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Which Region Offers Larger Opportunity for Manufacturers of Continuous Ship Unloaders? | East Asia currently holds the largest share in the global continuous ship unloaders market, followed by Europe and North America. The key reason for higher demand from this regions is the development of ports on modern lines, which incidentally leads to higher demand for continuous ship unloaders (CSUs). This lures a large number of ship building industries to the region, who include CSUs into their portfolios. For detailed insights on enhancing your product footprint, request for a sample here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=3897 Growing emphasis on improving port performance and maritime trade by numerous countries is creating heightened demand for continuous ship unloaders, especially from developing economies. Another factor pushing market growth is increasing availability of large capacity ships for carrying dry commodities, especially in the European region where the supply of dry commodities through waterways is very high. As demand for coal and iron is increasing across the world, equipment facilitating this demand, such as continuous ship unloaders, is also being increasingly used. As per a report published by Fact.MR, the continuous ship unloaders market is anticipated to be valued at around US$ 247 Mn in 2021, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of more than 6% over the next ten years. For critical insights on this market, request for methodology here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=3897 Key Takeaways from Study The continuous ship unloaders market is anticipated to add 1.8X value from 2021 and 2031. Medium unloading rate continuous ship unloaders have the highest share of more than 42%. This section of unloaders is expected to offer an absolute dollar opportunity of US$ 106 Mn through 2031. Under mechanical type, bucket chain and screw collectively account for more than 63% of the global market share. For in-depth competitive analysis, buy now https://www.factmr.com/checkout/3897/S The market in China, Germany, and the U.S. is expected to rise at around 7%, 6%, and 5% CAGR, respectively, through 2031. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, demand for continuous ship unloaders was hit in 2020. On a global level, loss in the market is estimated to be more than US$ 12 Mn. Continuous ship unloader manufacturers are required to develop their overseas market base by growing their network with regional contractors. This would assist manufacturers in winning bids in countries having more demand for CSUs, says a Fact.MR analyst. For comprehensive insights on this market adoption, ask an analyst here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=3897 Winning Strategy Key manufacturers in the market are improving their profit margins by raising sales prices and cutting costs. They are controlling fixed costs linked with the development, production, and sales of continuous ship unloaders. Explore Fact.MRs Comprehensive Coverage on Industrial Goods Landscape Fiber Optic Gyroscope Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/2187/fiber-optic-gyroscope-market Embroidery Machinery Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/2015/embroidery-machinery-market Airfield Ground Lighting Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/airfield-ground-lighting-market About Us: Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner. Contact: US Sales Office: 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 Corporate Headquarter: Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.factmr.com | https://express-press-release.net/news/2021/06/02/941729 |
What Makes the United States the Largest Market for Air Springs? | The global air springs for railways, trucks, and buses market surpassed a US$ 9 Bn valuation in 2020, and is set to display a steady rate of growth through end of the forecast in 2031. Air spring sales are largely driven by applications in high-end and luxury vehicles. The global air springs market is likely to register a steady resurgence post the COVID-19 crisis, as lockdown restrictions on the automotive sector are gradually relaxed. The market outlook remains largely positive in the near future, to register a CAGR of over 7% from 2021 to 2031. For detailed insights on enhancing your product footprint, request for a sample here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=457 Demand for air suspension systems is primarily driven by growing number of luxury buses for long-distance travel, and rising consumer preference for comfort and luxury in passenger cars. Improvements in social status and higher demand for sophisticated features have supported the sales of premium vehicles, especially across Asia. Auto OEMs, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Land Rover, have provided consumers with ECAS technology to enhance benefits, including options of height adjustment. In terms of commercial vehicles, air springs have a higher rate of installation in vehicles such as multi-axle buses and semi-trailers. These factors have all contributed to market growth, and will continue to do so over the next ten years. For critical insights on this market, request for methodology here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=457 Key Takeaways from Market Study Trucks are estimated to hold the lead in adopting air springs, accounting for more than one-quarter of the market, with higher efficiency in heavy-duty commercial transport applications. Products with sleeve designs will hold major market share and display relatively faster growth, supported by operational efficiency and lower production costs. High strength plastic pistons reflect high potential for growth, accounting for more than 8% CAGR, aided by weight reduction objectives of OEMs. Cabin suspension applications will continue to hold over 90% of the market share, with relatively better reliability in height adjustment applications. For in-depth competitive analysis, buy now https://www.factmr.com/checkout/457/S Regional Takeaways China will account for a valuation over US$ 950 Mn in 2021, with high potential of growth in the long term. Sales in the United States are critical to the North American market, accounting for close to 60% of the region. France and the UKs prospects for air springs for railways, trucks, and buses, is reflecting a gradual decline through 2031, as other countries across Europe witness steady growth. Italy will continue as a high potential market for air springs, driven by high export levels and the transition from electric to hybrid tech in the countrys auto sector. Growing awareness among vehicle owners about the advantages of air springs, and transition of consumer preferences towards comfort and luxury with increase in disposable income, have encouraged premium vehicle manufacturers to incorporate advancements in air suspension systems, says a Fact.MR analyst. For comprehensive insights on this market adoption, ask an analyst here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=457 Acquisitions & Portfolio Expansion Gain Ground Key players in the market are largely focused on product launches and acquisitions in the industry to consolidate their market presence. Improvements in terms of weight reduction and automated response are expected to find interest in the industry across the globe. Major players in the market include, but are not limited to, Goodyear, Arnott, Ksport, Firestone, Helix, Air Lift, Torque, Suncore, Viair, RideTech, Hellwig, Legend, and Ride-Rite. Explore Fact.MRs Comprehensive Coverage on Automotive Landscape Off-Highway Engine Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/off-highway-engine-market Autonomous Farm Equipment Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/autonomous-farm-equipment-market Aircraft Tugs Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031 : https://www.factmr.com/report/2366/aircraft-tugs-market About Us: Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner. Contact: US Sales Office: 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 Corporate Headquarter: Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.factmr.com | https://express-press-release.net/news/2021/06/02/941732 |
How will Veganism Impact BBQ Charcoal Demand? | The global BBQ charcoal market is set to witness stable growth of around 49% CAGR over the coming years of 2020-2030, with noteworthy demand increase due to rise of the food industry. Moreover, growing demand for barbecue accessories and related products is ultimately contributing to increased demand for charcoal. Demand for charcoal-based grills is increasing even after the introduction of electric and gas grills. The most important factors for this growth are portability and economic pricing, as well as the preference for the smoky flavor offered by BBQ charcoal. For detailed insights on enhancing your product footprint, request for a sample here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2153 Introduction of new flavors and additives that enhance the taste of barbequed food has influenced early adopters to experiment with their cooking using BBQ charcoal. Furthermore, frequency of barbeque cooking competitions is increasing, as the youth population is increasingly involved in camping and outings every following weekend. Retail sales channel is seen to drive additional revenue through household consumption, due to increased availability of BBQ charcoal through supermarkets, specialty stores, and online channels Manufacturers and companies are organizing barbecuing events to attract consumers to grilled food items. Most of these events are hosted by famous chefs, and leading restaurant chains have included more grilled items in their menus. This scenario can be seen extensively in North America and Europe, wherein, the market for BBQ charcoal is dominant. For critical insights on this market, request for methodology here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=2153 Key Takeaways from Study The global BBQ charcoal market is anticipated to add 1.5X value by 2030. Demand for briquettes is expected to increase at a substantial CAGR of more than 4% over the forecast period. North America is the supreme market with a value of US$ 284 Mn in 2020, and is expected to inflate at a dynamic CAGR of more than 4% through 2030. The hotels, restaurants, and catering (HoReCa) segment is opined to exhibit a spry growth rate of more than 4% CAGR, while household consumption is projected to add 1.4X value over the forecast period. Europe is set to unleash growth of close to 4% CAGR, to be valued at 364 Mn by 2030, owing to higher presence of manufacturers in the region, along with a widespread consumer base and commercial consumption with a streamlined supply chain. For in-depth competitive analysis, buy now https://www.factmr.com/checkout/2153/S Suppliers are creating awareness about sustainable BBQ charcoal made from coconut shells, which is a potential replacement for conventional BBQ charcoal. Thereby, the coconut shells under source segment is projected to create an absolute $ opportunity of around US$ 87 Mn over the next ten years. Despite gas and electric grills, the smoky flavor and texture offered by BBQ charcoal is preferential among food enthusiasts, posing as a key driver for BBQ charcoal demand, says a Fact.MR analyst. Enhanced Attributes and Targeted End Users by Key Players Key players such as Duraflame Inc, Kingsford Products Company, GRYFSKAND SP Z.O.O.and Dancoal sp. z o.o. are enhancing their product offerings by introducing variants in flavours and charcoal specific to meat types. Triquettes, a patented BBQ charcoal from the company Braai & BBQ International (Pty) Ltd., is triangular. This BBQ charcoal is proven to distribute heat evenly, due to which, the food does not get burnt and is cooked nicely. For comprehensive insights on this market adoption, ask an analyst here https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=2153 Market players are investing in product innovation and modernization of manufacturing processes to reduce the emission of greenhouse and carbon oxides, so as to stay compliant with existing law and regulations. Manufacturers are targeting restaurant chains, hotels, campers, and millennials, as they account for more than 80% of total sales. Customer targeting varies in accordance with the product offering, as there are companies who have their products such as artist charcoal, horticulture charcoal, and industrial charcoal particularly for barbeque-based meat types. Explore Fact.MRs Comprehensive Coverage on Retail & Consumer Goods Landscape Insect Repellent Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/insect-repellent-market Cannabis Vaporizer Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/cannabis-vaporizer-market Gaming Controller Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031: https://www.factmr.com/report/gaming-controller-market About Us: Market research and consulting agency with a difference! Thats why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Our sales offices in United States and Dublin, Ireland. Headquarter based in Dubai, UAE. Reach out to us with your goals, and well be an able research partner. Contact: US Sales Office: 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Tel: +1 (628) 251-1583 Corporate Headquarter: Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.factmr.com | https://express-press-release.net/news/2021/06/02/941733 |
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo? | A few days ago we posted our Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo 70-mph range test in which the Cross Turismo covered 246 miles before exhausting the battery. Since we had the vehicle at a DC fast charger with the state of charge at zero, we figured we might as well do a DC fast charge recording. Which we did, but this one wasn't easy. There are currently very few Cross Turismos in the US, as the vehicle isn't available for sale just yet. The car we had on loan had just arrived from Germany a few days earlier, and still had a German communications module in it. The nav system didn't work, the infotainment system wasn't fully functional and Porsche told us about that before approving the short, 1-day loan. In fact, Porsche is only allowing 1-day loans on the vehicle until it gets upgraded, because they don't want the media charging it until the software is all up to date. Well, leave it to us to cause trouble. When I plugged it into a 350 kW Electrify America charger all I got was crickets. However, after calling EA, and having them call Porsche, they figured out how to get the vehicle to accept a charge and we were able to record the session. However, it was determined that a 150 kW station would be a better choice to make it work, so that's what we used. Therefore, we didn't get the fastest charging session possible for the Cross Turismo, but using a 150 kW station was actually a good choice. That's because many DC fast charge sites don't have a 350 kW station, including many Electrify America stations. Therefore, our recording is very useful for those that want to know how quickly the Taycan will charge when they don't have the luxury of plugging into a 350 kW station and use a 150 kW unit. The Cross Turismo, like all Taycan's charges exceptionally well. That's because it has the same battery and charging equipment as the regular Taycans do. The Taycan Cross Turismo is only available with the 93.4 kWh (total capacity) Performance Plus battery pack that's optional on the base Taycan and the Taycan 4S. Porsche is relatively conservative with the usable capacity and restricts it to only 83.7 kWh. But as you'll see, holding that large buffer allows the Cross Turismo to charge at higher rates than most other EVs, once the state of charge is higher than 80% Upon plugging in, the vehicle immediately began accepting 141 kW, and gradually climbed up to a peak of 159kW by the time it was 71% charged. It reached 80% state of charge in 28 minutes and at that point, it had added back 200 miles of driving range, based on our 70-mph range test. 100 miles was added back in only 14 minutes. We charged the Cross Turismo from zero to 100% in 62 minutes, which is exceptionally fast, especially considering that we added back 91 kWh in that time. We're going to be getting another Taycan Cross Turismo for a longer loan at some point in the future. We'll repeat this test on a 350 kW charger and compare the results. The Taycan (all variants) is definitely one of the best fast-charging EVs available today. It accepts a lot of power even at a high state of charge and makes charging to 100% (if needed) on a DC fast charger much less painful than with most other EV's. So check out the video and let us know what you think in the comment section below. | https://insideevs.com/news/511376/porsche-taycan-cross-turismo-charging/ |
Can horror comedies in Nollywood explode with 'My Village People'? | It has since been established that Nollywood isnt actively in the business of making horror films. 90s Nollywood horror nostalgia is all we have, thanks to YouTube. Only just once, or maybe twice, did Nollywood experience two mainstream horror films the sequel of Living in Bondage (2019) and the reboot of Nneka the Pretty Serpent (2020). Away from these studio spectacles, the industry has been on regular programming, with no desire to retrieve the consciousness of its horror past. Maybe that could change in a way that explores the genre of horror as we know it. Niyi Akinmolayans My Village People appears to be that stuff, an upcoming horror comedy out in cinemas June 11, 2021. Of course, Akinmolayan hasnt labelled it as such, and this is where a rethinking of horror is most useful, especially in this part of the world. Horror is a spectrum, and its also never static. Horror purists, like myself, have consumed the genre in various forms and renditions. Horror can interplay with comedy just as much as it can with romance. Gore and violence dont define horror; the genre is much complex and multifaceted. Back to My Village People, the film has popular comedian Bovi in a lead role, a bachelor whose womanizing lands him in a bizarre triangle involving a coven of witches. Like many other Nigerian comedians trafficking their comic sensibilities into Nollywood, and turning into crossover movie stars, Bovis role doesnt come with a spectacular shift. Hes still funny and whimsical, albeit according to what the story demands. But his involvement in such a project shows how permeable the barriers between horror and comedy is. Elsewhere, in Hollywood, comedians are pivoting towards horror as filmmakers. Jordan Peeles Get Out and Chris Rocks new Saw installment comes to mind. In Nollywood, Basketmouth announced in late 2018 that his first feature film was going to a horror film The Exorcism of Alu. But since then, the film has been suspended in limbo, yet to be released. Point is, comedians seem to be aware of the blurred lines between horror and comedy, and My Village People is operating in that cinematic space. The witch coven trope invokes old Nollywood horror and from what the trailer shows, it switches between funny and dark. This shouldnt be conflated with dark comedy on a core level, but lines can be crossed surely. With My Village People out in cinemas next week, and drawing the Nollywood and comedy crowds, perhaps it can | https://naija.yafri.ca/can-horror-comedies-in-nollywood-explode-with-my-village-people/ |
Is Tesla Really Looking To Enter The Restaurant Business? | Well, it was pushed back due to an issue with the two lots where it was supposed to be built, but now everything has been cleared up and it looks like Tesla actually wants to sell its own food under its own brand at that location. The automaker has registered its T logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under the restaurant services, pop-up restaurant services, self-service restaurant services, and take-out restaurant services categories. This makes the companys intention to offer restaurant services pretty clear and were sure the first place this will happen is the new Santa Monica Supercharger, which will not only have 62 chargers and extra-large spaces for the Cybertruck, but the aforementioned 1950s-inspired diner, as well as a drive-in movie theater. Tesla also applied to be able to use not just the T but the full Tesla logo for a restaurant. This applies to the word written in Teslas own specific font, as well as a generic font. We dont know when the new Santa Monica Supercharger will open, but work on it has reportedly already started, so it may open sometime later this year. The Tesla name appearing on something other than an electric car is not a new development, though. You may remember Tesla once sold its own brand of tequila, which the company's founder wanted to call 'Teslaquila' but was not allowed to do so by the Mexican government to do so, because the word 'tequila' is a designation of a drink's origin as much as it refers to the drink itself. | https://insideevs.com/news/511540/tesla-files-logo-restaurant-diner/ |
Is Joseph Conrad racist? | Scholars and ordinary followers of African literature must be aware of a small but very powerful novel by a key nineteenth century European writer, Joseph Conrad. His novel is entitled Heart of Darkness. It has divided African readers. While we celebrate Africa Day, it is useful to think about that controversial book once more. Although it is a novel from as far back as 1899, it has sparked debate on whether it is indeed a text that is racist. Even the great African novelist, Chinua Achebe, was once sucked into this debate that has been going on for decades now. Heart of Darkness follows one white mans nightmarish journey into the interior of Africa. Aboard a British ship called the Nellie, three men listen to a man named Marlow recount his journey into Africa up the Congo River in a steam boat as an agent for a Belgian ivory trading company. Marlow says that he witnesses brutality and hate between the white ivory hunters and the native African people. Marlow becomes entangled in a power struggle within the Company, and finally learns the truth about the mysterious Kurtz, a mad agent who has become both a god and a prisoner of the native Africans. After rescuing Kurtz from the native African people, Marlow watches in horror as Kurtz succumbs to madness, disease, and finally death. The description of African people in Heart of Darkness is unpalatable, at least to a conscious African reader. The Africans are seen as and referred to as SAVAGES. This is what the narrator says about the Africans and Africa: It (Africa) was unearthly and the men (Africans) were no, they were not inhuman. Well, you know that was the worst of it this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They (Africans) howled and leaped and spun and made horrid faces but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity like yours the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. That is not enough because there is some more of this kind of descriptions and here is another: as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rich walls, of peaked grass roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling The prehistoric man (the African) was cursing us (white men), praying to us, welcoming us who could tell. The structure and style of Heart of Darkness is the first challenge. We have a narrator reporting Marlows narration of Marlows experiences in Africa. This is a story inside another story, inside a story! You may say that technically, Heart of Darkness ceases to be Conrads story and therefore if the story is racist, then Conrad is not necessarily racist! The story is partially Marlows because only what is remembered or deemed important by him gets to be narrated. It is also partially the narrators story because his record of what he heard Marlow say is his sole experience. We are therefore faced by a situation where we should not fully ascribe the blame to either Conrad or Marlow. Again: technically the story operates from several subsequent points of view. Chinua Achebe, who happened to find the novel racist, thinks that Marlow speaks for Conrad because Conrad does not hint, clearly and adequately at an alternative frame of reference by which we may judge the actions and opinions of his characters. Achebes assertion that Marlow speaks for Conrad is further strengthened by the fact that Conrad himself makes a journey similar to Marlows down the Congo River in 1890. It is the nature of literature to be wholly or very partially autobiographical. Those who agree with Achebe insist on the point that: in the nineteenth century where adventure novels are heavily loaded with the authors experiences as in Haggards King Solomons Mines, the authors tended to agree to be associated with their major characters. Conrad, who tended, throughout his life, to see the multiple conflicting dimensions of one thing, would definitely not want to disassociate himself from Marlow, who undertakes the same journey as his creator. For Achebe, Heart of Darkness is racist because it projects the image of Africa as the other world, the antithesis of Europe the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanisation, which depersonalises a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot. I do not doubt Conrads great talents. Even Heart of Darkness has its memorably good passages and moments The Achebe school is also angered by the portrayal of the Thames River as representation of modernity against the savage muddiness and hazardous Congo River of Africa. There is also the wild and gorgeous apparition of an (African) woman pitied against the serene civilised mood of the intended (white woman). The worst insult is the pitying of the thoughtful life-like white men against the grunting men of Africa. Those who disagree with Achebe and company put across a series of arguments that revert back to the ideological environment under which the novel was conceived and written. Their argument is that the writing of Heart of Darkness was done at a time when considering Africans as savages as and lesser beings than non-Africans was the norm. They point out that Conrad set his story in the Belgian (King Leopold IIs) Congo of the 1890s when the Africans in the Congo region were being forced to extract ivory and rubber for the Empire at gunpoint. Those who resisted got killed or dismembered and to imagine a kind of discourse that saw blacks as having equal humanity with other races was unthinkable. They even think that Conrad attacks imperialism because he identifies it with clear plunder and not the pretensions of civilising the savage and spreading Christianity. However, even then, Conrads attack of imperialism has its contradictions. Conrad questions the morality of colonialism and exploitation but he does not question the colonial mission itself. Although Conrads Africans are pitiable, they are nonetheless niggers and are victimised quite as much by their own stupidity and ignorance as by European brutality. One of Kurtzs last utterances: Exterminate the brutes! demonstrates that the term going native does not mean becoming one with the savages. Despite the delirium, Kurtz knows the clear cut racial divisions and his white mans duties in Africa. In addition, Darkness in Heart of Darkness tends to be metaphorical. Darkness holds a multiplicity of meanings. The only unequivocal meaning of darkness in the novel seems to be ones descending to inhuman levels of thought and behaviour like Kurtz and the whole Belgian colonial establishment. In Heart of Darkness evil is portrayed as African and if it is also African that is because some white men in the Heart of Darkness behave like Africans! Reading Heart of Darkness, you are certain that for the western readers of the 1890s, it must have shown the extremities of conquest, of course, but, it definitely must have confirmed the western concept of Africa as the land of savages. If the novel caused sympathy towards the African, it was that sympathy one has for an animal in agony, not as fellow human beings. It is important to note that Chinua Achebe, who developed a revulsion against this kind of writing, vowed to write a literature that redeemed the black image and rightfully, his novels, Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, portray Africans as real beings with strengths, weaknesses, philosophies and languages. The above shows that European and early settler literature about non-Europeans in general and particularly nineteenth century European literature on Africa, can be an example of how Europe developed systematically denigrative ways of looking at other people. Memory Chirere | http://www.thepost.co.ls/insight/is-joseph-conrad-racist/ |
How different would the Sabres look if the draft lottery didn't exist? | The NHL Draft Lottery has become an annual rite of spring for Sabres fans for better or worse. Theres been jubilation for winning the top pick and disappointment over losing it. There have been countless visits to lottery simulators, especially heading into the 2015 selection show. Lottery talk has consumed immeasurable hours online, over the air and in print. Lets follow the bouncing balls since Buffalo became a lottery regular in 2012. 2012 Draft slot: 12th After lottery: 12th The only movement featured No. 2 Edmonton leapfrogging Columbus to get the top spot, pushing the Blue Jackets to the second pick. | https://theathletic.com/2626745/2021/06/02/how-different-would-the-sabres-look-if-the-draft-lottery-didnt-exist/ |
How could new-look Barcelona line up next season after the arrival of Sergio Aguero and others? | It'll be a very different Barcelona team that looks to take on the world once again next season. A shrewd summer of rebuilding - and keeping Lionel Messi, of course - will go a long way to restoring their currently battered reputation. It has been reported that Ronald Koeman looks set to stay in charge, a surprising move but one which will also help push through a couple of targets the club have kept a keen eye on in recent weeks. Sergio Aguero has already arrived, and he is certain to neatly slot into that No 9 role at the Nou Camp. Eric Garcia, a promising young defender, also joined from Manchester City and will head straight into the first-team. Sergio Aguero is Barcelona's big-name signing with the club in the midst of a busy window Eric Garcia (right) has also joined Barcelona with Joan Laporta (left) promising more additions The signings of Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, both of whom are free agents, also look likely to be wrapped up shortly. As a result of Barcelona's dire financial situation, they have aimed to recruit good players on the cheap. And they don't plan to stop here, either, according to president Joan Laporta. Hailing this window as a 'cycle' coming to an end, he promised big changes across the board with the club savaged for underperforming. 'There will be more presentations of players, we're working on it,' Laporta said at the press conference for Garcia's official unveiling. Ronald Koeman looks set to stay in charge after a tough season and his team will look different 'We're working to sign players that improve the first team. We need to balance the squad, you will see what we're working on. Next week there will be more news.' Two of those will indeed be Wijnaldum and Depay, but Barcelona may not even stop there. With a quality starting line-up and plenty of depth on the bench in mind, there is still plenty of work for the hierarchy to do for next year. Here, Sportsmail has taken a look at how the Catalan giants may line up after the summer, with their new additions in mind... FORMATION - 4-3-3 GOALKEEPER: Marc-Andre ter Stegen There are doubts held at the club over his fitness, but Ter Stegen will remain Barcelona's undisputed No 1 choice between the sticks. Despite the speculation surrounding a move for Gianluigi Donnarumma, a free agent after his AC Milan departure, Ter Stegen more often than not is a reliable performer. He endured a difficult recent season, admittedly, due to injuries and several glaring errors, but Ter Stegen will keep his spot for the start of the next campaign. Marc-Andre ter Stegen is likely to stay as Barcelona first-choice goalkeeper for next campaign DEFENDERS: Sergino Dest His first term at Barcelona was a testing one. Dest joined from Ajax and has made 41 appearances to date. In those showings, his potential has been evident. Unfortunately, his rawness and lapses in judgement have somewhat marred his hopes of holding down his spot. Barcelona have also announced the arrival of Emerson, another right-sided defender who will push Dest. The competition will only be good for him. Eric Garcia The fact that a buyout clause of 400m (343m) has been included in Garcia's contract at Barcelona says it all. They have very, very high hopes for him. Garcia began his youth career in their academy and joined Manchester City in 2017, who he played for at senior level 35 times. He has now returned to the Nou Camp, having made his desire to head back clear for well over a year, and looks set to go straight into Barcelona's three-man backline. Garcia's contract contains a 343m buyout clause and is tipped for a bright future in Spain Gerard Pique A Barcelona veteran, Pique will survive the chopping block this summer and look to lift more trophies with the club during his waning years there. He is quite simply a club legend, having joined in 2008 from Manchester United and gone on to win LaLiga eight times and the Champions League on three occasions. Pique may not be the reliable and mistake-free defender he once was, but his experience and undying passion will help Barcelona in their quest to reach the top. Jordi Alba It has been claimed that Barcelona are keen to overhaul their left wing entirely during the upcoming window - and that places Alba at risk of being axed. Alba, just like Pique, is one of the club's old guard and has also tasted his fair share of silverware success throughout his memorable stay at the Nou Camp. His understudy, Junior Firpo, looks set to leave and Barcelona haven't been linked with a replacement as of yet, making Alba the only current viable option. Jordi Alba finds himself at risk of the axe at Barcelona but is likely to keep his spot if he stays MIDFIELDERS: Pedri The second youngest Barcelona to make 50 appearances, Pedri is a special talent and, at just 18, has the world at his feet. He enjoyed a sensational debut season for the club and as a result, has already made his senior international debut and earned a call-up to Spain's Euro 2020 squad. Despite facing competition from old boy Sergio Busquets for this spot, Pedri will likely get the nod. He's revered by the Barcelona supporters, and rightly so. Frenkie de Jong De Jong certainly endured a shaky start at Barcelona but he has gone on to excel under Koeman. Now, he truly looks at home. The silky Holland international thrives in a more advanced role, and his pure ability when on the ball was a big part in many of the team's goals last season. He is also versatile, having played at centre back when called upon, and his seven goals and eight assists last term underline his importance. Frenkie de Jong flourished at Barcelona last season and will be a key performer going forward Georginio Wijnaldum Having left Liverpool as a free agent this summer, Wijnaldum may very well find himself lining up in the heart of Barcelona's midfield next to compatriot De Jong. Discussions between Wijnaldum and his potential new club are continuing, but all indications point to that deal officially getting over the line soon. With Sergio Busquets in the firing line and Miralem Pjanic evidently not fancied by Koeman, Wijnaldum has a strong chance of becoming a starter right off the bat. Georginio Wijnaldum (L) looks set to join Barcelona on a free transfer and will slot into midfield FORWARDS: Lionel Messi What a turnaround this has been from Messi and also from Barcelona. At one stage, it looked a nailed-on certainty that the disgruntled superstar would choose to leave. Now, it is widely believed that he will put pen to paper on a new two-year deal, a sharp U-turn from his previous attempts to broker an exit at the start of the season. Quite simply, Messi is a magical watch, with his grace and wand-like feet still just as brilliant as ever. With him in the team, Barcelona will always be a force. Lionel Messi has reportedly agreed to stay at the Nou Camp and will want to win more trophies Sergio Aguero Barcelona have been crying out for an out-and-out No 9 you can hang your hat on after bizarrely letting Luis Suarez join Atletico and help them become champions. Aguero may prove to be that man. Having found himself on the fringes at City more often than he would like, the 33-year-old pounced when Barcelona came calling. The burden on him will be high, and his connection with Messi on the field for Argentina has been found wanting, but Aguero guarantees goals. It's that simple. Memphis Depay Lyon forward Depay came close to joining Barcelona last summer, and has seemingly been forced to wait 12 months to finally get the move done. Having bounced back from his Manchester United disappointment in Ligue 1, Depay will be keen to showcase his obvious ability under the Nou Camp lights next. He will face competition for his position, of course, but Depay is certain to form a lethal attacking trident with Messi and Aguero. Memphis Depay is another free agent seemingly destined for Barcelona after his Lyon exit HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Antoine Griezmann Griezmann may find himself axed this summer - but if he does stay, then he will look to start the new season in the same form he ended the last in. Ansu Fati Cruelly, Fati started the campaign in electric form but saw his progress shudder to a halt due to a serious knee problem. When he recovers, he will look to impress again. Ansu Fati had hit the ground running last season but a serious knee problem saw him sidelined Ronald Araujo Formerly of Barcelona B, Araujo found himself promoted into the first-team set-up. He performed admirably and will likely stay around the squad next year. Emerson Another new arrival during a busy period for Barcelona, the talented Emerson will provide Dest with some stern competition on the right side of defence. Miralem Pjanic Restricted to just 19 LaLiga appearances last season, Pjanic is not happy with his situation at Barcelona. Provided he stays, he will look to prove his worth. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9643851/How-new-look-Barcelona-line-season-arrival-Sergio-Aguero-others.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
What changes might be in store for the disappointing Diamondbacks this summer? | Last week, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen set a soft deadline for his team to turn things around. June 1 is typically around the marker that weve got to take some assessments of where we stand, Hazen said at the time. Thats coming upon us quickly. Dont look now, but its here. They finally broke their losing streak, yes, but they also lost six of their next seven games. They are 15.5 games out in the National League West and 13.5 games back of the final wild-card spot. Their season is, for all postseason purposes, over. So, as Hazen and his front office conduct their assessment, the decision they face is less about whether to sell and more about how far to go in that direction. Arizonas roster is filled with veterans nearing free agency and prime-aged players under dwindling team and cost control. | https://theathletic.com/2627100/2021/06/02/what-changes-might-be-in-store-for-the-disappointing-diamondbacks-this-summer/ |
Can Suns get enough from Chris Paul to push them past the Lakers? Do they even need it? | The last time Chris Paul was this close to this monumental of a playoff series win, he tweaked his hamstring in the final minutes of a Game 5 home win. His Rockets were up 3-2 on the dynasty Warriors in the 2018 West finals, bringing Paul within a victory of his first conference title. But that hamstring strain never gave him a chance to complete the job.Paul sat on the bench stewing during those final two losses. He watched Houston blow two double-digit leads, dead without his steadying hand to guide them past the desperate defending champs. The Warriors survived in the seventh game. Paul has never been as close to a title.This current moment has surface details that are similar. Pauls Suns just throttled the Lakers, 115-85, in a swing Game 5 at home. | https://theathletic.com/2627299/2021/06/02/can-suns-get-enough-from-chris-paul-to-push-them-past-the-lakers-do-they-even-need-it/ |
Who makes the best cheesesteak? | Beef, cheese, roll. This week, we explore Phillys iconic sandwich, and bring you word of a new events space from the Zahav crew, news about the closing of a kosher bakery, and tell you where to score free doughnuts for National Donut Day. (Its a literal roundup.) If you need food news, click here and follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Email tips, suggestions, and questions here. If someone forwarded you this newsletter and you like what youre reading, sign up here to get it free every week. Heck if I know. So we offer you 12 of our favorites. Email me and we will explore further. Oh, and scroll down for a pic of Johns Roast Pork, which just reopened after a major renovation. You really cant talk about cheesesteaks without discussing the four most cheesesteak popular shops: Pats, Genos, Jims, and Dalessandros. From soy to seitan to mushrooms, here are the citys best plant-based cheesesteaks. Dont forget the (quotey-fingers) Whiz (end quotey-fingers ). Why NJ Farmers Against Hunger is literally outstanding in its field Columnist Kevin Riordan shares the tale of NJ Farmers Against Hunger, which distributes fruit and vegetables to those who cant easily access it. The group is relocating its operations to a former peach orchard turned park in Burlington County, where a small plot of crops will help teach the public about healthy eating. Homemade Goodies by Roz has closed The pandemic has not been especially kind to bakeries, as many customers learned the art of breadmaking at home. Roz Bratt at Homemade Goodies by Roz, one of the citys last kosher bakeries, wrapped her 24-year run in Society Hill last week and she is winding down her wholesale business. She is selling the shop to a former apprentice, who does not plan to seek kosher certification. Steak 48 sparks debate over its new policies Steak 48, a posh Center City steakhouse that opened last September, drew uproar over its new dress code and $100-per-person minimum policy. Some accused the restaurant of racial profiling, while others took a cheekier approach even pointing out the touch of Velveeta in the mac and cheese. Restaurant report The move to indoor dining can only be a good thing for a restaurant like Laser Wolf in Kensington, the Israeli-style skewer house by CookNSolo that recently was named among the best restaurants in the world by Conde Nast. Though Laser Wolf has been serving outside in a streetery, I think its best experienced in the energetic dining room, where amid chef Andrew Henshaws open kitchen, friends rub elbows over the assortment of tasty salatim, or side dishes, plus some of the citys most memorable hummus and pita, and Middle Eastern-inspired drinks (both alcoholic and non). The setup: You order an entree, such as chicken or sirloin shisklik, beets with dukkah, or a Moroccan-spiced whole chicken or a whole branzino for two, and dig into the 10 salatim, which is unlimited. You can also order just the salatim for $18 a head, as well. Dessert right now is a cup of brown sugar-vanilla soft serve with a Sicilian pistachio-rice crunch and sour cherry. Italian finds in Irish restaurants Two unexpected places for Italian food: One, you probably know about: Murphs Bar in Fishtown, where Francesco Bellastelli, a Puglia native and friend of owners Greg and Theresa Walton, serves a drool-worthy menu of pastas, meats, and fish in the oldtime Philly barroom atmosphere, served by some of the sweetest folks around. (Theres a streetery outside same food, though Girard Avenue is not an ideal backdrop.) Bring friends and run the menu. Pay special mind to the arancini, the meatballs, the tagioline you see above, and the garganelli Amatriciana tarintina. Its cash only, befitting the mainly sub-$20 prices. No reservations. Second, one you probably dont know about: The Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center, the club in Mount Airy that made two smart moves over the pandemic. It brought in pizza whisperer Daniel Gutt and his crew from Circles & Squares and Pizza Plus to do a menu of sandwiches, pizza, and a few Irish theme dishes, and it started takeout and delivery as The Commodore. (Now I have Lionel Richie in my head.) Ergo, some of Mount Airys tastiest delivery pizzas come from an Irish social club. For $25, you can get a membership (a quirk of the state liquor law) and eat in the 80s-throwback-style dining room, where manager Emmeline McIlvain mixes mean drinks from the full bar. Notes: National Donut Day is Friday, June 4. Duck Donuts will give away doughnuts (bare, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar, one per person) with no purchase necessary. Same deal at Krispy Kreme, which will lay two on you if you show your COVID-19 vaccination card. Dunkin is giving away a free classic with the purchase of a beverage. Tiffanys Bakery at the Fashion District Philadelphia (between 10th and 11th Street and Market) will give away its DOYO, a steamed (not fried) cake doughnut) to the first 200 people Friday. Shop opens at 10 a.m. Philly Beer Week is back from Friday, June 4 to Sunday, June 13 with dozens of events: beer tastings, happy hours, tap takeovers, live music, game nights, educational workshops, and charity events. Closings to report include Classic Diners West Chester location; Pura Vida, the Latin BYOB at Sixth and Fairmount; and Bocconcini, chef Crystal Foxs Italian BYOB next to Giorgios on Pine in Washington Square West. Wolfgang Pucks name is gone from Borgata in Atlantic City. The casino restaurant will be called simply American Bar & Grille when it reopens June 19 under its longtime chef, Aram Mardigian. A reminder that Bobby Flay Steak will remain open only through the summer at Borgata. After five years, Mike Stollenwerk and Felice Leibowitz are moving Two Fish, their Haddonfield BYOB, to Medford Lakes. Reservations are being taken in Haddonfield through July 18. The new spot will open in the fall. Youll recall that they recently sold their companion BYOB, The Little Hen, to chef Alan Lichtenstein. | https://www.inquirer.com/food/michael-klein/best-philly-cheesesteak-new-restaurants-20210602.html |
What could a green spring mean for fire season? | Banner image: 2021 Spring Scenic photos on the CU Boulder campus. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa/CU Boulder) 2021 is now one of the 10 wettest years on record since 1872 in the Denver area, with almost 10.5 inches of rain having fallen since the start of the year, according to the National Weather Service. That's more than half what the city gets on average in an entire year (14.3 inches annually) and more rain than Denver received in all of 2020 (8.74 inches), making it the wettest year since 1983 (10.5 inches). Yet for much of western Colorado, this has been the driest April on record. Chelsea Nagy is a research scientist in the Earth Lab at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and CU Boulder. She studies how changes in land use, fire, and invasive plants across the U.S. and Brazil affect landscapes' carbon storage. Chelsea Nagy, research scientist in the Earth Lab at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and CU Boulder. Credit: University of Colorado at Boulder CU Boulder Today spoke with Nagy about what a wet spring and resulting plant growth in the Front Range could mean for the rest of 2021. In Boulder, we now have a bunch of vegetation that's built up, grasses and shrubs and drier vegetation generally, due to above average precipitation. But if we then get hotter temperatures and dry conditions over the summer, then we are primed for a bad fire season. And we are predicted to have drought this summer, according to the latest projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It's supposed to be hotter and drier than average. Once we have this extra fuel that builds up and dries out, then we have the potential for a human ignition of any kindthat could be a campfire, that could be fireworks on the Fourth of Julyto potentially spark a worse fire than you would have had in the absence of a wet spring. There are a lot of reasons why a wet spring is really good. One is that it reduces the likelihood of a fire in the spring: The vegetation is wet and less likely to burn. However, I do think that it means we have to be more proactive, because a lot of the ignitions, at least the ones that we can control, are human started. We can't control where lightning happens. But we can control things like our campfires, fireworks and all of that. One thing that people can do to be proactive, given that so many people live in these fire prone zones, is to remove some of the vegetation that's right up against their house. In case a fire comes through, then their house might not burn. People are going out to these places because they love them, and they want them to be around in the future. We definitely want to make sure that we do our best to take care of these resources so that they're there for us and others to enjoy. I think being aware of your actions is key, as a lot of times it's a lack of awareness that causes these things to happen. In the U.S., humans start more than 80% of fires, which is just wild. And of course, that varies quite a bit based on where you are. In the western U.S., we get more lightning caused fires. And human ignitions can be from things like power lines as well as campfires. But anywhere that you have humans interacting with the landscape, where there's a lot of fuel to burn, then you get more opportunities for intentional or unintentional fire starts. Explore further Grim western fire season starts much drier than record 2020 | https://phys.org/news/2021-06-green-season.html |
Will 4th time be the charm for The Crown to win Best Drama Series Emmy? | The Crown is one of TVs most heralded series, winning top Emmy Awards through the years for Best Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Best Drama Actress (Claire Foy) and Best Drama Directing (Stephen Daldry), among others. However, it lost the top Best Drama Series trophy on its first three tries to The Handmaids Tale (2017), Game of Thrones (2018) and Succession (2020). The fourth time could be the charm for Netflixs popular regal series, as it leads all of the other drama contenders at the upcoming 2021 Emmys, according to Gold Derby predictions. If our odds come true and The Crown ends up being coronated on Emmy night, it would make history for Netflix as the streaming service has never won a series trophy not drama, not comedy, not limited. The show is the de factor front-runner following its recent triumphs at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and SAG Awards. SEE Cate Hall (The Crown makeup supervisor) on walking a very truthful, authentic tightrope [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] Not only did The Crown win Best Drama Series at those three precursor ceremonies, but it also claimed top acting trophies for Emma Corrin as Princess Diana (Globes, Critics Choice), Josh OConnor as Prince Charles (Globes, Critics Choice) and Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher (Globes, Critics Choice, SAG). The fourth season took place between 1979 to 1990, the exact date range Thatcher served as the countrys first female PM. Written and produced once again by Peter Morgan, the new episodes tackled the tensions between Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) and depicted the tumultuous marriage between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. SEE Martin Phipps (The Crown composer): The musical cues for Diana evoke the unstoppable tragedy that plays out in front of our eyes [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] Perhaps the best news for The Crown at the Emmys is that the last two shows that beat it for Best Drama Series arent eligible this time around. GoT ended in 2019 and Succession didnt produce any new episodes during this 2020-21 TV season. Even though The Crown streamed its fourth installment back in November, its still top of mind for Emmy voters thanks to buzz that never seemed to die. Some of the other dramas at the top of our Emmy predictions list are The Mandalorian, Bridgerton, Lovecraft Country, Pose, The Handmaids Tale, This Is Us and The Boys. Make your Emmy predictions right now before the nominations are announced on July 13. Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. | https://www.goldderby.com/article/2021/the-crown-win-best-drama-series-emmy/ |
Has Appraising Failed the Public Good? | Editors Note: Take the NEW 2021 Appraiser Fee Survey online now at WorkingRE.com/2021survey. by Steven R. Smith, MSREA, MAI, SRA The term Public Good is in the opening paragraph of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). An appraiser friend once wrote that our regulations and guidelines are intentionally ambiguousand that may be. But what is crystal clear to me is that the industry has put the interests of its clients before the public good. The Public Trust statement and the Ethics Rule have been largely ignored over the years with loan production put first. Expert Witness testimony by appraisers routinely provides favorable reports for the side who hires them. Neither the residential nor commercial side of the industry is immune. As a reminder, the Preamble to USPAP states: The purpose of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) is to promote and maintain a high level of public trust in appraisal practice by establishing requirements for appraisers. It is essential that appraisers develop and communicate their analyses, opinions, and conclusions to intended users of their services in a manner that is meaningful and not misleading. It is interesting that the Appraisal Foundation does not require an Ethics Course and hasnt in over 30 years. Instead, there is a silent assumption made by all parties that anyone who becomes licensed is ethical. The majority of appraiser licensees have never had an ethics course, I would guess. Only a few professional associations even offer it, and only those with a four-year degree are required to take it in college. The states have taken some steps, like criminal background checks, which keeps most felons outmost but not all. Many white collar criminals have never been charged or convicted and work within the industries that employ appraisers. Few appraisers have ever been convicted of inflating values or writing misleading reports. FIRREA directs lenders to fill out a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) when they spot appraisal fraud, but over the years few have. If it had been a regular practice, perhaps the 20022006 bubble may not have happened. Sadly, licensing attracted a criminal mind, some of whom work for the largest organizations that provide appraisal services. Some lost their licenses along the way but that did not stop them from owning or being employed by an appraisal management company. It is unfortunate that the legislation that mandated licensing, FIRREA (1989), had poorly worded language regarding appraisal fraud and pressure. It directs regulated lenders to report appraisal fraud. The world would be so different if it had simply mandated that Lenders Should Not Pressure Appraisers or allow their agents to pressure appraisers to inflate values or to write misleading reports. Almost the same number of words, but such a different outcome would have resulted. For me, the answer always has been to appraise the client and the appraisal assignment. There are some clients and assignments that simply should be avoided because of the wants, needs and desires of the client, with respect to the assignment results. My first step was avoiding work from loan brokers unless paid in advance. Next, I stopped doing appraisals on loans with a high loan to value, which are the most likely to default. When contacted for litigation work, I inform the attorney involved that my testimony will be unbiased, regardless of which side of the case they are on. Half of them do not use me. I have been happy with both decisions. I find it easy to face hours of withering cross examination when I have not slanted the value. Thankfully, along my path, there was a class on Litigation Issues in Valuation, which was mostly about Eminent Domain. The lead attorney said something the very first morning that stuck with me: Your job is not to help me row the boat to win the case, but to do your work objectively without bias and then, if needed, provide testimony, and then leave. That has stayed with me all these years and has served me well. I hope this helps at least one appraiser find clarity to stake out their position in this industry. It all starts with a decision on how you want to do business. Mine was clear. About the Author Steven R. Smith, MSREA, MAI, SRA is an example of a person who started out doing lender work fast and cheap as what he has learned to all call a Vocational appraiser. Somewhere along his path he was introduced to the term Professional Appraiser and it began a process that took years and lots of education. Two degrees in real estate and two professional credentials later he remains busy no matter what the real estate market is doing because he does little to no transactional business. No longer fast and cheap, but then, his fees are in the thousands of dollars, not hundreds. Through the years he has tried to help other appraisers, starting what is now the National Appraisers Forum on Groups.IO. He mentors appraisers who want to change, long distance. Sign Up Now! $119 (7 Hrs) OREP Insureds Price: $99 >Opt-In to Working RE Newsletters >Shop Appraiser Insurance >Shop Real Estate Agent Insurance Send your story submission/idea to the Editor: [email protected] | https://www.workingre.com/has-appraising-failed-the-public-good/ |
How Muunel Is Shaping the Optical Eyewear Market? | The world of eCommerce has created a unique universe in which any company can find itself at the forefront of its industry simply by knowing how and when to strike. While this is the case, opportunity does not equal execution and many companies lack the ability to capitalize on this era of golden opportunity. This is where Muunel has managed to make its mark in the eyecare industry through its most advanced blue light eyewear. Muunel is an online retailer based in Copenhagen, Denmark selling prescription glasses & lenses, and blue light blocking glasses & lenses. In a short span of time, the company has managed to establish itself as one of the premier digital eyewear leaders in the market. It was founded by two friends who understand the negative effects of blue light, the damages that can come from it. One co-founder had in-depth experience with optical design and the other co-founder was a computer programmer. They worked on creating a product that reaches clients who need blue light lenses to mitigate the harmful effects of blue life for those who spend several hours in front of blue light/computer monitors. They learned the value of building a digital presence and reach to masses. This is how Muunel was launched in 2019. On their portal, Muunel.com, people can find information on not only the best products on the market, but also how to protect your vision, and the difference blue light glasses make. According to the Muunel website, once you start using the blue light lenses, you will be able to rest your eyes, you will fall asleep easier, and you wont wake up during the night. The Muunel lenses help clients mitigate the effects of blue light, creating an offering that reduces blue light exposure to help you combat the effects of blue light. With Muunel, you get a lens built on a passionate and knowledgeable response to the effects of blue light on your vision. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Muunel (@muunel.eyewear) As the world shifts more and more to one where perception is reality, companies like Muunel can play an incredibly powerful role in building out massively credible blue light lenses, with the need to match in the current digital times. Only time will be able to tell us what to expect of the future of the eyecare market. And whatever that future may hold, expect to see Muunel at the forefront of it. | https://www.latestly.com/lifestyle/how-muunel-is-shaping-the-optical-eyewear-market-2518952.html |
What Happened to Eddie on A Million Little Things? Who Hit Eddie Saville? | A Million Little Things follows the lives of a group of friends living in Boston going through the various challenges of life. The series is known for its emotional drama and tragic moments that help us see the characters as flawed humans beings, just like the rest of us. One such tragic event that has driven the narrative for much of the shows third season is the shell-shocking incident Eddie (David Giuntoli) had to endure. If you are looking for a refresher or wish to catch up on this all-important plot thread, weve got you covered! Heres what happened to Eddie and who did it. Eddie Saville is one of the main characters on A Million Little Things. He is a recovering alcoholic and is struggling to repair his marriage with his wife, Kim, at the start of the series. As the series progresses, we learn of Eddies various shortcomings as a husband, friend, father, and human in general. Eddie works on becoming a better person, and by the end of the second season, his relationship with Kim is on the right track. The couple decides to renew their wedding vows. In the second season finale, the preparations for their vow renewal are in the final stage when a tragedy strikes. Eddie has been trying to deal with the death of a childhood friend, Alex, who drowned years ago. As he puts together pieces of his past, a clue takes him to the lake house. There he finds his clothes from the night Alex died. Eddie is devastated after he remembers the incident and how he failed to save Alex because he was drunk. He heads to a bar for a drink but leaves before drinking. As Eddie crosses the street talking to Katherine on the phone, he is hit by a red car. The third season premiere reveals that the accident has left Eddie paralyzed from the waist down, and there is little chance he will regain the use of his legs. The paralysis results in Eddie getting addicted to painkillers, and his relationship with Katherine once again deteriorates. The identity of the person who hit Eddie isnt revealed immediately. In the third season premiere, we get a flashback to the night of the accident. We learn that the man whose car hit Eddie called 911 to help him before driving away. At the end of the season 3 premiere, Eddie and Katherine recreate their wedding ceremony and renew their vows in front of their friends and family. A stranger watches them from across the street, parked in a red truck, identical to the one that hit Eddie. The person in the truck is Reverend Stewart, Alexs father. The scene led fans to believe that Stewart wanted to kill Eddie as revenge for his daughters death. That turned out to be a red-herring as in a later episode, Stewart comes to Eddie and reveals the truth about the night Alex died. Alex did not drown and returned home from the lake house. She did some drugs with her sister later that night and passed away from an overdose. Stewart also reveals that the night Eddie was at the lake house, he wanted to tell Eddie the truth. However, before he could, a red SUV hit Eddie and Stewart chased the car until it got away. It was, in fact, Stewart who called 911 in the flashback. The identity of the true culprit remains a mystery and insignificant in the grand scheme of themes. Eddies accident and guilt over his past drive the characters emotional conflicts making for a much more tragic and compelling drama. | https://thecinemaholic.com/what-happened-to-eddie-on-a-million-little-things-who-hit-him/ |
Is TE Jordan Akins the most under appreciated player on the Texans? | The Houston Texans went 4-12 last season and they dont have any superstars on the roster, save for quarterback Deshaun Watson. As such, it is fair to say, with an optimistic lens, the Texans have a roster full of under appreciated and overlooked players. According to Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com, tight end Jordan Akins is the most under appreciated player on the roster. Per Next Gen Stats, Akins averaged 3.7 yards of separation per target in 2020 (sixth-most among tight ends) and his +6.2 percent catch rate over expected ranked fourth (both min. 40 targets). With a lot of changes to this offense for 2021, Akins ability to create space could be a potential source of reliability and strength. Akins caught 37 passes for 403 yards and a touchdown through 13 games last season, five of which he started. The Texans added to the tight end group in the offseason by signing Antony Auclair, Ryan Izzo, and Paul Quessenberry and also drafting Brevin Jordan in the fifth round from Miami. | https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/02/jordan-akins-most-under-appreciated-player-texans/ |
Could certain genes be associated with a loss of smell in some COVID-19 patients? | Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), can lead to a wide range of symptoms and disease outcomes. The most common clinical manifestations include elevated temperature, cough, and difficulty of breathing. Some people develop other symptoms, however, such as headache, body pain, digestive symptoms, and the loss of taste and smell. Researchers at the 23andMe COVID-19 Team, who help search for genetic links associated with the severity of COVID-19, found that the genes UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 may be associated with the loss of smell in those infected with SARS-CoV-2. The study, which appeared on the pre-print server medRxiv*, highlights the possible answer to the long-lasting question about the cause of anosmia (or the loss of smell) in some patients with COVID-19. Anosmia in COVID-19 Since the start of the current global pandemic, which was first detected in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019, many patients have reported varying symptoms, including the loss of smell and taste. The loss of smell is now considered the main neurological symptom of COVID-19, and one of the earliest and most commonly reported indicators of the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Though many patients report this symptom, there is still no clear explanation as to why it happens. The company 23andMe is a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company with more than 10 million genotyped customers. They use the data, with about 80 percent of customers providing consent, to conduct scientific researches. The Team also conducts online surveys to gather reliable data to be incorporated into their studies. The Team conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of COVID-19-related anosmia, having collected data from over one million participants. They were asked to report the symptoms experienced during their COVID-19 bout. Overall, 47,298 research participants (around 68 percent) reported the loss of taste or smell when tested positive for COVID-19, while 22,543 individuals who tested positive did not report any loss of smell or taste. The research team conducted genomic analysis separately in samples of European, African-American, Latino, East Asian, and South Asian ancestries, and used the outcome to perform a trans-ethnic meta-analysis. The study results showed an association with the UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 genes and the emergence of anosmia in COVID-19 positive people. These genes are included in the family of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases, are expressed in the olfactory epithelium, and work as odorant metabolizing enzymes. Also, these genes play a critical role in the physiology of olfaction. Genetic link The loss of smell or taste is a notable symptom of COVID-19, making it distinct from other viral symptoms. In the study, the researchers identified a genetic locus that contains the two genes, UGT2A1 and UGT2A2, which have been tied to olfactory function. Since these genes play roles in the metabolization and detoxification of olfactory compounds, they are expected to affect the physiology of infected cells, causing impairment. Usually, the loss of smell occurs temporarily and may go back to normal after the acute infection phase. However, some people may experience post-viral anosmia or hyposmia or the reduced ability to smell. Some patients regain their ability to smell in time, while others may need medical assistance or therapy. We hope that the identification of this genetic association with COVID-19 related anosmia may serve as a clue as to how the virus affects cells in the nasal pathway, the researchers noted in the study. This study can also help shed light on how the virus affects the olfactory system, identify those at particular risk of this symptom, and help develop potential treatments for some people who develop post-viral anosmia that can affect their daily lives. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 171 million cases worldwide. Of these, 3.55 million people have died. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. | https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/Could-certain-genes-be-associated-with-a-loss-of-smell-in-some-COVID-19-patients.aspx |
Could higher carnitine levels in the blood protect against severe COVID-19? | The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes mild to moderate illness in most individuals. However, some people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness due to advanced age, underlying health conditions or immunodeficiencies. Severe COVID-19 is characterized by a hyperactive immune response. In the most severe cases, this overreaction leads to a cytokine storm, wherein various proinflammatory cytokines are produced at a much higher rate than normal. Cytokine overproduction causes positive feedback on other immune cells, allowing recruitment to the injury site. In worse cases, this can cause multiple organ damage. Carnitine and acetyl-carnitine can downregulate proinflammatory cytokines, and so some scientists believe that these nutrients may help prevent disease progression. Researchers at the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, found that carnitine and its derivative acetyl-carnitine provide a protective effect against severe COVID-19. Doubling of carnitine or acetyl-carnitine is tied to a 40-percent reduction risk of disease progression. The study, which appeared on the pre-print server medRxiv*, also showed that acetyl-carnitine had the largest protective effect when comparing hospitalized COVID-19 patients and those infected with SARS-CoV-2, but not admitted to the hospital. The study findings underscore the therapeutic potential of carnitine and acetyl-carnitine in preventing severe COVID-19. Carnitine (also known as L-carnitine) is a chemical similar to an amino acid produced in the body. The body converts carnitine into other chemicals such as acetyl-carnitine and propionyl-carnitine. It is essential for brain and heart function, muscle movement, and other bodily processes. Severe COVID-19 Most people who contract SARS-CoV-2 experience either no obvious symptoms or only mild symptoms, and recover within one to two weeks. Some individuals, however, are at a higher risk of developing severe illness. Those who develop severe illness are often admitted to the hospital, and in critical cases, require support in an intensive care unit (ICU). Aside from corticosteroids that are used to control inflammation, acetyl-carnitine has also been hypothesized as a potentially effective agent against COVID-19. However, large-randomized trials are expensive and time-consuming, while small trials may not fully provide the real effect. In the current study, the researchers used Mendelian randomization, wherein genetic variants tied to the exposure or treatment of interest are used as proxies for the exposure, which is inexpensive and easier to do. To arrive at the study findings, the team performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization evaluation of acetyl-carnitine and carnitine on COVID-19 risk by using publicly available data from the genome-wide association study (GWAS). The team considered the link between the two nutrients and infection, hospitalization due to COVID-19, and very severe COVID-19. Further, the team also sought to determine whether carnitine was tied to comorbidities usually found among patients with severe COVID-19. The researchers found some evidence to suggest that carnitine and its derivative protected against progression to very severe COVID-19. They found that a doubling of acetyl-carnitine concentration in the blood could thus reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 by 40 percent. The risk for hospitalized COVID-19 patients to develop severe infection dropped by 67 percent for acetyl-carnitine. Also, the team noted that with a 43-percent increase in acetyl-carnitine levels in the body, the risk of developing severe COVID-19 reduced by 23 percent. Meanwhile, the results were similar for carnitine levels. Doubling in blood carnitine levels may decrease the risk of any SARS-CoV-2 infection by 19 percent; being admitted to the hospital due to COVID-19 by 18 percent; and being infected but not hospitalized by 20 percent, and could reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 by 44 percent. In summary, we found strong protective effects of both blood acetyl-carnitine and carnitine levels on severe COVID-19. Carnitine and acetyl-carnitine may therefore be effective treatments in those who have contracted COVID-19, the researchers concluded in the study. However, the team warned that genetic predisposition to higher carnitines might increase the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. They recommend only short-term treatment with carnitines to reduce inflammation and severe COVID-19, without causing harm to the patients health. If further studies (including randomized trials) of carnitines potential to mitigate COVID-19 severity corroborate these findings, this may open up a new avenue to help combat the pandemic. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. | https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/Could-higher-carnitine-levels-in-the-blood-protect-against-severe-COVID-19.aspx |
Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas? | Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel betacoronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has so far led to over 171.2 million infections and over 3.56 million deaths. Attempting to understand why the SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the globe, persisted for long periods in the environment, and has high contagiousness, researchers have demonstrated an association between the chronic exposure to some air pollutants and the transmission and severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Atmospheric pollutants produce oxidative stress, inflammation, immuno-unbalance, and systemic coagulation, rendering the human body prone to infections by various pathogens. On the other hand, it is known that spermatozoa (male gametes/sperm cells) are extremely responsive to pro-oxidative effects produced by environmental pollutants. Thus, these may serve as powerful alerts that signal the extent of environmental pressure in a specific area is doing damage to humans. In a recent review in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Italian researchers focused on the evidence that correlates the degree and type of pollution with the increased susceptibility of many countries to this pandemic and proposes human semen as an early marker of the environmental health and the general health of individuals. Their observations are based on a robust body of experimental evidence. Air pollution and COVID-19 In regions where increased air particulate matter (PM) is reported, a high incidence of COVID-19 cases is observed. Many studies report a significant association between elevated levels of PM2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and COVID-19 diffusion and mortality. The researchers write: For example, a study performed in Italy indicated that more than 75% of infected individuals and about 81% of deaths in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy happened in industrialized regions with high levels of air pollution. Interestingly, the researchers specified the various environmentally-related factors that linked to the number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the pandemic: 1) winter time and increased related air pollution, 2) PM10, in areas increasing the set limits, 3) ozone, in cities that crossed the limit for 100-plus days per year, 4) low average wind speeds, and 5) lower average temperatures. They reported that there were more than three times as many infected cases when compared with the relative number in cities with low levels of air pollution. In the review, the researchers retrace the path of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission from China (where it was first identified in December 2019) to South Korea, Iran, Italy and the rest of the world, along with the climatic and weather conditions which were propitious for the spread of the virus. Pollution and susceptibility to viral insults According to the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, approximately a quarter of diseases, including cardiovascular and chronic degenerative disorders, early deaths, and reproductive impairments, are caused by exposure to environmental pollutants over time, together with lifestyle. Environmental pollution enhances the susceptibility to non-communicable disease (NCD). The consequence is a decline in the human immune defenses, also attributed to transgenerational effects, which reduce the ability to fight viral pathogens. A recent study in mice shows chronic exposure to PM2.5 resulted in increased expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the human host cell receptor that facilitates SARS-CoV-2s entry. Pre-existing environmental factors alter mechanisms in the immune responses that may hinder the ability to fight pathogens effectively. The team writes: In addition to this, it should be added that air pollutants represent a potential co-factor of major damage because they are capable of inducing oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, immune imbalance, and coagulation at the systemic level. Interestingly, a positive correlation between NO2 and COVID-19 is observed in countries such as Europe: France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. NO2 enhances ACE2 expression, and SARS-CoV-2 interacts through ACE2 with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which controls blood pressure and fluid and electrolyte balance, and also systemic vascular resistance. Sperm decline in polluted areas Sperm decline is observed in industrial development with high levels of air pollution. A wide range of environmental stressors (that result in oxidative stress) alters the seminal parameters such as sperm count, motility, morphology, and especially the integrity of sperm DNA. Based on previous studies, the researchers confirmed that The negative trend in sperm quality in conjunction with annual high average levels of PM10, PM2.5, and NO2, could suggest that sperm decline may be the first clinical sign of environmental pressure and that semen quality could be a potential indicator of susceptibility to insults in polluted areas including viral infections as described in the following section. Human semen as environmental and health marker Our studies on individuals living in polluted areas demonstrated that also human semen could be considered an ideal early sentinel with a double function: environmental and human health, said the researchers in the review. Human semen is a sentinel biomarker of subclinical biological effect suitable for monitoring the impact of adverse environmental exposures, and so could also support the comprehension of the dynamics involved in the facilitation of COVID-19 severity in polluted areas, suggested the researchers. Heavy metals adversely impact sperm cells. A recent study shows an association between heavy metal exposure and the severity of viral diseases, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Thus, early signs of damage to organ-sentinel systems (such as the male reproductive system/human sperm quality) may hint at how relevant environmental pressures are. In conclusion, the researchers suggest, through the use of human semen, as an early sentinel of environmental and general human health status, the population health status in a given environmental context can be known. This can help predict both a populations susceptibility to a viruss impact and the medium and long-term negative effects it may cause on human health. The researchers conclude: We also believe that semen quality used as an early environmental and health marker could help policymakers to promptly intervene in areas with significant environmental criticality to abate air, water, and soil pollution with an integrated One Health approach, where information sharing among diverse and key professionals (clinicians, biologists, chemists, virologists, veterinarians, economists, epidemiologists) could be successful in establishing a systemic approach that could be efficient and beneficial on a global scale. | https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/Could-semen-quality-indicate-SARS-CoV-2-insult-susceptibility-in-polluted-areas.aspx |
What countries could be added to the green list at the next review? | The next green list review will reportedly take place this week. Everything we know... Last month, the government announced that 12 countries would be added to the green list of places people in the UK could travel without having to quarantine on their return. The list came into force on May 17, and will be reviewed every three weeks. At each review, more countries could be added to the list. Speaking at a press conference from Downing Street on May 7, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that the list would be 'necessarily cautious', adding that "we must make sure the countries we reconnect with are safe." The next review will reportedly take place on Thursday June 3. Here's what we know about what countries might be added. The first green list review is due very soon. As yet, we do not know what countries will be added to the green list, as there has been no official word from the government However, there are a number of countries that have been identified as possible contenders. It is important to note that none of these are confirmed, however, and we'll have to wait until the announcement to find out which countries will be on the list. As reported by Independent, potential contenders include: Malta is reportedly a contender to be added to the green list. Picture: Getty Malta The Balearic Islands of Spain The Greek islands of Kos, Rhodes, Santorini and Zante Finland Grenada Slovakia The Cayman Islands Fiji The British Virgin Islands Antigua and Barbuda St Kitts and Nevis Turks and Caicos Anguilla. The following are currently on England's green list: Portugal Australia New Zealand Singapore Brunei Iceland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Falkland Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Israel Some of the countries on the list are not allowing visitors from abroad, so it is advised to check on a country's restrictions before planning a holiday. Covid tests will be required before and after travel for those visiting green list countries. | https://www.heart.co.uk/lifestyle/countries-added-green-list-next-review/ |
What does the future hold for our bluebells and bumblebees? | Published: 7:00 PM June 2, 2021 Freston Wood is renowned for the swatches of bluebells nestled amongst the historic trees and they make a beautiful sight for spring visitors. Picture: Sarah Lucy Brown - Credit: SARAH LUCY BROWN Climate change could leave the region without any bumblebees or bluebells as increasing temperatures are becoming "inhospitable" for native species, a leading charity has warned. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced that bluebells and bumblebees are at risk because of the warmer weather. The popular bluebell can be found in woodlands as they make use of the open canopy to grow and flower in the spring before the woodland floor area is shaded over in the summer months as the tree leaves grow. WWF has said that warmer temperatures mean plants and trees are flowering earlier, which means the bluebells do not get the required amount of sunlight, and if they are not able to time their growth to coincide with the open canopy they may lose out. Beekeepers meticulously inspecting hives - Credit: Kevin Thorn The wildlife charity has also raised concerns about spring droughts saying they can also have an effect on the growth of bluebells. You may also want to watch: Bumblebees have also been put on the "at risk" list by WWF as the pollinators are susceptible to overheating and as they generate heat whilst flying, and their fuzzy bodies provide a warm coat, they are not well equipped to survive in the hot sunny weather. Beekeepers are doing everything they can to keep bees buzzing in Suffolk - Credit: Robert Clare WWF has said, the insects that thrive better in cooler climates, have moved to more northerly regions, and has warned that the extent to which they can spread is far less than the area they are losing due to climate change, which inevitably could push some species towards extinction. Steve Aylward from Suffolk Wildlife Trust, said: "Bumblebees are important pollinators of a whole host of wild flowers and crops. "The selection of species with in Suffolk are essentially representing the range of habitats and climates that we have, and therefore a changing climate will have an impact on the diversity of species we have in Suffolk. "It is the weather extremes that are causing a lot of the issues for a lot of our wildlife, and so bluebells are a species that will not respond well to weather extremes and move very very slowly. Millie Riches amongst the bluebells in Freston Woods. Picture: Sarah Lucy Brown - Credit: SARAH LUCY BROWN "Bluebells require very specific habitat conditions which is a stable woodland environment. "They are such a distinctive part of our woodlands and a lot of people value them for the aesthetics." Ipswich and East Suffolk Beekeepers member, Samuel, Williams, said: "The bees do a lot of pollination, honeybees and bumblebees pollinate a variety of flowers. "Bumblebees will individually go for a few flowers to pollinate. They will go to one flower, pick up the pollen and then go to the next flower and pass the pollen on which is the process of pollination." | https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/future-of-bluebells-and-bumblebees-8021916 |
Can echolocation help those with vision loss? | Known as nature's own sonar system, echolocation occurs when an animal emits a sound that bounces off objects in the environment, returning echoes that provide information about the surrounding space. While echolocation is well known in whale or bat species, previous research has also indicated that some blind people may use click-based echolocation to judge spaces and improve their navigation skills. Equipped with this knowledge, a team of researchers, led by Dr Lore Thaler, of Durham University, UK, delved into the factors that determine how people learn this skill. Over the course of a 10-week training programme, the team investigated how blindness and age affect learning of click-based echolocation. They also studied how learning of this skill affects the daily life of people who are blind. The findings are published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study involved blind and sighted participants between 21 and 79 years of age who trained over the course of 10 weeks. Blind participants also took part in a 3-month follow up survey assessing the effects of the training on their daily life. Both sighted and blind people improved considerably on all measures, and in some cases performed comparatively to expert echolocators at the end of training. Somewhat surprisingly, in some cases sighted people even performed better than those who were blind. Importantly, however, neither age nor blindness was a limiting factor in participants' rate of learning or in their ability to apply their echolocation skills to novel, untrained tasks. Furthermore, in the follow up survey, all participants who were blind reported improved mobility, and 83% reported better independence and wellbeing. Overall, the results suggest that the ability to learn click-based echolocation is not strongly limited by age or level of vision. This has positive implications for the rehabilitation of people with vision loss or in the early stages of progressive vision loss. Currently, click-based echolocation is not taught as part of mobility training and rehabilitation for blind people. There is also the possibility that some people are reluctant to use click-based echolocation due to a perceived stigma around making the required clicks in social environments. Despite this, the results indicate that blind people who use echolocation and people new to echolocation are confident to use it in social situations. The potential barriers relating to perceived stigma are perhaps much smaller than previously thought. Dr. Lore Thaler, in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, said "I cannot think of any other work with blind participants that has had such enthusiastic feedback." "People who took part in our study reported that the training in click-based echolocation had a positive effect on their mobility, independence and wellbeing, attesting that the improvements we observed in the lab transcended into positive life benefits outside the lab. " "We are very excited about this and feel that it would make sense to provide information and training in click-based echolocation to people who may still have good functional vision, but who are expected to lose vision later in life because of progressive degenerative eye conditions." The human brain continues to surprise us with its capabilities for complex learning strategies and the neuroplasticity to alter its very structure to better process information from its senses. The work was funded by a grant of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council United Kingdom, and a grant from the Network for Social Change. ### MEDIA INFORMATION Interviews Dr Lore Thaler is available for interview on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of June 2021 and can be reached at [email protected] Alternatively, please contact Durham University Marketing and Communications Office on [email protected] Source information Human click-based echolocation: Effects of blindness and age, and real-life implications in a 10-week training program is published in PLOS ONE Once the embargo of 6PM GMT (UK TIME)/2PM ET (USA TIME) WEDNESDAY 2 JUNE 2021 is lifted, the paper will be available at https:/ / journals. plos. org/ plosone/ article?id= 10. 1371/ journal. pone. 0252330 Pictures available Image(s) are available via this Dropbox link: https:/ / www. dropbox. com/ sh/ 90swrcvr01t3cxw/ AAA1zFGnEiNU80yr6I_WegxPa?dl= 0 Image credit - Canva stock footage Useful web links Dr. Lore Thaler's profile: https:/ / www. dur. ac. uk/ research/ directory/ staff/ ?mode= staff&id= 9604 Department of Psychology, Durham University: https:/ / www. durham. ac. uk/ departments/ academic/ psychology/ About Durham University Durham University is a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research based in historic Durham City in the UK. We are a collegiate university committed to inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham and in the world. We conduct boundary-breaking research that improves lives globally and we are ranked as a world top 100 university with an international reputation in research and education (QS World University Rankings 2021). We are a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive UK universities and we are consistently ranked as a top 10 university in national league tables (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, Guardian University Guide and The Complete University Guide). For more information about Durham University visit: http://www. durham. ac. uk/ about/ | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/du-ceh060121.php |
What If Renting a Home Became as Easy as Ordering Food? | As the coronavirus pandemic closed schools and businesses last spring, Bryan Conzone, an otherwise healthy tech entrepreneur, caught a case of wanderlust. Mr. Conzone, 38, who owns a data analytics-software company, was stuck at home with his family in Las Vegas. His wife, Jenn Conzone, 41, a registered nurse, quit her job to take care of the couples son, then 5 years old, and infant daughter. The lease on the familys three-bedroom townhouse was up in June, and Mr. Conzonewho has run his company, TRFK, remotely for yearswas ready to hit the road. I was like, OK, youre not working; weve been talking about moving to Texas; lets go check out Dallas and Austin, Mr. Conzone recalled telling his wife. How can we explore the cities for a month and really get a feel for which one we want to be in? That question marked the beginning of the Conzone familys yearlong, seven-city, eight-stop odyssey across the Southwest and the Pacific Northwestan upscale variation on Nomadland, with stays in furnished luxury apartments instead of trailer parks. Using Landing, a short-term-rental website, the Conzones hopscotched across Texas, California, Oregon, Washington and Utah, staying for four to six weeks in each city before moving on to the next, toting duffel bags of clothing, games and home-schooling supplies. After a year of working and schooling remotely, many people are curious about trying out new cities, but they arent ready for the hassles of a full-blown relocation. Others, who left urban areas during the pandemic, may be ready to return but reluctant to commit to long-term leases. In many cities, housing inventory is in such low supply that even those seeking to buy may need somewhere to stay short-term. | https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-if-renting-a-home-became-as-easy-as-ordering-food-11622657142 |
Is Pharrell Williams the World's Best Neighbor? | The musician and philanthropist Pharrell Williams, whose work often focuses on his hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. On Pharrell: Chanel top, 800-550-0005. Pharrells own necklaces. Micaiah Carter "We had to bury my cousin on my birthday, says Pharrell Williams. So the day the music producer and impresario turned 48 years old was devoted not to his own life but to one cut short at 25, that of Donovan Lynch. It was bittersweet, Williams says. The way he died was bitter. Where he is right now is sweet. Lynch was gunned down by the police in his and Williamss hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 26; Williams has just returned to Miami after speaking at the funeral. I wasnt able to deliver the speech with the fire and intention I wanted, he says, his voice wavering, because I was just choked with emotion. In the days after the shooting, the police department gave varying stories about whether Lynch had brandished a gun. The bodycam of the officer involved was never activated, a violation of department procedures, so no footage of the incident exists. Its not just the loss of life. Its also the cause of the loss of life, Williams says, running his hands over his face. And its a much larger problem, you know? The family and other advocates have called for a federal investigation. Williamss educational nonprofit, Yellow, will open a micro-school this fall in Norfolk, Virginia; another location will be added in 2022. Before expanding to major cities across the country in the next five years, Yellow plans to open locations providing pre-K through workforce education throughout Virginias Hampton Roads region. On Pharrell: Chanel jacket and jeans, 800-550-0005. Richard Mille watch, richardmille.com. Pharrells own necklaces, bracelets, and ring. Micaiah Carter The epidemic of police violence is, Williams says, rooted in a four-century-old force of gravitya weight, invisible to many white folks, that can manifest as a literal knee on the neck, though it is typically felt as a persistent and pernicious downward pull. As a Black person, when youre born in this country, you immediately feel a much heavier gravity, he says. The gravity is one that we see in our rules and regulations and laws. We see it in the lack of options. We see it in what were fed, what is marketed to us. We see it in broken educational systems. At times this force can be crushing. Knowing that if Donovan had been white he wouldnt have gotten shot multiple times and left in the street for an inhumane amount of time, til the next morning, no gun in handthats gravity. The race of the officer doesnt pertain to the conversation, because if Donovan had been white they would have never shot him like that. Williams pulls his hands over his face, tears streaking from his glistening eyes. So there is gravity. And there, too, is hope that things will change. It may be jarring to see the singer of Happy shed tears of anguish, but behind Williamss fashion-forward image lies a creative soul with a deep commitment to social justice. Performing at the 2015 Grammy Awards, he reimagined his feel-good hit as a powerful statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Williams stood with backup dancers clad in black hoodies (in homage to Trayvon Martin) and struck the hands up, dont shoot posture in solidarity with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. Six years later, it seems clear that recent events will drive Williamss activism in new directions, though he cant say yet what they will be. Im still processing. I dont really have a lot of answers at the moment, he says. I think Ive been so sad over this past week because I dont know what Im doing. Williams performing at the 2019 Something in the Water festival. Brian Ach Getty Images There is an oft-cited (though unverified) factoid that claims that Williams was behind 43 percent of all hit records in 2003either alone or as part of the Neptunes, his producing partnership with Chad Hugo. Regardless of whether that stat is true, Williams is undeniably one of the most successful, influential producers aroundputting his Midas touch on hits by Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyonc, and Ariana Grande, among others, and amassing 38 Grammy nominations and 13 wins. However, Williams features prominently in only a few chart-topping songs. For years his philanthropic efforts mirrored this paradigm. He would speak softly but write a big check, making his mark primarily behind the scenes. (For example, he made the expansion of Jos Andrss World Central Kitchen possible through his unsolicited financial support. As Andrs says, We wouldnt be able to do without him.) In the past year, however, Williams has taken center stage, piloting a pair of bold initiatives aimed at addressing disparities in entrepreneurship and the education system. As he puts it, If its fixed and unfair, then it needs to be broken. Williams has circumvented the expected pathways and pitfalls of pop music by bringing an entrepreneurial approach to his eclectic tastesin fashion and art, film and TV, tech and textiles. His desire to nurture the same spirit led him to launch Black Ambition, a nonprofit initiative to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, in December. Beyond simply rewarding innovation, Williams hopes the ventures will enrich and empower those communities. Were saying to ourselves, Why are we in the position that were in? Williams says. Because we dont necessarily have a voice, because we dont own enough businesses. Its time for us to be part of the American pie chart. Williams, right, performing with Jay-Z in 2018 at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 concert in South Africa. Kevin Mazur Getty Images The program provides mentorship and financial support for startups in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products and services. Entrepreneurs pitch their launches to advance in a pair of competitions, each of which culminates in awards ranging from $15,000 to $1 million. One competition draws from students and recent graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which Williams calls the most fertile ground to search for entrepreneurs. Ahead of the launch, Williams was able to bring together supporters including Adidas, Chanel, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as such individual investors as venture capitalist Ron Conway and BuzzFeed co-founder Jonah Peretti. In addition, he recruited Virgil Abloh, CEO of the Off-White fashion line and artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, to collaborate on the project. Black Ambition is really a monument to experimenting in how to do that, Abloh says. Pharrells charisma steers the ship, but its also his business acumenhe knows his influence. Hes a passionate speaker, and he constantly reminds you of the bigger picture and whats possible. I think those attributes are very, very necessary in the world today. You need a spirit leader. Musician and philanthropist Pharrell Williams with students at a Virginia Beach summer camp. COURTESY JADA GEORGE/REDLYNN GROUP Williams has one in his mother Carolyn, a former elementary school teacher who earned a doctorate in education. With her help, Williams learned as a child that his perception was wired differently from other peoples. He has synesthesia, a condition in which one sense stimulates another. In his case, hearing sounds causes him to see colors. Thats what gives Yellow, his educational nonprofit, its name, and his experience with perceptual difference informs its mission. Consulting with advisers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and NASA, the program represents educational futurism in action: a holistic curriculum, mastery-based learning, immersive experiences, integrated student support, and an emphasis on career and creative skills and self-efficacy. Most of all, Yellows approach is to engage every type of learner. We need our teachers to be able to reach every kid that they put their eyes on, Williams says. We need kids to walk away feeling inspired. The first physical Yellowhab micro-school will launch this fall in Norfolk, Virginia; another location will be added in 2022. Before expanding to major cities across the country in the next five years, Yellow plans to open locations providing pre-K through workforce education throughout Virginias Hampton Roads region. We need kids to walk away feeling inspired. Williamss emotional investment in his hometown is evident in all his work. He has said he loves Virginia for the progress it has made but is in love with it for its untapped potential. He is acutely aware that the state, like America, is a work in progress. Point Comfort, where the first enslaved Africans alighted onto these shores, in 1619, lies just across the bay from Virginia Beach, an oceanside tourist haven haunted by a history of racism and police bias. In 2018 the police chief of Virginia Beach approached Williams, hoping he would address the city council over safety concerns on College Beach Weekend, an April event that attracts thousands of students, many of whom are from HBCUs. They could see only the potential for a spike in crime, despite police data that shows that has not been the case. Williams saw an opportunity to promote the city, its economy, and racial understanding. He proposed a music and culture festival on the beach called Something in the Water. Williams understood that Black music had the power to attract a large white audience to the city. We bet on the fact that there were more people that love our culture, Williams says. Enough to come be with us and to dispel the stereotypes and whatever it is that they were saying about us. He bet, in other words, on love over hate and pushed his chips onto the table. Williams is pictured here in his hometown of Virginia Beach, VA, where much of his philanthropic work is focused. Brian Ach Getty Images Williams booked a lineup of A-list musical acts capped off by a performance during which he shared the stage with Jay-Z, Diddy, and Missy Elliott. The sonic fireworks were punctuated by serious programming: conversations about education, technology, and kindness. Several thousand attended a church service held on the beach. Deepak Chopra spoke, and the artist Kaws created a giant installation on the sand. What it ended up being was the realization of Williamss dream: a total audience of 200,000 coming together for a weekend where there was no violence, only love, Williams says. And that had nothing to do with me. It had to do with the fact that the city had the willingness to stand behind the African-American culture and these HBCU students who were just trying to take a break. It was a prime example of what Andrs calls Williamss ability to plant positive Trojan horses, where meaningful payoffs emerge from sparkly packages. Pharrell knows hes able to penetrate the community to create good, bring people together, and make them feel like they belong, Andrs says. I do not. I know I'm meant to serve." Due to Covid-19, Williams was forced to cancel the festival in 2020 and this year. He plans to bring it back in 2022 with a new element, the memorialization of a community member who made the festival possible, his cousin Donovan Lynch. There will definitely be an ode to him, Williams says, because he served Something in the Water. He is always going to be tied to the festival in some way, shape, or form. His grimace breaks into a bittersweet smile, imagining the possibilities, musical and otherwise. This is what Pharrell Williams does: meet Black pain with Black joy, to celebrate his communitys perseverance and achievement. I never really know where Im headed until I look back over my shoulder and go, Oh, wow, okay. That seems to be a line, so I must be going that way, Williams says. He points backward, then traces an arc forward. Even still, I wasnt gifted with that foresight. I do not. He nods solemnly, pulls on his cap, and bows his head slightly. I know Im meant to serve. This story appears in the Summer 2020 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW | https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/a36489849/pharrell-williams-interview-black-ambition/ |
How did a shepherds hut become the latest must-have garden accessory? | Were also willing to spend big on the trimmings; garden accessorising is so aspirational that I almost expect to see outdoor furniture on Net-a-Porter.com. Among other coveted garden accessories are the pot planters and metal shelving available at House Doctor, bringing a Nobu-esque indoor-outdoor vibe to suburban gardens in Surrey. Meanwhile, Marrakech-based high-end events company Boutique Souk, famed for organising Madonnas 50th birthday party and countless boho-luxe society weddings, pivoted last year into selling their handmade Moroccan textiles, ceramics and soft furnishings. Their Moroccan pouffes, picnic blankets and table settings have been a roaring success, lending some fiercely Instagrammable riad glamour to any old Sunday afternoon barbecue. Garden-primping also presents a financial opportunity. With demand for Airbnb and other UK-based holiday rentals up at record levels, many Brits are considering hosting and renting out huts in their own back gardens. Visits to Airbnbs landing page for new hosts were up significantly in both January and February compared to December. Last summer, UK hosts earned more than 225million and 2021 promises to be another boom year for have-a-go hoteliers. Perhaps that 16,000 Victorian shepherds hut is a shrewd investment by a bootstrapping property developer. This is a summer when people are renting hammocks in gardens in Sheffield for 45 a night, so just imagine what you could make from an actual shelter. Aesthetically, many of us remain almost supernaturally charmed by supposedly quirky accommodation, suckered into paying over the odds for anything that looks like it might belong on a folk album cover. Perhaps this is an affliction of the urban middle classes; were hopeless suckers for anything that nods to wildness, nature and freedom particularly when most of the world remains on the travel red list. Speaking as a travel writer, Im still regularly seduced by shepherds huts, treehouses, yurts and other such landmarks of a high-end glampsite; I can spend hours poring over sites like Canopy & Stars, and find romance, charm and aspiration in dry-stone-walled spaces that Victorians would call a hovel. When it comes to back garden-glam or at least the aspiration thereof its no wonder that anonymous London bidder refused to let a good opportunity go. Bargain. Tell us in the comment section below. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/did-shepherds-hut-becomethe-latest-must-have-garden-accessory/ |
Can I get a refund on my university fees and rent because of Covid-19? | Thousands of students are demanding refunds of tuition fees and rent, as coronavirus wreaks havoc on their university experience. Most are being told not to return to campus, with online-only teaching in place until at least mid-February. Those on certain courses such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary science are exempt and can go back to their universities. Many students are disappointed by this, arguing they are getting bad value for their tuition fees and many are wasting thousands in rent for accommodation they cannot stay in. More than 250,000 people have signed an online petition to refund tuition fees for 2020/21 due to Covid-19. It is possible to win back money from your university if you feel you havent got value for money and some students may also be able to put a freeze on their rent. Here, we illustrate how to do it. How to get a refund on your tuition fees According to website Save The Student, 1,635 students made complaints about their university in 2017 and received a total of 650,000 in compensation. Reasons ranged from changes to course content to poor teaching. Students should first speak to their university to see if they can resolve their issue through existing complaints and appeals procedures, the Government has said. If a complaint is unsuccessful students can appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, a body for higher education complaints. It will judge whether students have been unfairly treated and if their university did enough to provide a similar quality of teaching this year as at any other time. The ombudsman can be contacted via oiahe.org.uk. The OIA said it can look at complaints about what was promised and what was delivered, but could not make judgments on issues such as quality of teaching. It will also take into account other issues students may be facing, for example if they have had to care for a relative during the pandemic, or have poor internet connection or no access to a computer. Students can only approach the OIA once they have received a Completion of Procedures letter from their university with its response to their complaint. They have 12 months from the date on the letter to approach the OIA. If this fails, students could try to go through the courts. Last year law firm Bott & Co offered to file individual claims on behalf of students who'd had lectures cancelled. Students have no automatic right to a rent refund if they can't make use of their university accommodation. That applies both to those who are renting privately and those in halls owned by their institution. However some may find their landlord or university is more lenient. Those in the latter group should check with their university if any refunds or discounts are available for accommodation costs. Bristol, Cumbria and Manchester Metropolitan are among those offering financial support. Failing that they should check their tenancy agreement to see if there are any break clauses or other rights they can rely on, otherwise they should try lobbying their student union. Those with private landlords or accommodation providers, such as Unite, should speak to them about what they offer. Some individual landlords may offer a temporary payment holiday, but students should remember that in most cases this is not an offer to cancel the rent. They will still have to pay up later down the line, and potentially with interest on top. Students in halls at Glasgow University were all refunded one months rent at the start of the academic year after the campus went into lockdown. Those who had to self-isolate also got 50 each to help pay for food and supplies as well as deliveries of food, cleaning materials, bedding and towels. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/can-get-refund-university-fees-covid-how-coronavirus-2021/ |
Why isn't The Masked Dancer on TV tonight? | Don't miss a thing by getting the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Click here Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice The Masked Dancer has been on TV every night since its launch on Saturday. But ITV bosses have had to pull the plug on Wednesday night's episode due to a schedule change. The spin-off show from the hit series, The Masked Singer, sees 12 celebrities perform routines disguised in elaborate costumes as the panel of Jonathan Ross, Oti Mabuse, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan try to guess their identities. Stars who have previously had their identities revealed in the programme include burlesque star Dita Von Teese, singer Louise Redknapp and Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo. And most recently, Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards. The series was set to air every evening at 7.30pm for a week until Saturday, June 5. However ITV has decided to replace tonight's episode with international football. Instead, viewers will be able to watch England's friendly match against Austria, with an 8pm start time. Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards, the 57-year-old ski jumper and former Olympian, was identified as the mystery dancer inside the elaborate Rubber Chicken outfit during the ITV programme on Tuesday. He has said he was disorientated and unbalanced during his performances as he struggled to breathe in his costume. Edwards told PA he would be open to further television appearances and would accept an offer of going on Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! The Masked Dancer continues on Thursday, June 3 at 7.30pm on ITV. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/isnt-masked-dancer-tv-tonight-20724998 |
Why Are Only Some Old Cars Considered Classic Cars? | Photo: The News Wheel Some folks have the luck of buying a car that increases in value as the years pass, while others spend their hard-earned money on potential classics that wind up being considered outdated beaters. If youve been driving the same car for a while, youre probably wondering what the chances are that your vehicle will become more valuable with age. Maybe one day it could even gain the status of being a classic car! 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible Photo: The News Wheel Reasons why select models become valuable classic cars with age Multiple factors can influence whether a car will become a classic as it ages or will simply be cheap, undesirable transportation. Qualification isnt based on one lone aspect. Three primary factors are popularity, rarity, and quality. To become a classic car, a model usually needs to have been praised and desired upon its release. Vehicles that are flops or ridiculed upon release dont amass the fanbase or high regard needed for long-term appeal. Higher demand will increase the price people are willing to pay for the car, especially if only a set quantity are available after production of it ceases. Most of the time, these in-demand vehicles are luxury or performance models. Economy cars might be popular and in-demand now, but their widespread availability and MSRP dont contribute to their long-term appeal or rarity. Plus, average-quality models rarely become classics, unless theyre regarded as a novelty or unique collectors item. Not all high-end cars will see their Kelley Blue Book value increase as it ages and becomes rarer, though. Thats because its popularity needs to be high. The Chrysler Crossfire, for instance, still has a relatively low resale value considering its low production quantity, luxury status, and original price tag. Thats because its not as in demand as other retired RWD luxury coupes. If you want to ensure you purchase a car thats destined to increase in value by becoming a classic model, your best bet is to pick a limited-production edition of a luxury or performance model thats currently popular and has a track record of being in-demand. However, theres no guarantee; predicting what will become a classic is rarely a certainty. In-Demand Brand: A list of the most classic Maserati cars | https://thenewswheel.com/why-only-some-old-cars-considered-classic-cars/ |
Is the Second Shot Giving Young Men a Dangerous Heart Condition? | A health worker administers the COVID-19 vaccine to an Israeli at mobile clinic parked near a bar in Tel Aviv. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images An official Israeli report released Tuesday found a striking correlation between COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations and a spike in cases of a heart-inflammation condition in young males, which appears likely to lead the country to revisit its recommendation that children receive two doses of the vaccine. The report found over 110 cases of myocarditis around the time of vaccination, 95 of which occurred following the second of Pfizers two-dose regimen. This translates to a rate of roughly one in 50,000. However, most of the people who developed the heart condition were young men, with a particularly high incidence for those aged 16 to 24, putting their rate at around one in 5,000. These findings raise the likelihood of a causal link between the vaccine and myocarditis, states the report presented by a committee that was appointed by the countrys health ministry to investigate a possible connection between myocarditis and the vaccines. Myocarditis can generally go away on its own, though it can also be serious, with lasting health consequences, and is sometimes even fatal. A detailed analysis at Hadassah Medical Center, a major hospital serving the greater Jerusalem area, found that cases of myocarditis at the facility were five to 25 times the normal number over the same time span in previous years, Dror Mevorach, the head of internal medicine and the COVID-19 ward at Hadassah, told Intelligencer. This potentially puts the rate as high as one in 3,000 to one in 6,000 vaccinated young men, he said. Mevorach, who also headed the national committee to investigate the myocarditis link, said that over a span of three months the hospital saw 20 cases of myocarditis, when it typically sees only four; 19 of the 20 cases were young males, ages 16 to 30. Eighteen of the 20 cases presented within four days of the second vaccine dose. The patients all had chest pain or difficulty breathing, ruling out that the condition was asymptomatic and caught inadvertently by general tests, Mevorach said. Only two patients of the 20 had evidence of past infection, eliminating any correlation with COVID-19 itself, rather than the vaccine. A possible link between myocarditis and the mRNA vaccines has been in the news since earlier this year, when initial reports of vaccinated people experiencing the heart condition surfaced from Israel, and in the U.S military. Last month, Connecticuts health commissioner said there were at least 18 teens and young adults in the state who developed heart problems following COVID-19 vaccination. Last week, the top health officer in King County, Washington, said his county had 14 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) following vaccination. Its unclear if the cases are linked to vaccination, he said. The ages ranged from 16 to 42, and all but two cases were males. Its important to stress that the Connecticut and Washington reports, among many others, are anecdotal. And the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions vaccine safety group on May 17 said in a report that rates of myocarditis reports in the window following COVID-19 vaccination have not differed from expected baseline rates. Yet, the statement continued, members felt that information about reports of myocarditis should be communicated to providers. To understand whether there is a real correlation between myocarditis and the vaccines, and if so its degree of prevalence, is, unfortunately, not an exact science. For starters, the United States lacks a system for measuring such data with precision. There is no way for CDC to query electronic records for myocarditis, said Shira Doron, an infectious-diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Instead, federal agencies largely rely on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for tracking serious adverse events following vaccinations. But the system is passive, meaning that reports, which can be submitted by anyone, are voluntary. As such, a paper, published by authors from the CDC and FDA, explains, VAERS data cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Instead, the paper noted, the database is a safety-signal detection and hypothesis-generating system, which is still valuable. Putting a notice of a potential problem in the media, as the CDC has done with myocarditis, Doron said, is a good way to increase case findings, and the higher the number, the more reliable it is. Nevertheless, the numbers in VAERS are imperfect and can be over- or underestimates. Considering the known limitations of our tracking systems, the CDCs declaration that the rates of myocarditis following vaccination are no higher than baseline projects an unfounded certitude. First, the specific rate of myocarditis following vaccinations is unknown because, as was noted, the reporting system is not comprehensive. Second, there is no baseline rate of myocarditis to compare such events to. Some estimates suggest the baseline for myocarditis is between ten and 20 cases per 100,000 persons. Marc Richmond, a pediatric cardiologist at Columbia University Medical Center, said he thinks the baseline might be around three per 100,000, but that we dont actually know the rate. Nevertheless, he said, there does appear to be a small sign about the correlation between the vaccine and myocarditis. But, at the moment, its too hard to tell one way or the other. In the face of growing concerns about myocarditis, last week the CDC posted a statement saying it continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older. The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis. Mevorach, the Israeli physician, suggested that its possible his committee found a seemingly definitive link while the U.S. has not because Israel is a small country and its easier within their system to find a signal faster. He predicts the CDC will change its assessment. As it stands, recent reports from Israel suggest that because of the side effects, and the countrys low rate of COVID-19, the health ministry is going to change its recommendation from two doses for pediatric vaccination to one dose, or perhaps no specified dose schedule. Unlike the U.S., Israel has held off on vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds. The health ministry announced today that it will begin to allow that age group to be vaccinated next week. There is ambiguity about the balance of costs and benefits to kids to get vaccinated, at least right now, on this schedule, according to a number of experts. This is why, in part, some epidemiologists and others have suggested that children do not meet the criteria of an emergency-use authorization of the vaccines, unlike most adults. The risk of COVID-19 itself to children is low, and as I reported in late May, two studies found that pediatric hospitalization rates for the disease have been over-counted by at least 40 percent. So its hard to run the risk-benefit calculation with any degree of clarity. Indeed, during the meeting of VRBPAC, the advisory committee to the FDA for vaccine approvals, several members adamantly objected to the initial EUA beginning at age 16, rather than, at minimum, age 18. I do not believe we have sufficient data for 16- and 17 year-olds they do not get very sick, and are seldom hospitalized, one member said, which was typical of the critical comments. Cody Meissner, one of the committee members, and chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease at Tufts School of Medicine, told Intelligencer that he didnt vote in favor of the EUA because fewer than 100 adolescents aged 16 and 17 got vaccinated in the trial. Five out of 22 members ultimately did not vote in favor of the general EUA for the Pfizer vaccine, which the FDA approved in December. The clinical trial for 12- to 15-year-olds included a little over 2,000 participants, half of whom were in the placebo group. If an adverse event such as myocarditis occurs in one out of every 3,000 to 6,000 young males, as Mevorach estimates from his data, a trial with 1,000 people actually receiving the vaccine might not even see that event. In May, the FDA did not invite the advisory committee back when it extended the EUA for 12- to 15-year-olds. The good news is the data show that the absolute risk from COVID-19 to children is extremely small. Pediatric mortality is on par with or less than that from influenza in recent seasons, and the already very low hospitalization numbers, as noted, were found to be significantly over-counted. Conversely, a number of experts Intelligencer spoke with believe, and at least preliminarily the data suggest, that the absolute risks from the vaccine to children are likely extremely small as well. Nevertheless, despite the CDCs assurances, taking into account the dearth and opacity of the data in the U.S., the Israeli report may be worth considering. | https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/06/israel-detects-link-between-myocarditis-and-covid-vaccine.html |
How Green Are Green Bonds? | A few weeks ago, Amazon issued its first sustainability bond, raising $1 billion to invest in renewable energy, clean transport, green buildings and affordable housing. The $1 billion bond is part of a growing trend of green bonds issued to fund environmentally friendly projects. Global issuance of green bonds reached a record high of $270 billion in 2020 and could reach $400-$500 billion in 2021, according to a report by the Climate Bond Initiative (CBI). Im skeptical. Close-up of sign with logo on facade of the regional headquarters of ecommerce company Amazon in the ... [+] Silicon Valley town of Sunnyvale, California, October 28, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) Getty Images Green bonds are very popular these days and are considered by banks, corporations, governments and supernational organizations such as the World bank to be an important source of funding to finance climate-related and environmental projects. According to the CBI, the largest green bond issued in 2020 was a $13.0 billion Single-Family Green Mortgage-Backed Security by Fannie Mae, used to finance mortgages backed by newly constructed single-family residential homes that are certified as green buildings. Other large issuers of green bonds are urban transport operators such as the New York MTA, Los Angeles MTA or the Socit du Grand Paris, the latter of which uses its green bond program to fund an expansion of the Paris commuter and metro rail network. But Amazons green bond is different. First, Amazon does not need newly issued money to finance its investment in the environment. In fact, Amazon is flush with money. In its most recent 10K, dated February 3, 2021, Amazon reports a total of $84.4 billion in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. This huge pile of cash accounts for more than 26% of Amazons total assets and 21.9% of its sales. Both ratios indicate that Amazon carries a lot of excess cash beyond what it needs for its routine operations. When investors evaluate an investment in a traditional, not-green bond, they consider whether they will receive an adequate return on their investment to compensate for the credit risk of the issuing company. However, green bonds are different. Here, investors should also evaluate the environmental impact of their investmentand critically, whether the proposed green investment would have been undertaken even if they were not to provide funding. That is an important principle that we teach in business schools: that only incremental costs or revenue should be part of an evaluation of a project. And in the case of Amazon, the green investment is not incremental. In its bond prospectus, Amazon commits that the net proceeds from the sale of the green bond will be allocated to finance or refinance green or social projects such as the acquisition of electric vehicles, installation of charging stations or private equity investments in clean transportation. Other eligible projects include sustainable buildings, affordable housing and socioeconomic advancement and empowerment. There is no doubt that these are all nobles causes. However, for the most part it seems that Amazon has already invested in the aforementioned projects. Amazon invested in the electric-vehicle startup Rivian in early 2019 when it led a $700 million round of funding. It later purchased 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from the startupand has already begun road-testing them in San Francisco. Similarly, this January, four months before its green bond issuance, Amazon launched a $2 billion housing equity fund to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes. It seems that Amazons green and social projects are already up and running. And Amazon has loads of cash. The answer is simple: because interest rates are still historically low, making it an opportune time to inexpensively raise money. Amazon and other investment-grade issuers have been issuing large amount of bonds since February 2020. In fact, Amazons green bond accounts for just a small portion of the $18.5 billion worth of debt issued by Amazon in May. The proceeds of this behemoth bond issue will be added to Amazons existing pile of cashat least for the moment. But Amazon is not the only company issuing green bonds when it can fund its sustainable projects with existing funds. Last summer, AlphabetGoogles ownerissued $5.75 billion in sustainability notes despite the fact that they are sitting on cash and marketable securities worth $121 billion, or 43.5% of their total assets. And Apple issued a $4.7 billion green bond in March 2021 while holding $191 billion in cash and marketable securitiesthe largest such cushion in the world, amounting to 59% of Apples total assets. Investors seem to be falling for the allure of these bonds regardless of whether their money is needed. Dont get me wrong: Alphabet, Amazon and Apple have all been incredibly successful. They provide products and services that have revolutionized our lives and those who invested in these companies early and held on to their investment saw hefty returns. But these companies should use their own dimeor mountains of dimesto invest in environmental and social causes. And investors who care about those causes should invest in the companies that need the money the most. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/effibenmelech/2021/06/02/how-green-are-green-bonds/ |
Is It Beta or Alpha to File a Workers Comp Claim at Work? | Work can be tough especially when you are exposed to different hazards. Unfortunately, there are dangers your job entails that can lead to injuries. If ever you get a work-related injury, you are entitled to file a workers comp claim. However, it can be a battle of rights and pride to ask your employer to provide compensation for the injuries you have attained while working. On one hand, you might think that the work accident was something that could not have been prevented by your employers and therefore, does not make them responsible for your treatment. However, it is within your rights as an employee of the company to receive appropriate care whenever you receive an injury because of your work. The answer would be a yes. Of course, you should file a workers comp claim if you ever get injured at work. It is not something to be ashamed about or something that you think would burden your reputation or your employers. In fact, filing a claim is beneficial not only for the employee but also for the employer. Here are several reasons why filing a workers compensation claim makes everyone an alpha. For Employees Obviously, employers would benefit from filing this type of claim. As an employee, you can reach out to an Atlanta workers comp lawyer to help you with the process. They can explain further the following benefits of filing a claim and guide you through the process. Treatment The main benefit of getting workers compensation insurance is that an employees medical treatment will be paid. This will greatly benefit workers with tackling xpenses. From emergency room fees, MRIs, x-rays, scans, diagnostic testings, hospital room, surgery, psychological assessment, and even physical therapy. Whatever medical attention that the injured employee needs will be given and fully paid by the company. This would be one less thing for employees to worry about and would just need to focus more on their recovery. Wage Compensation Due to injures attained by the employee, it is possible that he or she will not be able to go back to work immediately. He or she will need a significant amount of time to recover and for a healthcare provider to check and clear them as ready to return to work. The time that an employee would not be able to attend to their job also means that they would not be able to have a salary to support their expenses. By filing a workers comp claim, an employee will be able to receive his or her salary for their recovery period until the doctor deems that he or she is healthy to go back to work. Permanency Benefits This benefit is also called long-term losses. Unfortunately, there are work accidents that lead employees to have major injuries that lead to them having permanent physical disabilities or difficulties. Some might have their limbs amputated or suffer from a herniated disk in their backs. These types of injuries are very unfortunate and one could only hope that they could have been prevented. However, this does not equate to them not being able to enjoy their lives or live normally. If ever you (an employee) received these kinds of injuries because of a work-related accident, it is important to file a claim so that you are able to receive an amount of money to compensate for what happened. The amount depends per case based on the uniqueness of the injury, occupation, and lifestyle. For Employers You might be surprised to read that even employers benefit from their employees filing a workers comp claim. They (employers) benefit to some extent as well. Cheaper Cost of Claim It would benefit employers if their injured employees file a claim right away instead of pending it. The longer the claim is not reported the higher the compensation would be which companies do not like. Based on the study, the cost of claims that were reported a maximum of two weeks after the injury happened was eighteen percent (18%) more expensive than claims reported within the week of the incident. If the claim was reported for about fifteen to twenty-eight days, the rate would rise up to thirty percent (30%). Improves Morale An employer reporting compensation claims of their workers show their compassion and concern. This is one way for them to show how much they care about their employees. This way the morale of their workers will get a boost. Not filing claims will result in employees feeling neglected. They will feel unmotivated to do their jobs. They will also feel unsafe seeing that being injured in that workspace will be financially devastating for them as well. Avoid Legal Issues It is the employers responsibility to provide a safe workspace for their workers and that they should provide care and tend to their employees if an injury occurs in the workplace. Legally, it is within the rights of the employees to seek compensation for any work-related injuries attained. For companies to avoid any legal issues against their employees and the government, they should report claims right away. The law requires they report any instance of an injury within seven days after the employee informs them. As you can see, filing a workers comp claim at work is something you should be proud of doing if ever you get a work-related injury. It will hugely benefit employees. Filing a claim will help them with receive the appropriate medical treatment and recovery they need. This will also allow them to have wage replacement if their injuries would require them to stop working for some time. It will also be a huge help when you have long-term losses. Employers even encourage employees to file claims immediately so that they can pay a lower-priced compensation. Furthermore, this is also a way for them to show how important their employees are. | https://mensgear.net/is-it-beta-or-alpha-to-file-a-workers-comp-claim-at-work/ |
Could SoFi Stock Rise Even Further? | The deal was well received by IPOE shareholders, with the stock surging to an all-time high of $28 after the SoFi merger announcement. SoFi offers a diverse range of financial services, from student loans to home loans and stock trading. Its competitors include Robinhood, PayPal (PYPL), Square (SQ), Acorns, and Webull . Thank you @chamath and @socialcapital . You and your team have been phenomenal partners and delivered on everything we imagined and then some. Eternally grateful https://t.co/JPFr3pztrW 2021 has been a year of changes in the #StockMarket and #finance . Following SoFis listing on @Nasdaq yesterday, were talking to Phil Mackintosh about this new influx of #IPOs , the shift from growth to value, and the impact of interest rates. pic.twitter.com/HCdMGqT47N In the first quarter, the companys adjusted net revenue rose more than 150 percent year-over-year to $216 million, beating its internal projection of $190 million$195 million. It also reported adjusted EBITDA of $4.1 million despite a $5 million loss being expected. SoFi forecasts revenue of $980 million and adjusted EBITDA of $27 million in 2021. SoFis expert board and executive team led by Anthony Noto have also boosted investors' confidence in the stock. The companys strong financial results before the SPAC merger closed and its bullish outlook helped its stock as well. SoFi shares rose 12 percent on their first day of tradin g on Jun. 1, and closed at $22.65. The stock was still climbing in premarket trading on Jun. 2. Many investors see SoFi as the next PayPal or Square, which have rewarded investors handsomely. PayPal stock has returned more than 600 percent since its IPO, while Square stock has gained 1,600 percent. SoFi CEO Noto says the company has a competitive advantage because of its broad suite of products. Not only is SoFi positioned to lock customers in its ecosystem, but it can also learn from how customers use its products to improve their experience and offer additional products. Article continues below advertisement SoFi wants to operate a national bank, and recently acquired a small community bank called Golden Pacific Bancorp to speed up that process. Operating a bank will help lower SoFis funding costs, as it can use customer deposits to make loans. Additionally, the bank will enable the company to offer competitive interest rates to savings account customers. In the IPOE SPAC merger, SoFi raised $2.4 billion. It plans to spend the money on expanding its suite of products and geographical reach. SoFis goal is to become a one-stop shop for money servicesa platform where people come to save, borrow, invest, and spend. Among SoFi's new products to expand investors access to the stock market is IPO investing. | https://marketrealist.com/p/is-sofi-stock-a-good-buy/ |
Will the U.S. Crack Down on Crypto in 2021? | Most people in the U.S. think crypto is here to stay. After all, despite years of controversy and skepticism from the mainstream financial community, cryptocurrencies remain as legal as ever. However, surprise announcements that China, India, and Turkey are cracking down on crypto have worried investors about American regulators taking similar action. While a complete ban isn't likely to happen at this stage, its possible that the SEC will tighten crypto laws. Here's why. Whereas America doesnt plan to ban crypto outright, it does hope to address tax evasion and money laundering. The Biden administration hopes to crack down on these issues before they get worse. In the past, cryptocurrency bans have occurred for a few reasons. The first is that crypto prices tend to be volatile and can quickly dissolve investors' money. Second, and perhaps more important, is the issue of control. Since governments dont issue cryptocurrencies, digital currencies arent subject to the same monetary control that fiat currencies are. Third, cryptocurrencies have enabled money laundering, another issue that governments want to crack down on. Speaking at a House Committee meeting last week, Gensler said that there were gaps in our current system and that crypto exchanges needed tighter regulations. If exchanges aren't regulated, he thinks the current crypto market could morph into something of a secondary financial system outside the government's control. Heck NO...Then next comes the part of the #SEC protecting the investors, do they mean like how they 'Protected' #robinhood users during the $GME fiasco https://t.co/RQFCEM91M0 The new SEC chair, Gary Gensler, shares this opinion. Although crypto advocates have welcomed Gensler's appointment, as they see him as more pro-crypto than his predecessor (the SEC is expected to approve at least one Bitcoin ETF later this year), Gensler alluded to crypto regulation in a recent statement. One official who thinks crypto needs to be reined in is Michael Hsu, the acting comptroller of the currency. The market reminds him of the 2008 housing crash, and he expects officials will coordinate a regulatory perimeter for cryptocurrencies. Its impossible to monitor every single blockchain transaction, but it is possible to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges, where crypto and fiat currency is transferred. The U.S. has already put into place know-your-customer (KYC) protocols to ensure real people are signing up on crypto exchanges. However, despite these efforts, money laundering continues to be a problem. According to CipherTrace, over $1.9 billion was laundered through cryptocurrencies in 2020. Article continues below advertisement Source: Ciphertrace Retail investors need not worry too much about regulation, though. If anything, it might become harder to set up an account with exchanges like Coinbase, but cryptocurrency trading should continue as it is. | https://marketrealist.com/p/will-america-crack-down-on-crypto/ |
What is the worlds hottest food? | The local birds Scott Mowbray observed over the past 15 months caused him to ruminate on the nature of animal consciousness. The year of COVID lockdown increased my drinking, my blood pressure, and my weight, and it reminded me that, although I love my home, I need to be far away from it, traveling, for eight or 10 weeks a year. But the routines of the pandemic also gave me clues to the nature of nature, and did so with a force such that no day of snorkeling off Moora or hiking in the Hindu Kush ever had done. (Dont let me exaggerate my taste for global adventure, though: My idea of fun mostly runs to prowling the backstreets of Tokyo for ramen shops.) It is to the local birds Ive observed over the past 15 months that I owe a philosophical, even spiritual, gain. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263953314373/what-is-the-world-s-hottest-food |
Does AEW Have A Number One Contender Problem? | Yes. Let me know what you think by tweeting at me @robbydeshazer! Ok fine, I will give you a little more than that. If it wasn't that then it was when Hangman Adam Page won the first-ever Casino Battle Royal at AEW's inaugural Double or Nothing. Since then, AEW has held a number of multi-man matches guaranteeing the winner a title shot at a later date, yet none of them have ever felt that compelling. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website At Revolution this year, Scorpio Sky defeated Cody Rhodes, Penta El Zero Miedo, Lance Archer, Max Caster, and Ethan Page in the "Face of the Revolution" ladder match which guaranteed him a shot at then TNT Champion, Darby Allin. Scorpio Sky vs Darby Allin is a pretty good matchup that is guaranteed to draw eyes from all over the wrestling world. Had that match been given a solid build it could've had people talking for weeks, but instead, AEW decided to have the match just three days later on the very next episode of Dynamite. The same thing seems to be happening already with the most recent Casino Battle Royal winner, Jungle Boy. The Jurassic Express member eliminated Christian Cage last at Double or Nothing this past weekend only for his upcoming title shot to take place, not at Fyter Fest or Fight For The Fallen but next week on a regular Wednesday Night Dynamite. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website Let's compare Jungle Boy and Scorpio Sky's recent number one contender runs to that of Brian Cage just one year ago. Cage debuted as the final entrant in the Casino ladder match at Double or Nothing 2020 with him was his manager, Taz, together these two would form the foundation of Team Taz which has become a pretty much permanent fixture of Dynamite sense that time. Cage climbed the ladder and retrieved the massive poker chip guaranteeing him a shot at Jon Moxley and the AEW World Championship. That match was booked for Fyter Fest but was postponed to Fight For The Fallen a few weeks later (due to complications with the pandemic). In the time in between Taz came out and cut promos calling out Mox and hyping up Brian Cage, he even re-debuted the FTW Championship when Moxley was unable to compete due to his quarantining situation. When that match finally happened, it felt like it mattered. On the other hand, Sky and Jungle Boy's wins both feel like they were just there to fill a spot on the PPV card. Neither Darby back in March or Kenny currently seem particularly concerned with their number one contenders and Kenny is already seemingly headed toward a feud with Christian Cage the last man eliminated by Jungle Boy. The Casino Battle Royal and Ladder matches as well as the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match are both clearly AEW's take on WWE's Royal Rumble and Money In The Bank matches, but when we compare what the winner's of those matches receive to what AEW's winners get the problem becomes even more apparent. In the Royal Rumble, the winner gets a guaranteed title shot in the main event of WrestleMania. Sure, that main event part sometimes gets dropped in favor of a bigger box office match, but the match is still on the card of the biggest wrestling event of the year. Whereas the winner of the Money In The Bank ladder match gets a guaranteed title shot at any time they want it. Both of these feel like huge opportunities for the winners of those matches because they are. In AEW if you win a Casino Battle Royal, you might get your world title opportunity at the next big Dynamite event or maybe even at the next PPV, but more likely you'll be getting to headline one episode of Dynamite with very little build other than your win itself. AEW needs to start treating their number one contenders like number one contenders or else these battle royals and ladder matches are going to feel like the mid-card consultation prices if you didn't get a singles or tag match on the card. None of this even touches on the rankings system, because that is another rant for another day. But for now, let's just hope that AEW takes a look at how they are booking their number one contenders and finds a way to start building these matches a bit better. I already said it at the top of the article, but let me know what you think. Let me know by tweeting at me @robbydeshazer! You can even start off with a 30 day free trial! | https://www.wrestlingnewsworld.com/wwe/does-aew-have-a-number-one-contender-problem |
Why Should an Accountant Offer Human Resources? | For my business, we started an HR service line three years ago, before it was trendy. It has been wildly successful. In this article, we will analyze five key reasons that this service line makes sense for an accounting firm. Sign up for our FREE email newsletter Don't miss out on our best content. Enter email address * Enter email address Sign up 1. Clients Ask for It According to a study by ADP, 62 percent of small businesses say that they need HR insights from their accountant. 62 percent! And I would wager a guess that the other 38 percent do not yet see the value because they have not experienced it. At High Rock, our clients directly asked for it. They may not have said please offer an HR service line, but we read between the lines of their other questions. We were offering payroll for years, and with that, clients started asking us HR questions. Here is a great one we got the other day I hired someone in Ohio that wants to be paid monthly, how can I do that? On the surface, this sounds like a direct payroll mechanics question. However, I know from experience that Ohio law requires payments to be made more frequently than monthly. This is actually an HR compliance question not a software mechanics question. If we were not there to support HR and charge for it, we might have inadvertently set them up with a monthly payroll and helped them break the law, or we could have given them free advice not to do that. Clients ask HR compliance questions all day long. Setting up a firm with the backend resources to support them is critical to good advice and capitalizing on this service line. 2. Small Businesses Do Not Do This Well in House According to the survey HR Staffing and Resources 202: XpertHR Survey Report, in the small business category (defined as under 250 employees) only 41 percent have internal resources dedicated to HR. That means 59 percent of small businesses do not have this specialty at all in house. This survey also reported the specialties of the HR professionals that are in house. Of them, only 25 percent (at the maximum) had any kind of specialty abilities to support their companies. These specialties include responsibilities like employee relations, state and federal compliance, handbooks and policy, diversity and inclusion, communications, metrics, learning and development, and other incredibly important human resources activities. This means, they are likely hiring contractors or firms to fill in the gaps here. Or, if they are not, they are overreaching skills and experience. 3. There is a Giant Viable Market Again, 59 percent of small businesses do not have an HR person in house. Let us extrapolate out a bit and estimate the size of the market. Now, there are varying degrees of data on number of businesses in the US, the size of the employment, and the age of the data sets. What we do know, is there were approximately 34 million employer and non-employer businesses in the US in 2019 according to the census. The census also collected data about employers in 2019 and reports that there are about 8 million employers in the US. Yes, that means that 26 million businesses are sole proprietorships or otherwise do not have any employees. While some of the non-employer businesses might need HR advice (think partnerships) we can eliminate them from our fast calculation on total market size. Now, lets break it down into segments. The most recent breakdown of the number of firms by number of employees was done in 2014 by the SBA. If you download the dataset, they are reporting that there were roughly 5 million businesses with fewer than 250 employees in the US in 2014. While I am sure that number has grown, it will not make a material difference for our purposes. The math shows that 5 million small businesses multiplied by 59 percent is 2,950,000. There are approximately 3 million businesses in our country that need HR help right now. Yes, I am totally an accountant and I justify my decisions with financial and statistical metrics. According to the same survey I referenced above, businesses spend an average of $1,278 per employee on HR services. Okay, so lets go back to that dataset we downloaded from the SBA that includes a listing of the total employment in firms under 250 employees. The total number of people being employed by our target market is about 51 million. If we multiply that by the average spend per employee, we arrive at our total market cap of $65 billion. We can limit this to the 59 percent cited about to arrive at our target market. The potential target market for HR service being provided to sub 250 employee companies is $38 billion. And this is assuming that none of the companies that have in-house HR support would be part of the market and that none of the non-employer businesses would be part of our market; this is a very conservative estimate. 4. Well, let me tell you, I am not an expert in every modicum of tax law, but I know exactly what resources to use for what to help clients. That is exactly how to approach HR services. There are resources available from HR and payroll companies to support accountants on their HR journeys. These research databases are not available to the average small business. They have no idea where to turn for help. On top of research databases, many HR and payroll companies are offering HR professional time to answer questions or point you in the right direction. There are handbook writers, policy templates, situational guidance, statistical information, and stores of knowledge available. Not only do we have access to the information now; accountants make good advisors. We are good at interpreting complex information and presenting it to our clients. HR is no different. We are well equipped to balance the risk and rewards and work with companies to enhance their employees experiences. 5. Many Firms Are Already Offering Payroll Services Some firms simply do not know the difference between payroll and HR. From a high level, HR digs more into the experience of humans. It includes: employee onboarding and off-boarding (currently frequently handled by accountants) employee relations performance management internal compliance (handbooks, policy, etc.) external compliance (filings, state registrations, payroll taxes) benefits recruiting HR strategy diversity and inclusion occupational health and safety workers comp insurance management Most small businesses need primarily compliance and small advice in other areas. It is an easy lift to add in HR advisory on top of a payroll practice and you do not have to offer every piece of HR on day one, or even at all. Conclusion Now, if I have convinced you to at least think about offering HR services to your accounting clients, come back next week to read how and register for my free upcoming webinars where we will dive in depth on this topic and give more real-life scenarios on how to build a profitable HR service line. Thinking this is a good idea is only part of the equation, execution is what matters. Grow your practice with HR Advisory Services. Sign up for this free, two- part webinar series. Register today: | https://www.accountingweb.com/practice/practice-excellence/why-should-an-accountant-offer-human-resources |
Can Divorced Parents Each Claim Head of Household? | According to Bill Roos, EA, the short answer to this question is a resounding no. The IRS has specific rules about who is allowed to claim HOH, and just because people have children together does not mean they each qualify in the eyes of the government agency. To claim head of household, the parent has to have a qualifying child live with them for more than 50 percent of the year. In addition, there are the rules for children of divorced parents that have to be followed. In the case of divorced parents, one is always the custodial parent. This is the parent with whom the child spends more nights than with the other parent. The custodial parent gets to claim the child as a dependent, gets to file as head of household (if qualified), and gets to claim the child tax credit, dependent care credit and the earned income credit. | https://www.accountingweb.com/tax/irs/can-divorced-parents-each-claim-head-of-household |
Is a Shared Love of Philanthropy the Secret to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez' Happy Relationship? | June 2, 2021 2 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In the past few months, CEO , 57 and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, 51, made several outings in Washington to support their favorite causes. "It's been a focus and bright spot for them, particularly over the last year," a source told People. In Des Moines, the couple visited Bezos Academy, their first tuition-free Montessori-inspired preschool for underserved children. And in Seattle, Bezos and Sanchez hosted Governor Jay Inslee for a tour of Marys Place, a homeless shelter on Amazons corporate campus which opened last year. But the couple, who went public with their relationship in January 2019, was involved in giving back even before the pandemic. In one of their last meetings before the lockdown, the pair met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss climate change and sustainability around Bezoss Earth Fund. The Amazon founder even posted a photo on Instagram to highlight the Paris meeting. In the past year Bezos and Sanchez have made a big effort to get more involved says a source: "They've been active in it doing a lot of the calls themselves and meeting with the people working on the various initiatives they're involved with." Bezos recently announced hes stepping down as Amazon CEO on July 5th. But the billionaire first mentioned his departure In February, saying he was looking forward to using his free time to work on ventures like the Bezos Earth Fund and Blue Origin, his private rocket company. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/373527 |
How to Become a Successful Buyers Agent? | Buyers agents are typically those professionals who offer to purchase services or goods (including properties) on behalf of another individual or business or any other party. These professionals are commonly used in the real estate industry. The real estate industry is heavily reliant on buyers agents. A lot of transactions are routinely conducted by such agents. There is a need for these professionals given that the industry is progressing at a rapid pace. Given its lucrative nature, a lot of students consider becoming buyers agents. Thus, here are some tips which must be considered to become a successful one: 1. Communication skills The first and foremost skill which is required to become a successful buyers agent is communication. You should know how to communicate with different types of people. A client will never want to deal with an individual who does not know how to put forward his message. You should be able to not only communicate effectively but also listen to what the client is saying. This will help you understand their needs, demands, preferences and accordingly, work in the best interest of your client. 2. Partnerships It is essential that you understand the importance of partnerships in real estate industry. It is a profession in which you cannot become successful on your own. You need to have someone on board. You should get into a partnership with someone who has the same goals as yours. Network with different professionals such as lawyers, bankers, industrialists and other individuals who may help you in the real estate industry. This will not only help you with the technical aspect of the profession but also help you expand the customer base, which is perhaps one of the critical things to do in any business. 3. Plan No business will run successfully without a coherent plan in place. It is extremely essential that you plan out your business even before you begin. Real estate is an industry in which there are thousands of decisions to make. From choosing the legal entity which you want to establish to finalizing your real estate marketing strategy, you should write down the plans. You should be clear about the steps that you will take in the next few months. This is a very important factor to be successful. In this context, you can know more about real estate services on hobartbuyersagents.com.au. 4. Develop negotiation skills Another important skill which is needed to be a successful real estate professional is negotiation. You should be able to negotiate with people in order to reach deals which is the best for your client. Buyers agents are required to finalize hundreds of deals on regular basis. In doing so, you will be required to negotiate the prices. Thus, it is one of the skills which must be honed at all times. Learn how to elicit offers, provide concessions linked with demands and close deals. Read books on negotiation. 5. Learn marketing essentials Being a buyers agent is not only about how you sell the property or purchase it. There is a lot more to it. In order to run your real estate business in a successful manner, it is essential that you should know marketing essentials. This will help the business grow and get more customers. In this day and age, it is highly relevant to learn different digital marketing skills. There is a wide pool of potential real estate purchasers on the Internet. By knowing digital marketing skills, you will be able to enhance online presence and thereafter, be a successful buyers agent. 6. Follow the trends One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of beginners in the real estate industry make is that they do not comply with the recent trends. This can be a game changer. Knowing the trends of the market will help you strike deals which are not only beneficial for your client but you. Trends are frequently changing and thus, you need to be familiar with what is going on in the market. These trends have a direct impact on the price of the properties. Furthermore, you should be familiar with the recent laws and regulations surrounding property and the development thereof. This will make a huge difference in your entire career. 7. Do a thorough property research Before purchasing any property on behalf of your client, it is very important that a thorough research is done. This can be done in many ways. You can do an in person inspection. Furthermore, it is also essential to ensure that the property is not subjected to any litigation. Otherwise, it can cause you long-term problems. Sometimes, you may just purchase a property without knowing that it is encumbered. To be a successful agent, your research should be complete in all respects. 8. Develop a unique factor Every successful buyers agent has something which is unique. Thus, you need to develop a unique selling point which other competitors are not providing. This can be done by studying what the competitors are doing in the market. You must be able to offer value which others cannot. Develop a level of customer service which others are not providing. This will help you create a unique face in the industry and thus, get more clients as a result of that. Narrow down your approach and focus on a particular niche. 9. Read This is another undermined tip. Although real estate skills come with experience, it is essential that you read more about the subject. There is a variety of books on real estate which can be read in order to understand the industry better. You may even go through podcasts surrounding the subject of real estate. The bottom line There are certain ways in which you can be a successful real estate agent. However, the most important of all is dedication, hard work and commitment. If you put these in a consistent manner, you will highly likely reach a successful position in the industry. | https://www.opptrends.com/become-a-successful-buyers-agent/ |
Is College Football Facing Its Busiest June Ever? | Under normal conditions June is more of a laid-back month for college football. There are summer camps. There is recruiting. That's about it. Coaches just want to get to the end of June, take some family time in July, and then come back and start getting ready for the season. But, gentle readers, there aint going to be nothing normal about this June. In fact, Ill just put it out here right now: This June promises to be the craziest, most jam-packed month in the four decades Ive covered college football. More simply put, college football has a helluva lot on its plate this month. Just look at the headlines as the month begins: **--Name, Image, and Likeness is quickly becoming an industry: All we know is this. If the NCAA doesnt find a way to get some legislation approved to create some universal standards and some rules of the road, then a series of laws passed by individual states on NIL will kick into gear on July 1. No one knows what that will look like. But we do know this. There are a bunch of budding companies out there waiting in the wings to offer their services to help schools and players navigate what ever NIL rules that come. They are just waiting for the starting gun. **--Or Congress could step in. A U.S. Senate Bill currently being considered would make athletes employees of the university with collective bargaining rights. Players who collectively bargain can also go on strike. **--The transfer portal is changing everything and we do mean everything: At last count there are over 1,000 people in the portal and the math says there will not be spots for all of them. And the number is only going to grow with the implementation of the rule (next season) that allows one free transfer without having to sit out a year. A lot of guys are going have to to drop down a level in order to find a place to play, one FBS coach told me. Some may never find a place to play. **--The SEC has a big decision to make on transfers within the conference and that could come soon. Barrett Sallee of CBSSports.com is reporting that the SEC, as soon as this week, could change its policy on transfers within the conference. Right now a player who wants to transfer from one conference school to another must sit out a year or get a waiver from the SEC office. Commissioner Greg Sankey told Paul Finebaum a while back that this issue was going to be discussed in depth. There have been several high-profile players who have transferred within the conference this spring, the latest being former LSU tight end Arik Gilbert, who is going to Georgia. For those players to be eligible for the 2021 season the SEC would have to change its rule. **--Because of the extra year of eligibility granted to athletes during the pandemic, there are going to be more players with college experience available than ever in the next recruiting cycle. Players on current rosters will have until May 1 next year to declare their desire to enter the portal. It means that some colleges will sign fewer high school players than in the past. Because coaches will hold more roster spots open waiting for experienced players who will enter the portal after spring pratice. **--The recruiting dead period has finally come to an end. Starting June 1, recruits were able to make on-campus visits for the first time in over a year. There is going to be tremendous pressure on the assistant coaches to get the recruits on campus, said a former SEC assistant coach. Everything has been on ZOOM for so long. **--The discussions about expanding the College Football Playoffs are starting to get very, very real. Later this month the 10 commissioners (plus Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick) who make up the CFP will meet with the CFP Board of Managers (11 presidents and chancellors) in Dallas. No decisions are expected to made during that meeting but it is clear the process is moving towards expansion of the current four-team playoff, which is under contract with ESPN until after the 2025 season. During the last set of meetings CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock made it clear that there will NOT be expansion after this season (2021) or next season (2022). But based on the reporting thats out there expanding the fieldmaybe to 8 or 12 teams-IS possible after the 2023 season. The point is that the CFP expansion discussion is just one more thing that college football has to deal with in the month of June. Stay tuned. Its going to be fun. | https://www.si.com/college/tmg/tony-barnhart/cfb-busiest-june |
What can the Packers do to satisfy Aaron Rodgers? | Bringing in the superstar receiver everyone knows is on the trading block would be a good start. Writing this weeks mailbag means taking a risk that a Julio Jones trade will go through and blow the whole thing up. Ryan! I think the root of the issue with Rodgers is twofoldthe communication around the selection of Jordan Love a year ago, and the lack of urgency in team-building this offseason. And itd be hard for the team to change the way it does business now, given that its June. That said, there is an opportunity there for the Packers now in the Falcons putting Julio Jones on the block, and that one would force Green Bay to really show Rodgers that its going all in on him and the short window he has left to win a title. Thats because the Packers have only $6.657 million in cap space, which isnt nearly enough to fit in Jones. Which means Green Bay would be showing a willingness to go get an aging star like Jones and the capacity to mortgage the future to do it. Now, it wouldnt be that hard to clear space. In fact, I can do it right now. The Packers can unilaterally restructure Rodgerss deal, converting $13.625 million of his $14.7 million base into a signing bonus, which would clear about $9.1 million in space. Then, extend Davante Adams, and get his $16.79 million base down to around $10 million, and now youre at a little more than $20 million in pace to add Jones and sign first-round corner Eric Stokes. Sure it would, especially since they already redid deals for David Bakhtiari, ZaDarius Smith and Preston Smith. And that theyll eventually have to pay the piper is a real consideration. But really, the Packers can work through that and kick the can a couple of years down the road to put a better team on the field now. The upshot resulting, then, would be showing Rodgers theyre not more worried about what the team might look like around Jordan Love in 2024 than they are over what it looks like around him now. (One real concern I would have that should be added here is staying in position to keep rising young players like Jaire Alexander and Elgton Jenkins.) Joey, Atlanta could do that in theory, yes. Theyd take his $15.3 million base down to $1.075 million, by converting $14.225 into a signing bonus. From there, theyd save $9.48 million in cap space. And thats great. Hes on the team. But theyd only be making the book-busting issue they already have with him worse. If Atlanta hangs on to Jones as is, hed carry a $23.05 million number in 2021, and cutting him after this year would carry a $15.5 million dead-money charge in 22. If they work in the aforementioned simple restructure instead, then his cap number for 21 is $13.57 million, but the dead money theyd have to deal with for cutting him (or trading him) after the 21 season would be $24.98 million, a figure thats 12% of next years cap ceiling. Again, that would be the charge for not having him on the team in 22. The reality here is the Falcons arent the Packers. I think Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot are going to do a good job, and can get the team competitive quickly, but this is a franchise that missed the playoffs the last three years, and has either stayed the same or gotten worse in each season since making it to the Super Bowl in February 2017. Which, to me, means that this isnt the time to go all in on a 32-year-old star who doesnt want to be there anymore in the first place. Its honestly whats best for everyone. KWC, the Dolphins are interesting just in that they were among the first teams (along with the Patriots and Raiders) that I heard connected to Jones. But that was before the draft. I havent heard anything since then on Miami acquiring him, and with DeVante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, Will Fuller and Preston Williams dotting the depth chart, and the team still very young across the board. Im not sure the need for the Dolphins to extend themselves is there. As for the quarterback question, Im not going to rule anything out, though Deshaun Watson seems a more probable eventual target than Aaron Rodgers. The great thing about where Chris Grier and Brian Flores have Miami is that the rosters chock-full of ascending players, has a 22-year-old quarterback and the brass has retained the ability to make a splash by continually keeping the war chest filled with draft capital (three first-round picks in the next two years). Maybe Tua Tagovailoas on the verge of making the leap. Maybe he isnt. Either way, the Dolphins have the flexibility to keep building around him or to replace him, and thats a credit to how Grier and Flores have managed their assets. I honestly think they probably get a young player still on a rookie deal and a second. Shedrick, Ive thought for a while the price would probably be a second-rounder, and in Monday mornings column, we actually tried to bring a little context to why the Falcons havent been able to get a first. In short, it comes down to finances, injuries and age, and really age first and then how the other two factors relate to it. The simple way to explain it is another team isnt going to package a return for the Falcons as a career achievement award for Jones. The only responsible way for such a team to approach any trade, and especially one involving an aging player, is by looking forward, not looking back. Jones turned 32 in February, has managed foot and knee issues for years, missed seven games last year with a hamstring injury and has a lot of mileage on his legs. That dynamic is why, of the 11 veterans traded for first-round picks over the last 40 months (and that number signifies a major uptick as blockbuster trades have become more common), one was 22 at the time of the deal, four were 24, two were 25, three were 26 and one was 27. And if you go back more than a decade to the start of the 2011 CBA, the oldest non-QB dealt for a first-rounder was Jimmy Graham, who was 28 at the time of his 15 trade to Seattle. In fact, the trade most analogous, to me, to the looming one for Jones would probably be another deal involving the Falconsback in 2009, when they dealt for Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Chiefs sent Gonzalez to Atlanta at 33 years old for, you guessed it, a second-round pick. So that should explain why the trade will likely come down in that neighborhood, and Ill say that with the caveat that sometimes things getting competitive can drive the market up a little. Narenda, yes, the NFLs long wanted to get back to Germany, but this is the closest its been to putting football there since disbanding NFL Europe. And frankly, it really does feel like the NFL is late in getting back. For the last three years of that league (2005 to 07), five of the circuits six teams were hubbed in Germany, which reflects how much more successful it was there than in places like England and Spain. In fact, in presenting a new International Series model at the owners meetings in March, the league office set a baseline of four games per year outside the U.S., with at least two in the U.K., one in Mexico and one in Germany (likely Munich or Berlin). The wheels are in motion to make it happen next year, provided conditions with the pandemic allow for it, and the idea of having the Germany game coincide with Oktoberfest has been broached. (If the higher-ups are reading, I officially volunteer my services to make that trip now.) As for India, I think were a ways off. Canada and Brazil are next in line behind Germany, as it stands now. After that, Id say if the league is looking to venture off the continent again, my guess would be China and Australia would be ahead of India. NFL chief strategy officer Chris Halpin explained it like this to me in early April: We have really good activation in Australia. Our sports betting partnership, for example, works great. Weve got great media partners also across Asia. So yeah, Id say Id say for Asia Pacific, its going to be media, digital engagement. And for the foreseeable future, it wont be games. But the good news is, as Halpin said, the NFLs going to try to find ways to make the game easier to find over there. AcTN, I think a few things have to go right in Cincinnati to make the playoffs a realistic goal in Zac Taylors third year in charge. Among them Joe Burrows comeback from reconstructive knee surgery has to keep moving as it has the last seven months, which would put him on pace to participate in camp and start Week 1. Tackle Riley Reiffs going to have to come through for the Bengals at 32, and Jackson Carmans transition from college left tackle to pro guard will have to be smooth. Coming off a year off, JaMarr Chase will need to be the No. 1 receiver he was at LSU, which the Bengals had missed with A.J. Greens decline. (Good sign: Justin Jeffersons rookie year showed the learning curve coming from Joe Bradys offense in Baton Rouge is manageable.) The offseason trade outs at corner (Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton for William Jackson) and edge rusher (Trey Hendrickson for Carl Lawson) need to work out. And 2020 free-agent additions D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes and Vonn Bell need to ball out. Now, as I see it, the idea of any one of those things happening is reasonable. Then the Bengals will really have something. Tom, there were a ton of rumors about Mayocks future with the Raiders before the draft, but I actually dont think hes done a bad job in his two years there. The roster has a good amount of ascending young players. The cap was a mess coming into this year, yes, but the Raiders were hardly alone in that spot. No one couldve predicted what has hit us over the last 15 months. All of that said, I do think everyone in Vegas has to be on alert this year with Jon Grudens fourth back with the Raiders. Its rare that a coach makes it through four years without getting to the playoffs and is granted a fifth. In fact, there isnt a head coach in the NFL right now other than Gruden who started his time with his team with three consecutive playoff-less seasons. So itd seem the time has to be now for Gruden. And if owner Mark Davis, who spent seven years trying to get Gruden out of the ESPN booth, is willing to let Gruden go after this year, then everyone else would need to watch their backs, too. Peter, I think six or seven (which means 10 or 11 losses, I have to remind myself) should be a realistic target for a team thats still in the midst of a roster overhaul. The offensive line should be as good as its been in a long time, with Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker as foundation pieces and the front seven looks to be much improved, too, with C.J. Mosley returning, Lawson coming in and Quinnen Williams growing. That alone should serve to make the Jets competitive on a week-to-week basis. The trouble is that therell be bumps with a rookie quarterback starting, the skill positions are still a work-in-progress and corners a bad place to have a weakness, even in Robert Salehs defensive scheme (which protects its corners more than most). And that, as I see it, probably means ups and downs early, with the hope that the team finishes strong and carries some momentum into what could be a big 2022 offseason for the franchise. RM, Id be legitimately worried about the offensive line. Alejandro Villanueva and Maurkice Pouncey are gone, and the Steelers are really leaning on their farm system to replace those guys. Id feel better about that if Mike Munchak were still around, but hes been gone for two years now. I dont think its an overreaction to say that one areaeven with people focusing so much on the quarterbackcould be what makes or breaks Pittsburghs season. And thats taking nothing away from what Roethlisberger said, because I did think his take on the new system Matt Canadas installing was interesting. Youll see nothing that youve seen in the past, he told the Pittsburgh media. So where I believe they might lose a little along the line (and this is only if the falloff isnt precipitous), maybe theyll make it up with how the offense is designed and called, because I have believed for quite some time that the Steelers felt the loss of Todd Haley as offensive coordinator in a significant way over the last three years. Gem, I dont think what puts Trevor Lawrence in a category with younger versions of John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck is his ceiling, though its really high. I think, its more his floor. The same way teams looked at Elway, Manning and Luck and said, at the very least, Im going to have a top 10 quarterback, thats the way I think you should look at Lawrencethat hes going to be really good at baseline, with potential to be great. And Lucks star-crossed career gives us the opportunity to look at where the floor is, because so many things wound up going wrong for him in seven years in Indianapolis. Despite all of it, the injuries, shaky offensive lines, changing play-callers and the organizational discord (then upheaval), Luck found a way to make the Pro Bowl in four of the five full seasons he played as a pro. And he was 20 games over .500 in 86 starts, making it to the playoffs as a rookie, then one round further the next two years, and getting the Colts to the postseason in, again, four of his five full seasons as a starter (he went 87 in the other year). Three of those four playoff/Pro Bowl years were his first with a new OC. So thats how I see Lawrence. At the very least, even if things dont go right, I think hes a Pro Bowl quarterback wholl get the Jags in contention. Look out. From G (@ghalebalsaleh): Lost in the Aaron Rodgers trade rumors is what the heck is going on with Jordan Love. We never saw him last year. G, its a good questionand I can tell you going into all this that the Packers didnt think Jordan Love was ready to roll, making this year markedly different from 2008, when Green Bay stridently moved on from Brett Favre (and even in that year, they took two QBs in the draft, just in case). As I see it, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst have a loaded roster thats in a championship window, one quarterback who can get them on that stage, another whod struggle to, and thats one reason why theyve approached this the way they have. Sure. But this isnt Rodgers in 2008, or Patrick Mahomes going into 18. You heard during the 20 draft that Love would probably need two years of development to be really ready. My sense is thats holding true. Tyler, this is simpletheyre receiving trade calls on their quarterback because their quarterback has sent signals that he wants out of there. It doesnt take much decoding of Russell Wilsons words to figure that out. And while its true that the Seahawks havent drafted like they did in the early days of coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, they have been to the playoffs eight of the last nine years, and five of six since last getting to the Super Bowl. So the Seahawks arent broken. But its fair to say they arent where they were, either. | https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/06/02/nfl-mailbag-packers-satisfy-aaron-rodgers-julio-jones-trades |
Will The WWE/New Japan Deal Get Done? | An absolute blockbuster of a story hit social media last week when The Wrestling Observers Dave Meltzer reported that WWE executive, Nick Khan was in talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling about a potential exclusive working agreement between the two organizations. The Vince McMahon philosophy for the vast majority of his tenure as the owner of the Titan Sports brand for the past 40 years was to focus on the WWE without much acknowledgement of any other competitors. Of course, the winners write the history books, and after those previous competitors are out of business, McMahon will not only recognize, but also market the legacy associated with it. The prime example being the WWE Network, the streaming platform that just sold its right to Peacock in for a five-year deal worth an estimated $1 billion dollars, a contract that the previously mentioned Khan helped get done. Of course, there are many ways to look at this potential partnership. One is the most obvious, there were brief discussions between Nick Khan and someone from the New Japan office, but it didnt materialize into anything beyond that so any speculation is completely moot. If I had to guess, Id say this is probably the direction that all of this goes, and maybe Im wrong, but I cant see Vince McMahon willing to showcase or spotlight another promotions talent. Sure, a few decades ago, McMahon had a working agreement with NJPW, but most of that was during a time when the WWF was primarily a north east promotion, not a national or international brand the way it is now. Granted, while I dont think any of this will develop into anything meaningful, the possibilities are definitely intriguing for an industry that has needed to break new ground. Along the same lines of the WWE first mindset, this entire scenario could simply be a way for WWE to block All Elite Wrestlings working agreement with the Japanese league. I think its fair to say that even if WWE and NJPW find a way to work together, its very doubtful that would translate to Okada on Raw or Roman Reigns at the Tokyo Dome. More realistically, you might see Finn Balor or AJ Styles, two New Japan alumni make their return to Japan for a few select appearances. Another example might be one of the young lions from NJPW Strong or prehaps an established veteran show up for a stint on NXT. On the other hand, you know if the current AEW/New Japan agreement continues to develop, theres much more of a possibility that the top stars from the Japanese league show up on American pay-per-view. Lets be honest here, it makes sense that Vince wants to preserve and protect his product so the options for what New Japan does in WWE or what WWE does in Japan are much more limited than with the AEW scenario. As much as Triple H downplayed it on conference calls, make no mistake about, the initial goal for NXTs move to traditional television was to attempt to prevent All Elite Wrestling from getting off the ground. While NXTs move to Tuesday was based on USAs acquisition of NHL broadcast rights, the point remains that WWE brass saw the potential of AEW as an entity. That potential has been realized in some ways, as the groups TV contracts with TNT and TBS have allowed it to become a profitable venture, which is the entire point of any business project. The fact that AEW makes a profit makes them a legitimate player in the sports entertainment industry, and as weve seen, some former WWE stars have the option to be better utilized under the All Elite banner. Of course not, but it does take away at least some of the perception that the McMahon empire is completely dominate within the genre. None of this is to say that All Elite is perfect, and nobody should expect it to be, but one of the reasons the promotion found success is, they have found a way to differentiate themselves from the WWE. It has critics, but at the very least, the AEW presentation brings something to the table that viewers wont see on Raw or Smackdown. For example, and specific to this scenario, the fact that New Japan belts were defended on Dynamite gives the audience something unique. If top-notch New Japan talent are booked for All Elite pay-per-views, its another selling point in the modern era, which is much more difficult to attempt to market traditional pay-per-view. At the same time, there are definitely reasons for New Japan to listen to Nick Khans offers. In some respects, if New Japan can get on the WWE radar, even to a small degree with a role on NXT, it lends more credibility to the Japanese league with an American audience because of its association with the WWE brand. The NJPW expansion into the North American market in recent years has really helped boost its profile outside of Japan with the goal to establish itself as more of a global brand. A way for New Japan to further its standing as a potential global entity is a possible associations with the biggest sports entertainment company in the world. As far as what WWE gets from the deal, and youd think they hold more of the cards in the negotiation because they are already an international brand, it could be expansive or something as simply as a way to add depth to the roster. At one point several years ago, there were rumblings that there were talks among WWE management to set up more international groups under the NXT moniker, but the UK spinoff is the only one that was actually launched. Ive always said that such a plan is one of those things that sounds good in theory, but doesnt work in application because other countries have different styles so to run a full-time promotion there with the WWE style wouldnt automatically translate to success. A few years ago, there were rumors that WWE inquired about buying Pro Wrestling Noah before it was sold to a different company so it appears that the promotion wanted to get something established in Japan. More realistically, if the deal gets done, I think the ability to block AEW from the use of New Japan talent would be the main reason for it. Along with that, I think the chance to use some of the New Japan young lions on NXT television as a way to freshen up the brand would be the main use of NJPW wrestlers within the WWE. For the New Japan side, it would allow for wrestlers like Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura to return to the company for a few major matches so from that prospective, it benefits everyone involved in the deal. Again, I doubt any of this gets beyond preliminary discussions, but it will definitely be interesting to see what happens in the next few months. Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised. Until next week -Jim LaMotta E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Twitter @jimlamotta | https://www.pwmania.com/will-the-wwe-new-japan-deal-get-done |
Is DeAndre Ayton emerging as one of the NBA's best big men? | Reuters Naomi Osaka should be supported and applauded for her decision to withdraw from the French Open to focus on her mental health, former U.S. Open champion and WTA Players' Council member Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday. Japan's Osaka left the claycourt Grand Slam on Monday after refusing to attend the mandatory post-match press conferences and revealing she had been suffering from bouts of depression for three years. "Having to take a step back and say, 'Hey, I need to do this for me', we should support her and applaud her, because a lot of people wouldn't do that," Stephens said after her first round victory. | https://sports.yahoo.com/deandre-ayton-emerging-one-nbas-142006839.html?src=rss |
Where is Lil Uzi Vert's $24 million diamond forehead implant? | Lil Uzi Vert's forehead is looking a little less glamorous these days. The rapper, who infamously embedded a $24 million pink diamond into his forehead for fear of losing it on a ring, has been spotted sans forehead bling. The diamond does not star in his new Calvin Klein campaign, nor his latest appearances on Instagram, per Uproxx. He hasn't acknowledged the missing accessory, but previously showed signs of trouble in a bloody video with the caption: "If I don't get [the diamond] took out the right way I could die," before updating fans that he was "good." If Lil Uzi Vert doesn't tell fans where his bling went, it might be a case for inspector Jacques Clouseau. | https://theweek.com/news/1001090/where-is-lil-uzi-verts-24-million-diamond-forehead-implant |
Why Is Promotion Planning Important In Inventory Management? | Last year, I wanted to be a grateful child and buy a sweater for my father. It was fathers day, so I logged on to one of the prevalent e-commerce sites. I browsed and eventually found quite a few sweaters in green, my fathers favorite color. To my delight, I found one that was on promotion. I was excited to place the order right away so my present would arrive in time for Fathers day. But I was shocked to see my dads size was not available in stock. Is there a way they can improve availability during these special day promotions, so shoppers like me are not disappointed? The answer lies in promotion management. Promotion Management is defined as optimizing the utilization of tools, strategies, and resources to promote a product that will generate additional demand. To achieve this, you identify your potential customers, decide your promotion budget, and select your product to promote. I most certainly do. And from a sellers point of view, selling additional units and earning the goodwill of customers is always beneficial. So optimizing the promotion process leaves everyone involved better off. Whether it be e-commerce, brick-and-mortar, or both, retail companies care about the inventory they keep. Too much stock, they dont enjoy their profits as much and incur unnecessary expenses. Too little, they lose sales and sometimes their customers while the marketplace is getting more and more competitive than before. No company is willing to stay a step behind their competitors. During promotional management, especially for big events around special days and holidays, inventory levels need to be adjusted to meet the peaks in demand. This requires using advanced analytics to analyze historical demand patterns, link the demand peaks to the promotional offers, and adjust future forecasts based on planned promotions. With the availability of a multitude of tools and digital solutions, all this processing and prediction can be easily automated. Promotion-sensitive demand forecasts at the granular level are then used to adjust inventory targets and drive additional replenishment and procurement decisions. When demand forecasting, inventory planning, replenishment, and procurement are done in an integrated fashion, availability of the individual sizes of products improves, maximizing sales. Also, business KPIs such as customer satisfaction and sales conversion is heavily dependent on inventory availability. Therefore intelligent inventory management benefits the business results as well as the brand image. The solution lies where every good solution lies nowadays: Data, Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence This is where promotion planning software plays its part. The solution of incorporating promotions while managing inventory lies in data analytics. Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two of the most amazing tools the new millennia brought in innovation. Most business problems of the era are solvable because of these two technologies via promotions software. Use retail promotion analytics to generate past sales data, organize the data, process the data, and generate recommendations and actions. These steps do not happen magically overnight, ML & AI make them possible. If the company I wanted to order a green sweater for my father considered the importance of keeping an optimized inventory considering their promotion, my sole reason for writing this blog would not exist. If they had done inventory planning thoroughly and analyzed the patterns of past fathers days to project demand, they would have anticipated the additional demand better. If they were using tools and solutions for this process and utilized the necessary technologies of ML and AI, they would have never run out of promotional products for their customers; whether it be different colors, different sizes, or any other product differentiating metric. This is the importance of using inventory planning and optimization software to make inventory management across all the supply chain possible. Companies should comply with modern retail standards and employ the necessary measures to meet ever-challenging customer demands by using a promotion planning software. Hopefully, I will have better luck finding the perfect present for my dad this fathers day. | https://logisticsviewpoints.com/2021/06/01/promotion-planning-inventory-management/ |
Should I stay or quit my job? | I recently spoke to a few clients who were struggling with unhappiness at work. Most of them felt frustrated and wanted to quit the job. Changing jobs is not bad, but are you ready for your next career, and what is the cause of your unhappiness. Before you feed your temptation to switch roles, thinking that there is a greener pasture on the other end, my advice is to understand the key to your quitting and rationalized the reasons. Once you evaluate this, you can weigh if there is still an opportunity to fulfilled the challenges in the job or its time to ditch that job as there no way it can be resolved: Some key reasons to consider: Poor cultural fit: Culture is defined as The way we do things around Marcella Bremmer and How the way people treat each other at work Chris Edmonds. Most experts agree that generally, it comprises a set of commonly shared values and group behaviors reflected in patterns over time. Company culture is the most challenging thing to change, especially by an employee, unless you are the senior leaders; yet you still need stakeholders buy-in. Considering that you prefer to keep your work and personal lives separated, your colleagues turn every meeting into a chatty catch-up session and always invited the office staff to their gatherings or drinking session. Maybe you are the person who loves to tidy up after yourself vs. leaving the break room sink full of dishes as you view it as a lack of respect. Is what I am encountering affecting my ability to be successful in my role?. The problem with company culture is that one employees ideal situation can be anothers personal hell. Maybe you thrive in, efficient, no-nonsense environments, but for others, it could mean differently. Challenging manager/colleagues: The majority of us will agree that people we working with dictate the environment and if a majority of the people we are working with arent the people we enjoy or get along with; it makes our job difficult, and its probably the sign that we should move on. Though leaving the job may seem like the best solution to retiring from a bad boss or bid farewell to your colleagues, it is also essential to understand that it is not always the best plan for your career. In fact, if you are in this situation, its crucial for you to recognize any unconscious biases and opportunities to resolve the conflicts with others if they arise. Conflicts are often an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and someone different from us. However, if it was only you that making an effort to salvage the relationship and the rest refuse to be open-minded and work together to resolve the conflicts, you know it is the time to move on. You dont have Phycological safety: This is simply because you cannot be yourself without the fear of negative consequences. The phycological unsafe workplace is the type of workplace that many of us call toxic. Its an environment in which ideas are mocked, ignored, used against us, stolen, or just shut down entirely. A workplace like this makes people too afraid to contribute their thoughts in meetings, participate in discussions, or take risks in their work because any misstep could harm their credibility and damage their standing in the organization. If you are in this situation, then its a no-brainer sign that you should leave. Your company direction is the opposite of your career vision/personal values: A vision creates a road map to plan our route to where we want, to correct our course when we are off track. It Is essential to have a vision as it is part of the requirement for career success. Our personal values are the inner motivator that drives and inspired us to do our job and be happier. When we are steered away from these, its time for us to take action. All of us are of no different. We understand that there is no job without challenges, and our frustration often bubbling up most of the time wasnt due to the job itself but steers more towards the challenges in the working space. Understanding that some challenges can be helpful, which stimulates us instead of threatening us, can help us understand why we are really frustrated or bother at work. Someday we may just pass through our hustle of day so quickly that we forget to slow down and take a moment to pay attention to the challenges we face and engage in more in-depth understanding. We fail to search the moments in our brain and consciously pay attention to our thinking and identify what makes us genuinely hate and turn away. Dive into some of this this reason, will open up more clarity for yourself if you are ready to quit or just need to learn to create an opportunity within the current challenges. | https://thriveglobal.com/stories/should-i-stay-or-quit-my-job/ |
Is everyone really treated equally? | To the Editor: I went to the West Tisbury town meeting, held in the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, graciously donated by the Campground, a private organization, for free. I heard both sides of the affordable housing debate. It was one side talking about the rural nature of the town against we are a community that needs to help each other. Since the town of West Tisbury has exclusive beach policies at Lamberts Cove Beach, a town park, that exclude the people of the Campground, let alone the general public, I find both sentiments really lacking value. They only care about the rural nature of the town and community when it benefits them. As Ive mentioned before, its not really that the town has exclusive beach policies, its that they hypocritically champion those values mentioned above. The town has gone even further with their recent Diversity Pledge. To paraphrase, they pledge that everyone is to be treated equally by the town. This, with the Land Banks recent purchases abutting Lamberts Cove Beach, puts their diversity statement to test. If they do open to the public this year, we can then concentrate our efforts on Squibnocket Beach in Chilmark. The town there used Community Preservation Act money, public money, to redo the parking lot there. Meaning the public has a right to go there. End beach apartheid, or if not, please get rid of your diversity statement, because you really dont care to treat everyone equal. Erik Albert Oak Bluffs | https://www.mvtimes.com/2021/06/02/everyone-really-treated-equally/ |
Why self help books dont work? | Self help books tell you things like if you think more positive, do certain affirmations, change your mindset to one of a winner, try harder and get up earlier than your life will change. These books may sound logical and helpful. But like me, you may do everything it says, using as much will power as you can build up. Only to then feel disappointed and broken hearted when it does not work. You then blame yourself and reach for your choice of comfort, which may be sugar, eating more, watching TV, sex or drinking alcohol. Then you hate yourself even more and the whole cycle starts again. You are not the only one. The reason is self help books are all about doing and changing your life with action and effort, a lot of effort. This requires you to use your conscious mind to plan and take new action. Science shows that most people only use their conscious mind 5 % of the time and the rest of the time they are operating automatically from their unconscious mind. For example we often dont think about how to drive our car. Instead we drive automatically using our unconscious mind, whilst we are consciously thinking about dinner or what to do next. Therefore you may notice some improvement at first. But sooner or later you are going to revert to your unconscious mind and your unconscious programming and conditioning because it is this that drives 95% of your life. This keeps you repeating the same old patterns and getting the same old results. Which equals no long lasting changes. How to break free from your unconscious programming and conditioning. By its very nature you are not aware of what is in your unconscious mind, this can make it very hard to change your conditioning by yourself. However there is a way which I will share below. For over 20 years I have been helping people change. First of all I was an assistant Psychologist, then a Physical Therapist, then an Energy worker and NOW I am a coach. What I learnt is that no approach on its own wether it is Energy work, Psychology or Mindset Training creates long lasting change. The only way to break free from your conditioning and create long lasting change is for you to know who you really are and how your mind really works. For you to gain this understanding and long lasting change I work with all levels and aspects of you: Energy To Clear Energy, Blocks and Programs that do not serve you or is not yours. Your Conscious Mind your beliefs and thoughts, and how you really work. Your Emotions to release the chemistry that keeps you physically in pain and suffering. Your Physical Body to release stress and Tension and increase energy flow. The Unconscious minds programming and conditioning you let go of the conditioning and it no longer sabotages you and you are free to create the Life You Love to Live. All these Benefits / Changes ONLY happen when I work with all of you simultaneously. An exercise to let go of unconscious programming, that you can do yourself: 1. Before you do this exercise take a moment to be still, let go of any thoughts and allow yourself to play with the exercise, like you were a five year old child. 2. Ask your unconscious mind to make a picture* of what is bothering you. you do not have to have a picture. You can create an energy space in-front of you where you can place the feeling, sound or sensation that your unconscious mind creates. 3. Then look, see, feel and hear what is in the energy space. Just notice it, do not judge, criticise or try to change it. 4. When you are finished noticing delete / blow up / burn in the sun the energy space and recycle the any energy from the energy space that is yours through the top of your head into your body. 5. If this is not easy to do, you may not be ready to let go of the unconscious programming right now. Intend to let go of as much as you can. Then you can repeat the exercise in a few days to see if anything has changed. Let me know what happens in the comments below. I would love to hear from you. About Fiona Maguire Fiona is an Intuitive Transformative Coach, International Speaker and Author. Her specialisms are changing the Unconscious Minds Programming and working with Highly Sensitive People. She has over 21 years of experience of being a Psychologist, therapist and a trainer. She worked in the NHS as an assistant Psychologist and in Social Services as a Therapeutic Community Worker. Currently Fiona runs her own practice working online, from Portugal and England. She works with individuals, couples and corporations delivering coaching and training. www.RealEnergy4All.com | https://thriveglobal.com/stories/why-self-help-books-dont-work/ |
What Drives COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Among Moms? | Mothers are particularly hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their children, according to the latest data. For instance, one in three younger mothers say they are "extremely unlikely" to vaccinate their children, according to the COVID States Project, a nationwide survey that also found higher rates of "vaccine resistance" among mothers. Another poll from Morning Consult found that while nearly two-thirds of all adults have either already been vaccinated against COVID-19 or plan to do so, mothers rank highest among those unwilling to get vaccinated or uncertain about getting their shot, at 51% -- roughly 20 percentage points higher than other women at 32%, fathers at 29%, and other men at 28%. In general, parents' attitudes toward vaccinating their children mirrored their attitudes toward vaccinating themselves, noted Matthew Simonson, a PhD candidate at Northeastern University in Boston and lead author of the COVID States Project report. Simonson told MedPage Today that "on average, mothers were no more or less willing to vaccinate their children than they were to vaccinate themselves." Dads and Young Moms The researchers also highlighted a "major gap" between mothers' and fathers' attitudes toward vaccinating themselves and their children, and that gap appears to be growing. In the COVID States Project, fathers' resistance to vaccination fell slightly, from 14% to 11% between February and April, while mothers' resistance remained fixed, with around 27% saying they are "extremely unlikely" to vaccinate their children. Simonson stated that the age of the mother "plays a big role" in attitudes toward vaccination, with 31% of younger mothers (age 35 and below) saying they were "extremely unlikely" to vaccinate their children, whereas 25% of older mothers were vaccine resistant. That "roughly one in three younger mothers says, 'No way. I'm not going to get my child vaccinated,'" was very troubling, said Simonson. His group zeroed in on those who were "extremely unlikely" to vaccinate their children, so the number on the fence about vaccination is likely even higher. 'Will It Work for Me and My Family?' The mothers (hesitant or resistant) surveyed expressed concerns about whether the vaccines had been adequately studied and appropriately evaluated for general use, Simonson said. However, "we don't find large numbers of our survey respondents hawking conspiracy theories, or making themselves out to be ideological 'anti-vaxxers,' he explained. "It really seems to come from a place of concern about what the science really says, and if they can trust something that's new and, to them, unknown." During listening sessions last fall hosted by the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA, the most common concerns were: "'How did you get there [to emergency use authorization] so fast?'" and "'Will it work for me and my family?'" said Susan Winckler, RPh, CEO of the foundation, an independent nonprofit established by Congress to support FDA's mission of accelerating innovation and increasing product safety. "'Me and my family' is really important," for moms in particular, said Winckler. Simonson speculated that gender roles and societal pressure may contribute to maternal vaccine hesitancy. "I think there's a lot of pressure on women -- from society, from other men, from other women -- to not screw up when it comes to their children's health," he said, citing the sheer volume of studies, articles, and online discussion forums on mothers and breastfeeding as an example. "I think that there are a lot of mothers out there who believe that they're playing it safe by not vaccinating their children, when in fact the opposite is true. Playing it safe would mean keeping your children safe in the pandemic," Simonson said. Winckler said that the foundation stressed during the listening sessions that "no steps were skipped." Scientists and drug developers "did a lot of things that would have been done consecutively [during vaccine development] concurrently," she said. "The other concern we heard was not wanting to be first," Winckler said. "We're way past first," she added. "We're now in the second half of the adult population of the United States." Behavioral scientist Alison Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, associate professor of nursing and healthy policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia, said hesitancy among mothers could center on unfounded fears that the vaccine might affect their fertility, or their daughters' fertility. Also, younger mothers tend to do more research about health and healthcare, and could potentially be more exposed to "anti-vaccine or vaccine-concerned content." Mothers may also be more inclined to turn to their social networks for information, Buttenheim said, noting that those conversations "may be very efficient spreaders of good information or bad information." Addressing Hesitancy Winckler and Buttenheim pointed out that strategies around COVID-19 vaccination promotion need to shift gears. Access could still be improved for those who aren't prioritizing getting their shot, Winckler stated, with a strategy that moves from "access" to "accessibility," such as setting up vaccination sites at county fairs. "Not a lot of people at this point need to see a [vaccine promotion] sign on a bus," said Buttenheim. What's needed is to pivot from mass vaccination sites to a hyper-local approach, like healthcare partnering with ice-cream trucks that make the rounds in neighborhoods. "You should be able to flag one down." Buttenheim added that she's frustrated by the "bureaucracy" of the CDC, which thus far has failed to make COVID vaccination part of primary care physicians' regular visits. "It should not be 2022 before it's common to get the COVID vaccine at your primary care doc," she said. Winckler said personal connections and word-of-mouth can also help. Her son got his vaccine the morning after he turned 16, and he'll be getting his second dose soon. Other mothers in her social circle say, "'Let me know how that goes, because I'm thinking about it for my kids.'" Moms are powerful communicators, Winckler emphasized, "so we've got to arm them with the information to make the choice, and then if they're making the choice to get vaccinated, they become influencers." | https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/92880 |
Why is The Masked Dancer not on tonight and when is it back? | The Masked Dancer will be taking a break on Wednesday night (Picture: Leon McGowran) If youre wondering why strange costume characters arent dancing across your screens tonight, thats because The Masked Dancer isnt on. The brand new ITV series, a spin-off of The Masked Singer, started on Sunday with judges Oti Mabuse, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan at the helm. So far, weve unmasked Viper as Diversity star Jordan Banjo, Flamingo as Eternal singer Louise Redknapp, Beetroot as Dita Von Teese and, most recently, Rubber Chicken as Eddie the Eagle. However, youll have to wait another night to see whos eliminated next as The Masked Dancer is taking a break on Wednesday. The Masked Dancer is not airing on Wednesday night simply because the footballs on. ITV is instead broadcasting Englands friendly with Austria at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough from 7:30pm-10:15pm, which unfortunately clashes with The Masked Dancers nightly slot. Fear not, the competition will resume on Thursday June 3 at 7:30pm. Its anyones game with the contestants yet to be unmasked, who are: Carwash, Beagle, Zip, Knickerbocker Glory, Scarecrow, Squirrel, Frog and Llama. The Masked Dancer on ITV & the ITV Hub continues at 7.30pm on Thursday June 3. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. For more stories like this, check our entertainment page. Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. Rubber Chicken and Frog face-off | https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/02/why-is-the-masked-dancer-not-on-tonight-and-when-is-it-back-14703918/ |
What is the difference between Zoom and Zoom Rooms? | Video conferencing services, like Zoom, have become mainstream in businesses both large and small. Despite the massive uptick in usage, however, confusion clouds the different types of Zoom video conferencing services available and the features that distinguishes them. Let's look at the difference between Zoom and Zoom Rooms. A standard Zoom Meetings video conferencing license enables an individual user to conduct online meetings using a PC, tablet or smartphone device loaded with the Zoom Meetings software. This is the type of service that most people think of when they hear the word Zoom and is geared to remote, hybrid or work-from-home employees. It turns nearly any computing device with a built-in camera into a virtual meeting space. Zoom Meetings licensing options come in four different flavors, ranging from a free version to an enterprise license that costs $240 annually. Differences between the licensing models largely revolve around the amount of time the meetings can be scheduled for, the number of simultaneous participants, single sign-on, transcript capabilities, and whether meetings can be recorded and saved to the cloud for repeat viewing purposes. A Zoom Rooms license is all about the ability to integrate conference room audiovisual (AV) equipment into the Zoom ecosystem. These specialized licenses turn conference and huddle rooms into a Zoom meeting room, complete with a variety of room-specific advantages. Most conference rooms these days contain AV equipment, such as TV screens, projectors, and voice conferencing hardware and software. This enables meeting participants to easily share content to their screens, use digital whiteboards and communicate with other meeting attendants who are not physically in the conference room. Zoom sells easy-to-install AV equipment hardware, software and licenses that can be used to connect existing TVs and projectors to support Zoom Meetings features in a larger setting. Additionally, Zoom partnered with several popular third-party vendors that enable the use of Zoom Meetings through their hardware. Conference rooms already outfitted with video cameras and microphones may be able to repurpose this equipment for use on the Zoom platform. Other conference room-specific features provided with a Zoom Rooms license include the following: one-touch instant meetings; wireless screen sharing; and conference room scheduling management tools and hardware options. | https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/answer/What-is-the-difference-between-Zoom-and-Zoom-Rooms |
How much does The Repair Shop charge to fix items? | You can apply to go on the BBC show too Viewers are loving their weekly dose of The Repair Shop and we don't blame them! The BBC series, which is fronted by Jay Blades, sees a group of experts help members of the public to restore precious or much-loved items, returning them to former glory while showing how the process is done. Find out here, and how you can apply to be on the show! The show doesn't charge for restoring the items Luckily for people taking their family heirlooms to be repaired, the BBC show does not charge for the service. Speaking about the costs, the Head of Factual at The Repair Shop's production company, Ricochet, Rob Butterfield, explained: "We dont charge for repairs. If people wish to make a donation to a charity were very happy with that, but its by no means necessary." Incredible! You can also apply to go on the show with an item you would like to be restored via the BBC website. It reads: "If you have a treasured item that's seen better days and you think our experts can help, please get in touch now! Were also keen to hear from communities who have objects of historical or social interest theyd like our help with." READ: Everything you need to know about The Repair Shop's Will Kirk READ: The Repair Shop's Jay Blades reveals incredible story discovering he has 25 siblings The series is filmed at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex - and so the repair shop isn't a permanent fixture! Speaking about the location, Rob told the Radio Times: "Many of our huge pool of experts run their own businesses, but the Weald and Downland Museum [in Singleton, West Sussex], where The Repair Shop is filmed, doesnt offer a repair service outside the show." Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. | https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/20210602114448/the-repair-shop-how-much-to-charge-fix-items-details/ |
Can Broadcoms share price ride out the semiconductor shortage? | A mid the ongoing chip crunch, Broadcoms [AVGO] share price is up 7.8% year to date through 1 June May. Its share price is currently 5.4% below its all-time high of $495.14, which it reached on 19 February. Semiconductor stocks have been one of the leading technology subsectors since the start of 2021. The ProShares Ultra Semiconductors ETF [USD] and the iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF [SOXX], both of which have Broadcom in their top 10 holdings, have climbed 20.6% and14% respectively in the year to 1 June. The First Trust Nasdaq Technology Dividend Index Fund [TDIV], which also holds Broadcom as a top 10 asset, has climbed 14.3%. Going into its second-quarter 2021 earnings call on 3 June, Broadcoms share price climbed 3.5% in May, ahead of the S&P 500, which rose 0.54% in the same period. In Q1 2021, Broadcom reported a record $6.6bn in revenue, up 14% year over year. Three-quarters of the revenue ($4.9bn) came from its semiconductor solutions segment, while its infrastructure software business brought in the rest ($1.7bn). The segments were up 17% and 5% respectively from Q1 2020. For the second quarter, the company indicated that revenue will be in the region of $6.5bn, which would be a 13% increase year over year. This is in line with the consensus estimate of $6.51bn for the quarter forecasted by Zacks Equity Research. $6.6billion Broadcom's Q1 revenue - a 14% YoY rise No guidance has been issued on earnings per share, but the consensus among 12 analysts is $6.44, an increase of 25.3% year over year. With regard to semiconductors, the majority of the Q1 2021 revenue from the segment (40%) was from wireless customers and sales were up 52% from Q1 2020. In the second quarter, the segment is forecast to grow by around 17% again, with wireless expected to grow between 30% and 40%. On the Q1 2021 earnings call, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said that whereas the semiconductor growth in the three months to the end of January was driven by an economic recovery in China, second-quarter growth will have been partly caused by a rebound in Japan and Europe. Balancing demand Despite supply chain headwinds confronting the global semiconductor sector, Broadcom has been working hard to mitigate any impact, including extending lead times. This is not panic mode. This is a very structured and reasonable process We have done a very good job of balancing demand and supply in our end markets, Tan said during the companys last earnings call. Chip orders have been flooding in and, as of March, customers had ordered 90% of the companys supply for the rest of the fiscal year. This is not panic mode. This is a very structured and reasonable process We have done a very good job of balancing demand and supply in our end markets - Broadcom CEO Hock Tan Hans Mosesmann, analyst at Rosenblatt, praised Broadcom's handling of the situation, in particular its implementation of a non-cancellable looking policy. In a note to clients seen by Benzinga, he argued that management has good visibility, and a clear idea of what customers need. Mosesmann reiterated a buy rating and raised his price target from $470 to $540, an upside of 15.3% from Broadcoms share price at close on 1 June. Credit Suisse analyst John Pitzer is bullish on the stock as well and recently increased his price target to $580 from $480, a 23.8% increase. Pitzer sees particular strength in its $15bn contract to supply Apple [AAPL] with wireless components for current and future iPhone models until 2023, according to a note seen by Barrons. Broadcom is also poised to benefit from a ramp-up in 5G mobile connectivity that will lead to a surge in demand for higher-priced chips. Pitzer points out that around 10% of smartphones are currently 5G-enabled, and this number is set to increase by 150% annually over the next couple of years. Broadcom-produced parts will likely be in many of these handsets. Research and development (R&D) rose almost 6% to $4.97bn in 2020 as Broadcom seeks to develop chips that offer customers faster speeds and lower latency. Continued investment in R&D should help it to maintain its competitive edge and secure big 5G contacts in the future, strengthening free cash flow generation further. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/can-broadcoms-share-price-ride-out-the-semiconductor-shortage |
Is CrowdStrikes share price poised to benefit after its Q1 update? | C rowdStrike's [CRWD] share price has made impressive gains over the last year, rising 134.24% from under $100.00 to $222.15 at Friday 28 May's close (note US markets were closed on Monday 31 May for the Memorial Day public holiday). CrowdStrike's share price has been more volatile in 2021, rising to a 52-week high of $251.28 on 16 February, before slipping to $168.76 on 30 March. Ahead of the cybersecurity company's Q1 results on Thursday 3 June, the shares have still eked out a gain of 5.81% so far in 2021. CrowdStrike is also the third-largest holding (5.83%) in our tracked Cybersecurity theme, the First Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF [CIBR], which came bottom of the performance scanner last week with a drop of 0.46%. Looking over the previous month though, it features nearer the top of the leaderboard with a rise of 0.28%, with most themes having slipped back. CrowdStrike delivers industry-first solution CrowdStrike growth strategy continues to follow a potent mix of innovation alongside key acquisitions. Last month it unveiled the industrys first adversary-focused cloud security solution, which combines threat intelligence with detection capabilities to not only deliver details about a cyber-attack, but also report on those behind it. As the Motley Fools Robert Izquierdo says, it's the first industry solution to spotlight the attackers themselves. On the acquisition front, CrowdStrike completed a $392m deal for Humio in March, a leading provider of high-performance cloud log management and observability technology. Humio will enhance CrowdStrikes ability to solve real-world customer problems with its cloud-native platform with the acquisition of Humio, we are accelerating our XDR capabilities to cloud speed, re-defining the industry standard for modern XDR - CrowdStrike co-founder and CEO, George Kurtz CrowdStrike co-founder and CEO, George Kurtz (pictured), said: Humio will enhance CrowdStrikes ability to solve real-world customer problems with its cloud-native platform with the acquisition of Humio, we are accelerating our XDR capabilities to cloud speed, re-defining the industry standard for modern XDR. CrowdStrike is certainly doing something right, after adding 1,480 new customer subscriptions in the last quarter (Q4 FY20), bringing the total subscriber numbers up from 5,400 to 9,896 at the end of January, an 82% year-on-year increase. CrowdStrikes share price could be set for a boost should the firm reveal positive updates on its latest product innovation and the newly-formed integration of Humio, along with the latest new subscriber numbers. CrowdStrike set to benefit from cybersecurity sector growth Its estimated that the global cybersecurity market will jump from $184.2bn in 2020 to $248.3bn by 2023, with cyber attacks set to increase in frequency and sophistication. The number of attacks reported to the FBI have more than tripled since the pandemic began in 2020, from about 1,000 per day to over 3,000, according to Izquierdo. Its even led to the World Economic Forum listing cyber attacks as one of this years top global threats, alongside the coronavirus pandemic. CrowdStrike appears to be well-positioned to benefit from the growing cyber threat, after its full-year revenue surged 82% from $481.4m to $874.4m. The company has also consistently grown international revenue since going public in 2019 it grew 98% in the last fiscal year to $247m. $874.4m CrowdStrike's full-year revenue - an 82% YoY rise Over the last four quarters, CrowdStrike has beaten consensus earnings per share (EPS) estimates on each occasion. For the last reported quarter, CrowdStrikes EPS came out at $0.13, ahead of the anticipated $0.09, an upside surprise of 44.44%. CrowdStrikes share price could be in line for a boost should this outperformance pattern continue in Thursdays first-quarter update. CrowdStrikes Q1 EPS is expected to climb from $0.02 a share in Q1 2020 to $0.06 according to Zacks, which would represent a year-on-year change of 200%. CNN are forecasting a slightly lower but still vastly improved EPS of $0.05. Revenue is set to increase 64.1% year-on-year, to $292.2m according to Zacks, while CNN estimate sales to come in marginally lower, at $291.5m. Both estimates are at the top end of the companys March guidance, where revenue was anticipated to come in between $287.8m and $292.1m. CrowdStrike is yet to record a profit 10 years after its formation, reporting a net loss of $92.6m last year. However, this was down from the previous year's loss at $141.8m. Izquierdo is unconcerned, noting that it's common for tech companies to operate at a loss for years as they work to prioritise growth. He adds: Its balance sheet is strong. CrowdStrike exited FY 2021 with $1.9bn in cash and equivalents, a substantial step up from the prior year's $264.8m. Total assets came in at $2.7bn compared to total liabilities of $1.9bn. Looking ahead, Zacks notes that CrowdStrikes full-year 2022 revenue is projected to climb 51% to $1.3bn, with FY23 revenue set to jump another 33% to $1.76bn. $1.3billion CrowdStrike's predicted full-year 2022 revenue - a 51% rise The cloud-based cybersecurity firms fundamentals certainly look strong, with the company on track to move into profit. Analysts covering the stock appear to agree, with 20 analysts polled by CNN placing a Buy recommendation on CrowdStrikes share price, along with one Outperform, two Hold and one Underperform rating. There are currently no sell recommendations on the stock. Of 23 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts, CrowdStrikes share price has a median target of $250.00, with a high estimate of $280.00 and a low estimate of $210.00. The median estimate represents an 11.14% increase from Fridays close at $222.15 | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/is-crowdstrikes-share-price-poised-to-benefit-after-its-q1-update |
What to expect in DocuSigns Q1 earnings? | D ocuSigns [DOCU] share price surged during the pandemic as it racked up new subscribers for its e- signature service. At the start of 2020, DocuSigns share price was trading hands at around the $74 mark. By the time the year ended it was worth just above $222, delivering investors a 194.2% return. Those gains continued until mid-February when DocuSigns share price closed at $265.16 on 19 February. Since then, the stocks been on a downward trend as investors switch out of growth stocks, closing Tuesday at $200.38. However, as workers return to offices, the question is whether DocuSign will continue to see the growth needed to justify its toppy valuation - it trades at a forward 108.98 price to earnings multiple. Or if the current downward trend will continue into the second half of 2021. Upcoming first-quarter earnings should shed some light on DocuSigns future. Shareholders will be hoping DocuSign can continue last quarters growth story. In the fourth quarter, total revenue came in at $430.9m, up 57% year-on-year. The bulk of that was subscription revenue, which surged 59% year-on-year. Total revenue for fiscal year 2021 came in at $1.5bn, up 49% year-on-year, with subscription revenue making up $1.4bn of sales. Any sign that subscriber numbers are growing could see a bounce in DocuSigns share price post-earnings. $430.9m DocuSign's Q4 revenue - a 57% YoY rise In May, DocuSign hired former Cisco chief data officer Shanthi Iyer as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Iyer spent 20 years at Cisco in a variety of leadership positions and is being brought on board to help spearhead DocuSigns plans to rapidly scale. Scaling up DocuSign will involve expanding beyond DocuSign eSignature to encompass the entire agreement process, according to a March investors presentation. To accomplish this, the DocuSign Agreement Cloud will also include a contract management platform, insights and analytic tools, and a remote notary service. According to the presentation, this would bring DocuSigns total addressable market to $50bn. An update on these plans could help justify that seemingly pricey valuation. DocuSign handily beat Wall Street expectations in the fourth quarter, delivering earnings of $0.37 a share against an expected $0.22. For the upcoming earnings, analysts are forecasting earnings of $0.28 a share, a hefty increase on the $0.12 delivered in the same quarter last year. Revenue is pegged at $437.81m. Daiwa Capital analyst Stephen Bersey is bullish on DocuSigns prospects, despite its seemingly lofty valuation. The analyst notes that, as a trailblazer in the electronic signature market, DocuSign has a headstart over the competition. While acknowledging the lofty valuation, Bersey believes the company will grow revenue well above the industry for some time, and considers the stock a core growth technology holding. With Covid-19 highlighting the importance of companies being able to seamlessly conduct and sign business remotely, we believe that DocuSign will see a near-term benefit from remote-work and see heightened demand for e-signature, contract management, and audit management related products, wrote Bersey in a commentary With Covid-19 highlighting the importance of companies being able to seamlessly conduct and sign business remotely, we believe that DocuSign will see a near-term benefit from remote-work and see heightened demand for e-signature, contract management, and audit management related products - Daiwa Capital analyst Stephen Bersey Among the analysts tracking DocuSigns share price on Yahoo Finance, the stock carries a $273.06 price target, a 36.5% upside on Tuesdays closing price. Back in March, Evercore ISI Group upgraded its rating on DocuSign from In-line to Outperform, pinning a $285 price target on the stock. The pandemic has also meant companies accelerating the shift to cloud computing and workplace productivity tools. For many, this is a cost-cutting measure, which makes good business sense. Its not outlandish that as the world returns to normal, companies will want to retain some cost-cutting measures - especially if they have been done for productivity. In this case, DocuSigns share price could justify its hefty valuation. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/what-to-expect-in-docusigns-q1-earnings |
Will Canopys share price light up post-earnings? | C anopys share price [WEED.TO] got a post-earnings buzz on Tuesday (1 June) after posting a 37% surge in sales in its fourth quarter. And the Canadian pot grower isnt the only one riding high right now. The Global X Cannabis ETF has been heating up in the past week, supported by big gains from top holdings including Sundial Growers [SNDL] and Aurora Cannabis [ACB]. However, Canopy wasnt able to hold onto the gains for long, closing down on the day. Still with the stock still down 6% since January (as of 1 Junes close), analysts reckon there could be more upside left in Canopy. Why Canopys share price popped post-earnings Canopys net revenue jumped 37.6% year-on-year to come in at C$148.3m ($123.3m) in the fourth quarter, up 37.6% year-on-year. Net losses came in at C$617m for the quarter, an improvement on the C$710m seen in the same time last year. The company pinned C$292m of losses on non-cash fair value changes, and another C$75m on impairment and restructuring charges. Adjusted EBITDA losses were $94m, down $8m year-on-year. For the full-year, net revenue came in at $546m, up 37% year-on-year. Driving this was pickup in sales in Canada, international expansion and diversification into other cannabis-related products. $546million Canopy Growth's full-year net revenue - a 37% YoY rise Promisingly, Canopy said it was on track to have a positive adjusted EBITDA in the second half of financial year 2020, with a strengthened balance sheet. "We made tremendous progress improving our supply chain and right-sizing our manufacturing footprint, bringing supply and demand into balance," said Mike Lee, CFO. "Our cost savings program is on track to deliver $150-$200 million of savings within the next 18 months, and we remain committed to our path to profitability by the end of Fiscal 2022, while continuing to invest in an organization that is focused on insights, innovation and gaining momentum in the U.S. market." The cannabis investment theme While Canopys share price spiked following the earnings release, the stock closed down, just shy of 4% on Tuesday. For the stock to mount a sustained upward trend, much will depend on what happens in the US this year. 2021 was meant to be the year that the US gave the go-ahead for cannabis legislation at a Federal level. That has yet to happen. Instead, more and more states are passing cannabis legislation, gradually opening up the market. Cannabis sales in the US surpassed $17.5bn in 2020, up 46% from the $12.1m seen in 2019, according to research from BDSA. In Colorado, cannabis sales reached $2.1bn, up 26% year-on-year, while in Oregon recreational cannabis sales hit $1.1bn, up 39% year-on-year. $55.9billion Forecasted worldwide cannabis sales by 2026 By 2026, worldwide cannabis sales are expected to hit $55.9bn, with the US accounting for $41.3bn. Getting to that number depends on more states legalising cannabis use - so far 15 have made recreational use legal - and it appears the US public is supporting this - 70% of Americans favour legalising cannabis use. And it's not just pot sales where Canopy hopes to gain a foothold in the US. The company has partnered with Martha Stewart to sell CBD health and wellness products, along with CBD beverages and a range of vaping products. Against this background, the cannabis investment theme is up 1.36% over the past month, and 54.7% over the past year. The Global Cannabis ETF has gained 2.21% over the month, while producers Aurora Cannabis has grown 4.4% and Cronos Group 2.91% in the same period. We are starting to see strong momentum across all of our key businesses and remain firmly focused on capitalizing on U.S. opportunities in Fiscal 2022 - David Klein, Canopy Growth CEO "We are starting to see strong momentum across all of our key businesses and remain firmly focused on capitalizing on U.S. opportunities in Fiscal 2022," said David Klein, CEO of Canopy Growth in a statement accompanying the earnings results. Canopys share price has a C$37.76 price target from the analysts tracking the stock on Yahoo Finance. In the run up to the earnings, William Kirk at MKM Partners bumped up his rating on Canopy to Buy, pinning a C$45.65 price target on the stock - a 55.6% upside on Tuesdays closing price. The analyst said that any downside to Canopys share price in the quarter should be limited. For Canopy, narrowing losses should be taken as a good sign, especially with the prospects of swinging into profit this year. Should momentum continue, Canopy and other cannabis stocks could see further gains in the second half of 2021. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/will-canopys-share-price-light-up-post-earnings |
Will Lululemons share price gain post Q1 earnings? | L ululemons [LULU] share price performed strongly in 2020 as the pandemic meant working out at home was the only option for many people. Last year the stock climbed 49.6% as it racked up more sales, with its digital channels seeing bumper growth. Lululemons share price has fallen 5% this month [as of 1 Junes close], and upcoming earnings could have a bearing on which way the stock goes next. Net revenues increased 11% to $4.4bn year-on-year in 2020. A big part of this was direct to customer revenue, which jumped 101% to represent 52% of total net revenue - perhaps unsurprisingly as shuttered shops meant Lululemon ramped up shipping to customers. Gross profit from the year came in at $2.5bn, up 11% on the previous year. We pulled forward investments in our direct-to-consumer channel, completed our first acquisition, and tightly managed expenses while also supporting our people. These measures contributed to our strong fourth-quarter results, including growing revenue by 24%, and are helping fuel our even stronger top-line growth projections for 2021, Meghan Frank, Chief Financial Officer said in a statement. $4.4billion Lululemon's net revenue - an 11% YoY rise The fourth quarter of 2020 was similarly strong, with net revenue jumping 24% to $1.7bn, while gross profit was up 25% to $1bn. UBS analyst Jay Sole reckons Lululemon could see continued strength from people eschewing the gym to work at home. This could lead to the brand upping its full year guidance in the upcoming earnings, which would see a possible bounce for Lululemons share price. "A 1Q beat with good Q2 commentary likely tells the market LULU's chance of strongly lapping 'stay at home' is better than previously thought, slightly boosting sentiment," wrote Sole in a commentary. A 1Q beat with good Q2 commentary likely tells the market LULU's chance of strongly lapping 'stay at home' is better than previously thought, slightly boosting sentiment - UBS analyst Jay Sole Mirror, Lululemons at-home fitness brand, is another area to watch out for. In September, the company purchased Mirror for half a billion dollars. However, Sole thinks the acquisition will drag on earnings, noting that the brand is trailing Peloton on social media. Any update on Lululemon's 'Power of three plan to accelerate growth, first revealed in 2019 will also be one to watch out for. The plan featured some ambitious growth targets, including doubling digital revenues and quadrupling international sales by 2023. Wall Street is expecting Lululemon to post $0.9 earnings per share, up from $0.22 per share in the same quarter last year. Revenue is pegged at $1 12bn, up 62.9% from the $688.48 seen in last years quarter. Lululemon itself is guiding for $0.86-$0.9 adjusted earnings per share on net revenue of between $1.100 billion to $1.130 billion. Lululemon has beaten Wall Street expectations for the past three quarters. In Q4 results, the American apparel maker posted earnings of $2.58, topping the forecasted $2.49. For the full year, the apparel maker is expecting earnings to come in at $6.30 to $6.45 per share, on revenue of $5.550 billion to $5.650 billion. In March, Barrons reported that the full-year guidance was below Wall Street expectations of $6.44 earnings per share and revenue of $5.68 billion, according to FactSet, as the company re-invested in the business. This caused several analysts to trim their price targets. B.Riley went from $409 to $374, Barclays from $410 to $401 and Deutsche Bank from $396 from $390. However, the analysts covering Lululemon are still positive on the stock and these targets would represent a decent upside on Tuesdays close of $318.62. A strong slate of innovation for fiscal 2021, a growing mens business, continued international growth, coupled with connected fitness and an FY22 launch into footwear keep the growth engine rolling - Barclays Adrienne Yih A strong slate of innovation for fiscal 2021, a growing mens business, continued international growth, coupled with connected fitness and an FY22 launch into footwear keep the growth engine rolling, wrote Barclays Adrienne Yih, who reiterated her Overweight rating on the stock. Analysts tracking Lululemons share price on Yahoo Finance have pinned an average $385.25 price target on the stock. Hitting this would see a 21% upside on Tuesdays closing price. Should Lululemon demonstrate that it's achieving its strategic goals, along with continuing to benefit from a shift to working out at home, then the stock may edge towards this target post-earnings. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/will-lululemons-share-price-gain-post-q1-earnings |
Will Slacks share price collaborate following the companys acquisition? | S lacks [WORK] share price has been relatively flat year-to-date. Though the stock is currently down a few percentage points from its all-time high of $44.57 on 16 February, as of 1 June it is trading 82% above its 52-week low of $24.09, which it fell to on 10 November. When news of Salesforces [CRM] upcoming $27.7bn purchase of Slack was first reported on 25 November by The Wall Street Journal, Slacks share price jumped by more than a third in anticipation. But the reason the stock hasnt moved much since then is quite easy to explain. Salesforce will be acquiring Slack from shareholders for $26.79 a share and 0.0776 shares of Salesforce common stock, which at the time the acquisition was officially announced on 1 December priced the deal at around $45.86 a share, according to CNBC. It therefore makes little sense for investors to buy the stock at its current price given there is hardly any expected upside. $27.7billion Valuation of Salesforce's deal to purchase Slack Nevertheless, as a remote working and learning tool, Slack has outperformed the broader sector since the start of 2021. The iShares Virtual Work and Life Multisector ETF [IWFH] has a year to date daily total return of -7.20%; the respective return rate for the Global X Education ETF [EDUT] is -18.69%. The company (see Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, pictured) went into the current fiscal year having reported revenue of $250.6m in Q4 2021, up 38% from the year-ago quarter, while revenue for the full fiscal year increased 43% year over year to $902.6m. Fourth-quarter billings were up 41% year over year to $359.9m, and up 35% for the full year to $1.03bn. No guidance was given for Q1 2022, but the consensus estimate for revenue was $272.6m, according to Zacks Equity Research. This would represent a 35% rise on the $201.65m revenue reported for Q1 2021. $250.6m Slack's Q4 2021 revenue - a 38% YoY rise Analysts have forecast earnings to be between a $0.01 a share and a loss of $0.04 a share with a consensus of a loss of $0.02. This said, EPS could be considered an irrelevant metric to judge its performance given the impending acquisition, which Salesforce expects to close by the end of its second quarter, later in July. Perhaps a better barometer to measure Slacks success will be any update it gives on its paid customers and annual recurring revenue (ARR). The previous quarter was a record one on this front, bringing in 14,000 new paid customers, up from 5,000 in Q4 2020, and bringing the total to 156,000. Of the customers added in the fiscal year, 1,183 of these brought in more than $100,000 in ARR and the number of customers with an ARR greater than $1m was up 54% year over year to 108. Investors will likely be keeping a close eye on whether Slack manages to maintain this customer growth ahead of the acquisition, or whether its products were overlooked in the first quarter. Its widely believed that Salesforce taking the reins will steer Slack to better things. Despite the impressive Q4 2021 numbers, Slacks share price has struggled since the companys IPO in 2019 largely due to competition from Microsoft [MSFT] Teams tool. Of course, Slack was once targeted by Microsoft itself, who mulled an $8bn bid, only to back away and build its own product. According to Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan, Microsoft Teams has been an overhang on Slacks share price ever since it went public. Microsoft is clearly the juggernaut in cloud-based business communications. The number of Teams daily active users has swelled to 115 million in November, driven by a surge in cloud adoption as more people work remotely. This dwarfs Slack's 15 million daily active users - Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan Microsoft is clearly the juggernaut in cloud-based business communications. The number of Teams daily active users has swelled to 115 million in November, driven by a surge in cloud adoption as more people work remotely. This dwarfs Slack's 15 million daily active users, Horan wrote in a note to clients seen by Investors.com in November Slacks future growth will likely depend on what Salesforce does with the tool to make up ground on Microsoft Teams. Continued success in the enterprise and increased growth in paid subscribers with an ARR greater than $1m will no doubt be key. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/will-slacks-share-price-collaborate-following-the-companys-acquisition |
Will the MGM acquisition let Amazons share price roar? | A mazons [AMZN] share price fell 1.6% between the start of 2021 and 1 June, when it closed at $3,218.65. Despite a downturn in March that saw its share price sink to $2,951.95, the stock recovered swiftly. Amazons share price saw rapid gains through April, peaking at $3,554.00 on 30 April. However, its share price fell 11.3% over the following fortnight to close at $3,151.94 on 12 May, as investors began losing faith in tech stocks across global markets. Over the past 12 months (to 1 June), Amazons share price has gained 30.1%. 30.1% Amazons share price gains over the past 12 months Now, the e-commerce giant has bolstered its streaming offering with the recent acquisition of famed film studio MGM Holdings. Amazon in the Bond market Last week, reports emerged that Amazon had agreed to purchase Hollywood studio MGM in a deal worth $8.45bn including debt, with an equity value of $6.5bn. The deal will be the second-largest acquisition in Amazons history, after the $13.7bn it paid for Whole Foods four years ago. As part of the deal, Amazon will acquire MGMs back catalogue of intellectual property totalling over 4,000 films, including the James Bond and Rocky franchises. The move will strengthen Amazons Prime Video platform as it continues to compete with fellow streaming giants like Netflix [NTFLX] and Disney [DIS]. $8.45billion Valuation of Amazon's deal to purchase MGM The streaming wars have intensified of late, with Disney announcing in March that its Disney+ streaming platform had reached over 100 million subscribers less than two years after its launch. Netflix, in comparison, took 10 years to reach that milestone. Disney+ was forecast in March to overtake Prime Videos subscriber numbers by 2024. Intellectual property is the ammunition with which the streaming wars are waged. Increasing competition means that studios proprietary services, such as WarnerMedias HBO Max, are increasingly protective over legacy content such as the Friends series. Amazon has so far trailed on this metric. In the US in 2020, 12.5% of movies and 21% of TV was exclusive to the platform, compared to more Netflixs 48.6% and 72.3% respectively, according to Statista. By bringing MGMs extensive library under Amazons wing, the deal will immediately boost the proprietary content Prime Video is able to offer as well as providing scope for some of the studios major titles to be developed. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, said on a briefing call with shareholders on 26 May that MGM has a vast, deep catalogue of much-beloved intellectual property, and with the talented people at MGM and the talented people at Amazon Studios, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century. MGM has a vast, deep catalogue of much-beloved intellectual property, and with the talented people at MGM and the talented people at Amazon Studios, we can reimagine and develop that IP for the 21st century - Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon However, in the case of James Bond, Amazon may be blocked from excessive tinkering, particularly in the TV series direction, as the franchise is part-owned by Eon Productions. Its owners, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, exercise close control over the character and clarified Bonds ongoing primary role as a film character following news of the acquisition. Media exposure The announcement saw Amazons share price increase 0.18% on 26 May, but this was followed by two consecutive days of price falls on 27 and 28 May. From 25 May to 28 May close, Amazons share price fell 1.10%. The media streaming industry seems to have performed better over the period, with both the iShares Evolved US Media and Entertainment ETF [IEME] and the John Hancock Multifactor Media and Communications ETF [JHCS] showing gains on 26 and 27 May, before tailing off on 28 May. Both funds count Netflix and Disney among their top 10 holdings, with Disney topping the iShares Evolved US Media and Entertainment ETFs holdings list at 5.09% of the fund, as of 28 May. The fund 1.2% between 25 and 1 June, while the John Hancock Multifactor Media and Communications ETF has gained 1%. The funds are up 11.6% and 9.6% so far this year, respectively. 85.9% Gains of the Amplify Online Retail ETF over the past 12 months However, because its streaming service is currently a side-line to its primary business activities, Amazon isnt featured on these media ETFs. Instead, the stock can be found in the holdings of the ProShares Online Retail ETF [ONLN] or the Amplify Online Retail ETF [IBUY]. As of 1 June, Amazon is the top holding in the former, with a 23.46% weighting, while it lies 35th in the latters holdings, weighted at 1.69%. Given its massive position in the stock, the ProShares Online Retail ETFs performance mirrors Amazons closely: it is down 1% in the year to date but up 60.6% in the past 12 months. With its much lower Amazon weighting, the Amplify Online Retail ETF has gained 5.4% year to date and 85.9% in the past 12 months. | https://www.cmcmarkets.com/en-au/opto/will-the-mgm-acquisition-let-amazons-share-price-roar |
Is Mahua Moitra Indias AOC? | Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Get The Nations Weekly Newsletter Fridays. The best of the week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Fridays. The best of the week. Thank you for signing up for The Nations weekly newsletter. Join the Books & the Arts Newsletter Mondays. The best of The Nations Books & the Arts, in your inbox biweekly. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Mondays. The best of The Nations Books & the Arts, in your inbox biweekly. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Sign up for our Wine Club today. On May 2, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) declared victory in the West Bengal legislative assembly elections. Three days later, the first-term TMC member of Parliament Mahua Moitra published an op-ed in The New York Times titled I Know How to Defeat Narendra Modi. Moitra argued that the TMCs win in West Bengal constituted a turning point for opposition politics in India. Blaming the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for mismanaging the countrys Covid-19 response, she said Prime Minister Modi can be defeated by a party that stays true to its grass roots and a secular, inclusive ideology. Moitras claims shouldnt be dismissed. Commentators framed the West Bengal elections as nothing less than a referendum on the soul of India, with the BJP facing off against the TMC, a regional powerhouse led by the countrys only female chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. The BJP challenged the TMCs decade-long incumbency, pouring resources into the state and turning out high-profile figures like Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to help campaign. The TMCs resounding victory in the face of this mobilizationthe party won 213 out of 292 seatsspeaks to the popularity of Banerjee, a savvy critic of Modi known to voters as Didi, or older sister. At the same time, it would be a mistake to read too much into the results. The BJP has underperformed in state elections in the past, notably in 2019, and yet still dominates national politics. The BJPs electoral strategy was to exploit communal divisions, which are particularly pronounced in West Bengal, a formerly Muslim-majority state cleaved in two in 1947. But the BJP has never held power in the state, which was dominated by Left Front governments for four decades before the TMCs 2011 breakthrough. Meanwhile, Banerjee and the TMC have struggled to root out the corruption that had plagued the Left Front governments and an entrenched political culture marked by violence and voter intimidation. The TMC remains synonymous with Banerjee, who founded the party in 2011 after splitting with the Indian National Congress, the party of independence and, along with the BJP, one of the countrys two major parties. But her most vocal defender, and the TMCs rising star, is Moitra. Elected to the lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha or House of the People, in 2019, the 46-year-old Moitra has emerged as a fiery critic of the BJP. In her first speech in Parliament in February 2019, Moitra addressed the house in a white and indigo sari, her dark hair down around her shoulders and a prominent bindi on her forehead. Over heckling from the government benches, she denounced Hindu nationalism, and took aim at the BJPs National Register of Citizens, which requires residents in the state of Assam to furnish documents proving their citizenship, and which critics fear could be extended to the whole country. People who have lived in this country for 50 years are having to show a piece of paper to prove they are Indians, she said. If only you would open your eyes, you would see that there are signs everywhere that this country is being torn apart. Parliament is usually the domain of gray, aging politicians. Moitras speech went viral. Indias devastating Covid-19 crisis has further galvanized opposition parties like the TMC, which occupies the fourth-largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha. In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, one in two residents tested positive for the virus in late April. The TMC government imposed a two-week lockdown that began on May 16, but the second wave of infections still seems not to have peaked. Current Issue View our current issue The Election Commission, a nominally independent national body, decided to hold the elections in eight phases over four weeks, a ruling widely cited as contributing to the rise in cases in the state. Lauded by the BJP, the Election Commissions calendar was protested by the TMC, the only party to propose shortening the elections by merging phases. Moitra condemned the Election Commissions decision. But her opposition to the governments handling of the crisis has not just been rhetorical. In March 2020, when the pandemic first swept India, she petitioned the Supreme Court to direct government agencies to make arrangements for the welfare of migrant workers, as well as to require employers to provide wages and shelter to workers for the duration of the crisis. An instantly recognizable figure in elegantly draped saris and her trademark oversized sunglasses, Moitra has a distinct profile in Indian politics. As Covid-19 rates soar, the BJP has come under fire for allowing mass gatherings, including packed election rallies in West Bengal. In April, the federal government allowed the Kumbh Mela, a religious gathering held every 12 years that attracts millions, to go ahead despite restrictions on large gatherings, a decision seen as a concession to the Hindu right. The Covid-19 crisis has reinforced Moitras position as a vociferous critic of the BJP governmentmost notably on social media. According to a recent study by Arshia Arya and Joyojeet Pal, Moitra had the second-highest increase in Twitter followers of any Indian politician between December 2020 and March 2021. Related Article The Modi Government Is a Regime of Low-Intensity Terror Ullekh N.P. Moitras prominence, both on Twitter and on the floor of Parliament, speaks to the Congress partys failure to nurture talent. Moitra spent her formative years abroad, studying economics and mathematics at Mount Holyoke before embarking on a career in investment banking in New York and London. But politics beckoned, and she returned to India in 2008, joining the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi. She served as a co-coordinator of the Youth Congresss rural empowerment program in West Bengal before quitting two years later, citing the partys minimal on-the-ground presence. Switching allegiance to the TMC, Moitra was mentored by Banerjee, winning a legislative assembly seat in Karimpur, Nadia district, in 2016. Now the TMCs spokesperson and general secretary, Moitra has largely deflected charges that she appeals only to educated, middle-class Indians. The district she represents in the Lok Sabha is a rural area that was held by the TMC in the two elections preceding her 2019 selection as a candidate. But Moitra was not simply parachuted in to serve as the face of the TMCs well-organized grassroots cadres. She spent three months in Krishnanagar canvassing for the Congress party before the 2009 general elections, visiting every election booth in the constituency. She ran her 2019 Lok Sabha election by recruiting well-organized field staff and showing up in dusty villages on roadshows, a mainstay of Indian political campaigning that involves touring an area in an open-topped vehicle. She wins elections, said Neelanjan Sircar, a political scientist at Ashoka University and visiting fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. And she actually wins elections in a place that is quite difficult for the TMC. Its a place with a lot of Hindu-Muslim polarization, where the BJP actually has a significant presence. After the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress party president. But this has not led to change: His mother and predecessor as party leader, Sonia Gandhi, remains interim president. Against this backdrop of inertia, Banerjee and the TMC have reinvigorated opposition politics, wooing voters with a combination of welfare schemes and women-friendly initiatives that won the support of West Bengals poorest populations. The TMC victory positions Moitra as a key opposition figure, and the young, dynamic face of a secular political tradition that has appeared in danger of flickering out. Recent popular opposition to the BJP has been mounted by dispossessed segments of the populationMuslims and refugees concerned by the Citizenship Amendment Acts threat of revoking citizenship, farmers protesting the new farm laws. But the pandemic, unlike the government, does not discriminate. Religion, party affiliation, and even social status are no longer enough to guarantee a hospital bed. On April 27, Moitra issued a poignant tweet: Democratic freedomsto protest, to critique, what to eat, who to lovemuch like oxygen, hurt only when taken away. With so many Indians gasping for breath, Moitras words are a rallying cry. | https://www.thenation.com/article/world/india-moitra-tmc-west-bengal/ |
Can a Dota 2 Pro Dominate in League of Legends? | Dota 2 and League of Legends are the twin pillars of the entire MOBA community today, although the two communities are not exactly peas in a pod. In fact, there seems to be much beef between Dota and LoL players. For veteran players, the reason for this antagonism dates back to the creation of LoL. Dota 2 and League of Legends: A Tale of Two MOBAs Since day one, MOBA has been a genre of games created and driven by the community. Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) was originally a custom map on the Warcraft III engine. The original DOTA Allstars formula was moderated and improved upon by many individuals over the years. Among them were Steve Guinsoo Feak and Steve Pendragon Mescon, who left the DOTA community to work on a completely standalone MOBA with Riot Games, which is where LoL comes from. The early days of friction between LoL and Dota were sparked by the fact that Pendragon took down dota-allstars.com, the central Dota online forum, and replaced it with a LoL ad. Back in the day, the forum was practically the lifeblood of Dotas community matchmaking. So its loss was a huge blow, to say the least. But these are decade-old wounds. The current-day Dota 2 communitys idea of LoL is riddled with a different mantra: the fact that LoL is more casual. In turn, LoL players can sometimes dismiss Dota as the unrefined, less fun, and tryhard version of LoL. The answer, seemingly, depends on how far the myth of LoL being casual holds true. League did more or less replicate some of the things from Dota, from the map layout of Allstars to heroes and ability designs. But LoL does things differently enough to set things apart. On account of being a mod, the original Dota was bound by Warcrafts engine limitations, for example, the obligatory turn rate in hero movement. After Guinsoos departure, IceFrog had done the painstaking job of balancing Dota through the patches, and he had ported most of the original Dota into Valves Dota 2. So things like turn rate have become an integral part of Dota 2s balance (e.g. Batriders Sticky Napalm and Medusas Stone Gaze). LoL, on the other hand, could design everything from the ground up. So they did away with many things that were not universally liked in Dota. As a result, LoL gameplay feels much smoother. It doesn't bother the players with things like cast time and turn rate. There are no couriers or denies, and itemization for champs is much more cookie cutter. These are the perceived differences that lead people to believe that LoL is easier. But that is a misleading concept in general. Albeit in the same genre, LoL is a different game altogether. There is no downgrade or upgrade of in-game mechanics for the Dota convert, simply a sidegrade. Not having denies means no player has to bother about it. So ones talent of denying 2 creeps per wave will not serve them in LoL at all. Their attention is instead required elsewhere. In League, there is a lot more focus on skillshots and reaction timing. Many mechanics from Dota 2 may be absent in League, but it has some unique mechanics of its own. League does not have the Aegis from Roshan, or any neutral item drops for that matter. In its place, though, it does have the buffs and benefits from killing Rift Herald, Rift Scuttler, the dragons and Baron Nashor. Between the two, Dota 2 is probably the more daunting game for a beginner. It hinges a lot more on proper picks and counterpicks, item decisions and timing, farming patterns and map movement. This makes it more demanding, as the beginner has to study all of these concepts outside of the actual game. Not to imply that League does not need those things, of course. Even so, League is more beginner-friendly, but that does not lower its skill ceiling. Being beginner-friendly is simply no longer a factor in the pro scene. The answer is still yes, but not because LoL is easy. Ultimately, both Dota 2 and League require a deeper understanding of the big picture: strategizing. Without a game plan, no matter how good a player is at landing skillshots in LoL or manta-dodging in Dota, they will not get far. Being a pro player is not just about landing Hookshots or landing a 5-man Parallel Convergence (Ekkos W). Being a pro player implies that one has the propensity to understand the game strategy, the win conditions, and the willingness to improve. So with one obvious caveat, that they find the level of familiarity with Summoners Rift they have with Dota 2, a Dota pro will easily steamroll their LoL pubs. Edited by Gautham Balaji | https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/can-dota-2-pro-dominate-league-legends |
Can shark populations help predict tropical weather? | TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Some species of sharks and their locations could be an indicator of whether tropical weather is about to strike an area, according to new research that supports previous work conducted by Floridas Mote Marine Laboratory. That research from summer 2001 used a series of underwater receivers that tracked the positions of 41 young blacktip sharks fitted with transmitters ahead of Tropical Storm Gabrielle in a nursery area of Terra Ceia Bay. Dr. Bob Hueter, a retired shark researcher with Mote Marine Laboratory and current OSEARCH Shark Tracker employee, was involved. We were able to track them as they responded to the hurricane before it even got here as they left and then rode out the hurricane outside and then came back in, Hueter said of the research. He said sharks in shallow environments, such as in lower Tampa Bay, tend to move into deeper waters when a storm brews. The deepest depth is maybe about 10 feet in lower Tierra Ceia Bay, maybe 10 or 12 feet, most [likely] less than that, so if a hurricane comes through, you can imagine how it turns that whole habitat upside down. And clearly, its time for them to get out and get into deeper water, he said. Hueter said he believes the sharks can sense the barometric pressure through their inner ears rather than be alerted by wind or rain, as humans are. As that started to plummet, they said, Its time to go, and then they left and came back up after the storm had passed, Hueter explained. He said the black tip sharks eventually returned in about a week or so after the storm had passed. The new research looked at tiger sharks and other large sharks off the coast of Miami. The new research states that four large species of sharks were tracked in Little Bahamas Bank and Biscayne Bay, during Category 4 and 5 storms, including Hurricane Irma. Thirty-two sharks, including the tiger shark species as well as nurse sharks and great hammerhead sharks, were tracked for the research. While some of the tracked sharks moved from their area during a storm, the outlier was the tiger sharks, near the Bahamas, which didnt seem to move away. The research found that tiger sharks monitored in the path of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 didnt leave their areas before or after the storm, and daily tiger shark detections, in fact, doubled after the storm passed. Hueter calls the work with tiger sharks and their lack of movement during tropical weather preliminary. He also called tiger sharks interesting in the shark world for their unusual behavior and that the species are known as roamers. I guess in the case of these Bahaman sharks, they just decided to ride it out right there and apparently, just picked up where they left off after the storm had passed, Hueter said. The Atlantic hurricane season officially started Tuesday. | https://www.wkrg.com/news/can-shark-populations-help-predict-tropical-weather/ |
Where Are The Stolen Generation Now? | It is National Reconciliation Week 2021, and the theme this year is More than a word. Reconciliation takes action. A significant part of that includes acknowledging the damage done to the First Nations people who are part of the Stolen Generations - those who were forcibly removed, as children, from their families and communities and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. Inspired by this year's Reconciliation theme, The Quicky speaks to an expert in healing to consider what we can all do to not only acknowledge the brutality of our past, but also recognise and address what is still happening today. Send us an email at [email protected] Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/the-quicky/move-over-body-posi/ |
What has the pandemic told us about wellbeing? | Wellbeing science has behaved very honourably during this pandemic in my opinion, particularly in the UK, where many of the best-known wellbeing researchers openly pointed to the disproportionate costs of lockdowns compared to their (dubious) benefits. Many stood up in newspaper articles and scientific publications to be counted against the madness of UK lockdown policies (to no effect, but at least we were not complicit bystanders). We tried to warn about the disaster that was being inflicted, essentially because we knew about the immense harm done when one keeps families and friends physically apart. Also, we knew where to look for big negative effects of the disruptions, namely mental health, government debt, IVF treatments, and such. After all, it was a huge shock to many parts of the social system and should hence be a prime supplier of insights as to what matters and how things interrelate. The figure below tells the essential story as it has emerged in several countries. The figure shows the behaviour of the ONS4 wellbeing module during the pandemic in the UK from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, which has the advantage that it had a consistent methodology before and after March 2020 (ie it was an online survey already). The top-left graph is the main wellbeing question on how individuals evaluate their own life. As we now know from many countries in Europe, the first lockdown in April-May was bad for wellbeing (a drop of around 0.3), but the second one in the winter was way worse (o.8, which is over 10%). Now, this drop was predicted beforehand on the basis of the expectation that social life was directly important for wellbeing and would be disrupted with distancing rules. So we expected both an immediate drop, but also a very quick return to wellbeing normality of social distancing rules were lifted, as they were largely in the summer of 2020, and are starting to be lifted now. In this regard, the evidence is confirmatory: most of the wellbeing effect is temporary and very probably tied to social distancing rules. We saw that in Australia too: strong wellbeing effects during lockdowns, but not much afterwards, so for instance no social scarring. So the first lesson is confirmatory: social relations seem to matter and can be disrupted by anti-social policy. Yet, social relations also come back very quickly when restrictions lift. If we then turn to the bottom right corner, we can look at what happened to anxiety, essentially sky-rocketing up at the start of the Fear in March 2020, returning almost to normality in the summer of 2020, to be ramped up again by all the propaganda and such in the winter again, but nowhere near the heights of March 2020 when the fear wave swept through the whole fo the West, overcoming the many institutional barriers set against its victory. This, we knew already. What we can also deduce however is that wellbeing is not the mirror image of anxiety: life satisfaction dropped much more in the second wave than anxiety went up again. Rather, other factors matter and anxiety in March 2020 did not coincide with a large drop in life-sat. So the idea that wellbeing is driven by fear is clearly not the case: fear a factor, but there have been much bigger factors at work. We knew that already, but it is handy to have that too confirmed in the large movements associated with the pandemic. Then the bottom-left one is about more hedonic measures of wellbeing, namely whether individual felt happy yesterday. This measure also dropped during the lockdowns, but returned more quickly and more fully even before the full lifting of lockdowns. We knew that this measure behaved this way from other data, such as bouts of unemployment, during which individuals over time also see their hedonic wellbeing return quickly, but they remain depressed and thus have low life-satisfaction. This is in step with what we see in the top-right corner, ie the question on whether people feel their life is worthwhile. It drops less strongly than life-satisfaction, but it also moves down with the lockdowns, and more strongly in the second lockdowns. It is thus indeed the meaning part of life-satisfaction that is not picked up by hedonic wellbeing. Hence the basic lesson is that the ONS4 have behaved roughly as predicted. Even the interrelationships have been roughly in the way anticipated. The only slightly aspect one might say that was unexpected is that the wellbeing drop in the first lockdown was not as big as in the second lockdown, whilst the disruptive measures were similarly socially invasive. One can explain this by saying that the first lockdown had a let us all fight this together element that made the social costs less bad, but that was not truly expected beforehand: looking at the enormous compliance with social distancing rules the first time round and what we saw from Australia, one would have predicted a roughly similar wellbeing drop first lockdown to the second lockdown. So a more careful in-depth look at various hypotheses is still called for when it comes to that discrepancy. There might be mental health scarring effects going on (ie, despair and deep loneliness), but it can also be the effect of economic factors like the realisation of inevitable economic ruination among particular groups. | https://clubtroppo.com.au/2021/06/02/what-has-the-pandemic-told-us-about-wellbeing/ |
What is former NFL quarterback Alex Smith's net worth? | Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith had a successful career in the league over the course of sixteen seasons. During his time in the National Football League, Smith signed four lucrative contracts. According to Business Insider, Alex Smith is the tenth-highest paid player in NFL history. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback has a net worth of $55 million. Lets take a closer look at how Alex Smith earned his wealth. NFL career Alex Smith was drafted first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a six-year $49.5 million contract at the start of his rookie season. After his first five seasons in the NFL, Smith signed his second deal with the 49ers in 2011. It was a three-year, $24 million contract. Trade to Kansas City On February 27, 2013, Alex Smith was traded from the 49ers to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2014, the Chiefs gave their new starting quarterback a four-year $68 million deal. Trade to Washington On January 30, 2018, the Chiefs traded their former starting QB to the Washington Football Team. Smith was then signed to a four-year, $94 million contract extension. Leg injury The Washington quarterback suffered a gruesome leg injury on November 18, 2018 against the Houston Texans. Smith had a spiral and compound fracture in his right leg after being sacked. Following the initial surgery, Smith developed life-threatening sepsis, which required him to undergo a further 17 surgeries. At one point doctors had suggested amputation. He was placed on the 'physically unable to perform' list and many thought he would never play football again. Alex Smith returns to football Incredibly, after nearly 24 months of rehab, Smith returned to the NFL in 2020. He played in eight games during 2020 and won the NFLs comeback player of the season award. NFL retirement Alex Smith officially retired from the NFL in April this year. It was reported that several NFL teams were interested in him but the veteran QB decided it was time to hang up his cleats. Endorsements The quarterback earned around $1 million a year from Nike and Advocare sponsorships and appearances. Charity Alex Smith founded his own foundation in 2007. The Alex Smith Guardian Scholars Program helps send foster teens to college. NFL career stats Games - 174 Passing yards - 35,650 Touchdowns - 199 Interceptions - 109 Edited by Prem Deshpande | https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/what-former-nfl-quarterback-alex-smith-s-net-worth |
How many COVID-19 cases are there in the Waterloo region? | This is a rapidly evolving situation. The information in this article was last updated on June 2nd.It will be updated as more data is released. Public health in the Waterloo region.. The June 2 Dashboard report From the Waterloo Regional Public Health Show 307 active cases Virus, in total 15,452 The case has been resolved. there were 32 New positive cases of virus reported in total 16,026 COVID-19 positive cases in the area, 17 Currently in hospital. Some patients currently hospitalized in the area with this virus Ten I entered the intensive care unit. There is 3,270 For variants identified in the Waterloo region 2,863 For the B.1.1.7 variant (UK) 6 Case of B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa), 12 With B.1.617 (first detected in India) 27 P.1 case (first detected in Brazil). There was a total 495,040 A COVID-19 test was performed (updated on Tuesday and Friday). 256 Deaths have been reported in people who tested positive for the virus. The outbreak ended with an outbreak (1 case). The total number of outbreaks in this area is currently 6, The breakdown is as follows. Childcare: 0 Set setting: 0 Hospital: 0 Independent living: 0 LTC / RH: 1 School: 1 University: 0 Workplace: 4 Virus transmission is highest in the region for close contact, 7,344 It has been reported. In the remaining cases 4,855 Acquired by community communication, 3,500 Cases were acquired through an outbreak and 307 A case of COVID-19 infection while traveling. Adults in their twenties have the highest number of cases in the Waterloo region. 4,036.Represented in 30s 2,632 Percentage of people in their 40s 2,159 We have summarized the case studies of the region. 770 Children under 9 years old tested positive 1,581 From 10 to 19 years old. Now loading Now loadingNow loadingNow loadingNow loadingNow loading A little less than 6% of previous cases, 1,007 In total, they are included in healthcare professionals. No individual case age, gender, transmission route, test location, or negative test was reported in this area. New cases are added every day. Visit the Ontario Department of Health website for state totals. ontario.ca/coronavirus, Updated twice daily. A group of scientists, engineers and clinicians have created an online screening tool that provides information about COVID-19. They have created self-reporting tools and heatmaps to identify potential cases, confirmed cases, and hotspots of vulnerable individuals across the country. You can visit to see the map and participate in data collection. flatten.ca.. More data and global sum Johns Hopkins University & Center for Systems Science and Engineering of Medicine map COVID-19 Provides up-to-date information on the global impact of the pandemic. World Health Organization (WHO) is interactive SaIterative dashboard A map showing updated cases around the world. go to ontario.ca/coronavirus To complete the self-assessment. Results may indicate that you need to contact your GP or Telehealth Ontario. 1-866-797-0000 We will arrange a telephone assessment. Continue practicing to keep a social distance. Self-quarantine. Call your GP or Telehealth Ontario. Alternatively, if you have symptoms such as severe dyspnea or severe chest pain, call 119 or go to the emergency department. .. 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 | https://exbulletin.com/world/health/960288/ |
Will COVID-19 cases soar after many Forego masks on Memorial Day weekends? | Or how is the newly discovered perception of normality reflected 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 | https://exbulletin.com/world/health/960292/ |
How Have Other Leading Athletes Addressed Their Struggles With Mental Health? | Weve all heard about the diets and fitness regimens that keep athletes in fighting shape; from Novak Djokovics ascetic eating habits to LeBon Jamess lengthy daily workout routine. Declining to do the traditional post-match press at this years French Open, Naomi Osaka has shone a light on that issue, citing her struggles with mental health as she withdrew from the tournament on Monday. (Lets set aside, for a moment, the debate that she has also fueled around the role and responsibilities of athletes vis--vis the press.) The nonprofit Athletes for Hope has estimated that 35% of athletes experience problems with their mental health, facing everything from eating disorders and burnout to depression and anxietybut theyre not often discussed on the worlds largest stages, especially not by players at the top of their careers. (Osaka is currently ranked second in the world, with a net worth of some $25 million.) Over the last 30 years, its been rather more common for athletes to describe their mood disorders or bouts of mental illness after their retirement, when certain public and professional pressures had eased. The former NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuk is one example: In 2019, he described the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that followed a horrific gametime injury in 1989. Id sit straight up in a chair so I wouldnt go into a deep sleep, he told the CBC of the ensuing months, so I wouldnt visualize in a dream the flashback of that skate coming up and cutting my jugular vein. Long after leaving the NHL in 1996, he still wrestled with anxiety and alcohol abuse, ultimately attempting suicide in 2008. He was only diagnosed with PTSD when he subsequently entered rehab. | https://www.vogue.com/article/how-have-other-leading-athletes-addressed-their-struggles-with-mental-health |
Does coronavirus being airborne change things? | The WHO has admitted that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne. According to its updated public health guidance, the coronavirus can spread in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings. This is because aerosols remain suspended in the air or travel farther than 1 metre". The World Health Organization (WHO) had previously believed that the coronavirus spread through droplets fired by a cough or a sneeze, and could travel up to 2 metres. Since droplets are heavy, and cannot stay airborne for long, the risk of transmission was more from touching infected surfaces. However, experts now believe the virus can spread through aerosols. An aerosol is made up of smaller, respiratory particles that get released when one speaks or breathes. These are lighter and can stay airborne for far longer, and therefore can carry the virus to longer distances, potentially beyond 2 metres. Since the virus can travel more than the previously believed 2 metres (6 feet), this can mean people farther away from someone who is covid-positive can be infected. The usage of masks, therefore, becomes all the more necessary, even indoors. People in close proximity are still more at risk. The risk is also generally higher indoors than outdoors, because ventilation and airflow play a huge role in transmission. A study published in Environment International late last year said minimizing airborne transmission would include particle filtration and air disinfection and avoiding overcrowding. Last month, the government shared a set of guidelines, highlighting the need for proper ventilation and discouraging people from using air conditioners (ACs) while keeping windows and doors shut. It recommended the use of gable fan systema kind of exhaust fanand roof ventilators in offices, auditoriums, shopping malls and other closed spaces. Experts believe being outdoors where there is fresh and moving air has less risk of transmission. This is because the moving air will disperse and dilute the aerosols and the virus they carry. However, outdoors doesnt mean it is free of riskssuch as a crowded bus stop, or stairwell of a building. If one continues to maintain a safe distance and wears the mask, then there are more chances of diluting the concentration of the virus and decreasing the chances of virus transmission. Avoid public places with no intake of outdoor air. Dont take off your mask even if you are alone in the lift. This is because someone who has been infected may have taken the lift right before you and the virus may still be trapped in the air. This applies to travelling in cars, buses or metros as well. Roll down your windows in a cab so that good air circulation is maintained. Blasting the cars ventilation system will not have the same effect. Most air purifiers will also not do the job, unless they have high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filters that are usually used in hospitals. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now! ! | https://www.livemint.com/science/health/does-coronavirus-being-airborne-change-things-11622653761166.html |
Who is TikTok star Sienna Mae and what has she been accused of? | SIENNA Mae Gomez, 17, is a TikTok star and a member of the Hype House collective. Accusations surfaced against Gomez on social media on May 30, 2021. A friend of Gomez'ss ex-boyfriend Jack Wright accused her of sexually assaulting her former partner on Twitter. Mason Rizzo, who has 184,000 TikTok followers, posted a screenshot of a Notes app page with a statement accusing Gomez of sexual misconduct, along with claims that she was verbally abusive. The tweet was later quote-tweeted by Jack's twin brother, James, saying, "this is why 'I couldn't just let it go and stay out of it.'" The statement was shared across gossip pages like @tiktokroom and Def Noodles. Both Rizzo and James deleted their tweets. Rizzo then tweeted a statement that he, the Wright family and Gomez family would be handling the situation off of social media. "I unequivocally deny the allegations that I sexually assaulted Jack Wright," Gomez stated in a video shared with her 15 million followers on TikTok and 2.6 million followers on Instagram. "Friends fight and relationships sometimes change, but allegations of a criminal act are not to be thrown around loosely," the statement read. "Making an untrue sexual assault claim is never okay. I'm beyond saddened by this situation. In order for us to all move forward, I will be taking this offline with Jack. Thank you to all who have reached out with love and concern." A spokesperson for Gomez denied all allegations against her in an email to Business Insider. 2 Sienna Mae Gomez was accused of sexual assault by her ex-boyfriend's close friend, Mason Rizzo Credit: Getty "Clearly there are issues causing him pain right now in his personal life," the statement said, referring to Wright. Wright has yet to make any public statements about the accusations. Gomez went on to deny the allegations twice more in a YouTube video and went into further detail about her relationship with Wright, who is also 17. She claimed she felt as though their relationship was "transactional" and that she "wasn't important to him" when she "wasn't around for the TikTok kiss or the TikTok video." Teen Mom Kailyn Lowry addresses rumors she's MARRIED BOTTOMS UP! According to a YouTube video published by Gomez, the couple dated for nine months. They were fan favorites in the Hype House, often seen filming content together and and kissing and hugging in Instagram posts. Gomez and Wright were both announced as stars of a Netflix series documenting the Hype House alongside other stars like Nikita Dragun and Chase "Lil Huddy" Hudson. | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3003387/tiktok-star-sienna-mae-jack-wright/ |
What time is Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on tonight? | REAL Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays on Bravo. The reality series has been popular since 2010 and forms part of the other five installments of the Real Housewives franchise. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills's season 11 will air its new episode three on Bravo at 8pm ET. The show can be streamed on Hulu, Peacock TV, Sling, and FuboTV with a paid subscription. Those with Bravo can also stream the episodes on the website with a provider login. Season 11 of RHOBH premiered on May 19, 2021. RHOBHs Kyle Richards is back for her 11th season of the show, having been on the show since it first aired. She is joined by fellow fan favorites Erika Girardi and Lisa Rinna. Joining them are show regulars Dorit Kemsley, and Garcelle Beauvais. After being introduced in season 10, Sutton Stracke has now become a full time Housewife. 3 RHOBH has been airing since 2010 Credit: Bravo We also have a brand new Housewife, as Crystal Kung Minkoff joins the cast. Kyle's older sister Kathy Hilton will also have a recurring role on the show. A promo for episode 2 of season 3 saw Crystal admit that she once worked as an escort agency - but not as an escort. MORE ON REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS 'DID SHE KNOW?' RHOBH's Erika Jayne & husband Tom 'subject of scathing new documentary' 'SO IGNORANT!' RHOBHs Lisa Rinna ripped as 'ignorant' for 'promoting alcoholism again 'I'LL DO BETTER' RHOBH's Sutton Stracke apologizes to Crystal Minkoff for 'race comments' CRYSTAL CLEAR What we know about new RHOBH housewife Crystal Kung Minkoff CRYSTAL'S CONFESSION Crystal Kung Minkoff 'worked for an ESCORT agency' She confessed during a game of Two Truths and a Lie and shared with the ladies: "I've been arrested. I worked at an escort agency. I've been propositioned to become a madame." She then revealed the lie was that she had been arrested, explaining: "I worked at an escort agency. However, I wasn't an escort... I was the operator. I was 18-years-old right before college." Crystal went on in a confessional: "I only worked there for a summer, but I grew up pretty quickly that summer." | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3003514/what-time-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-tonight/ |
What movies has Taylor Swift starred in? | TAYLOR Swift has just announced that she will join the all-star cast of David O. Russell's next film. But this is not Swift's first foray onto the big screen. As of this writing, Taylor Swift has seven credits to her name. Her first film credit came in 2010, when she was part of the ensemble cast of the romantic comedy Valentine's Day. She starred alongside such superstars as Hugh Grant and Jessica Alba. In 2012, she was part of the voice cast of the animated film The Lorax. 4 A serious role Credit: Rex 2014's The Giver was Swift's most "serious" role to date. It was a dystopian fiction drama, where Taylor Swift starred opposite Meryl Streep. 2019's Cats was her most high-profile role to date, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Swift starred opposite James Corden and Dame Judi Dench in the film. 4 A box office disaster Credit: Rex Her upcoming role will be in David O. Russell's Canterbury Glass. Few if any details about Canterbury Glass are available. And those details include Taylor Swift's role in the film. But what is confirmed, as of this writing, is that shooting on the film has wrapped, and that it will be a period comedy film. 4 She will next star in Canterbury Glass Credit: Getty Swift will star opposite Christian Bale, John David Washington, Rami Malek, and Zoe Saldana in the film. Michael B. Jordan was originally slated to star in the film, but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Margot Robie, who is also due to star in the film, came on board after Jennifer Lawrence passed on her role. Most read in Celebrity ANG'S ANGER Angelina 'will NEVER forgive' Brad after he wins joint custody of kids BOTTOMS UP! Britney Spears shares cheeky photos of her 'a**' & boasts 'here it is' CAME TOO KHLO-SE Khloe 'threatens to SUE woman who claims she has a baby with Tristan' TV LEGEND Mayberry RFD actress Arlene Golonka dies aged 85 PERRY SAD Matthew Perry, 51, SPLITS from fiance, 29, days after 'worrying' Friends reunion 'ENOUGH' AGT fans slam Howie Mandel for giving choir group Golden Buzzer due to 'sob story' Filming was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Taylor Swift was the last member of the cast to be revealed. No release date for the film has been announced yet. | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3003534/what-movies-has-taylor-swift-starred-in/ |
Why isnt Ryan Giggs managing Wales at Euro 2020 this summer? | WALES will be looking to go on another brilliant run at the Euros this summer but will be doing so WITHOUT Ryan Giggs in the dugout. Giggs has been Wales boss since 2018 and managed to steer them through the Euro qualifiers and into this summer's tournament. 2 Ryan Giggs won't be managing Wales this summer at Euro 2020 Credit: AFP But the Man Utd icon won't be there to manage his players to glory. Giggs was readying his squad for their long-awaited Euros campaign this summer before being arrested in April. Giggs, 47, was charged with coercive control and actual bodily harm in relation to his ex-girlfriend, while he was also charged with assault by beating relating to a second woman. We have authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Ryan Giggs with engaging in behaviour which was controlling or coercive and assault occasioning actual bodily harm," the Crown Prosecution Service announced. Most read in Football Live Blog England 0 Austria 0 Lingard & Trent start for Southgate in first Euro warm-up Live Blog France 0 Wales 0 Bale and James start and Benzema plays first game for Les Bleus since 2015 Live Blog GERMANY VS DENMARK Joachim Low's side host Danes as sides prepare for Euro 2020 QUESTIONABLE COMMENTARY Arizona Diamondbacks analyst Bob Brenly's comments explained STANDING DOWN Famed Duke basketball coach set to retire this season SO LONG LANA CJ Perry aka Lana RELEASED from WWE after eight years As a result, the Welsh FA announced Robert Page would be taking Giggs place as manager for the Euros. Giggs will go on trial for his alleged crimes on January 24, 2021. The former United winger didn't enter a formal plea but says he "looks forward to clearing my name". Wales are in Group A for this summer's European Championships, meaning they will play Switzerland, Turkey and Italy in the group stages. Ahead of their first game against Switzerland, Wales will play two friendlies against France and Albania. 2 Robert Page will take charge of Wales this summer at Euro 2020 Credit: PA Wales Euro 2020 Group A fixtures: | https://www.the-sun.com/sport/2989978/why-ryan-giggs-not-wales-manager-euro-2020/ |
Why is Jesse Lingard starting for England vs Austria when he isnt in the Euro 2020 squad? | GARETH SOUTHGATE has named his England Euro 2020 squad and there isn't any room for Jesse Lingard. But that does not mean this is the end for the West Ham loanee as far as international football this summer is concerned. 2 Jesse Lingard is not in the England Euro 2020 squad, but Gareth Southgate has said he will start against Austria Credit: Getty For a start, Gareth Southgate has stated that Lingard will START in the pre-tournament friendly against Austria at the Riverside. While Jesse Lingard is not in the England Euro 2020 squad, the Three Lions have a number of players out for the game against Austria. Additionally, new Covid rules mean he is not ruled out of the Euros entirely. Uefa regulations state that while the 26-man squads had to be announced by June 21, changes can be made right up to the opening game of Euro 2020. And that means there could yet be a logic in giving Lingard another chance to show what he can do. Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate said: "Jesse's done incredibly well to get back in the race really. "Going back to January, he was a million miles from being selected for an England squad. "I said in March he'd had a fabulous few weeks but you'd have to say he was a little fortunate [to be named in the squad for World Cup qualifying], because we were without about four wide players at the time. "He's had a good spell for West Ham and he's played so well for us with England. "We have total trust in the way he plays. He's reliable, he's a great member of the group. "He will play tomorrow because we've got Sancho ill and we've obviously got a lot of players not available, and for the balance of the team he'll start. "He deserves that opportunity to go and show me that I'm wrong. "But also, the lads that are with us. They're the standby players and we've got to keep them ready in case they come into that squad." Follow ALL of the latest news and updates from Euro 2020 with our live blog 2 Most read in Euro 2020 Live Blog England vs Austria All the build-up with Lingard & Trent expected to start in Middlesbrough Live Blog GERMANY VS DENMARK Joachim Low's side host Danes as sides prepare for Euro 2020 QUESTIONABLE COMMENTARY Arizona Diamondbacks analyst Bob Brenly's comments explained STANDING DOWN Famed Duke basketball coach set to retire this season SO LONG LANA CJ Perry aka Lana RELEASED from WWE after eight years Pictured TK-OAK Legendary MMA referee suffers six broken ribs and punctured lung in 'tree attack' England Euro 2020 squad | https://www.the-sun.com/sport/2997581/jesse-lingard-england-austria-euro-2020-squad/ |
What is Duke mens basketball coach Mike Krzyzewskis salary? | LEGENDARY men's college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will reportedly step down from his post at the end of the 2021-22 season. Krzyzewski, famously known as "Coach K," has coached the Duke University team since 1980. Throughout his college basketball coaching career - Coach K has amassed a $45million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Per Celebrity Net Worth, Krzyzewski has a base salary of $7million. However, with bonuses his annual pay can reach just under $10million. The only other college coach who earns more is John Calipari at Kentucky, who racks in just under $8million. Coach K has served as the head men's basketball coach at Duke University since 1980. He's led the Blue Devils to five NCAA Division I titles, 12 Final Four appearances, 15 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament championship and 12 ACC regular reason titles. Krzyzewski has also coached the United States men's national basketball team, which he has led to three gold medals in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2015, Krzyzewski became the first Division I men's basketball coach to reach 1,000 career wins. Stadium's Jeff Goodman was the first to report Coach K's decision to step down on Twitter. Goodman tweeted, "BREAKING: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire after this coming season, multiple sources told" An official announcement from Krzyzewski is set to follow. Although an official replacement has yet to be announced, Krzyzewski's replacement will reportedly be former Duke player Jon Scheyer. 4 According to reports, former Duke player Jon Scheyer is set to takeover Coach K's role as head coach of the Blue Devils Credit: Getty Most read in Sport Live Blog France 0 Wales 0 Bale and James start and Benzema plays first game for Les Bleus since 2015 Live Blog England 0 Austria 0 Lingard & Trent start for Southgate in first Euro warm-up Live Blog GERMANY VS DENMARK Joachim Low's side host Danes as sides prepare for Euro 2020 QUESTIONABLE COMMENTARY Arizona Diamondbacks analyst Bob Brenly's comments explained STANDING DOWN Famed Duke basketball coach set to retire this season SO LONG LANA CJ Perry aka Lana RELEASED from WWE after eight years Scheyer was a former captain of the Blue Devils team in the 2008-2009 season. He went undrafted in the NBA 2010 season and began coaching professionally four years after. Scheyer was named the associate head coach of the Blue Devils in 2018. | https://www.the-sun.com/sport/3003165/duke-mens-basketball-coach-mike-krzyzewskis-salarly-revealed/ |
Why is Karim Benzema playing for France in Euro 2020 and why was he dropped for the World Cup? | KARIM BENZEMA missed France's World Cup triumph, but he's back for Les Bleus after a surprise recall from boss Didier Deschamps. Didier Deschamps made Benzema ineligible for selection over a blackmail case involving former teammate Mathieu Valbuena and a sex tape. And the former French skipper had overlooked the striker ever since. Benzema said of his omission: "It's a vague story. There was that sex tape affair, it was also because of that. Personally, what goes beyond sport you have to put to one side, you need the best to win trophies." The Real Madrid star also said Deschamps had "bowed to a racist part of France" by refusing to pick him. The blackmail scandal has not yet been resolved, with a court hearing to take place later this year. Yet Didier Deschamps has decided he needs Benzema for the Euros. Deschamps said of his decision: "I'm not going to give you or anyone else any more details about that. "You know the story of our meeting, the most important step: we met and talked. Without that, it would have been impossible. "To talk about forgiveness is a big word. We are not talking about Didier Deschamps as a man, but Didier Deschamps as a coach. "And I am in a position [as coach]. As I said before, I'll say it again, even if it's hard for some people to understand: I'm not interested in my personal situation." | https://www.the-sun.com/sport/premier-league/3003910/karim-benzema-playing-france-euro-2020/ |
Are Harry Hamlin & Lisa Rinna Headed for Divorce? | Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlins marriage is being questioned by fans after an old allegation and some new cheating rumors have surfaced on social media. Rinna and Hamlin have been married since 1997 and they have two daughters, Delilah and Amelia, together. Hamlin was previously married to Laura Johnson from 1985 to 1989 and Nicollette Sheridan from 1991 to 1992. Rinna is currently a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and although Hamlin has been in a few episodes, he seems to prefer to stay out of the reality television spotlight. On June 1, 2021, a blind was posted by the popular Instagram account BravoandCocktails that had fans talking about Hamlin and Rinna and not in a good way. Heres what you need to know: Fans Wrote in & Accused Hamlin of Cheating on Rinna in Canada This week, BravoandCocktails posted the following blind on its Instagram Story. You might not necessarily see it out front, but behind the scenes, the producers know a storm is coming because of those rape charges against the husband of a Housewife and why he is on the air even though they knew, the anonymous tip read. BravoandCocktails asked fans who the House husband in the blind was, and several fans responded that it was Hamlin. The person who runs the account shared some of the responses via Instagram Story. Yes! This is what the whole fight in Amsterdam was about. Also, as a Canadian, everyone knows about Harry [Hamlins] extra marital activities when he comes to Muskoka. Hes here like minimum 3-4 months a year, one person responded. Unfortunately, I can confirm his extra marital activities in Muskoka. Anyone with a cottage up here has seen and heard lots, wrote another. FYI Muskoka is very small. Very elite. Those who are in the know, know. They arent lying, added a third. According to The Mash, Hamlin and Rinna have a cottage on Governors Island on Lake Joseph. Kim Richards Previously Insinuated That There Was Trouble in Rinnas Marriage Kim Richards vs Lisa Rinna: Amsterdam dinner from hellClip from season 5 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 2015-08-26T20:37:38Z Rinna and Hamlin are both actors. However, it wasnt until Rinna first appeared on 2014 that the public really started scrutinizing her personal life she did put it out in the open for all to see, after all. At the time, it was fellow Housewife Kim Richards that seemed to stir the pot, strongly suggesting that things were not good between Rinna and Hamlin. It all went down during a 2015 trip to Amsterdam that was filmed by Bravo. Im concerned about you [and] your situation at home, Richards said to Rinna while at a dinner with the other Housewives. Everyone at the table appeared stunned. Lets talk about your home life, Richards continued, before erupting into an argument with both Eileen Davidson and Kyle Richards. When Yolanda Foster interjects and mentions her husband at the time, she was married to David Foster Kim says sort of under her breath, Lets talk about the husband, and looks in Rinnas direction. Rinna then calls Richards out on it, and Richards responds, wide-eyed, Lets not talk about what you dont want out. Rinna got defensive, pointing at Richards and saying, dont touch my husband, ever. Things escalated from there, with Rinna breaking a glass on the table and becoming irate. From there, it didnt take long for #WhatDidHarryDo to trend on Twitter. Just about everyone was curious about the accusations that Richards had made. Shortly thereafter, Hamlin did an interview with Us Weekly in which he praised Rinna for how she handled the situation and denied any wrongdoing on his part. She and I would equally defend each others honor. I was actually proud of her. I mean, look you are getting your back up against a wall with something like that. But every time I see it, I go, You go girl! ' Hamlin told the outlet. He went on to say, I am [proud] because shes doing a magnificent job. I think shes bringing some class to a show that is kind of a reflection of who we are today. So in some sense it is art in that respect. I think shes doing an extraordinary job. Hamlin went on to address that argument that Richards and Rinna had. out there so maybe someone will tell me at some point, and I hope it was good, he joked. Hamlin Allegedly Had an Affair With Julianne Phillips & There Have Been Some Rumors That He Sexually Assaulted Her There have long been rumors that Hamlin had an affair with actress Julianne Phillips when the two worked together on the film Allie & Me. Many believe that Hamlin had an affair with Bruce Springsteens ex-wife, cheating on Rinna in the late 90s. The rumor is that Harry Hamlin had an affair with actress Julianne Phillips with whom he starred in the sitcom Allie & Me.The story goes that Julianne broke it off. Supposedly, Harry physically assaulted Julianne -rumors range from mere choking & punches to rape). Anne (@Anne12345610) April 24, 2020 Various blogs have posted about the alleged affair, including this one, linking Hamlin to Phillips, though their names werent always mentioned, only deduced. The anonymous tips were sent into various outlets and social media accounts as blinds items that dont mention names. You can read part of a blind below. Based on the information provided, fans think theyve figured out that the blind is about Hamlin and Phillips. On the set was this former A list actor who was trying to make a comeback. It took him awhile to make that comeback and he still is not at the level he was back in the day even though just as many people know his name. Anyway, the two got involved on the set. Unbeknownst to our actress, the actor was involved with someone he eventually would marry. When our actress found out she broke off the on set hookup, but our actor decided he was going to have sex with her one more time. He assaulted our actress and for good measure, his soon to be wife heard about the assault and instead of being supportive, actually threatened our actress because the soon to be wife didnt want anything to derail the comeback of the actor. Our actress has never recovered and never worked again. This rumor has surfaced and resurfaced several times over the past few years. In 2019, Rinna seemed to defend Phillips in a tweet. Julianne Phillips did nothing leave her alone. lisa rinna (@lisarinna) March 30, 2019 There have also been reports that Phillips has denied these rumors, though none of those reports have actually been confirmed. Many believe that the account used to debunk the rumors was actually fake. This Reddit thread about the rumors fleshes things out a bit more. Additional Cheating Rumors About Hamlin Surfaced in 2019 & Again in 2020 In February 2019, Rinna and Hamlin got into a bit of a Twitter feud with Hamlins ex-wife, Nicollette Sheridan. Basically, Sheridan took to social media after Rinna claimed that she left Hamlin for Michael Bolton during a segment on RHOBH. FAKE NEWS! Harry and I ended our marriage nose to nose in CanadaMichael was a long time friend that was invited to our weddingHappy Harry found happiness with housewife [Lisa Rinna], Sheridan tweeted. Hamlin was quick to respond. Re Fake News! I did a lotta stuff with my wife nose to nose but ending our marriage was not one of them! he wrote, before Rinna got involved. Sweetie @IamNicollette Youre the gift that keeps on giving! https://t.co/KmR54Lr1Cl lisa rinna (@lisarinna) February 24, 2019 It was what Sheridan said next that really got people talking. I appreciate that you want to support your housewifes FAKE NEWS narrative, but the end of our marriage had nothing to do with anyone other than us. Sad you still cant own your part, she tweeted. The feud didnt continue past that. However, in 2020, more allegations against Hamlin surfaced online. It seemed to have re-started with a tweet from an unnamed Twitter user, according to the Daily Mail. Or do you want to talk about his affair with Patricia? the tweet read. According to the report, fans seem to think that Patricia refers to Southern Charm star Patricia Altschul. At the time, Rinna made a joke in response, and nothing more seemed to come of it. Yeah and I watched it was hot as hell. Patricia, well, shes kind of downer I didnt like her so much, Rinna commented on social media at the time the rumor was going around. READ NEXT: Lisa Rinna Breaks Silence on Daughter Amelia Grays Relationship With Scott Disick | https://heavy.com/entertainment/real-housewives/harry-hamlin-cheating-rinna/ |
Who should be the Broncos QB1? | The guy they call Seabass was selected by the Raiders in the first round (No. 17 overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Florida State, and while some people questioned selecting a kicker in the first round, he became the leading scorer in Silver and Black history. The 6-1, 260-pound Janikowski was born in Poland, where he was a standout soccer player, and moved to the United States when he was 17. He was a star player on the Seabreeze High soccer team in Daytona Beach, Fla., but the football coach recruited him for his senior year and he kicked four field goals of more than 50 yards. Not only that, the left-footed Janikowski reportedly kicked an 82-yard field goal in practice and was named to USA Todays 1996 High School All-American team. Janikowski accepted a scholarship to Florida State and played for legendary coach Bobby Bowden, who said: Boy, have you ever thought about how many national championships we might have won if we had Janikowski every year of my career? Seabass made 66-of-83 field goal attempts and 126-of-129 extra points for 324 points in three years for the Seminoles, third-best in school history, and probably would have been the all-time leading scorer at Florida State had he not declared he was turning pro after his junior year. Before leaving, Janikowski kicked a 32-yard field goal and five extra points as the Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech, 46-29, in the 2000 Sugar Bowl to win the National Championship for a second straight year. Seabass was selected to the All-American team for the second straight season and also won a second Lou Groza Award as the best kicker in college football. After overcoming a few legal problems, Janikowski had something of a disappointing rookie year for the Raiders, making 22-of-32 field goal attempts, only 68.8 percent, but he did make all 46 of his extra-point tries. He made up for it the next year by making 23-of-28 field-goal tries, 82.1 percent, and all 42 of his extra-point attempts, and he made 50 more in a row before finally missing one in his fourth season, and just kept getting better. On Sept. 12, 2011, in a Monday Night Football Game against the Denver Broncos, Janikowski tied Tom Dempseys record for the longest field goal in NFL history with a 63-yarder, although that mark has since been broken. Seabass played 17 seasons for the Raiders, making 414-of-515 field goal attempts and 557-of-562 extra points while setting the franchise scoring record with 1,799 points, obliterating George Blandas mark of 863. Janikowski missed the 2016 season because of a back injury and signed with the Seattle Seahawks for his final season in 2017. He made 22-of-27 field-goal attempts and 48-of-51 extra-point tries, closing out a career in which he made 80.4 percent of his field-goal tries and 98.5 percent of his extra-point attempts. Janikowski kicked a field goal of 50 yards or more in every one of his 18 seasons except for 2005 when his longest was 49 yards. He is 10th on the NFLs all-time scoring list with 1,913 points. Incredibly, Seabass made the Pro Bowl only in 2011, but he still should be a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2023. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263942398593/who-should-be-the-broncos-qb1 |
Will Apple Ever Give More Than 5GB iCloud Storage For Free? | Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud in June 2011 and, a decade on, the amount of free storage offered has still not increased beyond 5GB. 9to5Mac has published a good history lesson of the service, including speculation on how the paid tiers could change to help both Apple and users. There is an argument to be made that Apples services revenue would actually benefit from giving away slightly more upfront to reel people in and entice customers into paid plans. 5 GB isnt enough to even try out iCloud Photos in any meaningful capacity. If instead the free tier was matching Googles at 15 GB, it would enable Apple users to get a reasonable amount of photos backing up to iCloud, experience some of the benefits of cloud sync, and then be more likely persuaded into committing to a paid plan. To pull this off, youd have to adjust the paid tiers accordingly. Maybe a lineup of 15 GB free, 100 GB for $0.99/month, 300 GB for $2.99/month and 2 TB for $9.99/month could be compelling. An even cheekier approach could be to only increase the storage offered as part of Apple One, making the higher-value subscriptions more attractive for consumers migrating from the free plan. | https://www.macobserver.com/link/apple-5gb-icloud-storage-free/?utm_source=macobserver&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_everything |
Is the White House 'Actively Discussing an Exit Strategy' for Dr. Fauci? | Senator Rand Paul, who has infamous hammered Dr. Anthony Fauci during recent Senate hearings, is calling on Fauci to be fired after thousands of emails were released as the result of a FOIA request. Told you, Senator Paul tweeted with the hashing #firefauci. Cant wait to see the media try to spin the Fauci FOIA emails. Cant wait to see the media try to spin the Fauci FOIA emails. Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 2, 2021 The emails contain a number of bombshells, including Fauci, in his own words, saying that face masks dont protect people from COVID-19. Fauci originally advocated against mask-wearing, before becoming a strong advocate, and eventually recommending double-masking. Another email from a scientist suggests that the virus may have had a man-made component (that researcher eventually walked back that claim). Fauci repeatedly publicly refuted the man-made virus theory for a year before flip-flopping, possibly to protect his own connections to funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Now, according to Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec, White House officials are actively discussing an exit strategy for Dr. Fauci. White House staff are actively discussing an exit strategy for Dr Anthony Fauci following the release of his emails yesterday, per WH official AntifaBook.com (@JackPosobiec) June 2, 2021 If true, this is long overdue. This report has not been confirmed by another source, but, for what its worth, former Trump administration official Peter Navarro said last week he believes Fauci will be gone within 90 days. I want to put this on the record, he told Steve Bannon. Faucis gonna be gone within 90 days. If Fauci is gone soon, I think many of us will celebrate. | https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2021/06/02/report-white-house-actively-discussing-an-exit-strategy-for-dr-fauci-n1451556 |
What Do American Companies Do About Gay Pride Month in Places Like Saudi Arabia? | May is gay pride month in most of the Western world and American companies are falling all over themselves to demonstrate how woke they are. It may as well be Bird Watchers Month for all the attention most Americans are paying to it. But every Democratic voting bloc has to have its own month. Its in the Constitution somewhere. What happens when they run out of months to recognize an important interest group will be amusing to watch. But gay Pride month poses a sticky dilemma for American and Western multi-national corporations. Doing business all over the world, they run into problems with celebrating gays in countries that are kinda dubious about the whole gay thing. In fact, in some countries where gays are jailed, beaten, chemically castrated, or even executed, these woke corporations that plaster their web pages with messages of support for the LGBTQ community, are as silent as mosque mice. Proctor and Gamble is a good example. Spectator USA: ts June and the biggest corporations on the planet want you to know that they are celebrating gay Pride unless you live somewhere like Saudi Arabia in which case they couldnt care less. On their main Twitter page, Procter & Gamble have put a Pride flag in their banner and in their pinned Tweet they proudly proclaim: We strive to be a champion of #LGBTQVisibility year-round, using our voice to drive acceptance, inclusion and a love for humanity. I guess there are no gay people in Saudi Arabia to champion, which must be why P&Gs Saudi Twitter handle has not a single rainbow flag in sight and a pinned tweet simply wishing people a blessed Ramadan. But that is the beauty of corporate wokewashing. It allows companies like YouTube to continue to make billions of dollars from users in progressive western democracies while also respecting cultural sensitivities in places like Saudi where gays can expect to be whipped, chemically castrated and killed. Wokewashing a companys support for gay pride so as not to offend the delicate sensibilities of the cutthroats in Saudi Arabia is a standard operating procedure for all good little woke corporations that never get around to admitting and apologizing for their utter, bald-faced hypocrisy. On their Twitter handle Microsoft tweeted out a #PRIDE gif with a rainbow Windows logo. But on their @microsoftgulf handle, its less windows and more closets. Theres not a single mention of Pride month. Corporations these days really are on the right side of history. Yes, theyre cowards. They threaten to boycott states like North Carolina for denying men and boys access to girls bathrooms while Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other radical fundamentalist Muslim countries execute gays and transgender people. Because wokeness means never having to say youre sorry. Wokewashing allows companies like YouTube to continue to make billions of dollars from users in progressive western democracies while also respecting cultural sensitivities in places like Saudi where gays can expect to be whipped, chemically castrated and killed. Whats even more amazing is that the gay community accepts this as a matter of course. They dont want to rock the boat any more than gays in Saudi Arabia. The difference being, gays only look like hypocrites here, whereas in Saudi Arabia they could lose everything. I suppose we shouldnt be surprised at this double standard. It exists in people with no capacity for introspection or self-examination. It doesnt bother them because they are totally unaware of their cluelessness. Long live the social justice warriors in some countries anyway! | https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2021/06/02/what-do-american-companies-do-about-gay-pride-month-in-places-like-saudi-arabia-n1451554 |
What is echolocation and can it help those who are blind navigate the world around them? | A team at Durham University have been investigating how sound might help people who are blind or partially sighted to navigate their way around. They were looking into something called echolocation - it's known as natures own sonar system. It works when an animal emits a sound that bounces off objects in the environment, returning echoes that provide information about the surrounding space. Whales and bats use it, and earlier work has found that some people who blind may use a form of it - called 'click based echo location' (where people make a clicking sound) to judge spaces and improve their navigation skills. Bats use echolocation to help navigate their way around their environment Credit: ITV The study involved blind and sighted participants between 21 and 79 years of age who trained over the course of 10 weeks. Blind participants also took part in a 3-month follow up survey assessing the effects of the training on their daily life. Both sighted and blind people improved considerably on all measures. In some cases sighted people even performed better than those who were blind. All participants who were blind reported improved mobility, and 83% reported better independence and wellbeing. Overall, the results suggest that the ability to learn click-based echolocation is not strongly limited by age or level of vision. I cannot think of any other work with blind participants that has had such enthusiastic feedback. People who took part in our study reported that the training in click-based echolocation had a positive effect on their mobility, independence and wellbeing, attesting that the improvements we observed in the lab transcended into positive life benefits outside the lab. Dr. Lore Thaler - The Department of Psychology at Durham University At the moment, click-based echolocation is not taught as part of mobility training possibly because some people are reluctant to make the 'clicks' in social environments. However the results form this study at Durham University showed people were confident using it in social situations. | https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2021-06-02/what-is-echolocation-and-can-it-help-those-who-are-blind-navigate-the-world-around-them |
Did Tayshia Adams Just Reveal the Status of Her Relationship With Zac Clark? | Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark havent been photographed together in weeks. The couple, who got engaged on the finale of Tayshias season of The Bachelorette, have stayed off of each others social media for the past several weeks, leading many to believe that they had split. In recent weeks, Zac and Tayshia have both been active on social media. However, the two have not shared any photos or videos together since May 7, 2021. The last time that Zac commented on one of Tayshias photos was back on May 9. The last time that Tayshia commented on one of Zacs post was on May 12. However, Zac has liked several of Tayshias Instagram posts over the past few weeks. On June 2, 2021, Tayshia seemed to debunk the rumors that she and Zac had split in a subtle post that she shared to her Instagram Stories. Heres what you need to know: Tayshia Shared That She Wasnt Allowed to Get a Dog Tayshia has been living her best life in New York City, where Zac lives and works. Although fans were quick to point out that she appeared to be staying in a hotel, all seems well after her latest update. During an outing in Greenwich Village on Wednesday, Tayshia shared a photo of a couple of plants. Was told I couldnt get a puppy, so here we are, she captioned the snap, adding the hashtag plant mom. In the next post, Tayshia filmed herself holding a Frenchie puppy while wearing a mask her engagement ring from Zac was on full display. We have a problem, she said. In the next video she wrote, how could you say no to such a sweet face? adding, Im dying. Although she didnt tag Zac, it seems pretty clear that her posts are directed towards him. Say hi, she squeaked, filming the little dog in her arms. Oh my God, I could not handle this, she added. In a subsequent photo, she posed for a selfie with the pup. ! she captioned the shot, adding the heart eyes emoji. An Instagram User Told NotSkinnyButNotFat That Tayshia & Zac Were at Dinner Together This Week Another good sign came by way of an anonymous tip that was sent in to the Instagram account NotSkinnyButNotFat. The accounts owner, Amanda Hirsch, shared the tip on Wednesday morning. Just saw Zac and Tayshia having dinner outside at [restaurant name] looking happy and laughing, the message read. Hirsch commented, This is great news! (Lots of you were worried! ). Further details about the couples outing werent made available, and there werent any photos snapped of the duo, who are apparently very much still on. For the most part, Tayshia and Zac are fairly private people. Although they are active on social media and they do share a lot of their lives with fans, they have done a pretty good job at keeping their personal lives out of the public eye. In fact, they may be doing too good of a job, since fans are always convinced theyve split! READ NEXT: Heres Why Fans Are Convinced Tayshia Adams & Zac Clark Have Split | https://heavy.com/entertainment/the-bachelor/tayshia-adams-zac-still-together/ |
Why arm stressed students? | We elect folks to go to Helena and deal with the state's most pressing problems. This year, Republican legislators decided that getting more guns on campus was a high priority. When I attended the University of Montana more than 50 years ago, we drank beer and some of us smoked pot. I don't think that has changed a lot since then. Most of the students at UM are teenagers, only a year or two out of high school. It is a time when mental health issues often come to the fore for some and teenage heartbreak for others. I am a vet and a hunter, so I am familiar with guns. I also have a daughter at UM and for the life of me, I don't see how she is any safer if lots more folks on campus are carrying weapons. What I found missing from the gun legislation was the requirement that the governor visit a grieving family that had lost a son or daughter to a stray bullet, and explain to them the vital need to bring more guns onto campuses across the state. Paul Lynn, Missoula Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 | https://mtstandard.com/opinion/letters/why-arm-stressed-students/article_855b3550-9d41-5169-aca0-6217906314db.html |
Who is Oklahoma Sooners' must-get recruit of the 2022 class? | It is that time of year. Over the new few weeks across the college football landscape, many Division I hopefuls will take campus visits across the country. The recruiting frenzy begins. 247Sports publishers and writers compiled a list of must-land recruits in the 2022 class for the top projected college football programs. These players are poised to become cornerstones in the future. For the Oklahoma Sooners, 247Sports selected five-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy as the man to boost the roster in Norman. Oklahoma took a massive step on the defensive side of the ball last year, jumping from 63rd to 26th nationally in yards allowed per play. Part of that is Alex Grinchs schemes. But a big portion of that rise is talent. The Sooners have recruited well defensively and have stockpiled depth. What they havent done is signed a five-star d-lineman. In fact, the program hasnt done so since 2009. Bronwlow-Dindy, an Oklahoma legacy, could be that guy as the Sooners wrestle with Ohio State, Texas A&M, Clemson and Florida. Its Gabe Dindy, not because of a pressing need at d-line but because of the ramifications, OU Insiders Brandon Drumm said. Hes an Oklahoma legacy. Both parents went to OU, and the Sooners have shown signs of life on defense since (defensive coordinator) Alex Grinch arrived in Norman. Landing that five-star d-lineman is the next step in the Grinch evolution. The Lakeland, Florida native is one of the most heavily sought after names in the college football recruiting scene. He has certainly caught the attention of Alex Grinch and the No. 3 defensive tackle in the country would make Oklahomas defense even more lethal. His speed and physicality in the trenches has certainly been a draw for OU, possessing traits that Grinch prioritizes. Oklahoma is the current 247Sports Crystal Ball leader for Brownlow-Dindy. He explodes off the ball with rare first-step quickness and would thrive in Grinchs one-gap scheme up front. At 63, 275 pounds, he anchors his teams defense and consistently wreaks havoc on opposing offenses at Lakeland High School. As an interior lineman in 2019, he notched 29.5 tackles and an impressive 11.5 sacks. Typically defensive ends put up higher sack numbers with their primary role being to rush the passer, but for a defensive tackle to continuously collapse the pocket like Brownlow-Dindy, is special. He would help create a monstrous defensive line in Norman if Oklahoma wins the recruiting battle. | https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/02/oklahoma-sooners-recruiting-2022-class-247-gabriel-dindy/ |
Whats different about grease? | Courtesy: National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) Many myths and misconceptions exist about what grease is, what its used for and how it works. Youre no doubt familiar with oil lubricants like hydraulic oils, turbine oils, gear oils and so forth. They have one thing in common; they are composed of base oil(s) and performance additives. The oil keeps the moving surfaces separated and the additives improve protection from wear, seizure, rust, and many other detrimental factors. Its like an oil lubricant but adds a third component called a thickener. The thickener is a semi-soluble material, which when dispersed uniformly in the oil, provides body and structure to the lubricant. The oil (and additives) do most of the lubricating and the thickener keeps the lubricant in place. That is what grease is all about staying in place. An oil does a great job at lubricating and removing heat, but requires a closed system, which may include a pump, filter, heat exchanger or other equipment. Due to their inherent lubricating abilities, greases lubricate around 90% of all rolling element bearings! The thickener in grease plays a key role. It makes grease have a semi-solid form that allows it to stay in place in an application and resist leakage. For the same reason, grease forms a seal against contaminants such as dust and moisture in the environment. It can stay in place because it resists water spray and centrifugal forces. The thickener is a 3D network of fibers or particles that forms a framework for the oil. The thickener does not dissolve in the oil, and it does not separate from the oil. The thickener is dispersed in the oil. There are 3 main types of thickeners 1) soaps formed by reacting fatty acids with alkali metal salts, 2) non-soaps formed by in-situ chemical reactions in oil, and 3) dispersions of solid particles of clay, silica, pigment, or polymer in oil (See Figure 1). Soap-based greases make up the majority of greases, somewhere around 90%. Soap-based greases include aluminum, aluminum complex, anhydrous and hydrated calcium, calcium complex, lithium, lithium complex, sodium, and titanium. Non-soaps include polyurea, clay, calcium sulfonate and sulfonate complex. Greases are typically composed of somewhere in the range of 80% 90% base oil, 2% 20% thickener and zero 15% additives. The type and amount of thickener are what determines the grease consistency, or stiffness. Grease consistency is measured by a penetrometer which evaluates how far a weighted cone penetrates into a sample of grease in tenths of a millimeter. The most common consistency is an NLGI #2 grade, which means the grease is soft like butter (see Figure 2). A #2 grade greases penetration would be 265 295. Stiffer greases include #3 grade, which is 220 250, and softer greases include #1 grade, which is 310 340. These are the most common consistencies, but the full range runs from #000 (semi-fluid) to #6, which is block grease. Grease consistency is an important property, as it affects how easily it can be pumped and how tenacious the grease is in staying put. Grease specification Many people think that a greases consistency and the thickener type (e.g., #2 grade lithium) define the grease. However, the thickener type and consistency only affect inherent properties like grease mobility, water resistance and temperature range. What they dont define is the lubrication capability. Since the base oil, plus additives, do most of the lubricating, we need to know what the right base oil viscosity should be to meet the bearing or other lubricated part requirements based on speed, load, temperature and environment. We also need to know what environmental challenges the grease will face to determine what type additives may be needed. Therefore, a description such as #2 grade lithium grease does not tell you much about how well a grease will lubricate a given application! A good start when selecting a grease for an application is to consider the new NLGI High-Performance Multiuse (HPM) grease specification and go from there. This grease specification offers a core set of testing standards as well as four performance enhancement tags. For more information, please visit www.nlgi.org or contact NLGI at [email protected] or 816-524-2500. Chuck Coe has been involved with the technical and marketing aspects of lubricating grease for more than 40 years and sits on The National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) board of directors. Over the next year, the NLGI will be contributing content to Plant Engineering about grease, a critical but poorly understood lubricant and protector of assets. | https://www.plantengineering.com/articles/whats-different-about-grease/ |
Will School Closure Backlash Lead To Education Reform? | By Although outgoing LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced on Monday that the district will offer five-day-a-week, in-person instruction to all students this fall, it appears to be something less than a guarantee that the school year will be back to normal. For one thing, negotiations are continuing between the district and UTLA, the union that represents over 30,000 teachers, counselors and others. The teachers union president spoke directly to the elected officials that she assumed were listening in the audience. For all the local leaders tuning in, she began, offering my thoughts on how schools reopen in the fall. Myart-Cruz said elected leaders should go to the parts of the city or community hardest hit by COVID-19 and have a conversation with those families about their needs and wants from the public education system, and then utilize the monies from the American Rescue Plan to make those needs and wants a reality. This, she said, is what it will take to ensure that we can equitably reopen our schools five days a week for all students in the fall. The school board already voted to spend an extra $700 million on schools that meet a formula created by a coalition of community groups; the formula apportions more money to schools in areas where asthma rates are higher and there is more gun violence. Thats separate from what Myart-Cruz is demanding. If meeting the needs and wants of unspecified families as a condition of reopening the schools seems a little vague, fear not, the union has also provided a more specific list of demands. UTLA told the district it wants class sizes reduced and 1,000 more teachers hired. It also wants the district to hire 1,800 new counselors, psychologists and social workers; also 300 special education providers, 300 instructional services employees, and 50 new art, music and drama teachers. The union wants a ban on the transfer of teachers to other campuses in response to changing enrollment, as well as a ban on combining elementary classes and asking teachers to teach two grade levels in the same class. And UTLA also wants more money. The union says the district should offer signing bonuses and salary increases to attract and retain teachers. If the teachers dont get what they want, they may not agree to teach in a classroom where desks are less than 6 feet apart. That would throw reopening plans into chaos because the classrooms wont be large enough to accommodate all the students, leading to a complicated split schedule or even a return to distance learning. Lets be clear, Myart-Cruz told KPCC, there wont be a return to a normal. A global pandemic has shaped our normal and this is a time for actual transformational education. Theres more than one kind of transformation. On Sunday, angry parents took to the streets near downtown L.A. and marched from LAUSD headquarters to the headquarters of the teachers union 2.5 miles away. Openly threatening more recall elections, the parents demanded a seat at the bargaining table, a pledge from school board members that they will not accept campaign donations from unions that have contracts with the district, a full reopening of schools in the fall, and a commitment to follow only the latest guidance from federal health officials, not the demands of teachers unions. Some parents want even more transformation than that. The Pasadena-based California School Choice Foundation is organizing support for a ballot initiative to reform education. One proposal would strengthen charter schools and protect them from attack by union-backed legislation. Another proposal would create Education Savings Accounts and require the state to deposit the per-pupil spending allocation for each student into individual accounts that parents could use to send their child to any accredited school, public or private. If thats on the ballot in November 2022, enough seething-mad parents, grandparents and newly registered 18-year-old voters could turn out to pass it. We may find out that no one wants to go back to normal. Susan Shelley is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. [email protected] Twitter: @Susan_Shelley This article was originally published by the OC Register. | http://www.capoliticalreview.com/top-stories/will-school-closure-backlash-lead-to-education-reform/ |
Is Vince McMahon Gearing Up To Sell WWE? | WWE today confirmed that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Lana, Santana Garrett, and Buddy Murphy have been released from their contracts. Their releases among other recent WWE releases have come as a huge surprise to those in the company. Strowman and Lana had signed long-term contracts with the company last year, and now there is speculation as to why such big names and recent back-office cuts have taken place. Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast reports that some of the releases are people who were looking to get let go and the company is taking a "very different approach" when it comes to releases then in past years. There is a strong theory that WWE is trying to maximize the value of the company by cutting back where they can, in order to prepare the company for a future sale. | https://www.wrestlingnewssource.com/news/68436/Is-Vince-McMahon-Gearing-Up-To-Sell-WWE/ |
What can we learn about EURO 2020 from previous tournament data? | There is nothing in football like tournament football and that is often reflected in both data and performances of Fantasy assets. In domestic or even European competitions, teams and players have more preparation time as well as opportunities to get points on the board than in summer tournaments. Thats why weve taken a quick look back at the previous European Championships to get a feel for what sort of matches we can expect when picking our Fantasy teams. TEAM STATISTICS 2.12 goals per game across 51 matches at Euro 2016, the first rendition of the tournament to, like EURO 2020, feature 24 teams. 4 goal-less draws took place in France five years ago, between Germany and Poland (MD2), Portugal and Austria (MD2), Switzerland and France (MD3) as well as Slovakia and England (MD3). 3 matches featured both teams scoring two or more goals. They were Czech Republics 2-2 draw with Croatia (MD2), Hungarys 3-3 draw with Portugal (MD3) and Frances quarter-final 5-2 win over Iceland. 20 matches before a team scored more than two goals in a match. Spain were the first side to hit three goals agains an opponent at Euro 2016, seeing off Turkey 3-0 in the 21st match of the tournament. Belgium then beat the Republic of Ireland 3-0 in match 22. 7 times a team scored exactly 3 goals in a match. Wales achieved this twice, beating Russia 3-0 in their final group game before knocking Belgium out in the Quarter Finals by three goals to one. As well as the Spain and Belgium victories and the Hungary Portugal draw mentioned above Germany beat Slovakia 3-0 in the Round of 16. 2 matches at Euro 2016 where any team scored more than three goals against their opponent. It took until the round of 16 before Belgium saw Hungary off by a 4-0 scoreline and, as mentioned above, France then hit Iceland for five in the following stage. 27 clean sheets were recorded in the group stages from a total of 36 matches. That meant there were three shut-outs in every four matches at the tournament. 8 clean sheets were recorded in the knockout stages from 15 matches, at just over one shut-out every two matches. Five of these came in the round of 16. One team failed to score in each of the semi-finals and the final. No teams failed to score in the quarter finals. 2 of the 15 knockout matches went to extra time. Both involved Portugal too. Their 1-0 over Croatia in the Round of 16 and their 1-0 victory in the final over France. 0 teams won all of their group matches at Euro 2016. Hosts France, Germany, Poland and Croatia were the only nations to collect at least seven points from their three group-stage matches. 9teams remained unbeaten in their group stage matches including Hungary, Iceland and Portugal, all in Group F. France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Poland and Croatia were the other six 7teams failed to win a match in the group stages, including the eventual tournament winners Portugal who qualified for the knockout phase as the third-placed team with the third-best record just ahead of Northern Ireland, Turkey and Albania. Portugal joined the bottom team in each group on three winless games. 13 goals scored by runners-up France was the most by any nation at the tournament. That worked out at 1.9 goals per match as they went all the way to the final before losing 1-0 to Portugal after extra-time. 9goals conceded by Iceland was the most goals of any team in the tournament although five of them came in their quarter-final exit to hosts France. 6teams failed to keep a clean sheet at Euro 2016: Iceland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. 4 successive clean sheets kept by Germany was the longest run without conceding a goal at the tournament. That included all three of their group stage matches and a round of 16 tie with Slovakia before Italys Leonardo Bonucci netted a quarter-final penalty against them. PLAYER STATISTICS 7 players scored more than two goals each in the whole tournament. Antoine Griezmann was top scorer with six goals. Six other players scored three goals: team-mates Olivier Giroud and Dmitri Payet, fellow finalists Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, Spains Alvaro Morata and Gareth Bale of Wales. Everyone else scored two goals or fewer. 51 players scored exactly one goal at Euro 2016, while 12 of them netted exactly twice in France. No players scored a hat-trick. 14.5 minutes per chance for Cristiano Ronaldo was the most of all forwards who played more than 90 minutes at Euro 2016. The nearest to that mark were Harry Kane (19.4), Antoine Griezmann (20.5), Andr-Pierre Gignac (20.8), Gareth Bale (21.3) and Alvaro Morata (22.5) 12 penalties were awarded at Euro 2016. Romania were the only country to be awarded two and both were scored by Bogdan Stancu (against France and Switzerland). By contrast, 29 were awarded at the 2018 World Cup, the first major international tournament to use VAR. 4 of Euro 2016s 12 penalties awarded were missed. The takers of those missed spot-kicks were Aleksander Dragovic (Austria), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Sergio Ramos (Spain) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). 3 players registered more than two assists in the whole tournament. Aaron Ramsey (Wales) and Eden Hazard (Belgium) were the leaders with four each, Kevin De Bruyne had three. None of that trio made it to the final and two of them didnt make it past the quarter-finals. 6 players registered exactly two assists at Euro 2016 while 61 of them provided only one during the tournament. 5 players registered at least four attacking returns at Euro 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (3 goals, 2 assists), Gareth Bale (3 goals, 1 assist) and the French trio of Antoine Griezmann (6 goals, 2 assists), Olivier Giroud (3 goals, 2 assists) and Dmitri Payet (3 goals, 2 assists). 5 players had exactly three attacking returns at the tournament: Kevin De Bruyne (3 assists) and Radja Nainggolan (2 goals, 1 assist) of Belgium, Croatias Ivan Perisic (2 goals, 1 assist), Jakub Baszczykowski (2 goals, 1 assist) from Poland and Spains Alvaro Morata (3 goals). 4was the most clean sheets registered by any goalkeeper at the tournament and was achieved by both Germanys Manuel Neuer and Rui Patricio of Portugal. Three shot-stoppers achieved three clean sheets: Thibaut Courtois of Belgium, French captain Hugo Lloris and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy. Euro 2020 Fantasy BEST PLAYERS Group A: Turkey | Italy | Wales | Switzerland Group B: Denmark | Finland | Belgium | Russia Group C: Netherlands | Ukraine | Austria | North Macedonia Group D: England | Croatia | Scotland | Czech Republic Group E: Spain | Sweden | Poland | Slovakia Group F: Hungary | Portugal | France | Germany STRATEGY Become a Member and get unrestricted access to our data and articles Full-year memberships are now available for the price of 19.99. Monthly subscriptions also cost just 2.99. A FREE trial is now available. Join now to get the following: Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker. Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model. Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers. Get access to over 150+ exclusive members articles over the season. Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers. Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats. Enjoy our brand NEW Flat-Track Bully feature which introduces an opposition filter to your tables. View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player. Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head. CLICK HERE TO START A MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT | https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2021/06/02/what-can-we-learn-about-euro-2020-from-previous-tournament-data/ |
When is Howl-O-Scream 2021? | The iconic horror-filled event will make its return to Busch Gardens on 28 killer nights between Sept. 10 and Oct. 31. TAMPA, Fla. Get ready to scream, because Tampas premier Halloween event is back and more haunted than ever. Howl-O-Scream will make its return to Busch Gardens on 28 killer nights between Sept. 10 and Oct. 31. The iconic horror-filled event will feature eight scare zones where zombies, deranged clowns and werewolves will stalk their prey as they roam through the darkness. Plus, guests can face five haunted houses, including two all-new original experiences. If you need a break from the haunting, fan-favorite show Fiends! will return to the Festival Field Stage for a "raunchy monster dance party" and The Rolling Bones band will be playing covers of classic rock anthems. Tickets are available now at HowlOScream.com with special discounts for un Card and Annual Pass members. Single-night tickets start at just $29.99. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/entertainment/events/busch-gardens-howl-o-scream-new-haunted-houses-2021/67-d440f4c8-e3b2-4d4b-afa5-a38906e180c4 |
Is 44 storeys just too high for a building in downtown Kitchener? | Theres no official answer to that question, because the city does not set height limits for buildings in downtown. This was not a problem until recently, when the building boom we are witnessing was set off by construction of the light rail transit line. Now we have a 44-storey condo tower proposed at Francis and Charles streets. If approved, it would be the tallest building in Waterloo Region. To get a sense of what that would look like, check out the 39-storey building now under construction at Duke and Frederick streets, which is being built by the same developer, IN8 Developments, and add five more storeys in your mind. That building at Duke and Frederick dwarfs everything around it. Its as if someone took a piece of midtown Manhattan and stuck it in the middle of downtown Kitchener. Yes, we need higher density in the downtown, in order to prevent suburban sprawl from creeping into the countryside and eating up precious farmland. But it has to be properly designed and planned for. Kitchener councillors have a role to play in this decision. The developer needs councils permission to proceed, because the proposed building has a far higher floor space ratio than the city allows. Councillors will be asked to waive the rules. A floor space ratio is not just about a buildings height. Its a measurement of the buildings total floor area in relation to the land it sits on. This is the best way for city planners to understand the impact of issues like stormwater management, or whether there is a decent amount of space between building and sidewalk. Heres how floor space ratio is calculated: If the building is one storey and covers the entire size of the lot, or if its two storeys and covers half the size of the lot, the floor space ratio is 1. If the building is four storeys and covers the entire size of the lot, or if its eight storeys and covers half the size of the lot, the floor space ratio is 4. The citys official plan allows for a floor space ratio of 3. The proposed development has a floor space ratio of 14.7. Debbie Chapman, the Kitchener councillor in whose ward the proposed condo tower sits, said shes not against development, but it has to be done thoughtfully and responsibly. That means making sure some of the new housing is affordable and that theres enough green space for a growing population. Im really concerned about it, she said. She thinks Kitchener doesnt have enough park space to accommodate its growing population. Many of the new condos are tiny, meaning the residents will feel the need to go out. A balcony, or a roof garden on top of the building, wont cut it. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region At 44 storeys, condo would be highest building in region Victoria Park is near this proposed development, but its been brought to my attention over and over again how busy Victoria Park is, she said. The citys 2010 strategic plan for parks says residents should have access to a neighbourhood park or playground within 500 metres of their home, and there should be at least 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) of parkland for every 1,000 residents. I think the city needs to buy land to create more parks, she said. We cant leave it up to developers, Its not going to happen. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... That could include the former Grand River Transit terminal on Charles Street, vacant lots on Margaret Avenue between Queen and Victoria streets, and land at Wellington Street South and Walter Street. Developers who ask for the rules to be waived so that their developments can proceed as planned are often willing to give the city something in return, such as money to buy parkland. Public meeting: The city is hosting a meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. to hear from the public about this development. Its on Zoom and you can receive the link by emailing the citys senior planner, Dayna Edwards, before noon at [email protected] | https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2021/06/02/is-44-storeys-just-too-high-for-a-building-in-downtown-kitchener.html |
Is Summer leaving The Young and the Restless? | Thats the question on fans minds as the characters life is turned upside down on the hit CBS soap opera. There have been quite a few casting shakeups on the daytime drama that have fans worried about Summer (Hunter King). First, Donny Boaz was suddenly fired, and Chance has been MIA ever since. Then Sasha Calle exited the role of Lola after being cast as Supergirl. Get our The Young and the Restless newsletter! One reason fans are concerned for Summers future is the current storyline. Summer is extremely vulnerable right now thanks to Kyle (Michael Mealor) and his baby mama drama involving Tara (Elizabeth Leiner). Ever since Tara and Harrison (Kellen Enriquez) moved into the Abbott mansion, Summer has been struggling. The Young and the Restless spoilers even tease that Summer starts to spiral as DNA tests confirm Kyle is Harrisons father. Plus, Sally (Courtney Hope) has teamed up with Ashland (Richard Burgi) to get Summer out of Genoa City. Summer keeps playing right into Sally and Ashlands hands, too, thanks to her doubts about her future with Kyle. Theres a good chance Summer could fall into their trap and leave town for a while, thinking its best for Kyle. That would, of course, be a storyline reason for Summer to exit Y&R temporarily, but there is another reason Summer may not stick around the CBS soap opera. In February 2020, news broke that Hunter had been cast in a new ABC comedy, Prospect. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the comedy was put on hold. As of now, the pilot for the ABC comedy has yet to be filmed. However, should the network move forward with Prospect, it would likely mean Hunter would have to leave the CBS daytime drama. When Hunter starred on Life in Pieces as Clementine, she could be part of both shows for a couple of reasons. One, both were CBS shows. The second is because Life in Pieces was an ensemble, which means Hunters shooting schedule was lighter. Hunter has been booked as the main character for Prospect, meaning her shooting schedule would be much stricter. The answer is probably not yet, but that doesnt mean the daytime drama isnt planning a shocking bombshell causing the character to exit the show. The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. | https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/soaps/is-summer-leaving-the-young-and-the-restless/ |
Did Kevin McCarthy pay for Frank Luntzs 2020 focus groups for the LA Times? | The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times , MSNBC, CBS and VICE News/HBO have all allowed Republican pollster Frank Luntz to promote himself and his messaging to mainstream and liberal audiences while padding his own pockets. "If I want to pitch a CEO, I will make sure that I do [Megyn Kelly's show] the night before," Luntz said in 2015. "Because CEOs watch her show. The other show they watch is 'CBS This Morning' because they all like Charlie Rose. I actually time my television to correspond with my schedule." In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this past week, Luntz and New York Times opinion page editor Patrick Healy and defended the Times' coverage of a George Floyd-themed Luntz focus group . Luntz praised Healy while offering to host another focus group for the Times and MSNBC. It's unclear whether the Times paid Luntz, although Healy's comments suggest it did not, with Healy saying he had "decided to sit in on a focus group led by Frank Luntz." As Salon reported last week, in the six weeks leading up to the 2020 election, Luntz wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times and then hosted a series of four focus groups that the newspaper live-streamed but evidently did not pay for following the presidential debates and town hall between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris. L.A. Times opinion page editor Sewell Chan tweeted in 2020 that no money came from the paper for the focus groups, but they clearly didn't come without high costs. Luntz, pays participants $100 per focus group and recruited 58 participants for those four events a starting point of $5,800 in out-of-pocket expenses. He also advertised on Facebook for at least two of the events, spending at least $1,600 on those ads. Luntz also had to screen potential participants, prepare for and run the focus groups and staff the events. (his social media director, Hetal Bhatt , is occasionally visible in the frame during several of the live-streamed event.) The timing of payments from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's leadership PAC to Luntz's firm suggests one possible answer. Two days before Luntz's op-ed was published in the L.A. Times, and a week before the first focus group, Luntz's firm, FIL, Inc., received $16,850 from McCarthy's PAC. A few weeks after the final post-debate focus group, McCarthy's PAC made another payment to Luntz for $21,500 and a few weeks after that, McCarthy was living with Luntz in the latter's penthouse condo in Washington. As the Washington Post reported in May, McCarthy's leadership PAC was Luntz's only federal client during the 2020 election cycle. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, which prominently featured Luntz, "Focus groups require travel and hiring moderators, renting facilities and paying people to be in the focus groups. The cost runs about $5,000 to $9,000 per group." Four focus groups at $9,000 a piece comes $36,000, a sum within striking distance of the $38,350 McCarthy's leadership PAC paid Luntz's company around the time of the L.A. Times focus groups. Those four focus groups have also been featured on the Los Angeles Times' YouTube channel, where they have been viewed more than 3 million times in total. The average cost of reaching 100,000 viewers on YouTube is around $2,000, so if Luntz had paid for ads to reach 3 million viewers, that would have cost roughly $60,000. One way to look at this situation is to propose that the L.A. Times gave Luntz the equivalent of $60,000 in free promotion. In the example discussed in the second paragraph above, a New York Times editor reports he simply "sat in" on a Luntz focus group. It would be interesting to know who Luntz's actual client was, or if this was merely a self-promotion tactic that earned him more free media. No clear answer to that question is available at this time. | https://www.rawstory.com/frank-luntz-focus-group-2653210462/ |
What is The French Role in The Rwandan Genocide? | After completing its modernizing phase and transitioning into postcolonialism, colonialism, the primary paradigm under which the French state operates, appears to have generated disastrous effects in terms of human history. France has gone down in history as the cause of the massacre of one million people in Rwanda, where it had installed itself in to protect its socio-economic existence in Central Africa. The long-standing fierce debates between politicians, intellectuals, artists, and many non-governmental organizations inside and outside France appear to have reached a point where they are now having an impact. For the first time, a French president has explicitly acknowledged that genocide took place in Rwanda. Before going into detail about this, it is important to refresh our memories on France's connection with Rwanda and the events that followed. There were three major tribes in Rwanda: the Hutus (the majority), the Tutsis, and the Pygmies. With the advent of Westerners in the region, Rwandans, who were fundamentally united in terms of race and culture, were driven into an irreversible political and social predicament. In 1890, the Germans were the first to establish a colony in Rwanda. In the country, which was given to the Belgians after World War I, an internal conflict was instigated over the meanings intentionally attached to tribal culture, although the people were of the same nation. To that end, the minority Tutsis were supported. Despite being a minority, the Tutsis were put in charge of the country by instilling in them the belief that they were more distinguished, resourceful, physically stronger, and more beautiful. The majority Hutus, on the other hand, were treated as second-class people. As a result, major socio-cultural and socio-political divides developed between the two tribes. This process continued until after World War II. The Belgians, who had previously been the dominating force in the region, abruptly changed their minds and began to back the Hutus instead, provoking them against the dominant Tutsis. Following that, in a conflict-torn atmosphere, the country's independence was acknowledged, and elections were held in 1962 under the auspices of the United Nations. The Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (Parmehutu) was elected to power with a majority in the elections. With the authority that came from winning elections, attacks were begun against the Tutsis, who used to be stronger socio-politically. As a result, 160,000 Tutsis were slaughtered. Almost no living space was left for the Tutsis, who made up 9% of the population. The Belgians, it should be noted, who were busy exploiting the country while all of this was taking place, did not interfere in the conflicts and remained bystanders. It should also be noted that there has been a power struggle among the Hutus as well. In fact, Juvnal Habyarimana, a Hutu, seized power through a coup in 1973. However, the situation of the Tutsis did not change. As a result, many of the Tutsis took refuge in neighboring countries, particularly Uganda, and continued their struggle from there. At that point, armed and bloody clashes had broken out between the two tribes, and life in Rwanda had come to a standstill. It should also be noted that Britain had a presence in Uganda. Although, when the developments on the ground are considered, it seemed as if the Belgian-backed Hutus and the British-backed Tutsis had been fighting, there was, in reality, no such tension between the two countries in Rwanda; on the contrary, Belgium and Britains attitude was such that they appeared to have been acting in collusion. The shooting down of the plane carrying Hutu President Juvnal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, started a chain of events that turned the slaughter into a genocide. According to the information available, between 800,000 and one million Tutsis were killed in the months that followed the downing of the plane. So much so that killing in the most torturous and heinous way possible became a prized Hutu attitude. Even non-governmental organizations, churches, and relief organizations in Rwanda have been accused of being implicated in the atrocities. Let us now discuss France's role in the Rwandan genocide. As a result of a mindset that regards Africa as its own, France supported the current Rwandan administration by collaborating with it in the military field in 1975. Their bilateral relations further developed and reached a serious level in the 1990s, when France replaced Belgium. The Rwandan army was armed with French weaponry. And with these weapons, the Tutsis were subjected to an all-out genocide. It should be noted that some people in France have reacted to the Hutus massacres against the Tutsis. Jean Varret, who was a soldier at the time, openly discussed the incidents during a televised interview in March 2019. [1] The retired general said that the military support given to the Hutus was not right and innocent people were brutally murdered with these weapons, adding that he warned the French General Staff, which would not lend him an ear. In addition, it is quite significant, as well as interesting, that certain high-level military officials allegedly made attempts to remove him from his post. As a result, on the orders of the socialist president of the time, Franois Mitterrand, France supposedly tried to interfere in the massacres with the military operation Turquoise. However, this move by France enraged the Hutus even more, despite the fact that it did not stop the atrocities. In fact, serious allegations have been made that the perpetrators were protected by French authorities, prompting the filing of lawsuits as a result. There are also serious confessions on the attitude taken by France. For instance, Bernard Kouchner, who was Frances minister of health at the time, states that he called President Mitterrand and reported the current situation, but that Mitterrand hung up, saying, You are exaggerating the situation. Why France remained silent about the genocide in Rwanda still needs an explanation. In the final analysis, based on the available information, the Hutus are a Francophone people and are often considered to be also Francophiles. One might argue that France was seeking to consolidate its influence in the region. On the other hand, the Tutsis were backed by the British. When we focus on these two points, we can deduce that a million people were massacred as a result of the ancient French-British rivalry taking place in an innocent country like Rwanda, trampling all human values. As we can see, postcolonialism continues to be a source of oppression and calamities in Africa. If we want to know if what happened in Rwanda was a genocide or not, we need to look up the definition in international law. The term genocide is a combination of the words genos (race in Greek) and cide (to kill in Latin). A term coined by the Polish historian Raphael Lemkin in 1933, genocide means the biological and cultural destruction of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups. This concept, which was brought to the attention of the world with the war crimes committed by the Nazis in World War II, was adopted as described above in the United Nations General Assembly meeting held on Dec. 9, 1948, and the provisions to be applied to countries in this regard were unanimously accepted. [2] Rwandan Genocide back on agenda In recent years, it has been often asserted that France was complicit in the genocide against the Tutsis. As a result, people began to argue that France should apologize for its colonial history. For the first time, President Macron had a commission set up, chaired by historian Vincent Duclert, to investigate this issue in depth. The purpose was to establish Frances position during the Rwandan genocide. The report was eventually released, and while it was considered a positive development by some, it was received with negative feedback from pro-colonialist politicians. Despite not actively committing genocide, France was identified as an accomplice in the report because of its backing for the Hutus and its military presence in the region while genocide was taking place. Finally, President Macron initiated a new debate, declaring that he was supportive of the idea of apologizing and facing the countrys colonial past. However, it is essential to explain why he has chosen to follow this strategy at this time. According to our analysis, socio-economically, France has been experiencing a serious loss of ground in Africa since the 2000s. The current economic indicators also confirm this. Africans also want a cultural environment in which their bilateral connections may flourish on an equal footing, and they are working to eradicate the remains of colonial culture. While there is uncertainty about the extent of the ongoing exploitations against their will, they are ultimately looking to utilize their countries resources for their own interest. Naturally, this would have a negative impact on Frances regional influence. France appears to be attempting to mend fences with Africans in its most recent move by brushing aside past issues such as genocide, tragedy, and exploitation, as well as paying compensations. Rwanda is apparently the first serious step in that direction. Even if France apologized to the Tutsis, the Hutus' rule would remain unchanged, and those who massacred a million people would, in a way, be acquitted with this apology. In fact, there is uncertainty surrounding what kind of sanctions would be imposed on the killers or how much compensation would be paid to the victims. As a result, the Hutu administration would enter into a new alliance and cooperate with France, which would have acquitted them, and would take its position in the modern world. Thus, France would express its "appreciation" by issuing an apology (along with some potential compensation), while also containing burgeoning anti-French sentiment throughout Africa as "the new patron of the Hutus." Finally, Mr. Macron came to Rwandas capital Kigali on May 27 to apologize for the genocide. However, the language he used was far from carrying any guilt; they were merely meant to admit that France was neglectful during the massacres. As a result, France was only able to apologize because it failed to prevent the events and denied the accusations that it participated in the genocide. [3] Naturally, France will not face any convictions; on the contrary, by taking this action, France will be able to establish a reputation around the globe as a country that has shown the fortitude to confront its past. In fact, Mr. Macrons frequent emphasis on turning over a new leaf in his speech supports the points made above. Translated from Turkish by Can Atalay * Opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency. [1] https://www.franceinter.fr/monde/genocide-au-rwanda-la-faute-de-la-fran. [2] Verda Neslihan Akn, Milletleraras Mahkeme tihatlarnda Jenosid, stanbul niversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstits Kamu Hukuku Anabilim dal, Yksek Lisans Tezi, stanbul, 2003. [3] https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2021/05/27/a-kigali-emmanuel-mac Yasar Demir received his Ph.D. in 2010 from Strasbourg University with his dissertation on the becoming of Hatay a Turkey province and Frances Levant Policy. He is the author of two books; Fransann Yakndou Politikas (Frances Levant Policy) and Suriye ve Hatay (Syria and Hatay) | https://www.albawaba.com/opinion/what-french-role-rwandan-genocide-1431120 |
Do que o So Paulo precisa para se classificar na Copa do Brasil? | Tricolor perdeu para o 4 de Julho-PI por 3 a 2 no primeiro jogo e precisa rever o cenrio no Morumbi para seguir vivo no mata-mata nacional No primeiro duelo da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, nesta tera-feira, 1 de junho, o So Paulo perdeu para o 4 de Julho-PI por 3 a 2. Com um time completamente reserva, sem nenhum atleta considerado titular, o Tricolor viajou Teresina e saiu do Estdio Alberto com o revs. Aps o gol contra de Orejuela no incio da partida, o So Paulo at conseguiu virar o placar com dois gols de der. Ainda no fim do primeiro tempo, o 4 de Julho-PI empatou com Gilmar Bahia e no segundo tempo, o time piauiense conseguiu o terceiro gol com Rmulo, dando nmeros finais ao jogo. Clique aqui e teste o DAZN grtis por um ms! Desta forma, o time de Hernn Crespo necessita da vitria na prxima semana, no dia 8 de junho, para seguir vivo na competio. No entanto, no todo triunfo que basta para o Tricolor se classificar s oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Foto: Rubens Chiri/saopaulofc.net No Morumbi, o So Paulo precisar vencer o 4 de Julho-PI por pelo menos dois gols de diferenas nos 90 minutos para seguir na Copa do Brasil. Ou seja, vencendo por 2 a 0, 3 a 1 ou placares maiores, os so paulinos conseguem a vaga na prxima fase. Mais artigos abaixo Qualquer vitria do Tricolor por apenas um gol de diferena levar a deciso do confronto para os pnaltis. Isso acontece por que a Copa do Brasil no considera o gol qualificado fora de casa. Ou seja, caso o So Paulo vena o segundo jogo por 1 a 0, o agregado do confronto ficar empatado por 3 a 3 e assim, teremos pnaltis para decidir quem avana. Se o jogo do prximo dia 8 terminar em empate ou se o 4 de Julho-PI vencer novamente o So Paulo, a equipe de Piripiri faz histria e se classifica s oitavas de final do principal torneio mata-mata do pas. | https://www.goal.com/br/not%C3%ADcias/sao-paulo-precisa-para-classificar-copa-do-brasil/1jyi358ps2pfa12fan6yubt7ik |
Could Kentucky get its own $1 million vaccine lottery? | Gov. Beshear hopes to announce something this week Share Shares Copy Link Copy Hide Transcript Show Transcript everybody. Hey Virginia, It is four p.m. time this week and then just one more time on june 11th that will come together for a regular covid update. And remember that we're gonna get through this, we get through this together. What I love about today's press conference is when we start with good news, there is a lot of it, there's a lot of it because our economy is set for liftoff and every day we are seeing more and more positive signs now. First positive sign we got was a recap of last year from one of the top Economic Development magazine site selection Which ranked us # one in our region and economic development. Number one of states under five million people. # three per capita in the entire United States. And then even when you take off the per capita and we compete directly with the texas, California florida's new york's you pick, We were 7th overall. Then came the rating agencies which in the last 20 years have given us bad news but in the last two weeks, very good news, bitches has been talking about how our economy is rebounding faster than most other states. And moody's has said that we are recovering with gusto. Then there was april best month for sales tax ever, meaning more people are out and spending and consumer spending drives the american economy. Then Monday of last week, Amazon announced that it was going forward and hiring 2000 additional workers. Then last thursday, which I'm gonna talk about in detail, We announced 500 505 new jobs and over $273 million dollars of new investment in one day. These new location and expansion projects are providing well paying jobs for Kentucky ins and positioning these companies for even more growth and success in the years ahead. So I'm gonna talk about just what we announced one day last week on thursday first, Firestone industrial products move forward with plans for a 68,000 square foot expansion of its Williamsburg facility. This is a more than $50 million 250 good jobs for the residents of Whitley County and the surrounding region. It also sets the company up to better serve the rapidly growing electric vehicle market, which we want to be a part of here in Kentucky with its automotive air springs for a range of automotive customers, Firestone is operated in Williamsburg for 30 years And it's produced four million parts annually and currently employs over 500 people. That's just one great announcement. The second is Villa North America, which is a company we talked about back in february when its leaders selected Jefferson County as the location of its new headquarters operations. Already, the company is growing even since then, its presence in Kentucky. With last week's announcement of a new copper recycling facility in Shelby County Belen will create 75 jobs upon completion of the $100 million North America. The project also positions villain for potential future expansions at that site, and I look forward to watching the company grow in the commonwealth for years to come. Third Kruger packaging announced plans for a major investment in Hardin County, a project that will bring at least 150 jobs for the residents of central Kentucky. This Canada based company selected the Commonwealth for its first corrugated box manufacturing plant in the United States. A 400,000 square foot facility to be located at the T. J. Patterson Industrial Park. This $114.2 million Strong Base of Canadian owned companies which includes 38 facilities statewide. It also provides a boost to our state's growing agri tech sector. As many of the boxes manufactured at the new operation will supply the food and beverage industry. Kruger will be a great addition to the commonwealth as we strive to create a brighter future in Kentucky. Very excited about Kruger. Just like all of the others. The quality of the company did a lot of those calls personally on this one. Very excited uh and and can't wait to see what they're going to add to that community. And remember this is this Canadian companies first U. S. Facility and their locating it in Kentucky. That's a story we want to tell over and over and over. Finally we announced a startup distillery that is breathing new life into a long idled facility in Fulton County. Jackson purchased Distillery is investing $8.76 million 30 well paying jobs while upgrading a never opened distillery in Hickman. Company leaders also anticipate expanding the property for warehouse construction. With the project expected to be completed by april of next year. I know many in West Kentucky will be pleased to finally see this facility and operation and Jackson purchase is sure to be a great fit for the Hickman community Together, these projects reflect our vision for Kentucky's future, which is quality jobs and folks when we say buckle up, this all happened in one day, really exciting things in the future. one of those drivers is going to be um, our success at the very end of the last general assembly At the end of the 2021 regular session was proud to reach a bipartisan agreement with lawmakers to allocate nearly $700 million rescue plan act. To boost our state's economy by building new schools, delivering clean drinking water and expanding access to broadband to help Kentucky lead in the post covid economy. Recent announcements and economic indicators show our economy has bounced back and it's ready for liftoff and this is a big win for legislators, the executive branch for all of Kentucky, a big win for team Kentucky. So I'm excited today to announce the first of these three grant programs. The cleaner water program is launching a call for projects today. Water resource coordinators representing 15 area development districts and area water management councils. They submit project profiles through the Water Resource Information System portal to indicate interest in funding from the $250 million allocated from the program. This is part of our $1.3 billion dollars building a better Kentucky plan, Which is going to help create 14,500 jobs, expand that broadband infrastructure in the future, deliver clean drinking water and build new schools. Uh It breaks down in a couple of different ways, but you can find out more about this entire plant at governor dot ky dot gov slash better. Ky which just launched right now, Governor dot ky dot gov slash better Ky eligible government agencies. Those are city on water or sewer utilities. Uh Water commissions, water and sewer districts and counties may collaborate with others in the submission of the project. The $250 million dollars will be allocated in three buckets. These are the buckets ultimately agreed to by myself and the General Assembly again, who I thought were good partners um in in analyzing and developing this plan, uh which is a big credit to their work. First bucket. 100 and $50 million will be allocated to projects within a county. Uh And those are based on populations with a specific amount available for each county. They can sure every single Kentucky and benefits every county benefits and the residents inside $50 million dollars will go to unserved drinking water customers in rural areas and or cities under federal consent decrees to address storm water and sanitary sewer system concerns. Those include Lexington, Louisville, northern Kentucky sanitation district number one in Winchester, 24.9 million dollars will supplement project grants when the project costs exceeds the county's allocation And 25 million will cover bids that come in higher than estimated costs. The application process will be ongoing throughout 2021 until all the funding is committed. The Kentucky Infrastructure Authority will begin reviewing projects this summer and make awards continuously throughout the year. This is an amazing opportunity, one that will create good jobs, one that will ultimately hasten economic development because what we see in water projects is that they create permanent jobs dealing with the system, they create the uh construction or the implementation jobs, but every million dollars spent in a water project also creates permanent jobs that are out there. And so it's it's very exciting. There's a chance for us to upgrade our systems without raising those costs for our Kentucky residents real chance to be transformative and uh excited to work with the General Assembly to see what's to come and how much more we can do. All right and further very in a further, very clear sign that our economy again is taken off is ready for lift off. Today. We can announce that Kentucky has exceeded $1 billion January of 2020. This is so important. Our transportation system with thousands of bridges and thousands of miles of roadways connects our communities, carries the lifeblood of our commerce and supports thousands upon thousands of jobs. Even in the face of a global health pandemic, we simply could not allow a lapse in the construction, maintenance and continuance. Continual improvements of our critical vital system that is transportation. To give you some context for this impressive billion dollar mark. During normal times, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet awards about 800 to $850 million in contracts in a calendar year like everything else covid upended the normal order of things. In 2020 we saw contract awards dropped to about $632 million as economic activity was impacted across the board. At the same time, Kyi TC has allocated more than $125 million Commonwealth. The project that put KY TC over the billion dollar mark is a great example of how this work to help Kentucky is where they live and our commitment to making sure all our people are included in our economic resurgence. Last monday Rocky Atkinson, I traveled to eastern Kentucky Where I announced a $34.1 million Connector Highway or Ky 680. There's a project that got started all the way back in 1994 and now we're getting it done. This will improve safety and it will cut down the drive from Pikeville to hazard by up to 45 minutes. It will further boost economic activity, investment in the Floyd in Floyd County and the surrounding region. The project will create jobs and all of these create safer roads because we put our kids in our cars to travel them. We've been seeing this economic moment. I'm just build and build and build here in Kentucky in the last several weeks. This is just another clear example that, well, we're open and we're going places All right, this next one is pretty special and we've been waiting a while for it. On March 13th 2020. I had to make a tough call. I'd recommend the temporary closure of all senior centers throughout Kentucky. The decision was made to help protect Kentucky's older population, which As you know, was ravaged by COVID-19. During the 15 months. The 195 senior centers were closed Kentucky and stepped up, stepped up to make sure that our seniors still got services. We saw a 200% increase in meal deliveries across the commonwealth, resulting in four four million meals served to our seniors during the pandemic. Senior centers worked with new community partners and local restaurants to eliminate a wait list for meals. In other words, even though they were close to the seniors coming in, they never stopped doing their jobs. and despite the obstacles presented by COVID-19, as well as wow, Weather disaster after weather disaster, Kentucky has pulled together to ensure any senior age 60 year older who wanted a meal would receive one. That is the true spirit of team Kentucky and it's one of the things that make us special, make us special people. When times are toughest, we are at our very best. Our goodness comes out. Thanks to safe and effective vaccines. I'm excited to share that effective June 11 Kentucky Senior centers reopened and that will be among the many venues able to operate at full capacity. That day. The department for aging and independent living oversaw a senior center reopening workgroup to address concerns and ideas ahead of this june 11th day reopening, adhere to current CDC recommendations which fall closely in line with long term care and adult day health care guidance. Anyone who enters the senior center is required to follow county level Mass guidance. As I mentioned, time and time again, one life lost to this virus is too many. So please be considerate and let's continue to look after our neighbors. If your age 60 year older and in need of a meal or any other community based services, please call the aging and disability resource center at 877 9: 50037. It's a hard thing to do, but it was the right thing to do. And now on June 11 our senior centers are gonna be open again at full capacity. Like we said, the reason that we can do that our vaccines, these things are miracles. They have effectively into death and hospitalization for the most vulnerable. They are saving lives every single day and we gotta make sure more people get them. So today's update, we now have 2058029 uh, Kentucky in vaccinated or persons vaccinated here in Kentucky. If we can put up table one, This is actually a couple of days because we didn't do reporting over the last I think too. It's a difference of 19,143 since the last one. What we have seen is our our our vaccines have gone up from At the low point about 5000 or a little below a day. We've been hitting 10 on many days and we hope that we'll do that. Uh moving forward and later this week we may have an announcement. I hope on Thursday um about some incentives that will help us go even further. I want to congratulate a couple counties that are just getting after it and because of that they are better protecting their people. Woodford County now 61% of their population now vaccinated, franklin County right behind him. Uh, 60%. Fayette County 57 Boone 52. Scott. Good luck. Everybody. Keep it up. And for everybody that's not on that list. Let's get competitive. This is how safe your county is. We want everybody to get up to that Mark. Couple of other pieces we think the, so the, the federal government, Um, has their information updated a little bit faster than they update. Tiberius was gives it to us on their information. Right now. We have 58% of all adults in Kentucky That are vaccinated. We have 57%. And what we see Over, 80%, we believe that's higher in the federal system for Kentucky is over 65. So over 84% in what the federal government is tracking were over 60% with 50 to 64 year olds. We haven't crested 50 we haven't crested 50% with any other age groups. So let's continue, uh, to promote, especially for our younger Kentucky and I'm under 50 I'll take that. Um, getting everybody vaccinated. Also pretty proud of our 12 to 15 year olds, almost 30,000 of them vaccinated. Since, uh, we, we were able to start that and we like that pace given that it's only been a short period of time without a lot of organized efforts. We got at least one clinic in, in many schools before the school year ended, But that's another place where we can do whole lot more when we look at demographics, we look at age. Um, So we're now about 30% of all of our vaccines have gone to individual 65 and up About 29% to 50 to 64 year olds. 14% of all of them to 40 to 49 year olds, 12.4%,, 30 to 39 year olds, 12.1% 18-29 year olds. And it's about 3% 12-17 year olds. So again, That's an area that it hadn't been eligible other than 16 and 17 year olds with Pfizer. And so we have a lot of ground we can make up Um gender. We saw this narrow a bit, but it seems to have stopped really at about 55% women, 45% men. That's percent of the total um uh, vaccinations. When we look at percent of the total population, women also higher than men. Uh, then when we look at Race, you have about 2% Asian Kentucky in black or African, American Kentucky is now up to 6.1%. Again, it's been inching up by about a 10th of a point. Um uh 10th of a percentage each week. We would like to see that improved more. I would point out that we still have a large other 8.7% that may skew some of these. Um one way or or another Hispanic. of our vaccination efforts. Non hispanic. The other portion obviously we want to do better. We want to do better for everyone. Uh now uh we are continuing to work on on access but more vaccine out there than ever before. So speaking of that, let's talk about vaccination openings. Still a whole lot across the commonwealth. We want to give you a couple of examples. Pikeville Medical Center still vaccinating. If we can put up the vaccination openings. Okay, for this region, the Pikeville Medical Center can get you in and get you out fast baptist health and Corbyn. Uh, this is an area that is on the lower end of the vaccination percentages. So there's a lot there ready to be given out. Bowling green, caldwell County and Carroll county here already to provide vaccines. So since the beginning of this pandemic, we have been committed to counting every single loss of life that Covid has contributed to. I committed that there would be no unknown soldiers. We've held memorials remembrances as we have seen more and more and more debt. And as time has gone on better reporting systems, we have learned of additional folks that have passed away from Covid. As you know, we launched an audit and that our audit started um looking at november through the end of february where we knew there were significant loss of life due to death certificates that we needed to go back uh run a process to ensure they were covid deaths and then make sure those individuals were included. But what we've also seen Is every day, five or 10 um deaths that were before that period coming up from our local health departments. And given that we were still seeing those, we wanted to extend our commitment because every Kentucky and lost to covid needs to be recognized. That's a family that is grieving. And so we extended our audit back to the very beginning of this pandemic. In fact going back a little bit earlier just to make sure we captured everything. Looking at every death certificate, every single case that may have been questionable that that's been sent up to us. And today I can tell you that we have completed this audit, not just for that period going forward november, that we've been reporting on a little bit here and a little bit there every day with some, but going all the way back and what that means is today, um we're going to add a number of deaths to make sure that we are fully accurate. I believe after today, we will have conducted the most comprehensive audit of deaths in the commonwealth during this pandemic. The most comprehensive audit of anywhere in the United States. What I also think it means is that we won't see deaths coming in for many deaths coming in that are 346 months old. In fact, Um, once we completed this audit to report today later, I'm only gonna report one new death one today. I don't remember the last time, that was the case, but today to make sure we are being fully accurate and to close out our audit, We're reporting 260 audit deaths. I'm gonna tell you a little bit about these. They range from 20 March 2020 first one of these that was not included in previous reporting two October 26 Of 2020. That's 220 days. So it's going back in the midst of this pandemic and finding about 1.8 Kentucky. And in each of those days that we lost it hadn't been included, hadn't been recognized. They break down As 96 in Jefferson County 20 and kenton 18 and Boone eight in Franklin seven. Campbell seven and harden six and knocks six in Shelby six and Warren five and Mercer and every other county has less than five. Even with this edition, our mortality rate does not change, its about 1.5% compared to a much higher national average of 1.8%. Does't change our performance in relation to other states. But what it does is it make sure that we're putting the recognition of, of those that we've lost ahead of any of those other considerations and making sure the full magnitude and grief we've been through is fully accurate and recognized and we're going to come out of this and we're gonna be able to be proud at least comparatively of how we've done. But we've got to make sure when someone has lost someone that we recognize that pain and that loss, It's about a 3.7% uh increase in um in our in our deaths. But again, we expect every other state to be doing this moving forward. Ours is just accurate and comprehensive a lot earlier. Alright, When we look at covid trends, let's look at our stair stepper chart, we once again um have fewer cases in the last week. These are four straight weeks of declining cases. Um I think we're now convinced that um we are on a downward trend. Even if it is a small downward trend. That's a good thing because when we had plateau where we were going up a little and down a little, the concern is we could take off again and there was a point in time where people thought that that could happen. Uh even better news. 4th straight week of declining COVID-19 test positivity. Uh and as we sit here today, we only have one of our hospital regions uh in the red and it is a different region meaning region 10 which for the longest time um have been the one in red is now back in in the blue. And what we have is I. c. U. beds in Pike County, just barely over that 80% mark. All right. Today's covid report 137 New cases are positivity rate at 2.5%. And because we did that audit one new death first time that I when we look at new deaths that we would have them this low. It's a man from Breckenridge County 70 years old. Again. We think that as we move forward, what we're going to see are fewer and fewer deaths, both because of the vaccines as a driving cause, but also because of the commitment in this audit and its completion. We think we are in store for much better reports for all of our families on the fatality side. All right with that. Unless I missed something, nope. Um, we've got several journalists on the line. We'll start with josh James from W. U. K. Y. Hi governor. Um, I know you probably haven't had time to look at the bills being pre filed today, but I wanted to get your first impression of one. And um I am looking at bill request 60 submitted by Representative Joe Fisher or dealing with the teaching of race and gender related issues in schools. Apparently targeting what's often called critical race theory. Well, I I think once you start legislating what can and can't be taught in schools, um if especially in the framework of politics, it gets really dangerous. You know, our schools should be providing the best education for our Children. They should be able to have open and real dialogue and and this idea that we would try to take um something like this or or or or almost anything and and because of politics or things going on around the country legislate what exactly will be taught in schools as is more than a little concerning to me, Sarah lad from The Courier Journal. Yes, thank you. Thank you. I believe that it is good news that federal prosecutors stepped up and and um indicted this individual. I had grave concerns that our last governor without doing the homework and um in direct contradiction to such significant evidence and and to a jury that sat there and heard it all pardon someone who the evidence strongly suggests committed murder. Um so I want to be applied the federal prosecutors and to the extent that there are other pardons out there that were as bad as this one and that there are federal charges that are available. Keep it up. Karen Boyer from W. E. K. U. Hi Governor. Um The troubadour concert series being held in Georgetown is offering free tickets to people who meet a couple qualifications and one of those is showing proof of vaccination and the series advertises there will be no masks, no social distancing. And if people aren't vaccinated, they can get their first or second shot while they're there. So what should have been used for businesses offering Vaccine incentives be doing to make sure people understand that after getting the first or second shot, vaccines take 14 days to be effective. Well, what we should be doing is educating everyone. Now, if you have a concert where um the large and vast majority of everybody is already fully vaccinated and and showed um uh their proof, then then you have a much lower risk for those that are coming and getting their first shot. And sometimes you got to look at the opportunity to get more people vaccinated, weighing it against the risk and trying to ultimately get to herd immunity. Uh So this is a concert series that I fully support. It's it's being put together as an incentive to get people protected uh and vaccinated its people thinking outside of the box. But but certainly we need to make sure that we provide uh the information about when people will have uh their antibodies uh and and encourage them to get that second shot too. And ultimately to get fully vaccinated. But we're going to have to do some of these things where we offer a first shot at something that people get to go to to make sure we can get as many people to get that first shot as possible and now is the time to do it with. Our case is pretty far down. Um, with uh, with our positivity rate down, these are opportunities and incentives that we want to keep up. And, and like I said, we hope later this week we're gonna be able to announce um, some new incentives on the state side that we think would be pretty exciting. Melissa patrick, Kentucky, Health News. Hi, Governor. There's still a good number of counties that have In that 20% range of vaccine rates for either single dose or fully dose. Uh, pull the vaccine rates up higher. Well, we communicate with local health departments and their local leaders on a regular basis. We are offering mobile units, uh, to come to fairs and other opportunities that are out there. Uh, we have taken in all the different ideas and what's been offered by judges and mayors and and are trying to meet each and every one of those. Now, some of those counties, as you know, we're even potentially in a ring of counties for our female units. And so we had folks that were out there every day setting up in front of, of places to make it really convenient. We do need more encouragement and some, and it's only some of these areas have, have, have, have maybe been, um, maybe had some leadership more critical Uh, than others during COVID-19, which makes people think it's it's less serious. Even if that was the case. Now, uh, we need people to work twice as hard about the importance of vaccinations were willing to to look at at any idea. But those areas, area businesses can also provide incentives that are out there and when you look at your workforce, that's a pretty smart thing to do. Um Again, we want to see those rates pick up. Certainly every time I'm in any of those areas, I was in one county that's on the lower end uh near the end of last week. Uh we were talking about Agri Tech, but I I took 10 minutes to talk about this vaccine, especially to the younger people that were there again to continue on encouragement. Again, I hope uh this thursday that we will have another announcement that will hopefully incentivize everyone all across Kentucky uh to get vaccinated with some pretty exciting possibilities tom late. Oh no. Catherine Collins, W L E X. Thank you. Um We continue to hear calls for Kentucky to opt out of the additional federal unemployment benefits to encourage people to get back to work. And we've heard from commissioner quarrels about uh possibly doing a temporary incentive for people to go back to work a temporary bonus. Well we we've been talking about that incentive and even talking about it publicly putting it together. So um I'm glad others think that's a good idea. You will have more information on that soon. I will say it's interesting when the same people criticize you claiming you haven't processed anybody's unemployment and you've done too good of a job and too many people are getting unemployment. And sometimes you see the same story run the same day um in a in a newspaper or or or elsewhere. So here's the thing about those payments, if we get out of the Red State, Blue State, or or um who wants to run for governor or all that goofiness, which um we shouldn't be paying attention to, we should be making important economic decisions uh that benefit us the most consumer spending drives our economy, our consumer spending in Kentucky is through the roof. And if we did what some of these leaders called for and uh terminated this program earlier, you would see consumer spending drop. And I think you're going to see a shock going through states that are doing that. It's going to take longer for their economy to recover now, if we have programs and again, we're working on it to bring people back as we go. Good. But you know, some folks, I want to look only at this idea that there may be some who are staying home because of this money. But they would cut this program for people who don't have child care, who maybe the child care center close during Covid and isn't reopened and they can't go back and then they couldn't feed their family and their kids. They're not thinking about the folks that, um, uh, need school, um, to be in the place that I know it's going to be in the fall. They're not looking at folks whose jobs may no longer exist because jobs are changing so quickly that need to get out and get that job training. We know these other obstacles exist and we're working to address. But to cut this, these payments that are not only stimulating our economy and such an incredible way, but are also helping those that are really struggling. It would be a major mistake, but we are working with business leaders uh to to work through this and believe that we're going to have a plan that's not a red plan or a blue plan. Not a democrat or Republican plan, but a smart plan for our economy. The folks that just stop playing politics, stop the goofiness. We get this thing done, we get it done for the benefit of all our families. I committed to leaving politics far behind and I've had to make the decisions to prove it. And we're going to do the same thing in analyzing this and come into the best decision tom late check from Kentucky today. Hello, governor. Thanks a lot. Uh a line of what you said last week to a question about Sunrise Children's Services, uh, there seems to be a chance to bite administration will implement the regulation requiring them to get the waiver so that they can uh extend the contract with the state. Uh You indicated that this could happen by the end of august. We wouldn't have to extend the contract. We just agree to keep placing kids there until we get a final decision from the federal government. And yes, I think that be something reasonable to do. Andrea Ash from W. H. S. Thanks Governor. Um a few months ago we heard that there was an attack on the US system that resulted in like the letters being sent out with instructions on people to reset their pins. Um And since then we've received a few people that have told us that they've received additional letters and just kind of wanted to do a check. And then also a second question. Um And this is a rerun from last week since we have not been able to get like a direct answer from the Labour Cabinet. Um But we continue to hear from people that have had in person appointments, but their issue has not been resolved with regards to their unemployment claims. Um And they're just looking at for answers from us. So we told him we have to ask, well I don't know about any of the individual cases because because there could be many different problems, one could be that you don't qualify in the first place. The second is that you've gotten rid of the issue, but the people may have to re register because the Federal government requires that and or request payments for the weeks going forward. Uh There could be um an identity issue um in person appointments have have really helped, but they don't guarantee that someone is is eligible but that would be a case by case basis uh for for what would still need to be done. Um What I would do if I was that individual and I know it's frustrating at the very least try to sign up for another appointment. Try to call in as as well. But if you want to send us any of those specific names that have already had that in person appointment, we will absolutely look those up. We have not had to my knowledge any other major attack, like the ones that were ultimately changing people's bank accounts which required us uh to to uh send out those pen letters. But the pen letters went in three waves. So the timing may be a little different. And I will check to see if we sent out a second letter, anybody who hasn't reset their pen, but if people have successfully reset their pen and and are in the system, what I would say if you've got another letter is go ahead and log back in the way that you did just make sure all as well and and we don't think that there will be any additional issues from there. All right, folks are Mhm. Yeah. TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE Sign up for daily emails with local updates and other important news. Submit Privacy Notice | https://www.wlwt.com/article/could-kentucky-get-its-own-dollar1-million-vaccine-lottery/36610951 |
Is Carnaval a True Story? Is the Netflix Movie Based on Real Life? | Carnaval, like its namesake, is a colorful Brazilian film following a transformative week in the life of a social media influencer and her 3 friends. Following a very viral breakup, Ninas trip to the famous Carnival celebration is motivated by her quest for followers. However, she soon realizes that all her followers will be for naught if she loses her friends in the process. The film explores the pitfalls and nuances of the relatively recent phenomenon of social media influencers, amidst flamboyant Brazilian festivities, in what is a story that could very well take place in any part of the developed world. Lets find out. No, Carnaval is not based on a true story. The present-day subject matter and young protagonists of the film, together with its backdrop of the Bahian Carnival that takes place annually in the Brazilian state of Bahia, make it a very believable story. However, the movie is a work of fiction written by Leandro Neri, Luisa Mascarenhas, and Audemir Leuzinger, in collaboration with Peu Barbalho. The modern-day young adult story blends multiple contemporary themes and uses the phenomenon of social media influencers to stitch the story together. The timeless themes portrayed in the film, like the importance of friends, and not judging a book by its cover, are given special relevance when put in the context of social media. In a time when the negative effects of social media are not completely understood, the movies protagonist grapples with the fact that her quest for followers is making her lose her closest friends. Left all alone on a beach, unable to find her friends, Nina realizes how much more important they are to her recently achieved million followers. The film is laid out quite transparently, with multiple characters channeling a particular theme or topical issue that the filmmakers wanted to tie into the story. Ninas foremost realization that friends cannot be substituted by followers is supplemented by lessons in living in the moment by her Bahian tour organizer Salvador. Ninas friend Vivi scoffs at shallow men that spend their time in the gym, calling them dull and dumb. However, she is caught being shallow herself when she judges their hunky guide as being equally unintelligent but he turns out to be a well-read geek. Hence, the characters, amidst the backdrop of Carnival celebrations, go through their subplots that each stand for a theme. The films writers also added characters to portray the issues faced by those inside the celebrity sphere of social media influencers. The character of Luana, a veritable social media goddess who Nina gushes over, is seen getting canceled and aggressively shunned due to her offensive statements. Her lesson to Nina is that of a cautionary tale of someone who lost all their friends because of their ambition. However, Luanas fall from grace is also a nod at aggressive cancel culture that celebrities sometimes deal with. Other modern-day issues mixed in by the films creators include online bullying, which Nina faces after her breakup goes viral and turns her into a meme. The homophobia faced by celebrities and their subsequent fear of being rejected by fans is also hinted at through the superstar pop singer Freddy Nunes who finally comes out of the closet near the end of the film. The films neatly tied-up ending and light-heartedness make the story feel like one that could easily be true. Apart from following Ninas journey to becoming cognizant of the fact that social media influence is not everything, a realization that has doubtless hit many people in reality, the film also portrays other related issues that many real people grapple with. With a healthy dose of life-lesson-style themes also thrown in, the film is a collage of believable stories that are fictitious. Read More: Carnaval Ending, Explained | https://thecinemaholic.com/is-carnaval-based-on-a-true-story/ |
Why are private equity firms swooping on the UK stock market? | The private equity industry has built up record levels of cash during the pandemic to splurge on new deals For buyout firms, many of the cheapest targets are in the UK Private equity firms are going bargain hunting. Takeovers of London-listed companies have soared in recent months, as cash-rich buyout firms search for underpriced businesses to take private. Although the acquisitions boom is facing pushback from both campaigners and shareholders, it shows little sign of slowing down. In the past four weeks alone, there have been at least nine proposed private equity takeovers of UK-listed companies, with many of the offers now in the process of seeking shareholder approval. Since the start of the year, some of the most high-profile deals completed by buyout firms include the 219m acquisition of roadside recovery specialist AA, and the 3.4bn takeover of jet servicing group Signature Aviation. | https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/news/2021/06/02/why-are-private-equity-firms-swooping-on-the-uk-stock-market/ |
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