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Can anyone conquer Ducati in their own backyard?
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Aleix Espargaro: Yes Im pleased, happy with how things are going. It was a shame in Le Mans because I was in sixth and chasing Alex Marquez for fifth place so it would have been very nice points for the championship, but races are like this. We had a small technical problem but now arrive here in Mugello and as Jack said, its one of the most difficult, challenging but at the same time fun tracks to ride in the world. We missed this circuit last season so I cant wait to try the new bike here, we know its not going to be easy because the straight is very, very long and this is one of the weak points top speed. But the bike is going very well on changing direction and stability side, so I cant wait to try the bike here and Im very curious as to how we go.
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https://www.sports247.my/can-anyone-conquer-ducati-in-their-own-backyard/
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Can the sharp increase in the values of minced meat imported into the United States last?
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There has been a sharp increase in the value of ground beef exports to the United States and other key markets over the past month and not all of this was driven by Argentinas recent withdrawal. of the beef export trade. As the Beef Centrals homepage dashboard chart shows (see image at left), 90CL ground beef prices in the US last week were quoted in Australian dollars at 763.2c / kg. (US CIF landed), up nearly 66c / kg from the previous four weeks, and continuing a spectacular increase of around 150c / kg since the start of the year. The current numbers are easily the highest seen for Australian ground beef since the extreme, but fairly short, peak in demand in the United States around May of last year, caused by massive shutdowns of beef processing plants. in the United States due to COVID-related illness among workers. At one point, about 40% of US meat processing capacity was cut, either through plant closures or strict operating restrictions. An Australian meat trader told Beef Central yesterday that there were significant differences between the big beef manufacturing price movements seen this month, compared to the same time last year. Over the past year, the very sharp price increases seen for adornments have taken place in US domestic supplies (prompted by the shutdown of meat factories in the US), leading to a drag in prices for Australian imports. , did he declare. Australian import prices rose sharply last year, but never reached the true extremes seen in US domestic supplies, at 300 US cents / lb higher, he said. But this year the trend is that the prices are different due to the imported supply and not the US domestic market. On current trends, it looks like the imported 90s are heading towards US300c / lb. Yesterday, in terms of US currencies, quotes on imported 7-45 days, off-dock, were around 279c / lb FOB, compared to 258c / lb a month ago and 234c at the bottom of the cycle in early March. At the height of the market surge last year, prices hit 261.8c US / lb. Yesterdays 95CL bull meat price was 299c / lb now dangerously close to crossing the 300c mark. They were already ahead of last years prices, in US dollars but remember, this time a year ago the A dollar was only worth around 65c US, up from 77c US this week, the export trader. The all-time high for lean-made Australian beef prices came in late 2019, when China went mad buying anything it could find, under the impact of African swine fever on protein supply. This saw the Australian imported 90s market hit 314c / lb, based on the Yellow Sheet records. The export trade contact said that unlike last years price spikes, and at the end of 2019 which were both dramatic and sudden, the rise in prices for beef from The export observed this year had been reasonably stable and constant. Granted, Argentinas recent month-long export pullback helped, but the current price spike started weeks before that, towards the end of April, and in fact increased steadily since the start of the year, has he declared. Customer reaction to downward Australian price movements has been mixed, with some saying they cannot buy at current rates. They arent committing at the moment, and thats part of the problem, the trader said. They miss this week by staying on the sidelines, and then asking prices look even higher next week, he said. But some really big American toppings have been active over the past week or so, and there are still users who need frozen imports in their mix. Many factories in the US are just not set up to make frozen box cuts. Yes, some end users will use as many American domestic fresh toppings as possible, as 90s US domestic fresh produce is still 10-20c / lb less than the imported equivalent in price (this week around US $ 260c / lb) , but many still need this frozen product. imported into the pattie making process, he said. Prices for imported trimmings have been above the U.S. equivalent all this year and late last year, since Australian supply began to tighten as the number of slaughters dwindled. Demand remains high as COVID recovery in US accelerates Despite current price levels, demand for beef remains very strong in the US market, especially as the Northern Hemisphere summer barbecue season approaches. The United States is recovering from COVID. Some 132 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, and nearly 50% of them have received a blow, so the food service is getting back on its feet after last years huge collapse, the business contact said yesterday. at Beef Central. This current increase in beef manufacturing prices is therefore due to both growing demand not only in the United States, but also in North Asia, as well as supply constraints. He said all protein, not just beef, is currently in high demand in the United States, as consumers risked eating again. If I were a gambler, I would say there are even more price advantages for Australian beef imported into the United States in the weeks and months to come, the trader said. New Zealand cow slaughter (very seasonal) is about to run out of steam every week, and other customers, like Japan, are also very strong in the 90s now. Its not just an American game, with some reports suggesting that 270c US / lb CIF for 85 is sold in Japan this week outside of Australia, practically in line with what the 90s are worth in the United States. Other smaller markets, such as Indonesia, are also returning to the market. When the story of the suspension of beef exports to Argentina erupted last week, all licensed Australian beef factories in China apparently received calls from Chinese contacts, but apparently few cases were written, based on current asking prices. Current trends in export meat prices are also helping to drive up cow prices, with all-time highs for heavy slaughter cows in direct consignment seen on processing networks in southern Nova Scotia. -South Wales and South Australia over the past two weeks, at 585c / kg and 595c / kg respectively. Steak cuts at record highs Steiner Consultings most recent US Imported Beef Market Weekly Report suggests that wholesale beef prices in the US have continued to climb over the past three weeks, with demand from the Memorial Day holidays and the reopening of the restaurant industry having created a significant beef effect along the supply chain. Packers continue to be hot sellers on a number of key items, with prices for some cuts of steak now at record highs, Steiner reported. Cash supply is extremely tight and small buyers who typically rely on the cash market find it difficult to source products. The limited supply of imported beef and the seasonal improvement in demand had pushed up lean beef prices. On the other hand, the heavy weight of the carcasses and the lack of lean beef (for mixing) had caused the domestic prices of fatty beef trimmings to collapse in the United States. Drought conditions and poor pastures have forced the liquidation of some cattle herds in the United States, leading to higher beef prices in the longer term. Market fundamentals and market inefficiencies have contributed to the recent surge in beef price inflation, Steiner said. The slaughter of cattle in the United States is not that far from where it was in 2019, with higher weeks than the same week last year. The weight of fed cattle was up to 5% higher than at the same time in 2019, so the overall beef supply is higher than what we saw at the time. However, beef exports are also much stronger than they were back then. Argentinas announcement to suspend beef exports for 30 days surprised many, but it was already something the market was already fearful of. Chinese buyers, who see Argentina as their second-largest supplier, have suddenly been very active, with more than 9,000 tonnes of goods booked for the week ending May 13. U.S. sales to China have accelerated over the past 12 months, and if Argentina decides to cut back its export program, Chinese buyers could become even more active in the U.S. market, Steiner suggested. Boost effect We believe that another reason for the sharp rise in the value of a number of meat protein items is the bull whip effect, Steiner said. Familiar to supply chain analysts, the bull whip effect refers to the tendency of long supply chains to amplify the impact of actual changes in consumer demand. This can happen in a positive or negative direction as supply chain participants react to anticipated changes by increasing or decreasing inventory levels along the chain. Imagine all the players involved in servicing a retail or catering operation: manufacturers, processors, distributors, redistributors and traders. The cumulative effect of all their efforts to manage the expected increases / decreases in consumer demand outcomes will amplify the level of demand at the packer level, Steiner said. Growing pressures on COVID last winter caused supply chain participants to stay very skinny until January, which was apparent in freezer stocks reported by the USDA. Suddenly, all of these participants are now looking not only to make up for the shortfall, but also to build up additional safety stock, Steiner said. For suppliers of imported beef, this should be a very important consideration as they look beyond the next month or two and anticipate sales in the fall and winter. While we believe that demand has indeed improved, it is important not to confuse the bullwhip effect with actual consumer demand.
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https://exbulletin.com/business/945661/
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What Are Bitcoin Faucets and How Do They Work?
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If youre looking for ways to easily get your hands on Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin mining and trading might be the first few things that might come to mind. But if you want to take a simpler route, exploring Bitcoin faucets can be one of your best options. Bitcoin faucets defined A crypto faucet or Bitcoin faucet is a mobile application or website that gives away small amounts of BTC or other cryptocurrencies in exchange for completing simple tasks. You can earn money playing Bitcoin games, watching product videos, completing a captcha, answering surveys, clicking links, viewing ads, and a lot more. Its called a faucet because the rewards it distributes are pretty small, just like tiny drops of water dripping from a leaky faucet. Contrary to popular belief, Bitcoin faucets arent get-rich-quick schemes. While making money through a free Bitcoin faucet might sound like a piece of cake, earning a good amount of crypto can take a bit longer, depending on the faucet youre using. Most of the time, the rewards you earn by completing various tasks will go directly to an online wallet provided by the website. Its also important to note that the easier the task, the smaller the reward. Some faucets also require a minimum payout, which means you can only withdraw the rewards youve earned after reaching a certain amount. This may take just a few hours, a day, a week, or even months. It all varies depending on the websites rates. Now that you know what these faucets are and how they work, youre probably wondering why they were created in the first place. Here are some of the possible reasons why Bitcoin faucets exist today. Spread the word about Bitcoin Believe it or not, crypto faucets have been around for more than a decade now. A few years after Satoshi Nakamoto introduced BTC, senior Bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen developed crypto faucets to spread awareness about this new concept and type of money. Bitcoin faucets were designed and developed to distribute a reward of five Bitcoins for every completed taskthats over 270,000 USD today! Limited availability of crypto exchanges In the early days of Bitcoin, getting your hands on crypto was tough. There werent many exchanges and platforms where you could easily buy amounts of BTC and other cryptocurrencies. So to introduce it and spark the interest of many people without asking them to buy, crypto faucets were utilized to hand off small amounts of Bitcoin for free. Make money passively Today, many BTC users make extra money by creating their own faucets. Owners often deposit a certain amount of BTC in their crypto wallets linked to their faucet website or app. Faucet owners can make passive income from the ads as long as theyre making more money than what they are dispensing to the users. Aside from acting as an early reward system, distributor, and promoter of Bitcoin, crypto faucets have also served the purpose of educating people about the wonders BTC can do. For some crypto enthusiasts today, these faucets are powerful tools to make passive income. Earlier, weve mentioned that Bitcoin faucets reward you with small amounts of BTC after completing small tasks. The rewards you will get are in satoshisthe smallest unit of BTC named after its mysterious creator. You can divide 1 BTC into 100 million satoshis. The amount youll receive depends on the kind of task you will complete and the faucet provider youre into. Its simply a case-by-case basis. Often, crypto faucets send BTC payouts directly to your Bitcoin wallet or via a third-party micropayment wallet. If you dont have a Bitcoin wallet yet, you can create a Paxful account and youll instantly receive one for free. You can access your Paxful Wallet via web browsers or the Paxful mobile app. On the other hand, micropayment wallets, also known as micro-wallets, are similar to online or traditional desktop wallets. The main difference is that this wallet is designed to collect and store only a small amount of cryptocurrencies. Micro-wallets are usually linked to your faucet account and using one will help you manage your satoshis before you send them directly to your Bitcoin wallet. Before you choose a Bitcoin faucet The next step is to look for a Bitcoin faucet that will best fit your needs. But before you choose one, here are some of the most important things you should take note of. Timer Cryptocurrency faucets often have a refresh or loading time, which can go from 15 minutes to a couple of hours per day. Claim amount This tells you exactly how much you can earn and how often. This also varies depending on the simplicity or complexity of the task you will complete. Minimum withdrawal Earlier, weve mentioned that some crypto faucets will require you to reach a certain amount of satoshis before you can withdraw your money. Many faucets offer a minimum withdrawal amount of 10,000 satoshis, which is equivalent to 0.0001 BTC or over 5 USD. Withdrawal method To withdraw your funds, youll need a digital wallet. If you have a Paxful account, you can withdraw your cryptos in over 350 ways, including the most popular payment option in your country. Referral fee You might also want to check out how much you can make by introducing the crypto faucet website or app to your friends and family. Some websites actually offer good bonuses, so be sure to consider this when choosing a faucet. Here are some popular crypto faucetsin no particular orderfor you to check out. Cointiply is one of the highest paying Bitcoin faucets and rewards websites you can find. It allows you to multiply your coins by up to 61x and earn BTC by completing tasks, quick offers, surveys, and watching videos. This faucet also offers a loyalty bonus, reward points, fast payments, expert support, 25% referral claims, and much more. Cointiplys app is available on Android devices. This faucet allows you to earn cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin (LTC) by playing simple mobile games. Its been around since 2014 and has a minimum withdrawal rate of 10,000 satoshis. You can earn up to 0.25 USD daily, depending on how often you take part in games. Bitcoin Aliens is available on both Android and iOS devices. If you love role-playing games (RPGs), you might want to check out Faucet Crypto. It offers an RPG game style and other unique features, like items that give you different types of bonuses for your account. It also has a direct withdrawal option, referral commission of 20%+, and a level-up system that increases the rewards you get for a lifetime. Faucet Crypto is also ideal for those who want to try a wide variety of cryptocurrencies. It supports BTC, LTC, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin SV (BSV), Dash (DASH), DigiByte (DGB), BitTorrent (BTT), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum Classic (ETC), Ethereum (ETH), Komodo (KMD), Tron (TRON), and more. This faucet offers features like daily ranking, where the top 20 users of the day can get huge rewards; a level system that allows you to increase your bonus as you level up; a referral system, and a lot more. Like Faucet Crypto, Fire Faucet also supports a wide range of cryptos. This includes BTC, ETH, DOGE, LTC, DASH, TRON, DGB, Tether (USDT), and Zcash (ZEC). Coinpayu allows you to earn cryptos such as BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, DOGE, DASH, and more by simply viewing different ads and completing various offers. It also has an affiliate program where you can earn passive income by inviting more users into the platform. This Bitcoin faucet focuses mainly on advertisements, making it ideal for earners and advertisers alike. It allows you to earn 0.00003 mBTC or 0.0017 USD for every ad you click and referral click you get. Its affiliate program offers a 40% to 80% commission. BTCClicks also has a minimum payout of 0.10000 mBTC or over 5 USD. If you want to put up an ad with BTCClicks, your earnings can start from 0.00006 mBTC or 0.0034 USD. While this faucet doesnt require any user signups, its important to note that your audience must view your ad for the entire duration of between 10 to 200 seconds to start earning. If youre a fan of game shows, youll surely enjoy answering questions on Satoshi Quiz. This Bitcoin faucet dispenses small amounts of BTC for the first three people who answer the question on the screen correctly. Note that the question changes every 60 seconds, so be sure to send the correct answer right away! Satoshi Quiz has a minimum withdrawal rate of 11,000 satoshis, which is equivalent to 6 USD at the time of writing. Every drop counts While its true that you wont instantly receive a huge amount of BTC through faucets, accumulating small amounts for a certain period of time is still a good start if youre new to the crypto world. Like tiny drops of water from a leaking faucet, small amounts of BTC, when accumulated, can make a significant change in your crypto journey. Also, dont limit yourself to one crypto faucet. Try exploring all the faucets in our list and see which ones best fit your crypto needs. Good luck!
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https://paxful.com/blog/bitcoin-faucets-explained/
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Who Stands To Lose Most In The Epic Vs Apple Case?
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ILLUSTRATION - 02 May 2021, Berlin: The App Store logo is seen next to the Epic Games Store logo on ... [+] two screens. Epic, maker of the popular game "Fortnite," wants to sell digital items in its apps without giving a cut of the purchase price to Apple. The conflict could change how the app and digital content business operates. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa (Photo by Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images) dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images It will probably take a few months to know the verdict of the Epic Games vs. Apple case, which came to a close on Monday, and although it looks like Apple will win the case, it could have implications for the future of the App Store, most of them probably positive for developers, leading some analysts to claim that Apple may win the battle but lose the war. The case, which has a European spin-off that has managed to align a few companies that are opposed to App Store policies, pits Apple, a company that tends to polarize opinions, against Epic Games, which accuses it of abusing its position. Apple, which in turn has sued Epic for breach of contract, has created an ecosystem that generates enormous value for many developers around the world, but which works because it maintains very clear rules that Apple constantly monitors and controls with an iron fist, which requires significant resources. For some observers, this is a clear cut issue: many small companies consider themselves lucky to be able to place their products on the App Store, but for some, when they become successful, they no longer want to pay Apple its commission. Other companies, such as the highly successful Roblox, which estimates these fees to Apple, Google and console manufacturers at 24.9% of its turnover, accept this as the cost of doing business on these platforms. In contrast, Epic decided to create its own standalone payment option expressly prohibited by Apples policies which prompted its expulsion from the platform. The company knew it was violating those rules and that it would be expelled, as evidenced by the fact that it had its complaint ready to file the next day, along with a parody video. It has been accused by some using Apple to make it big and then bilking on the deal. Hardly. In a few countries it has a market share close to 50%, but in most other places that figure is far lower. Developers who dont like its terms and conditions have plenty of other options: notably Android, gaming consoles or the web. Sure, Apple exercises ironclad control over the user experience, which means its devices have limitations not everyone likes. That doesnt give a company like Epic the right to use the service to establish itself and then break the rules and sue the company. The big question is the value Apple adds. For many people, that means greater security and privacy, versus other ecosystems with less demanding rules. For many developers, Apples value lies in rules that favor the monetization of their applications. In any event, the App Store has generated enormous value since its inception, which has been distributed among millions of developers, and under those rules that now, a few privileged companies whose visibility has been achieved in part thanks to Apple, are now questioning. In the end it comes down to how much youre prepared to pay as a startup for visibility. The case comes at a time of increasing pressure on big tech not only in Europe, which has always been identified with greater regulation, but also in the United States and even in China and Russia, which could possibly contribute to a state of opinion that could also influence the final outcome. One way or another, it will be some time before a verdict is reached and probably even longer before we see the consequences.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2021/05/28/who-stands-to-lose-most-in-the-epic-vs-applecase/
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Will there be a fifth round?
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Interview for Global Review conducted by Ralf Ostner. Tene Samuel Sheikh Jarrah The Sheikh Jarrah district of Jerusalem, scene of a real estate dispute. Daniel Pipes: It appears that Hamas sought to take advantage of a misstep by Mahmoud Abbas (calling and then canceling legislative elections) to build its popularity on the 'West Bank'. Other factors probably include exploiting a local real estate issue in Jerusalem, testing the Biden administration, taking advantage of political uncertainty in Israel, and winning Tehran's favor. DP: No: the Israeli government will do all it can to prevent Hamas from taking power in the 'West Bank'. That should suffice to keep it out. DP: Partially. Israel's military success is unarguable. The political battlefield is much less clear. But the most important question is whether this fourth round of fighting will lead Israelis to make sure there is no fifth round. I think that is likely, in which case Hamas would be the big loser. GR: This was the first time Hamas managed it to incite the Israeli Arabs. DP: In all, I see this as positive for Israel because it wakes the Jewish citizens to the pending crisis on their hands with their Muslim compatriots, something I have long predicted but which they have been unwilling to confront. : Yossi Aloni/Flash90 Ramla on fire, May 10, 2021. GR: The Right in Israel says that the previous blockade of Gaza was too lax and needs tightening. The Left says that Israel should win over the Gazan people by improving their lives, leading to a revolt and the overthrow of Hamas. DP: I favor the Right's view. The Left's view was tried in 1993; it's called the Oslo Accords and it failed dismally. Palestinians have a full century's record of caring far more to pursue their anti-Zionist passions than to improve their own lives. They constitute the most radicalized population on earth. Military conquest appears illusionary. DP: Yes, that is precisely the goal, harassing Jewish Israelis to the point that they abandon the country. Unfortunately for Hamas, this tactic has completely failed, what with Israelis scoring very high on happiness rankings, enjoying a developed economy, the rule of law, democracy, and a high level of personal security. Hamas, in its fanaticism, seems unaware of this situation and keeps using the same, futile and abominable methods. DP: In the short term, no, the two-state solution has no relevance for the reasons you state: most Israelis fear it and most Palestinians want to eliminate Israel. But in the long term, the two-state solution continues to offer the only potentially satisfactory resolution of one of the globe's most intractable conflicts. When Palestinians suffer defeat and no longer believe they can eliminate the Jewish state of Israel, then the prospect opens for a two-state solution. But that is many years or decades away. DP: Those are, exactly, the short-term alternatives. Personally, I prefer the Egypt-and-Jordan option. GR: The number of Israelis living in the ,West Bank, has grown to 450,000. DP: Not at all, assuming that Jews can live in a Palestinian Arab state just as Palestinian Arabs live in the Jewish state. Such an assumption is imperative; to expect otherwise that close to a half-million Israelis must pack up and leave the 'West Bank' implies that Jews have not yet been accepted, in which case the conflict continues. DP: Yes, of course, given that those making such demands do not make similar demands on Morocco in Western Sahara, Turkey in northern Cyprus, or China in Tibet and that there is no solution, East Turkestan. GR: Please explain the concept of Israel Victory that you originated and the Middle East Forum promotes. DP: Wars end when one side gives up; for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to end, Israel needs to pursue policies that convince Palestinians their goals are hopeless. Doing so will obviously benefit Israelis but even more Palestinians, who can finally begin to build their polity, economy, society, and culture. Interview originally in Global Review (Germany) reposted with permission from http://www.danielpipes.org/20411/the-key-issue-in-hamas-vs-israel
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https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/307055
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How are religion and Russian space science connected?
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A nation with a past deeply rooted in the religious worldview, Russians happened to get to space first in 1961 and Yuri Gagarin, famously, didnt see God. But, religion and astronautics have always been close. The idea of space travel was first created by a Russian Orthodox philosopher that was born with the last name Gagarin. Portrait of Nikolay Fyodorov by Leonid Pasternak Leonid Pasternak Leonid Pasternak A school teacher and librarian, Nikolay Fyodorov (1829-1903) opposed the idea of property of books and ideas and never published anything during his lifetime. He refused to be photographed and to sit for portraits and two of his depictions had to be made secretly. Most of his teachings he conveyed orally to his disciples and friends. The founder of the Russian cosmism philosophy, Nikolay was a bastard son of Prince Pavel Gagarin (1789-1872). It is considered a coincidence that the first man in space also bore this surname. During his life, Nikolay was known under the surname of his godfather, Fyodorov. For the latter part of his life, Fyodorov worked in Moscow as a librarian in the Rumyantsev Museum library, which is now the Russian State Library. There, he befriended a lot of intellectuals of his time, including Leo Tolstoy and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the pioneer of Russian astronautics and rocket science. Tsiolkovsky's description and drawing of a spaceship greenhouse Public domain Public domain Fyodorov was a strict observant of Russian Orthodox Christianity, but, at the same time, a natural philosopher. His main idea was radical life extension by means of science. He believed that spiritual and scientific development of humanity would lead to the fulfilment of the ultimate Christian idea: the banishment of death and revival of the dead, using the idea of cloning. Fyodorov also believed that space exploration was necessary, because the resources of the Earth are depletable. Later, his followers, who called themselves biocosmists, propagated the idea of immediate development of space communications. The teachings of Fyodorov were taken into account also by Sergey Korolev, the creator of the first Russian space flight. The pioneer of Russian astronautics theory was a religious mystic Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. From the "Space exploration" series. Palekh Russian traditional miniature painting. Kaleria Kukuliev, Boris Kukuliev Kaleria Kukuliev, Boris Kukuliev Konstantin Tsiolkovsky has the full right to be named the Russian Da Vinci, because, apart from his scientific studies, he was deeply involved in mysticism. Tsiolkovsky stated that he developed the theory of rocketry only as a supplement to philosophical research on the subject. From the age of 35, he lived and worked in Kaluga, the town that became the center of the Russian theosophical movement. Deaf from an early age due to scarlet fever he suffered as a child, he was very introspective and, for most of his life, continued self-studying. He was at the same time an affectionate and lively soul and claimed to have experienced revealing visions twice in his life. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky with models of his zeppelin Alexander Assonov Alexander Assonov READ MORE: 5 of the most important discoveries by the 'Russian Leonardo da Vinci' His own philosophy consisted of theism, pantheism and esoterics. He believed in the existence of God, but didnt associate him with Christ. Developing a theory of space exploration, parallel with Fyodorovs ideas, Tsiolkovsky famously said: The earth is the cradle of humanity, but you cant live in a cradle forever! The strange numerology of the first man in space Sergey Korolev sends Yuri Gagrin to space. From the "Space exploration" series. Palekh Russian traditional miniature painting. Kaleria Kukuliev, Boris Kukuliev Kaleria Kukuliev, Boris Kukuliev Sergey Korolev (1907-1966), the leading rocket engineer and creator of Yuri Gagarins space flight, studied the works of both Nikolay Fyodorov and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Their findings and ideas inspired Korolevs idea to create a rocket-powered aircraft. It is still debated whether Korolev was religious himself, but he was certainly superstitious. It is known that Korolev didnt put any launches on Mondays and didnt tolerate women on the launch pad but Russian cosmonauts have had a lot of other superstitions, as well. The 12th century Ladder of Divine Ascent icon (Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt) showing monks, led by John Climacus, ascending the ladder to Jesus, at the top right. Public domain Public domain What is really remarkable about the first space flight Korolev managed is the amount of coincidences in its numerology. First of all, April 12, the day that Gagarin went into space, in the Russian Orthodox church calendar falls on the feast of St. John Climacus (John of the Ladder), the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, a monastic text that describes how to raise ones body and soul to God through monastic obedience. The main metaphor used by St. John is Jacobs Ladder to Heaven (Genesis, chapter 28). This observation is debated to the present day, with certain Orthodox clerics defending it. Another coincidence is the total flight time. No doubt it was thoroughly calculated for example, the next space flight, August 6-7 1961, performed by German Titov on Vostok-2, lasted for exactly 1 day, 1 hour, 11 minutes. Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, famously orbited the Earth in 108 minutes, the number 108 being considered sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism. In these Eastern religions, 108 is a lucky number associated with divine harmony, completion and success. Many Soviet cosmonauts were (and still are) Christians Consecration of the 'Soyuz-FG' launch vehicle with the Soyuz TMA-20M transport manned spacecraft at the launch complex of the Baikonur cosmodrome. Sergey Savostyanov/TASS Sergey Savostyanov/TASS It is widely known that in 1964, three years after the flight, Yuri Gagarin went to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius only for sightseeing. But in the Soviet atheist times, even this led to certain problems and inquiries by Party officials. Later, in post-Soviet times, religious beliefs became a private matter again. And, it turns out, many contemporary Russian cosmonauts are religious. However, the same can be said about American astronauts. For example, in 1963, Gordon Cooper spoke and recorded a Thanksgiving prayer during his flight. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 read from the Book of Genesis as they orbited the Moon and there are other examples. If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
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https://www.rbth.com/history/333830-russian-space-and-religion
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Has basketball recruiting lost its luster?
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LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A few days ago, ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla raised a few eyebrows with the following tweet: "One Top 40 program coach told me last week that they will no longer recruit HS players but will live in the transfer portal. 'We're like the NBA. We can build through free agency or through the draft. We'll take the surer thing.'" That might seem a knee-jerk outlier opinion, except for the evidence pointing in that direction. In the future, there may not be that many elite high school prospects for college programs to recruit. The herd is thinning. Why just Tuesday, twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., signed with Overtime Elite, a new alternative training program that is offering six-figure salaries to prospects. OTE has hired former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie as director and last week announced plans to build a 103,000-square foot facility in Atlanta. Among class of 2022 prospects, the 247Sports composite ranks Ausar Thompson at No. 30 and Amen Thompson at 31. Both are 6-6 combo guards. Both will skip college to prepare for the NBA Draft. The Thompsons are the second set of brothers to cast their lot with Overtime. Matt and Ryan Bewley of Orlando, Fla., signed with Overtime Elite last week. Both are high school juniors. Matt Bewley is ranked No. 3 by ESPN in the class of 2023. Ryan is ranked No. 12. Both are listed at 6-9, and both will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft. The brothers reportedly signed a seven-figure deal with Overtime. Also last week, Marietta, Ga., guard Scoota Henderson signed a two-year deal with the G League's Ignite program. That's the same program that prepped blue-chip prospects Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga for this year's NBA Draft. ESPN ranked Henderson as the No. 7 prospect in the class of 2022. That's the new G League wrinkle in the Scoota signing. Henderson is a high school junior. He's 17 years old. Having graduated high school early, Henderson reportedly signed a two-year deal, since he will not be eligible for the NBA Draft until 2023. He's a 6-3 guard with a 6-9 wingspan. Henderson joins Arizona forward Michael Foster as G League signees. ESPN ranks Foster as the seventh-best class of 2021 prospect. Kentucky target Jaden Hardy announced he intends to sign with the Ignite program. Hardy is ranked No. 3 in the class of 2021 by 247Sports. Fanbo Zeng, an 18-year-old player from China, reportedly decommitted from Gonzaga last month and is also expected to join the G League program. According to 247Sports, since the 2019 class, a total of 13 prospects have opted to skip college in favor of an alternative route to the NBA age limit of 19. Meanwhile, the wheels on the NCAA's transfer portal keep turning. Over 1,600 names have been placed in the portal. Massive player movement has transformed the outlook for many programs. Take Auburn. The Tigers ended up 13-14 overall and 7-11 in the SEC last season. Their top player, guard Sharife Cooper, is off to the draft. No matter. As expected, Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl dove headfirst into the portal. North Carolina center Walker Kessler, Arkansas guard Desi Sills, Georgia guard K.D. Johnson, College of Charleston guard Zep Jasper and Eastern Kentucky guard Wendell Green have all joined the Tigers, now considered among the favorites for the SEC title next season. The same can be said of Kentucky. Addressing obvious needs, the Wildcats have added West Virginia's Oscar Tshiebwe (muscle), Davidson's Kellan Grady (perimeter shooting), Iowa's CJ Fredrick (more perimeter shooting) and Georgia's Sahvir Wheeler (point guard) through the transfer portal. Time will tell if things jell, but John Calipari appears to have improved ingredients. All of this isn't to say recruiting high school prospects is no longer important. It is to say prep recruits are just one piece of the roster-building puzzle. An important piece, to be sure. Just as the transfer portal is now an important piece. The best programs will figure out the best ways to build that roster.
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https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/may/28/has-basketball-recruiting-lost-its-luster/
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Are Body Mass Index and Bile Duct Stones linked?
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Obesity tripled in the last four decades, and was called a global pandemic in its own right by United Nations in 2020. Obese people are more susceptible to suffering or dying from Covid-19 complications and vulnerable to heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, fatty liver, and chronic kidney disease. Diet, lack of exercise, social environment and genetics are major triggers for obesity. Moreover, consumption of ultra-processed food items, fast-food restaurant meals, soft drinks, and industrially processed convenience food with salt, sugar, fat, and additives lead to obesity. Besides having an adverse impact on respiratory and cardiac problems, obesity is a major risk factor for stone formation in the body. Considering the startling facts and statistics, on this World Digestive Day, lets zoom in on problems such as gallstones that are a result of obesity. Inputs by Nirmaljeet S Malhi, Director and Senior Consultant at AGI The Gastrociti, Ludhiana and Debasis Datta, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist Director, Fortis Hospitals, Kolkata and Overseas Advisor at Royal College of Physicians, London. Body mass index (BMI) defined as weight in kilograms divided by square of height in centimetres, is a measure of body fat that applies to adults, and its results ranges from underweight to obesity. More than 135 million people are obese (BMI > 30Kg/cm2) in India. Now, with the increase in BMI, the risk of non-cardiac diseases has grown exponentially. People who eat a high fat diet, have a sedentary lifestyle and are obese develop gallstones that in turn lead to bile duct stones. When cholesterol, calcium salts and bilirubin deposit in gallbladder, they form gallstones. The gallbladder contains digestive fluid called bile that is passed into the small intestine via bile duct. In some cases, stones that form in gallbladder slip into bile duct and get trapped in it. These are known as common bile duct (CBD) stones. A stone in the bile duct can cause pain, block the bile duct, and damage the liver, pancreas, and digestive system. A person with bile duct stones usually experiences pain in the upper abdomen, back or shoulder, and around the ribs. Some people can also develop jaundice which may cause their skin and eyes to appear yellow along with fever and/or chills. A subset of patients can develop pancreatitis due to CBD stones that is a major medical emergency and could result in death in 5-10 per cent of cases, if not treated in time. When one develops such symptoms, it becomes imperative to seek timely medical invention and to undergo the required treatment. Treating Bile Duct Stones with Advanced Technologies The doctor can confirm the diagnosis through medical history, physical examination of the abdomen, blood tests and imaging tests like ultrasonography of the abdomen. In cases of diagnostic uncertainty, Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) or MRCP have emerged as the modalities of choice. The treatment of CBD stones is done by a specialised endoscopic procedure called as ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). The dye is injected into the bile duct during this procedure that provides a clear visibility to locate bile duct stones causing the blockage, which in turn are removed by giving a small incision in a region called papilla in upper part of small intestine. ERCP has been used for decades for diagnosis and treatment of bile duct stones. However, today, technological breakthroughs have redefined healthcare in India. We now have procedures like Cholangioscopy that enable faster and more accurate treatment in difficult to remove CBD stones, reduced risk associated with repeated procedures and give patients a better quality of life. The therapy is used to treat bile duct stones that cannot be treated using traditional methods and for elderly patients. A small straw like tube with a camera and light at the end is used to disintegrate stones. The doctor monitors the stone location on a screen and bursts the stone using a tiny probe attached in the tube. Reducing Obesity to Prevent Bile Duct Stones While an outright control of gallbladder problems is inevitable, people can take appropriate measures to reduce the risk of developing stones and associated symptoms and complications. To prevent gallbladder or bile ducts stones, it is imperative to reduce overweight and obesity. Choice of healthier foods and regular exercise can go a long way in preventing obesity. One can limit energy intake from sugars and total fats, increase consumption of vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts and engage in physical activities for at least 60 minutes a day. Although a lifestyle modification is the key to weight loss, newer endoscopic approaches like Intra-Gastric Balloon and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty are new additions to a Gastroenterologists armamentarium to tackle obesity. As per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), women and people over 40, obesity and a family history of stones are more prone to getting gallstones or bile duct stones. Gallbladder problems are usually managed easily in expert hands now-a-days. The main solution for managing stones is to spread awareness about the root cause and potential treatment options available.
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https://www.thestatesman.com/lifestyle/health/body-mass-index-bile-duct-stones-linked-1502969504.html
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Whos leaving all the garbage behind?
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May 27, 2021 0 Comments by BRIAN LOCKHART These are actual trees son. Or maybe a wolf? Possibly son. Were north of Highway 7 this is frontier land. If you ever had a conversation with someone who grew up and still lives in Toronto, thats pretty much how they view anything outside of their city. I once heard a Toronto radio reporter calling in a report from London, ON, where she referred to London as this small town. The last I checked, London had a population of over 380,000 people, and every time Ive been there, I had lots to do. During these strange times, suddenly everyone has this urge to walk in the woods for some reason. Hiking, as its called, is a pastime where you walk on trails through the woods, around the rocks, and if youre lucky, to some kind of lookout spot where you can stop and say, Look at that view! I guess since so many activities are banned or restricted, turning to the exciting sport of walking at least gets you out of the house. If you drive by any area that has Bruce Trail access, youre going to see cars. It could be three oclock on a Tuesday afternoon, and there will some cars parked and groups of people marching through the woods and marveling at the fact that trilliums, the provincial flower, do actually grow in the wild, and are not just some fancy logo created to emboss signs or documents. Yes, everyone wants to see the natural environment as it was meant to be seen with trees and rocks. The new environmental movement over the past few years is just a different twist on an old agenda. Of course, any normal thinking person should want to respect the planet. If an oil-carrying ship hits some rocks and spills oil into the ocean, there is a huge outcry. Then of course some enterprising soap company will come out with a commercial showing someone using their product to wash the oils off ducks or sea birds. Not only will our product make your dishes sparkle, it cleans oily ducks! The problem is the environmentalists are apparently all talk an no action. Being an environmentalist means you respect the environment at all levels, not just when it makes a good photo for your non-profit group of some guy washing a duck. Oh, and its got to be a baby duck a little tiny one with fluffy feathers for the full effect. No one is moved to tears by a full-size old duck getting a soap bath and snapping angrily at its handler. Youve probably seen the photos or at least heard about the problems at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. It really is a beautiful park, and if youre a hiker, this is a great place to go. The problem is has become a little too popular. Last week the police started handing out tickets to people who had parked their cars illegally. I can understand why the locals who live in the area are getting a little disturbed. There are photos showing cars parking all over the road, hundreds of them, and blocking private driveways and parking on private property. You think that people who want to commune with nature so badly they will park a mile away and complete half their hike before even reaching the park entrance would respect the park and what it is all about. A friend of mine who lives nearby and has frequented the park for years, before it became some kind of crazy place where hiking means going on a walk with a thousand other people, said she was disgusted by the amount of garbage left behind by these environmentally friendly people. Discarded face masks were all over the parking lot. Water bottles were tossed on the ground, and other refuse scattered around. Its not you, of course you would never do that. But take a drive down and local rural road and see how much garbage is tossed out of car windows. If you did a random poll on the environment, you probably wouldnt find a single person who would say they think its okay to toss your empty beer can out of the car window. Well, someone, a lot of people telling the truth. If there was a bounty on discarded water bottles, you could make a fortune just cruising the back roads for an afternoon. Readers Comments (0)
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http://caledoncitizen.com/?p=34753
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Is Anushka Sharma's Brother Karnesh Sharma Dating Bulbbul Actress Tripti Dimri?
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It seems that sparks have been flying between Anushka Sharma's brother Karnesh Sharma and actress Tripti Dimri. For the unversed, Tripti had essayed the female protagonist in the movie Bulbbul that was produced by Anushka and Karnesh's production house Clean Slate Filmz. The two had met and had started bonding on the sets of the movie. According to a news report in The Times Of India, Karnesh and Tripti had continued to stay in touch after the release of the movie. However, soon the closeness culminated into a budding romance and even their close friends are aware of the same. Not only this, but Anushka Sharma had earlier shared a picture with her brother and Tripti on her Instagram story, tagging it as 'Major Missing' that had further fuelled these rumours. However, neither Karnesh Sharma nor Tripti Dimri has broken their silence on the same. Tripti will now once again star in the movie Qala that will be bankrolled by Karnesh and Anushka's production house. The movie will also star Swastika Mukherjee and will mark the Bollywood debut of the late Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan. The movie has been helmed by Anvita Dutt who had also directed Bulbbul and will be released on the OTT streaming platform Netflix. On the work front, Tripti was also seen in the 2018 movie Laila Majnu that had marked her debut in the film industry. The film also starred Avinash Tiwary in the lead role and was directed by Sajid Ali who is the younger brother of Imtiaz Ali. The film was bankrolled by Ekta Kapoor. Tripti may have some interesting line of movies ahead in her kitty. She has been reportedly approached to play the main female lead in director Sharan Sharma's next. Apart from that, Tripti Dimri may also be seen alongside Ranbir Kapoor in director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's movie Animal. Tripti is rumoured to be the second female lead in the movie along with Parineeti Chopra. A news report in Filmfare quoted a source that revealed, "Some big and popular names had auditioned for this role. Sara Ali Khan had also auditioned for the movie but the makers were quite impressed with Tripti's work and audition tape. They thought she would bring that freshness to the character and a young appeal."
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https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/news/2021/anushka-sharma-s-brother-karnesh-sharma-dating-actress-tripti-dimri-314480.html
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How will China's latest oil probe affect the world's biggest crude importer?
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SINGAPORE: This year China's government has been gradually ramping up scrutiny of its sprawling oil industry, reinforcing its authority with new taxes on refined products while investigating crude imports by state energy giants and independent refiners.Last Tuesday, the country's top economic planning agency gave five state-owned companies just two days to report on their historic use of imported oil, part of a broader effort by the world's largest oil importer to control inbound shipments as domestic supplies swell.China is the world's largest crude oil importer and the No. 2 consumer after the United States. China's crude imports surged 7.3% in 2020 - the only major market where oil demand grew during the Covid-19 pandemic.Strong economic growth, new refining capacity and changes in fuel taxes could spur crude imports 7.2%, or 775,000 barrels per day, higher this year, said Seng Yick Tee, SIA Energy analyst.But the country's refining sector is saddled with overcapacity and excess fuel supplies which Beijing is keen to tackle. Authorities also aim to clamp down on tax evasion, as well as the blending and sale of fuels that do not meet emission standards.Guangdong province, China's top oil-consuming region, led the probe into illicit trades of blending fuels in February and detained several people in connection with the investigation.Beijing is looking into whether Sinopec Group CNOOC ), Sinochem Group ChemChina , and China North Industries Group - which together make up more than 60% of China's total imports - have resold oil to other companies in the country. Also under examination is whether their imports have been processed at refineries under a tolling scheme that reduces the companies' tax burden.The information request is part of a broader probe the Beijing began early this year into a growing domestic fuel surplus and lost tax revenues, partly because of unchecked flows of imported crude oil to refiners that are outside the country's official quota system.It follows a separate inspection by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)in April of independent refiners in the eastern province of Shandong that had pledged to close ageing, inefficient facilities in return for winning import quotas.That inspection also covered usage of import quotas. Several independent plants in Shandong were found to have sold quotas to other refiners who not qualified to process imported crude.China has since late 2015 allowed more than 40 independent refiners to process imported crude under a quota system. But smaller plants have been found by the government to be sourcing additional crude oil, and other feedstocks such as diluted bitumen, beyond quota limits, leading to a domestic fuel glut.Beijing to start levy hefty taxes on imports of light cycle oil (LCO), mixed aromatics and diluted bitumen from June 12, a move that is expected to curb fuel imports and improve local refiners' domestic sales and profits.China is expected to release a second batch of crude import quotas in the coming months, and these probes may prompt Beijing to reduce allocated volumes to independent companies.While this could curb independent buyers' appetite for more supplies, the state-run firms, which are not subject to quota management, are expected to lead the purchases.In December last year, China issued the first batch of crude import quotas for non-state companies at 122.59 million tonnes in 2021, up 18% from the first round for 2020.
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/how-will-chinas-latest-oil-probe-affect-the-worlds-biggest-crude-importer/articleshow/83031748.cms
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How should we feel about soaring bank profits during a pandemic?
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You can almost smell the simmering outrage against Canada's big banks in the comments at the bottom of a recent CBC Go Public story about rising bank fees. But this week, as the banks revealed another round of stunning results, the news was a fresh reminder that despite the pandemic's disruption, the impact of COVID-19 did not lead to the economic catastrophe that so many feared at the time. Some say banks were partly responsible for that positive outcome. And while the bank fee story was a magnet for online anger, comments beneath CBC's reports on bank profits were far more nuanced. Love 'em and hate 'em "You know, it's interesting. People seem to love and hate the banks at the same time," said Hilliard MacBeth, longtime Edmonton-based financial advisor and author of the gloomy book on Canadian real estate When the Bubble Bursts. MacBeth has encountered many people dealing with Canada's financial institutions over his 42 years in the personal finance business. He says Canadians are surprisingly uncritical of banks so long as they get loans when they need them. He also thinks Canadians might be more critical if they were better informed. WATCH | Customers speak out about about bank fee increases: Customers frustrated by bank fee hikes during pandemic | Go Public The National 2:05 Several customers of Canadas big banks reached out to Go Public with frustrations about increased bank fees during the pandemic. The fee increases come after each of the big five banks reported billions in profit for this year's first quarter. 2:05 "I don't think the public is very aware of this," he said. "They just hear 'you're approved for that loan' and they're happy." Certainly some of the people loving the Canadian banks this week include those who invest in them. And whether you know it or not, odds are you too are an investor. Canada and Quebec's pension plans have big stakes in the banks. So do mutual funds, life insurance companies and other financial groups that promise future payouts based on the money you set aside today. Strictly from an investor's point of view, Jim Shanahan, a financial equities analyst with Edward Jones, said the banks have demonstrated their merit, bouncing off last year's lows to attain new highs. As you can see by clicking on the graph above, it was as if the pandemic never happened. He said taxpayers should be grateful. "Patient, long-term investors have been rewarded by holding the shares and they are mostly trading at or near all-time highs," Shanahan said. He works out of the Edward Jones headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., where Canadian banks have a reputation for conservative risk management. That paid off in the 2008 financial crisis, when they did not need U.S.-style bailouts, and also during the crisis brought on by the pandemic. Solid backstop "I think that Canadian taxpayers and businesses and other stakeholders should be pleased with the performance of the banks, which provided a very solid backstop during a very weak Canadian economy and performed exceptionally well," he said in a phone interview. Despite wall-to-wall advertising pointing out how much they love you, banks are not your mom. Like every other profit-making company, they are in it for the bottom line. That does not mean they ignore criticism on fees or other things we complain about if we complain loud enough. And certainly, as people who spoke to Go Public pointed out, raising fees at the same time as making astonishing profits does not look especially good to their valued customers. Readers' frequent suggestions that disgruntled customers switch to credit unions or to one of the (big-bank owned) low-fee alternatives illustrate how people determined to stick it to the big banks have options. The fact that we keep using them seems to back up MacBeth's position that Canadians remain tolerant of the banks' behaviour. "The only way that Canadians would lose their love affair with the banks right now is if the banks started to foreclose on homes and also to put people in bankruptcy over their credit cards and their HELOCS and all that stuff," MacBeth said. "That doesn't seem to be happening." One of the reasons for increased bank profits is the government support for real estate lending, which may not be good for the economy in the long run. (Don Pittis/CBC) Some people complain about excessive government payouts during the pandemic, fearing they will bring tax increases. But MacBeth believes without that support, Canada was really close to that kind of meltdown. "It was on the verge of happening a year ago, and then the government of Canada came in with massive transfers of income and dollars to the households which essentially, if you think about it, is a transfer to the banks," he said. As the banks reported this week, their loan losses were negligible as Canadians paid off non-mortgage debt. Taxpayers get some credit As many banking experts will point out, Canadian banks are successful not just because they are so cautious and so wise. It's also because taxpayers have their backs and because government regulators keep them in line. As Shanahan observed, Canadian banks had much higher reserve requirements than their U.S. equivalents to help them, and borrowers, survive the downturn. He said that as those requirements lift, expect increased dividends and share buybacks. Executive bonuses will be back on the table. But as with so much at the heart of the Canadian economy these days, the banks have been riding a wave of rising house prices as Canadians borrow and spend on real estate, even as they pay off other loans. Many Canadian don't think much beyond the bank that lent them the money to buy, but once again, the taxpayer is there for the banks with what are effectively mortgage subsidies. "In Canada, the CMHC is the primary risk taker and the bank just gets to keep all the profits," MacBeth said. "They're taking loans away from something that might be productive and giving more loans to households who are buying real estate they can't really afford." And as many, including our central bankers, have said in the past, if that trend continues, diverting so much of our wealth to inflating the price of unproductive real estate may not be the best thing for Canada, or for its banks, once the pandemic is over. By comparison the effects of rising fees, while evidently annoying, are of small economic consequence. Follow Don Pittis on Twitter @don_pittis
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/banks-pandemic-profits-pittis-1.6040739?cmp=rss
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Can Sergio Aguero still perform at an elite level post-Manchester City?
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Sergio Agueros first season at Manchester City concluded with him scoring the goal that made them champions of England. Its not something that can be repeated, he rationalised last week, though it would be fitting in a way if his decade ended with Citys greatest goalscorer delivering the finish that makes them Champions League winners on Saturday, possibly in similarly late and dramatic fashion. But the probability is that Agueros City career finished with his two-goal cameo against Everton on Sunday. He will not be their Bobby Charlton, the man whose goals won a Manchester club its first European Cup, but their Denis Law, the hero of previous years who sat out the final. And then the discarded legend could have the most glamorous of consolation prizes: a berth alongside Lionel Messi in the Barcelona attack. Man City Pep Guardiola confirms Sergio Aguero is close to joining Barcelona Maybe I reveal a secret, said Pep Guardiola on Sunday. Maybe he is close to agreeing a deal for the club of my heart, for Barcelona. There is something irresistible about the thought of Aguero and Messi in tandem; they are such close friends that the Barcelona captain is Benjamin Agueros godfather. It was long suggested that Aguero could help sell Manchester City to Messi: when Argentina played at the Etihad Stadium in 2018, the striker gave him a guided tour of the deluxe training ground. It could give Barcelona a strike partnership of men with 1,180 goals to their names. Perhaps Barcelona would be learning a lesson from their recent past. There are parallels with Luis Suarez, the thirty-something striker Barcelona deemed surplus to requirements and who promptly inspired his new club to win La Liga. Aguero, like Suarez, should have a point to prove after being slighted. Or perhaps Aguero is history. Barcelona have ignored the evidence of the last 14 months in signing Aguero; perhaps their financial plight means they have go for players who will not command a transfer fee. But since March 2020, there have only been a handful of illustrations that the old Aguero is still around: a predatory finish against Marseille, a magnificent one at Crystal Palace, the throwback brace versus Everton. Otherwise, it has been a frustrating period, of knee surgery and setbacks and Covid and self-isolating, a stop-start period where he has lacked sharpness and where Guardiolas reluctance to use him has deprived him of the opportunity to regain it. Sometimes Aguero has been so far off the pace that he has cut a sad sight; Februarys home game against West Ham felt particularly cruel. At others, he was on a different wavelength from a team who evolved to favour a false nine; he allegedly bemoaned his team-mates reluctance to pass to him against Borussia Monchengladbach. Manchester will always be your city, @aguerosergiokun #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/JJmvbnRNX6May 24, 2021 See more Some of the obstacles in a stop-start spell have been caused by unique times; if he is not a bit-part player at Barcelona, they will prioritise him, and it may be easier to return to his physical and footballing peak. It is the question if he is the player who scored 254 goals in nine years and seven months after joining City, or the one who only got six after, if he is spiralling into decline or, after a quiet year, can pick up where he left off in a pre-Covid world. After all, Aguero is younger than Suarez and Edinson Cavani, will be moving to a league with a slower style of play and probably playing for a manager who places less emphasis on pressing. The finishing skills that have not deserted him could be the most pertinent part. But the alternative interpretation and perhaps Guardiolas is that there has been too much in the last 14 months to suggest Aguero is not the force of old. The body may be breaking down with increasing regularity; little wonder, perhaps, given that his senior debut came at 15 and that he has featured in 776 games for clubs and country, more than most play in their entire careers, before his 33rd birthday. His defining quality has been sharpness but if the injuries are more frequent, the comebacks of a semi-fit striker more regular illustrations of a man trying to get up to speed, then Aguero may be seen at his quicksilver best less often. Maybe that is enough. Messi got 38 goals this season, Antoine Griezmann 20 and no one else more than 11. Perhaps Aguero can settle into the role of the second or third scorer, rather than being charged with being Citys leading marksman. But part of the fascination will stem from the sight of the old gunslinger trying to turn back time with Barcelona, in his retro partnership with Messi as the old friends seek to recreate past heroics, but together. Subscribe to FourFourTwo today and get a FREE England Euro 96 shirt! RICHARD JOLLY How the false nine became Pep Guardiola's Plan A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 10 European trophy-winning teams who were terrible domestically
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https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/can-sergio-aguero-still-perform-at-an-elite-level-post-manchester-city
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Why Were the Pharisees the 'Bad Guys' in the New Testament?
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" " In this picture, Jesus Christ is shown in conversation with Pharisees about whether it is lawful to pay taxes to the Roman emperor. In the Bible, the Pharisees are often shown as having legalistic arguments with Jesus. Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Jesus only loses his cool a handful of times in the New Testament (just ask the moneychangers in the Temple), but he unleashes one of his fiercest tirades in Matthew 23 against the Pharisees and other "teachers of the law." In verses 13-39, known as "the seven woes," Jesus calls the Pharisees "hypocrites" six times. He also calls them "blind" (five times), "children of hell," "a brood of vipers" and compares the false piety and posturing of the Pharisees to "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." The Pharisees of the New Testament are clearly cast as the bad guys, the perfect ideological and spiritual foils to Jesus and his followers. The Pharisees are portrayed as nitpicky enforcers of Jewish law who are focused so intently on the letter of the law that they miss the spirit entirely. As Jesus says: "You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." We spoke with Bruce Chilton, a religion professor at Bard College and co-editor of "In Quest of the Historical Pharisees," to better understand what the Pharisees really believed and why they clashed with the early Christians. During the first century C.E., when Jesus lived, the Pharisees emerged as a religious movement within Judaism, not a separate sect. The Temple still stood in Jerusalem and it was the center of Jewish life. One of the greatest concerns of Temple rites was purity that both the people who entered the Temple and the animals sacrificed there, were "pure" enough to satisfy God. The Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible starting with Genesis) contains written commandments that explain the proper way to conduct Temple sacrifices, but the Pharisees claimed they had additional divine instructions that had been passed down through centuries of oral tradition. "The Pharisees believed that they had a special reserve of knowledge for determining purity," says Chilton. "They taught that their oral tradition went all the way back to Moses at Sinai, so not only was there a written Torah, which anyone could have access to, but there was also an oral Torah which was inside the Pharisaic movement." What was distinctive about the oral tradition of the Pharisees was that it expanded the question of purity to life outside of the Temple. Even if a Jewish person lived far away from Jerusalem (in Galilee, for example) and wasn't planning to make a pilgrimage to the Temple, they could conduct their lives in such a way as to be pure enough to enter the Temple. "In that sense, the Pharisees became a movement for the purity of the Jewish people," says Chilton. The Pharisees were not, however, the powerful elite of first-century Judaism. Those were the Sadducees, the priestly class that controlled Temple worship and held the most political influence with the Roman Empire, which ruled over Palestine. The Sadducees rejected the oral tradition in favor of the written law (Torah). The Pharisees were a working-class movement concerned with establishing a clear and consistent Jewish identity in everyday life. Interestingly, it was the Pharisees who believed in an afterlife and resurrection of the dead, both of which were rejected by the Sadducees as they were not mentioned in the Torah. Pharisees also believed a messiah would come who would bring peace to the world, though most of them did not think that messiah was Jesus. Advertisement Jesus Had Friends (and Followers) Who Were Pharisees The Pharisees are portrayed as a monolithic block in the New Testament, but Chilton says that while all Pharisees were concerned with purity, there was fierce debate among the Pharisees about how best to achieve it. There were certainly Pharisees who believed that purity was obtained from the outside in, and who taught that ritual baths (mikvahs) and the ritual purification of cups and cooking implements was the only way to achieve purity. In Matthew 23, Jesus lambastes the pharisaic practice of purifying the outside of cups and dishes while "inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." "Because Jesus himself was engaged in the issue of purity but wasn't a Pharisee his conflict with some Pharisees of his time was inevitable," says Chilton. "If you accuse somebody as impure, you're not saying purity doesn't matter; you're saying the opposite there's a better way to achieve it." But Chilton says there were other Pharisees who would have agreed with Jesus, that the true work of purification starts with a pure heart and faith in God. If you read the New Testament closely, in fact, you'll see that Jesus won sympathetic supporters and even followers from the ranks of the supposedly hated Pharisees. Nicodemus, who visited Jesus at night to ask him questions, and then provided money and spices to give Jesus a proper Jewish burial after the crucifixion, was a Pharisee (see John 3). And in Luke 13:31, a Pharisee comes to warn Jesus that Herod wanted him killed. " " In this 1889 painting, Jesus confronts Nicodemus, a Pharisee who later became one of his followers. Found in the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images But perhaps the most interesting and consequential mention of "friendly" Pharisees comes in the book of Acts, when a group of Pharisees is listed among the early followers of Jesus who remained faithful after his death. As Chilton explains, though, those Pharisees took an ideological stance in opposition to influential apostles like Paul and Peter, which may explain why the Pharisees got such a bad rap in the New Testament. Advertisement The Meeting That Doomed the Pharisees In Acts 15, there is a meeting or "council" in Jerusalem attended by Paul, Peter, James, Barnabas and other apostles and followers of Jesus. The Pharisees in attendance were the first to chime in. In Acts 15:5, it says: "Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, 'The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.'" Notice that it says the Pharisees were among the "believers," further proof some Pharisees, too, were early followers of Jesus. But here's where things go south. The apostles are in stark disagreement with the Pharisees and say that everyone, circumcised or uncircumcised, can have their hearts purified through faith in Christ. No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." "By the time you get to this meeting in 46 C.E., now the Pharisees are on the other side of this extraordinarily consequential decision," says Chilton. "Paul attacks anyone who supports the widespread use of circumcision as being a hypocrite, a legalist, and being cut off from Christ. And that's pretty much the take of the New Testament on the Pharisees. It seems that it was this internal dispute among Jesus's followers that produced this stark line of demarcation between Christians and Pharisees." What's important to understand is that the four gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written starting in the year 70 C.E., decades after the meeting in Jerusalem. So it's very possible that Jesus himself wouldn't have harbored such distaste for the Pharisees during his lifetime, but that the authors of the New Testament wrote the gospels with a chip on their shoulder following their ugly divorce with the Pharisees over circumcision. "The gospels are written from the point of view of a breach that hadn't occurred at the time of Jesus," says Chilton. After the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E., Chilton says that the power structure of Judaism was toppled with it. The Sadducees, who had been the most influential force during the Second Temple period, were scattered, while the underdog Pharisees, "who had been very much on the outs," says Chilton, "really emerged as the last authority standing in Judaism." Over the ensuing centuries, the oral traditions of the Pharisees were committed to writing in the Mishnah and then commented upon in the Talmud. The Pharisaic "sages" who had transmitted the oral tradition from the time of Moses were replaced by learned rabbis who studied the Torah and the complex commentaries found in the Talmud. Modern Judaism is, in a sense, a continuation of the traditions first championed by the Pharisees. HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site. Now That's Cool Archeologists in Israel have discovered ancient stone workshops from the Second Temple period where Jews fashioned drinking vessels out of stone instead of ceramic. Stone jars like the six mentioned at the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine were approved by the Pharisees as ritually pure.
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https://people.howstuffworks.com/pharisees.htm
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Will Harry Grant join the QLD Maroons for Origin I?
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Melbourne Storm hooker Harry Grant has confirmed he is on track for the State of Origin opener, if he is selected. The Queensland Maroons star was in doubt due to a hamstring injury, but told James Willis he should be fit and ready to go for June 9. Full training today and then again tomorrow, so getting some extra work in the legs. The Storm have maintained their winning streak despite the retirement of captain Cameron Smith, whom Grant has replaced in the no. 9 jersey. It is pretty crazy I think you do take it for granted a little playing NRL week in, week out. But when you do sit back and look at the players that Ive rubbed shoulders with over the past few years, its pretty surreal. Press PLAY below to hear the full interview Image: Queensland Maroons/Official website
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https://www.2gb.com/will-harry-grant-join-the-qld-maroons-for-origin-i/
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How Many Antibodies are Needed for Protection from COVID-19?
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Up to now, people have been discouraged from getting antibody tests to measure what their COVID vaccination did. The reasoning behind that advice is that since nobody knew what a given level meant in actionable terms, it was not useful information. That just changed. Nature has published the results of research into the relationship between antibody levels post-vaccination and vaccine efficacy, with plenty of different vaccines. An easy-to-read overview is at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01372-6 The full paper, with the methodology and conclusions, is at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01377-8 (It looks like careful work but it's over my head in places.) The bottom line is that they found a clear correlation and protection levels keep going up as antibody levels go up, though there's some diminishing returns at the very top end where the mRNA vaccines are. The cool part is they figured out what antibody level would give you the 50% protection that we would have been willing to accept from a vaccine. The mRNA vaccines leave you with an order of magnitude more. That's quite a comforting safety factor against variants and gradual decline. Journal References: 1.) Smriti Mallapaty. Scientists zero in on long-sought marker of COVID-vaccine efficacy, (DOI: 10.1038/d41586-021-01372-6) 2.) David S. Khoury, Deborah Cromer, Arnold Reynaldi, et al. Neutralizing antibody levels are highly predictive of immune protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection [open], Nature Medicine (DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01377-8)
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https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=21/05/28/0337258&from=rss
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Do resource rich economies have better or worse human development outcomes?
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By Antonio Savoia, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Manchester and a Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER and Kunal Sen, Director of UNU-WIDER Although increasingly challenged, we often hear that being resource rich can adversely affect growth prospects. Here we concentrate instead on a lesser-known aspect: how resource rich economies fare in terms of education, health, income inequality and poverty. The IMF classifies over 50 developing and emerging economies as resource rich. Many are in Africa, where a significant share of the worlds poor lives. With the increasing prices of many internationally traded commodities in the post-COVID recovery, resource revenues could provide a welcome boost to development spending for such governments. A look at the data suggests that countries with greater income from natural resources do not seem to have a clear relationship with human development outcomes. The scatter plots in the figures 1-3 below show that there is a weak negative correlation for education and health outcomes and no correlation for poverty and inequality measures. The data also show significantly varying experiences among resource rich countries. For example, in Figure 1, Chad and Malaysia have very similar levels of resource rents as a ratio of GDP, but Malaysias school enrolment rate is over 70 percent while the corresponding figure for Chad is approximately 20 percent. Likewise, Somalia and Egypt have similar levels of resource abundance, but Egypts under-five mortality rate is less than 30 per 1,000 live births, while the corresponding figure for Somalia is about five times bigger (Figure 2). This suggests that countries with similar levels of resource rents can end up with significantly different achievements in terms of poverty, inequality, health, and education. The challenge is to explain why. Figure 1: Education outcomes and resource rents Figure 1 Education outcomes and resource rents. Y-axis variables are (a) secondary school enrollment, and (b) education index, a component of the Human Development Index, both as 20142018 averages. The x-axis variable is total natural resources rents, as a 19802014 average. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents. Variables are from the World Development Indicators (World Bank 2020), except for the education index, which is from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2020). Figure 2: Health outcomes and resource rents Figure 2 Health outcomes and resource rents. Y-axis variables are (a) mortality rate for children under 5 years of age and (b) total life expectancy at birth, both as 20142018 averages. The x-axis variable is total natural resources rents, as a 19802014 average. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents. Variables are from the World Development Indicators (World Bank 2020), except for the life expectancy index, which is from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2020). Figure 3: Income distribution, poverty, and resource rents Figure 3 Income distribution, poverty, and resource rents. Y-axis variables are (a) Gini index, (b) income share of the poorest 20%, and (c) proportion of people living below 50% of median income, each as 20142018 averages. The x-axis variable is total natural resources rents, as a 19802014 average. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents. Variables are from the World Development Indicators (World Bank 2020). Source: Savoia, Antonio, and Kunal Sen. The Political Economy Of The Resource Curse: A Development Perspective, WIDER Working Paper 2020/123 Helsinki: UNU-WIDER, 2020. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2020/880-1. Forthcoming in the Annual Review of Resource Economics. In a recent WIDER working paper, we take stock of existing research, showing that progress in significant human development outcomes has been heterogeneous. For example, resource abundance may lead to higher and persistent income inequality and poverty. This may happen if property rights over natural resources grant significant rents to influential minorities. The possibility of Dutch Disease and the inherent volatility in the price of natural resource commodities are other mechanisms through which distributive impacts can materialise. But none automatically implies greater inequality or poverty. Much depends on the policy responses and quality of institutions. Similarly, the effect of natural resources on health and education may be ambiguous. A thriving natural resources sector could contribute to increase the income of the poor and provide governments with additional revenues that can finance health and education expenditure. However, it could also have adverse effects on education (via labour market participation, as a growing natural resources sector may absorb a greater share of the working population in low-skilled employment) and health outcomes (via pollution). This also suggests that the presence of a natural resource sector per se does not necessarily translate into worse development outcomes. Hence, it is not a curse. The debate on the resource curse has emphasised that institutions matter when it comes to explaining why some resource rich countries grow less than others. In the case of human development outcomes a lot depends on what types of state institutions countries have. Countries with effective states are more likely to reap greater benefits from resource revenues, because the public sector is often the key actor when it comes to providing health and education services or tackling poverty. But resource windfalls may increase inefficient spending on patronage. If, under certain conditions, political leaders in resource-rich countries divert a large proportion of revenues derived from resource extraction to patronage, there will be less public resources available for spending on education and health or on social transfers that can contribute to poverty and inequality reduction. An important set of factors in determining state effectiveness are constraints on the executive political institutions that place effective constraints on a ruler can play a major role in the emergence and development of effective state institutions. One mechanism concerns the presence of independent institutional actors within the national government that can control and limit the use of state resources, so as to demand greater accountability with respect to budgetary planning and implementation. For example, in parliamentary systems, an effective parliament can institutionally oversee and audit the state budget. This implies that the executive may be more likely to promote an effective and independent civil service and so maintain or innovate fiscal infrastructure and the states ability to raise revenues and deliver effective public financial management. Another mechanism is related to the possibility that chief executives who are subject to formal limitations to their power may be more likely to follow the rule of law, so that an independent judicial system may be more effective against any breach of tax laws or abuse in revenue spending. This also has policy implications. When developing a natural resources sector, governments should be mindful of two things: how strong their states are and what kind of political institutions they have. Using natural resources for human development can be difficult in economies where states do not have well developed capabilities. Mechanisms ensuring that executives are held accountable can guarantee that resource revenues are more likely to be spent on education and health, as well as effective anti-poverty programmes. The effects of the current crisis on SDGs progress in resource-rich economies may be significant and long lasting. Now is the time to build political support within countries and commitment to using income from natural resources for development should a post-COVID spike in international commodity prices occur. References Savoia, Antonio, and Kunal Sen. The Political Economy Of The Resource Curse: A Development Perspective, WIDER Working Paper 2020/123 Helsinki: UNU-WIDER, 2020. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2020/880-1. Forthcoming in the Annual Review of Resource Economics.
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https://oecd-development-matters.org/2021/05/27/do-resource-rich-economies-have-better-or-worse-human-development-outcomes/
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Is Samantha Giles wearing a wig in Emmerdale as Bernice and why?
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An interesting question (Picture: ITV) Emmerdale legend Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) has at last made her long-awaited return. And what a return it was! The stalwart of the ITV soap marched into Home Farm to confront Kim Tate (Claire King), only to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun! In spite of her dramatic reaction to Kim pointing a shotgun at her, Bernice was not, in fact, caught in any crossfire, and thus she demanded to know what her adversary was up to with Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham). It was a showdown of epic proportions, but- in spite of there being a lot of narratives to digest in last nights double-bill there was one thing that viewers simply couldnt stop talking about. Why, Bernices new do, of course! Yes, fans were quick to assume that actress Samantha Giles was wearing wig. Yes, Samantha Giles is wearing a wig. The actress opted to wear a wig due to Covid-19 regulations on set, as hairdressers and make-up artists are not allowed to touch the actors due to the two metre restrictions. Ive got very very thick, wiry frizzy hair!, the star explained to Metro.co.uk, I cant do it myself. I just cant do it! Fans were quick to notice that Bernices hairstyle was actually a wig (Picture: ITV) Obviously Bernice is a hairdresser, said the actress, so she is not going to be seen looking anything less than having her coiffed look, if you like! Weve got this wig which is a pretty good wig!, the soap star told us. But obviously, Ive got someone on the other end of the monitor going: Can you tell Sam to brush the wig and to move these bits! So, that has all been really hard! (Picture: ITV) Fans were quick to notice Bernices wig last night, with many discussing it on social media. Is it me or does it look like Bernice is wearing a wig?, said one viewer. Why is Bernice wearing a wig?, added another puzzled viewer. One fan even joked that Bernices wig would have its own listing on the credits. Samantha soon responded, reiterating how the decision to wear a wig boils down to Covid-19 regulations. Re wig. I only have fab hair when its been given a good blow dry by a professional make up artist, said the soap star in a tweet. Samantha Giles addresses Emmerdale exit and why she said yes to return as Bernice Coronation Street teen Elle Mulvaney reveals new boyfriend Sadly we have to do our own hair right now and I cant! As B is a hairdresser her hair needs to look coiffed hence wig! Emmerdale continues Friday May 28 at 7pm on ITV. If youve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us [email protected] wed love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
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https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/28/is-samantha-giles-wearing-a-wig-in-emmerdale-as-bernice-and-why-14664284/
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Are There Clinically Meaningful Differences Between anti-COVID-19 Vaccines?
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NEW JERSEY, USA, May 28 2021 (IPS) - Despite claims by the industry and some politicians, there are no clinically meaningful differences among the variety of vaccines approved under emergency use authorisation (EUA). There are no significant differences in effectiveness between individual vaccines of different types: mRNA vaccines (e.g., Pfizer and Moderna), adenovirus vector vaccines (e.g., AZN, J&J, and Sputnik V) and inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines (e.g., Sinovac and Valneva) in preventing severe complications and deaths. If there is no contra-indication or a fundamental reason or belief for not vaccinating, considering the urgency, individuals should take the vaccine provided to them. Efficacy of COVID vaccines: As per global data, the COVID-19-related complication among the adult population needing hospitalisation is approximately 14%. As defined by preventing hospitalisation and deaths, the reported efficacy of mRNA vaccines is ~94%. Therefore, the average efficacy of all COVID vaccines is approximately 90% (0.86/0.94 x 100). Nevertheless, none of these vaccines entirely prevents infection, transmission, lasting harm, or death. The rate of complications can be significantly reduced by vitamin D supplementation before infection or at the time of hospitalisation (Mercola 2020; Wimalawansa, 2020) [vitamin D3 and ivermectin; latter also increases serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration]. Most hospitalised COVID-19 patients have 25(OH)D levels less than 20 ng/mL, whilst the vast majority who died from COVID had levels below 10 ng/mL. It is noteworthy that over 50 ng/mL is required for the proper operation of autocrine (inside each cell) and paracrine (nearby cells) signalling and functions of immune cells. These are required for rapid and well-regulated immune responses to combat pathogens. In the absence, people develop complications. Types of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines: mRNA vaccines for other diseases have never deployed for humans outside clinical trials. SARS-CoV-2 produces intense immune responses because the insertions within the micro-lipid particles allow generating large amounts of a portion of the viral spike protein. The human immune system attacks and eliminates these foreign proteins. Spike proteins have a high affinity for ACE2 receptor protein located on human epithelial cell membranes in the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, etc. Due to sequence similarities of ACE2 and ACE2-SARS.CoV-2 complexes, antibodies generated against spike proteins could harm normal cells in the presence of an incompetent immune system. Following natural infection and vaccination, different types of antibodies produced by immune cells. Some of these could cross-react with the ACE2 receptor protein. Vitamin D is critical for the proper functioning of the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency weakens innate and adaptive responses and allows harmful hyper-inflammatory (cytokine-storm) responses. Therefore, people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of antigenic cross-reactivity, generating autoimmune reactions, and auto-antibodies formation, increasing the risks of complications from SARS.CoV-2 (e.g., cytokine-storm and deaths). Inactivated viral vaccines are used less in Western nations, despite the advantages of generating broader immune responses against the nucleocapsid protein and the spike protein. In contrast, the mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines present only a portion of the spike proteins antigen to the immune system. Therefore, antibodies generated by mRNA vaccines have a narrow specificity, which could be a disadvantage in the long run. The efficacy of the groups of vaccines cannot be compared: The conditions and the timing of the vaccine trials conducted were vastly different. No head-to-head comparative RCTs performed to compare mRNA or adenovirus vector vaccines against traditional inactivated viral vaccines, whose safety is better understood. Heavy promotion, particularly by big investors and governments, of mRNA and viral vector vaccines companies are driven by the patents-based, higher profits of novel mechanisms. Despite claims by companies, pundits, and mass media, the efficacy of mRNA and viral vector vaccines cannot be assumed to be superior to those of traditional inactivated virus vaccines. Vaccine RCTs conducted under differing conditions: Obtaining approval for the mRNA vaccines for RCTs and EUA were straightforward. These RCTs were conducted in the USA during the summer and fall of 2020, before the emergence of COVID-19 variants. A few of these variants evolved mutant spike proteins with much greater affinity for the ACE2 receptor to facilitate their entrance into our cells. As the vaccination program expands, variants continue to evolve, including double (e.g., Indian variant) and multi-mutants to evade immunity. Mutations generate differing spike-proteins sequences (A) to overcome recognition by antibodies and killer cells, and (B) to increase the infectiousness. The risks of such mutations are higher following mRNA and viral vector vaccines. mRNA vaccine trials during summer and fall involved people having higher average vitamin D concentrations with fewer severe symptoms. In contrast, the viral vector vaccines and inactivated viral vaccines took longer to obtain EUAs due to complexities requiring multiple approvals. These RCTs mainly were conducted outside the USA during fall and winter, after the emergence of multiple variants and when COVID-19 prevalence rose again. Efficacy vs. adverse effects of vaccines: There is no question about the benefits of COVID-vaccines in adults. Given the different nature of the RCTs and rushed deployments, there is insufficient comparable data to conclude that one vaccine is more effective than another. Besides, incomplete reports and analysis of adverse reactions are a concern, especially potential longer-term adverse effects. For those who have mild to moderate risk of harm from COVID-19, such as children, these poorly characterised risks must be considered more carefully in the context of limited individual benefits of vaccination. Ill-effects of vaccines are the subject of ongoing research and controversy, and therefore, dialogue should be allowed with the freedom of speech. Instead, such discussions are suppressed and maligned: administrators remove posts from social media sites on the pretext of reducing public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. People should be provided facts: they have the right to know the pros and cons and make their own decision. In addition to vitamin D deficiency, emerging data suggest ill-effects are specific to a particular vaccine group and, perhaps, underlying vulnerability and individual characteristics, such as sex and age. Uncertainties of vaccines and duration of effectiveness: Despite unfounded assertions by vaccine manufacturers and certain administrators in higher positions, claims of up to five-year duration of immunity after vaccination, are sheer speculation. The duration of immunity from natural infection and COVID vaccines is uncertain. However, by extrapolating from the SARS experience, post-vaccination immunity may last no more than 18 months, which will impede developing global herd immunity. Vitamin D sufficiency synergises vaccines benefits: The most beneficial aspect of vaccines and vitamin D sufficiency is preventing hospitalisation, complications needing oxygen and ICU use, and deaths. Therefore, as with vitamin D sufficiency, vaccinations should also prevent the post-COVID syndrome, also known as long COVID, which is a misnomer. Post-COVID-19 syndrome primarily arises in the central nervous system or other locations where the SARS-CoV-2 virus can escape from incomplete immune responses, especially in those with severe vitamin D deficiency and, thus, having a less robust immune system. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents post-COVID syndrome. Whether vaccines prevent post-COVID-19 syndrome remains to be seen, but it is optimistic. *Sunil J. Wimalawansa, MD, PhD, MBA, DSc, is Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology & Nutrition, Director CardioMetabolic Institute, USA [email protected]
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http://www.ipsnews.net/2021/05/clinically-meaningful-differences-anti-covid-19-vaccines/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=clinically-meaningful-differences-anti-covid-19-vaccines
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What is facial yoga and does it work?
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Youve probably seen those videos circulating on Instagram or TikTok about the facial massage and yoga techniques that are supposedly miracle workers for smoothing out wrinkles, lifting our faces and defining our one structure. Though they may seem too good to be true, turns out, they really do get results! Nivea, a leading skincare brand, spoke about the benefits of what is being termed facial yoga or facial exercises in firming our skin and making it appear more youthful. Our face usually doesnt even use half the muscles that it has. This means that our circulation in our faces isnt the best that it could be, with many of our 50+ muscles there not getting toned in their every day use. Facial yoga is designed to combat sagging by increasing our blood flow in our faces, resulting in a healthier complexion and fitter face muscles. It claims to rejuvenate the skin as well as the facial muscles and stimulate cell regeneration, leaving your face with a healthy glow. These exercises aim to work long term, keeping your face lifted and strengthened further on down the line when muscles and skin traditionally begin to sag with age. Nivea says that some benefits of facial exercises are that it: Strengthens the muscles in your face. Reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Increases blood circulation. Releases any tension in the face and neck. Firms and tightens the facial skin. They recommend performing facial yoga 3-5 times a week in 20 minute session to relax and firm the face. Like yoga, it works with the muscles to relieve stress and strain that we may carry in certain parts of the face to promote better facial muscle relaxation. Their top tips for performing facial exercises well are to do them lying down for efficacy, clean your hands well beforehand to ensure you arent spreading bacteria to the skin and to never pull or tug at the skin on the face. Its delicate and could be damaged by rough handling, particularly around the eyes. They also advise incorporating these exercises into your routine at the same time everyday so that they become a habit, like part of your skincare routine. They also recommend combining these exercises with your daily cardiovascular exercise to give your complexion the best possible boost and really promote blood circulation. The Face Yoga Expert, Danielle Collins is the world leading Face Yoga Expert and she shares her wisdom on Instagram about how to effectively and safely practice face yoga. Her top tips for beginners are: Use a mirror Have a clean face Have clean hands Apply serum Work to your own level Breathe deeply Touch your face with love Enjoy the healing power of your hands The podcaster and mother of two girls is based in the UK and is often a breath of fresh air on her followers timelines, keeping it real about the struggles that we all experience in our day to day lives. She has appeared on lots of shows to discuss her expertise along with her podcast which discusses mental health, yoga practices and techniques for wellness. Check out some of her videos below which she shares to help people learn more about relaxation and lifting facial yoga techniques. Face Yoga to lift mouth corners Curl lips inwards and smile. Use fingers to smooth any lines created and add resistance. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat a couple of times. A side note here to have clean hands and to always do these techniques from a place of positivity (to help your face look and healthy and your mind feel good). Lets be honest here, we all dislike parts of ourselves but if we can do Face Yoga from a place of love we always get better results. 3 ways to reduce lines between the brows 3 ways to reduce number 11 lines (aka glabellar lines) between the eyebrows naturally whilst feeling super calm too. 3 moves to define your cheekbones in the morning These moves arent changing the bone structure but they are lifting and firming the muscles and brightening the skin..AND more than anything when combined with deep breathing this 3 minute routine can help us feel good in mind and body hence why they are wonderful to do before you even get out of bed. One of the most important aspects of The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method is wellness and looking after ourselves holistically.
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https://www.shemazing.net/what-is-facial-yoga-and-does-it-work/
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Will remarriage stop me from getting the Senior Freeze?
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Q. Ive lived in my house since 1986. My late husband passed in 2000 and I had his name removed from the deed. I remarried in 2005 and we have continued to live in the same house, but I never added my second husbands name. Weve always filed taxes jointly and we live on his retirement income. He is the one who qualifies age-wise and we do also qualify financially. Homeowner A. We know the rules for the Senior Freeze can be confusing. Lets go over how it works. The Senior Freeze program reimburses eligible senior citizens and disabled persons for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence. To qualify, you must meet all the eligibility requirements for each year from the base year through the application year. The current application year is 2019, said Gerard Papetti, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with U.S. Financial Services in Fairfield. To be eligible, you or your spouse or civil union partner must be age 65 or older on Dec. 31, 2019, or receiving Social Security disability benefits on or before December 31, 2018, he said. You also must have lived in New Jersey continuously since Dec. 31, 2009 or earlier as a homeowner or renter. Then, you must have owned and lived in your home since Dec. 31, 2016 or earlier and still own and live in the home on Dec. 31, 2020, he said. Also, the 2019 property taxes due on your home must have been paid by June 1, 2020, and the 2020 property taxes must be paid by June 1, 2021, he said. There are also income limits. Your total annual income must be $91,505 or less in 2019, and $92,969 or less in 2020, he said. The Senior Freeze program reimburses homeowners for any property tax increases you have once you are in the program, he said. Each year you are eligible you will receive the difference between your base year the first year of eligibility, which would be 2019 in your situation property tax amount and the current year property tax amount as long as the current year property tax is higher than the base year. As it relates to your specific situation, you appear to qualify based on the eligibility requirements noted previously, Papetti said. All you need is for you or your spouse to be age 65 or older on Dec. 31, 2019, he said, noting he called the state to confirm. There is no requirement that both spouses names be on the deed. Email your questions to [email protected]. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
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https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2021/05/will-remarriage-stop-me-from-getting-the-senior-freeze.html
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Do Flotation Tanks Ease Chronic Pains?
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Chronic pain is associated with pain that can last longer than three to six months. In medicine, the difference between acute pain and chronic pain is based on the amount of time since the onset. Chronic pain may originate in any part of the body or the brain or spinal cord. It is often difficult to treat chronic pain, the epidemiological studies have found that 8% to 11.2% of people are widely affected by chronic pain in various countries. People with chronic pain tend to have higher depression rates, although the connections between these two conditions are not clear. As per the reports of the research conducted, as a means of providing long-term relief to these chronic disorders and pain, floating tanks are more helpful than just holding water in them. As per the record, more than 100 people who were plagued by the long-lasting pain underwent the flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy which is also known as REST, and the results were disappointing at least over the last term. The treatment involves floating inside a soundproof, lightless tank filled with water that is heated to skin temperature. The goal of this treatment is to relieve stress, relaxation, boost sleep quality, and hopefully provide some measure of relief from chronic pain. The researchers found that after three weeks of REST treatment, chronic pain relief elusive. The author of the research paper also mentioned that floatation-REST or simply floating is the practice of lying belly-up in a tank with warm water so salty that it makes you float. And he also mentioned the treatment REST was developed in 1970, but recently it has grown in popularity. One of the doctoral candidates in the somatosensory and autonomic therapy research institute for Neuroradiology at Hannover Medical School mentioned that even though the flotation-REST claims, its effectiveness has not been proven yet because it has not been reliably tested and REST treatment has never been compared to indistinguishable placebo control. To test RESTs true potential, the study team focused on 99 adults who were going through chronic pain between 2018 to 2020 for six months. It is considered chronic pain only if it lasts for at least three months and it was estimated 20% of adults will experience such pain at some point in time. Among the 99 adults, one-third of them were assigned to undergo floatation-REST treatment while the other one-third of adults were assigned to undergo a placebo tank environment, which is similar to the REST treatment but with diminished water buoyancy and far less sound and light control. The remaining one-third of adults were asked to continue their pain control treatment at the studys launch. The flotation group underwent five sessions that lasted between 60 minutes to 90 minutes each for nearly three weeks, and the pain relief was assessed one week after the last session, as well as three and six months out. In the end, both the REST team and the placebo team reported significant short-term drops in pain intensity and anxiety and a reduction in the areas of their body affected by pain. But REST appeared to provide no appreciable effect when it came to the relief of chronic pain. The researchers said no long-term effects on chronic pain were found, but there were short-term improvements in the relief. They also mentioned that these improvements were similar in the placebo treatments as well. Still, these might not be caused because of the sensory deprivation or effortless floating as previously thought. They explained that the participants showed high expectations towards the treatment, which can lead to the production of pain-relieving substances, like opioids, by the body. They also mentioned that participants experienced more relief than other treatment methods, and it is much recommended to people with such conditions.
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https://powdersvillepost.com/do-flotation-tanks-ease-chronic-pains/
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Was zeichnet einen guten Planer fr Gebudeautomation aus?
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Tobias Potz erlutert anhand wichtiger Faktoren, woran man einen echten und guten Planer fr Gebudeautomation erkennt Hufig sei Gebudeautomation eines der kleinsten Gewerke innerhalb eines Projekts. Nichtdestotrotz ist diese entscheidend, wenn es spter darum geht, ob das Gebude funktioniert oder nicht, denn die Gebudeautomation verfgt ber die hchste Intelligenz unter allen Gewerken, erlutert Tobias Potz. Daher sei es essenziell, einen Planer zu haben, der sein Handwerk beherrscht. Viele Gebudetechnik Planungsbros oder Generalplaner nennen bei ihren Angeboten hufig, dass sie auch Planungen Gebudeautomation und MSR-Technik durchfhren. Werden solche Planer engagiert, verlsst sich der Bauherr darauf, dass diese das knnen. Gibt es keinen expliziten Planer fr Gebudeautomation aus dem Bro, sondern wird das Thema halt irgendwie geplant, ist das Projekt verloren, fhrt Potz weiter aus. In vielen solchen Projekten sei der Fall, dass sich ein Planungsbro eine ausfhrende Firma an Bord holt, die dann auf Basis der TGA-Schemata schnell ein Leistungsverzeichnis zusammenschreibt. Tobias Potz warnt hier eindringlich vor den Folgen: Viele Schnittstellen sind nicht geklrt, das Bausoll nur bedingt klar und es ergibt sich meist ein hohes Nachtragssoll. Der Experte fr Gebudeautomation und -technik gibt wertvolle Tipps, die helfen einen guten Planer zu erkennen und so unntige Nacharbeiten und rger zu vermeiden. Ein Fachbauberwacher kann bspw. nur bedingt planen, gibt Tobias Potz als ersten Tipp. Des Weiteren sollte man fragen, wie die Planung durchgefhrt werde und ob HLK-Plne erstmal gesichtet und z. B. hydraulisch und funktionstechnisch geprft werden, bevor der Planer anfngt zu planen. Die schlechteste Hydraulik knne meist auch die beste Gebudeautomation nicht ertchtigen. Weiter gilt, zu klren, wie Schnittstellen in der Planung und Ausschreibung erklrt werden. Lassen Sie sich das genau erklren und auch eine beispielhafte Schnittstellenliste von einem anderen Projekt zeigen sonst haben Sie nachher z. B. Reparaturschalter oder Frequenzumformer doppelt oder gar nicht, rt Potz. Ein weiterer Faktor, um einen guten Planer fr Gebudeautomation zu erkennen, ist, dass dieser Checklisten vom Projekt-Kick-off zeigen kann. Gute Planer haben eigene Listen, manche nehmen auch die der Bedarfsplanung aus der VDI3814. Prfen Sie, ob der Fachplaner Gebudeautomation vertieftes Wissen zum Thema Gebudeleittechnik bzw. Management- und Bedieneinrichtungen besitzt und ob er sich mit Netzwerken und Firewalls etc. auskennt. Lassen Sie sich ebenfalls eine Netzwerktopologie zeigen, empfiehlt Tobias Potz. Darber hinaus sollte man fragen, ob der Planer die Leistungsverzeichnisse von den HLKS Kollegen und vor allem die Knackpunkte berprft, die sonst im spteren Projektverlauf geklrt werden oder schon ein Problem sind. Last but not least rt Tobias Potz den Planer Gebudeautomation zu fragen, ob er Standards hat, etwa fr LV-Texte, Regelschemata uvm. Das habe den Vorteil, dass man nicht jedes Mal das Rad neu erfindet, sondern die Standards, aufgrund der Projekterfahrung, immer besser werden. Mehr ber Potz Gebudeautomation und -technik finden Sie unter: www.potz-gebaeudeautomation.de Potz Gebudeautomation und -technik ist DAS Expertenteam fr funktionierende Gebudeautomation und Gebudetechnik, Inbetriebnahmemanagement und Brandfallsteuerungen. Wer sie kennt, nennt sie auch liebevoll Building SWAT-TEAM, denn groe, schwierige Projekte sind ihre Spezialitt. Wenn nichts mehr zu funktionieren scheint, werden sie gerufen und machen aus einem Problemprojekt ein funktionierendes Gebude. Gerne bernehmen die Experten auch die Planung von Gebudeautomation entweder von Anfang an oder kurzfristig als ber Nacht oder Wochenend-Beschftigung denn funktionierende Gebudetechnik ist ihre Leidenschaft. Kontakt Potz Gebudeautomation & -technik GmbH Tobias Potz Luisenplatz 8 65185 Wiesbaden 0611/51052563 [email protected] http://www.potz-gebaeudeautomation.de Die Bildrechte liegen bei dem Verfasser der Mitteilung.
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https://www.go-with-us.de/was-zeichnet-einen-guten-planer-fuer-gebaeudeautomation-aus/
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Can Some Medicines For Diabetes Treat Asthma?
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Researchers found that when patients with type 2 diabetes and asthma took a specific class of medication to manage their blood sugar, their asthma symptoms improved as well. This could not only benefit diabetics who may have less asthma control on asthma medications, but it could also potentially open up new options for treatment for those who do not have diabetes. According to study author Dr. Cahill, who is the medical director of clinical asthma research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., patients who started to take these medications experienced less asthma exacerbation, with little need for oral steroids, and fewer asthma-related symptoms over six months. This means that for patients with type 2 diabetes and asthma, the medications theyre taking for their diabetes could have a direct and positive impact on their asthma, according to Cahill. GLP-1 receptor agonists are the name given to these drugs. They are a newer class of FDA-approved therapeutics that are used in conjunction with metformin to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients or to induce weight loss in obese patients. Lixisenatide, albiglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and exenatide are currently approved GLP-1 receptor agonists in the United States, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Researchers from Vanderbilt, Brigham and Womens Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts, as well as University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, analyzed electronic medical records of patients with asthma and type 2 diabetes who began using GLP-1 receptor agonists between March 2018 and January 2020. Patients who took these prescribed medications instead of other diabetes medications had fewer asthma symptoms, according to the study. Vanderbilt researchers completed preclinical models and discovered that these medications reduce allergic airway inflammation as well as viral-induced airway inflammation. Patients reported improved breathing, a reduction in coughing, and a decrease in shortness of breath. Obesity and metabolic dysfunction, which is often a catalyst to overt type 2 diabetes, are common comorbidities of asthma patients and are known to worsen asthma control and increase the risk of asthma flares and the need for asthma medication. Only a link was found between taking GLP-1 receptor agonists and asthma improvement, and clinical trials will be required to confirm the findings in people with asthma, both those with and without diabetes. The research was recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States supported the research. There are several reasons to be optimistic about possible future access to completely new types of asthma medications, according to Cahill, including the fact that these could work well for patients that are not responding well to standard therapies. Patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes who have asthma appear to respond the least well to the conventional asthma medications that have been available for decades, Cahill explained. It is believed that this medication class will effectively target a patient population that currently struggles to maintain adequate asthma control. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 8% of adults and 7% of children in the United States have asthma. According to Dr. Nish, who is a physician at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group Allergy and Asthma, Gainesville, this results in large amounts of money being spent each year for hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and doctor visits for uncontrolled asthma. Nish was not a participant in the research. Having asthma under control is critical first, and then having the management of symptoms, which keeps individuals out of the emergency department, hospital, urgent care, and doctors office, he added. Though asthma medications were limited in the past, Nish says there are now those that can control both inflammation and airway constriction. Certain patients, however, do not respond well to any of the existing treatments, he claims.
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https://powdersvillepost.com/medicines-for-diabetes-treat-asthma/
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Why did Aiden Fucci kill Tristyn Bailey?
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AIDEN Fucci has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. Further details of the incident were released during a press conference on May 27, that confirmed that the 14-year-old would be tried as an adult. Aiden Fucci is currently the only suspect in the murder of his classmate Trisyen Bailey. He was initially arrested following the discovery of the 13-year-old's body on May 9. As he was taken away in the back of squad car, he allegedly shared an incriminating image of himself on Snapchat. The photo shows a male in the back of the police vehicle, holding up a peace sign alongside the caption: Hey guys has inybody (sic) seen Tristyn lately. The Sun confirmed that it has been probed by police as part of their investigation. Prior to Fuccis first court appearance, Sheriff Robert Hardwick told WOKV that the image shows he is proud of what he did. However, early indications suggested that he was not known to have had any prior grievances with Bailey. 4 An incriminating image of Fucci on Snapchat suggested he was 'proud of what he did', according to prosecutors. On May 27, Florida attorney R.J. Larizza announced that prosecutors would be charging Fucci as an adult on first degree murder. He described how Aiden Fucci had told friends that he was going to kill someone within the next 30 days, leading to accusations that the act was premeditated. According to Larizza, the 14-year-old specifically detailed that he would "take someone into the woods and stab them." On the night of Tristyn's death, the pair were believed to have been hanging out with a few mutual friends, before they were eventually left alone together. However, prosecutors currently say there is no evidence to suggest that Fucci specifically targeted Tristyn beforehand. "This could just be a case of wrong place, wrong time," Larizza said. None of the others who were with the pair the night Tristyn died are suspected of wrongdoing. But, the prosecutor voiced frustration that Fucci's alleged plans to commit homicide were "not taken seriously" when he confessed them to "several" of his peers. We can't be sure," he said, adding that the murder should serve as a cautionary tale to parents that they "need to know what your kids are doing and saying." Larizza refused to disclose whether the killing was sexually motivated, or whether Tristyn had been sexually assaulted during the murder. According to Larizzas announcement, Tristyn was stabbed 114 times, with 49 of those wounds sustained to her hands and arms. Larizza described those wounds as "defensive", and said that the 13-year-old suffered them as she "fought for her life." Investigators recovered what they believed to be the murder weapon, a folding buck knife, in a pond near to Tristyn's body. Most read in News FACING JUSTICE Cheerleader's killer' will be tried as an ADULT as murder details revealed HORROR FIND Neighbor 'in tears' after finding body of 'kidnapped and slain' boy, 4 TRUTH BOMBS Harry's new dig at Royals over families who feel 'shame' at mental health woes BILL BARRED Bill Cosby, 83, denied parole after REFUSING to complete sex offender therapy IN COURT Meet suspect Aiden Fucci's parents Crystal Smith and Jason Fucci WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE BLM exec QUITS and blames 'smears' after pricey properties scandal Larizza said that the blade was "missing a tip", which medical examiners found lodged in Tristyn's scalp. He added that the knife found could have multiple uses including hunting.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/2972878/why-did-aiden-fucci-kill-tristyn-bailey/
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What's happeing across Tampa Bay today?
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Thanks for waking up with 10 Tampa Bay Brightside! TAMPA, Fla. Good morning Tampa Bay! Start preparing now Florida's hurricane sales tax holiday starts today. The 10-day period is officially called the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. It's in place to encourage Floridians to stock up on critical needs before a hurricane or a tropical storm comes our way. Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30. Remember, 10 Tampa Bay is your Hurricane Headquarters . You can find all sorts of resources online. We will send alerts straight to your phone on the free 10 Tampa Bay app when a storm is heading our way. More fans in the stands The "Distant Thunder" is about to get a lot louder at Amalie Arena for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The number of fans allowed at games will go from 9,000 to 13,500 fans for playoff games, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced this week. A spokesperson for the team said the move was made after talking with local health and government leaders, as well as the NHL. The Lightning will face the Carolina Hurricanes next as they continue their quest to keep Lord Stanley in Champa Bay. The weekend is here! Memorial Day is this Monday, and there is a lot happening this weekend. Dont forget, Memorial Day is not just a kickoff to summer. This patriotic holiday honors those who lost their lives serving our country. You can find events happening for the holiday weekend here.
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https://www.wtsp.com/article/entertainment/television/brightside/tampa-bay-news/67-f234f427-7a41-43a9-a9fa-b049255f8dcd
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Why should organisations also look at 21st-century skill certified students?
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It is crystal clear now that technology is progressing at an amazing speed, also altering the overall working environment. With each passing year, it seems there are new alien-like technologies that are brought into existence. This means, no one can anticipate the technology that's yet to come. For instance, 15 years ago, one would not have imagined the idea of a self-driving car, let alone the possibility of owning it. But there have been highly skilled and creative professionals who can think out of the box, bringing to life, ideas and technologies that were unseen, or unheard of. Moreover, they achieved this through Artificial Intelligence a subject that was almost as new as the 'self-driving concept itself. It shows us that a more humane approach and logical ideas are always at the roots of innovation, no matter how many machines run our daily lives. Every industry has come or is coming to terms with the fact that automation is inevitable. The only way forward is to bring on board people who are well-equipped to perform in the 21st-century workplace. If a particular organization is focused on achieving its long-term goals, anyone who is not certified in present-day skills will probably become a liability, rather than a value addition. Here's why certified skilled personnel are critical to modern workspaces: They are creative As established, creativity is the key to unlocking innovative solutions. A student who is certified in comprehensive, or say, contemporary skills is specially trained to think, write, and solve problems differently. Companies or organizations on a quest for innovative solutions should be searching for employees who possess this skill. Plus, an employee's ability to color outside the lines allows a company to remain a step ahead of the competition, adapt to changing markets, and find new ways to resolve any problems that may arise. Good communicators Perhaps one of the most crucial skills anyone can possess nowadays is good communication, and 21st-century skills training covers the subject extensively. All the technical knowledge in the world isn't worth much if your employee can't effectively get their point across respectfully and coherently. Whether they're working on a presentation or spearheading a new project at work, it's important to talk openly and honestly with fellow group members about expectations, deadlines, and responsibilities. Communication skills promote trust and make for a positive work environment. While disagreements might occur, the ability to be upfront and respectful while communicating with colleagues will help resolve issues quickly. Trained critical thinkers The last thing an organisation need is a temperamental employee making decisions based solely on their emotions. And since one's critical thinking varies according to the current mindset, it takes professional training to develop the ability to set aside bias, analyze facts, and form a judgment. A critical thinker is a well-rounded individual with a robust skillset, who can help an organisation to accurately analyze a situation, weigh all the options, and identify potential outcomes of any decision. Team Players Irrespective of the job role, it is unlikely that an employee will work alone. At some point, they must communicate well, actively participate in conversations, and respect other people's perspectives. The ability to get along with colleagues and work well as part of a team is just as crucial as any other skill. Teamwork creates a system to ensure that deadlines are met, and a high-quality work ethic is maintained. When one team member falls behind, there needs to be another to pick up the pieces. Additionally, when work is divided among team members, it gets done faster, making the overall business operations run more efficiently. Information Literacy In the age of digital overload, information and media literacy is the foundational skill that should govern any educated person. An employee with this skill is capable of separating fact from fiction by interpreting any raw data that they might find online or otherwise. Such an employee is invaluable to any organization in the long run. Getting down to brass tacks, the job market is ever-changing. Companies need adaptable employees who are flexible to this change. They should be able to work both remotely or in the office, independently or with a team. They also need to be open-minded, interested in new ideas, ready to share fresh perspectives, willing to take on new tasks, and always learning new things. And, these are skills and qualities that only perfectly tailored training can provide. Authored by Shekhar Bhattacharjee, Founder Dalham Learning. Read: 5 courses that BTech students can pursue to outshine in their career Read: Fixing the skilling crisis is need of the hour Read: Explained: Impact of Covid-19 on cognitive skill development
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https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/jobs-and-careers/story/why-should-organisations-also-look-at-21st-century-skill-certified-students-1808008-2021-05-28
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Can critical race theory and patriotism coexist in classrooms?
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This story about social studies was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. As Chris Tims, a high school teacher in Waterloo, Iowa, sees it, history education is about teaching students to synthesize diverse perspectives on the nations complicated past. Its why Tims includes articles from "The 1619 Project" a New York Times look at the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans in the curricula for his classes. You cant tell the whole story of the United States without telling the story of slavery or discussing the Black experience, said Tims, who teaches courses on U.S. and African American history. But Iowa state Rep. Skyler Wheeler, a conservative, has a different view on the Pulitzer Prize-winning project, which has been expanded to include reading guides and lesson plans. To Wheeler, one of several state lawmakers around the country trying to ban "The 1619 Project," the resources are dangerous and divisive leftist political propaganda masquerading as history, as he put it at a recent hearing. Chris Tims, a social studies teacher in Waterloo, Iowa, says he wont stop teaching "The 1619 Project," despite political pressure. Courtesy Chris Tims 'The 1619 Project' seeks to tear down America, not lift her up, he said. Such disagreements are hardly new. Americans have been arguing over what to teach children about U.S. history and civics since at least Reconstruction, the turbulent period that followed the Civil War. Some call this teaching conflict now more than a century old the social studies wars. But as the nation has splintered along political and geographic lines, the fights have intensified, compounding the challenges facing social studies, a set of subjects including civics, history and political science that has long been starved for classroom time and resources. Now, a group of prominent academics and educators is pitching what they hope will be a way forward for the field. Their Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy, which calls for a massive federal investment in history and civics, is an attempt to reach a consensus on the key questions teachers should tackle. Instead of standards and curricula, it offers seven themes, six core pedagogical principles, and five design challenges, all aimed at helping educators develop customized curricula and lesson plans. Already, though, the roadmap is proving to be a political Rorschach test, with liberals and conservatives seeing opposite threats in its contours. To conservatives, the framework is a Trojan horse for a woke federal curriculum; to liberals, its a license to schools to teach any version of history they like. Yet there are also signs that Americans are growing weary of partisan bickering and see social studies as a way to unite the nation. When surveyed about seven potential reforms to strengthen American identity, more than half of Democrats and Republicans alike said civic education for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade would have the biggest impact. If the roadmaps backers hope to revitalize the discipline, theyll need to seize on this sentiment while convincing skeptics on both sides of the political spectrum to give their plan a chance. It wont be easy. A second-tier subject The latest skirmishes in the social studies wars started with former President Donald Trump, who barred federal agencies from conducting racial sensitivity training and threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that taught "The 1619 Project." The day before the 2020 election, he created a commission that produced "The 1776 Report," a counterpoint to "The 1619 Project." When Trump left office in January, the battle shifted to the states. So far this year, Republicans in at least five states have introduced bills to ban the teaching of "The 1619 Project." Lawmakers in at least a dozen states, including Iowa, have sponsored bills modeled after Trumps ban on racial bias training that would block schools and colleges from discussing divisive concepts, including the idea that the United States or specific states are fundamentally racist. So far, four states have passed them. State legislators arent the only ones seeking to stop schools from teaching certain subjects and ideas. The governors of Mississippi and South Dakota have requested legislative funding for courses and curricula that promote patriotism, while lieutenant governors in North Carolina and Idaho have formed task forces dedicated to uncovering indoctrination by schools. The Biden administration entered the fray in April, citing the landmark '1619 Project' and the work of anti-racist scholar Ibram X. Kendi in a notice proposing that the chief federal grant program for history and civics education give priority to projects that incorporate diverse perspectives into teaching. The presidents apparent endorsement of the Times project and critical race theory, an academic framework that maintains that racism is embedded in American institutions, elicited a swift rebuke from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who warned the move would politicize a historically bipartisan grant program. Meanwhile, conservative groups like Turning Point USA, a student organization created by conservative activist Charlie Kirk and funded by right-wing megadonors, and Prager University, a nonprofit media company co-founded by a talk show host, are crafting their own curricula, offering them as antidotes to leftist teaching. High schoolers in a social studies class work on a lesson about the history of nationalism. Sarah Garland / The Hechinger Report Amid all this conflict, the one thing nearly everyone agrees on is that social studies has been given short shrift in American schooling. The typical third grader today spends roughly 10 hours a week on English and six hours on math, but less than three hours on social studies, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Education Department. Theres also a general consensus that the neglect of social studies is both a cause and a result of the countrys current civic dysfunction. Political polarization has damaged the standing of civics and history, said Paul Carrese, a conservative professor of civic thought and leadership at Arizona State University and a key contributor to the roadmap. School boards dont want to deal with it, principals dont want to deal with it, he said, so it becomes a second-tier subject. As the field has become more politicized, schools have scaled back the time they spend on social studies, leaving their graduates unprepared to navigate political differences. And the cycle repeats itself. The marginalization of social studies is also due to its exclusion from state standardized tests, scholars on both sides agree. As the old adage goes, What gets tested, gets taught. The substance of social studies While most states use the Common Core standards for math and English, there are no national social studies standards detailing which facts and historical figures students should study, and state standards vary widely. The differences among states, and even districts, reflect deep philosophical disagreements over which facts are essential, what a patriotic education looks like and whose stories should be told. Conservatives tend to believe there are core dates and documents that students must be acquainted with to participate fully in American democracy. Liberals value civic knowledge, too, but tend to spend more time connecting history to current events. Supporters of President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Samuel Corum / Getty Images file Conservatives argue social studies should foster respect for the nations founding principles and a belief in a common American identity. Liberals say it should grapple with the racism at the root of the country and tell its history from a diversity of perspectives. The roadmap, which was financed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education, steers clear of the content controversies, offering not a list of historical touchpoints but seven themes, each accompanied by a series of questions organized by grades. A report that accompanies the roadmap calls for cultivating in students a reflective patriotism that balances appreciation of the ideals of our political order with a candid reckoning with the countrys failure to live up to those ideals. The project, which took 16 months and involved more than 300 academics and educators from a variety of ideological perspectives, isnt the first federally funded attempt to forge an agreement on the substance of social studies. In the early 90s, another bipartisan group of academics and historians, backed by the same two agencies, spent two years developing a set of national standards, only to see them rejected by the U.S. Senate and denounced by conservatives. Mindful of this precedent, and more recent controversy over Common Core, the authors of the roadmap have stressed that the document is not itself a set of standards and curriculum but a guide that states and districts can use to craft their own. Their report envisions a community of experimenters, each testing different means of pursuing the goals. Those shared goals, it argues, will allow local, state and federal players to coordinate and hold one another accountable for progress. Its creating a center of gravity, but there will be diversity around that, said Peter Levine, a professor of citizenship and public affairs at Tufts University and key contributor to the report. A top-down, one-size-fits-all would be contrary to our Constitution. But conservatives like Stanley Kurtz, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, arent convinced. They see the groups call to align the National Assessment of Education Progress with the roadmap, coupled with a bill that would require states to administer NAEPs history and civics tests to qualify for new federal grants, as a backdoor effort to impose a national curriculum. If Congress passes the bill, authorizing $1 billion in civics and history grants annually for six years, and aligns NAEP with the roadmap, the desire for federal grants and bragging rights to top scores on the national test would then drive every state and school district in the country toward curriculum resources created or endorsed by Educating for American Democracy [the coalition behind the roadmap] and its leaders, Kurtz wrote in an email. Liberals, meanwhile, complain the authors left too much up to the states, which would be free to teach a whitewashed, or even racist, version of history. To make it appear nonpartisan, they essentially took no stand, said Alan Singer, the director of social studies education programs at Hofstra University. A chilling effect The future of the framework will depend, in large part, on funding. Without more money for curricular and professional development, it will be hard for social studies teachers to do everything the roadmap asks of them. Historically, government and philanthropy havent been particularly generous to social studies. Each year, the federal government spends roughly $50 per student on STEM education and only 5 cents on social studies. While some national philanthropies have made grants to the field, no major funder has made civic education its priority. But following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that many believe underscored the fragility of American democracy, the tide may be turning. The bill to provide $1 billion in history and civics grants has bipartisan support, and the nonprofit Grantmakers for Education has identified civics education as a priority in the next stage of education philanthropy. The good news is that theres a tremendous interest in civics education, because of the perceived threat to the country, Levine said. The harder part is having enough resources and energy to coordinate that interest, so it doesnt dissipate. Yet even if the roadmap is widely adopted by states and districts, it probably wont bring an end to the social studies wars, its backers concede. Civics and history are about how we understand ourselves as a country, so its always going to be a topic for disagreement, Levine said. James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, believes the fights arent necessarily bad for the field. If people are fighting about history, that shows that its important, he said. Its what historians want them to do. The goal of the roadmap, said Louise Dub, executive director of iCivics and a key contributor to the document, is to teach students how to disagree civilly. The point of a democracy is not to find other people you agree with; it is to work with people you disagree with to find solutions. Thats whats broken down, Dub said. If our work is successful, we will rebuild that civic strength. In the meantime, the battles continue in the states. In Iowa, the bill to reduce state funding to schools that teach "The 1619 Project" appears to be dead for now, having missed a legislative deadline to advance to the floor for debate, but critics say its already had a chilling effect on teachers. The divisive concepts measure, which would limit diversity training in schools, is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds desk for a signature, following final passage earlier this month. Before approving the bill, the Iowa Senate added an amendment clarifying that it would not prohibit the use of curriculum teaching sexism, slavery, racial oppression or segregation. Yet opponents still worry that the bill, and the lingering threat of a ban of "The 1619 Project," will discourage teachers from wrestling with difficult topics. At this point, Im going to be very hesitant, said Catherine Mein, an Iowa world history teacher. At the end of the day, this is my job, it pays the bills. To push the boundaries to the point where I lose that, thats going to be a hard discussion I have with myself. Tims, the Waterloo history teacher, agreed that the legislation would stifle classrooms. Still, he said he wont stop using the "1619" curriculum. Im not going to shut my mouth, he said. At the heart of everything I do is whats best for kids, not whats best for some politician.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/can-critical-race-theory-patriotism-coexist-classrooms-n1268824
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Is Javonte Harding tracks next big thing?
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Ask Javonte Harding who was recruiting him out of high school, and he will calmly tell you. It wasnt a lot, but Ive had a few, he said, gold chain sparking under the early afternoon sun. Such as Texas A&M, Mississippi, the University of South Carolina. A few others. If you dont know track and field, those are premier programs in the country that were interested in his services. And for good reason. The Prince George, VA-product had a great first round at the NCAA Outdoor Track And Field East Regionals on Wednesday. He won his heats in both the 100m and the 200m. His 200m time of 20.32 was third-best in the field, while his 100m time of 10.19 was eighth-best in the field. And hes only a freshman. Freshman Javonte Harding was dominant at the MEAC Track and Field Championships (Steven J. Gaither/HBCU Gameday) Family Ties North Carolina A&T head coach Duane Ross heard about Harding before he ever saw him run. His older brother, Dejuan, ran for A&T from 2015 through 2018. He told Ross about his brother, but Ross admitted he didnt pay him much mind. Dejuan was always telling me my little brother can run, Ross said after the MEAC Championships. I said, okay, everybodys always saying my little brother can run. Then he saw him in action. But when I saw him out here at New Balance, immediately after the race I went to his mom and I said this kid has a future in this event, in this sport, if he chooses it, Ross said. That family aspect gave A&T the inside track on Harding. I know the history behind it, and what theyre trying to do, he said. I knew that they werent just a track program they were a family. Hardings arrival has paid quick dividends for Ross and the A&T track program. His talents were on full display earlier this month at the MEAC track and field championships. He won both the 100m and the 200m and helped the A&T men win the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relays as well. Its a great feeling, he said after his big day at the MEAC championships. Ive had a lot of big goals this year, especially since I didnt get to finish out my high school season as a senior. I had a lot things that Ive wanted to accomplish and to be able to come out here and accomplish all that is major. It would appear that Harding is just scratching the surface of his ability. And hes got a wealth of experienced veterans around him to help get the best out of him. They push me a lot. So if we make mistakes, they make sure that we learn from it, Harding said of his teammates. Never hold your head down, no matter if its a bad race or a good race, hold your head up. It would likely be safe to wager that Javonte Harding has got plenty more good races ahead of him. Maybe as soon as Friday. Hes one of three freshmen who finished in the top 10 of both events. No matter what happens this weekend, though, his coach sees great things ahead of him. Hes the future, Ross said. This kid is going to be the future of this sport.
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https://hbcugameday.com/2021/05/28/is-javonte-harding-tracks-next-big-thing/
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How Did New York City Politics Become So Boring?
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Once, mayors of New York City were towering national figures. Fiorello LaGuardia inspired a musical. John Lindsay, who exuded patrician charisma as he walked the streets of Harlem in the 1960s, was the first of four modern mayors to run for president. The combative Ed Koch even waded into foreign policy, ridiculing the United Nations as a cesspool. More recently, Rudy Giuliani, for all his right-wing toughness on crime, reveled in the title Americas mayor after the Twin Towers toppled. And when New York finally turned to an outsider, it chose Michael Bloomberg, one of the richest men on the planet. Less than four weeks before the June 22 mayoral primary, none of the eight leading Democratic candidates has shown an ounce of the charisma, stature, or sheer force of personality that mayors once used to dominate the headlinesand the city. Most of the leading contenders are competent, to be sure, but it is hard to call any of them inspiring. Even the supposed dynamic outsider in the race, Andrew Yang, has accomplished little in life other than having his presidential campaign peak with an eighth-place showing (2.8 percent of the vote) in the 2020 New Hampshire primary. There are, of course, other reasons, besides personality, to follow the race to succeed Bill de Blasio (emphasis on the blah). The outcome will almost certainly have national implications. New York was, until recently, the national model for the reduction in violent crime, but the recent rise in gun violence threatens to bring back the law and order issue that dogged Democrats during the Nixon and Reagan years. With more than 80 percent of the citys cubicle-dwellers still working remotely, the mostly empty office towers of midtown Manhattan threaten the essence of urban life and the citys tax base. And three years after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became a progressive icon by winning a low-turnout congressional primary, the mayors race will test how far left the citys Democratic electorate actually tilts. (Hint: In the last contested mayoral primary, in 2013, 63 percent of the voters were 45 or older, which argues against a youthful leftward surge.)
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https://newrepublic.com/article/162555/new-york-city-mayoral-politics-boring-yang
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What are the three words?
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Lucifer Season 5 Part 2 kicks off exactly where Part 1 left us, the arrival of God in the midst of an intense fight between his three sons, Lucifer, Amenadiel and Michael. The sun is shining behind God (Dennis Haysbert), its a heavenly arrival! Just as DB Woodside had teased him, his character Amenadiel immediately feels great shame and is shocked by the sudden arrival of his father. Michael doesnt surprise anyone. He resorts to playing the victim and blaming Lucifer for everything. Lucifer is the only one who doesnt change characters, we love the way he always keeps him real! However, God does not listen to any of his sons. He tells them enough is enough, that no matter what happens or who started, they are family and should act like this. Amenadiel reluctantly kisses Michael, but Lucifer leaves (as he should! ), And we catch Maze in hiding, knowing that now is not the right time to ask God for a soul. God meets his grandson, Charlie, and unlocks time. The police department believe there has been an earthquake and Chloe is unsure why she is alone when she was in the middle of a conversation with Lucifer. And one more important element! What an introduction to the back half of Lucifer season 5! Summarize Lucifer Season 5 Part 2, Episode 9, titled Family Dinner, highlighting the best moments. Ella is still not on recent events Ella is back to work! She needs to keep busy so she doesnt think about things, but its easier said than done! Sweet Ella clearly hasnt recovered from her boyfriend turned serial killer. As they investigate a case, Ella tells Dan and Chloe to introduce her to all suspects, because whoever attracts her is surely the killer. Ouch. We hope Ella will find love before the end of the series, she deserves it! Maze asks God for a soul Maze catches God alone, and when I say catch I really mean God was already waiting for him. He is God, after all. Maze says she needs a soul to connect with others, blaming not having a soul on why she feels so lonely. We really have a heartache for Maze, she is the most misunderstood character on the show. God told Maze that she is perfect the way she is and that he would not change a thing. Maze leaves, furious. The best seat in the house Its time for the most intense and the most embarrassing family dinner of the century! Linda tries to leave the room, but God tells her that she is family and that she belongs at the table. Super cute! But Linda would really prefer not to be a part of this family drama. For the public, however, Linda has the best seat in the house! Forget whats for dinner and dessert, were here for tea! Michael is his real fake self, pretending all is well and being passive-aggressive. Lucifer makes it known that he is not happy to be there, and Amenadiel tries to keep the peace. Lucifer calls Michael for sowing fear in Amenadiel about his son, for turning Maze against him and for kidnapping Chloe. Good old Lucifer. Finally, Lucifer asks his father if he loves them, God replies that if he has to tell them whether he loves them or not, he has failed. As a parent myself I get the answer from God, but come on, Lucifer hurts, just answer the question! Michael is banished from Earth Amenadiel doesnt want Charlie to be human. In Amenadiels eyes, humans suffer, age and die. He asks God to take him in Charlies place, to make Charlie an angel and Amenadiel a human, God tells Amenadiel that fatherhood is never easy. Roll your eyes! Michael enters the room, interrupting this moment, he asks God if he is ready to return to Heaven. God tells Michael that he can go on without him and that Michael is no longer welcome on Earth. Amenadiel is shocked and asks his father if he banishes Michael from Earth. God neither confirms nor denies this, for his only answer is: if this is how you insist on saying it. Chloe finally manages to talk about things with Lucifer. She promises Lucifer time and space to figure things out, knowing that there are a lot of family issues and trauma in her life. Lucifer apologizes to Chloe and tells her that if he said those three words to her, he would be lying. The three words being I love you. If you listen carefully you can hear the sound of Deckerstar fans breaking! Lies! We dont believe it. We just hope Lucifer realizes how crazy this idea is sooner rather than later. Lucifer Season 5 Part 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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https://exbulletin.com/entertainment/945918/
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How will the GOP handle the Marjorie Taylor Greene issue?
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In this latest episode of The Point newspaper, CNNs Chris Cillizza explains why Republicans wont be punishing MTG soon. SOURCES AND MORE READING: Beyond Condemnation: GOP MP has condemned Marjorie Taylor Greene for masking mandates for comparing the Holocaust. https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/25/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-kevin-mccarthy-steve-scalise/index.html The House has voted to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee work https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/politics/house-vote-marjorie-taylor-greene-committee-assignments/index.html Marjorie Taylor Greene has sunk to a new bass https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-aoc/index.html Leader McCarthy condemns comparisons to the Holocaust https://republicanleader.house.gov/leader-mccarthy-condemns-comparisons-to-the-holocaust/ List of people who have been expelled, censored, or reprimanded in the U.S. House of Representatives https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/ The house censors Rangel https://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/02/rangel.vote/index.html The House has voted against GOP representative Schweikert for an 11 ethics violation https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-votes-to-reprimand-gop-rep-schweikert-for-11-ethics-violations/2020/07/31/2490303e-d327-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story. html How Marjorie Taylor Greene is really winning https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/08/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-fundraising/index.html About me: I was named the best outfit in 7th grade. This, along with being the editor of CNN and the author of the daily Point newsletter, is one of my proudest accomplishments. Find me here every Tuesday and Thursday to find out what really happens in politics. CREDITS Writer: Chris Cillizza Producer: Moira Donohue The Point Editor: Leigh Munsil Video Editor: Wes Latta Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cillizzac/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cillizzacnn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.cillizza/ Subscribe to The Point newsletter: https://www.cnn.com/specials/politics/the-point-with-chris-cillizza?source=Point_Youtube. #CNN #Cillizza #MarjorieTaylorGreene. source
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https://exbulletin.com/uncategorized/945871/
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Will many Israelis continue to work from home?
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As Israel says goodbye to the Covid-19 pandemic and return to daily life, one of the first questions that employers have faced is if and how to bring their workers back into a physical office. In sectors from hi-tech to non-profits, many workplaces are at least considering if not already implementing a hybrid model of work that combines both working in-person and working from home. Around the world, remote working is also increasing, and new companies are emerging that operate completely online. Shavit Madhala and Prof. Benjamin Bental two researchers at the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Jerusalem used data from the Survey of Adult Skills of the OECD (PIAAC survey) to evaluate the degree to which Israeli workers have this ability, a subject that has become all the more important as Israel emerges from a year of repeated economic shutdowns. Israel had a relatively low level of working from home before the pandemic. In 2019, for example, about 5.3% of workers in Europe worked mostly from home while, in Israel, only 4.4% of workers did so. Nonetheless, the prevalence of remote work in Israel has been increasing over the last decade, and it soared during the COVID crisis. During the first lockdown in Israel, according to an employer survey in selected industries (which make up about a third of all employees in the labor force), about 21% of workers worked from home. The rate was especially high in hi-tech (49%) and the finance and insurance industries (41%) where work can be done online. While this rate declined substantially in the finance industry, it remained relatively high in hi-tech even after restrictions relaxed. Israeli businesses used the time during the COVID crisis to improve their technological capabilities, such as providing remote access to the companies internal systems, which allowed for greater accessibility for employees working remotely. The Taub Center researchers found that the average ability of an Israeli worker to work from home is relatively high and exceeds the OECD average, but this ability is strongly related to certain job task traits. The study found that these fall into three categories jobs requiring physical and manual skills; those demanding social interaction (face-to-face work); and digital work. The first two categories involve skills that are difficult to carry out from home, while the third improves the ability to work from home. Using these categories, the researchers were able to analyze how Israelis ability to work remotely differs across occupations and population groups. In general, workers in prestigious occupations, which are characterized by high hourly wages, have the highest potential of working from home, though this does not hold up across the board and there are exceptions at both the high-wage and low-wage ends of the spectrum. For example, managers, who have very high hourly wages, are less able to work from home than are academics, engineers and technicians. On the other hand, those working in clerical jobs, which have relatively low hourly wages, have among the highest potential to work from home. In general, industries with high potential for working from home include information and communications, finance and insurance and professional, scientific and technical activities. Jobs that are less adaptable to remote work include those that require interpersonal interactions and physical labor, such as those in the fitness industry, the food industry, construction and retail. The ability for remote work also differs across different segments of Israels population, based on the tendency of these sub-populations to work in jobs with characteristics that lend themselves to remote work. For instance, women in Israel have a greater potential to work from home than do men, specifically women with children under the age of sixdue to their tendency to choose professions with characteristics that allow them to work from home. In a breakdown by age, older adults (56-65-year-olds) have a greater ability to work from home than young workers (16-25-year-olds) since they generally perform tasks that are not physically demanding and require less social interaction. It is interesting that Arab Israelis have a significantly lower ability to work from home than their Jewish peers who are not ultra-Orthodox (haredi) and even than their haredi counterparts. This is due to the physical nature of jobs typically performed by Arab men and service jobs requiring face-to-face contact in which many Arab women are employed. A compounding factor is the lack of digital education and insufficient infrastructures in the Arab sector, which are highly reflected in the low use of digital technology at work. Correcting these deficiencies is likely to increase the ability of Arab Israelis to access prestigious jobs in the labor market. Even with these differences across population groups, the factors most responsible for explaining workers ability to work for home are their occupation and industry. Together, occupation and industry account for about 70% of the explained difference in Israelis ability to work remotely. This has broad implications for the degree to which remote work can be adopted in Israel because the industries with the highest ability to work from home information and communication and financial services employ only about six percent and three percent of the Israeli workforce, respectively, while industries that employ about a third of the workers in the economy retail trade, education, health and welfare services are characterized by a low proportion of workers who can work from home. The researchers findings point to the fact that expanding options for remote work in Israel is dependent not only on the social norms regarding work, many of which have shifted during the COVID pandemic, but also on the skills and characteristics of Israeli workers. Whether or not remote work is desirable is still debatable, the Taub Center researchers wrote. Skeptics worry about its effect on office dynamics and productivity, while advocates say it there are the advantages of flexibility and that remote work options could improve the employment rates or quality of employment among population groups traditionally marginalized in Israels labor market. For the time being, many Israelis returning to work as usual are participating in a sort of live experiment on the future role of remote work in the labor market, the results of which remain to be seen.
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https://www.israel365news.com/191469/will-many-israelis-continue-to-work-from-home/
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Was sind eigentlich diese Rocket Labs in Rocket League?
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Bereits seit Februar 2016 erfreuen Rocket Labs die Spieler mit interessanten und abwechslungsreichen Arenen. Zwischenzeitlich wurde der Modus ganz aus den Online-Playlists entfernt, seit Januar dieses Jahres sind die Rocket Labs als zeitlich begrenztes Event zurck. Die Spieler waren hocherfreut, denn aufgrund der innovativen Designs der Arenen begeistern sie die Fans und sind wahnsinnig beliebt. Rocket Labs ist eine Reihe von Prototyp-Arenen mit einer ziemlich coolen Optik im Neon-Stil. Die Arenen geben der Community die Mglichkeit, eine weit grere Auswahl an Maps auszuprobieren, die sich stark von den ansonsten ziemlich repetitiven Arenen unterscheiden. Darber hinaus sammelt Entwickler Psyonix Feedback, damit die Spieler von Rocket League mitentscheiden knnen, auf welche Designs das Entwicklerteam vollstndige Artwork-Assets anwendet. Neben dem besonderen Look gibt es zustzlich auch noch Hindernisse, die den Fahrern das Durchqueren der Arenen erschweren. Das ndert das Spielerlebnis teilweise dramatisch, denn manche Hindernisse sorgen dafr, dass sich die Form des Spielfelds komplett verndert. Anzeige hier . Wenn du hier klickst, siehst du Twitter-Inhalte und willigst ein, dass deine Daten zu den in der Datenschutzerklrung von Twitter dargestellten Zwecken verarbeitet werden. SPORT1 hat keinen Einfluss auf diese Datenverarbeitung. Du hast auch die Mglichkeit, alle Social Widgets zu aktivieren. Hinweise zum Widerruf findest du Alle Akzeptieren Einmal Akzeptieren Folgende Rocket Lab Arenen gibt es, wobei einige dieser Karten in bestimmten Playlists leider nicht mehr verfgbar sind:
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https://www.sport1.de/esports/rocket-league/2021/05/was-sind-eigentlich-diese-rocket-labs-in-rocket-league
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What would happen if the world stopped shopping?
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advertisement advertisement The 21st century has brought a critical dilemma into sharp relief: we must stop shopping, and yet we cant stop shopping. advertisement advertisement At the turn of this new millennium, according to the UN, consumption surpassed population as our greatest environmental challenge. When it comes to climate change, species extinction, water depletion, toxic pollution, deforestation and other crises, how much each one of us consumes now matters more than how many of us there are. The average person in a rich country consumes 13 times as much as the average person in a poor one. For decades now, weve witnessed a near-continuous increase in the consumption of every major natural resource. We are using up the planet at a rate 1.7 times faster than it can regenerate. At this rate, by 2050, resource use will have tripled in the 21st century alone. Fast fashion is one of the worst offenders. We didnt demand it, but we did take to it with enthusiasm. The number of garments sold each year has approximately doubled in the last 15 years and now exceeds 100 billion. advertisement advertisement A feedback loop has been engaged, in which lower prices encourage shoppers to cycle through clothes more quickly, which drives companies to make clothes that wont hold up to more than a few wears. The lifespan of clothes has decreased more sharply in the 21st century than ever before. In a major report in 2017, the UK-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation identified increasing the average number of times clothes are worn as perhaps the best way to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry. Doubling the use of our clothes would, for example, cut the garment trades climate pollution by nearly half. Shutting down worldwide clothing production for a year would be equal to grounding all international flights and stopping all maritime shipping for the same time period. Yet once again we land on the horns of a dilemma, because millions of people earn their livelihoods making those clothes. Most of those workers are in poorer countries that are highly dependent on the industry. The greatest clothing producer is China. The second-greatest is Bangladesh, which has a population half the size of Americas in a space not quite the size of Iowa. In Bangladesh, over a third of manufacturing jobs and nearly 85% of exports come from the apparel industry. In a country where one-fifth of residents live below the national poverty line, the garment industry provides jobs to more than 4 million people. Six out of ten of them are women. advertisement Abdullah al Maher is CEO of Fakir Fashion, a knitwear manufacturer for major brands such as H&M, Zara, Pull & Bear, C&A, Esprit, Gina Tricot and Tom Tailor. Maher told me that Fakir Fashions towering factory on a narrow road in Narayanganj, a town just east of the capital city of Dhaka, employs more than 12,000 people. During peaks in the fashion cycle, the company manufactures a mind-boggling 200,000 articles of clothing every dayand they are adding more production lines. Fakir Fashion and its workers would seem to be utterly dependent on shopping as we know it today. Suppose that shopping stopped, I said to Maher. Suppose that consumers worldwide suddenly paid heed to those critics who say we should buy fewer clothes as a way to lessen the impact of the industry. Maher paused. When he spoke, it was with the tone of one sharing a secret. You know, he began, it wouldnt be so bad. advertisement Over the past 20 years, Maher has watched major clothing brands make demands on suppliers in Bangladesh to lower their prices while also completing orders faster and constantly improving their workplace and environmental standards. Fakir Fashion has implemented certified projects to treat its wastewater, harvest rainwater, use more solar power, provide meals and child care for workers, hire workers with disabilities, build schools in the local area and more. They have been unable to pass on any of the expense of these improvements to apparel brands or consumers, who continue to want more for less. Theres an old saying: if somethings too cheap, somebody else is paying. Mahers workers earn $120 to $140 per month to work six days a weeklow wages not only globally, but by Bangladeshs standardsto do jobs that are made more stressful with each acceleration of the fast-fashion cycle. Outside the factory gates, those workers endure the environmental consequences of a nation cutting corners to keep its industries competitive. The air in Narayanganj is typically an ocherous grey-brown and sometimes makes foreign visitors nauseous. Yet what bothers Maher most is the insult of seeing the clothes his company makes sell for prices that show just how little they are valued. Generation Z and millennials are really demanding ethical products, he said. But when you buy a fast-fashion T-shirt for $4, or $2, you never ask, How does the cotton get grown, ginned, spun, woven, dyed, printed, sewn, packed, shipped, all for $4? Youve never realized how many lives you are touching, all because your payment doesnt pay for their wages. advertisement I asked Maher what kind of price increase would make a difference. The first sum that came to his mind was surprising: two centsan amount so small that in many countries its rounded up or down to the nearest bit of pocket change. If he was able to pass along two cents more per garment made in his factory, it would be the equivalent of two extra days pay each month per worker (a raise of 7% to 8%). Alternatively, the two-cent increase could allow Fakir Fashion to produce fewer articles of clothingthey could make clothing better, or simply at a less harried pacewithout anyone losing their job or any income. Imagine what might be accomplished if shoppers were willing to pay an extra dime. When the coronavirus struck, the effects of a stop to shopping for clothes were quickly made real. More than a million garment workers were furloughed in Bangladesh alone. I spoke to Maher as the first lockdowns began to lift around the globe. Bringing in fast fashion to your country, you are also harming your country, he said. advertisement
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90640964/what-would-happen-if-the-world-stopped-shopping?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29
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Why Asad Umar is disappointed at Islamabad population figure?
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar informed that 21 percent of the total targeted population in Islamabad has gone through with the vaccination. Addressing the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce in the capital, Umar said Islamabad was showing a positive response rate and had reached a point where the first rays of sunlight had started to appear. It was estimated that first dose vaccinations in the city were an average of 7000, however the total capacity as of now is 20,000 shots daily. The bad news, he said, was that there was space for more vaccinations but not all citizens are coming forward to get vaccinated, adding that the faster we do this work, the faster we will permanently escape [this situation], adding that he wished to see no restrictions in place on Eidul Azha so businesses and traders could be free to work. Further, the minister encouraged traders and businessmen to run a vaccination campaign as it would magnify their prospects as well. Umar gave the example of Massachusetts that was completely lifting restrictions and going towards reopening because it had reached a certain stage of the vaccination process and encouraged to follow suit. I believe the NCOC will provide you full help and if your leadership is present then we want to send a message through you [] your real help is needed in vaccinating your employees in your businesses, said Umar.
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https://dailytimes.com.pk/762963/why-asad-umar-is-disappointed-at-islamabad-population-figure/
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Can K-12 Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) Save Our Schools?
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The unconscionable actions of teachers unions in unnecessarily keeping kids out of classrooms long after it was safe to return to them has kindled a growing movement to bust the governments school monopoly. Even before the pandemic, tests repeatedly demonstrated that millions of kids were getting a rotten education. This segment of Whats Ahead discusses the solution: Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). The amount of money the government has come up with as a per-student cost is deposited into individual accounts, which enables parents, if they wish, to send their offspring to nonpublic schools. West Virginia and Kentucky recently enacted ESAs, thereby shattering the government monopoly in those states. The competition sparked by ESAs will force public schools that are failing to get their acts together and properly educate their students or face the loss of money.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2021/05/28/can-k-12-education-savings-accounts-esas-save-our-schools/
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Is The Disney Store Closing In Destiny USA in Syracuse?
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It seems a lot of businesses here in CNY are saying you don't need to mask up anymore if you're vaccinated. Well, one bigger store still wants you to. Look, I know many people that are saying they still plan to wear their face mask regardless of what the CDC and Governor Cuomo say we need to do. I get that, it's been something that's almost become a normal thing since March of 2020. Yesterday when I walked around a supermarket I saw people without the mask it was a little shocking. Only because it's been so long since we have been able to walk around maskless.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2259992764429/is-the-disney-store-closing-in-destiny-usa-in-syracuse
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Is Chinas Belt and Road initiative a threat or a treat?
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Good morning! China has released the first images taken by Zhurong, its Mars rover. (Still undiscovered on the Red Planet: intelligent life, habitable terrain or water.) China is the second country in the world to land a rover on Mars, after the U.S. But don't expect NASA to work with the China National Space Administration anytime soon: In April 2011, Congress prohibited NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy from coordinating with China via a short phrase inserted in a spending bill. It's called the Wolf Amendment, and while the original long ago expired, its language has continued to be inserted in annual spending bills since.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2260015733491/is-china-s-belt-and-road-initiative-a-threat-or-a-treat
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Is het vonnis tegen Shell een kantelpunt in de klimaatcrisis?
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De fossiele industrie krijgt de ene dreun na de andere. Het vonnis in de rechtszaak tegen Shell is het sluitstuk van een reeks gebeurtenissen die de sector schokt. Dit artikel is afkomstig uit Trouw. Elke dag verschijnt een selectie van de beste artikelen uit de kranten op NU.nl. Daar lees je hier meer over. Het was me het weekje wel, voor 'Big Oil'. Rebellie op aandeelhoudersvergaderingen, het Energieagentschap dat nieuwe olie en gas in de ban doet, en nu de uitspraak in de Shell-zaak. Beleggers, experts uit de sector zelf en de Nederlandse rechter geven dezelfde boodschap af: het wordt hoog tijd dat de fossiele industrie de klimaatcrisis echt serieus neemt en daarnaar handelt. Op bijna hetzelfde moment dat de Nederlandse rechter oordeelde dat Shell de CO2-uitstoot veel sneller omlaag moet brengen, pleegde aan de andere kant van de oceaan een investeerder een groene coup bij ExxonMobil. Het activistische fonds Engine No 1 slaagde erin twee toezichthouders van de onderneming te vervangen door mensen die het klimaatbeleid van de oliegigant nu tekort vinden schieten. Een 'klimaat-afrekening', in de woorden van de zakenkrant Financial Times. En alsof dat nog niet genoeg was, stemde tegelijkertijd een meerderheid van de aandeelhouders van Chevron voor een klimaatresolutie van de Nederlandse activistische beleggersclub Follow This. Dat waren nog maar de gebeurtenissen op n dag, afgelopen woensdag. De week ervoor kreeg de klimaatoproep van Follow This bij Shell een ongekende 30 procent steun. Hetzelfde gebeurde bij andere fossiele bedrijven. Opmerkelijk, want tot voor kort waren aandeelhoudersvergaderingen doorgaans saaie afhamerbijeenkomsten. De hardste tik kwam echter van het Internationaal Energie Agentschap (IEA). De energiedenktank van de wereld, ooit opgericht om olie soepel van het ene naar het andere land te laten stromen, stelt in een nieuw rapport: pomp geen nieuwe olie en gas meer op en breng de uitstoot al in 2030 fors naar beneden. Alleen dan kan de opwarming van de atmosfeer tot 1,5 graden beperkt blijven. Het IEA is bijzonder invloedrijk (landen en bedrijven baseren hun beleid op de cijfers van het agentschap) en bepaald geen radicale club. Er vallen dus grote woorden nu de Nederlandse rechter, als klap op de vuurpijl, redeneert dat niet alleen landen, maar ook bedrijven als Shell gebonden zijn aan het Klimaatakkoord, in 2015 gesloten in Parijs. Een 'gamechanger', 'paradigmaverandering', een 'doorbraak', 'kantelpunt', wordt het genoemd. Er valt cynisch te constateren dat de productie die Shell achterwege zal laten als het bedrijf het vonnis uitvoert, even makkelijk door een ander bedrijf wordt overgenomen. Maar dat is niet hoe de uitspraak is ontvangen. Het oordeel van de rechter maakt de weg vrij voor vele andere rechtszaken tegen grote uitstoters en vervuilers. Beleggers Bovendien zullen beleggers al die verschillende signalen aan de fossiele industrie bij elkaar optellen en meer nog dan nu tot de conclusie komen: als de uitstoot niet drastisch naar beneden gaat, lopen mijn investeringen gevaar. Bedrijven zullen rechtszaken voor willen zijn en hun klimaatbeleid aanscherpen. Er valt zelfs nog over te twisten of het vonnis streng genoeg is. Klimaatactiviste Greta Thunberg stelt op Twitter: "Dit is nog veel te weinig om onder de 1,5 graden te blijven." Maar, voegde ze eraan toe, het is "een heel interessant begin dat een groot sneeuwbaleffect kan hebben." Shell zelf reageerde teleurgesteld op de uitspraak en stuurde een opsomming rond met wat het concern nu doet op het gebied van hernieuwbare energie. Daarin ook de verdediging die het bedrijf steeds in stelling brengt tegen kritiek op zijn klimaatbeleid: 'Wij bewegen mee met de samenleving'.
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https://www.nu.nl/uit-andere-media/6136037/is-het-vonnis-tegen-shell-een-kantelpunt-in-de-klimaatcrisis.html
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How Long Will It Take to Get Back in Shape After the Pandemic?
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Photo : Picsfive ( Shutterstock ) So youre finally headed back to the gym after some time off. Whether you kept up your fitness a bit with home workouts, or completely forgot to work out, youll have some ground to make up when you head back to the gym. Advertisement Even if you feel weak and detrained, you will get that strength and fitness back. Compared to somebody whos never trained, your experience gives you a huge advantage thatll make it easier to get back to form. Dont forget your first victory: That you came back at all. And if youre having trouble with the mental side of getting back in the game after a workout break, remember our five step guide to returning to the gym: Dont beat yourself up. Evaluate your losses. Be thankful for how far youve come. Make a plan. Execute that plan. Lets peek under the hood of that plan. We spoke with exercise physiologist Walter Thompson of Georgia State University to learn what happens to your body during that time off, and what you can expect when you get back in the saddle. The good news is that even if it doesnt feel like it now, youll get back to your stronger, faster self soonif youre careful to avoid injury. Lots of different body systems change with exercise and can change back when you become sedentary again. The amount of blood in your body, which increases when youre fit, is one of the first things to decrease. Runners use a measure called VO2max, which roughly relates to how quickly you find yourself out of breath, as a measure of fitness. After even two weeks off, a runners VO2max will begin to drop and youll be out of breath sooner than before. After two months, youll have lost about 15 percent of it, according to one classic study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. If you were an athlete for years, even after three months youd still be better off than somebody whos never trained. But this doesnt apply to brand-new gains, like if you did a couch-to-5k program and then went straight back to the couch. Youll have to start over. Strength doesnt decline as quickly. After a month, youll still have most of your strength and your power (thats your strength in quick movements, like your ability to do squat jumps). After a year, you may still have about half of the strength you originally gained. Advertisement Some other things stick around even longer. The extra capillaries youve grown to supply blood to your muscles are still there after a year. Your heart will still be strong, and your lungs will still have a greater capacity than before you started training. As for how much fitness you lost, there isnt a formula that will tell you precisely; these numbers are just guides based on what the subjects of a few studies experienced. So to summarize: If you took a few weeks off: Youll have a small dent in your cardio fitness, and lost next to none of your strength. Youll be back to normal pretty quickly. Youll have a small dent in your cardio fitness, and lost next to none of your strength. Youll be back to normal pretty quickly. If you took a year off (but were in good shape before that): Youll have lost at least 15 percent of your cardio fitness, and about half of your strength. It will probably take a few months to get back to where you were. Youll have lost at least 15 percent of your cardio fitness, and about half of your strength. It will probably take a few months to get back to where you were. If you took many years off (say, you were a college athlete during the Clinton presidency): Assume youre starting from scratch. You may be able to make some gains faster than if you were a true newbie, but let that be a pleasant surprise. Advertisement Before you make your comeback plan, its important to look at why you took that break, and what happened in the meantime. A life-changing, global pandemic is probably the reason for most people reading this, but breaks from the gym happen for a variety of reasons. For example, if you quit because of injury, youll want to make sure you fully addressed that injury. If not, now is a good time to visit a doctor. Find out whats wrong and get it fixed, and see a physical therapist to correct any muscle imbalances or weaknesses that were either a cause or a result of the injury. If you gained weight during your time off, the extra pounds might make it harder to run your old times or do the same number of pull-ups you used to do. Advertisement This is also a good time to do a reality check on anything else that might interfere with your routine. Once you check in with yourself about what happened and why this time is going to be different, youre ready to start. If your break was only a few weeks long, you might only need to take it easy for a few sessions before youre back up to speed. Thompson has good news for people who are in a similar position: What I generally say is, look, you took a year off. Its not going to take a year to get back to where you were, but youre not where you were a year ago. So back off some, I generally say between a third and half of the weight that you lifted, and then take a week or two to get back into your regular routine. There will be adaptation and itll be pretty quick. Advertisement That doesnt mean youll be lifting your old personal bests after a week or two, but youll be well along the way. A realistic timeframe, Thompson says, is to be back to normal within about two months. That goes for both strength and cardio. So if you normally bench 200 pounds, dont expect to do much more than 100 your first day back. If you had just worked up to full push-ups, you may have to go back to your modified versions. Advertisement For an endurance sport like running, you still want to reduce the intensity of your workout. Thompson suggests walking at first, then sprinkling in jogging intervals until youre able to jog your full workout at your old speed. The exact distance doesnt matter. Runners like to obsess over mileage, and often cite 10 percent as the perfect week-to-week increase. Thats just a rule of thumb, though, and its possible to make progress without it. Thompson agrees that its arbitrary, writing in an email: There is no scientific (or medical) proof of the 10-percent rule. After two months, if youre not back to where you were, your workout program likely needs to be tweakedespecially if youve been doing whatever you always did, but your goals have changed. Find a good trainer and make sure that your program is challenging enough and geared towards your new goals. Life happens. Even if you swear youll never take time off again, someday youll travel, or get injured, or take on an exciting new project that eats up all your free time. Maybe, if we are very unlucky, cases will spike and gyms will have to close again. Advertisement The key rule is dont stop completely. Even if you cant do your regular workout, find something you can do. Stationary bikes and treadmills are an easy go-to when the weather is bad, and Thompson recommends rowing machines for a change of pace (it seems theres one tucked away in the corner of every gym). Other options might include quick workouts (if your obstacle is lack of time) or exercises you can do at home or in a hotel, if access to equipment or outdoor spaces is the issue. These mini workouts help because you can keep up most of your aerobic fitness with short but intense workouts. Take that 60-minute run you might otherwise do, and pare it down to a 20-minute version of your regular routine, speedwork and all. For strength training, the same idea applies. You may be able to go down to just a single workout per week, as long as you keep working just as hard as before. If you want to work on balance, there are exercises that hone in on that as well. Advertisement If you can keep up the mini routines while youre on a break, youll be in much better shape once you come back to the gym. That way you wont waste the hard earned fitness that youre building now. This story was originally published on in January of 2016 and was updated on May 17, 2021 with additional information and to meet Lifehacker style guidelines.
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https://lifehacker.com/what-to-expect-when-you-start-working-out-again-after-a-1751582922
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How will Chinas latest oil probe affect the worlds biggest crude importer?
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Article content SINGAPORE This year Chinas government has been gradually ramping up scrutiny of its sprawling oil industry, reinforcing its authority with new taxes on refined products while investigating crude imports by state energy giants and independent refiners. Last Tuesday, the countrys top economic planning agency gave five state-owned companies just two days to report on their historic use of imported oil, part of a broader effort by the worlds largest oil importer to control inbound shipments as domestic supplies swell. China is the worlds largest crude oil importer and the No. 2 consumer after the United States. Chinas crude imports surged 7.3% in 2020 the only major market where oil demand grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strong economic growth, new refining capacity and changes in fuel taxes could spur crude imports 7.2%, or 775,000 barrels per day, higher this year, said Seng Yick Tee, SIA Energy analyst. But the countrys refining sector is saddled with overcapacity and excess fuel supplies which Beijing is keen to tackle. Authorities also aim to clamp down on tax evasion, as well as the blending and sale of fuels that do not meet emission standards. Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Guangdong province, Chinas top oil-consuming region, led the probe into illicit trades of blending fuels in February and detained several people in connection with the investigation. Beijing is looking into whether Sinopec Group, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), Sinochem Group, ChemChina, and China North Industries Group which together make up more than 60% of Chinas total imports have resold oil to other companies in the country. Also under examination is whether their imports have been processed at refineries under a tolling scheme that reduces the companies tax burden. The information request is part of a broader probe the Beijing began early this year into a growing domestic fuel surplus and lost tax revenues, partly because of unchecked flows of imported crude oil to refiners that are outside the countrys official quota system. It follows a separate inspection by Chinas National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)in April of independent refiners in the eastern province of Shandong that had pledged to close aging, inefficient facilities in return for winning import quotas. That inspection also covered usage of import quotas. Several independent plants in Shandong were found to have sold quotas to other refiners who not qualified to process imported crude. China has since late 2015 allowed more than 40 independent refiners to process imported crude under a quota system. But smaller plants have been found by the government to be sourcing additional crude oil, and other feedstocks such as diluted bitumen, beyond quota limits, leading to a domestic fuel glut. Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Beijing to start levy hefty taxes on imports of light cycle oil (LCO), mixed aromatics and diluted bitumen from June 12, a move that is expected to curb fuel imports and improve local refiners domestic sales and profits. China is expected to release a second batch of crude import quotas in the coming months, and these probes may prompt Beijing to reduce allocated volumes to independent companies. While this could curb independent buyers appetite for more supplies, the state-run firms, which are not subject to quota management, are expected to lead the purchases. In December last year, China issued the first batch of crude import quotas for non-state companies at 122.59 million tonnes in 2021, up 18% from the first round for 2020. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu and Shu Zhang; Writing by Florence Tan; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Share this article in your social network Advertisement This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In-depth reporting on the innovation economy from The Logic, brought to you in partnership with the Financial Post.
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https://upnewsinfo.com/2021/05/28/how-will-chinas-latest-oil-probe-affect-the-worlds-biggest-crude-importer/
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What's safe or still risky to do during the pandemic's second Memorial Day?
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Just two days after Memorial Day, all COVID-19 health restrictions will be lifted in Ohio, allowing people to return to some semblance of pre-pandemic life. Whether Memorial Day will be the final holiday the virus affects depends on how the vaccination rollout continues and how fast the virus continues to mutate and spread, said Dr, Mark Herbert, an infectious disease specialist for Mount Carmel Health. Everything from pink eye to concussions So far, 45%, or 5.2 million Ohioans, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. With the lifting of health orders imminent and vaccines widely available, The Dispatch asked Herbert about what people can safely do or what they should still be weary of for the second Memorial Day weekend of the pandemic. The short answer: No, but you can do more than last year. For the most part, it's OK to celebrate the holiday weekend with other people. People who are fully vaccinated can do most things they would normally do for the holiday. Those who have yet to take the jab should still be cautious, he said. "I think it's an encouraging time," Herbert said. "But people who are not vaccinated should be careful." In the past year, new cases of COVID-19 tended to spike after holidays when people gathered. Herbert said he's hopeful Ohio will escape Memorial Day without another surge. Even if there is an increase, Herbert said he thinks it will likely be a more manageable one this time around. The short answer: It's mostly safe. Traveling is reasonably safe right now, especially if people are driving rather than flying, Herbert said. Often, Herbert said traveling for something like Memorial Day is restricted to one family, meaning that people will know their own risks. Of course, being vaccinated makes it safer to travel, Herbert said. The short answer: It depends. Many outdoor gathering places are no longer requiring masks and distancing, which Herbert said is expected as health orders are removed. In central Ohio, the Columbus Zoo no longer requires masks outdoors and the Columbus Clippers plan to return to full capacity in June. When participating in larger celebrations, it's alright to do so with family, especially if everyone is vaccinated. Those who want to take part in a bigger event with people they don't know should proceed at their own peril, Herbert said. "With nicer weather, there's going to be more outdoor gatherings with more unrelated people," Herbert said. "Vaccinated or not, I think we should be reluctant to participate in large activities with people we don't know. You have to assume not everyone is vaccinated." The short answer: Yes and no. It will take everyone some time to adjust. Doing things outdoors versus indoors is a big factor when it comes to whether it's safe to take the mask off, Herbert said. Experts have long said that it's harder for the coronavirus to spread outdoors than indoors. Ventilation and dilution of airflow tend to keep the virus from transmitting as easily outside. This decision will vary from person to person and should also depend on whether participating people are vaccinated or not, Herbert said. "You need to be aware of what looks like a safe environment, what looks like a less safe environment and take the appropriate precautions," he said. When it comes to getting used to going maskless and no longer social distancing, Herbert said it will take each person some time to find their new comfort level. After a year of taking precautions, he said that's to be expected. He compared it to when a traffic law or pattern changes. Despite the change, people become accustomed to their daily practices and have to adjust and remind themselves of the changes, he said. "Though some of the rules have changed, we still need to be aware that there are situations that look unsafe and take appropriate precautions," Herbert said. The short answer: Probably. Regardless, Independence Day probably won't be exactly the same as it used to be, Herbert said. President Joe Biden had previously set July 4 as a marker for when things might return to normal, as long as a majority of Americans were vaccinated. While it's unclear whether that will happen by July 4, Herbert said Memorial Day may indicate how normal the nation's birthday celebration can be this year. "I think we will be moving in the right direction," he said. "I think three weeks after Memorial Day, we will have a sense for how well we will have weathered this ... if we can get through Memorial Day without a new peak in cases, then I'll feel good about July 4." [email protected] @MaxFilby
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https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/05/28/whats-safe-during-covid-19-memorial-day/7451979002/
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What does Pep Guardiolas Open Arms hoodie mean?
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Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has sported a hoodie with the words Open Arms on the front numerous times this season. Many fans have wondered about the meaning behind the slogan and Guardiolas choice to wear the item of clothing, especially those supporters who remember the days when the Spaniard would more frequently wear suits and cardigans. Open Arms is in fact a Spanish charity, whose aim is to protect those who try to reach Europe by sea, fleeing from armed conflict, persecution or poverty. The charity monitors and rescues vessels that are carrying people in need of help in the Mediterranean channel. Open Arms also works to inform and educate on land so that those who migrate can make decisions with complete freedom and knowledge. Laura Lanuza, Open Arms communications and projects director, spoke to Forbes in March about Guardiolas involvement in the charity. Pep knew about our work from the media and contacted us offering to help, Lanuza said. He was moved by the humanitarian emergency in the Aegean and Mediterranean, where more than 20,000 people have died trying to reach Europe in last five years. He believed our values matched his. He has supported us, not only funding our missions and needs when most needed, but also by giving us a voice. Guardiolas Man City side take on Chelsea in the Champions League final on Saturday, in what is almost certain to be the most-watched fixture that City will have played this season. Therefore, it would be no surprise to see Guardiola wearing his Open Arms hoodie, using the huge platform that the Champions League final provides in order to raise awareness around the charity and its aims.
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https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/pep-guardiola-hoodie-open-arms-meaning-b1855757.html
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Where does Prince Charles live? Will he ever live at Buckingham Palace?
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When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. The Royal Family has an enviable property portfolio across the UK, so royals have lots of choice when it comes to picking a home. Perhaps the most famous royal residence is Buckingham Palace in London, as it has been the capital's official residence of the monarch since 1837. The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace now, but upon Prince Charles ' accession to the throne many have wondered whether Charles will ever call Buckingham Palace home too. Prince Charles' official residence as the Prince of Wales is Clarence House in London. Before Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall lived there, it was the home of Charles' grandmother, the Queen Mother, who died in 2002. Prince Charles also has a number of other residences across the British Isles. READ MORE: Royal POLL: Should Queen refuse permission for Harry TV shows
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https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1442531/where-does-prince-charles-live-will-he-live-at-buckingham-palace-evg
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Will the full easing of restrictions in England go ahead on June 21?
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The Canadian Press Dylan DeMelo heard the cars honking out on Winnipeg's Portage Avenue as he took to the ice for warm-up on Monday. The Jets had a chance to sweep the Edmonton Oilers in their first-round playoff series and hockey fans were eager to show their excitement even if they couldn't be in the arena. While crowds have returned to many sports venues in the U.S., Canadian rinks have remained empty as governments continue to grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Playing in empty stadiums has been difficult, DeMelo said, but it's especially hard now that the NHL playoffs are underway. "I think its hard to see watching the other teams play, especially in the U.S. where they've basically got full barns, or at least a lot of fans," the Jets defenceman said. "Those games are a lot more fun to watch than games without any fans in the building." The story finally will shift slightly in Canada on Saturday night. With a win in Game 5 over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens earned a trip home to play in front of 2,500 fans after Quebec loosened COVID-19 restrictions. It will mark the first crowd at an NHL game in Canada since March 2020, but it will be a far cry from the scenes south of the border. The 2021 NHL season has shown how much of an impact fans can have on games, said Catherine Sabiston, a professor in the University of Toronto's faculty of kinesiology and physical education. Watching U.S.-based events where crowds are allowed "feels more like what we're used to," she said. "The play feels faster, it feels more animated, you can tell that the players are reacting to the noise of the fans," said Sabiston, who also holds a Canada Research Chair in physical activity and mental health. "And then you turn to the Canadian playoffs and of course theres no fans in the stands. A big sort of dichotomy in terms of the play." Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan noticed the difference when about 9,000 fans were allowed in PPG Paints Arena for Game 1 against the New York Islanders earlier this month. "It was electric," Sullivan said after the Penguins downed the Islanders 2-1. "I know our players, they feed off it. They love the energy that the fan base brings. I think it helped us with the start that we had tonight. Its just such a great environment. Its not the same when theyre not there. The building was "going crazy," said Penguins defenceman Mike Matheson. "Any time you look up and those towels spinning with that many people in the building, especially with everything going on in the world and the fact that we havent been able to have everybody in the building this season, to see that gives you chills and really puts a spark in our team," he said. It was a much different scene for the first two playoff games in Winnipeg, with white towels covering all the empty seats to replicate the traditional playoff whiteout. Playing in front of a live audience gives athletes a sense of purpose that just isn't there with fake noise piped in over a sound system, Sabiston said. "Fans do help players who thrive on the motivation they get from the fans, the confidence fans instil in them, the positive feedback or the negative feedback motivates players to play differently, to play better," she said. "Thats really what were missing." One NBA player found motivation in a hostile crowd earlier this week. More than 15,000 raucous Knicks fans filled Madison Square Garden to watch Game 1 of New York's first-round series against Atlanta. Many jeered Hawks star Trae Young every time he stepped on the floor, chanting his name with an expletive in front. Young took the noise is stride, and put up 32 points and 10 assists. With less than a second on the clock, he hit a shot that gave the Hawks a 107-105 win. The 22-year-old guard held his finger to his lips as he walked away from the basket. As I hit the floater, everybody got quiet. I was waiting for those f-you chants again," Young said after the game. Ive always looked at it as Im doing something right if Im offending them with my play that much. If they hate me that much, I must be doing something right. "Im glad the fans are back. Im glad MSG was rocking tonight. The return of crowds to sporting events hasn't been entirely smooth. On Sunday, hundreds of golf fans got past barriers and surrounded Phil Mickelson on the green as he secured his PGA Championship win. An overhead shot of the scene showed the 50-year-old being completely engulfed by the South Carolina crowd. "It's an incredible experience. I've never had something like that,'' Mickelson said. "It was a little bit unnerving, but it was exceptionally awesome, too.'' There are lessons to be learned as live audiences return, Sabiston said, from where they should be seated to what slogans they should be prompted to chant in order to best motivate a team. It's also an opportunity to learn more about how noise can impact athletes, she said, and at what level it becomes too difficult for teammates to communicate. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said the sound inside Boston's TD Garden was unbelievable when about 4,500 people watched his team edge the Washington Capitals in double overtime on May 19. Its loud because were so used to silence. I can only imagine when it goes to full capacity again," Cassidy said. "But for us right now, its great. Obviously the overtime for us is the loudest. It felt like a full building when that went in." The Bruins have announced that they expect the arena to be "near full capacity" when they face the Islanders in the second round. Returning bodies to sporting venues in Canada has been a slower process. Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer said on May 18 that allowing fans into games is not under "serious consideration." "I would say if you look at that timing and what's the schedule for the NHL playoffs, which is taking place right now and into the summer months, it's not really something that's under serious consideration in terms of fans in the stands, just based on where we are with our vaccination campaign at this point," he said. Later that day, however, Quebec gave the green light for the Canadiens to have 2,500 fans for a potential Game 6. The possibility of playing in front of fans was a motivator heading into a possible elimination game on Thursday, said Habs forward Tyler Toffoli. "Its definitely in the back of all of our minds. Weve definitely missed it this year the entire season," he said. "To get the opportunity to play in front of even the small amount thats going to be allowed is huge and will be a lot of fun." Another factor to keep an eye on as people return to live sporting events is how connected fans feel to their teams, said Sabiston. Fans feel like they have a say or a reaction that makes a difference to athletes," she said. "So a lot of that feeling of cohesion and connection to the team will also be important to follow over time. Ben Schellenberg, an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba's faculty of kinesiology and recreation management, has been looking into how NBA fans were impacted when the league suspended play as COVID-19 began to grip North America in 2020. Schellenberg and his colleagues had fans fill out surveys to gauge how they were feeling during the hiatus, what they were doing to cope, and how they were filling their free time. The research found that fans with an "obsessive passion" that dominates their life and identity reported higher levels of distress, avoided news about the suspension, were less likely to agree with putting the season on pause, and were more likely to use drugs and alcohol to cope. It does show that theres a consistent relationship between the extent to which someones obsessed with being a fan and how distressed they are when their favourite sport is cancelled or suspended for some reason," Schellenberg said. Sports provides people with escape and social connection, he added. "During a pandemic, were not allowed to be social with people and we have a lot to escape from. And when sport is cancelled, that can be tough for people," Schellenberg said. "Even if theres no fans in the stands, I think having games played that people can sit and watch and escape from the world for a few hours, I dont think thats frivolous to give people an outlet. As much as people need sports, some athletes and coaches feel they need a live audience, too. Having people in the building adds to the energy level, said Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice, and in an empty rink, it's harder to shift a game's momentum especially in the playoffs. The farther you go, youre kind of playing on fumes. And its not even just physical, its emotional," he said. "The fans drive it. The farther you go in the playoffs, theyre just the emotional well that you draw on. Winnipeg heads into the second round of the post-season without a glimmer of hope of playing in front of a crowd in the near future hard-hit Manitoba. For now, the team will settle for the noisy support fans have provided from afar. After the Jets beat the Oilers 4-3 in triple overtime on Monday, horns rang out on the city's streets, with many people cheering and hoisting brooms from their cars to celebrate the sweep. People living in the city's core probably weren't enthused about the timing, with the revelry coming around 3 a.m., said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. "But that makes it pretty special, driving home after the game and seeing some of the streets lined up with cars," he said. "People waiting to waiting to wave at us and celebrate in the best way you can at this point in time was pretty cool." With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2021. Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/full-easing-restrictions-england-ahead-103151008.html?src=rss
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When Is Figs Going Public?
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After a blockbuster year that saw Figs net revenue jump to $263 million in 2020 from $110 million the year prior, the apparel startup is making its market debut. The direct-to-consumer company managed to make that much revenue even when it donated tens of thousands of scrubs to healthcare workers in the U.S. This article was originally written by MyWallSt. Read more market-beating insights from the MyWallSt team here. Figs is an apparel and lifestyle company that makes essential protective gear for healthcare workers. Unsurprisingly, the company saw a huge surge in demand for its products during the pandemic and is now making its market debut eight years after the co-founders started the company. Last Thursday, trading app Robinhood confirmed that its users can buy pre-IPO shares in Figs if they make a request, which is not something typically offered to retail investors. Usually, shares bought before a company goes public are subject to lock-up agreements, which prevent investors from selling those shares for 180 days. Figs plans to offer investors 22.5 million shares priced between $16 to $19 per share in the hopes to raise up to $427.5 million. At that price target, Figs would be worth just over $3 billion. Figs is expected to begin trading on Thursday, May 27, on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FIGS. Figs Financials In 2020, Figs posted net revenue of $263.1 million, up from the $110.5 million in 2019. Last year, Figs reported operating income of $57.9 million, an impressive beat after the company had a net operating loss of $300,000 in 2019. Figs also grew its active customer base from 600,000 in 2019, to 1.3 million in 2020. The Santa Monica-based firm is classified as an emerging growth company which means it is not required to make certain disclosures that larger companies have to until it meets a number of milestones like hitting annual revenue of $1.07 billion. This means investors dont have as many figures to consider before buying shares on IPO day. Another perk of investing in Figs is that it counts on highly predictable, recurring revenue from its customers as healthcare apparel constantly needs to be changed. The firm is also not subject to its products becoming out of fashion either, which other apparel companies find costly. The companys prospectus said: Unlike most other categories in the apparel sector, the healthcare apparel industry is largely non-discretionary, recession-resistant and much less susceptible to fashion or fad risk. Figs Growth Potential Figs has huge growth potential. As our aging population grows, so too will the need for more healthcare workers in the U.S., resulting in the need for more protective clothing and accessories. The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that the U.S. healthcare sector included more than 20 million workers in 2020. In addition, data from Frost & Sullivan says the total addressable market for healthcare apparel is $12 billion in the U.S. and $79 billion globally. That means the company still has a large customer base to capture. Figs is also jumping on the digitalization bandwagon and says that 98% of its sales are through its digital platforms, stating: Further, we are able to engage with our community of healthcare professionals before, during and after purchase, through our digital platform and numerous other channels. The face mask seller is also widening its international footprint and launched pilots in Australia, Canada, and the U.K. in 2020 to offer a more localized experience to customers internationally. Investors, therefore, have the opportunity to buy shares now before its global expansion really takes off and the stock becomes expensive. Most interestingly for prospective shareholders is Figss plan to explore its options in selling its products to other professionals who require a uniform. With around 40 million people working in areas outside of healthcare, like food service, hospitality, construction, and transportation, who also need technical gear to do their job, their market potential is huge. MyWallSt gives you access to over 100 market-beating stock picks and the research to back them up. Our analyst team posts daily insights, subscriber-only podcasts, and the headlines that move the market. Start your free trial now!
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https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/when-is-figs-going-public
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Did RRR Makers Rush Into Selling Digital Rights?
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Director SS Rajamoulis forthcoming flick, Roudram Ranam Rudhiram aka RRR is one of the most hugely awaited films of this year. Besides, it is also one of the costliest films ever produced in Indian cinema. There is no doubt that the film, RRR, is going to be a visual treat to the audience, as Rajamouli has mounted some action sequences between Jr NTR and Ram Charan which is set to leave the audience in awe. Recently, the makers of the movie officially confirmed that they have sold digital rights of RRR to leading OTT platforms Netflix and Zee5. They are also said to have sold the satellite rights of RRR to ZeeCinema in Hindi, Star Maa in Telugu and a few top channels in other languages. The makers are confident about the film and if all goes well, they are planning to release the film in theatres on October 13, 2021. At the time of officially announcing that the digital and satellite rights of RRR had been sold, the makers also released a poster with the same release date. Looks like they are not going to postpone the film's release at any cost. Ever since Rajamouli announced about the RRR digital and satellite rights being sold, speculations are rife over the reason behind the makers of RRR rushing in to sell the rights, as theres a lot of time for the film to hit theatres. Probably, the makers got a fancy offer which prompted them to seal the deal. The makers sure know what's best for them at the moment considering the uncertainty around due to the pandemic situation. Yet, we feel this was earlier than expected. RRR is bankrolled by Danayya and he has pinned huge hopes on the film as his last film featuring Ram Charan titled Vinaya Vidheya Rama failed miserably at the box office.
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https://english.sakshi.com/news/tollywood/did-rrr-makers-rush-selling-digital-rights-136121
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Has Allu Arjun Put Top Tollywood Director In Waiting List?
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Stylish star Allu Arjun is one of the most popular as well as sought after stars in Tollywood. Several filmmakers dream of working with him, as it will add value to their career. Among those looking forward to working with Allu Arjun is said to be director Boyapati Srinu as per the buzz. The mass director is said to have narrated an interesting script to Bunny. Sources also assert that Bunny has also liked the script, but he is yet to take a final call on it. As you are aware, Bunny is busy with his upcoming film Pushpa, which is a pan India film. Bunnys Pushpa is going to release in several languages. Bunny's stardom is said to go a notch higher after the release of Pushpa thats why Bunny seems to be taking a lot of time to give his approval for the Boyapati film. It now remains to be seen whether Bunny will say Yes to Boyapati project or not. Coming back to Bunnys Pushpa, the film is directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers. Rashmika will be seen as the female lead in the film. The film is slated for release on August 13, 2021.
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https://english.sakshi.com/news/tollywood/has-allu-arjun-put-top-tollywood-director-waiting-list-136105
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Are The Fish From Maines Lakes And Streams Safe To Eat?
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If not, it's the perfect way to request a song, talk to the DJs, enter exclusive contests and to stay up to date with everything that's happening in and around Central Maine and the world. When you download it, make sure you turn on the push notifications so that we can send you exclusive content and local breaking news that you need to know about first. Just enter your mobile number below and we'll send a download link right to your mobile device. After that, you can download for free and immediately begin accessing all kinds of exclusive content tailored just for you. Give it a try and stay connected with us!
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2259804264189/are-the-fish-from-maine-s-lakes-and-streams-safe-to-eat
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Was ist eigentlich ein Mobilittskonzept?
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Dritter Teil der Weiterbildungsreihe Smart mobil wurde erfolgreich als Webinar abgehalten St. Plten (OTS/NLK) - 496 der 573 Gemeinden und Stdte Niedersterreichs sind bereits eine Mobilittsgemeinde. Sie alle werden fachlich vom Mobilittsmanagement der N.Regional zu Mobilittsthemen wie dem ffentlichen Verkehr, Mikro-V, Aktive Mobilitt und Frderungen beraten. Im der gestern gestarteten dritten Teil der Weiterbildungsreihe Smart mobil ging es dabei um die Frage, was eigentlich ein Mobilittskonzept ist und was gute Verkehrskonzepte ausmachen. Mobilitts-Landerat Ludwig Schleritzko und Walter Kirchler, Geschftsfhrer der N.Regional, konnten dabei knapp 70 Gemeindevertreterinnen und Gemeindevertreter begren. Neun von zehn NiedersterreicherInnen sind Tag fr Tag unterwegs. Sie merken also sehr rasch, ob Mobilittskonzepte vor Ort wirken oder ob sie Schwachpunkte haben. Deshalb greifen wir unseren Gemeinden unter die Arme und liefern das notwendige Know-how. Die Zielsetzung dabei ist klar: Wir wollen gesunde Mobilitt frdern, den Verkehr sicher gestalten und unsere Wege auch klimafit machen. Die Gemeinden sind dabei die wichtigsten Partner des Landes. Die als Webinar durchgefhrte Schulung war daher gespickt mit viel praktischem Input. Andrea Weninger, Geschftsfhrerin des Verkehrsplanungsbros Rosinak & Partner, erluterte in ihrem Vortrag gemeinsam mit Regina Rausch (Abteilung RU7, Land N), welche Arten von Mobilittskonzepten es fr die Gemeinden gibt. Anschlieend berichtete Patrik Strobl, Brgermeister der Stadtgemeinde Melk, Prozessablauf und Umsetzungsstand der geplanten Manahme im Rahmen ihres Mobilittskonzeptes. Experte Gilbert Pomaroli, Bereichsleiter der rtlichen Raumplanung der Abteilung RU7, informierte die Gemeindevertreterinnen und Gemeindevertreter ber gute Verkehrskonzepte, die fr Raumplanung einer Gemeinde sehr wichtig sind. Waltraud Wagner, Mobilittsmanagerin N.Regional, gab einen berblick ber die Mglichkeiten der Verkehrsberatung. Am 10. Juni 2021 gibt es fr die Mobilittsbeauftragten den zweiten Teil dieses Webinars. Weitere Informationen: https://www.noeregional.at/bereiche/mobilitaet/ Rckfragen & Kontakt: Amt der Niedersterreichischen Landesregierung Landesamtsdirektion/ffentlichkeitsarbeit Mag. Franz Klingenbrunner 02742/9005-13314 presse @ noel.gv.at www.noe.gv.at/presse
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https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20210528_OTS0113/was-ist-eigentlich-ein-mobilitaetskonzept
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Where should Pittsburgh environmental groups focus to combat the city's racist legacies?
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When Betty Foster-Pinkleys mom passed away in 2010, she took over responsibility for the family house in the East Hills. The house she and her six siblings grew up in is at the very bottom of Dornbush Street. With a slope of 32 degrees, Dornbush is the second steepest street in Pittsburgh and the eighth steepest in the entire country. During Pittsburghs record rainfalls in 2018 and 2019, rainwater flooded Foster-Pinkleys basement. Her water heater, furnace, air conditioners and some mementos from her children and grandchildren were damaged. She had to pay about $3,000 for replacements and repairs out of her own pocket because it was a natural flood, not a broken pipe that her home insurance would cover. The flooding was so bad, she said, it flooded a nearby apartment building and knocked over a wall. The flooding seems worse than when she was a kid, she said. I remember it flooding, but not as bad as it's been flooding. Dornbush Street is twice as long as the countrys steepest street, Canton Avenue in Beechview. Its a white water rapid when it rains there, said Michael Hiller, the assistant director of Upstream*, an environmental nonprofit that used to be called The Nine Mile Run Watershed Association. Later this summer, Upstream is planning to start construction on a large rain garden in the empty lots across the street from Foster-Pinkleys home. The $190,000 project will capture a half million gallons of rain per year and limit the flooding in front of her house. Hiller said Upstream only has the resources to take on about two of these big projects every year, with the money it gets from grants, donors and its paid work. And it wasnt a coincidence that it chose Dornbush. Equity mapping Last summer, Upstream completed a study of the Nine Mile Run watershed, layering a series of environmental, health and demographic data points to figure out where in the watershed they should prioritize new projects. The Dornbush project is one of the first projects that is being prioritized as a result of that study. Upstreams effort is part of a new trend among local environmental nonprofits and city agencies to map out where the areas environmental problems intersect with the human needs that environmental solutions could address. Two years ago, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy created a plan for a new parks tax that would prioritize spending on major renovations according to who lived in the neighborhood as much as the conditions of the parks. The proposal prioritized major greenspace improvements in communities with high poverty, health problems and violent crime. Although the proposal ran into controversy at Pittsburgh City Council, the city is now collecting the tax money and outgoing Mayor Bill Peduto has endorsed the conservancys plan for how to spend it. The Negley Run Task Force, a group that is promoting large-scale landscaping projects to capture rain in neighborhoods like Larimer and Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, commissioned its own mapping study this year. The task force has identified tens of millions of dollars in potential projects, though it likely wont be able to attract the funding to do them all at once. John Stephens, who chairs the Negley Run Task Force, said the reason he wanted to identify where the inequity is concentrated is because stormwater projects have multiple benefits, not just removing sewage and preventing flooding. For example, trees can make it cooler for elderly residents in the summer, increase home values and clean the air for kids who have asthma. Without these equity studies, he said, projects could be built where people complain the loudest rather than where there is the most need. Next year, Upstream plans to spend nearly $600,000 through a state grant to capture rain and install landscaping at two parking lots in Wilkinsburg, another project that will improve one of the micro-neighborhoods they identified as having the greatest need. It will be the groups largest project since its stream restoration in Frick Park, said Brenda Smith, Upstreams executive director. A lot of the environmental movement over the years has focused on things that are not the aspects of ecological restoration that matter most to people in low-income communities, she said. When Upstream goes into communities like Wilkinsburg and East Hills, Smith said, they often focus their conversations on things like the air quality benefit the community will receive, rather than the benefit to the water quality of the stream in Frick Park. For poor people who dont get to go to the park very often, its not at the top of their agenda, she said. But if their kids have asthma, having good air quality is. To help promote more mapping, Penn States Sustainability Institute offered a class in May titled, Hidden Burdens: Using mapping to address PAs environmental justice, that was attended by Pittsburgh nonprofits. Natural disasters that are likely to get worse with climate change, such as flooding, exacerbate existing inequalities, said Carolyn Kousky, the executive director of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Thats because low-income families often dont have the savings, credit or insurance to help them weather storm damage. Even when there is federal disaster aid, it provides only a tiny portion of the payouts that insurance typically does, she said. The location of the citys stormwater projects could be one of the most competitive areas of investment in the coming decades as the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority [ALCOSAN] and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority [PWSA] spend hundreds of millions of dollars to address stormwater challenges. Nine Mile Run is just one of several watersheds with more rainwater problems than there are currently resources to address. ALCOSAN looks at how it can best remove sewage overflows from the rivers, not at how its projects will specifically help nearby residents. But the new stormwater plan PWSA is developing will look at the broader impact. Tony Igwe, who PWSA hired in February to manage its growing list of stormwater projects, said the authority is looking into using equity and environmental justice measures to help identify places that could benefit most from things like improved air quality or more shade in the summer. In April, PWSA proposed implementing a stormwater fee that would provide about $6 or $7 million per year for projects like this. It would cost the average residential customer about $6 per month starting next year. Igwe said this could increase to as much as $24 million each year to help address rainwater challenges but the yearly rate increases will have to be approved by the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission. Although the state Rep. Ed Gainey, Pittsburghs presumptive mayor-elect, has opposed these increases, Igwe said he thinks theyre inevitable. I dont know that you can avoid having a plan and putting together projects to start helping people, he said. Dornbush need By some measures, Foster-Pinkleys neighborhood is doing OK. The hillsides nearby are green, and it remains much cooler there in the summer than in many flatter treeless parts of Homewood or Wilkinsburg. Although there is some pollution from cars on Frankstown Avenue, overall the air there is pretty clean, according to the Upstream study last summer. So that was something we werent necessarily expecting to see, that these lower-income areas were going to be scoring well in any of the categories, but they did, Hiller said. But by other measures, the neighborhood has fallen behind. It was among the worst areas in the watershed for obesity, childhood asthma and the percentage of people without health insurance. And it also scored low for social vulnerability, a public health measure that combines income, race, age and housing status. When all the factors were added up, Dornbushs census tract had the highest need of all 29 census tracts within the Nine Mile Run watershed, according to Upstreams equity index. Upstream also looked for places where there were vacant lots, school or city-owned parks with nearby flooding or sewage overflow problems. Then they found the areas where these environmental challenges overlapped with human ones. It then identified 10 small areas, typically only a few blocks long, where they have begun to look for projects. During a neighborhood canvas last year, Upstreams director of community outreach offered Foster-Pinkley a free rain barrel and learned about the flooding issues at her house. In October, the nonprofit built a rain garden in her backyard to help funnel water away from her basement. Foster-Pinkley asked if the new project across the street could include some green space where her five grandchildren could go and play because the rain garden now covers her backyard. Upstream added green space. Follow-up conservations with neighbors are a critical part of Upstreams plans for improving these areas. Its a way to give communities some control over the nonprofits roughly $1 million annual budget, Hiller said. Its easy to say that $1 million is our organizations money, but really its intended to provide benefits for the watershed we serve and the people who live in it, he said. It is basically a way of giving the power money is power you give that power to the community: Here is the money; tell us how you want to see it spent. Diverging voices Foster-Pinkley was happy about the new landscaping that will be installed across the street from the front of her house but said her biggest flooding problem comes from Frankstown Avenue, behind her house. The flooding happens in an alleyway at the bottom of a valley where a stream likely used to be. Hiller acknowledged that the flooding behind Foster-Pinkleys house matters more to her than the flooding issues in front of the house that Upstreams new project is addressing. Even after Upstream has narrowed its focus to just a few blocks, there are more projects needed than they can do right away. And, in some cases, the work may highlight other issues. Jessie Smith Foster and her husband are giving Upstream permission to do landscaping on an empty parcel of land across the street for Upstreams project. Foster is Foster-Pinkleys sister-in-law and raised children in the neighborhood. She is worried that once the Dornbush corner is rejuvenated with beautiful flowers, some of the adjacent empty lots will further stand out as eyesores, with abandoned cars, trucks and RVs. Alex Ball, who grew up in the neighborhood and owns rental property and 12 storage garages there, was recruited by Upstream to become a Climate Justice Leader. Hiller said the mapping exercise helped them look at where to focus, and the Climate Justice program is an attempt to work with residents to figure out what kinds of projects to build there. As part of the program, Ball said he has been learning about how climate change will impact the neighborhood. Two years ago, a flood wreaked havoc on a property he owns a couple blocks away, and he hopes that a future Upstream project may help address that problem. Ball said he is working to help Upstream connect with local residents. Ive been there, I was raised there and was from there, so a lot of the neighbors that are there, Ive known them for a long time, he said. Its always easier for an insider to get people involved than for an outsider to get people involved. *Upstream receives funding from the Heinz Endowments, which also supports PublicSource. Oliver Morrison is PublicSources environment and health reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ORMorrison
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https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-environmental-justice-equity-map-rain-stormwater-flooding-nine-mile-run/
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Who is Glenn Closes daughter Annie Starke?
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GLENN Close is a Hollywood megastar, thanks to her long career in the movies. But her daughter Annie Starke is also making a name for herself in Tinseltown. Born in upstate New York in on April 26, 1988, Annie is a 33-year-old Broadway and film actress She studied art history at the Hamilton College before embarking on her acting career. In 2018 Annie shot to fame for playing her mother Glenn Close's younger self in The Wife. This wasn't the first time she has played her mother, so you may recognise her as the younger Glenn in Father Figures, as well. Annie is married to money manager Marc Albu. The couple wed in Bedford, New York at her mother's estate in June 2018. The couple don't have any children. In film, Annie also starred alongside her famous mum Glenn in her critcally acclaimed movie Albert Nobbs. She also appeared in the 2016 movie We Don't Belong Here. On TV in 2020, Annie is known for her reoccurring role in Netflix's Ratched.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/15089830/glenn-close-daughter-annie-starke/
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Who was Freddy Marks and how did he die?
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YOU'D be hard to find a child of the 1980s who didn't watch kids TV show Rainbow. Sadly, star of the Thames TV series Freddy Marks has passed away aged 71. Freddy was born in Cheshire in 1949 and had a passion for music and theatre from a young age. He toured with various bands and trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London from 1968. After graduating in 1971, Freddy began his career in the theatre with roles in The Rocky Horror Show in the West End. But he became a household name in 1979 when he replaced Roger Walker on Rainbow. Freddy was one of Rainbow's musical trio along with Jane Tucker and Rod Burton, which ran on TV screens from the 1970s to the 1990s. The trio regularly appeared alongside Bungle and Zippy as they played catchy hits for children. They also shared success on their show, Rod, Jane and Freddy, which was on for ten years in the 1980s. Freddy's cause of death has not yet been revealed. It was announced on May 28, 2019 that he had passed away. The news was revealed in a post on a Rainbow Facebook fan group saying: "It is with a heavy heart that we sad to say that 'Freddy Marks' from Rod, Jane and Freddy has sadly passed away yesterday. "Freddy was a very talented and funny guy who always bought a smile to everybody's face." Freddy married co-star Jane in 2016 at Londons luxury Claridges hotel. The blonde singer had already been married to bandmate Rod Burton. But they were dogged by rumours of an illicit love triangle after Jane got together with Freddy in 1985 after her split from Rod. Jane finally revealed the truth in 2013, saying: "Rod and I were married and then we got divorced. Thats it basically. After Rainbow was taken off the air, Rod, Jane and Freddy continued to tour across the UK in pantomimes. In 1996 they won the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (BACS) Gold Badge Award for outstanding contribution to the music industry.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/15093612/freddy-marks-rainbow-death/
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Who is Freddy Marks wife Jane Tucker?
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KIDS of the 80s will well remember children's TV show Rainbow. Sadly one its stars Freddy Mark has passed away, leaving his wife Jane Tucker behind. 71-year-old Jane was born in October 1949 and is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. She is best known for being part of the musical trio Rod, Jane and Freddy, who shot to fame on Rainbow. Jane was born into a family with an artistic background as her grandmother was an opera singer, her mother Jean a pianist, and her father was Rex Tucker, the drama director for the BBC. S She first started to play the piano when she was three, having been given lessons by her mother. Jane married co-star Freddie in 2016 at Londons luxury Claridges hotel. The blonde singer had already been married to bandmate Rod Burton. But they were dogged by rumours of an illicit love triangle after Jane got together with Freddy in 1985 after her split from Rod. Jane finally revealed the truth in 2013, saying: "Rod and I were married and then we got divorced. Thats it basically. Jane was one of Rainbow's musical trio along with Freddy Marks and Rod Burton, which ran on TV screens from the 1970s to the 1990s. The trio regularly appeared alongside Bungle and Zippy as they played catchy hits for children. They also shared success on their show, Rod, Jane and Freddy, which was on for ten years in the 1980s.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/15093645/freddy-marks-wife-jane-tucker/
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Who is Lisa Shaws husband Gareth Eve?
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LISA Shaw tragically lost her life after suffering blood clots from taking the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. The former radio presenter leaves behind her two children and husband Gareth Eve. Lisa was married to Gareth Eve, who also has a radio career - with over 17 years under his belt. He is now the Creative Director at WriteSound Creative, who produce radio commercials. In 2003, Gareth started to work at Galaxy 105-106 (which later became Capital Radio) after he heard a radio advert recruiting copywriters for radio adverts. He went on to work in radio stations for the next decade plus before starting WriteSound. The couple share two sons. Zach, five, is a keen artist who has been encouraged by his parents over the lockdown period to continue to create. After Lisa's death, her family released a statement which read: "Lisa developed severe headaches a week after receiving her AstraZeneca vaccine and fell seriously ill a few days later. "She was treated by the Royal Victoria Infirmary's intensive care team for blood clots and bleeding in her head. "Tragically, she passed away, surrounded by her family, on Friday afternoon. "We are devastated and there is a Lisa-shaped hole in our lives that can never be filled. We will love and miss her always." Gareth founded WriteSound Creative in 2014. They work for advertising agencies, media buyers, radio stations and direct businesses. They partner up with a range of people and give every customer a unique service to fit their exact needs. WriteSound also work with several independent Media Buying Agencies and access to these agencies and media buyers also allows them to recommend their services to businesses they work with. Purchasing of Media, creative, digital, OOH, TV means WriteSound can point customers in the direction of some trusted, experienced experts.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/15093775/who-is-lisa-shaw-husband-gareth-eve/
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Is Belgium searching new diplomatic relationships with Africa?
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The country has, in fact, had a full government since 1 October 2020, one which has been led by the liberal prime minister Alexander De Croo. However, Belgium didnt have a fully-fledged federal government until almost 500 days 493 to be exact after the results of the 26 May 2019 parliamentary elections were announced. READ MORE Reconciling with Belgium's Mtis legacy in Africa and at home This is less than during the 2010-2011 crisis, when the country was without a prime minister for 541 days. However, the hardest part is yet to come for the first Flemish-born head of government in 10 years. This is because De Croo will have to deal with a coalition made up of seven parties, which perfectly represents how fractured the Belgian political landscape has become ever since the previous centre-right government broke up at the end of 2018. The Four Seasons in action Belgiums traditional parties, which had been losing ground, managed to agree under constant pressure from the royal palace on a government made up of four political ideologies: liberal, socialist, ecologist as well as the Christian Democratic and Flemish party. This was done in an attempt to counteract the rise of the far-right and reward the environmentalists who had done well in the last federal elections. Croo has had the difficult task of setting the actions of this mosaic, which the Belgian press has dubbed Vivaldi, to music. The finance minister of the previous government will be able to rely on support from his predecessor to accomplish this assignment. READ MORE DRC: Belgium fails again to face up to colonial crimes in the Congo Sophie Wilms, who is also a liberal, is now deputy prime minister and has taken over the well-stocked portfolio of foreign and European affairs, foreign trade and federal cultural institutions. This is in recognition of her much appreciated work during the year she spent at the head of the current affairs government, says a Belgian insider. She has been praised, in particular, for her management of the Covid-19 crisis, which quickly became an important item on her successors agenda. Evasive communication Belgium has not been very active on the diplomatic front ever since the departure of Didier Reynders, who served as the countrys foreign affairs minister for eight years and is now the European Commissioner for Justice. Wilms, who has taken over from the inexperienced Philippe Goffin, is both Belgiums first female foreign affairs minister and deputy prime minister. She is also the same age as her prime minister, who is 45 years old. The article continues below Free download Get your free PDF: Top 200 banks 2019 The race to transform Complete the form and download, for free, the highlights from The Africa Reports Exclusive Ranking of Africas top 200 banks from last year. Get your free PDF by completing the following form Email Address * Title * Last name * First name * Country * Industry * Position * Get information from Jeune Afrique Media Group: subscription deals, special offers Close By downloading this PDF you agree to subscribe to The Africa Report Daily newsletter SUCCESS ERROR According to a European observer in Brussels, Wilms hasnt been very active so far. Nor have her services, which prefer to complain on social media about the embarrassment caused by sofagate to former prime minister Charles Michel, rather than giving their thoughts on the latest events in the DRC or on the conclusions of the report published in France on Rwanda, says a Belgian journalist. Africa Insight Wake up to the essential with the Editor's picks. Sign up Also receive offers from The Africa Report Also receive offers from The Africa Report's partners SUCCESS ERROR In fact, the Africa of today is the result of its poor parents considering what Belgiums past involvement on the continent may have been, says our observer. Faithful to its three-dimensional doctrine (diplomacy, defence, development) in terms of foreign relations, Belgium seems to have focused its attention mainly on the Sahel, where its army has been present alongside the French since Operation Serval in 2013. In regards to the rest of the continent, Brussels delegates a lot to Brussels, says our European diplomat. This has especially been the case ever since Bernard Quintin, Goffins former cabinet director, was appointed deputy director-general for Africa at the European External Action Service. Making peace Even in the DRC, Belgium does not really seem to be taking advantage of the good relations it has regained with its former colony since Flix Tshisekedi was elected president in January 2019. The only important issue on Wilms desk is to organise the repatriation of Patrice Lumumbas remains to Kinshasa, which forms an integral part of the DRCs 61st anniversary of independence day celebrations in June. READ MORE DRC: How the CIA got Patrice Lumumba This is a highly sensitive subject that Belgium is trying to handle with care. According to ministry officials, King Philippes visit, which was to be the first by a Belgian sovereign since Albert II came in 2010 to mark the countrys 50th anniversary, has been canceled so as not to risk overshadowing the event. Furthermore, the Commission Parlementaire Vrit et Rconciliation, which was tasked with making peace with the countrys colonial past back in July 2020, has still not delivered its conclusions, even though it was scheduled to do so on 3 March. These conclusions will also help the Belgian government make informed decisions regarding the restitution of artworks. All of these measures have been undertaken with the aim of establishing Africa and Belgiums future relationship, without forgetting their shared past.
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https://www.theafricareport.com/91891/is-belgium-searching-new-diplomatic-relationships-with-africa/
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Will South Africas MTN get lucky in Ethiopias 2nd round of telco licensing?
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The Ethiopian government recently awarded a telecoms licence to a consortium led by Safaricom. A second round of licensing, aimed at opening up the countrys telecoms sector to competition, is expected to take place in the coming months, according to Brook Taye, an adviser to the ministry of finance and one of the main architects behind liberalisation of the sector. An insufficient bid We are currently making the final adjustments to a new call for tender. The call for expressions of interest will be relaunched for an additional licence. If MTN wants to participate again and make a more complete offer, there is a good chance that they will be selected, says the consultant who has been working on the project since 2018.
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https://www.theafricareport.com/92810/will-south-africas-mtn-get-lucky-in-ethiopias-2nd-round-of-telco-licensing/
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How can I donate plasma?
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BLOOD plasma is a vital component that helps with your body's circulation. It holds a number of important products which can help treat serious illnesses. Here's how you can donate. Blood plasma is the largest single component of your blood, making up 55% of its total volume. It is a clear, light-colored liquid and carries water, salts and enzymes. Its main role is to take nutrients, hormones and proteins to the parts of the body that need them. Most importantly, however, plasma also contains important components including antibodies, clotting factors and proteins. These products can be separated and used as treatments to help save people suffering from a number of medical emergencies. As a result, there are blood drives that ask people to donate blood plasma. You can donate your blood plasma by signing up and registering at your local blood drive. In total there are estimated to be 180 accredited blood centres in the United States. Most people can give blood, but not everyone is eligible. According to the NHS, the most common reasons that can stop a person donating can include: People who have a cold or generally feel unwell People on antibiotics to treat an infection Women who are pregnant People who have been travelling abroad People who have a heart condition People who have high or low blood pressure Patients who have recently had cancer Men who have had sex with other men within the last three months. However, many of these factors are circumstantial, so its best to check with your local blood drive if you are unsure. When you arrive you can expect to answer a few health questions before taking on some fluids. When you are seated, doctors will check your blood pressure before finding a suitable vein to insert the needle. According to the Red Cross, the whole donation process can takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Your blood will then be frozen to preserve its quality and function. This component is known as fresh frozen plasma, or FFP. Depending on where you can you go, you can get paid to donate plasma in the United States Millions of Americans give plasma in exchange for $30 to $50 per donation. Most read in Health PILL FEAR Paracetamol in pregnancy increases babys risk of autism and ADHD HAIR-RAISING Mum-of-two who paid $570 on dream hair extensions rips them out with PLIERS LOO-DICROUS I turned my toilet into a home office, people think its gross but I dont care LOVE HELL Relationship expert warns of the four signs your relationship is on the rocks HAIR ABOUT THAT Expert says your washing your hair all wrong & why your towel is ruining it OH BABY I discovered I was pregnant at 43 WEEKS, I was 16 and still a size 6 On average American donor gives 21 times a year and represents 1.6 percent of US total exports, according to Reason. The outlet adds that American plasma makes up nearly three quarters of all global supply.
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https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/2973446/how-can-i-donate-plasma/
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What does The National Grid of the future look like?
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Professor Campbell Booth explores whats on the horizon for electrical power and energy systems in the UK National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), in its latest set of Future Energy Scenarios publications, highlights how at least 3GW of wind and 1.4GW of solar must be built every year between 2020 and 2050 to meet net zero carbon targets. This is a massive undertaking: as future energy systems increasingly encompass multiple vectors not just electricity they are experiencing unprecedented changes and challenges. And these challenges will only continue to grow. Already, significant and well-documented changes in electricity system structure, behaviour and operability are being witnessed. Twenty years ago there were a relatively small number of large-scale generation sources meeting overall system demand. In Q1 of 2020, renewable energy capacity was 47.4GW against a maximum overall electricity demand of approximately 60GW, representing an increase of around 7%, or 3 GW, on the previous year, which is considerably less than the requirement to build 4.4GW per year stated earlier. Additionally, National Grid estimates that there will be over 11 million electric vehicles in the UK by 2030, with more than 30 million by 2040 in the most stretching net zero scenarios. By 2025, up to 45% of homes may be offering up to 38GW of flexible electricity (controllable supply and/or demand) to assist in operating and balancing the system. The electrical power system is effectively being turned upside down with more power being generated from the bottom up as opposed to the top down. This, coupled with the electrification of transport and other changes, means that power systems will be structured and will behave very differently in the future. In the past, power was generated from a relatively low number of large-scale, transmission-connected, relatively predictable and controllable sources of power with well-understood behaviour and characteristics (e.g. provision of fault level and inertia) facilitating stable operation of power systems. Now, and even more so in the future, power will be provided by a relatively huge number of small-scale, relatively unpredictable and perhaps non-controllable sources of power, that do not necessarily possess the stability-enhancing features of large-scale traditional generators. Although some renewable energy will be generated at scale (e.g. offshore wind), this may be interfaced to the system using DC/AC interfaces, and again, these do not inherently possess the attractive features of large-scale synchronous generators. From an electrical system perspective, the impact of reductions in inertia and reliance on distributed energy resources are already being witnessed. For example, the events in the UK on August 9th 2019, where the system experienced a sequence of faults and loss of generation, resulting in the loss of supply to more than 1.1 million consumers, led to concerns throughout the industry and its stakeholders, with various investigations and reports being commissioned. Although the system operator performed well against all expectations, it was noted that a number of changes and reviews would be required, for example to reduce the risk of inadvertent tripping and disconnection of embedded generation, as GB moves to ever increasing levels of embedded generation. It has been stated by National Grid that the events of August 9th highlighted that improvements to system stability should be made and that the system is becoming less stable. This results in faster system frequency changes, less voltage and fault ride-through stability, and makes it more difficult for both synchronous and non-synchronous generators to operate safely. It is also indicated that there is a need to understand the behaviour of new technologies and their impact on the system, e.g. virtual synchronous machines and also that there is a need to improve our understanding of how the system behaves in extremely low levels of inertia. The ESO Innovation Strategy document identifies a number of macro trends, including coordination between transmission and distribution system operators, mathematical, digital and analytical tools to deal with increased system complexity, and an investigation of alternative tools/technologies to support the system. Furthermore, it is also stated that, The Energy Data Taskforce has made clear recommendations that industry needs to work together quickly to make data more accessible. To gain understanding of and to effectively operate future power systems, comprehensive amounts of high-quality data will be required, ideally in a synchronised fashion, given the fast-changing and dynamic nature of electrical power systems, and this data must be secure. Solutions now exist, from companies such as Synaptec, that offer real-time synchronous data collection and analysis. This type of data will be critical to understanding system behaviour and trends in how this behaviour is evolving over the longer term to inform strategy and long-term planning, and for real-time and near-real-time applications to assist with the secure operation, control, protection and monitoring of future power systems operating in a context of increased volatility and uncertainty. Campbell Booth is co-founder of Synaptec and a professor at the University of Strathclude
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https://www.engineerlive.com/content/what-does-national-grid-future-look
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Can the US church manage the synodal path?
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Pope Francis decision to postpone and widen the planned 2022 synod is extraordinary and invites everyone to stop and take a deep breath. The planned subject For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission remains the same but the new means adopted are now more intrinsically suited to such a topic. The Synod of Bishops has been changing in the 21st century. Previously, under Pope John Paul II, they were stale events, with bishops reading canned speeches and amending a text that had been prepared in advance. Pope Benedict XVI introduced the innovation of allowing anyone to speak on any topic in the final hour of each days general assembly, what I called the karaoke hour. Pope Francis has further increased the amount of genuine dialogue at each synod and now will broaden that dialogue with a universal period of preparation at the diocesan level, followed by a continent-wide dialogue, and finally the meeting in Rome. What is more, as Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, made clear in announcing the new schedule, the consultation is intended to include the whole people of God. The governing principle of this consultation of the people of God is contained in the ancient principle that which touches upon all must be approved by all, Grech said in an interview. This is not about democracy, or populism or anything like that. Rather, it is the church that as the people of God, a people who by virtue of baptism, is an active subject in the life and mission of the church. The churches of Latin America have been the most successful so far in developing a synodal process with the meetings of their continent-wide episcopal conference, CELAM. The meetings include a great deal of prayer, beginning with prayer together for several days before turning to business items. The documents they have produced at Medellin, Puebla, Santo Domingo, Aparecida have been among the most theologically fertile post-conciliar texts. Ecclesiologist Massimo Faggioli recently wrote about synodality albeit before the announcement from the Vatican and about the ways it does, and does not, reflect models of sociopolitical organization in the ambient culture. The modern theology of synodality originates chronologically in contemporary theology of the Catholic Church, and geographically within societies in the liberal-democratic order in the Western hemisphere, he wrote. This is not just a coincidence. We will look forward to Faggioli and other theologians explaining this lack of coincidence in greater detail! Theologians start your engines! Indeed, Faggioli already has another column on this subject that examines some of the global issues in greater detail. Certainly, in the history of the U.S. church, the provincial councils and, later, plenary councils of Baltimore reflected a synodal model in the 19th century. In the 20th century, the bishops conference sometimes channelled a similar approach, overcoming wide differences of opinion at the outset of a discussion and yet forging a consensus. For example, their 1983 pastoral letter The Challenge of Peace: Gods Promise and Our Response was debated for more than two years, and the final vote was a nearly unanimous 238-9. In 2004, on the contentious issue of Communion for pro-choice politicians, the bishops conference adopted a document, Catholics in Political Life, by a vote of 183-6. In recent years, regrettably, the U.S. bishops have lost much of their ability to work together; indeed they do not seem to like each other very much, and so I worry how they will manage to engage in this new and promising synodal process. Continue reading News category: Analysis and Comment.
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https://cathnews.co.nz/2021/05/27/managing-the-synodal-path/
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Why is QB Mac Jones wearing No. 50 for the Patriots?
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The NFL has relaxed some of its requirements on uniform numbers for the 2021 season, but not this much: Rookie quarterback Mac Jones is throwing his first practice passes as a member of the New England Patriots this week with No. 50 on his jersey. The NFL has expanded the choices on jersey numbers for defensive backs, linebackers, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers. But the quarterback portion of the uniform rule didnt change: A quarterback must wear a number from 1 through 19. Then why is Jones in No. Because of a unique system used by New England, Jones will wear No. 50 for the Patriots until he must be assigned a legal number to play in the preseason. When rookies arrive, the Patriots annually assign initial numbers based on their NFL Draft order. The first player drafted by New England gets No. 50. This season, thats Jones, who joined the Patriots from Alabama as the 15th player picked. FROM RILEY SMITH TO MAC JONES: ALABAMAS DRAFTED QUARTERBACKS As the second player selected by New England in the 2021 NFL Draft, former Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore has jersey No. 51 for the offseason program. The uniform numbers for the Patriots remaining six 2021 draft choices follow in order, except No. 56 and No. 57 are not used. They are retired for Andre Tippett and Steve Nelson, respectively. That puts Colorado offensive lineman William Sherman, New Englands seventh draft choice, in No. 58 and UCF wide receiver Tre Nixon, the Patriots final draft choice, in No. 59. After the draft picks are assigned their numbers, New Englands undrafted rookies pick up the numbering from the final draft choice, with the jersey assignments made in alphabetical order. At Alabama, Jones wore No. 10, which is unclaimed currently by any of New Englands veterans. The Patriots used their first-round draft pick on Jones this year even though they re-signed Cam Newton, their starting quarterback in the 2020 season. PATRIOTS TRYING TO GIVE ALL THEIR QUARTERBACKS AN OPPORTUNITY The quarterbacks have been working on the field this week as New England started Phase III of its offseason program. Good energy. Awesome guy, New England wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said of Jones on Thursday. You can tell hes happy to be here. Comes to work, and you can just feel his energy and his leadership already. He has a swag to him that I didnt know that he had at first. Hes out there confident, and thats what you need in a quarterback. Hes come in with that, and I feel like thats going to take him a long way. If you can believe in yourself at all times, for any player, youll have success anywhere you are. A consensus All-American in 2020, when he helped Alabama win the CFP national championship to cap an undefeated season, Jones completed 311-of-402 passes for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions to set an NCAA FBS single-season record for passing-efficiency rating at 203.1 last season. We havent been in a game yet, Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said on Tuesday, but from the couple of days that weve had together, hes been definitely easy to work with. He probably wont run past everybody, so throwing a catchable ball is definitely something thats got him to where he is, and hes blessed to have the arm talent he has. Its definitely nice working with him. Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1. MORE NFL: If Tim Tebow can return to the NFL, Brandon Jacobs says he can, too Patriots trying to give all their quarterbacks an opportunity Tom Brady makes Bucs feel like Alabama, O.J. Howard says Bradley Bozeman working at new position for Ravens Tua Tagovailoas hip feels 10 times better at Dolphins practices Jerry Jeudy: I got a lot to prove this year Landon Collins on the field again for Washington Falcons coach faces questions about Julio Jones
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https://www.al.com/sports/2021/05/why-is-qb-mac-jones-wearing-no-50-for-the-patriots.html
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Will Torquay United boss Gary Johnson ring the changes at Altrincham?
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Sign up for our Torbay newsletter and you'll never miss a big story again Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Keep me updated Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Torquay United are at Altrincham tomorrow for a National League game that, on the face of it, means nothing at all. But thats not the whole story. While there is interest for Torquay about who will finish fifth and sixth because those two teams will play for the right to visit Plainmoor on June 12 - Gulls fans will be excited to see how manager Gary Johnson approaches this game, the last one of the normal season, with the team guaranteed to finish in second and a home draw in the play-off semi-finals already secured. Whoever does finish in fifth and sixth it could be one of Hartlepool United, Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Eastleigh, Bromley or FC Halifax Town - Torquay will have to beat the winners of that game in a one-off semi before heading to Ashton Gate in Bristol to play the winner of the game between the team that wins the match between fourth and seventh, and the winner of the semi-final at the team that finishes in third - either Stockport County or Hartlepool. There is disappointment at Torquay, of course, that the Gulls couldnt quite beat Sutton United to the title and the only automatic promotion place, but Johnson wants to relay a positive message ahead of the play-offs, and was doing so before todays trip to Altrincham. We were all a little bit down and we had to pick them up going into the next game - just to say lads if this was a late run and we ended up second we would have been quite happy, because we were still in it with a couple of games to go. A non-losing run of 12 or so games was a good effort from a very small group of lads that we had that we couldnt mess around with. We didnt have a great deal of options. Some had to play with slight little knocks and things. Anyway, thats what has happened and we have got to be proud of the boys, even though I had to let them know we didnt reach our quality - and our best game on Saturday. The Gulls may not have been beaten in 12 games but they have drawn their last three and will want to go into the play-off semi-finals on the back of a win. Johnson was not for dropping hints before the game but wouldnt it be good to see striker Danny Wright on the bench at least. Altrincham are 17th and have only won one game in five. Win, lose or draw however, they wont be moving up or down either. Teams have been dangerous this season when they have had nothing to play for. Barnet, for example, looked much better than their bottom-of-the-table position suggested they would be. Without relegation from the National League, it is often impossible to tell what kind of fight teams are going to put up when they can play with freedom. Johnson said: Thats the disappointment with teams like Barnet, Weymouth, Wealdstone, Woking - all of them got half-decent results towards the end because they were playing under no pressure of relegation. It just shows you at this level the players are often good enough but its just taking the pressure when it comes along. The only pressure on teams now was on the teams at the top - because the pressure was taken away from the teams at the bottom. But they have all got a game in them and players in their group that are match winners, so if you are slightly less than on-song then these teams can be quite dangerous. Kick off tomorrow is 12.30pm for all of the games in the National League.
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https://www.devonlive.com/sport/torquay-united-boss-gary-johnson-5467345
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Will the Housing Market Ever Be Normal Again?
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On the demand side, demographics are the big, invisible engine driving the machine. Millennials are the largest generation in American history. Having been too financially constrained to buy houses at a normal rate in the previous decade, many of them are now storming into the housing market. Some might feel a desperate need to escape their current apartment, basement, or home after the coronavirus pandemic closed much of the world for more than a year and led to an outbreak of mind-numbing cabin fever. To make things even wilder, homebuyers are flush with cash after a year in which the national savings rate soared to its highest level in decades. On top of all that, interest rates, having basically declined for most of the past 40 years, recently touched new lows, luring more buyers into the market and encouraging higher bids. More generally, the pandemic turned the kaleidoscope of U.S. migration, and many familiesespecially many high-income families with work-from-wherever jobsare shopping around for sunny, spacious real estate and bidding up prices wherever they land. Weve never seen migration like this, executives at Toll Brothers, the real-estate company, recently said on an earnings call. Just shy of half the buyers are coming from out of state in the hottest markets of Idaho, Texas, and Florida. When people leave multimillion-dollar houses in, say, Los Angeles to plunk down $1 million on a house that was worth $500,000 a year ago, they turn a merely frenzied housing market into a once-in-history, hair-on-fire, what-the-hell-is-happening bonanza. Supply issues are just as important. Years of insufficient building and a construction pause during the pandemic have led to low inventory. Seniors, who in previous decades sold their homes to downsize, are now more likely to age in place, which is keeping millions of homes off the market. Plus, some builders are putting their projects on hold because of the sudden tripling of lumber prices, which could delay the construction boom this country so badly needs. The 2021 housing craze feels as sudden and shocking as the pandemic, but it was decades in the making. The emergence of the huge Millennial generation in the 1980s made strong housing demand in the early 2020s entirely predictable. The Great Recessions clobbering of the construction industry made todays housing shortage equally foreseeable. Indeed, McBride, the economics writer, saw all this coming from a mile away. Its not clear at all to me that things are going to slow down significantly in the near future, he said. In 2005, I had a strong sense that the hot market would turn and that, when it turned, things would get very ugly. Today, I dont have that sense at all, because all of the fundamentals are there. Demand will be high for a while, because Millennials need houses. Prices will keep rising for a while, because inventory is so low.
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https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/05/us-housing-market-records/619029/?utm_source=feed
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What's next for European integration?
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Already in the decade preceding the Covid-19 pandemic, the EUs economic governance suffered from a range of problems. By mandating austerity and structural reform policies, the Eurozone came to be characterised by governing by rules and ruling by numbers, with the wrong rules and numbers, which didnt work. This led to what I have called the EUs crisis of legitimacy, in which doubling down on the procedural rules led to poor economic performance and increasingly toxic politics. Fortunately, the EUs pandemic response represents a new beginning. Most notable among initiatives are the European Central Banks Pandemic Emergency Purchasing Program (PEPP) and the European Commissions Next Generation EU, focused on investing in the green transition and the digital transformation while addressing social inequity, accompanied by the Resilience and Recovery Fund (RRF) to provide investment funds for countries in need. All of this constitutes a massive achievement, and a major break with the past. But to ensure a brighter future for the European economy, much more needs to be done. New ideas call for an enhanced role for state actors EU and national as public entrepreneurs to promote growth and provide investments for greening the economy, digitalising society, and ensuring greater social equity. Commission industrial policy and the European Semester The EU has made a great leap forward through the Next Generation EU and the temporary Resilience and Recovery Fund (RRF). But this needs to be reinforced through the development of permanent EU level debt that could provide investment funds for all member-states on a regular basis. Think of a permanent RRF as an EU wealth fund, akin to national sovereign wealth funds, which issues debt on the global markets to use to invest through grants to the member-states in education, training, and income support; in greening the economy and digitally connecting people; as well as in big physical infrastructure projects. It could also be used to invest in EU level cross-border endeavours as well as for redistributive purposes through a range of innovative EU funds, including an unemployment reinsurance fund, a refugee integration fund (for countries taking in higher numbers of asylum seekers), an EU fund for just mobility (focused on brain drain), or even a poverty alleviation fund. The EU faces several possible obstacles and stumbling blocks with regard to implementing some of these new ideas. At the same time, the ECB should move from an almost exclusive focus on the primary objectives set out in its Charter to the secondary objectives. This could mean giving itself a target of full employment on a par with fighting inflation; ending neutral bond-buying (meaning stopping buying the bonds of polluting industries); creating green bonds for the environment; or even providing so-called helicopter money to offer direct support to households in need. Finally, it would be extremely useful to create an EU safe asset while solving the problem of national debt overhang (since debt restructuring by country is not feasible) by having the European Stability Mechanism buy a portion of the sovereign bonds held by the ECB. The next question is how to ensure that these new industrial and social policy initiatives succeed. For this, the European Semester the annual cycle of economic and fiscal policy coordination is the ideal vehicle for oversight and assistance. But only if we rethink both its purpose and its rules. The rule of rules and numbers mandating austerity and reform policies should be permanently suspended, to be replaced, say, by a set of fiscal standards to assess sustainability in context. If this is not feasible, then a much more flexible set of rules needs to be developed, focused on counter-cyclical economic policy, with more fine-tuned assessments of where individual member-states sit in the business cycle in relation to deficits and debt as well as growth outlook and prospects of meeting investment targets. Moreover, public investments (industrial and social) deemed to benefit the next generation should not be counted toward deficits or debt (known as the Golden Rule for public investment). In fact, in this environment of extremely low interest rates and extensive quantitative easing, public debt itself could be ignored if it is sustainable (meaning the government can borrow at a rate lower than the average rate of growth of GDP). The obstacles to reform The EU faces several possible obstacles and stumbling blocks with regard to implementing some of these new ideas. Political divisions remain in the EU Council, in particular between the so-called Frugal Four Plus, who insisted that the RRF be temporary, and had opposed any grants at all. If the RRF fails to deliver on growth or if the extra investment is not used wisely in the main countries targeted (Italy and Spain), enthusiasm will wane, and the likelihood of creating a permanent fund will diminish. In addition, the austerity hawks are likely to be back, in particular once the pandemic is over and things get back to some kind of new normal. With an increasingly intense election cycle coming up, and major contests in Germany and then France, not to mention other countries, the future politics of the European Council may have an impact on any further positive movement on the ideas just discussed. Pandemic fatigue has set in, with at the moment growing dissatisfaction with current governments due to continued lockdown measures and slow vaccine rollouts. In large part because of obstacles and stumbling blocks economic, legal, and political we need to think flexibly not only with regard to the future Eurozone economic governance but also in terms of the future of the EU itself. I cant see the member-states moving forward in lockstep, toward any kind of United States of Europe, a deeply integrated real social and economic union, or even toward a hard core around the Eurozone. This said, there can be no differentiation in the EUs core commitments to the rule of law. Rather, we need to be prepared to rethink integration as more differentiated. I tend to think of such differentiation in terms of a soft core Europe, made up of overlapping clusters of European countries participating in the EUs many different policy communities, all administered by a single set of EU institutions, with voice for all member-states in all communities, but with vote only in those in which they actively participate. Possible pathways forward The Eurozone is only one of such many policy communities, and even it would need to allow for further differentiation. For example, we could envision that were some member states to block a permanent fund, member states willing to move forward could use enhanced cooperation to pledge their own resources to an EU budget. Their representatives would then be the only ones to vote on the budget and its use, although everyone could discuss it (no separate Eurozone Parliament, then, but separate voting for MEPs in a deeper budgetary union). This said, there can be no differentiation in the EUs core commitments to the rule of law. And the EU needs to do more to reinforce citizen representation and participation. For the Eurozone in particular, this at the very least demands more involvement of the European Parliament through the co-decision method in Eurozone decision-making and of national parliaments in the European Semester. The ECB would also benefit from enhancing its accountability and transparency while democratising the process. One such way could be to increase ECB accountability to the European Parliament, say, through formal requirements for ECB-EP dialogues. Turning Eurozone treaties into ordinary legislation, moreover, would help break the stalemate that makes it impossible to change such legislation (given the unanimity rule), and ensure that they would be subject to political debate and possible alteration. But the European Parliament would also need to find more ways to bring national parliaments into EU level decision-making. And the EU as a whole must devise new means of encouraging citizen participation at all levels.
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https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/european-integration/whats-next-for-european-integration-5207/
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Has Zac Efron decided to say goodbye to the United States?
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American actor Zac Efron has sold his Los Feliz five-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles for 5.3 million. It is being speculated that he will completely move to Australia and settle there. According to foreign media reports, 33-year-old Zac Efron is currently in Australia for the shooting of a Stan Original Film Gold where he wants to buy a new property and build a house. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zac Efron (@zacefron) According to reports, the house sold by the actor had 5 rooms and other luxurious facilities including a gym. The house is said to be very beautiful from the inside.
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https://www.bolnews.com/entertainment/2021/05/has-zac-efron-decided-to-say-goodbye-to-the-united-states/
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How much do UFC fighters get paid on average?
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Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' recent spat with Dana White has brought unfair fighter compensation to public attention. Although the UFC notoriously underpays the superstars on its roster, the promotion's lesser-known fighters are quite fairly compensated compared to fighters in other premier MMA organizations and combat sports in general. According to a report by Way Of Martial Arts, the average UFC fighter made $147,965 in 2020. The report further estimates that 38% of the company's roster earned six figures in 2020. Among the champions, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who fought Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 last year, became the highest earner with a payout close to $6 million. Meanwhile, former champion Petr Yan was the lowest-paid champion, with a salary of $230,000. It's important to note that these are base salaries and do not include their share of PPV revenue. Khabib Nurmagomedov pockets career high payout of 4.6m after beating Justin Gaethje before retiring at UFC 254 https://t.co/HIxaPxltJV The Sun MMA (@TheSunMMA) October 26, 2020 The salary of an average fighter (excluding pay-per-view headliners) comprises the appearance fee and the win bonus for the victor. The fighter is also awarded a fight week incentive pay based on his/her experience in the UFC. The payscale was recently boosted by a whopping $1 million after the promotion inked a deal with apparel partner Venum. The Venum era starts today for UFC fighters. @marc_raimondi has a story on the slight pay bump the fighters receive as a result of the new deal: https://t.co/MSTTrjjvgx Here is the payment structure breakdown, which was sent to all fighters (or their reps) this AM: pic.twitter.com/UCxlI50Mti Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 1, 2021 Furthermore, the UFC also rewards exceptional athletes with cash bonuses, namely 'Fight of the Night' and 'Performance of the Night' bonuses. These bonuses typically amount to $50,000 each. However, at UFC 262, the bonuses were increased to $75,000 after Tony Ferguson made a plea during the pre-fight press conference regarding the same. Ask and thou shalt receive! Per @raphamarinho, fight bonuses for UFC 262 have been increased from $50,000 to $75,000! @TonyFergusonXT has some pull. https://t.co/CUHEPkuwWE Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 14, 2021 It's worth mentio that average pay doesn't reflect how much new fighters on the roster make, which could be under $10,000 for their first few fights. There is a significant disparity between the payscales of UFC fighters, which has a lot to do with popularity. Paige VanZant famously pursued free agency, citing low pay, which she stated was $46,000 to show and $46,000 to win, as per her contract. When Jon Jones publicly took on the UFC brass over money In 2020, Jon Jones reportedly relinquished his 205lbs throne following a public feud with Dana White over unfair compensation. White claimed in an interview that Jones had been demanding "Deontay Wilder money" for his next fight. The UFC president isn't interested in paying such a hefty amount to Jones, considering the former champion's blemished track record. "I don't want to go there with this guy. The guy has made a lot of money. If you look at Jon Jones' track record, show me somebody that has the track record this guy has and has made the money that Jon Jones has made. Doesn't happen," said Dana White. At UFC 260, when Francis Ngannou claimed the heavyweight throne, Jon Jones took to Twitter to ask the UFC for the right amount for a comeback. However, White once again refused to give in to Jones' demands with a sneering remark during the UFC 260 post-fight press conference. #UFC president @DanaWhite responds to @JonnyBones' recent tweets following @Francis_Ngannou's KO win at #UFC260: "If Jon Jones really wants the fight, Jon Jones knows he can get the fight." Watch full video: https://t.co/zRXsTxQwDa pic.twitter.com/cTLrywB0kF MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) March 28, 2021 It remains to be seen when the former champion will make his much-awaited return to the UFC octagon. Please take 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-how-much-ufc-fighters-get-paid-average
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Why did Jake Paul leave Triller to sign with Showtime?
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YouTuber Jake Paul recently signed with Showtime Sports after a successful run with the upstart Triller Fight Club. The move came as a huge step forward in the 24-year-old's apparent boxing career. Showtime Sports has been home to some of the world's most decorated athletes, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. In effect, this may be Jake Paul's first stride towards legitimacy in the world of combat sports. Triller boss Ryan Kavanaugh spoke to Bad Left Hook about Triller's biggest star moving to Showtime Sports. It would appear that monetary motivation caused Jake Paul and his team to drift away from Triller Fight Club. Kavanaugh told Bad Left Hook: "Jakes team said they got offered $10 million with upside. And so we said, We dont want to hold you back, we wish you good luck.' We tried to look at what makes financial sense. I just dont know how anybody can make money at the level hes asking for." Jake Paul might announce fight news soon Jake Paul's deal came as a huge surprise, as no one in the world expected a sudden shift in organizations broadcasting Jake Paul's fights. However, Jake Paul's unending antics were accompanied by his perfect record inside the ring, which is bound to have played an enormous role in this deal coming through. Pro Israel, Pro Palestine, Pro Judaism, Pro Islam, Pro Christianity, Pro Peace, Pro Equality, Pro Boxer..... Be a Pro.... dont be an asshole (unless you are me and you do it to drive these UFC clowns crazy) GOTCHA HAT (@jakepaul) May 22, 2021 Jake Paul has a professional boxing record of 3-0. Out of the three, his last two occurrences inside the ring came under his partnership with Triller. He knocked former NBA player Nate Robinson out in November on the undercard for Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Thereafter, he delivered a blockbuster fight against former mixed martial artist Ben Askren and knocked him out within round one. Paul's advisor, Nakisa Bidarian, first broke the news of Jake Paul's signing with Showtime Sports to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Nakisa Bidarian also revealed that Jake Paul was in the decisive stages of finalizing his next fight inside the ring. Nakisa said: "Jake is proud of the events he participated in with Triller and appreciates the opportunities they afforded him... Jake is excited to continue his boxing career with Showtime Boxing. Fight announcement coming soon." The announcement from Nakisa Bidarian fell in line with a Tweet posted by Jake Paul, also indicating the announcement of his next fight. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding Jake Paul's next fight. Let us know in the comments! Please take 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-why-jake-paul-leave-triller-sign-showtime
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Who should Eddie Jones pick for England this summer?
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This summer is the perfect chance for Eddie Jones to bring a raft of new faces into the England set-up. With 11 players in the British & Irish Lions squad, Tests against Canada and the United States will give fringe players the chance to assert themselves ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The equivalent tour to Argentina in 2017 was an unmitigated success. England not only won two Tests against a full-strength Pumas side, but also unearthed players who are now integral to the team, such as Tom Curry and Sam Underhill. Heres a proposed 32-man England squad for the Tests at Twickenham against USA on 4 July and Canada on 10 July Props Ellis Genge (Leicester), Beno Obano (Bath), Bevan Rodd (Sale), Kyle Sinckler (Bristol), Marcus Street (Exeter), Will Stuart (Bath) At loosehead, Genge and Obano (before his ban) have enjoyed an excellent few months in the Gallagher Premiership. Sales Rodd isnt a household name yet but forwards coach Matt Proudfoot has attended Sale training to meet the 20-year-old loosehead, who is also eligible for Scotland. Sinckler and Stuart are Englands first-choice tightheads, so it seems worth having a youngster to learn from them. This means Exeters Harry Williams misses out in favour of 22-year-old clubmate Street, who really does have superstar potential. Leicesters Joe Heyes is also in contention. Hookers Will Capon (Bristol), Tom Dunn (Bath), Gabriel Oghre (Wasps) Alfie Barbeary would be in this group, but after a torrid season with injuries there is no sense in rushing him into a summer series. His time will come. Instead, Dunn deserves a run in the starting jersey. The emotional centrepiece of the Bath pack, hes been unlucky to play so few minutes in his three England appearances so far. Recently banned after receiving a red card against Bristol, he should return for England raring to go. Capon and Oghre are the other selections and are only 21 and 23 years old respectively. Capon has been a model of consistency for Bristol while Barbearys clubmate Oghre has managed to win minutes against the most stacked hooker depth chart in the league. Dynamic in the loose with rare athletic ability for the position, his throwing will need to keep improving. Locks Charlie Ewels (Bath), Nick Isiekwe (Northampton/Saracens), Chunya Munga (London Irish), David Ribbans (Northampton) Eddie Jones considers Ewels to possess leadership potential and he is a real candidate to captain the side this summer. It will be interesting to see how he copes with being the senior member of a second-row partnership for the first time at Test level. If you were to draw an international second-row youd alight on the shape of Ribbans exceptionally durable, a massive unit, and one of the best pick-and-drive forwards in the league. Hes already been selected in wider England squads, and at 25 has time before the next World Cup to become the carrying lock Jones is looking to pack down alongside Maro Itoje. The other two spots are wide open and could include Northamptons Alex Moon or Leicester tyro George Martin. But its time that Moons (temporary) clubmate Isiekwe got another taste of international rugby. He toured Argentina just after his 19th birthday and the future seemed bright, before he was harshly substituted off in the first half against South Africa the next summer. Hes been Northamptons best forward since joining on loan from Saracens, is still only 23 years old and has an exceptional work-rate for a lock/six hybrid. Another youngster, Munga, is starting in the Premiership at only 20 for an underrated London Irish pack. Picked out as a future star by Alex Corbisiero and a key performer in the England age groups, he too should come into camp early. Back-rows Ben Curry (Sale), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Ben Earl (Bristol/Saracens), Ted Hill (Worcester), Sam Underhill (Bath), Billy Vunipola (Saracens) An extremely competitive area. Earl and Underhill are slam-dunk picks, with Underhills recovery from a hip injury edging out clubmate Miles Reid. Will Evans could have been involved before his untimely leg break. Hill and Curry have both been involved previously with England Hill even picked up a cap against Japan in 2018. They have captaincy experience, are only 22, and hit like freight trains. Itll be fascinating to see if Vunipola is selected this summer. While the temptation to rest him and other senior players is there, the Saracens No 8 has spoken about how playing games improves his physical condition. There will be plenty of opportunities to get him running downhill. Vunipolas skill-set also complements Dombrandt, who deserves a cap as part of the best 8-9-10 axis in the Gallagher Premiership. An X-factor player in attack, his off-ball work-rate has been questioned in the past, but along with his conditioning is improving rapidly. Scrum-halves Dan Robson (Wasps), Alex Mitchell (Northampton) There isnt a player more deserving of international minutes than Robson, who is poised to make his first start this summer after 11 substitute appearances. Simply exceptional against Harlequins in May. Behind him is a straight shootout between Northamptons Mitchell, Exeters Jack Maunder, and Bristol pair Harry Randall and Andy Uren. Randall looked to be the favourite after being named in Englands Six Nations squad, but an ankle injury has left him without any significant minutes since January. Mitchell has enjoyed his longest run of form for Northampton, and after spending so long in camp merits game-time. Probably the nine with the best combination of run-kick-pass skills. Ben Youngs ruled himself out of Lions contention to spend time with his family, so its unlikely hell play for England this summer. Fly-halves Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Jacob Umaga (Wasps) Time to see what the young guns can do. If George Ford is rested, its a choice between Smith, Umaga, and Joe Simmonds. Smith has been exceptional for Quins, who are reaping the rewards of allowing the academy product to run their attack at such an early age. He needs minutes to prove he can do the same at international level the USA and Canada will be a gentle introduction. Its tough on Simmonds, but Umagas versatility and instinct gets him the nod for the second spot. Hes impressively bounced back in recent months from a bout of sophomore struggles to return to his creative best, while also developing a quietly effective tactical kicking game. Centres Ollie Lawrence (Worcester), Joe Marchant (Harlequins), Piers OConor (Bristol), Henry Slade (Exeter) The most difficult position to select, with so many different styles competing for a single berth. Lawrence and Slade are the obvious selections, given another chance to develop a centre partnership that has promise on paper but failed to fire in the Six Nations. Pairing Marcus Smith with clubmate Marchant could bring the best out of both, but it does mean that Wasps Paolo Odogwu misses out. The final slot comes down to Sam James of Sale versus Piers OConor of Bristol incredibly versatile ball-players capable of being a second playmaker or making clean breaks themselves. There is something irresistible about OConors decision-making in broken field, so he gets the nod on this occasion. Could also be used at full-back. Back three Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish), Max Malins (Bristol/Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Ollie Thorley (Gloucester) There might be a temptation to rest May, but you sense the wing will be desperate to retain match sharpness in case the Lions come calling. Thorley deserves a second cap, while the third winger spot goes to namesake Hassell-Collins, who has been the crown jewel in an adventurous and youthful London Irish back-line. Hassell-Collins has made 33 clean breaks so far this season, almost ten clear of his closest competitor, and has the chance to finish the season with more than 1,000 metres with ball in hand. Possesses prototypical size for an international winger and is still only 22 years old. A third Ollie, Northamptons Sleightholme, should also be considered a real sprinter with a poachers instinct to match. Joe Cokanasiga and Jack Nowell miss out due to questions over injury and form. Malins is a certainty to be selected at full-back, having displaced Elliot Daly during the Six Nations, but the second slot is extremely open. Jones may well persist with the George Furbank experiment, but a better option would be Leicesters Steward, who competes with a physicality, maturity and fearlessness beyond his years. If you need an Englishman to take a high ball for your life, Steward is the man. Plays like David Havili. Possible England Summer Test Starting XV: Malins; May, Slade, Lawrence, Thorley; Smith, Robson; Genge, Dunn, Sinckler, Ewels, Ribbans, Earl, Underhill, Vunipola. You can download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door. Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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https://www.rugbyworld.com/countries/england-countries/who-should-eddie-jones-pick-for-england-this-summer-125607
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What lies behind Mozambiques deadly insurgency?
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The insurgency being waged by the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ) movement in northern Mozambique is causing widespread death and destruction. Neil Ford investigates the roots of the crisis. Many questions surround the insurgency in northern Mozambique carried out by Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah (ASWJ), which is also sometimes known as al-Shabaab. Most members appear to be local, although those who have been kidnapped and then escaped said that some are Tanzanians and others Somalis. Those killed have been overwhelmingly Mozambicans, plus some foreign workers employed on developing LNG infrastructure. Various sources claim that ASWJ is an Islamist group, Washington certainly regards it as an offshoot of Islamic State (IS) and IS itself claims responsibility for the attacks but Joseph Hanlon, one of the foremost commentators on Mozambique, disagrees with this narrative. Partly because of the common name, some media outlets also suggest a link with Somalias al-Shabaab but Hanlon says that the name is not evidence of a definitive link as al-Shabaab merely means the youth. On balance, it appears that the group does have links with IS but that the association is a fairly loose one, with both sides using the connection for self-publicity. The ire of the Mozambican insurgents mainly seems directed against the government but they do want to impose Sharia law and more popular distribution of LNG income. The timing of the 24 March attack on Palma could suggest a direct link with the LNG industry, as it took place just one day after Total announced that it was going to restart construction work on its nearby LNG project after a previous suspension. There have also been reports that they like the Somali pirates have been motivated by the impact of mass, unregulated offshore fishing on local fishermen. The LNG consortia developing the countrys resources are introducing their own infrastructure, including an airfield, on the Afungi Peninsula itself, but more than 1,000 contractors have been based in the previously sleepy fishing port of Palma, just 10km away. Palma has experienced rapid development, with a building boom for new hotels, suppliers and other infrastructure springing up. This sudden influx of wealth has created an economic imbalance in what is one of the poorest parts of Mozambique and where economic development is badly needed. The developers of all three of Mozambiques LNG projects have pledged to train and employ residents to take up technical positions and include local companies in their supply chains, and not just offer lower-skilled catering and security jobs. Doing so would encourage people in the far north to buy into the projects but it is claimed that most of the Mozambicans employed to date have come from the south. However, any desire by ASWJ to represent the wishes of local people is surely undermined by the extreme violence of its attacks. Work suspended on LNG The insurgency has had an increasing effect on the LNG sector but onshore development work had been badly affected since January. Total withdrew all its staff from the project it is leading at the start of April and then suspended all work several weeks later. It declared force majeure on the project, a legal step that allows developers to suspend or end contracts because of events beyond their control. The engineering contractors McDermott International, Saipem and Chiyoda Corporation have also suspended work. It seems unlikely that construction will resume until there is a dramatic upturn in the security situation. At the very least, the decision is likely to push the projects completion date beyond the previously anticipated 2024. In a statement, Total described the decision as the only way to best protect the project interest, until work can resume, while the consortium had agreed with lenders to temporarily pause the debt drawdown. The French firm bought its stake in the venture from Anadarko Petroleum for $3.9bn in 2019, while the consortium secured $16bn in lending last year. The fact that ASWJ can take and hold territory is something of an embarrassment for the Mozambican military, which has been unable to prevent widely anticipated attacks, nor quickly retake towns invaded by the group. The biggest town in the area, Mocimboa da Praia, has suffered attacks since 2017, notably in August last year when it was captured, and various other towns in the province have been controlled by the group at different times. There have been increasingly overt assaults by the insurgents, most recently at the end of March, when they attacked and seized Palma, killing dozens of people in the process. There have even been reports of the army looting buildings in the towns they retake. A recent Amnesty International report concluded that government and private security forces had been involved in the unlawful killing of civilians. The government initially turned to private security companies for support, including a Russian group and South Africas Dyck Advisory Group (DAG). DAG is training local forces and also provided helicopter support before the Mozambican military acquired its own new helicopters. Several foreign powers, including the US and other Southern African Development Community (SADC) states, have offered to support Maputo in the conflict but the government is reluctant to accept such offers because it highlights its own shortcomings. However, according to the US embassy in Maputo: US special operations forces will support Mozambiques efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism and violent extremism, while Portugal has also announced that it is sending personnel to train Mozambican forces. Discontent over resource revenues Exports of oil, gas and other similar commodities are supposed to benefit host communities through the taxes, royalties and other payments made to national governments, a significant proportion of which are to finance local projects and other forms of local economic development. However, local communities often see little benefit. Although they are sometimes displaced and have to cope with disruption, rising prices and pollution, the money is instead used to finance other forms of government spending, with some often siphoned off by politicians and officials. This creates discontent that can directly lead to violent attacks, but more often creates an environment within which militant groups can thrive. As in the Niger Delta, it seems unlikely that such violence would have emerged if there had been wider economic development and job creation in the area. The roots of the crisis are therefore socio-economic rather than directly religious. There is also a political angle because the government has allowed a situation to develop where the elite is quickly becoming more prosperous, while poverty remains entrenched in more remote areas, which cover most of the country. In terms of the level of violence, tactics and ability to control territory, a better Nigerian example is Boko Haram. Jobs and money persuaded many Niger Delta militants to hand over their weapons in the 2009 Militant Amnesty, and it has been reported that some local youths have joined Mozambiques insurgents because of the lack of opportunities rather than because of any deep-seated religious passion. Even in Afghanistan, research has shown that only a hard-core minority of Taliban members are motivated by religion, with the bulk involved in the movement on economic grounds, or out of fear. This is not to say that a significant proportion of local people support the terrorists, merely that underdevelopment has created an environment within which insurgencies can explode. Related article Africa now eye of global terrorism storm
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https://newafricanmagazine.com/26086/
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Was Billie Jean King in Every Sense the Athlete of the 20th Century?
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by In the late 1990s, I could always draw dismissive snickers at ESPN production meetings I was a commentator there at the time when I lobbied for tennis champion Billie Jean King to be named that networks number-one athlete of the twentieth century. In those days, even women sports wonks would roll their eyes and keep plugging for the likes of Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, or Muhammad Ali. My argument then: that while Billie Jean, like all those worthies, not only dominated her sport, sold tickets, and crossed over into popular culture, she also went well beyond them in fighting successfully for gender equality and against that slavish system of control called amateurism. Meanwhile, she was representing and inspiring half the population of the world. That was then. Check the recent sports news, please, and grant me a recount. At 77, Billie Jean is still active in the progressive movement in sports. She still marches, speaks, and tweets, while her legacy remains a critical context for current stories like the one about a transgender reality TV star and former Olympic champion running for governor of California, the upset victory that delivered the Senate to the Democrats, and an impending Supreme Court decision that might upend college sports as we know it (on all of which, more to come). In her heyday, she was a woman whose life was too often defined in tabloid terms wearing the wrong clothes as a junior tennis player, implicitly endorsing cigarettes, being outed as a closeted lesbian in a blackmail scandal, and taking a star turn in the silly yet symbolically significant 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match in which she beat aging male-chauvinist former tennis star Bobby Riggs before a TV audience of 50 million. In this century, however, Billie Jean has emerged as a venerated foremother of American sports. As befits a legend, shes generated at least four autobiographies. The latest, All In, written with Johnette Howard and Maryanne Vollers (to be released this summer), will help make my case. Now, let me trace her influence through four contemporary sports-related stories, the most complicated and far-reaching first. The End of Amateurism Story one: Sometime next month, the Supreme Court is expected to deliver an opinion in NCAA v. Alston. Its an athlete-led flank attack on the present system of compensating college players basically through scholarships that cover only tuition and living expenses as a violation of antitrust laws. The Supremes are sure to offer a narrow opinion because this particular case focuses only on a cap of about $6,000 on various education-related awards that universities are allowed to bestow on athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), with its 1,268 universities, colleges, conferences, and associations, imposed that cap in a relentless attempt to avoid expensive competition among its schools. The greatest fear of its top officials: a burst of uncontrolled bidding wars for high-school athletic talent. After all, the NCAA was created in 1906 to enrich itself through the unpaid labor of student-athletes, of whom the organization estimates there are now about 480,000. As the justices prepare their decision, the NCAA business model is about to blow up anyway, with new state laws in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and New Mexico that will allow such athletes to be paid by private companies for the use of their names, images, and likenesses. The NCAA, afraid of losing control of its monopoly, is rushing to loosen its own restrictions to stay ahead of a potential tidal wave of change. Ironically, it may soon find itself at cross purposes with its own Supreme Court case. All of this feels like nothing less than the welcome death throes of a scam religion called Amateurism, which has been defined as playing games for love, not money or not your own money, anyway. Think of it as the original sin of American sports. No one should be surprised, then, that it came out of slavery. The first celebrated athletes in America were unpaid Black slaves who represented their plantations as boxers, rowers, and jockeys. Their owners gambled on their skills against slaves from other plantations in bare-knuckle fights, as well as horse and crew races. When sports became prestigious and profitable, white people took over playing many of the games. Even though, in the last century, Olympic and college athletes, along with golfers and tennis players, became worldwide stars, they remained tightly controlled servants of Shamateurism, as it was dubbed then. This was the practice of denying such athletes the right to accept money as gifts or for expenses, much less as fees for appearances or endorsements. Meanwhile, coaches, officials, tournament executives, colleges, and corporations raked in the big sports bucks, maintaining their dominance in part by slipping the stars under-the-table payments. Colleges gamed the system with scholarships and no-show jobs, while Olympians wore branded shoes that came with cash stuffed under their innersoles. It was all about keeping jocks on the plantation. No wonder the phrase million-dollar slave came into vogue as a complaint against the bondage of college rules and sometimes pro contracts, too. Sometimes, it was even used as a mocking pejorative by those who held the chains. Enter Billie Jean Moffitt, a daughter of the working class her father was a firefighter, her mother sold Avon products and a prodigy in home-made shorts. She seems never to have forgotten the humiliation of being pushed out of a Southern California tournament group picture because she wasnt wearing a white tennis dress. But before she was done, she got payback. In the revolutionary year of 1968, spurred by her agitation, tennis finally entered an open era in which amateurs and pros played against each other (even if the pros still took the cash). This led to the sports professionalization and eventually to a movement toward player independence in all sports, part of the athletic revolution that informs the Supreme Court case and those five state decisions. The Equal-Pay Gap Story two: Its probably no surprise that the professionalization and commodification of sports the Olympics loosened its rules in the late 1970s to keep restive athletes in the games benefited men far more than women. Their prize and expense money was simply much higher. Again, the change began in tennis, led by Billie Jean. In 1970, the mens winner of the Italian Open received $3,500 in prize money and the womens champion (guess who?) got $600, a typical disparity of the times. Billie Jean then led eight other American and Australian women players in rebellion against the ruling United States Lawn Tennis Association, which promptly suspended them. But the womens pro tour they founded, eventually called the Virginia Slims Circuit (with its slogan, Youve come a long way, baby), soon enough became the centerpiece of a new Womens Tennis Association. There was a cost, however. By sharing that slogan, womens tennis and Virginia Slims cigarettes became inseparable in the public mind. There was a spike in womens participation in sports and in lung-cancer cases. Billie Jean has maintained that the players never directly endorsed smoking. As weak as that justification may seem to many, it was also true that even in a boom time for sports, no other major corporations were willing to sponsor womens tennis. Even today, that money gap between men and women has not disappeared. On Equal Pay Day last March, members of the U.S. womens soccer team joined President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden in discussing that very disparity. That team, far more celebrated and successful (as the winner of four World Cups) than the mens team, recently lost a wage discrimination suit against soccers equivalent of Billie Jeans ancient nemesis, the United States Lawn Tennis Association. The team plans to appeal. At about the same time, it was revealed that there was a gap of about $13 million between the money the NCAA budgeted on men and womens living conditions, medical support, and training facilities for its annual basketball March Madness tournaments. Billie Jean was immediately on the case with a video tweet calling for equality, for the same[as] were all in this together. The Original 9 Story three: The Original 9, as Billie Jean and her tennis rebels came to be known, offered a singular lesson to the male-dominated sports world women could act collectively, courageously, and aggressively against the establishment, despite both ongoing oppression and the suppression of their history. Womens sports began its great awakening as an athletic off-shoot of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. At the time, female Olympic medals became as valuable as mens when it came to propagandizing for the physical and moral superiority of the Free World, as led by Washington. At home, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protects against discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, began to be applied to girls high-school and college sports. That would affect millions of young women and help bring political activism to their sports. Meanwhile, in the pro ranks, the most prominent daughters of the Original 9 would be the players of the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), the marginalized womens version of the NBA. While men regularly left college and began their pro careers as instant millionaires, women who turned pro regularly found that they needed second jobs in the off-season. But it was in the WNBA, not the NBA, that players, even whole teams, would launch years-long protests against racism, gun violence, and police brutality, which would lead the way to the NBA Black Lives Matter wildcat strikes of 2020. The men, in other words, would find their moral courage in the womens example and that example, in turn, can be traced back to of course, you know the name Im about to use Billie Jean King. And that wasnt the end of it either. The WNBA had picked up the Original 9s torch and so became the moral center of the current progressive movements in sports. And then the league got really serious, playing a striking role in the 2020 elections when members of the predominantly Black Atlanta Dream team began wearing tee-shirts endorsing Raphael Warnock, the Black Democratic opponent of Republican Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler. It was a gutsy move, since Loeffler, a white woman who had disparaged the Black Lives Matter movement, just happened to be the Dreams co-owner. The surprise upset victories of Warnock and the other Georgia Democratic Senate candidate, Jon Ossoff, would even the odds in a previously Republican-dominated Senate. Typically, Billie Jean congratulated the victors with a tweet, quoting from the late Representative John Lewis: The vote is precious. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society, and we must use it. The Battle of the Sexes Revisited Story four: The technique men have traditionally used to cancel women athletes (particularly the ones who could beat them) was to declare them ersatz women; that is, either biological men or lesbians. Billie Jean did not escape such rumors and they turned out to be true. While her first biography extolled her early marriage to Larry King as a fulfilling physical relationship with a liberated soulmate, later bios would describe their union as more of a friendship and business partnership. At the time, she was actually in an increasingly troubled affair with a hairdresser named Marilyn Barnett. In the end, Barnett threatened to out Billie Jean and that threat, in turn, exploded into a sensational 1981 trial that left the Kings in financial ruin. Millions of promised dollars in endorsement contracts would promptly vanish and her most innovative project, World Team Tennis (now known as Mylan WTT), an innovative league of touring pros who also give clinics to local players, would be damaged. As a result, Billie Jean needed to keep playing beyond her prime, an ironic comedown for someone who had been transformed into a worldwide symbol of emerging womanhood when she beat Bobby Riggs in their 1973 televised Battle of the Sexes spectacular. It may only have been a tennis match between the 29-year-old King and her 55-year-old opponent, but it had been promoted as a gender reckoning. And even that match of theirs would come to seem quaint in the decades to follow thanks to Bruce Jenner. A handsome, 27-year-old New Yorker, he became the worlds greatest all-around athlete by winning the 1976 Olympic gold medal for the decathlon, a test of 10 demanding sports. He would appear on a Wheaties cereal box and eventually marry into the Kardashian family. Then, in 2015, Jenner would help set in motion the sex/gender story of the first decades of the new century by renaming herself Caitlyn. She would, in other words, come out as a trans woman. This year, she even declared herself a Republican candidate for California and, bizarrely enough, announced, in the manic fashion of present-day Trumpian Republicans, that she did not believe transgender girls should compete on girls teams. In other words, she cancelled herself. Americas Sports Foremother Billie Jean, who had, of course, backed Caitlyn in her transition, went on to join a vanguard of women stars supporting transgender athletes and no, she never ran for the governorship of anything. In short, her stands, personal and political, offer a remarkable progressive roadmap for my own 60-odd years covering sports. The very first time I met her, in the late 1960s, she was only 26 and already under attack. Im a breadwinner, too. Laver was then the best mens player. She was mocked and berated for her stances in much the same way that, at the time, Black athletes who protested unfair treatment were marked as ungrateful Negroes. Blacks were told to go back to Africa, women like Billie Jean to the kitchen. Through her activism, serious introspection, protests, even rants, and more recently Twitter volleys, Billie Jean has continued to adapt to her times. She told me recently that, through therapy, she had come to understand how she had used sports competition as an escape from everyday life, as a way of putting off all the issues that need eventually to be addressed, including coming out to her aging parents. Once she stopped playing tennis regularly, she said, she found herself substituting binge eating for the addiction of competitive matches. You dont need to face fears when you can focus on the next match, was how she put it. In her late sixties, she began revising the symbolism of the Battle of the Sexes, an event adapted for a 2017 film starring Emma Stone. Now, however, she described it to me in terms more fitting for the sensibilities of her fellow boomers less a battle of the sexes than, in her phrase, an alliance of the ages. In retrospect, she said, the late Bobby Riggs had not been as much a masculine symbol to be bested as a role model for successful aging and for the principle of never giving up. She won, she added, because she took him seriously and respected what he had done in his past. He wasnt some hustler to her still looking for his moment, but a player who had won the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1939, and so could never be taken for granted. The ultimate lesson, she declared on the cusp of her own old age, was respect your elders. Now in her late seventies, one of those very elders (with Americas premier tennis center named after her), and an icon of sports, womens rights, and LGBT rights, she seems ever more clearly number one and our foremother. This column is distributed by TomDispatch.
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https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/05/28/was-billie-jean-king-in-every-sense-the-athlete-of-the-20th-century/
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What does off the board or OTB mean in sports betting?
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Normally, every game imaginable is available for betting on a sportsbook. Even obscure sports or minor leagues have betting lines. Sometimes, though, a bet goes off the board. That means no one can bet on it until the sportsbook puts it back up for betting. The phrase off the board comes from the fact that if you are looking at a board with sports bets on it, the games line would no longer be listed on the board. So sometimes, the game wont be listed for bets. Sometimes the line will be shown as off or with the acronym OTB. This usually happens when a significant change to the game becomes known, whether its a major injury or crazy weather conditions. For example, the previous line now appears to be way off. Letting bettors bet the old line could be bad news for the sportsbook, so they dont allow betting to resume until they figure out whats going on and confidently set a new line. Major injuries are the most common reason for a game to be taken off the board. Think about Patrick Mahomes, an NFL MVP in his prime, getting hurt in practice leading up to a game. If the Kansas City Chiefs were 8.5-point favorites before the injury, anyone betting against them with that 8.5-point spread is potentially getting a significant advantage. A disproportionate amount of bets would bet against the Chiefs, and the sportsbook would potentially be looking at losses from that game. If Mahomes is definitely out and the book is fast, they can put the line back up quickly with, say, a 3-point spread. But if Mahomes injury puts his availability in question for the game, they might keep the game off the board longer until they know his status. The same works for Steph Curry getting injured for the Golden State Warriors. Any star-driven sport is susceptible to injuries significantly shifting lines, which may cause a sportsbook to take the game off the board. Even in baseball, having a Cy Young-caliber pitcher like Max Scherzer get scratched and having the Washington Nationals cobble together some relievers to pitch the game will have a huge impact on the moneyline odds runline the over/under the total. This is one potential advantage for savvy bettors. If you see a report of a significant injury, try to get the bet in fast before the game is taken off the board or the line is changed. Even once a game is taken off the board, any preexisting bets are still valid at the line when they were placed. Dont feel bad for sportsbooks who are slow to react. They have plenty of other built-in advantages. This is one to take when you can get it.
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https://theathletic.com/2577255/2021/05/28/what-does-off-the-board-or-otb-mean-in-sports-betting/
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Can Celtics fix defensive game plan to compete with Nets in Game 3?
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The Celtics have one final weekend to get the most out of what they have left. Who knows if it will happen, but at this point, Brad Stevens needs to throw everything at the wall and see if any of it sticks.He surprised everyone by tucking Jabari Parker away for a few weeks and then bringing him back in a vital rotation role in Brooklyn, though he abandoned that soon after the first quarter Tuesday. Hes constantly switched up defensive matchups on the Nets top players. None of it has worked.So what do Stevens and the Celtics defense need to fix for Game 3?Rotating on a stringNo team in the NBA forces a defense into more complicated rotations than the Nets.
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https://theathletic.com/2618292/2021/05/28/can-celtics-fix-defensive-game-plan-to-compete-with-nets-in-game-3/
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Should a manager ever go back to a club he's left before?
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We all know the proverb, that they say never go back, but plenty always do. Tottenham Hotspur are in talks with their former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who they let go in November 2019, in an attempt to bring him back to the club. In Italy, Juventus are set to reappoint Massimiliano Allegri two years after he left the club in the wake of winning a fifth straight Scudetto while elsewhere this week, Zinedine Zidane has again said his goodbyes as Real Madrid boss, bringing his second spell in charge of Real Madrids first team to a close. Have your say below and join the debate with your fellow subscribers.
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https://theathletic.com/2619033/2021/05/28/should-a-manager-ever-go-back-to-a-club-hes-left-before/
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What exactly causes mysterious deep earthquakes?
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Liquids play a vital role in deep-focused earthquakes, which occur between 300 and 700 kilometers below the planets surface, according to a new study published in AGU Advances. The research team consists of Stephen Sherry, Lara Wagner, Peter Van Keken, and Michael Walter of Carnegie Mellon University, and Graham Pearson of the University of Alberta. Common earthquakes (Photo: Yuichi Yamazaki Photography / Getty Images) The majority of earthquakes occur within 70 kilometers of the Earths surface. They happen when tension builds up at the fault between two pieces of rock, forcing them to slide over each other unexpectedly. Deep earthquakes (Photo courtesy of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Europe) However, deep in the Earth, the tremendous stresses generate a lot of friction for this type of slip to occur, and the higher temperatures help the rocks bend to adapt to the changing pressures. Since the 1920s, scientists have been able to identify earthquakes that have arisen more than 300 kilometers below the surface, despite the fact that they are not logically conceivable. Water plays a role in medium-depth earthquakes, which occur between 70 and 300 kilometers below the Earths surface, according to ongoing research over the past several decades. Water is released from the minerals in these cases, weakening the rocks near the fracture and allowing the cut rocks to slip. However, scientists did not believe that this phenomenon could explain deep-focus earthquakes, mostly because water and other fluid-forming components could not go far enough into Earth to have a similar effect. Related article: A 2.6-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Southern California Diamonds are in the depths of the earth (Photo: Courtesy of the Gemological Institute of America.) When Sherry and Wagner compared the depths of a rare diamond in the depths of the Earth to mysterious earthquakes of deep focus, their perspective changed for the first time. Diamonds not only indicated the presence of fluids, but they also transported samples from deep within the earth to the surface for scientists to investigate. When diamonds grow deep under the earths core, they can pick up mineral fragments from the surrounding rock. These minerals are known as impurities, and while they may reduce your contract cost, they are extremely beneficial to Earth scientists. It is one of the few methods that scientists use to examine samples directly from the depths of our planet. The impurities in the diamond showed a chemical signature similar to those in the marine crust. This indicates that water and other things did not form deep underground. Instead they were washed away by a submerged ocean plate. simulation (Image: Wikimedia Commons) Wagner and Van Kekken put their theory to the test by using complex mathematical models to simulate the temperatures of sunken plates at depths much greater than had been done previously. In addition to modeling, Walter looked at the stability of water-bearing minerals to see if they could hold onto water in certain situations under intense heat and pressures from deep underground. Although warmer plates do not contain water, the study demonstrated that minerals in cooler oceanic plates may hypothetically transport water to depths associated with deep-concentrated earthquakes. The scientists compared the simulations with realistic seismic data to support their findings. They showed that panels that might theoretically transport water to these depths were also subjected to deep, hitherto unexplained earthquakes. This study is unique in that it examines the same topic using four separate disciplines: geochemistry, seismology, geodynamics, and petroleum science, all of which point to the same result: water and other fluids are an essential component of deep-focused earthquakes. Read also: uncovering the gender that caused earthquake-like orgasms in New Hampshire For more news about natural disasters, dont forget to follow the news of the natural world! 2021 NatureWorldNews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. . What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
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https://exbulletin.com/uncategorized/946031/
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When will AI be ready to really understand a conversation?
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advertisement advertisement Imagine holding a meeting about a new product release, after which AI analyzes the discussion and creates a personalized list of action items for each participant. Or talking with your doctor about a diagnosis and then having an algorithm deliver a summary of your treatment plan based on the conversation. Tools like these can be a big boost given that people typically recall less than 20% of the ideas presented in a conversation just five minutes later. In healthcare, for instance, research shows that patients forget between 40% and 80% of what their doctors tell them very shortly after a visit. advertisement advertisement You might think that AI is ready to step into the role of serving as secretary for your next important meeting. After all, Alexa, Siri, and other voice assistants can already schedule meetings, respond to requests, and set up reminders. Impressive as todays voice assistants and speech recognition software might be, however, developing AI that can track discussions between multiple people and understand their content and meaning presents a whole new level of challenge. Free-flowing conversations involving multiple people are much messier than a command from a single person spoken directly to a voice assistant. In a conversation with Alexa, there is usually only one speaker for the AI to track and it receives instant feedback when it interprets something incorrectly. In natural human conversations, different accents, interruptions, overlapping speech, false starts, and filler words like umm and okay all make it harder for an algorithm to track the discussion correctly. These human speech habits and our tendency to bounce from topic to topic also make it significantly more difficult for an AI to understand the conversation and summarize it appropriately. Say a meeting progresses from discussing a product launch to debating project roles, with an interlude about the meeting snacks provided by a restaurant that recently opened nearby. An AI must follow the wide-ranging conversation, accurately segment it into different topics, pick out the speech thats relevant to each of those topics, and understand what it all means. Otherwise, Visit the restaurant next door might be the first item in your post-meeting to-do list. advertisement advertisement Another challenge is that even the best AI we currently have isnt particularly good at handling jargon, industry-speak, or context-specific terminology. At Abridge, a company I cofounded that uses AI to help patients follow through on conversations with their doctors, weve seen out-of-the-box speech-to-text algorithms make transcription mistakes such as substituting the word tastemaker for pacemaker or Asian populations for atrial fibrillation. We found that providing the AI with information about a conversations topic and context can help. In transcribing conversations with a cardiologist, for example, medical terms like pacemaker are assumed to be the go-to. The structure of a conversation is also influenced by the relationship between participants. In a doctor-patient interaction, the discussion usually follows a specific template: the doctor asks questions, the patient shares their symptoms, then the doctor issues a diagnosis and treatment plan. Similarly, a customer service chat or a job interview follows a common structure and involves speakers with very different roles in the conversation. Weve found that providing an algorithm with information about the speakers roles and the typical trajectory of a conversation can help it better extract information from the discussion. Finally, its critical that any AI designed to understand human conversations represents the speakers fairly, especially given that the participants may have their own implicit biases. In the workplace, for instance, AI must account for the fact that there are often power imbalances between the speakers in a conversation that fall along lines of gender and race. At Abridge, we evaluated one of our AI systems across different sociodemographic groups and discovered that the systems performance depends heavily on the language used in the conversations, which varies across groups. advertisement While todays AI is still learning to understand human conversations, there are several companies working on this problem. At Abridge, we are currently building AI that can transcribe, analyze, and summarize discussions between doctors and patients to help patients better manage their health and ultimately improve health outcomes. Microsoft recently made a big bet in this space by acquiring Nuance, a company that uses AI to help doctors transcribe medical notes, for $16 billion. Google and Amazon have also been building tools for medical conversation transcription and analysis, suggesting that this market is going to see more activity in the near future. Giving AI a seat at the table in meetings and customer interactions could dramatically improve productivity at companies around the world. Otter.ai is using AIs language capabilities to transcribe and annotate meetings, something that will be increasingly valuable as remote work continues to grow. Chorus is building algorithms that can analyze how conversations with customers and clients drive companies performance and make recommendations for improving interactions with customers. Looking to the future, AI that can understand human conversations could lay the groundwork for applications with enormous societal benefits. Real-time, accurate transcription and summarization of ideas could make global companies more productive. At an individual level, having AI that can serve as your own personal secretary can help each of us focus on being present for the conversations were having without worrying about note taking or something important slipping through the cracks. Down the line, AI that can not only document human conversations but also engage in them could revolutionize education, elder care, retail, and a host of other services. advertisement
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https://www.fastcompany.com/90641568/when-will-ai-be-ready-to-really-understand-a-conversation?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29
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What time is Taoiseach Micheal Martin announcement on easing restrictions?
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Sign up for our free newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Taoiseach Micheal Martin will address the nation tonight in the latest easing of Covid restrictions which will begin to ease from June 2. The nation will be eagerly tuning in to hear confirmation of what is expected to be a significant easing of lockdown, including the return of pubs and international travel. In his previous addresses Mr Martin would begin at around 6 pm but he may take to the podium earlier this time. He is set to announce the next stage of lockdown easing after signing off on the plans at a special Cabinet committee meeting this afternoon. Following a meeting with NPHET yesterday, the lockdown easing was given the go-ahead after CMO Tony Holohan confirmed that the virus transmission was extremely stable. (Image: Collins Photo Agency) The easing will be split into a number of different dates starting with June 2. That will be followed a week later by further easing on June 7 and again on July 5. Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly said: "Thanks to the Irish people getting behind the measures day after day and keeping case numbers and hospitalisation figures low." There has been a "collapse" in Covid 19 deaths thanks to the successful rollout of the vaccine to the extremely vulnerable age groups. Between May 14- 26, there have been just eight Covid deaths and the disease is now mainly transmitting in the 45-and-under age group. Get the latest news in your inbox Sign up for Dublin Live's breaking news newsletter by simply entering your email address here The FREE email will land into your inbox every day. Whether it be traffic and travel, what's on or crime - this newsletter will have you covered for everything. You can unsubscribe from this service at any time. And rest assured that your data will not be shared with any other party. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. For the latest news and breaking news visit dublinlive.ie/news. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @DublinLive - the official Dublin Live Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/dublinlive - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the capital.
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https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/health/what-time-taoiseach-micheal-martin-20697236
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What Does it Mean to Have a Mutable Zodiac Sign?
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If you think there's a different zodiac sign that's more aligned to your personality, there could a be reason for that it's your true sign. The True Zodiac Sign Test is a 60-question test that tells you which of the 12 zodiac signs you most closely resemble. To take the test, answer each question on the website by using the slider bar to decide between "agree" and "disagree" based on how you feel about each question. At the end of the quiz, the results are calculated and you can see which sign you most relate to. The cool thing about this quiz is that is uses percentages so you can see what percent of your personality relates to each sign.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2260736574971/what-does-it-mean-to-have-a-mutable-zodiac-sign
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What is Azraels Blade and when did it first appear in Lucifer?
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While the show often gets distracted by run-of-the-mill LAPD investigations, Lucifer is also steeped in fantasy elements and occasionally they rise to the surface. Advertisement This is the case towards the end of season five, part two, which sees the return of a celestial weapon with the terrifying power to completely eradicate someone from existence: Azraels Blade. The flaming sword hasnt been seen since season two, making its return in the latest batch of episodes a major surprise, but some viewers may have forgotten exactly why the item is such a big deal. Never fear: RadioTimes.com has your essential refresher on Azraels Blade, where weve seen it so far and why its such a big threat to Lucifer and his allies. Mythology explained The flaming sword is a divine weapon comprised of three distinct pieces, one of which is Azraels Blade, which was once wielded by the angel of death and used to protect the Garden of Eden. The ancient item is feared by the celestial community as it is capable of eradication i.e. if you are killed with Azraels Blade, you go to neither heaven nor hell, but are simply wiped from existence altogether. It was God who chose to split the flaming sword into three pieces Azraels Blade, the Medallion of Life and Amenadiels necklace as he felt this would make Lucifer less likely to use it against him. Sign up to receive the freshest reviews and recommendations for Streaming & On Demand Thanks, you are now signed up to our On Demand newsletter! We look forward to sending you our email updates. Sign in to/ register for a RadioTimes.com account to manage your email preferences Sign in Register To manage your email preferences, click here. Sign me up! Immediate Media Company Limited (publishers of radiotimes.com) would love to send you our On Demand newsletters. We may also send occasional updates from our editorial team. You can unsubscribe at any time. For details on how we use your data, please see our privacy policy. Netflix/YouTube Azraels Blade first appeared in the second season of Lucifer, when it was brought to Earth by Uriel (one of Lucifers angelic siblings), who intended to use it to kill their mother. Lucifer ended up having to kill Uriel with the blade in order to stop him, an act that left him racked with guilt and briefly trapped him in a hell loop. He keeps the blade in his possession and is initially doubtful when his mother tells him it is one component of the flaming sword, but her claim is proven when Lucifers anger causes it to come alight. He soon tracks down the other two pieces, one of which is discovered by a human named Earl Johnson and the other is found to be the necklace Amenadiel has been wearing for millennia. Lucifers mother, the Goddess, wants the flaming sword so that she can return to heaven and wage a war against her estranged husband, God himself. However, her son realises that this would inevitably cause bloodshed and wishes to find a more peaceful solution, using the sword to cut a hole into an alternate and empty universe. He convinces Goddess to move to this parallel reality as it offers a blank slate for her to create a universe in her own image, and she reluctantly agrees. Before closing the rift, Lucifer throws Azraels Blade and the Medallion of Life into the other universe, removing the necklace to return it to Amenadiel thus diminishing the threat of the weapon seemingly forever. In a later episode, Amenadiel forges a mentor relationship with a troubled teenager named Caleb and when the boy is killed, he gives him his necklace to be buried with. Netflix Azraels Blade returns in Lucifer season five part two due to the devious scheming of Lucifers twin brother, Michael Demiurgos. He sends the Angel Gabriel into his mothers universe to retrieve Azraels Blade and the Medallion of Life, a feat that requires great strength and could not be achieved by just anyone. He then digs up Calebs grave to retrieve Amenadiels necklace and complete the weapon, which he intends to use to strengthen his claim to becoming the next God, following their fathers retirement. Lucifer season 5 part 2 is available to stream on Netflix. Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix or the best movies on Netflix. Advertisement You can also read more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see whats on tonight.
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https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/lucifer-azraels-blade-explained/
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How effective are employer vaccine mandates?
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As the economy continues to reopen, more businesses are starting to require employee COVID vaccinations, albeit with certain conditions and medical or religious exemptions required by state laws. Dan Gorenstein, host and executive producer of the health-policy podcast Tradeoffs, explored some of those questions in a recent episode. Below is an edited transcript of Gorensteins conversation with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio on what he and his team found. Thats a mandate. Dan Gorenstein: So well, look. Target, Applebees, your favorite local diner, these kinds of businesses do not have vaccine mandates for their workers. So theres really no, like, ideal research out there to guide employers. What we do know comes from vaccine mandates in health care settings hospitals, nursing homes whove mandated a flu shot, not COVID. And that includes this one really interesting paper from Corey White, whos an economist at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, who is looking at hospitals in California. And talking with him and other health economists, theres a sense that the data that is available is generalizable, to some degree. Brancaccio: Yeah. What youre saying is if it works in a health care setting, in certain types of businesses, or maybe quite a few types of businesses, the data might still be relevant. Gorenstein: Right. So in the case of the California hospitals, the mandates increased uptake of the flu shot by about 10%. There was a 40% drop in the number of people who entered the hospital and caught the flu inside the facility. And he found a 20% drop in the number of people coming to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. So heres the big idea: Increasing vaccination rates made the hospitals themselves safer and it meant fewer people in the community were getting sick. And the bigger your business is a social hub, the more a vaccine mandate could curb spread. Brancaccio: Youre also exploring other data from other vaccines about what happens in an organization if employees get to decide not once and for all, but once a year, whether theyll get a certain vaccine. Gorenstein: Theres this really interesting case study in Washington, D.C. In 2009, the school district ultimately mandated girls get the vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV. And at the time, that was supercontroversial. Lots of parents were worried that it might lead to promiscuous sexual behavior or whatever. Its no longer that controversial. But at the time, parents were offered an opt-out. And if they opted out, that was it. It was just, like, a one-time deal. And then they were never asked again. A few years later, though, this school district switched to an annual opt-out. This guy, Brandyn Churchill, whos finishing up his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt, studied this, and what he found is that after the school districts switch to the annual opt-out, it led to an 11% increase in vaccinations, David. And so whats kind of cool also is that, like the Pfizer and Moderna COVID shots, HPV is a multidose vaccine. And switching to that annual opt-out also increased the number of kids getting all of their shots. So if an employer does do a mandate with an opt-out, I think the lesson here is keep asking, force people to engage and make that active decision one way or another, consistently. Brancaccio: Now, all that said, the idea of an employer requiring vaccinations is very polarizing. Gorenstein: It is very polarizing, and employers have to really sort of sift through the options. I mean, you can mandate this, but mandates have led to, for example, Houston Methodist, a hospital down there, you had 7,500 people sign a petition saying that employees shouldnt have to get vaccinated in response. Youve got lawmakers in, I think, 40 states that have introduced legislation trying to ban this from happening. And also, in some instances this is small there have been a couple of lawsuits that have been filed against employers whove put these mandates in. And finally, youre going to anger some workers. Some people might end up quitting because they dont want to do this. So there are some real downsides, or pushback, that employers have to consider. Brancaccio: Now some of this is complicated in the case of the COVID vaccine specifically, in that were getting those based on emergency approval. And I guess, what, there are some lawyers [who] argue, when its only under emergency approval, people should definitely have the right to say no for now. Gorenstein: Right. But other lawyers that we talked to for our reporting pointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is a federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws. They released guidance in December that said employers could mandate the vaccine as long as they offered religious and medical exemptions. So that seems to be the dominant theory among the legal experts as of right now. Some shoppers may have noticed that their grocery bills are higher lately. Prices for energy and used cars and trucks are also up. Jayson Lusk, head of the agricultural economics department at Purdue University, said that multiple factors have been pushing up food prices, including China purchasing more American products recently, more people driving and pandemic-related challenges in supply chains and workforces. Also, wages are up, although productivity has been growing faster than labor compensation for decades. I expect inflation to probably continue for the next half a year, at least, Lusk said. Read more about inflation here. By now youve heard the news on that guidance: Vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask indoors in most settings. Still, local governments and businesses are permitted to require them. Mask mandates have been tricky, even dangerous, for public-facing businesses to navigate. Retail workers around the country have been harassed and physically attacked while enforcing mask mandates. The updated guidance has created an impossible situation for retailers, said Lisa LaBruno, senior executive vice president of retail operations & innovation with the Retail Industry Leaders Association. After all, people start feeling the stress and financial hardship of long-term unemployment before they hit the 27-week mark. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.2 million Americans are long-term unemployed. Patrick Carey, an assistant commissioner in the Office of Employment and Unemployment at the statistics bureau, has one explanation. The breakout of 27 or more weeks accords well with the maximum length of time that many states offer regular unemployment insurance benefits, Carey said. Read More Collapse
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https://www.marketplace.org/2021/05/28/how-effective-are-employer-vaccine-mandates/
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Who's Worried About Inflation?
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So far, the Fed is not too worried about inflation. They think the latest uptick is transitory, the result of the economy reopening. But consumers are not so sanguine. This picture shows consumer inflation expectations, from the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. They asked survey respondents their inflation outlook for the next year in March of 2019, 2020, and 2021. 20% expect inflation to be more than 5% this year, and only 14% expect it to be the same as last year or lower. There is also more uncertainty than in years past. This is important because economists believe inflation expectations determine future inflation. People make buying and investment plans and negotiate wages based on their inflation outlook. Inflation can be costly to the economy and hard to control once it takes off. Consumer expectations can tell us a lot about where the economy may be headed and are usually fairly accurate. However, the survey also predicted high inflation in 2008, which never materialized. Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here. Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning eBrief.
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https://economics21.org/who-is-scared-of-inflation
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When is the US PCE inflation data and how could it affect EUR/USD?
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US PCE inflation overview Friday's economic docket highlights the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data, due later during the early North American session, at 12:30 GMT. The Fed's preferred inflation gauge the Core PCE Price Index is expected to surpass the 0.4% gains seen in the previous month and climb 0.6% MoM in April. On an annualized basis, the index is anticipated to have risen from 1.8% in March to 2.9% during the reported month, considerably above the central banks nominal 2% target. Ahead of the key release, the US dollar was supported by the overnight report that US President Joe Biden will announce a $6 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2022. A fiscally-expansive budget fueled optimism over the economic recovery and stoked worries about rising inflationary worries. This might force the Fed to tighten its monetary policy sooner rather than later. A stronger reading will validate the higher inflation narrative and trigger a fresh bout of the short-covering move around the USD. This, in turn, should pave the way for an extension of the EUR/USD pair's ongoing retracement slide from multi-month tops touched earlier this week. Meanwhile, Yohay Elam, FXStreet's own Analyst offered a brief technical outlook for the EUR/USD pair: Euro/dollar has dropped below the 50 Simple Moving Average on the four-hour chart and momentum has turned negative. Bulls may find some solace in the fact that the currency pair still trades above the 100 and 200 SMAs. Nevertheless, bears are gaining ground. Yohay also provided important technical levels to trade the major: Some support awaits at 1.2155, which provided support last week. It is followed by 1.2105, a cap from earlier in the month, and then by 1.2075. Some resistance is at the recent high of 1.2210, followed by the former triple top of 1.2245 and finally by the May peak of 1.2266. Key Notes US PCE inflation preview: Gold remains key asset to watch EUR/USD Forecast: Big budget, end-of-month flows and downside momentum all point lower EUR/USD remains depressed below 1.2200, focus on US PCE, budget About the US core PCE The Core Personal Consumption Expenditure released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis is an average amount of money that consumers spend in a month. "Core" excludes seasonally volatile products such as food and energy in order to capture an accurate calculation of the expenditure. It is a significant indicator of inflation. A high reading is bullish for the USD, while a low reading is bearish.
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https://www.fxstreet.com/news/when-is-the-us-pce-inflation-data-and-how-could-it-affect-eur-usd-202105281142
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What are the Drivers and Restraints of Market?
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Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Companies Profiled in this report includes, Burberry, Coach IP Holdings LLC, DIOR, Goldlion, Givenchy, Guccio Gucci S.P.A, Kate Spade, Longchamp, Mulberry, Michael Kors Holdings Limited, Phillip Lim, Proenza, Stella International Holdings Limited, River Light V, L.P., Valentino S.P.A, Derek Alexander Leather, Lvmh, Herms, Prada SPA, Charlotte Olympia Holdings Limited. The key factors discussed within the Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market research report will surely aid the customer in studying the market on competitive landscape analysis of prime manufacturers, trends, opportunities, Market strategies analysis, market effect correlational analysis and consumer needs by major regions, types, applications within the global Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market considering the past, present and future state of the industry. 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Request Sample Copy of the Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=middle-east-luxury-leather-goods-market&SR Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market, By Product (High Grade, Low Grade, Mid-Grade), Application (Men, Women), Country (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Rest of Middle East) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2026 The persuasive Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market business report offers sustainable forward looking growth programs to make sure business success which is imperative for organizations. The market document makes available an thorough description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of key vendors and business strategy adopted by competitors alongside their SWOT analysis and porters five force analysis. The market insights are often critical to key business processes like product planning, new development, distribution route planning and sales department development. A trustworthy report also includes the detailed profiles for the Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market major manufacturers and importers who are influencing the market. An excellent Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market report explains market definition, classifications, applications, and engagements within the market. It classifies the worldwide market size with reference to its value & volume by manufacturers, type, application, and region. The report is extremely helpful for creating an accurate decision regarding the market and achieving an excellent success. This wide ranging report not only provides knowledge and knowledge about all the recent developments, product launches, joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions by the several key players and makes but also acts as a synopsis of market definition, classifications, and market trends. Global Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market report serves to be a proven solution for businesses to realize a competitive advantage. Attribute Details Base year for estimation 2020 Actual estimates/Historical data 2014 2020 Forecast period 2021 2027 Market representation Revenue in USD Billion and CAGR from 2021 to 2027 Regional scope North America, Central & South, Europe, Asia Pacific, America & MEA Country scope U.S., Germany, Canada, UK ,Mexico, China, Japan, Brazil, India, Thailand, Report coverage Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors and trends 15% free customization scope (equivalent to 5 analyst working days) If you need specific market information, which is not currently within the scope of the report, we will provide it to you as a part of customization And More..Get Detailed TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=middle-east-luxury-leather-goods-market&SR Report Highlights: Detailed overview of parent market Changing market dynamics in the industry In-depth market segmentation Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape Strategies of key players and products offered Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective on market performance Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint Some Points from Table of Content Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Overview 1.1 Definitions and Scope Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Executive Summary 2.1 Market Revenue and Key Trends 2.2 Key trends by Product 2.3 Key trends by Distribution Channel 2.4 Key trends by Geography Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Comparative Analysis 3.1 Product Benchmarking Key Companies 3.2 Financial Analysis Key Companies 3.3 Market Value Split by Key Companies 3.4 Patent Analysis 3.5 Pricing Analysis Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Startup Companies Scenario Premium 4.1 Key Startup Company Analysis by 4.1.1 Investment 4.1.2 Revenue 4.1.3 Venture Capital and Funding Scenario Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Industry Market Entry Scenario Premium 5.1 Regulatory Framework Overview 5.2 New Business and Ease of Doing business index 5.3 Case Studies of Successful Ventures Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Forces 6.1 Market Drivers 6.2 Market Constraints/Challenges 6.3 Porters five force model 6.3.1 Bargaining power of suppliers 6.3.2 Bargaining powers of customers 6.3.3 Threat of new entrants 6.3.4 Rivalry among existing players 6.3.5 Threat of substitutes Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Strategic Analysis 7.1 Value Chain Analysis 7.2 Opportunities Analysis 7.3 Market Life Cycle Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market By Geography (Market Size $Million/$Billion) 8.1 North America 8.1.1 U.S. 8.1.2 Canada 8.1.3 Mexico 8.2 Europe 8.2.1 U.K. 8.2.2 Germany 8.2.3 France 8.2.4 Italy 8.2.5 Spain 8.2.6 Rest of Europe 8.3 Asia-Pacific 8.3.1 China 8.3.2 India 8.3.3 Japan 8.3.4 South Korea 8.3.5 Australia & New Zealand 8.3.6 Rest of Asia-Pacific 8.4 Rest of the World 8.4.1 Middle East 8.4.2 Africa 8.4.3 South America Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Entropy Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Industry/Segment Competition Landscape Premium 10.1 Market Share Analysis 10.1.1 Global Market Share Key Companies 10.1.2 Market Share by Region Key companies 10.1.3 Market Share by Countries Key Companies 10.1.4 Best Practices for Companies Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Key Company List by Country Premium Middle East Luxury Leather Goods Market Company Analysis 12.1 Company 1 12.2 Company 2 12.3 Company 3 12.4 Company 4 12.5 Company 5 12.6 Company 6 12.7 Company 7 12.8 Company 8 12.9 Company 9 12.10 Company 10 *Financials for private companies would be provided on a best efforts basis. Note The POST COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is impacting society and therefore the overall economy across the planet. The impact of this pandemic is growing day by day also as affecting the availability chain. The POST COVID-19 crisis is creating uncertainty within the stock exchange , massive slowing of supply chain, falling business confidence, and increasing panic among the customer segments. the general effect of the pandemic is impacting the assembly process of several industries. This report on Market provides the analysis on impact on POST COVID-19 on various business segments and country markets. The reports also showcase market trends and forecast, factoring the impact of POST COVID-19 Situation. Thanks for reading this article; youll also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report versions like North America, Europe, or Asia Etc.
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https://www.mccourier.com/middle-east-luxury-leather-goods-market-what-are-the-drivers-and-restraints-of-market-analysis-and-forecast-till-2027/
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Has Telegram become new haven on the Dark Web?
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Even as Internet users operate amid the fear of their privacy being hacked, latest research by cybersecurity researchers into the Telegram app has shown that its private data of millions of people is being openly shared in the apps groups and channels with thousands of members. The VPN provider vpnMentors investigations highlighted Telegrams position as a safe haven for cybercriminals, when it found that cybercriminals are using the popular encrypted communications platform to share and discuss massive data leaks that expose millions of people to unprecedented levels of online fraud, hacking and attack. Meanwhile, a recent similar investigation by NortonLifeLock discovered evidence of a thriving illegal marketplace on Telegram where unscrupulous users marketed many things that ranged from even Covid-19 vaccines and personal information to pirated software and fake IDs. In a detailed report by the vpnMentor researchers who examined the growing trend of cybercriminals sharing leaked data on Telegram, the research team highlighted its joining several cybercrime-focused Telegram groups and channels to experience for themselves the illicit exchanges occurring on the dark web. The researchers were shocked to discover hackers openly posting data dumps on channels of which some comprised over 10,000 members, while unscrupulous users unhesitatingly participated in discussions on how to exploit the data dumps in various criminal enterprises. However, while these data dumps are being normally exchanged over the dark web, Telegram offers several advantages, including its focus on protecting the privacy of its members, vpnMentor stated, adding that, compared to the dark web, the app offered a lower barrier of entry, besides immunity against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and web takedowns that threaten the operations of cybercriminal outfits on the normal web.
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https://filipinotimes.net/latest-news/2021/05/28/has-telegram-become-new-haven-on-the-dark-web/
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Where Will Lucid Motors Be in 5 Years?
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If you do, you probably recall the Cola Wars that dominated Super Bowl commercials and other major TV events. While that battle has waned, a new one seems to be rising: one involving electric vehicles (EVs). While Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) holds the pole position as the most recognizable luxury EV maker, Lucid Motors -- soon to merge with the SPAC Churchill Capital IV (NYSE:CCIV) -- is racing ahead in its attempt to challenge the EV king of the road. The upstart manufacturer aired a commercial during the episode of Saturday Night Live that Tesla CEO Elon Musk hosted earlier this month. Besides potential customers, investors have also taken notice of Lucid, so let's look down the road to see what it expects over the next few years. What will roll off the assembly line While no drivers are now seeing any Lucid EVs next to them in traffic, the company expects to have vehicles on the road before 2022 begins. Assembly of the company's first production model, the Lucid Air, will occur at the newly built factory in Arizona in the second half of 2021. Management recently reported that the company has received more than 9,000 reservations for the Lucid Air, and it expects to deliver about 1,000 units of the luxury sedan to customers in North America by the end of the year; deliveries to customers in international markets will commence in 2022. Over the next five years, Lucid foresees considerable growth in production, including the introduction of an SUV, Project Gravity, in 2023. With projected Air deliveries rising to 36,000 and Project Gravity deliveries of 12,000, Lucid expects to sell about 48,000 vehicles in 2023. By 2026, however, management expects SUV deliveries of about 134,000 to outnumber Air deliveries (about 42,000). Similar to Tesla's approach, Lucid expects to transition from only selling luxury vehicles to also offering more-affordable models, which it expects to introduce in 2025. Growing from 7,000 in 2025 to 75,000 in 2026, sales of the more-affordable vehicles will help the company (presumably) sell 251,000 vehicles in 2026. Looking for the financials in the crystal ball In seeking to grow vehicle deliveries from less than 1,000 in 2021 to 251,000 five years later, management clearly anticipates considerable success in convincing customers to hop into its driver seats. Investors, however, are likely more interested in where the rubber meets the road: the company's financial projections. Metric 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Revenue $2.2 billion $5.5 billion $9.9 billion $14 billion $22.8 billion Gross profit $34 million $1.1 billion $2.1 billion $3.1 billion $5.3 billion EBITDA (loss) ($1.1 billion) ($637 million) $592 million $1.7 billion $2.9 billion Free cash flow ($2.8 billion) ($3.3 billion) ($1.5 billion) $321 million $1.5 billion Based on the belief that it'll sell about 1,000 vehicles this year, Lucid expects to book $97 million on the top line. But with production ramping up next year, management believes revenue will grow considerably and continue to do so for the next five years. It expects the company to consistently generate a gross profit, averaging about 22% from 2023 through 2026. To put this in perspective, consider that over the past five years, Tesla has reported an average gross margin of 19.7%. Profitability on an EBITDA basis, on the other hand, isn't expected to occur until 2024. If Lucid meets its revenue and EBITDA forecasts in 2026, it'll generate an EBITDA margin of about 12.7%, comparable to the 13% EBITDA margin that Tesla has reported on a trailing-12-month basis. In terms of cash flow, Lucid expects that it will allocate $1.9 billion for capital expenditures (capex) in 2023 -- the highest amount over the next five years -- presumably to prepare for the production of its SUV that's planned for that year. Over the next several years, capex spending is expected to taper off, ending with the company spending $573 million on capex in 2026. Consequently, Lucid projects generating $1.52 billion in free cash flow in 2026. If we assume (again) that the company meets its revenue forecast, it will translate to a free cash flow margin of 6.7%, the same margin that Tesla has reported over the past 12 months. Let's be clear about Lucid's prospects After taking a look at management's forecasts for the next five years, it's no wonder that investors are excited about Lucid's prospects. Not quite. Competition continues to ramp up with upstart EV manufacturers as well as legacy automakers that are shifting gears and committing to more EV-heavy product lineups. In addition, the company will surely face some bumps in the road over the next few years -- challenges that could result in the company failing to meet its growth projections. Additionally, the fact that management has supplied the projected financial figures is critical to note. The investing landscape is littered with companies that have provided ambitious earnings forecasts to drive investor enthusiasm yet who have failed to achieved their own guidance. Therefore, investors should be circumspect about taking managment's projections at face value, considering an investment with caution and weighting the risks accordingly.
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https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/05/28/where-will-lucid-be-in-5-years/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&yptr=yahoo?src=rss
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How likely is it that lockdown will end on June 21?
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For a nation that has spent much of the past year peering at graphs on slides at press conferences, it is an anxious time. Coronavirus cases are rising again. Yesterday there were 3,542 cases across the UK, with the seven-day average up 20 per cent. We are all too aware of how quickly the line can begin to bend upwards. Officials and scientists including Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, one of the original architects of the UKs lockdown approach are very clear that they always expected to see cases increase as restrictions on social contact eased. Sponsored One key question is how fast the numbers are going up. On the present trajectory, cases will remain under 5,000 on June 21, the
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-likely-is-it-that-lockdown-will-end-on-june-21-mvv0znpp5
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Was Ben Affleck Sending cz Love Letters Before Her Split With A-Rod?
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Hot 96.3 Featured Video CLOSE Bringing back the 2000s in the wildest way possible, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez caused a whirlwind in the media when reports started floating around that the former power couple have reunited. Of course, with shock also came drama given the fact that Jenny had only been single and mingling on the block again for only about two weeks following the end of her four-year relationship with baseball icon Alex Rodriguez. Since this is Hollywood were talking about, the rapid reunion wasnt too out of the ordinary. What is a bit questionable is how rapid the reunion mightve been to begin with, with reports now saying that Bennifers been bennifering since back in February. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE. TMZ reports exclusively that Affleck was flooding her with emails around the time she was filming Shotgun Wedding in the Dominican Republic. Sources reported back to TMZ about the secret messages, stating the tone of these notes was more loving and longing for Jen, with compliments of how beautiful she looked and him longing to fly down and see her. Of course, one would think an engaged woman wouldve sent these messages to her spam folder. Instead, she actually found them charming, even stating that Ben was able to own her heart with his pen as TMZ put it. STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! The formerly-formal (maybe?) couple caused stir when they were seen together in L.A. earlier this month, which at that time was just two weeks after Jen and A-Rod officially called it quits on their engagement. Heres another tidbit TMZ came up with to prove their point further: One more clue the exes have been in close contact for some time came with InStyle Magazines recent J Lo cover story. We hope Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are (and remain!) happy together if true. As for A-Rod, stay up fam it happens to the best of us. was originally published on blackamericaweb.com Also On Hot 96.3:
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https://hot963.com/3028016/ben-affleck-ben-affleck-love-letters/
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Why didn't Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turn to his bench in Europa League final loss?
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As Manchester United piled more and more second-half pressure onto a flagging Villarreal defence, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have loved to have introduced some fresh legs from his subs bench. His opposite number Unai Emery was able to make five changes during normal time, ensuring his solid and well-organised team was refreshed and held firm. But when Solskjaer looked behind him at the United dug-out, he clearly saw nobody capable of dragging his team over the line to glory. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cut a distraught figure as Man United came up short in the final Paul Pogba tried to console a visibly heartbroken Bruno Fernandes after the final whistle It wasn't until the 100th minute - 10 into extra time - that he finally moved to replace Mason Greenwood with Fred. The other four changes the United manager made were to introduce suitable penalty takers as the inevitable loomed. In United's 61st match of an exhausting season, the fact Solskjaer completely lacked game-changing options from his substitutes was a damning indictment of the lack of depth in his squad. It also doesn't say much about those named on the bench in the Gdansk final that despite several starters running on fumes towards the end, Solskjaer still didn't feel he could make changes. Solskjaer didn't feel able to turn to his bench for fresh options as United chased the victory It wasn't until the 100th minute Solskjaer made a sub, with Fred replacing Mason Greenwood Or, in the opinion of Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson, Solskjaer was actually afraid of upsetting under-performing stars like striker Marcus Rashford by hooking them and was ultimately left 'embarrassed'. 'Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got embarrassed really,' Merson said. 'Villarreal made the five substitutions and it was really clever from Unai Emery. 'They had the fresher legs in extra time and they didn't really look like losing. They looked the better team and Solskjaer just didn't react. He just didn't change it up and they paid the price in the end. 'It just all seems too friendly to me. It seems like he didn't want to upset anyone. 'Marcus Rashford just had one of those games. Sooner of later, as a manager, you've got to realise it is just one of those games for him and that it just wasn't happening. United's manager didn't take off the underperforming Marcus Rashford during the final Pundit Paul Merson believes Solskjaer 'didn't want to upset' Rashford by subbing him off 'Everything he tried just didn't come off. I can't remember him doing anything in the game that was any good. 'Looking on, it looks like Solskjaer didn't want to bring him off in case it upset him.' Nobody understands the importance of a super sub more than Solskjaer, who had been summoned from the bench on that memorable night in Barcelona 22 years earlier to decide the Champions League final and win the Treble, so the decision-making was certainly strange. The lack of squad depth will certainly alarm him and it's something he will surely push the club's owners to address in the summer transfer window. We take a closer look at those named on the bench in the final and why Solskjaer didn't call upon them earlier or at all. FRED The Brazilian midfielder has been a regular starter all season but Solskjaer left him out of the final to accommodate Paul Pogba in a No 6 role. The United boss knew that Villarreal would be compact and sit in, allowing United plenty of the ball and so the thinking was Pogba could make better use of it. That was the correct decision because Fred, for all his application and work rate, does give the ball away an awful lot for a 47million footballer. Fred still divides opinion among United fans and wasn't picked to start in Wednesday's final It's pretty remarkable he has started 27 Premier League games this season and the majority of United's European ones as well. Though he has shown some signs of improvement this season, the fact United still require a summer signing in his position tells you everything you need to know. If that signing happens, we can expect to see less of Fred in Solskjaer's starting line-ups next season. DAN JAMES James was brought on for Pogba with five minutes remaining and made no mistake taking United's seventh penalty. The winger may have been disappointed not to get out there a little earlier as a fresh injection of pace could have perhaps pierced the Villarreal rearguard. But James has become accustomed to warming the bench at United and he has frequently ended games unused. Daniel James will have hoped for more from this season after playing regularly in 2019-20 It's definitely been a big regression in game time from 2019-20, when he started 26 Premier League games and featured in 46 games overall. The 23-year-old will await with interest whether United do bring in a right-sided attacking player such as Jadon Sancho in the summer. If they do, James might as well seek more regular game time at another club. AXEL TUANZEBE Replaced the tiring Eric Bailly at the heart of United's defence with four minutes of extra time to go and was successful with their ninth spot-kick. Academy graduate Tuanzebe, 23, did his best to force himself up United's defensive pecking order with a fine display in the Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain back in October. Axel Tuanzebe converted his spot-kick having been brought on with a few minutes remaining But with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof so established as the first choices at centre-back, opportunities have proved very elusive despite the draining schedule. He is fourth choice on the list behind those two and Bailly as it stands but United will look to sign a top quality central defender over the summer, pushing him further down. It may be that a loan spell or even a move to another Premier League club could be the only route to regular football if that happens. ALEX TELLES United paid Porto around 15m for Telles last summer to offer competition for Luke Shaw in the left-back position. His arrival has had the effect of forcing Shaw to up his game and he has certainly done that, even returning to the England team. But the consequence of that is that Telles has spent the season becoming well acquainted with various dug-outs of English football. A dejected Alex Telles, who came on right at the end, following the penalty shoot-out defeat He has received more opportunities in European competition, however, but was introduced with mere seconds remaining on Wednesday night before sticking away United's second spot-kick. Will hope Solskjaer adopts more of a rotation policy with Shaw next season to get out on the pitch a bit more. JUAN MATA The Spaniard, 33, has been a terrific servant to United and has never let them down so this match proved to be a disappointing curtain call. Mata's contract expires in the summer and he looks set to depart Old Trafford after eight years with the club. Was involved from the start in a number of Premier League games at the start of the season but game time has since become a precious commodity. Despite his advancing years, you'd imagine Mata could still do a job for someone at a pretty high standard for another couple of years. Late substitute Juan Mata scored his penalty but his potential United farewell was a defeat DONNY VAN DE BEEK Named among the substitutes - inevitably - at the conclusion of what must have been a baffling season for the man signed for 35m from Ajax last summer. At no point of the final was Van de Beek ever likely to come on and replace either Pogba or Scott McTominay in the United midfield. Just four Premier League starts all season tells its own story with the Dutchman wondering what exactly he needs to do in order to get a decent run in the team. Donny van de Beek has surely been baffled by the lack of opportunities received this season Has been accused of allowing the game to pass him by when he is involved but regular football and sharpness go hand in hand. If United add to their midfield stockpile in the summer and if Pogba agrees a contract extension, you wonder if there's any point in him hanging around. NEMANJA MATIC Much of that also applies to 32-year-old Matic who was also never likely to be asked to emerge from the bench and run the midfield on Wednesday night. He has somehow featured in 36 United games this season, which puts him above Van de Beek in Solskjaer's affections, but behind Pogba and McTominay. United agreed a three-year contract extension with Matic last summer which means he's unlikely to be moved on this summer and you do have to question why a then 31-year-old got such a deal Having said that, he is clearly trusted by Solskjaer to do a tidy job in midfield when called upon, especially off the bench. Nemanja Matic still has another two years on his United contract and plays fairly regularly BRANDON WILLIAMS Williams, 20, hasn't been able to kick on after a breakthrough 2019-20 campaign in which Solskjaer played him frequently on the left side of defence. A combination of injury struggles and the form of Luke Shaw on the left and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right have limited the youngster to just five starts all season. Barring an injury to one of the full-backs, he was never likely to come on during the final. Remains a useful back-up player to have in the squad, however, and will hope for a bit more action next season. Brandon Williams has featured less this season for United after a breakthrough 2019-20 AMAD DIALLO An exciting signing made last summer who arrived from Atalanta in January and announced himself by scoring in the last-16 tie with AC Milan. Maybe the 18-year-old could have provided the spark United were desperately looking for as their waves of second-half attacks crashed and rolled back. Had United been trailing for longer in the game, Solskjaer almost certainly would have thrown him on late on looking for the equaliser. Amad Diallo has started to make an impression at United and has a bright future in prospect But even during extra time, when the team's threat had fizzled out, Solskjaer didn't look to Amad and he was left on his knees praying while watching the shoot-out. It's obviously early days for the Ivory Coast international and United fans are excited to see what he can produce next term. HARRY MAGUIRE A heart-breaking end to the season for United's captain and who knows whether his leadership on the field could have inspired United to victory. Perhaps he would have got a clearing header on Dani Parejo's delivery that led to Gerard Moreno scoring Villarreal's opener or at least got closer to him. Instead, Maguire was reduced to walking up and down the touchline, knowing his ankle injury precluded him from coming on despite being named among the subs. Harry Maguire was only fit enough to be named among the subs after his ankle injury The England international has emerged from his spell on the sidelines with his reputation enhanced because United's defence has looked lost without him. Will be equally important in United's renewed push for silverware next season - hopefully with a more reliable central defensive partner alongside him. DEAN HENDERSON There was a lot of talk over whether Henderson should have been brought on to replace David de Gea in the minutes before the penalty shoot-out. He clearly has the superior penalty-saving record and this was born out when the Spaniard didn't come close to saving any of Villarreal's 11 kicks. That means De Gea has now let in the last 36 penalties he has faced since saving one from Everton's Romelu Lukaku in April 2016. Dean Henderson has a superior penalty-saving record to David de Gea but wasn't introduced By contrast, Henderson has saved eight of the 17 penalties he has faced in his career to date. So all the evidence suggests Solskjaer should have been more ruthless and 'done a Louis Van Gaal at the 2014 World Cup' by replacing his keepers. He admitted he did consider the switch but didn't do it and United paid the price. It's another reason why Henderson could easily start next season as United's No 1. LEE GRANT United's third choice keeper, 38, was never likely to get on barring an absolutely catastrophic turn of events. Grant has still only played two games for the club and is often only seen in the expanded subs list of the European competitions. With 35-year-old Tom Heaton returning to United for next season, Grant could be on his way out. Sportsmail reported last month that United withdrew the offer of a one-year extension for Grant.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9625585/Why-didnt-Man-United-boss-Ole-Gunnar-Solskjaer-turn-bench-Europa-League-final-loss.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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Is there any hope for already sun-damaged skin?
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Anyone who grew up at a time when little was known about the effects of sun damage likely has fond memories of summer afternoons spent soaking up rays while slicked in baby oil. Awareness of the suns effects on our skin has increased exponentially over the past 50 years, but those who spent their youth worshipping the golden orb may think the damage to their skin is a lost cause. As a result, its easy to adopt a laissez-faire attitude toward protecting yourself as you age. A lot of sun damage is done before age 18, Toronto-based dermatologist Dr. Paul Cohen says. Your skin may continue to look healthy through middle age because this damage may not present itself until decades later. But thats when it can have serious consequences. The Canadian Dermatology Association reports that many people older than 60face a high risk for developing skin cancer. Skin-care experts agree that its never too late to adopt sun-safe habits. Its important to continue to take care of your skin even with all the sun damage you did 30 years ago because this is the time when [skin cancer] starts to show up, Cohen says. If you detect it early, you can do something about it. Youre not hopeless. Protecting sun-damaged skin should focus on addressing how early exposure has affected your skins health and appearance, while ensuring you dont cause any more harm. Story continues below advertisement Sometimes called photoaging or photodamage, sun damage is a term used to describe how repeated exposure prematurely ages the skin. When UV light hits unprotected skin, it causes DNA changes to skin cells that results in wrinkling, pigmentation changes such as age spots and freckles, decreased skin elasticity, uneven skin texture, broken capillaries, redness and blotchiness. From a skin health perspective, the Canadian Cancer Society reports that about 65 per cent of melanomas are caused by UV rays. No matter how much you embraced the sun in your youth, you can always add to existing sun damage. Ongoing damage gets worse and accelerates as you get older, says Dr. Stephen Mulholland, a board certified cosmetic and head and neck oncology surgeon and founder of SpaMedica Plastic Surgery Toronto. Look at those old Floridian guys walking along the beach. If they had stopped at 60, they wouldnt look ghastly at 70 and 80. For those looking to counteract any visible sun damage, there are non-surgical treatments that can help reduce its appearance. At SpaMedica, Mulholland recommends a combination of fractional radiofrequency laser for wrinkles and texture, intense pulsed light (IPL) photofacial for brown and red discoloration and radiofrequency tightening devices for lifting. Its an approach that Mulholland says will set you back about $3,000, but such a substantial expense wont pay off without making sun-safe changes to your lifestyle. It makes no sense to do all of that, look great and then go out just so you can damage your face, he says. You want to protect your investment. Its not much to ask to put on an SPF and a nice hat. To protect skin thats already sun damaged from more harm, search out a product with ingredients that counteract the effects of past exposure while protecting you from todays rays. Vichys new LiftActiv Specialist SPF 30 does double duty by combining broad spectrum SPF with ingredients such as Vitamin Cg, peptides, hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid. Elizabeth Ardens Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Hydrating Shield has a DNA enzyme complex that helps support skins natural repair process against oxidative stress. In June, La Roche-Posay introduces Mineral One to its Anthelios range. The tinted formula combines mineral broad-spectrum protection with the coverage of a foundation and is suitable for sensitive skin. No matter what your age, Health Canada recommends a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and a minimum SPF of 30. Equally important is to keep your sunscreen somewhere that youll remember to apply it even on cloudy days. Its not doing you any good buried in the bottom of your beach bag. A 2020 survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Johnson & Johnson skin-care brands Neutrogena and Aveeno found that, although 92 per cent of Canadian adults think sunscreen use is crucial, only about seven per cent say they wear it every day. With treatments for sun damage and sunscreens consistently becoming more user friendly, the last line of defence is keeping an eye on your skin for suspicious changes. Things are going to pop up with your misspent youth, if you will, Cohen says. Now is the time when you have to be vigilant. Open this photo in gallery Handout Vichy Liftactiv Specialist SPF 30, $62 at drugstores and through vichy.ca. Story continues below advertisement Open this photo in gallery Handout Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Hydrating Shield, $88 at Shoppers Drug Mart and Hudsons Bay (elizabetharden.com). Open this photo in gallery Handout La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral One SPF50+, $30 at drugstores and through laroche-posay.ca.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/article-is-there-any-hope-for-already-sun-damaged-skin/
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What are the security challenges of public events?
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One of the biggest security challenges is not knowing what rules will be in place in advance. Governments must be flexible in the measures they put in place, so security provisions need to be just as flexible to meet legislation and keep people safe. People capacity will be a vital consideration, so automated systems that help count entry and exit, as well as monitoring spaces, will be invaluable. Thermal detection systems will still need to be alert to abnormally high body temperature for further investigation. Track and Trace will also be important in ensuring that if anyone with suspected COVID is present that potential spread can be contained safely. Security teams will need to ensure any anti-social behaviour is controlled particularly if social distancing measures are to be maintained. There is also a discussion of vaccination passports in various parts of the world. Should they become a reality then security resources will need to be allocated.
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https://www.sourcesecurity.com/insights/security-challenges-public-events-co-1645-ga-co-2566-ga-co-10263-ga-off.1622192280.html
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What are the three most effective ways to boost survey response rates?
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Published Friday, May. 28, 2021, 8:11 am Join AFP's 100,000+ followers on Facebook Purchase a subscription to AFP Subscribe to AFP podcasts on iTunes and Spotify News, press releases, letters to the editor: [email protected] Advertising inquiries: [email protected] A lot of companies survey their customers and consumers, so survey fatigue can creep in. Find out how to do just that with the tips offered below, and remember to use an effective email survey tool to track your results. Craft Your Main Message Carefully People get a ton of emails, so if you want them to complete your survey, you must carefully write your survey message. You want them to WANT to complete your survey. Start your message with something like, we really want to know what you think. Stress that you value the persons opinion, and discuss how their responses will affect the products you offer or the content you deliver to them. Be specific, so they know that youre going to take their feedback and put it to good use. Another option is to start with: Can you take five minutes to complete this survey? Show respect for their time by telling them how long it will take to do your survey. And dont guess ask someone who hasnt seen the survey to time how long it takes to complete. Also: Keep the survey short and sweet. Research suggests that 45% of people who take surveys will spend up to five minutes on the task. But only will spend 10 minutes. Offer Incentives Goodwill goes a long way, but it isnt always enough. If youre struggling to get survey responses, offer incentives to increase responses: Gift cards and discounts : Youll always see response rates soar when you offer cash! Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to providing incentives; some people just race through the survey to get their gift cards. But research shows that most people who say they take surveys to get something in return, 95% said theyd give honest answers most or all of the time. Just ensure your incentive appeals to all the people youre targeting. For instance, a gift card from Target or Wal-Mart may appeal to more people than an offer for Chuck-e-Cheese. : Youll always see response rates soar when you offer cash! Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to providing incentives; some people just race through the survey to get their gift cards. But research shows that most people who say they take surveys to get something in return, 95% said theyd give honest answers most or all of the time. Just ensure your incentive appeals to all the people youre targeting. For instance, a gift card from Target or Wal-Mart may appeal to more people than an offer for Chuck-e-Cheese. Offer to show survey results: If you dont have the money for incentives, consider sharing your full survey results with all survey takers. Many people are curious about how their responses compare with others. Never Waste Anyones Time Its essential to put yourself in the survey takers shoes. For instance, if you dont drink soda, answering survey questions about your soda habits is of no use. And the answers provided wont help you. You can use the following ways to keep every survey relevant to your audience: Give them a way out: If you dont have enough data on your survey takers, you can use a screening question to direct them. Several times per day Once per day A few times per week A few times per year Never If your survey respondents choose never, you can direct them to the end of your survey and thank them for taking the time. This way, you dont collect opinions on Diet Coke from people who never drink it. Perhaps they are worried about the acid effect on their teeth or dont like the flavor. If you want to market a new soda to your audience, utilize survey logic for those who choose never to give them another set of questions. If you follow these simple tips, youll see more response rates and better data. Related Comments
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https://augustafreepress.com/what-are-the-three-most-effective-ways-to-boost-survey-response-rates/
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Is PGW on board with Philadelphias climate change goals?
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A Pennsylvania proposal that could tie Phillys hands In four states, including Pennsylvania, the legislation is in the early stages, Welch said. State Sen. Gene Yaw, a Republican from Williamsport who chairs the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, introduced Pennsylvanias version of the bill earlier this year. Although no municipalities in Pennsylvania are considering bans on new gas hookups, the broad language of Senate Bill 275 has climate activists and local municipalities worried. It forbids towns and cities from restricting the connection or reconnection of a utility service based upon the type of source of energy to be delivered to an individual customer within the municipality. The Energy Association of Pennsylvania, to which PGW pays a yearly membership fee, has lobbied in support of the Senate bill, and its president and CEO, Terrance Fitzpatrick, testified at the May 11 hearing on the legislation. We also recognize that there are different views within the U.S. and Pennsylvania on issues concerning the environment and, particularly, how to address climate change, said Fitzpatrick. Some believe that all fossil fuels should be kept in the ground and that we should immediately stop building infrastructure to transport these forms of energy. In view of these trends, we believe it may be just a matter of time before some municipalities move toward restricting sources of energy. Testifying on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, director of government relations Joseph Gerdes questioned the origins of the legislation, calling the language generic and not crafted specifically for Pennsylvania. As such, we are concerned that these terms could be broadly interpreted and could be seen as preempting local land use controls, which we would oppose, said Gerdes. The union that represents 1,150 of PGWs workers testified in favor of the bill, saying electrification efforts would jeopardize those jobs and put an undue burden on low-income ratepayers. We are convinced that Senate Bill 275 will serve the dual purpose of helping to ensure the continuity of 1,600 good-paying PGW jobs, jobs with quality health care and retirement benefits that will likely be lost otherwise, while guaranteeing that significant economic costs will not be thrust upon Philadelphias poorest citizens, said Keith Holmes, president of Gas Works Employees Local 868. There can be no dispute that if the city were to somehow eliminate natural gas as a source of energy, all of these good jobs would be lost and could not be replaced with a viable alternative. PGW did not answer questions posed by WHYY News about its yearly fees to industry groups, but its FY 2022 operating budget seeks $127,000 for the Energy Association of Pennsylvania. It also pays yearly dues to the American Gas Association, listed as $445,000 for FY 22, and is an active member in the American Public Gas Association, for which it has budgeted $58,000 in FY 22 dues. Though PGW says it has taken no position on Senate Bill 275, the Energy Association of Pennsylvania has lobbied for the bill, and the American Gas Association and the American Public Gas Association have lobbied for similar bills nationwide. In April, Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution opposing SB 275. That resolution was introduced by Councilmember Green, chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, one of the three entities that oversee PGW. I always have concerns when at the local level we dont have the flexibility to do all the various types of initiatives that could be beneficial for the citizens of the city of Philadelphia, said Green. Like Julie Greenberg, Green is very interested in exploring geothermal microgrids, but he said SB 275 could prevent PGW from pursuing that option. Senate Bill 275 would restrict us to just using gas, Green said. And thats something that is not beneficial for the diversification of PGW going forward. He said he sees a future for PGW, which was originally a lighting company then transitioned to heating homes. I see PGW going through another transformation like it did from a lighting to heating company and being more of an energy company, Green said. And I think theres going to be some very good opportunities in [Bidens infrastructure proposal] for the ability of Philadelphia Gas Works to look at various pilot opportunities. Just two weeks after passage of that City Council resolution, the Energy Association of Pennsylvania testified in favor of Senate Bill 275 at a hearing and submitted written testimony stating it was speaking on behalf of its member utilities, including PGW. A PGW spokesman said including the agency as supportive of the bill was an oversight. Between early January and early February of this year, more than a dozen emails with multiple attachments about SB 275 were exchanged between upper management at PGW, including vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs Gregory Stunder, and Sen. Yaws chief of staff and executive director of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Nick Troutman; PGW contract lobbyist in Harrisburg Gmerek Government Relations; PGW outside counsel Daniel Clearfield; and staff from the Energy Association of Pennsylvania, the American Gas Association, and other unnamed utilities. The content of those emails is not revealed because PGW is fighting to keep them from public view. One email exchange, with the subject discussing legislative strategy, included Daniel Lopato, senior director of state affairs with the American Gas Association. The Texas Observer, a nonprofit news organization, along with the climate reporting site Floodlight, recently reported on how Lopato asked for support from a publicly owned gas utility in Tennessee for a similar bill that state lawmakers there approved. The content of the PGW emails discussing SB 275 is part of ongoing litigation in a Right to Know case brought by Charlie Spatz of the Climate Investigations Center. Spatz has sued to get PGW to release the emails. Its critical for Philadelphians to know whether their city-owned utility is at odds with the citys own climate policies, he said. The privilege log that details the records being withheld was obtained by WHYY News. The log includes references to meetings held by the Energy Association of Pennsylvania about Senate Bill 275, legislative strategy, and draft language. PGW submitted a 26-page brief to Pennsylvanias Office of Open Records in defense of its right to withhold those emails from public view. As part of that defense, PGWs Stunder claims, among other things, attorney-client privilege and in an exhibit to the brief describes email exchanges with his outside counsel, Daniel Clearfield, in this way: My communications with Mr. Clearfield reflect strategy used to develop or achieve successful adoption of Senate Bill 275 in that they analyze particular language in the bill and similar laws. PGW spokesman Richard Barnes told WHYY News that Gregory Stunder and Mr. Clearfield only discussed the strategy being used by others related to the bill and its potential for passage. PGW has not taken a position on the bill. Barnes said that the utility did not hire lobbyists to advocate for SB 275, and that its staff members provided technical feedback. With respect to Senate Bill 275 in particular, PGWs staff provided technical feedback in response to various stakeholders who invited review and comment, however we did not employ any lobbyists related to the bill, Barnes wrote in an email to WHYY News. We are concerned about the costly impact limiting energy choices would have on our customers wallets and the huge economic burden it would place on the finances of the city of Philadelphia. PGW serves an already cost burdened population. Barnes said the utility has a robust sustainability portfolio, citing goals for reducing methane emissions. In the brief challenging the Right to Know request, PGW points out that despite its being a public agency, Pennsylvanias Natural Gas Choice and Compliance Act requires it to be treated as a competitive business, and as such, it is exempt from some aspects of the Right to Know law. PGW did not answer a list of detailed questions submitted by WHYY News, including its position on whether a city should be able to implement electrification rules, and whether its own staff members lobbied on behalf of the bill. Nor did it answer questions on whether it took steps to promote or communicate support for the bill, or whether it encouraged other groups to do so. In its filings as part of the Right to Know case, PGW suggests that it fears being sidelined if it is forced to reveal the communications from the trade groups and other utilities, which are not subject to the Right to Know law, and that it wants to protect itself from competition. Mr. Spatz is asking the Office of Open Records to expose the written communication records of PGWs legislative lead tasked with and responsible for developing PGWs legislative strategy with respect to remaining competitive in the energy market on that very topic. Such exposure, and violation of Section 2212(t), would shut down PGWs ability to freely strategize and engage in the frank exchange of opinions and ideas regarding energy policy. (Stunder Attestation, 23- 24; Fitzpatrick Affidavit). The brief challenging the Right to Know request continues: This will have devastating results for the public, particularly the residents of the City of Philadelphia who rely on PGW as an affordable and reliable source of energy. Industry partners and others who share a competitive strategy but do not wish to develop energy policy from a fishbowl will ultimately leave PGW out of the conversation, resulting in energy policy and legislation that does not take into account the needs and interests of the gas ratepayers of the City of Philadelphia. With regard to technical feedback, the states lobby disclosure law is unclear, according to attorney Adam Bonin, who advises political candidates on compliance with the statute. With technical assistance, its not explicitly in the law, said Bonin. But its along the lines of when a legislative or government official is asking you for advice, then youre not really lobbying them, youre not making an effort to persuade. That is plausible. That they havent hired lobbyists on this doesnt mean they dont lobby. Both the Energy Association of Pennsylvania and Sen. Yaw have intervened in the public records case on the side of PGW and keeping the emails from public view. A spokesperson for the Kenney administration said PGW has been given explicit instructions not to lobby for SB 275. Office of Sustainability Director Christine Knapp said the city has a long history of opposing preemption bills, including the most recent actions by state lawmakers to prohibit plastic-bag bans. She said passage of SB 275 could limit the citys efforts to reach its climate goals. While it is appropriate for PGW to work with affinity groups and answer questions on the impact of any such legislation on PGW, it would be inappropriate for PGW to lobby for passage of a bill that preempts the Citys authority, Knapp said in an email. Direction to not conduct such lobbying has been made to PGW management.
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https://whyy.org/articles/as-philadelphia-works-to-tackle-climate-change-a-question-emerges-is-pgw-on-board/
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Why is it still so hard to see police bodycam footage in Pennsylvania?
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Police body cameras are a rare tool that can help secure criminal convictions and hold police officers accountable. The recordings theoretically make it harder for police to lie about what happened, and, in turn, for citizens to lie about police. It is an absolute key to police accountability, said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, describing the dual benefits in an interview with WHYY. And its an absolute key to our ability to prove cases against people who have committed crimes. But for the general public, getting a glimpse of any body or dashcam footage is a rare feat, partly thanks to a Pennsylvania law that intentionally makes it hard to access. While Pennsylvanias restrictions on police footage arent necessarily worse than other states, advocates say access could and should be improved. Some have filed legal challenges or introduced legislation to loosen guidelines, and the governor says hes open to reviewing or revising the laws. The Walter Wallace Jr. shooting last fall marked the first time video of a police shooting was released by Philadelphia Police Department, ever. Although Wallaces family asked for its release, it was voluntarily made public by the PPD and DAO rather than through this formal request process. Introduced in Philly in 2014, bodycams are worn by a little over half the citys patrol officers. But ADA Tracy Tripp, who heads the DAOs Special Investigations Unit, has never even received a request to see footage from the cameras. I am the one who would get those requests, Tripp said. Tripp cited the convoluted and time-consuming requirements of the state transparency law, called Act 22. For example, applicants must submit requesting forms in person or via certified mail. And they have to do it within 60 days of an incident. That seems arbitrary, Tripp said. I think there does need to be a high bar, but I dont think it needs to be an impossible bar. That Tripp hasnt seen any requests doesnt necessarily mean zero people have asked, however. What she does know is that police have never forwarded any to her. PPD spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp said the office had received 19 requests for video since 2017, but said none were ever forwarded to the DAO. Thats an important detail because the DAO has final say over release of any footage that becomes evidence in a criminal investigation potentially anything from videos of police shootings to clashes between cops and protestors. The [PPD] does not have a memorandum of understanding with the Philadelphia District Attorneys office to review Act 22 body camera requests, nor is it required to under the Act, said. Open records advocates say this is part of the problem with Act 22: it defers to police departments, which can work against the stated purpose of equipping officers with cameras. It doesnt work. Youre at the mercy of the police department, said Paula Knudsen Burke, a Pennsylvania-based attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The entire law could use review. Some in Pennsylvania say change is long overdue. Think of how challenging the George Floyd case could have been if no one had videotaped it, said Pennsylvania State Rep. Dan Miller, who has authored legislation to loosen access to police videos. Theres no point in police recording everything if the public never gets to see it, or has to jump through all these hoops to see it. Others arent waiting for new legislation. Terry Mutchler, a Dilworth Paxon attorney and onetime director of the states Office of Open Records, is currently representing reporters seeking bodycam footage in one of the first legal challenges to the law. She says the decision could set a far-reaching precedent for how the system works in Pennsylvania. [Act 22] is a signature open records law and yet theres no case law here, Mutchler said. This is a critical time to carve out what Act 22 means, in practical terms.
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https://whyy.org/articles/why-is-it-still-so-hard-to-see-police-bodycam-footage-in-pennsylvania/
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Can Chicago Bears get the most out of Borom?
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The Blue Zone has you covered with some prop bets for the Blue Devils' series against Louisville:. Everything about this series points in the direction of must-win for the Blue Devils. Duke is currently 19-18 (9-15 in the ACC), sits at No. 53 in the RPI and has only won two series in conference play. That all equates to the Blue Devils coming out swinging on the road, but Louisville will likely be too tough to handle. The Cardinals are three days removed from a 7-2 victory against No. 3 Vanderbilt, and have consistently been an elite group within the ACC the entire year. The metrics bear this out as well, with Louisville being in the top-five of the conference in key stats such as batting average and stolen bases. Don't be shocked if Duke makes it interesting in two of the contests, but I have a hard time seeing the Blue Devils picking up a win this weekend.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2260705781289/can-chicago-bears-get-the-most-out-of-borom
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Is it possible to have multiple Bizum accounts with a single number to increase the trading limit?
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Bizum has become a success in online payments, the application has 15 million users. I make you a Bizum is a phrase that is heard a lot lately. It is a clear reflection of the depth that the use of this application has penetrated among society in the last year. It was already heard before the pandemic, but after confinement and security measures (not changing cash) it has skyrocketed. The application allows you to send payments, transfers or donations to other individuals, companies or NGOs from your mobile. Compatible with most major banks in Spain is a safe and free app to make these money exchanges more quickly and comfortably. Its use is very simple, it is necessary to link the phone number with a bank account, so others can send us the money without asking for the account, they just need to know the phone number with which they call us or send messages by WhatsApp. But this has a downside. Bizum has become the most popular payment system between individuals through mobile phones in Spain. As in any other medium, scams are also possible. Many users complain about the limitation of linking the mobile number with a single bank account. Instead of having several and choosing with which it is convenient to send the money in each situation, the application only allows you to choose an account, a bank. However, there are certain tricks with which we can cheat. For starters, Bizum allows you to easily switch from one account to another, making it possible to unlink the current account and join the phone to another that you need at that time. If this method does not convince you, you can opt for another alternative. Use two phones, not two cell phones. Many smartphones have space for two SIM cards and they can combine their services between a personal number and a work number, if you have those two cards, you can link each number to a different bank account and thus use both according to the needs of each moment. We leave you a complete tutorial to know everything that Bizum offers and how to activate it on your mobile with the different banking entities that already work with this popular application.
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https://www.explica.co/is-it-possible-to-have-multiple-bizum-accounts-with-a-single-number-to-increase-the-trading-limit-technology.html
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How Much Money Do Online Casinos Make?
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Its difficult to say exactly how much online casinos make as it varies a lot depends on the market and the size of the casino. The global online casino industry was reported to be worth $53.7 billion in 2019 and has been increasing in value over the years. Its estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% a year until 2027, which will put it somewhere in the region of $100 billion. The online casino industry is increasing in value thanks in part to better technology and also because of improved regulations that mean players have more trust in gambling sites. Although we know how much the industry is worth, its still difficult to predict how much profit casinos are making. However, we do know that it can be very profitable, as indicated by the growing number of high-quality online casinos that have launched in recent years. Online casinos make money when players lose money on their games. Every game at the casino has whats known as the house edge, which is a slight advantage for the casino operator. Usually, this advantage is between 1% and 5%, and it means that over time, the casino will always make money from its players, even if it occasionally has to pay out big wins. Although casino games are in favor of the casino, its still possible for players to win real money, and all casinos must be verified as fair and safe to obtain a license. Online casinos use random number generators to determine the outcome of a spin, roll, or deal. The random nature of games is normally tested and verified by an independent third party, and any casino should be able to prove that its games are fair. Some games have a much larger house edge than others, with slots usually giving casinos a better edge than table games. This is why many online casinos offer a much larger collection of slots compared to games like Blackjack, which has a lower house edge. In the end, the casino wants to maximize the amount of money it can make from each player while also ensuring they keep coming back for more. Thats why slots, which have a high house edge but can pay out big wins, are heavily favored by casino operators. Although real money casinos can potentially make a lot, they also need to pay a lot of costs that affect how much profit they can make. Casino operators have to think carefully about these costs as even though running an online casino might seem easy, theres a lot of competition, and failing to consider costs can result in a casino losing money. The following are all costs that casino operators need to be aware of when setting up their site:
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https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/how-much-money-do-online-casinos-make/
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Will Gainesville need its third city manager in three years?
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Ron Cunningham Columnist Weve seen this movie before. A city manager whose job security hangs on a thin 4-3 commission margin. The commissioners who want him gone growing increasingly vocal in their discontent. City hall insiders accusing him of fostering a toxic workplace. The last time we saw this movie was in 2018, when Anthony Lyons resigned rather than submit to a trial by public hearing because well, city employees were unhappy. Now its Lee Feldman who is dangling by a slender thread. More:A city that doesnt love its sidewalks doesnt love its children More:Greenway would connect parks, neighborhoods More:Create new purpose for Boulware Springs building The commission narrowly voted to keep Feldman on last November after a handful of city employees filed discrimination complaints against him. But the resignation of Office of Equity director Teneeshia Marshall who said she quit because she felt disrespected and hampered in her job has renewed calls for another reckoning on Feldmans job fitness. She is resigning because she feels pushed out, said Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker. We have charter officers reporting that their work environment is toxic and hostile, and citing specifically one charter officer ... the city manager. Its clear from commission comments that Duncan-Walkers opinion is also shared by David Arreola and Gail Johnson. If Feldman quits under the pressure, or is fired, the commission will need a third city manager in the space of three years. If so, maybe they should just let the other five charter officers pick a replacement. Listen, it may be that the last two managers were, simply, bad hires. It happens. Still, Lyons enjoyed considerable success as the citys Community Redevelopment Agency director before his stormy tenure as manager. And Feldman is a seasoned professional who has worked for several municipalities, seemingly without the turmoil thats plagued him here. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe seemed to suggest the latter when he said this is a very difficult system of government in which to work. Its almost set up to not work, with seven bosses of six administrators. And theres the rub. No boss, no commissioner, not even the mayor, can tell any of Gainesvilles six charter officers how to do their jobs. That needs a majority vote. Add to that the fact that the citys attorney, clerk, utility director, equity officer, auditor and manager all operate independently of each other by virtue of their charter status, and its a wonder anyone can be held accountable for anything. Gainesville has, in effect, six city managers. And there is no such thing as a first among equals. And then theres this: The commission has lined up a full slate of meaty policy issues homelessness, affordable housing, zoning reform, broadband internet access, transit and traffic safety improvements, and more. This is very much an activist commission, and his defenders suggest that Feldmans real offense is his determination to carry out the commission majoritys will no matter whose bureaucratic cheese gets moved. Its not been unheard of for recalcitrant staffers to find ways to stall and delay until new elections bring new commissioners and new priorities. Weve seen that movie before too. Heck, Russ Blackburn was city manager for 10 years. He was a nice guy and never moved anyones cheese. Lyons was trying to reorganize city government to be more citizen-centered when complaints started to pile up against him. Feldman barely had time to unpack before his management style set off alarms. No question, change agents are scary. Ron Cunningham is former editorial page editor of The Sun. Read his blog at www.floridavelocipede.com. Email him at [email protected].
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https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2021/05/28/ron-cunningham-gainesvilles-government-makes-impossible-manage/7431326002/
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Is his excellency afraid?
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Kindly Share This Story: By Izon Pereazuwa Today is a bright day in my life and it is bright for a reason. Frankly speaking, today is the brightest day in my life because it is the day I have chosen to talk to His Excellency, Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, the Deputy Governor of Delta State, in the public domain for the benefit of my readers. I have not come to sing praises of Otuaro but to tell him and the public some bald truths. Whatever my observations and bald truths told about Otuaro produce, I am ready for the consequences because I am wholly driven by my patriotic zeal to choose this public communication. It appears His Excellency Otuaro is afraid to speak his mind and follow his ideological convictions. Ijaw people are known to be fearless in speaking their minds on any issue. Otuaro appears to be bothered by something but apparently afraid to speak. That he seems bothered and not talking is what worries me. I have carefully watched and observed the activities of Otuaro for some time. From his memorable days as a Special Assistant to Governor James Ibori on Community Affairs, his commissionership period in DESOPADEC, as Chairman of Gbaramatu Relief and Rehabilitation committee and as deputy governor in Delta State, he is not used to talking or speaking but buries his non-speaking trait in devoted execution of any task assigned to him. To devotedly execute a task without talking here and there is commendable, but the matter of today is far beyond that. No excuse given can justify the fact that Otuaro is not speaking his mind at this time when thousands of people are merely waiting for his words. The Ijaws in Delta gathered at BB Hotels and Suites on May 22, 2021 and made a public declaration that it was justifiably the turn of an Ijaw man to become the governor of Delta State in 2023. Before this gathering, King Alfred Izonebi had long musically campaigned for Ijaw governorship in 2023. In the midst of all these it was rumoured that Otuaro was interested in the 2023 Delta governorship but up until now, these rumours are still waiting for confirmation. Sometimes, one is tempted to hold the unhealthy position that Otuaros governorship ambition is a mere rumour created by his detractors to cause bad blood and distraction in Delta State. Providence seems to have coincidentally come to the aid of Otuaro in benevolent language of huge advantage. As one would be tempted to providentially claim this as a coincidental benediction, in an article authored in the Vanguard newspaper by Ekanpou Enewaridideke the iconic village boy proud of his village roots entitled: That Jonathan in the Delta Race, it was said that the Delta State 2023 governorship must not be thrown open to all the Ijaws but rather it should be kept for that Ijaw man who personifies humility and advocates peace in every breath coupled with the embodiment of the compositions of former President Goodluck Jonathan. I have known Otuaro over the years as a peace advocate, a humble, caring, philanthropic, unselfish, God-fearing and firm man who is not unhealthily ambitious in life, only motivated by a philosophy to touch the lives of people positively. Ekanpous characterisation of an Ijaw man who can rule Delta State in 2023 suits the qualities of His Excellency, Otuaro, because he(Otuaro) is all that Enewaridideke unintentionally draws attention to in his article. I am indescribably happy to identify with the fact that King Alfred Izonebi, the Delta Ijaws and Ekanpou have spoken on the 2023 Delta State governorship matter. With the different positions of these personalities on the Delta State governorship issue, His Excellency Otuaro should be in a hurry to declare his interest in the 2023 Delta governorship if actually he is prepared to become the governor of Delta State. That Otuaro is educationally sound, visionary, honest, humane, altruistic, accessible, humble, principled, unselfish and ideologically focused stand him in good stead. Otuaro has no excuse to be silent at this time of intensified political rumour-mongering because I do not see his ongoing silence as a strategic political wisdom. Otuaros silence is not strategic but rather it is meaningless and annoying. His silence is fuelled by fear. Whatever fear Otuaro appears to have developed, the recent Ijaw position echoed by Chief Broderick Bozimo during a gathering of Delta Ijaws in Warri that 2023 had been ordained and destined by God for the Delta Ijaws to have Ijaw as governor according to the laid-down democratic norms should strike him as a stimulant. The collective position of the Delta Ijaws now is to aggregate all their resources towards the production of Ijaw governor in Delta State in 2023.This collective Ijaw position is enough to motivate and fire Otuaro into action without fear because the Ijaw collective position can stifle any emerging political fear.This only shows the baselessness of Otuaros fear and silence. By my own thinking, where Otuaros seeming fear is not allayed by the collective position of the Ijaws publicly communicated to the world by Chief Broderick Bozimo, he(Otuaro) should kill his seeming fears and derive confidence and inspiration from the reinforced categorical position of the president of Ijaw National Congress in Warri on May 22, 2021. Prof.Benjamin Okaba, the President of Ijaw National Congress, declared that to have an Ijaw governor in Delta State in 2023 was a key project of INC. In the pursuit of this INC-backed Delta State Governorship project, no form of betrayal would be entertained from any Ijaw man. Prof. Okaba was very clear in his presentation that traitors in the Ijaw Governorship Project would never never be tolerated and accommodated. The fact that punitive action awaits any traitor in the Ijaw project as emphasised by Prof. Okaba is enough to stifle any emerging political fears, particularly Otuaros fear and silence. Even with the loud voices of Chief Broderick Bozimo and Prof. Benjamin Okaba collectively supported by the entire Delta Ijaws, if Otuaro is still afraid to present himself as a governorship candidate, he should have King Alfred Izonebi teach him in his DELTA IJAW song. To King Izonebi, the Ijaws are beyond the killer blows and arrows of the gods and negative forces residing in any part of the world. Otuaro is also covered by this invincibility and immunity that is naturally associated with every Ijaw man. Let Otuaro, therefore, listen to King Izonebis song, Delta Ijaw, and have his purposeless fears allayed. My conviction is that you have not been able to publicly declare your governorship ambition because you are scared of something I am yet to figure out. While you are busy dillydallying and exhibiting fear by refusing to declare interest, note that the Delta Ijaws will not forgive you if the tide passes by without you contesting the governorship election in 2023 because you, Otuaro, are the matchless equivalent of Goodluck Jonathan in politics and political ambition. Delta State needs a governor in 2023 who has no enemies to fight and, dear Otuaro, you are the perfect example of that man in thought, orientation, exposure, philosophy and character! Dear Otuaro, you must not let Ijaw people down by your silence because I dont see your silence as a strategic silence borne out of political wisdom and calculation. It is time to bury His Excellency, Kingsley Burutu Otuaros silence with a noisy public declaration of his rumoured governorship ambition. Wake up, dear Barrister Otuaro because all discerning Deltans are eagerly waiting for you Otuaro of Delta State and beyond! Vanguard News Nigeria Kindly Share This Story:
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https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/05/is-his-excellency-afraid/
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What should go in the time capsule created for Escambia County's 200th anniversary?
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From Staff Reports As Escambia County puts the finishing touches on its 200th anniversary celebration plans this summer, the 200th Anniversary Commission is seeking the communitys input on items to place in a time capsule. The time capsule will be filled on July 17 at the 10 a.m. event at the Historic Village, Museum Plaza in Pensacola. After the event, the time capsule will be stored safely with UWF Historic Trust and will be reopened in 25 years! Some items that mark our current times are masks, hand sanitizer, flash drives, challenge coins, etc. Party like its 1821 in Escambia County by taking part in these spring and summer events Pensacola Sampler Project:Find out which historical Pensacola figure you represent Please fill out this form by June 15 to participate: The Commission will review the submissions and will contact you with further drop-off instructions if you have the items in your possession.
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https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/escambia-county/2021/05/28/help-fill-escambia-county-florida-200th-anniversary-time-capsule/7474606002/
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Is SEO a Shrewd Investment?
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SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimization, which in laymans terms can be defined as: ranking a website in Google. Once a website is ranked in Google and generates significant volumes of traffic, it has an array of options of how to make money, including: affiliate marketing, display ads, selling ebooks, physical products and more. Erny Peibst, entrepreneur and SEO expert says: SEO is becoming increasingly difficult each year, unless you are a big brand. Google is really separating the big fish from the little ones in the SEO pond; so unless youve got an elite SEO on your team who can do some exceptional work for you; or you have a lot of money to pump into a project; its going to be an uphill battle. Despite warning investors of potential difficulties, Erny has had success investing in SEO, pumping $12k into his latest website project (insidebodybuilding.com); which is currently valued at approximately $500,000. Peibst adds: But if you can make it work by having SEO(s) on your team that keep up with the recent Google updates, and continually adapt their strategies it can be a goldmine of an investment. It all comes down to the IQ of the SEO team. One of the most attractive incentives for those investing in SEO is when selling a website. Websites listed on brokers such as Empireflippers.com often fetch 30-40x their monthly net profit. Thus, if a website has made $10,000 per month on average over the last 12 months, this could comfortably sell for $300,000-$400,000. However, SEO often requires patience, Peibst says: 3 years ago you could publish a piece of content and have it ranking number one in Google overnight. However, now you may have to wait several months before it even appears on page one. For less patient investors wanting to take less risk financially, there is a faster method of SEO, which involves paying premium websites or magazines (that already have great ranking power in Google) to post sponsored content on your behalf. Sponsored content are articles that essentially are permanent ads, containing your affiliate links for readers to buy. Affiliate marketing is when a person promotes something in exchange for a percentage of a sale. Thus, when website visitors click on an affiliate link and buy from the merchant website; a commission will be issued out to the affiliate. Erny says even a small investment of $400 can quickly turn into several hundreds or thousands of dollars each month with this SEO strategy of paying premium publications. However, investors should also realise that articles published on such publications will still need to be written well, for the correct keywords to rank on page one. Also you will not be able to sell a website with this latter method, as you will be advertising on someone elses platform. However, for a quick ROI, this can be a winner when executed well.
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https://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2021/05/28/is-seo-a-shrewd-investment/
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