adulterer who has multiple sexual assault allegations against him as a moral yardstick. This weird gray area of inappropriate touching is problematic for Biden because it speaks to a certain inability to adapt to the current climate. Maybe in 1989 he could kiss a women he didnt know on the back of the head, but in 2019 its creepy and overly familiar. Maybe the Lucy Flores touching wasnt about sex, maybe it was more about power, or about a lack of boundaries, or about a lack of respect. Or maybe it doesnt matter; social mores have changed and Joe has not. *** Bidens behavior is discriminatory Soraya Chemaly is author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Womens Anger. The stories about Bidens affectionate behavior arent new and, yes, are disturbing. At best, at this stage, they remind all of us that double standards in the treatment of men and women in public space persist in ways that cause women discomfort and humiliation. At worst, the insistence that this handsiness is harmless reflects a deep cultural denial of the number of women who have been harassed, assaulted or molested and live with the consequences of that, for example, hypervigilance and the inability to feel safe in virtually any setting. One in five women have been the victims of rape or attempted rape, according to the CDC. One in three to four live with intimate partner violence; almost all have been sexually harassed and experienced gender harassment in the form of every day discrimination. At this point, intent is irrelevant. Bidens behavior is discriminatory in that it creates environments in which women are objectified and supposed to ignore their own instincts, physical responses and dignity. Its not complicated: Just dont treat women in ways you wouldnt treat a man in the same space. Well all be fine. *** Bidens excuse might possibly be worse than the crime Joanna Weiss is editor-in-chief of Experience, a new online magazine. The last thing Joe Biden needs, at this moment when millennial and GenX candidates are sucking all of the oxygen in the Democratic primary, is to look like somebodys grandpa. Yet thats the impression he gives in that rambling two-minute video, where he unbuttons his shirt collar, turns the folksy-meter to 11, and declares his sudden realization that the boundaries of respecting personal space have been reset. Its one of those excuses that might possibly be worse than the crime. No, Joe, the boundaries havent changed; whats changed is that people at last feel empowered to tell you that youve been crossing them for decades. The #MeToo movement is filled with stories from women who are now about Bidens age, who for years tolerated behavior that made feel uncomfortable or worse, who never believed they had the choice to call out a powerful man. On the spectrum of that behavior, Bidens sins rank relatively low. His ignorance that he was sinning at all is a mitigating factor, sort of. The norms of his generation are a defense, kind of. And his excuses might fly with the grandpa setthe voters who feel, as Biden probably does, that social norms are shifting faster than they can possibly hope to accommodate. Those same voters, feeling that same whiplash, might have chosen to pull the lever for Donald Trump in 2016. Maybe Biden is the guy to draw them back. But the potential new Democratic votersthe ones the younger, glibber candidates are trying to draw into politics for the first timewill look at that video and see Grandpa: quaint, oddly charming, and a relic of the past. | https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/04/05/what-should-we-make-of-joe-biden-226574 |
Should Manchester United Be Lining Up Real Madrid's Raphael Varane? | Manchester United suffered their second consecutive loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the short space of three matches on Tuesday evening. Although Ole Gunnar Solskjaers players started brightly and with the intensity needed, defensive frailties became apparent once more, which continues to fuel speculation over the summer transfer window. The Norwegian boss, who has been rewarded with the full-time post after his impressive performances, has a lot of work to undertake this summer. From moving players on that do not warrant a place in the squad to bringing in world-class talent that is going to elevate the club, there is no doubt that Solskjaer will already have one eye on the transfer market. One player whose name continues to be banded around is Raphael Varane. The Real Madrid and France international central defender has been linked to every elite European side under the sun this season, which would usually mean he is vying for a new contract at Los Blancos, but this case might just turn out differently. Getty In the modern age, players are known to use the widespread media attention to their advantage, often drawing their current clubs into offering a contract worth what they initially asked for. This had happened with Sergio Ramos in the past, with the Spain international using Manchester Uniteds interest to negotiate higher terms at Los Blancos. However, Varane, at the age of 25, has already accomplished so much more than expected before he has truly entered into his prime years. With four Champions Leagues to his name, two La Ligas, three Super Cups, four Club World Cups and one World Cup with France, Varane has practically accomplished all there is win in Spain. For players in that Real Madrid side who achieved such greatness under Zinedine Zidane, it would not be hard to question where their motivation is coming from next. After seeing record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo depart to Juventus last summer, they, too, might want to set off for pastures new. And so with Manchester United looking to rebuilt their squad over the summer, the two might just find a happy partnership. Varane will not come cheap, though, and the Red Devils will need to fork up a world-record fee for a defender, which is currently set at the 75 million Liverpool spent on acquiring Virgil van Dijk from Southampton. Getty Given the Frenchmans contract does not expire until June 2020, Real Madrid hold all power in the negotiations. While Manchester United have a sizeable amount of money behind them, they will need to be persuasive in luring Varane over and making him believe in Solskjaers project. It would be a step down as some might call it, but it also gives Varane a sense of a challenge and one in which he will have to work very hard at to make work. Manchester United are not operating on the same level as Los Blancos, but with the right players brought in where the quality is depleted, the Norwegian manager can begin to challenge for major honours. Varane would bring an immense level of experience at the truly elite level, as well as his commanding personality in Uniteds defence. The added and crucial ability to play out from the back is something the club are looking for and desperately need in order to partner with Victor Lindelof. The French centre back has a pass completion rate of 89.5%, which ranks him inside the top 20 in La Liga. Varanes long, searching diagonal passes into the wider channels for the forwards to run on to are a stroke of genius, as well as his confidence and natural ability when dribbling out from the back and into midfield there is no reason why he cannot double up as a defensive midfielder. It is fair to say that Varane has not been operating at the level he has consistently shown since arriving at Real Madrid in 2011, but there is no doubt in anyones mind that he can reinvigorate his performances by switching allegiances and setting out a new challenge for himself. Manchester United will come calling. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/liamcanning/2019/04/05/should-manchester-united-be-lining-up-real-madrids-raphael-varane/ |
How do gaming fines work? And what does Nevada do with the money? | John Locher / AP The Nevada Gaming Commission regulates everything from casinos on the Strip to the row of slot machines at your neighborhood convenience store. Anything deemed a threat to interests of the state or licensed gaming is subject to a fine. Those fines have previously come down for underage gambling, overserving alcohol, illegal bookmaking and more.Under an intricate monitoring system, casinos are encouraged to step in to regulate themselves for the public interest. Here's what you need to know about how it works: The largest fine In January, a fine of $20 million was issued to Wynn Resorts for failure to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against former CEO and company founder Steve Wynn before he resigned. It is the largest fine ever levied by state officials. In this case, the Gaming Control Board and Wynn Resorts couldnt come to an agreement, so the matter went to the commission for a final decision. The fine was paid in early March, according to Nevada's Legislative Counsel Bureau. The previous high for a gaming fine was issued to CG Technology for $5.5 million in 2014, related to illegal betting infractions. MGM Resorts International was fined $5 million in 2003 for misappropriation of funds. No other gaming fine in state history has been for more than $3 million. Prior to the recent large fine, state regulators collected more than $6.7 million in gaming fines during the past three fiscal years combined. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, which has three, full-time, governor-appointed board members and nearly 400 staff members, acts in a prosecutorial capacity, policing Nevadas gaming industry and issuing fines. If a fine agreement cannot be made between the board and the company at fault, the case goes to the Nevada Gaming Commission, which serves in a judicial capacity by determining a potential punishment. Infractions can be uncovered by enforcement agents working for the board. They can also be provided by tipsters or the organizations themselves in the form of self-reporting. The industry is very well-policed, not only by regulators, but by themselves, Gaming Commission Chairman Tony Alamo said. Thats a statement of fact. Every so often, we get fines that take over the news. Rest assured, though, thats very rare. Because gaming license holders want to retain their privileges, they generally want to make sure theyre not breaking the rules, Alamo said. He says gaming fines of at least $1 million have only been handed down 11 times in the states history. Were talking about an industry thats self-policed better than any other industry we have in the country, he said. Look at the EPA or the FDICthey lower a lot more hammers than we do, because we dont have to. Alamo said license holders often come to the board to ask if certain actions would be violations. Gaming-fine money usually goes into the states general fund. At the end of the most recent fiscal year for the statethe 2018 fiscal year ended June 30the state had about $425 million in its general fund, according to Mark Krmpotic, a fiscal analyst for the Legislative Counsel Bureau. Gov. Steve Sisolaks projected budget, which could change depending on what lawmakers do this spring, would leave $262.5 million in the general fund at the end of the current fiscal year, not including some of the more recent fines. Assuming the budget projection holds, which is far from certain, it will get an increase of about 8 percent in general fund monies from recent fines. Money from the general fund is used to support state government, Krmpotic said. So it partially funds the K-12 [education] system in Nevada, the university system, the Department of Corrections and programs like Medicaid and other health and human services. Reasons that license holders are fined run the gamut, Alamo said, though a fine usually isnt levied unless theres a significant issue. Examples include: taking illegal bets, allowing minors on the casino floor, money laundering, failing to register employees with the state and allowing a banned gambler to wager. Fines are for significant issues that call for a change in behavior, Alamo said. We could be talking about something found in an audit or something related to behavior. Fines can be small and large, some for $1,000 or less. There are restricted and non-restricted licensees, Alamo said. Its final, Alamo said. Im not sure if one could potentially file a civil recourse, but its never happened. People want to keep their license. Its not cops and robbers; its cops and cops. Both sides really want to get to the same place. This story originally appeared in the Las Vegas Weekly. | https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/apr/05/how-do-gaming-fines-work-and-what-does-nevada-do-w/ |
Will Mueller report ever be released? | As a battle wages on between Congress and the Department of Justice over Robert Muellers report, investigators for the special counsel appear to be taking a stand. A new report describes simmering frustrations at the special counsels office after attorney general William Barr released a four-page summary of its findings, effectively concluding Donald Trump was cleared of any criminal misconduct. Those investigators have told associates Mr Barrs summary is far from comprehensive and that it undermined the damaging material against the president included in their report, according to the New York Times. It is one of the first reported times the special counsels investigators have spoken out about the handling of the investigation in its aftermath. As the House Judiciary Committee threatens to subpoena the full report from the Justice Department, it seems clear at least some factions of the Democratic Party will not be satisfied with a heavily-redacted report that lacks substantive detail about Mr Muellers investigation. The Independent spoke with several constitutional law experts to better understand what might come next in this potentially lengthy legal fight. As part of its oversight authority, Congress certainly has the right to request, and even subpoena, the entire report, said Steven Schwinn, an associate professor of law at the John Marshall Law School. That said, Justice has authority to determine that some portions of it should not be turned over, or should be turned over with protections. If Congress and Justice disagree, Congress can sue to enforce a subpoena, and the courts can work it out. Theres just one problem with that, however: courts dont typically like to get involved in these sort of disputes between the legislative and executive branches. Generally courts have expected Congress and the president to solve this the old-fashioned way, and I believe thats what will happen here, said Peter Margulies, a law professor at Roger Williams School of Law. That question really depends on who you ask. Legally speaking, there are some caveats as to what the public cannot access from the special counsels findings. There are the two obvious restrictions that would certainly be an open invitation for a redactors magic marker: grand jury information which ordinarily is under seal then theres information classified due to sources and methods used by the intelligence community, which may reveal how counterintelligence operations are being conducted, said Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. The White House has also suggested components of the report may be subject to executive privilege, meaning they discuss private details of the presidencys internal processes and therefore could be withheld from the public potentially setting up a legal challenge. Say the courts are forced to get involved. The courts can order Justice to turn over the redacted portions, or deny Congresss request for the redacted portions, or maintain some redactions but order release of others, Mr Schwinn said. The way the courts get involved, and how they make decisions about the material, will depend on the reasons why Justice is redacting. For example, the courts will judge an assertion of executive privilege differently than theyll judge an assertion of grand jury secrecy just because those are two different things, he added. Still, legal experts say its more likely than not that a resolution will be made between the branches. Id hope attorney general Barr would be forthcoming in providing the vast bulk of the report Im still inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, Mr Margulies said. It wouldnt surprise me if at least some people arent happy, but I hope Bar will release enough so it makes clear what Muellers thinking was and answers some questions raised from his summary, particularly the obstruction of justice issue. | https://news.yahoo.com/mueller-report-ever-see-light-211349357.html |
Is the gas tax increase enough for Ohios crumbling roads? | Those are two possibilities from the fallout of the new transportation bill DeWine signed into law this week after a reluctant Ohio legislature refused to give DeWine what he had said was needed. The plan falls more than $300 million a year short of what the governor said was absolutely necessary. The answer isnt clear yet. Under the transportation budget deal, Ohios gas tax will increase from 28 cents a gallon to 38.5 cents on July 1. Plus, the tax on diesel will go up from 28 cents to 47 cents. The result will be an estimated $865 million a year in new money. The administration had said the governors proposal - for a total of $1.21 billion in new gas tax money in year one, $1.28 billion in the second year - was the minimum necessary. His proposal, unlike the final deal, also had an inflation clause to allow the tax rate to automatically go up. The governors proposal was billed as what was needed mainly for maintenance, with some safety programs and new improvements. Part of the new money, as in the past, will be shared with local communities. This will be an estimated $390 million from the increase. Tables DeWine provided during a meeting with cleveland.com editors and reporters as he lobbied for support in the legislature showed that his proposal was what was needed for a stable 10-year plan of regular maintenance, improvements and safety projects. His plan followed the historical trend of spending $250 million to $300 million a year on new improvements. Under Gov. John Kasich, much of that money came from increased tolls on the Ohio Turnpike to cover $1.35 billion in borrowing. Tolls wont pay off those bonds until 2048, and theres no talk of a new set of borrowing that would require more toll increases. DeWine also proposed $250 million a year for safety projects, beyond maintenance to existing roads. The unknown DeWine, speaking Tuesday after the legislature passed the compromise but before he signed the bill, was non-committal about what could and couldnt be done with the reduced amount of new money. But he was involved in conversations with lawmakers leading up to votes. Thats going to be something were going to be talking about in the days ahead, DeWine said then. A spokesman for the governor said more detailed information would probably be coming Wednesday. That didnt happen. Then on Thursday, ODOT spokesman Matt Bruning said decisions on how to divvy the money would be made in the next couple of weeks. The final bill doesnt spell it out, Bruning said. Gov. Mike DeWine proposed this transportation spending plan when he introduced his proposal for an 18-cent increase in Ohio's gas tax. A 10-year plan reduced to 4 to 6 Gone is DeWines idea for a stable outlook on Ohios transportation needs over the next 10 years. Now, the talk is that the new deal will solve things for just four to six years, with a commitment to begin studying longer-term solutions. In other words, the decision to increase Ohios gas tax for the first time since 2005 is viewed only as a short-term fix. Revenue from the tax has been essentially flat since 2005. More ideas and studies, no decisions One possibility is that Ohio drivers could eventually be charged based on the miles they drive, instead of the amount of fuel they buy. Already being tested in several states and in use as a voluntary program in Oregon, the concept of charging by the mile is aimed at keeping road revenue flowing as more people switch to vehicles that use less gasoline, or no gas at all. Ohio lawmakers this week did move to begin getting more money from owners of the most fuel efficient vehicles. Part of the law increasing the gas tax is a new annual fee of $200 on electric vehicles or hybrids that plug in, and $100 for other hybrids. That could be the first of what could be more policy changes. The law increasing the gas tax includes a clause creating the Ohios Road to Our Future Joint Legislative Study Committee, made up of House and Senate members from both parties. The committee will focus on ways to raise money outside the traditional gas tax, including charging by the mile through tracking devices, making more money from state assets such as with cell phone towers or rights-of-way, and re-evaluating ODOTs debt policies and practices. The committee also will be charged with analyzing future ODOT needs, and whether there are ways to save money within the department. The report is due Dec. 1, 2020. In the near-term, the state hasnt yet figured out what will be cut from its original, larger gas tax plan. | https://www.cleveland.com/open/2019/04/is-the-gas-tax-increase-enough-for-ohios-crumbling-roads.html |
Can I trust my new partner after he had a night out with another woman? | Im 18 months into a relationship and my insecurities are driving us apart. My ex abandoned me and my children out of the blue he had a double life. This knocked my confidence, so I spent six years rebuilding my life and making a lovely home for my children. I met my new partner 18 months ago and hes wonderfuland our children get along brilliantly. Recently, however, he went out with a group of mates and didnt come home. When I asked him about it, he said hed gone back to a friends house with the friend, his partner and another woman. He told me he used to fancy this woman, but nothing happened and he would never cheat on me. However, my confidence is shattered. I want to trust him but he chose to go back with this woman instead of coming home to me. The fact he admitted he used to be attracted to her makes me feel threatened, as Im not convinced you can turn those sorts of feeling off. I feel as if hes betrayed me. Ive asked him not to do it again and he says he wont, but every time he goes out, Im on edge. He has lied to me about money and Im finding it hard to trust him. I dont want to get hurt again, but I dont want to throw away an otherwise good relationship. When leaving a message on this page, please be sensitive to the fact that you are responding to a real person in the grip of a real-life dilemma, who wrote to Private Lives asking for help, and may well view your comments here. Please consider especially how your words or the tone of your message could be perceived by someone in this situation, and be aware that comments that appear to be disruptive or disrespectful to the individual concerned will be removed. Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site. If you would like fellow readers to respond to a dilemma of yours, send us an outline of the situation of about 150 words. For advice from Pamela Stephenson Connolly on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns. All correspondence should reach us by Wednesday morning. [email protected] (please dont send attachments). Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions: see https://gu.com/letters-terms | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/05/can-i-trust-my-new-partner-after-he-had-a-night-out-with-another-woman |
Why is WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuadorian embassy? | As rumours circulate Ecuador is to expel Assange, we trace his route to asylum in London Rumours are rife that Julian Assange will soon be released from the Ecuadorian embassy in London after the organisation he founded, Wikileaks, suggested his exit was imminent. WikiLeaks tweeted that a high level source within the Ecuadorian state told them Assange will be expelled from the embassy within hours or days. But a senior Ecuadorian official says no decision has been made to remove him from the building. In August 2010, an arrest warrant was issued for Assange for two separate allegations one of rape and one of molestation after he visits Sweden for a speaking trip. He is questioned by police in Stockholm and denies the allegations. Assange reveals his fears that if he is extradited to Sweden, from there he will be extradited once again to the US to face charges over WikiLeakss publication of secret US government files. Supporters gather after reports Julian Assange may be ousted from embassy Read more After an international arrest warrant was issued by Swedish police through Interpol, Assange presented himself to the Metropolitan police in December 2010 and appeared at an extradition hearing where he was granted bail. After a couple of years of legal battles, UK courts rule Assange should be extradited to Sweden and the Wikileaks founder enters the Ecuadorian embassy seeking political asylum, which is granted. Swedish prosecutors dropped a preliminary investigation into the allegation of rape in May 2017, stating that at this point, all possibilities to conduct the investigation are exhausted. The separate allegations of sexual assault, made by a second Swedish woman, were dropped by Swedish authorities in 2015 after the statute of limitations expired. The Metropolitan police issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to surrender to the conditional bail set in December 2010 this warrant still remains. In January 2018, lawyers for Assange attempted to have the warrant torn up on the grounds it has lost its purpose and its function. Julian Assange has 'repeatedly violated' asylum terms, Ecuador's president says Read more But in February of that year Westminster magistrates court says the UK arrest warrant is still valid. Assange says he continues to fear that an arrest on British soil would ultimately lead to extradition to the US. We dont know for sure. But a mistake in a document filed by the US authorities, that emerged in November last year in an unrelated case, hints that criminal charges may have been prepared in secret. The text of the court filing, which relates to a completely separate case, includes two mentions of someone called Assange, including a suggestion that the documentation in the case would need to remain sealed until Assange is arrested in connection with the charges. In January this year, lawyers for Assange said they are taking action aimed at making President Donald Trumps administration reveal charges secretly filed against the WikiLeaks founder. | https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/05/why-is-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-in-london-ecuadorian-embassy |
Where Is The Best Place To Create A Startup In Europe? | Getty Companies, nations and even continents are all striving to facilitate digital innovation and power the transformation of their economies and fortunes. As a recent report from EU innovation agency EIT Digital reveals, digital transformation of industry promises to have a significant impact upon European society. It's a vision that is not being achieved at the moment however, and EIT Digital CEO Willem Jonker warns that Europe risks falling further and further behind the United States and China. For Europe to regain lost ground, it needs to up its game in terms of innovation. The struggles faced by Europe are in many ways bewildering, as the Global Innovation Index produced by Cornell, INSEAD and WIPO frequently has European nations dominating the top positions, suggesting that European nations have the infrastructure, talent and finance to have a thriving innovation ecosystem. Entrepreneurial Europe A new entrepreneurial index produced by Imperial College Business School highlights some of the challenges however. The European Index of Digital Entrepreneurship Systems (EIDES) aims to rank each of the 28 EU Member States across a range of metrics to gauge their ability to support entpreneurialism. Many of these metrics are similar to those used in the Global Innovation Index, with things such as the educational infrastructure in each country, their ability to provide finance to entrepreneurs, the legal framework around business creation and development, and general ease of doing business common across both indices. Where they differ however is in aspects such as attitude towards entrepreneurship, self-employment rates and other factors that are crucial to providing an environment that supports the concept of entrepreneurship as well as the act of entrepreneurship. They also examine the strength of the innovation ecosystems in various countries. This strength is measured across four metrics: Density , which explores the number of new and young firms, what proportion of overall employment they represent and the presence of high-tech clusters. , which explores the number of new and young firms, what proportion of overall employment they represent and the presence of high-tech clusters. Fluidity , which measures the movement and reallocation of talent, and the number of high-growth firms. , which measures the movement and reallocation of talent, and the number of high-growth firms. Connectivity , which examines the number of university spinoffs and the quality of venture capital networks. , which examines the number of university spinoffs and the quality of venture capital networks. Diversity, which explores factors such as the level of diversity in the economy, labor mobility and immigration flows. All of these factors were placed into the melting pot to derive an index not only of how supportive each nation was in regards to entrepreneurship, but how they scored in particular areas. The score for each country is divided into a 'stand-up' category, which covers things such as the ability for talented individuals to find themselves doing entrepreneurial work; a 'start-up' category, which includes the ease with which these people can create a new business; and a 'scale-up' category, which covers the ease with which successful early-stage startups can grow. EIDES Nordic success The Nordic nations have historically always scored highly in the Global Innovation Index, with Finland, Denmark and Sweden all appearing in the top 10 of the 2018 edition, so it's perhaps no surprise to see all three countries dominating the EIDES league table. Indeed, Denmark comes out on top, followed by Sweden with the tiny principality of Luxembourg coming between Finland and a Nordic whitewash. Of the larger European powers, Germany comes in 5th place, with the United Kingdom closely behind in 6th. The success of the Nordic nations should perhaps come as no surprise, as Helsinki was rated the best startup ecosystem in the world in last year's Global Startup Ecosystem report, which was compiled based upon data from over 1 million companies spread across nearly 100 cities around the world. Whilst the US remains the market leader in terms of share of VC investment, there is a clear shift towards Europe and Asia, with China leading the pack. What that report reveals is that both innovation and startup activity are not so much a national thing at all, with cities and regions tending to focus entrepreneurial energies and outputs. For instance, Helsinki is very strong in areas such as AI and life sciences, London has clear strengths in fintech, and Munich in mobility. Spreading success As the EIDES report illustrates however, there remain considerable challenges, both in terms of spreading the startup bug more widely within countries, but also across Europe as a whole, with eastern states performing poorly in relation to their western peers. A recent study from McGill University explores how innovation can thrive in smaller towns and rural communities. The authors examine seven successful high-tech firms that reside in five small towns in the east of Switzerland. Each of the firms is a global leader in their niche, and the researchers set out to explore how they were able both to thrive and innovate, despite operating in largely homogeneous communities. The researchers are particularly keen to explore whether factors such as company size, stakeholder network or external partnerships help to provide the degree of thought diversity that their local communities fail to provide. We hypothesize that diversity has various dimensions, some of which are not related to urban density, they say. In our analysis, we identify different types of diversity mentioned by interviewees in order to provide corroborative evidence supporting the claims made recently by some economic geographers, as well as the observations on the nature of rural social networks (which were unconnected to economic or innovation concerns). The three dimensions mentioned above to increase the exposure to diversity by each firm each manifested themselves in unique ways: Internal workforce The first strategy firms deployed was to try and create a diverse workforce. Given the relative homogeneity of the local community, this typically required firms to spread their recruitment net widely and try and attract talent from the major metropolitan areas within Switzerland or from overseas. The first strategy firms deployed was to try and create a diverse workforce. Given the relative homogeneity of the local community, this typically required firms to spread their recruitment net widely and try and attract talent from the major metropolitan areas within Switzerland or from overseas. Open cultures A second clear strategy observed in the firms was to adopt an open culture whereby employees were encouraged to interact across organizational silos. The authors believe that in many ways this kind of culture reflects the small town vibe of their host communities. A second clear strategy observed in the firms was to adopt an open culture whereby employees were encouraged to interact across organizational silos. The authors believe that in many ways this kind of culture reflects the small town vibe of their host communities. External networks A third core strategy then was to develop broad external networks that allow them to access diverse sources of knowledge. These typically come from clients, universities and conferences, with firms all too well aware of the importance of non-local knowledge to their business. With things like Brexit on the horizon, the connectivity that the researchers identify as being crucial to the success of these rural entrepreneurs is not something that can be taken for granted. If Europe is to encourage entrepreneurship across the continent however, it might do well to heed the lessons given by the Nordic countries, and ensure that connectivity and openness are traits that are both encouraged and supported as much as possible. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2019/04/05/where-is-the-best-place-to-create-a-startup-in-europe/ |
Will Theresa May have to accept a longer Brexit delay? | She has asked the EU for a new departure date of 30 June, with an option to leave sooner if the necessary legislation is passed before then. The governments aim is to leave before 22 May to avoid the UK having to take part in European parliament elections. It seems not. May asked for a 30 June deadline at the last European council summit and was rebuffed. No 10 insists circumstances are different now. But Donald Tusk, the council president, has instead proposed a flexible year-long extension, which could be curtailed if and when a departure deal is finalised. This seems the more likely to happen, not least because all 27 EU nations have to agree to any extension. This appears quite likely. The prime minister has been adamant she does not want a delay beyond 30 June or to hold European elections. But when her spokesman was asked on Friday if this was being definitively ruled out, he said only that May was focused on achieving a 30 June departure at the latest, and would not be drawn on what else might happen. Contingency planning for the polls (by both officials and parties) was already under way, and now the formal processes will kick in to hold the election on 23 May. But the government still hopes to formally leave before then, meaning the elections would be cancelled. The Electoral Commission acknowledges this is an unprecedented situation to enact an election that might never happen but says it is up to ministers to decide. Theyre still taking place, albeit at a lower level. After the face-to-face talks between May and Jeremy Corbyn and their teams, and then between ministers and shadow ministers, on Friday the only discussions were phone calls and one-off meetings. Both sides still publicly positive about what is being achieved, but no tangible progress has been announced and it is understood that Labour are sceptical about whether the government can produce a realistic plan. All attention will now be focused on an emergency Brussels summit that begins next Wednesday evening and is expected to go through the night. It remains to be seen what, if anything, May will have to propose in the way of a revised departure plan. Under the proposal outlined in the PMs Downing Street TV statement on Tuesday, if the talks with Labour do not produce a consensus plan then the next option is to put various options to the Commons, which MPs would then decide on. Getting through all this before the summit appears to be a very tight timetable: a plan for Commons votes would need to be tabled as a motion by Monday evening so that MPs could debate the matter on Tuesday. Crucially, May has said and reiterated in her letter to Tusk that the Commons vote process is predicated on both the government and Labour agreeing to abide by whatever decision is made. Its difficult to see how the necessary wrangling over what options to put to the Commons, and the voting system, could be decided so quickly. That would seem like the most likely outcome. But, as with everything connected to Brexit, events could move quickly. | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/05/will-theresa-may-have-to-accept-a-longer-brexit-delay |
Do I need an internship to be a competitive entry-level job candidate? | Dear Sam: Im a sophomore in college studying business administration. My mom keeps insisting that I need to find a summer internship in order to ensure I get a great job following college. I am not even sure what an internship is. Thanks! Zach Dear Zach: Your mom is correct! An internship can not only provide you with career-relevant experience, but it communicates your career readiness to a potential employer. In addition, it can validate, for you, that you are pursuing a career field that holds your interest beyond what you have perhaps learned about in the classroom. Given your general business degree, an internship one, two, or three! can help define your chosen career path, showing a potential employer that you are carving a niche in a key area of interest. Internships provide the opportunity for you to gain real-world experience, experience that can often lead to a full-time job offer from the company upon graduation. At a minimum, the experience and the letter of recommendation you will ask for, upon completing the internship, will go a long way toward telling a potential employer of your potential to add value to their organization. There are many ways to source internships including the Career Services office at your college or university, by attending career fairs often hosted by industry organizations, by networking with peers and alumni, and by searching through company websites for their internship opportunities. Driving career advancement through strategic professional connections and genuine relationships is a critical part of any sound career progression plan. I do want to mention that you are looking at just the right time. As a rising junior in college for the 2019-2020 academic year you have the opportunity to engage in not one but two internships! After completing your sophomore and next your junior years, you can spend your summers acquiring the real-world experience that will absolutely differentiate you in a sea of graduates. Those two summers may push you over the edge and qualify you for roles requiring experience I cant tell you how many times I have seen that happen when an entry-level candidate has a strong brand overcoming the dilemma of needing the experience to get the job, but also needing the job to get the experience! While completing your internship, do everything you can to go beyond the expectations of the position; after all, this could be your potential employer upon graduation. Ask for additional responsibilities, volunteer for projects, work hard, and show that employer you are committed to your role and their organization. Upon leaving, ask for a letter of recommendation and use that in your search; just as important, build relationships you can leverage in the future. I have worked with many clients who actually have interned two and three times for the same organization in different areas which has truly set them apart from their peers, given the employer obviously saw so much value in the candidate they invited him/her back. I also have worked with clients who did not fully engage in their internships and did not get much out of it, so I really encourage you to use an internship as a proving ground of sorts. Remember, an internship will help validate that you are selecting the right career path for you, provide you with a robust environment in which to learn from those around you regardless of their roles, and offer the potential to build relationships that could be critical in facilitating your career journey and rapid trajectory. All the best! Samantha Nolan is an Advanced Personal Branding Strategist and Career Expert, founder and CEO of Nolan Branding. Reach Samantha at [email protected]. For information on Nolan Brandings services, visit www.nolanbranding.com or call 888-9-MY-BRAND or 614-570-3442. | https://www.cleveland.com/business/2019/04/do-i-need-an-internship-to-be-a-competitive-entry-level-job-candidate.html |
Why Is Samsung Guiding For A Sharp Drop In Operating Profits? | While Samsung will provide more color when it reports results later this month, declines in the memory business which accounted for ~75% of operating income in FY18 were likely the biggest factor. Although operating profits for memory business soared over last 3 years (CAGR of ~52%) driven primarily by favorable demand-supply dynamics for DRAM, the market has now entered a down cycle. The declines in memory were likely partly offset by smartphone business. DRAMeXchange noted that prices fell by over 20% in Q1, with declines projected at as much as 20% for Q2 and 10% for Q3. PC DRAM prices are falling due to a shortage of Intel CPUs, causing inventory build-ups. Mobile DRAM is being impacted by cooling smartphone sales Industry prices for NAND also fell by 20% in Q1, due to weak demand from server and smartphone space, although the recovery could be quicker What to expect from the smartphone business While the smartphone segment has underperformed over the last 3 years, with profits remaining essentially flat, Samsung took notable steps to shore up business over Q1 Samsung launched a trio of new high-end phones under the S10 moniker, with the devices garnering largely positive reviews The company also addressed its lack of traction in the budget segment, taking on Chinese vendors with the Galaxy M Series which features premium design at prices starting at just above $130. Our interactive dashboard analysis outlines our expectations for Samsung in 2019. You can modify any of our key drivers or forecasts to gauge the impact of changes on Samsungs revenues and earnings and see all of our data for Technology Companies here. Trefis | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/05/why-is-samsung-guiding-for-a-sharp-drop-in-operating-profits/ |
Should The Decline In Tesla Model X And S Deliveries Worry Investors? | 2019 Bloomberg Finance LP Tesla published its quarterly delivery and production data for Q1 2019. Below, we provide some of our thoughts and takeaways from the release. Tesla pushing to scale-up Model 3 sales in Europe and China, where logistical issues have hurt deliveries 10,600 vehicles (all models) were in transit at end of Q1, causing deliveries to shift to Q2. For perspective, only 3k vehicles were in transit at the end of Q4 2018. However, demand appears to remain strong, with U.S. orders for vehicles outpacing deliveries in Q1. Moreover, Teslas move to start selling the base $35k model could help. Its possible that Tesla could return to the red after posting positive EPS over the last two quarters The Model 3 issues are likely transitory, as production is scaling up (likely above 5k units/week) and new markets are being tapped However, the lower mix of Model S and X could be of concern, considering that margins are higher compared to Model 3. Teslas full-year plans still remain intact, with projected deliveries of between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles this year. Trefis We have created an interactive dashboard analysis that breaks down our price estimate for Tesla, based on key drivers including Model 3, S, and X average selling prices and deliveries. You can modify inputs for Teslas pricing, volumes, and margins to arrive at your own valuation for the company. In addition, you can view all Trefis Consumer Discretionary company data here. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/05/should-the-decline-in-tesla-model-x-and-s-deliveries-worry-investors/ |
What are condo homebuyers looking for in a new home? | Heres what two of the citys top multi-family builders are seeing. 1. Location, location, location The old adage may be even more important with todays buyers. Elisa Plett, community manager of Brookfield Residentials Capella project in popular University District, says a good location not only includes walk/bike accessibility to surrounding amenities, but also fulfils an overall desire to cut to one car or to no car at all. That means being close to transit whether bus or train and being able to have day-to-day needs, like a grocery store, within walking distance. Capella has all those things, with the northwests University District community sitting across the street from Market Mall and its own under-construction Urban District complete with Save-On Foods grocery store just steps from front doors. Transit is plentiful, including University of Calgarys CTrain station on Crowchild Trail. That priority of location crosses all buyer demographics, says Plett, and includes a desire for quick access to both the mountains and to downtown. They dont want to be in the downtown but want to be able to get there quickly. Brittany Andrejcin, area sales manager for StreetSide Developments southwest Vivace at West 85 project, puts location at the top of the list for 2019 buyers as well. Vivace, which launches its final 50 move-in ready homes in April, is close to the new 69th Street LRT station and direct downtown access via Bow Trail, as well as to shops in Aspen, West Springs and West 85th, and walking distance to restaurants, fitness studios and two grocery stores. And what the location brings including walking and bike paths is a community connectiveness she says many buyers are also looking for, particularly some downsizers moving into the area from elsewhere. 2. Price and value for that price Price continues to be important, especially with new restrictive mortgage qualifications, including stress tests. It is harder than it has been in a long time, says Andrejcin, so projects like Vivace are affordable for everyone including first-time buyers, who can be priced out of single-family homes. Plett agrees the younger demographic, in particular, is looking for affordability, and price is a deciding factor in a purchase. Right-sizers are looking for value for the price being paid, in terms of quality, standard materials inside whether that is quartz countertops and good appliances and outside. And the overall budget doesnt extend just to unit prices, but to condo fees, as well. Andrejcin says this is where the demand for location overlaps with price, because projects with so many amenities already in the neighbourhood dont have to include them in the building (and dont have to raise condo fees to pay for them). What hasnt changed is that desire for the lock and leave, low-maintenance lifestyle of a condo. 3. Builder reputation Plett says this has become increasingly important with recent media coverage of special assessments (an additional levy to fix structural problems) occurring at some condo projects. Potential buyers are educating themselves on the builder as they should and one of the first questions I am getting is, Who is Brookfield? even before they ask the price. Andrejcin agrees that downsizers in particular do their due diligence in making sure the builder is credible. Both Qualico Communities (StreetSide is a division of Qualico) and Brookfield have been around more than six decades. 4. Overall construction/energy efficiency University District is Built Green Gold overall, and Plett says first-time buyers in Capella see the project fit their desire to reduce the environmental footprint, while right-sizers understand, through past experience, the overall monetary value of having energy-efficient materials and construction. They see the value in triple-pane windows and upgraded insulation in relation to utility bills. 5. Seeing is believing and pets are cool Buyers are becoming more choosy because of the number of condo projects on the market, and Andrejcin says the ability to have units people can view along with grocery stores, roads, and transit already in place is a big draw. They are not buying off paper. I have been in multi-family sales for eight years, and that need/desire to see a home (and the neighbourhood advantages) before they buy is a real shift. Plett says the fact all University District is designed to be pet friendly (including an already-in-place dog park) is a big advantage for buyers. Most people are thrilled (Capella is) a pet-friendly building. Last thoughts: Christian Caswell, director/founder of CustomerInsight, which undertakes satisfaction surveys and focus groups of condo buyers for clients, says what has really stood out recently is buyers general happiness with their condo and its developer, but dissatisfaction with property management companies (not part of the builder group). That dissatisfaction will see some resolution with the provinces upcoming changes to the Condominium Property Act, including better dispute resolution and licensing regulations for condo property managers. | https://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/what-are-condo-homebuyers-looking-for-in-a-new-home |
Will the Galaxy Note 10s design suffer because of the phones signature feature? | The Galaxy S10 has been a great success for Samsung and the company is getting ready to launch the 5G version of the phone in select markets. Then the Galaxy Fold, Samsungs first ever foldable smartphone, will also be made available to consumers later this month. That said, weve already seen a bunch of rumors detailing the next major Samsung flagship, the Galaxy Note 10, which should hit stores at some point in August. Weve heard some great things about the Galaxy Note 10 so far, but a new report suggests that the phones signature feature might actually end up having a negative impact on its design. Related stories Samsung is making 5G modems too, but probably not for the iPhone New leak offers more details on Samsung's mysterious second Galaxy Note 10 model The Galaxy S10 5G is coming soon, but a cheaper 5G phone is also on the way When the Galaxy Note was unveiled back in 2011, it had two iconic features that helped it stand out from a growing crowd of Android handsets: it had a massive display and a built-in stylus. Those features were unavailable on rival devices and for many years, every new Note was bigger than the Galaxy S model from the same year. Just a few months ago, Samsung launched a variety of Galaxy S10 handsets including the Galaxy S10 5G thats even bigger than the Galaxy Note 9. In other words, one of the Notes signature feature was effectively killed. Thats not surprising, considering that all smartphone makers are pushing smartphone display designs to the edges, looking to maximize the screen size without making phones too much bigger. Samsung, meanwhile, is rumored to be prepping two Note 10 phones for release this year, including a smaller version. Samsung launched two Note models back in 2014 as well, including the Note 4 and Note Edge versions, but this would be the first time wed see a smaller Note hit stores. This is another sign that screen size is no longer a signature feature for the Note series. The only thing that remains is the stylus thats tucked away inside the phone. In the era of all-screen phones, the S Pen and accompanying features are the only things that differentiate the Galaxy S and Note lines. And now, the top Samsung insider thinks that the S Pen might be hurting the new Note: SPen is both a sign of Note and a burden of Note design. If there is no Spen, Note can reduce the thickness of 1mm, increase the battery of 800mAh, and reduce the side bezel of 0.15mm. But Samsung can't give up SPen and can only continue to challenge higher design difficulties. Ice universe (@UniverseIce) April 3, 2019 Without the S Pen, Samsung could reduce the thickness of the phone and side bezel, and increase the battery size of the Note 10, Ice Universe argued on Twitter. Ice universe (@UniverseIce) April 3, 2019 In a subsequent tweet, the insider pondered whether the S Pen and a 10X optical hybrid zoom camera can coexist inside the Note 10, given the amount of internal space they require. However, abandoning the S Pen would transform the Note 10 into a phone without an identity, reducing it to an updated Galaxy S10 version. Some reports said in the past that Samsung has been considering merging the Galaxy S and Note lines, but thats yet to happen. And as long as theres a stylus in the picture, the Note line will still have a future. There is one compromise Samsung might make for the Note in the future, but this is just speculation from yours truly. Samsung could abandon the Notes stylus slot, and use the internal space for other components. The S Pen would still be offered to buyers as a free accessory that ships with every new Note. That would ruin the magic of the Note phone to an extent, as one would have to find a different way to carry the S Pen and actually remember to pick it up when leaving the house. But the Note would still retain its signature feature, and the one reason many people prefer the Note over the Galaxy S. Sign up for BGR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Trending Right Now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com | https://news.yahoo.com/galaxy-note-10-design-suffer-141224128.html |
When should I sell my home to get the best price? | Well, if youre interested in one of these cities, youre gonna have to move fast. Buzz60 Spring is a popular season for house hunting as the warm weather brings out prospective buyers willing to spend more time outside in search of a home. The science isn't exactly clear, some experts say. Homes listed on Thursday tend to sell for the most money and fastest compared with other days of the week, according to data from RedFin , a national real estate brokerage. That's because homebuyers tour for-sale houses during the weekend, and those listed on Thursday are on top of buyers' minds. Homes listed on Thursday sold for an average of $3,015 more than homes listed on Monday, the worst day for selling homes, according to RedFin's analysis. But when it comes to thinking about the perfect time to sell your home, "you can drive yourself crazy trying to time the market just right," says Nicole Roeberg, a Redfin agent in Washington, D.C. Spring is known as the best season for selling houses. (Photo: Feverpitched / Getty Images) Superhero ticket struggle: 'Avengers: Endgame' tickets presale crashes AMC Theatres site, creates long Fandango waits YouTube rivalry: PewDiePie back on top as largest YouTube channel over Indian music label T-Series Timing just right Instead, list your home when you're confident it's ready to make a strong first impression, Roeberg said. "This means you've spent time decluttering, cleaning, landscaping, touching up paint and making those small updates that will help your home shine," she said. Consider your market, too, said Lawrence Yun, a chief economist at the National Association of Realtors. While spring is a hot time for home sales, it isn't necessarily the best time to sell a house for every region of the country. For example, people "search for homes in winter months in Naples, Florida, because it is less hot," Yun said. Month by month Still for 29 of the 35 large markets analyzed by Zillow, the best two-week listing window comes between the second half of March and the first half of June. Overall, the best month is early May, the online real estate database found. Homes nationwide listed for sale between May 1 and May 15 tended to sell for roughly $1,600 more than the typical U.S. home and about six days faster than usual, according to Zillow data. Springtime is largely the sweet spot for selling homes because "buyer activity typically picks up once the holidays are over and the weather starts to turn for the better," said Skylar Olsen, Zillows director of economic research. NEWSLETTERS Get the Managing Your Money newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong A collection of articles to help you manage your finances like a pro. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-872-0001. Delivery: Fri Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Managing Your Money Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters "The increased competition from the buyer side creates more urgency," Olsen said, "which can lead to quicker and more competitive offers as buyers feel more pressure to lock in a home theyre interested in." Contributing: Janna Herron Follow USA TODAY intern Ben Tobin on Twitter: @TobinBen Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/04/05/homes-sale-exactly-when-best-time-sell-your-house/3341117002/ | https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/04/05/homes-sale-exactly-when-best-time-sell-your-house/3341117002/ |
Are white shooters called 'lone wolves,' by default? | When Stephen Craig Paddock - a white American - was identified as the gunman who rained bullets on multitudes at a Las Vegas concert, he was quickly characterized as a "lone wolf." The question has been raised again and again in recent days, as critics suggested the conversation around our nation's tragedies is often framed in divisive, racial code words. If whites are blamed, they say, it is as individuals; for minorities, it is suggested that their crimes are part of a larger narrative. "For whites, it's 'just something that happened,'" said Texas Southern University professor Sharlette Kellum-Gilbert. "When it's of another race, 'this is how they are,' and there are calls for law and order." Shaun King raised the same point Tuesday in a column for The Intercept entitled "The White Privilege of the 'Lone Wolf' Shooter." "White men who resort to mass violence are consistently characterized primarily as isolated 'lone wolves' - in no way connected to one another," King wrote. "For centuries, when an act of violence has been committed by an African-American, racist tropes follow - and eventually, the criminalization and dehumanization of an entire ethnic group." Last year, when Micah Xavier Johnson shot at police officers in Dallas, Texas, killing five and injuring nine others, Black Lives Matter was blamed - though he had no known link to the movement. In 2014, when Alton Nolen was arrested in the decapitation of one co-worker and the stabbing of another, some were quick to blame Alton Nolen's "radicalization" as a recent convert to Islam. They could have categorized the crime instead as workplace violence - Nolen was embittered by his suspension from his work at a Oklahoma food processing plant. The lone wolf label has been frequently ascribed to mass killers, like Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooter James Holmes, a white man who killed 12 people in 2012. The term is a convenient one for a society eager to ease its anxiety after such a horrific event, said Mark Hamm, a professor of criminology at Indiana State University and author of "Age of Lone Wolf Terrorism." "It's easy to leap to that metaphor," Hamm said. "Terrorism is such a loaded term. There is an ethnic piece to that." Whether federal authorities or leaders decline to define these acts, the public's definition is a broader one, Hamm said. "What if the classification is wrong?" he said. "Then all you have done is maybe assuaged people's anxiety for the moment." Authorities have not yet determined a motive in the Las Vegas shootings, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, which left 58 victims dead and more than 500 injured after a country music festival on Sunday. President Donald Trump condemned the shootings Monday as "an act of pure evil," but stopped short of declaring the incident domestic terrorism. On Tuesday, Trump referred to Paddock as "sick" and "demented" - suggesting that mental health problems were a possible explanation for the tragedy. Trump and his administration have been criticized as using racially tinged language. Last year, amid the investigation into the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, Trump criticized former President Barack Obama for not immediately referring to shooter Omar Mateen's acts as "radical Islamic terrorism." Though Mateen professed support for the Islamic State group, his specific motives - and the contribution of any personality disorder he might have had - have never been determined. Obama was unsparing in describing the killings of nine worshippers in a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015 by Dylann Roof as "an act of terror" and "an act of hate." Trump was criticized in August for declining to more strongly condemn white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, after a protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee turned violent and a driver fatally struck an anti-protester. Instead, the president said "many sides" were responsible. Wes Bellamy, vice-mayor of Charlottesville, said the tone has been undoubtedly different on Las Vegas. The solution for the double standard, he said, is more honesty. "What transpired in Las Vegas and what happened in Charlottesville was domestic terrorism," said Bellamy. "It has no color. We have to address it and call it what it is, no matter who does it." ___ This story has been corrected to show that the death toll is 58 victims based on revised information from the Clark County coroner. ___ Whack is a member of The Associated Press' Race and Ethnicity Team. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/are-white-shooters-called-lone-wolves-by-default |
Is Dukes Daniel Jones in play at 13 for the Dolphins? | Dukes Cutcliffe: Nothing Daniel Jones does surprises me. Duke Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe addresses the play of quarterback Daniel Jones in their 56-27 win over the Temple Owls in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport, Louisiana on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Up Next SHARE COPY LINK Duke Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe addresses the play of quarterback Daniel Jones in their 56-27 win over the Temple Owls in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport, Louisiana on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Some news from ESPN Friday morning: Duke QB Daniel Jones has had recent private meetings and workouts in Durham, NC with the Giants, Broncos, Dolphins and Chargers, per source. He also is scheduled to visit the Redskins on Wednesday and Thursday. Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 5, 2019 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 Dolphins are one of at least four teams to recently meet with and work out Duke quarterback Daniel Jones in Durham, North Carolina. The others: the Giants, Broncos and Chargers. Plus, the report continued, Jones has a scheduled 30 visit with the Redskins. The Dolphins have done their due diligence with all of the top quarterbacks, and Jones is the latest. Chris Grier attended Ohio States pro day and watched Dwayne Haskins throw. A team contingent, including Matt Moore, was at Oklahomas pro day for Kyler Murray following a sit-down with the potential No. 1 draft pick at the Scouting Combine. Plus Missouris Drew Lock, West Virginias Will Grier and Washington States Gardner Minshew II have all gotten face time with Dolphins decision-makers. Hard to say. His arm strength has been criticized (Jones clapped back on that topic when we asked him about it at the Senior Bowl). But his intelligence and ball security could be appealing to new offensive coordinator Chad OShea, who told us this about what he wants in a quarterback during Super Bowl week: I think in the end, the decisions the quarterback makes are very important, but the accuracy has as much to do with the success of a quarterback as any other trait he would physically have. Jones numbers at Duke werent gaudy (he completed just 60 percent of his passes and had only two more touchdown passes in his career than Haskins had last year), but his interception percentage (2.3 percent) was nothing to sneeze at. Still, the sense among smart football people is he would be a second-round pick in any other draft. Perhaps thats where the Dolphins would consider taking him. NFL Networks Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout in the league, ranks Jones the drafts No. 34 prospect. Jones has outstanding size for the position (6-5, 221), Jeremiah wrote. He is always under control and throws from a firm platform. As a passer, he relies more on touch than power. He throws with anticipation underneath and puts plenty of loft on deep balls, dropping them in the bucket. Hes more accurate than his stats would suggest (career completion percentage of 59.9); Jones suffered from a lot of dropped passes at Duke. Hes very athletic on designed QB runs, but he lacks urgency to consistently escape when pressured. He has shown the ability to read the full field, but he was forced to hold the ball at times because his weapons failed to separate. He showed his toughness by playing through injuries this past fall. Overall, Jones lacks elite arm strength, but he has a nice blend of size, toughness and football smarts. | https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article228878034.html |
Why is Uptown south of downtown in Minneapolis? | Live in a city long enough, and its geographic lingo becomes second nature. Amy OMeara, for example, has lived in Lyn-Lake, an abbreviation for Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street. She also resided in the North Loop, coined after an old Minneapolis streetcar line. And then there was Uptown. It all makes sense, except Uptown, OMeara said of the commercial area that is bafflingly south of downtown. OMeara asked the Star Tribune to look into the name for Curious Minnesota, a new community-driven reporting project fueled by great questions from inquisitive readers. Uptown is common parlance today for the district around Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, but that is a relatively recent phenomenon. For most of the 20th century, the area was more commonly known as Hennepin-Lake, despite efforts to push the Uptown moniker. The Uptown Theatre prior to its renovation in approximately 1937. A century ago, in fact, Uptown appears to have referred to a very different part of Minneapolis downtown. Newspaper clippings from the 1920s include Uptown references meaning the central core area further from the Mississippi River beyond 7th street. One article described planning for an Uptown Postal Station at 7th Street and Hennepin Avenue. But modern day Uptown really staked its claim in 1929 when one of the areas most prominent attractions, then the Lagoon Theater, was renamed the Uptown Theatre. The name Uptown was chosen to conform with a movement now in progress to establish the Lake and Hennepin community as The Uptown District of Minneapolis, fashioned after the famous and prosperous district of that name in Chicago, the Minneapolis Star reported at the time. That Chicago area now north of Wrigley Field became a booming shopping and entertainment district in the 1920s after the arrival of the citys rail transit system, according to a 2013 story by WBEZ. The name aimed to put it on par with the citys downtown, which was to the south, WBEZ reported. After the renaming of the Uptown Theatre in Minneapolis, the Hennepin-Lake Business Association changed its name to the Uptown Business Association. By 1950 there were a number of businesses sporting the Uptown handle, based on research conducted by Thatcher Imboden, who co-wrote the 2004 history of the area, Uptown Minneapolis. They included the Uptown Hasty Tasty Food Shop, the Uptown Radio Service and the Uptown Caf. A 1929 advertisement in the Minneapolis Star heralds a new Uptown shoe store at 9th Street and Nicollet Avenue, well north of what is now known as Uptown. But the name still hadnt quite reached the mainstream. When we would go and interview folks who had lived in the community for a long time, including some people who spent a lot of time in the 1940s in the Uptown area, they didnt call it Uptown, Imboden said. That began to change in the late 1970s as businesses sought to distance themselves from the seedier connotations of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, said John Meegan, owner of Top Shelf tailors, which has since moved from Hennepin-Lake to the Lyn-Lake area. Hennepin and Lake was like a double negative. It conjured up two very bad images in the minds of most people, Meegan said. And if you were a business and you got called, a common thing people used to say is, Is it safe to get out of my car? Local business owners decided they needed to rebrand the neighborhood, he said, And we took the name right off the Uptown Theatre. This preceded the 1983 redevelopment of Calhoun Square into a major shopping destination, which Imbodens book notes was approximately when the Uptown name went mainstream. The Star Tribunes archives show that mention of the word Uptown began to rise exponentially in the early 1980s. It seems to me that it wasnt until the media in the city started recognizing it as Uptown in the 80s that people actually started talking about it more that way, Imboden said. And over time that name has begun to encompass an area far larger than just the Hennepin-Lake intersection. Some businesses as far to the north as Franklin Avenue and to the east as Pleasant Avenue sport the Uptown name. Its almost like Uptown has been trying to assimilate areas that are nowhere near what I would have called the epicenter of Uptown, said Meegan, who takes pride in the unique identity of Lyn-Lake as a commercial center. So its become diluted a lot to me. OMeara said the answer to her question turns out to be more complicated than she expected. I was hoping it was [something] like, There used to be a hill and it got washed away in the storm of 1876, OMeara said. Imboden said people ask him the same question. The most definitive answer that I found was that the business owners wanted to name it after the area in Chicago, Imboden said. And to me thats sufficient for most people. --- If you'd like to submit a Curious Minnesota question, fill out the form below: | http://www.startribune.com/why-is-uptown-south-of-downtown-in-minneapolis/507518421/ |
Should parents pay kids to do chores? | Jessie Blaeser Most parents believe kids should earn their allowance, but some disagree on how. For some parents, paying kids to do chores makes the most sense. With this system, kids learn the value of hard work and are rewarded for it. Other parents think chores should be a given in any household and paying kids to perform ordinary responsibilities sends the wrong message. For some parents, this seems like common sense. In the real world, you get paid to do a job, and it should be no different for kids. Whether they are vacuuming every night, watering plants, or taking out the trash, every household needs multiple hands to function properly, and putting kids to work provides essential lessons on contribution, teamwork and more. Paying kids for chores only expands these lessons to reward systems and money management. If the chores are done, kids are paid. If the chores fall by the wayside, payment stops, just as it would if a parent were to stop going to work. HuffPosts Taylor Pittman looked to Gregg Murset, a certified financial planner and father of six, for insight. According to Murset: I believe that you should always tie work and money together in a meaningful way because they are interrelated in the real world, he said. Some parents believe that although there is value in giving kids an allowance and assigning them household chores, the two should not be tied. Pittman provides an alternate point of view from Kerry Flatley, a mom of two who founded the blog, Self-Sufficient Kids: This weekly payment is separate from their chores, which include tasks like feeding the family pet and sweeping the floor as well as the familys monthly cleaning morning where everyone pitches in. Flatley told HuffPost that she thinks chores are part of being a helpful member of the family, not figuring out what tasks are and arent worth the money. Parents in this camp believe that there should be no extra incentive for kids to help out around the house. Everyone needs to contribute in order for a household to function, and kids should not be rewarded for their participation. Rather, their participation should be expected. The Washington Posts Elisabeth Leamy referred to a number of expert opinions on the topic: These parenting experts and more argue that children should help out around the house because it's the right thing to do, not because they make money at it. Chores should be used to teach responsibility, while allowances stand on their own as lessons in money management. According to these experts, there is value in both allowances and chores, but combining the two will only result in rebellion from children. But other parents believe that giving kids an allowance free from household responsibilities implies that money will always come to you, regardless of your effort. Sally Nubauer writes: If a child is given an allowance each week with no household expectations, they learn to expect money to fall from the sky. This is not the type of mindset that you want to encourage. When they are adults, a weekly paycheck is not going to magically appear unless they work. Furthermore, paying kids for chores can help them feel greater pride in their work. In this scenario, everyone wins: When you plan to pay your kids for chores, you should make sure that they understand the stipulations. Employers do not pay for sloppy work, and neither do parents. Kids do not normally need a pep talk, however, to complete paid work. Instead of a half-done chore, you may find that the chores are done to perfection. 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/should-parents-pay-kids-to-do-chores.html |
What Makes a Good Test? | Getty Testing season is herewhich means my wife and I can expect some natural anxiety from our two public school-aged daughters. Id love to think that this would all be much easier if they understood how a good annual state test helps schools, districts, and states know how well theyre serving students including students of color, students with disabilities, and low-income students. But, come on. Spoiler alertnobody likes tests. When done correctly, state test results can be a powerful tool. Truth is, not all assessments are created equal, nor do they look the same. Each state decides which test to administer in grades 3-8 and in high school, so test questions and formats vary across the country. A good test should embody some key principles: First, the test should be aligned to the college-and-career ready academic standards that teachers have been implementing in a state. In other words, measure what students are learning in the classroom to ensure that they are prepared for whatever comes next whether thats going to college, beginning a career, or even joining the military. Annual exams should also be informative and comparable, so that all tests administered within the same state measure student proficiency in a consistent manner. This allows state leaders to judge how well all their students are being prepared and if they will be prepared for their next steps after graduation. Assessments must be a meaningful use of students and teachers time and designed to measure the skills that matter most, such as writing, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. They must be actionable in returning information to schools, teachers, and parents in a timely manner, and well-timed by taking place late enough in the school year so that students can truly demonstrate what theyve learned over the course of the year. Additionally, the assessment each state chooses to use must be validated by an independent, third party review as a reliable indicator of whether a child is on track for college and career readiness. Assessments must be accessible and unbiased, designed free from inherent cultural bias and in a way that enables all students to show what theyve learned, especially those with disabilities and English learners. Finally, they need to be safe, secure, and private by adhering to best practices in test administration and ensuring the security of test materials and students personal data. Good news has emerged from the effort led by states, and underway for nearly a decade now, to implement high-quality standards and aligned assessments led by states. Data from states including California, Arizona, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. show that aligned, comparable assessments are leading to increased student proficiency in math and English language arts, which is the foundation for future success. A good test remains one of the best methods of knowing how well students are prepared for the next stage of their educational future. We should not shy away from them. But we should also protect our kids by demanding that states implement only the highest quality exams that measure what they are taught in the classroom and embody these principles. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimcowen/2019/04/05/what-makes-a-good-test-education/ |
How Many People Are Killed By Higher Speed Limits? | If you listen to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the desire of drivers to get from A to B faster has cost 37,000 lives between 1993 and 2017. Of course, the old saying goes, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. A new study from IIHS says higher speed limits have caused 37,000 additional traffic deaths in the nearly quarter century that the study examined. States have been raising speed limits during that time. Michigan, for one, raised speed limits to 75 on some highways in 2017. Forty other states also have a 75 mile per hour speed limit. Some states have gone further, with speed limits of 80 mph in six states, and speed limits of 85 mph in one state (Texas). Not only is the state a bit rogue when it comes to personal rights and freedoms (speed limits, gun rights, etc), there are vast stretches of the state where the roads run straight and go on forever in between cities. Ditto states like Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and so on. Charles Farmer is vice president for research and statistical services for IIHS. He says too many people think about the few minutes they're saving by speeding, but not about the risk. "Driving 70 instead of 65 saves a driver at best 6 1/2 minutes on a 100-mile trip," says Farmer. "I've been out there on some of those roads where it's 80 miles an hour, and I think I'd rather sit there in the right lane and be the slowpoke." Farmer says it may not be politically possible to lower speed limits, but states should definitely say "enough is enough," and stop raising them. The research comes as IIHS and the Governors Highway Safety Forum plan a forum later in April to develop a speed management program, which could include recommendations for high-visibility enforcement measures and traffic engineering changes to reduce high-speed crashes. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkiley5/2019/04/05/how-many-people-are-killed-by-higher-speed-limits/ |
Is Mexico on the Brink of a Labor Revolution? | No one in Lopez Obradors government thought hey something might happen on the northern border if we raise the minimum wage. It was a surprise to everybody. Two weeks later, wildcat strikes, i.e. those not authorized by union leadership, broke out in 45 maquiladoras across Matamorosmostly auto-parts manufacturers, including Adient, which claims to make one in every three automotive seats in the world. Soon, workers at grocery stores like Sams Club, Walmart, and even the citys main milk distributor, Leche Vaquita, went on strike. Within 10 days, Matamoross maquiladora association estimates that companies lost $100 million. Employers across the city threatened to call in federal forces, shut down operations, and leave the city. This week, the Tamaulipas state police were called in to break up encampments at steelworks factories, and a human resources manager at a Coca-Cola bottling plant ordered non-union employees to attack striking workers, including a pregnant woman. But only two plants have shuttered to date, and the federal police have not been deployed. The movement has also travelled over social media to the industrial cities of Reynosa, Agua Prieta and Ciudad Victoria in northern Mexico, where workers have staged their own wildcat strikes. We consider this a battle definitively won by the workers, said Susana Prieto Terrazas, a labor lawyer who lives in El Paso, Texas and the unofficial leader of the 20/32 movement, who has amassed over 80,000 followers on Facebook. In recent weeks, shes received phone calls from workers in the border cities of Reynosa, Tijuana, and Ciudad Jurez, asking her to replicate her movement in their cities. No one had ever doubled the minimum wage before. This was a totally unprecedented situation, said Ben Davis, the director of international affairs for the United Steelworkers union, who has worked with the Mexican metalworkers union since the 1990s and recently travelled to Matamoros as part of an international delegation. No one in Lopez Obradors government thought hey something might happen on the northern border if we raise the minimum wage. It was a surprise to everybody. Over the past several decades, vast swaths of manufacturing areas in the United States have suffered the loss of unionized jobs to Mexico, where labor is one-tenth of the cost. Less discussed is that those jobs, once outsourced, do not support a middle-class lifestyle for Mexican workers, either. In 1992, before the passage of NAFTA, maquiladora workers earned the equivalent of nearly $19.50 a day. Today, they earn just half of that. Many peddle goods, like used clothing, sweet bread, or tamales to survive, as the price of basic goods in the Mexican borderlands is much higher than the rest of the country, sometimes even surpassing those in U.S. border cities: A pound of Serrano chilies in Matamoros costs $2.84, over half the daily minimum wage before the recent increase. A maquiladora worker I met in 2017 who worked for the German electronics company Bosch in Ciudad Jurez, another border city, told me it took him a month to save up enough money to take his family to the movie theater. But the revamping of the free trade agreement between the United States and Mexico, at the urging of Donald Trump, could reverse some of the post-NAFTA trends, if its terms can be enforced. In part, thats because Trump is more protectionist than prior Republican presidents. Trumps U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, one of his more progressive appointees who grew up in a depressed blue-collar town in Ohio, fought tooth and nail for the new deal to include increased labor protections for workers both in Mexico and the United States, much to the ire of other Republican legislators. These provisions also helped induce Democrats and their union allies to back the NAFTA revision, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Such protections tend to appeal to U.S. unions for two reasons, somewhat in tension with one another: First, they would improve labor protections for Mexican workers. Second, the increased cost of labor in Mexico might keep manufacturing jobs from fleeing to Mexico in the first place, an outcome that would satisfy both unions and Trump. Our unions have pointed out problems in Mexican labor law for many years, said Finnegan, the global workers rights coordinator at the AFL-CIO. In theory, the new deal addresses some of those. The big question remains enforcement. We have lots of doubts. On Tuesday, Nancy Pelosi said that the House will not pass the USMCA unless Mexico implements labor reforms first. We have to see that [Mexico passes] the legislation, that they have the factors in place that will make sure its implemented and they demonstrate some commitments in sincerity, because its a big issue how workers are treated in Mexico, she said. | https://newrepublic.com/article/153467/mexico-brink-labor-revolution |
Are the Brewers (and Christian Yelich) going to sponsor Milwaukee's July 3 fireworks show? | The financially endangered July 3 fireworks show on Milwaukee's lakefront was still scrambling for potential sponsors as of a Monday deadline, but a cryptic press release from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday suggests maybe a partner has been found. The release announced a Saturday afternoon press conference for media at Miller Park, where "the Milwaukee Brewers, Christian Yelich and partners will co-host a press conference announcing plans to continue a community tradition." Is it possible the Brewers (and Christian Yelich, hello! Fireworks explode over Miller Park in the fourth game of the NLDS at Miller Park, Sunday, Oct, 5 2008. (Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Here's another reason to connect those dots. TMJ4's Lance Allan said Milwaukee philanthropist Ted Kellner and AmFam are part of the sponsorship team with the Brewers. Milwaukees July 3rd fireworks show at Veterans Park is on. Sources tell me the @Brewers along with philanthropist Ted Kellner & @amfam American Family are among the supporters that will help continue the fireworks. Press conference is scheduled tomorrow Miller Park #Brewerspic.twitter.com/QdKqirexw0 Lance Allan (@lanceallan) April 5, 2019 Milwaukee County Parks officials were in talks Tuesday with potential partners, spokesman Ian Everett said, and an announcement was supposedly coming mid-April. U.S. Bank previously sponsored the show but announced 2018 would be its last year. In February, County Parks officials asked the public to drum up a new sponsor, as no one had come forward until then. The 45-minute show, launched from two barges on Lake Michigan, costs about $350,000, Everett said. The Brewers did not immediately offer comment. CLOSE Journal Sentinel Brewers beat reporter Todd Rosiak and Margaret Naczek preview the Milwaukee Brewers versus Chicago Cubs homestand. Margaret Naczek, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2019/04/05/brewers-going-sponsor-july-3-lakefront-fireworks-milwaukee/3376726002/ |
Is the Air Force 'accelerating' the B-21 futuristic long range bomber? | The Air Force appears to have completed its Critical Design Review of the emerging B-21 bomber, inspiring confidence and optimism that a new-generation of stealth will be ready for war by the mid-2020s, and beyond. The apparent program progress does, at very least, raise the question as to whether to new bomber could be an important element of the service's "faster" acquisition strategy. Although acquisition and schedule specifics are not discussed regarding the B-21 program, the Air Force's 2018 Acquisition Annual Report does mention "bomber" in the context of its accelerated acquisition strategy. Senior Air Force officials have told Warrior Maven that the Critical Design Review has been underway, and in recent months Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters the aircraft appears to be on track for the 2020s. While the B-21 is certainly not a program on which the Air Force would cut corners or "speed" up prematurely, the broader service emphasis upon a less-bureaucratic prototyping and development, it seems feasible, could impact the new stealth bomber. From the Report: "The traditional acquisition approach buys everything from bombers to blankets. But, a generic approach doesnt fit all programs perfectly. More importantly, a generic approach can even stall solutions from reaching warfighters. Disciplined internal review of our programs allows us to smartly remove excess steps from the acquisition process. We are fielding tomorrows Air Force faster and smarter using prototyping, experimentation and tailored acquisition." New stealth technology is being pursued with a sense of vigor, in light of rapid global modernization of new Russian and Chinese-built air defense technologies, some of which may make it harder for platforms such as the existing B-2 bomber to operate. Advances in computer processing, digital networking technology and targeting systems now enable some air defenses to detect even stealth aircraft with much greater effectiveness. However, the B-21 is being engineered with this specific challenge in mind -- to ensure a new generation of stealth will be able to penetrate air defenses for decades into the future. AIR FORCE CLOUD MIGRATION FIGHTS AI-ENABLED CYBERATTACKS Russian built S-300 and S-400 air defense weapons are able to use digital technology to network nodes to one another to pass tracking and targeting data across wide swaths of terrain. New air defenses also use advanced command and control technology to detect aircraft across a much wider spectrum of frequencies than previous systems could. At the same time, while some of these advances may complicate some elements of the mission scope for the legacy B-2, according to senior Air Force developers -- it by no means indicates these current and future air defense will in any way threaten the B-21. For this reason, many military developers, weapons technology experts and observers are echoing a common refrain -- namely that it is imperative for the Air Force to invest heavily in its emerging fleet of B-21 bombers. For its part, however, the B-2 is not expected to disappear or lose effectiveness anytime soon; the platform is now receiving upgraded materials, a thousand-fold faster computer processor and, perhaps of greatest importance, a new Defensive Management System sensor engineered to locate enemy air defenses - enabling a B-2 to fly around them. The need for an indispensable must have new generation of stealth is emphasized in a recent Mitchell Institute essay The Imperative for Stealth. The essays principal claim offers a window of substantial detail into comments from Air Force senior leaders that the B-21 will advance stealth technology such that it will be able to hold any target at risk, anywhere in the world, anytime. AIR FORCE ARMS B-52 BOMBERS WITH PROTOTYPE NUCLEAR-ARMED CRUISE MISSILES Broadly speaking, some of the areas of potential improvement are likely focused upon engineering an aircraft with external contours and heat signatures designed to elude detection from enemy radar systems. The absence of defined edges, noticeable heat emissions, weapons hanging on pylons or other easily detectable aircraft features, means that radar "pings" can have trouble receiving a return electromagnetic signal allowing them to identify an approaching bomber. Since the speed of light (electricity) is known, and the time of travel of electromagnetic signals can be determined as well, computer algorithms are then able to determine the precise distance of an enemy object. However, when it comes to stealth aircraft, the return signal may be either non-existent or of an entirely different character than that of an actual aircraft. A stealth aircraft will, for instance, appear similar in size to that of a bird or insect to enemy radar. Even if a radar can detect, it now has to track, and when it transfers that data to engage it will have to shoot a missile using much smaller radar than that used for detection. Also, fusing of the interceptor weapon can be affected by low observability technology, Ret. Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Warrior Maven in an interview earlier this year. Barriers related to hitting stealth aircraft also include electronic warfare (EW) jamming defenses, operating during adverse weather conditions to lower the acoustic signature and conducting attacks in tandem with other less-stealthy aircraft likely to command attention from enemy air defense systems. PENTAGON GIVES F-22S 'FIRST STRIKE' CAPABILITY WORLDWIDE WITH RAPID RAPTOR PROGRAM EW is likely to figure prominently, in part because emerging hardware configurations are now engineered to quickly embrace software upgrades as new threats emerge, such as yet-to-be-seen frequency combinations or radar-detection ranges. With this in mind, EW for the B-21 aligns with the thinking outlined in the Mitchell Institute essay, which explains that newer stealth technology is engineered to outmatch multi-frequency air defenses. The B-21 image released by the USAF depicts a design that does not use vertical flight control surfaces like tails. Without vertical surfaces to reflect radar from side aspects, the new bomber will have an RCS (Radar Cross Section) that reduces returns not only from the front and rear but also from the sides, making detection from any angle a challenge, the Mitchell Institute writes. On the topic of RCS, an interesting essay called Radar and Laser Cross-Section Engineering, from the Aerospace Research Central, cites the emergence of new coating technologies, including radar-absorbing materials and artificial metamaterials. (Text written by David Jenn, an author from the Naval Postgraduate School). Newer methods of IR or thermal signature reduction are connected to engine and exhaust placement. Internally configured engines, coupled with exhaust pipes on the top of an aircraft can massively lower the heat emissions from an aircraft, such as the structure of the current B-2 - the authors of the essay say. AIR FORCE FAST-TRACKS NEW NUCLEAR MISSILES All of these emerging technical factors continue to inform a growing consensus regarding future war threats -- that the B-21 appears to quite possibly be the only platform that will be able to penetrate certain enemy weapons and advanced air defenses for decades to come. While stand-off weapons are anticipated to bring substantial tactical advantage, destroying enemy air defenses and pinpointing targets in closer proximity, to open up an air corridor for other attacking air assets, appears to many as an absolute necessity. For instance, mobile air defenses can quickly change position, new targets can emerge and certain weapons such as EW application might need to operate within a closer range than stand-off platforms to be effective. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Part of this consensus, according to Senior Air Force weapons developers, is implicitly built upon the fact that the B-21 is being engineered to be perpetually upgradeable. Among other things, this means that new software, sensors, weapons, computers and avionics can quickly emerge as they become available. --- Kris Osborn is a Senior Fellow at The Lexington Institute More Weapons and Technology -WARRIORMAVEN (CLICK HERE) | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/is-the-air-force-accelerating-the-b-21-futuristic-long-range-bomber |
Does Unconscious Bias Effect Our Sustainable Lifestyle Choices? | Most likely, your unconscious bias answers that they are female. This is the type of answer Dr. Aaron Brough of Utah State University is trying to get to the bottom of through his research. Brough co-authored a paper with professors from four other universities to understand how gender norms affect sustainable decision making. They report data from seven experiments that included over 2,000 participants from the US and China. What they found was remarkable. They found that both men and women associated doing something good for the environment with being more feminine. This unearths a deeply held unconscious bias that Brough and team call the Green-Feminine Stereotype. Once this unconscious bias is revealed, it has the potential to help society shift our increasingly precarious relationship with the environment for the better. If it remains hidden, it has the potential to greatly damage our environment permanently. In one of Brough and the teams experiments, both men and women were asked to recall a time when they did something good or bad for the environment. Those who recalled having done something good for the environment rated themselves as more feminine than those who recalled having done something bad to the environment. One might expect this type of gender stereotyping around green behavior to happen only when someone is concerned about how they appear to others. But even upon self-evaluation judged themselves feminine when acting responsibly towards the environment. This experiment shows how deeply held this bias is. Another experiment took the idea further and applied the concept of the Green-Feminine Stereotype to product and brand selection. Male participants were exposed to one of two Walmart gift cardsone that used more comically feminine design elements like pink and floral selected to threaten stereotypes or another gift card that was designed to not threaten stereotypes. The men were then asked to make a series of choices between green and non-green products to purchase. Men who were shown the gender threat gift card chose more non-green products than men shown the other gift card. That means that when men felt associated with femininity, they asserted their masculinity by making non-sustainable choices. To take this concept further, the group worked with BMW in China to test two print ads of the same car. The only difference between the ads was that the word eco-friendly was replaced in one ad with a Chinese male word for protection. What they found was that men evaluated the protection option more positively than the eco-friendly option even though it was the same car. It seems regressive to do so. With so many brands launching with a female-only audience due to lack of representation in products and market understanding, it seems like a perfect time to rebrand eco-friendlys association with femininity as a positive thing. And mens affiliation with positive environmental steps as a human-affirming truth that shifts us from negative and segregated gender identities into our roles as humans on this planet. The more interesting opportunity seems to be in exposing the negativity present within the unconscious bias that acting green is a feminine and therefore weaker or negative thing. Exposing the fact that our society creates a hierarchy around femininity as a lesser thing. Brough himself cited gender research around gender incongruence and the great penalties that men (and women) face when they dont fit stereotypical gender norms. Research suggests that men experience greater psychological damage or face harsher consequences when associated with feminine qualities. As a society, we are beginning to address these problems with corporate unconscious bias training, exposure, and conversation. But when it comes to our environment, our unconscious bias is greatly affecting our shared environment for the worse. Brough sums it up nicely, We need to overcome our unhealthy judgments of gender incongruence. And we need to be confident in our self-identity and decide to live a sustainable lifestyle without caring what other people think. Lets begin the conversation to start overriding our natural judgments. Our future depends on it. Interview with Dr. Aaron Brough of Utah State University All research and insights are from Dr. Aaron Brough and team's paper | https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolyncenteno/2019/04/03/does-unconscious-bias-effect-our-sustainable-lifestyle-choices/ |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.