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Why is Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield being prosecuted for 95 deaths and not 96? | David Duckenfield is accused of causing 95 of the 96 deaths of the people at Hillsborough in Sheffield in April 1989. The law at the time means no one will ever be prosecuted for the death of the 96th victim. Tony Bland, 22, (pictured) was crushed during the FA Cup Semi Final between his beloved Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. But he survived for four years because of life support. Because he died more than a year and a day after his injuries were caused the CPS could not charge Duckenfield with his manslaughter. In a statement, his family said last year: 'Whilst we are hugely disappointed with the exclusion of Tony from the manslaughter charge against [match commander] David Duckenfield by the CPS, our relief for the families of the other 95 men, women and children outweigh our personal frustrations. 'We will continue to support the other families on the journey for accountability.' Mr Bland's tragic death also formed part of a test case decision that first allowed doctors to decide whether patients should die, which was made by the Law Lords in 1993. They said the 22-year-old Liverpool football supporter, who suffered severe brain damage in the crush at Hillsborough football stadium, should be allowed to die. Doctors treating Mr Bland, who was in a persistent vegetative state, had to go to court to seek approval before discontinuing artificial feeding. The landmark Bland ruling set down that artificial nutrition and hydration by tube are not normal feeding but medical treatment. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-6599697/Why-David-Duckenfield-prosecuted-95-deaths-not-96.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Will 2019 See a Bitcoin ETF? | The bitcoin market has been facing its share of disruption of late. There were repeated attempts by issuers for a bitcoin ETF and the SEC was in disagreement with the same. The regulatory board rejected as many as nine proposals from three different issuers last August (read: Top ETF Stories of August). Late last July, the authority turned down an application by the Winklevoss brothers for a bitcoin ETF, finding the product not safe enough. Thanks to stringencies by regulatory authorities, bitcoin prices have dropped 67.5% in the past year (as of Jan 15, 2019). Though the SEC had released letters mentioning intentions of reassessing the verdict of rejecting nine applications, soon after rejecting, the letters did not clarify the review timeline for the decision. Along with that, the SEC deferred the decision for VanEck-SolidXs proposed product in early August. And again in December, it extended the review period for the same ETF to Feb 27, 2019. VanEcks product is different in nature as the company has collaborated with blockchain company SolidX to make it physical and not futures based. This means the product will hold actual bitcoin, which will be insured against any loss or theft. The VanEck SolidX Bitcoin Trust will have a ticker symbol XBTC, if approved (read: Will VanEck's Renewed Attempt to Launch Bitcoin ETF Work?). A New Issuer Entering the Race Cryptocurrency asset manager Bitwise announced on January 10 that its filing for a new bitcoin ETF with the U.S. SEC. The product would be different from other proposals as it would depend on regulated third party custodians to hold its physical Bitcoin, and the index draws prices from a large number of cryptocurrency exchanges. After many failed attempts by peer companies last year, Bitwise Asset Management believes it can make a successful bitcoin ETF launch this year by providing the SEC with all the necessary data and information needed for an approval, as noted by benzinga. There are a few factors that seem positive about the formation of the VanEck fund. First, the underlying currencies will be insured, which would provide insulation against any hacking attack. Secondly, the issuers purposely kept retail investors far from the proposed fund, which reduces the broad-based risk associated with such a product. Also, the fact that Bitwises proposed fund will be physical in nature and not futures-based raises the chances of approval (read: SEC to Rethink Rejecting Bitcoin ETFs: Any Hopes Ahead?) ETF Impact Though bitcoin ETFs are not available to investors, theyhave blockchain ETFs at their disposal. Per a source, the blockchain in Bitcoin literally acts a ledger; it keeps track of the balances for all users and updates them as money changes hands. So, if investors cannot lay their hands on a bitcoin ETF now, they can definitely familiarize with the concept through blockchain ETFs like Reality Shares Nasdaq NexGen Economy ETF BLCN, Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF BLOK and First Trust Indxx Innovative Transaction & Process ETF LEGR. Zacks free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report | https://news.yahoo.com/2019-see-bitcoin-etf-180006518.html |
Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | As many other countries are working on building up their nuclear industries, in the United States nuclear simply cant compete with cheap natural gas and other renewables growing more affordable all the time in the nations wholesale electricity markets. In fact, just within the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. Even with the application of the most promising technological advancements in development to boost efficiency and reduce cost, it likely wouldnt be enough to make the plants competitive with other energy sources. While many of these advanced nuclear technologies remain in the research phase and are largely untested, many of the current research shows great promise. Technologies under development that would be able to make new reactors both cheaper and safer than the current standard include small modular reactors (SMRs), generation IV reactors, and liquid-sodium cooled reactors. The SMRs, thanks to their compact size, would require less investment in infrastructure and less on-site construction. The Generation IV reactors are innovative in that their design does not include complex external cooling systems, which, notably, are the apparatus that failed in 2011s Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The benefit of the liquid-sodium cooled reactors is that they are able to utilize spent uranium and plutonium, meaning they can produce energy for much more extended periods of time without the need for expensive refueling. Related: Oil Rises After Choppy Start To The Week In an effort to keep the United States from falling behind the rest of the world in terms of nuclear power, the US Energy Department is planning to invest $115 million to aid the development of some of these technologies, with the money going to an Ohio-based pilot project focused on producing a more energy-dense uranium, which would support the newer, smaller reactors that the nuclear industry is moving toward. While the US nuclear industry has floundered, other nations have stepped up. China is building new nuclear power capacity, Russia has led the development of some nuclear projects in other countries, and Japan has been working hard to resurrect their once powerful nuclear sector in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. In fact, Russia is already capable of producing the higher-enriched uranium that the United States Energy Departments new program is currently just now working up to producing. Without investment in new nuclear technologies such as this, the US could very well be left behind and left out of the global nuclear industrys continuing evolution according to Dan Brouillette, Deputy Energy Secretary. Related: Russia Looks To Build LNG Island To Supply Booming Asian Market While the advances in the nuclear industry currently being supported by the US energy department would go a long way toward making nuclear more affordable, it still wouldnt come close to the ultra-low cost of natural gas thanks to the U.S. current fracking boom and subsequent shale oil and gas glut. According to some experts, what is possibly the last hope for nuclear to compete in the United States cheap and highly saturated energy market would be a price on carbon. As the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago puts it, There is a world where nuclear is competitive. It involves pricing carbon. If fossil fuel producers in the United States were made to pay a price for their hefty carbon emissions, as has been implemented by many countries around the world since the 1990s (as far-flung and diverse as Denmark, South Korea, and Zimbabwe), nuclear would be able to hold onto its meager market share or even expand it. (Click to enlarge) By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | https://news.yahoo.com/u-keep-nuclear-industry-afloat-180000627.html |
Is Julian Edelman's shout-out to Patriots fans more right than he realizes? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com Julian Edelman simply was acknowledging New England Patriots fans Tuesday when he logged onto Instagram. Scroll to continue with content Ad "Home field advantage means something more at Gillette," Edelman wrote in a post Tuesday morning. "Thank you for being the best fans in the league. #OnToKC" The Patriots played their last home game of the season last Sunday in an AFC Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Chargers -- they'll travel to Kansas City this weekend for the AFC Championship Game -- so this was a good time to shout out the denizens of Gillette Stadium. Also: Edelman may be more right than he realizes about that home field advantage bit. Never mind that New England is 9-0 at home this season and was the only team in the NFL to go 8-0 at home during the regular season. And never mind that the Patriots had a +15.9 point differential at home this season, better than every team in the league. (The Chiefs were second with a +14.8 point differential.) The best way to see how much home-field mattered to the Patriots is to look at how poorly they played outside Foxboro. Patriots' home/away splits in a few key areas this season: pic.twitter.com/Dc3ghnwBcd Joe Osborne (@JTFOz) January 15, 2019 Story continues New England went 3-5 away from home this season and based on a few key metrics was one of the league's worst road teams. Despite finishing tied for the league's sixth-best record, the Patriots actually have been outscored on the road this season and rank 26th or lower in net yards per play, offensive red zone touchdown percentage and opponents' third down conversion percentage. Simply put: No team benefited more from home field advantage this season than the Patriots. They'll have to shake those bad habits and recent history Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, as road teams have lost the last 10 conference championship games dating to 2012. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. | https://sports.yahoo.com/julian-edelmans-shout-patriots-fans-185316457.html?src=rss |
Will Nicola Sturgeon call for a second Scottish independence referendum before the end of Spring? | Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, in Westminster. Credit: PA Scotland is stuck between referendums. It is the most Remain-leaning part of the UK with 62% voting to stay in the EU, and polls show this nation is just as in love with staying in the European Union now. Yet Scotland voted 55% to Remain in another referendum less than two years before that. In the independence referendum of September 18, 2014, the majority said they wanted to stay in the United Kingdom. And, so the argument follows, if Scotland wants to be part of the UK, Scotland must accept the UKs decision to leave the European Union. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon talks with SNP MPs in Westminster Hall. Credit: PA Scotlands First Minister has been quite explicit: she intends to have a second independence referendum because, in her words, "Scotland is being dragged out of the EU against its will." At the last SNP conference in October, she told me: "Its just a question of the timing" - and, crucially, she says there will be an 'indyref2' regardless of the Brexit deal. Many believed the defeat of Mays deal would be a catalyst for Nicola Sturgeon to push the button on that second independence referendum. Instead, it prompted Sturgeon to head to Westminster to drum up support for another referendum on EU membership. ); and finally, offer the UK another Brexit referendum which must have Remain on the ballot paper. There is, curiously, not one mention of independence for Scotland among these demands. Independence supporters outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in 2017. Credit: PA There are a few reasons for this, but at the forefront right now is the fact Nicola Sturgeon has suddenly become deeply embroiled in an ugly dispute with her predecessor as First Minister, Alex Salmond. The pair were previously as thick as thieves: Salmond the long-term mentor; Sturgeon the pupil-turned-master. Now we have Sturgeons spokespeople accusing Salmonds spokespeople of launching a smear campaign against her, and Salmond all but accusing Sturgeons camp of instigating leaks against him. This public falling out stems from a botched Scottish Government investigation into allegations from two women of sexual harassment against Alex Salmond. He took the Scottish Government to court, he won, and it will now cost the tax payer in Scotland 500,000. The fallout, however, has cost Sturgeon her Teflon-like ability to steer well clear of allegations of wrongdoing and scandal. The current First Minister has already referred herself to a panel to see if she breached the ministerial code over meetings she held with Salmond while he was under investigation (meetings she says were private, but which opposition parties say should have been recorded and minuted as official government business because the First Ministers Chief of Staff, Liz Lloyd, was present). Sturgeon will also be under the spotlight in a parliamentary inquiry looking into the whole sorry mess of a Scottish Government investigation that was found to be "unlawful" and "tainted with apparent bias" against Alex Salmond. Alex Salmond took the Scottish Government to court and won. Credit: PA The Scottish independence movement is somewhat paralysed while two of its most influence figures are at each others throats. Not to mention the First Minister will first want to deal the two rather degrading investigations into her conduct before launching into a charm offensive to convince the Scottish people to trust her on her the big arguments for independence. That is why the response from Scotland to Theresa Mays crushing defeat has been one of indignation and condemnation, but rather timid on the independence demands. At least for now. There is another interesting element to the delay, though. There are not-so-quiet whispers within Scotlands independence movement that Nicola Sturgeon isnt actually as committed to indyref2 as the hardliners in her party, such as her predecessor, Alex Salmond. Alex Salmond was Nicola Sturgeon's mentor for decades. Credit: PA Word is she is resisting pressure from the old guard to push Theresa May harder for a second vote while the Scottish Government still has its mandate, while the SNP can (with help from the Greens) still command an independence majority, and while the UK Government is distracted with its own fight for independence from Europe. I have heard some of the malcontents within Scotlands independence movement grumbling about the hesitation of their leader, which they just cannot understand at this stage. Those who are itching to go for the UKs jugular right now are suspicious Nicola Sturgeon is perhaps becoming comfortable in Bute House, and that she is quite content to carry on as a First Minister of Scotland who enjoys an easy lead over her opponents and who does not share their desire for her to rock that luxury boat too much. To be clear: that idea is folly. Sturgeon has been committed to campaigning for independence since she was 16 and would bite your hand off for another chance to achieve her lifelong dream. Its also not just a dream she harbours as a personal political fantasy. Of course she genuinely believes independence is the best and correct path for Scotland. Its about more than just reaching the Promised Land for the sake of it - its about what she thinks Scotland could achieve afterwards, and in her eyes that is a whole lot more than Scotland is achieving within a UK stuck in a Brexit burach (the Gaelic word for mess). Independence supporters outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in 2017. Credit: PA Sturgeon also likes to win. She has made a decision to pick a fight with Theresa May over Brexit before independence because it is good terrain for her. With the Prime Minister stuck in her own rut, Sturgeon can ride in with solutions to break the deadlock that are seen as sensible and popular in Scotland. On the other hand, a fight for independence could well be her end. Defeat in a second independence vote would almost certainly mean resignation, as it did for Alex Salmond, and that is a risk she is not overly keen to take without a clear sign from consecutive polls that she will not lose. Never forget, Sturgeon lived in the political wilderness for most of her life and she is not eager to return to that cold and anonymous place. She has learned to become a calculating and cautious leader, pragmatic before anything else. Her politics rarely stray from the very middle of the centre ground. She sees Brexit as an opportunity for her cause, but while Alex Salmond wants to charge at the British establishment like the Gordon Highlanders, Sturgeon prefers the Mel Gibson depiction of William Wallace in the trenches, urging his army to 'hold, hold' while eagerly gripping their long-spears and preparing only for battles they already know they can win. I remember well that Nicola Sturgeon once told me that refusing Scotland a second chance to vote for independence before Brexit bites would be "like keeping us all on a sinking ship and puncturing the lifeboats." She sees independence as an escape - a lifeline. | https://www.itv.com/news/2019-01-16/nicola-sturgeon-second-scottish-independence-referendum/ |
Is LG working on a mini LG G6 smartphone called LG Q6? | LG is already planning a new version of the LG G6. No, we're not talking about the LG G7, but rather a smaller version of the LG G6 itself. And, technically, we're not sure if the company is working on the phone now or mulled the idea of one months ago. You see, according to TechnoBuffalo, which viewed a leaked internal document that showed a 5.4-inch device with an 18:9 aspect ratio, LG at one point planned to manufacture a mini LG G6. It would have the same unique aspect ratio that LG introduced with the 5.7-inch LG G6, the document revealed, though there were no other details in regards to specs, and the document was dated to last year. Nevertheless, TechnoBuffalo indicated the phone is still a possibility. If you need more proof than that, tipster Evan Blass has also verified that a mini version of the LG G6 is in the works. Blass said it will offer 3GB of RAM and one 13MP camera on back. He also revealed that the phone recently passed through the Federal Communications Commission as model number M700 and that it will be known as LG Q6. Interesting. We'll keep you posted as we learn more, concrete info. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/lg/141511-is-lg-working-on-a-mini-lg-g6-smartphone-called-lg-q6 |
Who will step up to protect Ontarios health care? | In his New Years letter to Ontarios public servants, Premier Doug Ford said his governments priorities are to improve health care and reduce the provincial deficit. Those words dont match Ford actions. But they perhaps reveal a lot about what Ontarians think their governments priorities should be and what opposition leader Andrea Horwath needs to quietly work on in upcoming months. Doug Ford talks to staff during a campaign stop at Etobicoke General Hospital in Toronto in May 2018. Doug Ford said health care and deficits are his priority but his actions suggest otherwise, writes Tom Parkin. ( Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS ) Despite the premiers New Years claim that health care and deficits are his priority, during the past provincial election the Conservatives campaigned on cutting revenue by $8.05 billion a year. Putting the province deeper in the hole is a strange policy if the priority is health care and deficits. The largest promised annual payouts were $2.3 billion for a high income tax cut, a $1.9 billion break for carbon emitters and a $1.2 billion tax cut for corporations. And in Novembers Fall Economic Statement, the Conservatives stayed on their foolish path. The statement revealed in-year budget cuts of $3.2 billion, with $1 billion coming from Ontarios poorest people on social assistance. From those cuts, only $500 million went to deficit reduction. The remaining $2.7 billion was paid-out as tax and revenue cuts. Article Continued Below When money cut from public programs goes 85 per cent to revenue giveaways and only 15 per cent to deficits, its clear health care and deficits arent the priority. Whatever his actions, the words of Fords letter suggest he believes Ontarians want a priority on health care and deficits. With reason. Last winter, during the annual flu season, many were shocked by reports of overcrowded emergency rooms and even patient deaths when hospital beds couldnt be found. The previous government had cut Ontarios per person program spending to lowest in Canada including the lowest-funded provincial health care in Canada. It was showing. Now, warns a recent Toronto Star report, the Conservatives solution may be two-tier health care, allowing superior treatment for those who can pay privately. Insurance firms are excited about the possibility of increased private health care, according to the news report. The challenge for NDP leader Andrea Horwath, if she is to replace Ford and end his cuts, is to do the quiet work of feeling out the contours of a coalition that will support a different plan one that both protects our public programs and stabilizes the provincial budget. Perhaps that coalition might unite around policies that benefit all Ontario society in contrast with Fords coalition of particular private interests. Insurance companies, for example, may be anxious to profit from Fords self-imposed budget crunch, but its hard to see the social benefit. Private insurance isnt free the premiums are one more cost passed onto other businesses and individuals. And the U.S. evidence is private multi-payer health care cost more even though they exclude many. And theres a social interest in a single-payer drug insurance plan. In her last campaign, Horwath pointed to the 2.2 million Ontarians who have no drug insurance. Numerous reports have called for a pharmacare plan another one came just days ago from the Broadbent Institute which would provide universal coverage and cost less. Of course certain particular interests, like insurance and big pharma, are naturally not keen about the plan. Article Continued Below No doubt it will be frustrating for Horwath and her New Democrats to have to re-argue the social benefit of universal health care or pharmacare to pull together a new social coalition. But the ability to build new political coalitions based on bold positions is the mark of true political leaders. And there is a lot at stake. Because if Horwath and her team cant find those contours and cant craft that progressive alternative coalition, the erosion of Ontarios health care and other public services will continue regardless of which political party rules Queens Park. Tom Parkin is a social democratic political commentator based in Toronto. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/01/16/who-will-step-up-to-protect-ontarios-health-care.html |
How about that weather eh? | Theres a reason for all this weather talk, of course. Our countrys four-season climate makes us loopy sometimes. From Arctic blizzards to subtropical humidity, we face a kind of annual endurance test. Whether youre a farmer getting harvest-ready, a rush-hour commuter, or (ahem) someone who has to develop recipes two seasons in advance, the only way to survive the constant state of change is to come to some kind of uneasy peace with it. Or even better, embrace it. An American I know recently said that Canadians seem obsessed with the weather. When the temperature is one of the major subjects of discussion, it means you live in a pretty good place. I used to tolerate the roller-coaster ride of the seasons with little to no complaining. Now, largely because of the cooking show and magazine that I run, I cherish the benefits of our four-season way of life. Sure, on days when bad weather messes with my plans, I grumble. But I truly think were blessed to live in a country where weather is a national preoccupation. Not only do the challenges of the seasons push us to be flexible, theres always something exciting around the corner. I only have to think about where I live and how the late December holidays give way to sugar shack season, and then to gardening and backyard grilling in turn. Theres never a dull moment! Of course, I cant help but look at our weather patterns through the lens of food. Its good that weve arrived at the point where we think its strange when a restaurant pushes an asparagus plate in January, or gazpacho in February. Our expectations have evolved as diners and home cooks, and thats wonderful. Ill pass on food Groundhog Day, thank you very much. Give me the promise of seasonal produce and products corn! peaches! spot prawns! every time. This bounty gives us a huge reward to look forward to, especially at this time of year. Now, I dont necessarily want to eat stews and fondue all winter long, until the first radish pops up in my garden in late April (fingers crossed). So I appreciate how our seasons force me to think creatively in the kitchen. Its not just about seasonal produce either, but the different techniques that the seasons demand from us (perfect my braises in January, up my salad game in July). These variations are something to be grateful for, despite the occasional and perhaps all-too-understandable complaint about the weather. | https://www.thestar.com/life/2019/01/16/how-about-that-weather-eh.html |
What about the thousands of women in Canada with stories similar to Rahafs? | On Saturday, a Saudi teenager fleeing domestic abuse was offered protection in Canada. As a bevy of television cameras captured Rahaf Mohammeds arrival at Pearson International Airport, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland handed her a Canada hooded sweater, and welcomed her to her new homeland. As many people now know, Rahaf fled to Bangkok from Kuwait, where her family was on holiday, in the hopes of receiving asylum in Australia. She was briefly detained and authorities confiscated her passport. She then barricaded herself in a hotel room to thwart her removal to Saudi Arabia. At this point, she became a person without status as her primary documentation for her identity and travel had been taken from her. Asylum Seeker Rahaf Mohammed, 18, smiles as she is introduced to the media at Toronto Pearson International Airport, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, right, on Saturday in Toronto. ( Cole Burston / GETTY IMAGES ) Ottawa deserves credit for acting swiftly to offer asylum to the 18-year-old, who alleged her family would kill her if she was forced to return to Saudi Arabia. Freeland says Rahaf was singled out because every light is significant. The positive outcome in Rahafs case often eludes the thousands of women and children who become undocumented or non-status in Canada after fleeing domestic abuse. Since people who become undocumented usually fear coming to the attention of immigration authorities, they are often forced to live clandestinely and work under the table in order to avoid removal. Article Continued Below There are an estimated 20,000 to 200,000 individuals in Canada who dont have legal immigration papers. And many of them have stories similar to Rahafs. Through my work with the Rights of Non-Status Women Network, a Toronto-based grassroots organization to support and disseminate information to front line workers, I heard many of these stories. The government is, at best, ignoring the claims and calls for protection for these women and their dependants and, at worst, potentially pushing them back to their abusers. It is done through the underfunding of womens shelters and through Ontarios civil court system, where they have to seek injunctions against abusers. It is done through tying subsidized housing access to immigration status, forcing women to choose between abuse and homelessness. It is done through not officially unplugging the Harper-era police hotline for Canadians to anonymously report barbaric cultural practices that could get other people deported. Network sources tell us that abusers and traffickers use the threat of phoning the anonymous hotline threat to manipulate, control, and harm vulnerable people. And, finally, it is done through not providing duty counsel or free access to high-quality legal counsel in immigration and refugee matters before the courts. Article Continued Below There has also been no mention of whether Rahaf will need to reimburse the government for her flight, a huge financial burden for other newcomers, or the usual payments for language certification, identification documentation and eventually citizenship. At the press conference at Pearson, Freedland said We believe very strongly that womens rights are human rights. Thats something we believe in and act on here at home. Lets hold her up to this promise and support the decisions and actions of women and children like Rahaf, but also those who are already in Canada. Lets also remind ourselves that while migration is not a right, all migrants are entitled to enjoy human rights. Dr. Stephanie J. Silverman is the interim associate director of the Ethics, Society, and Law Program at Trinity College, University of Toronto and the Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS). | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/01/16/what-about-the-thousands-of-women-in-canada-with-stories-similar-to-rahafs.html |
Do these leaked iPhone 8 drawings reveal the phone's final design? | With all the excitement of WWDC 2017, you may have momentarily forgotten Apple is also working on new iPhones. We've seen several leaks on Apples next-generation iPhones at this point. Rumors about the iPhone 8, iPhone 7S, and iPhone 7S Plus have been popping up at a feverish pace within the last few months, with the latest leak suggesting Apple has finalised plans for its new phones. We event get a look at their finished designs. Twitter user @VenyaGeskin1 has revealed the finished designs of both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 7S Plus. He posted drawings of the designs and claimed that mass-production of Apples next-generation iPhone models is now underway. But he's done this before, and it appears the design of the iPhone 8 has changed in his leaks. Over the past few weeks, however, he has been sharing a single design obtained from an unnamed source. This latest drawing shows an iPhone 8 design that matches up with existing rumours. The phone is about about the same size as Apples iPhone 7 but fits in a 5.8-inch OLED screen with narrow bezels around all sides. The iPhone 8 is expected to have a vertically dual-lens camera on the back - and that is pictured in the drawing. Geskin posted a second drawing to show the design of Apples new iPhone 7S Plus, as well. Once more, it look like the existing iPhone 7 Plus and seems to be in line with the current crop of leaks. It's important to maintain some skepticism over these drawings, but nevertheless, they're fun to look at and question. For more information about Apple's next iPhones and what they'll most likely feature, check out Pocket-lint's round up. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/141284-do-these-leaked-iphone-8-drawings-reveal-the-phone-s-final-design |
Does the Samsung Galaxy S8 display have a noticeable red tint problem? | Samsung's newest flagship hasn't even launched, and yet already there are reports about it having an issue. Some people who pre-ordered the Galaxy S8 in South Korea have apparently received their units early and are complaining about the display having a noticeable red tint. A Samsung spokesman confirmed to South Korean media earlier this week that it's found no quality issues, but if users would like to fix the red tint, they can do so under the phone's settings menu, as reported by ZDNet. The new flagship, which was unveiled in March, costs 689 for the standard Galaxy S8 and 779 for the larger Galaxy S8 Plus. Both smartphones became available for pre-order from 29 March and will be generally available starting 28 April. They are the first smartphones to use "Deep Red" OLED technology, which, as noted by CNET and The Korea Herald, can make whites on screen appear reddish. Although reports, including postings on Korean forum PPOMPPU and various social networks, show the Galaxy S8 with a severe reddish tint, it's unclear if the issue is common. However, Engadget spotted "Galaxy S8 Red Screen" is now a trending term on Korean search engine Naver. If you're reading this, own a Galaxy S8, and want a fix, dive into Settings > Display > Screen Mode > Color balance. We're guessing this isn't the start Samsung was hoping for following last year's Galaxy Note 7 debacle. We'll keep you posted. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/140823-does-the-samsung-galaxy-s8-display-have-a-noticeable-red-tint-problem |
What is Samsung DeX and how does it work? | Samsung has announced DeX alongside the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The DeX - a clever contraction of "desktop experience" - is the Android equivalent of Microsoft's Display Dock that launched with Windows 10 on mobile, allowing to use the power of your phone to run a desktop computing environment. Samsung says that it's enterprise ready, offering a way of using your Samsung smartphone as the brains behind your desktop computer. The Samung DeX is a clever design as it folds out from its flattened puck shape to form a dock, with the back rest incorporating a fan for cooling the phone, and a USB Type-C in the base for power and data transfer. The DeX features the following connections on the base: 2x USB 2.0 HDMI Ethernet USB Type-C This means you can set it up as a workstation, with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and connected to a monitor via HDMI. The Ethernet connection means you don't have to rely on the phone's Wi-Fi. It's a good looking thing and a clever solution, a lot tidier than the Microsoft Display Dock that resulted in a lot of trailing wires. Samsung also assures us that it's plug and play, meaning you shouldn't have to do anything to set it up. When you dock your Samsung Galaxy S8 into DeX it will give you a desktop layout on the display you've connected, which is arranged like a conventional Windows display, but still all Android. You'll be able to access your apps tray in the bottom left corner, rather like the Start menu and you also get multiple windows support, so there's no limitation to accessing multiple apps, resizing windows and moving things around. You can have shortcuts on your desktop, with all the system icons and notifications dropping down to the bottom right, so it's easy to see what's happening. You can then open and use your apps as normal, with support for keyboard shortcuts and mouse actions, so using Microsoft's Office apps in Android are a breeze, for example. Samsung has worked with Microsoft and Adobe to ensure that Office and apps like Lightroom Mobile work with keyboard and mouse. As we said, notifications drop down the bottom right-hand corner, popping up to tell you what's going on, meaning you don't have to reach for your phone all the time. You can also take calls through the DeX, and leave the phone in place. You just have to accept the call via the desktop pop-up and that's it. If you want to then undock your phone mid-call that's fine too, you can then just go mobile and take your phone with you, without being cut off. As a desktop replacement there are obviously some shortcomings when it comes to more intensive apps: you're limited to those mobile apps supported by Android. However, Samsung is going to be offering Citrix, VMware and Amazon Web Services support meaning that you can login to your desktop PC elsewhere, mirroring that experience on your Android DeX. For businesses, that might enable remote working, letting you access applications that you don't have on Android, or applications that require more horsepower than you'll get from a mobile device. The dock will retail in the US for $149.99, according to Samsungs website. Its scheduled to ship in late April. There's no word yet on UK pricing or availability. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/140603-what-is-samsung-dex-and-how-does-it-work |
When is the Huawei P10 launch and how can I watch it live? | Huawei has been telling us for weeks that it's launching the Huawei P10 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 26 February. The new flagship smartphone from Huawei has been teased widely, showing off that dual-camera action, talking about the Leica love and telling us to see things differently. One different thing might be the colour, as Huawei has announced a pairing with Pantone and has been talking about colour. Luckily, you can follow the action as Huawei unveils the P10, the P10 Plus and the Huawei Watch 2. The action will be live streamed on YouTube. We've embedded the teaser video below, but we'll update once we have the live stream for the event. The action kicks off in Barcelona at 13:00GMT, that's 14:00CET. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/huawei/140377-when-is-the-huawei-p10-launch-and-how-can-i-watch-it-live |
Has Samsung Display just revealed the Galaxy S8? | Samsung Display has posted two videos to its Korean YouTube channel that show a smartphone using its latest AMOLED display technology. While the technology itself is probably very interesting - it's in Korean so we're not sure what's being said - it shows a smartphone that could well be the Galaxy S8. The phone in question features a screen with incredibly thin bezels on all sides, but especially the left and right, something we already expect to be the case with the Galaxy S8. However it is a flat screen, rather than one with curved edges. While the possibility of a flat screen has been mentioned, there have been more rumours to suggest the Galaxy S8 will only be available with a curved screen, even if there are two versions. The phone being used in all three videos doesn't have any branding on it though, which could mean it's a prototype version, although it is missing a physical home button, which is something else we expect to see on the Galaxy S8. You don't need to understand much Korean to be able to work out what one of the videos is trying to say. It pitches Samsung Display's AMOLED screen up against a competitor, which is likely to be an LCD panel. It shows much deeper colours and a 100 percent colour gamut compared to the rivals' measly 74 percent. It then goes on to show a cross section of both displays and how they're made up. Samsung's AMOLED uses far fewer layers, which suggests whatever phone it's fitted to, can be made a lot thinner. There is a possibility that the phone isn't the Galaxy S8 at all, but it does show that Samsung Display has made an AMOLED screen that can take up the vast majority of a phone's front side. It's probably the best piece of evidence we've seen yet to show what the Galaxy S8 will look like. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/140009-has-samsung-display-just-revealed-the-galaxy-s8 |
What is Bluetooth 5 and what does it offer? | Bluetooth is found in all manner of devices as a means of communicating with each other. Think smartphone connecting to smartwatch, music player connecting to wireless headphones and even Internet of Things and smarthome devices. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has now adopted a new Bluetooth 5 format that will introduce a raft of improvements over the current 4-series standard. And because the Bluetooth SIG has set out the specification for Bluetooth 5, manufacturers can now implement it in their devices, the SIG says within the next 2 to 6 months, so we can expect it to feature in the new wave of 2017 smartphones. Allow us to tell all. Bluetooth 5 claims to have four times the range of the current standard, v4.2, so while at the moment you may put a pair of wireless headphones on at home and want to move around the house, or connect to some Bluetooth speakers, the signal will likely drop out if you move too far away. With Bluetooth 5 that should no longer be the case. The new standard will also transfer data at double the speed of v4.2, from 1Mbps to 2Mbps and the capacity of data broadcasts will increase 800 per cent. The Bluetooth SIG says the increase in data will allow for "improved and more context relevant solutions". But, there is a slight catch, in that you won't be able to get increased range and increased speed at the same time. The Bluetooth SIG explains it as being like a lever, where you can choose one or the other, depending on the application. A firmware update for example will benefit from increased speed, whereas smart home devices will benefit from an increased range so they can talk to each other. And the Internet of Things is a market that will heavily benefit from the new format. The increased range means Bluetooth 5 will be able to connect an entire home, flat or even small buildings. Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG said: "Bluetooth is revolutionising how people experience the IoT. Bluetooth 5 continues to drive this revolution by delivering reliable IoT connections and mobilising the adoption of beacons, which in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience". When Powell refers to beacons, he is talking about indoor navigation in areas such as shopping centres. Some shopping centres already offer this service, but with Bluetooth 5, tracking your location inside will be more accurate than before. With the extra range on offer with Bluetooth 5, devices around the home will be able to talk to each other a lot more easily than before. Mark Powell sees this as a crucial time to introduce Bluetooth 5, as the technology is expected to be in one-third of all IoT devices by 2020. The Bluetooth SIG estimates there will be 13.9 billion wireless product shipments in the same time frame. He even sees commercial, outdoor and industrial uses being ideal markets for the new protocol. You can use Bluetooth 5 now, or at least, from the 28 April when the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are released. They're the first phones to be released that will use the new technology. By having Bluetooth 5, the Galaxy S8 phones have been gifted a "dual audio" mode that will let them wirelessly stream music to two Bluetooth devices at one time. With any luck, other device manufacturers will begin implement the new standard in their future products. However, the other big flagship phones of 2017 don't have it, so we may need to wait until 2018 for them to do so. You don't need to worry about replacing your current Bluetooth devices though, as Bluetooth 5 is backwards compatible. The low-energy version of the format will work with any Bluetooth device running version 4.0 - 4.2 and that also has a low-energy option. However to take full advantage of the new services Bluetooth 5 provides, you will need to make sure your kit is up to date. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/139682-what-is-bluetooth-5-and-what-does-it-offer |
Is Apple about to move iPhone manufacturing to the US? | One of Apple's manufacturing partners is reportedly considering moving production of the iPhone to the US. According to Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asian Review, Apple asked both Taiwan-based Foxconn and Pegatron, two companies that assemble the iPhone in China, in June to consider making iPhones in the US. Foxconn reportedly complied, but Pegatron declined due to cost concerns. Keep in mind Republican president-elect Donald Trump has long called for Apple and other US companies to start building their products in America. "We're going to get Apple to build their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries," Trump said in a speech in January. He also said that he would impose a 45-per cent import tariff on Chinese products. Manufacturing the iPhone in the US would theoretically bring production jobs back to the country once known for its powerful industrial sector. However, if Apple continues to manufacture abroad, it can maintain a strong margin on its product. Moving iPhone production would be an enormously pricey endeavor. Nikkei's sources claimed that it would increase production costs by nearly 50 per cent. Most of Apples part suppliers are located in Asia. In 2013, it made an effort to bring some Mac Pro hardware production to the US. It invested over $100 million dollars in production, but relocating iPhone manufacturing is an entirely different beast. There would likely be a large impact on Apple's finances. It's important to remember that Apple's discussions began in June, five months before Trump won the general election. Also, it's unclear when or even if Apple will definitely follow through with its discussions. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/139527-is-apple-about-to-move-iphone-manufacturing-to-the-us |
Will Galaxy S8 be Samsung's first phone with a Force Touch display? | Samsung is really trying to come up with new ways to lure in customers. Despite the major fiasco it caused with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and its faulty, exploding battery, which involved two major government recalls and a permanent end in production, Samsung is pushing forward with the next version of its flagship: the Galaxy S8. This smartphone is rumoured to feature many bells and whistles, including an edge display for both models, and according to a recent report, a Force Touch-like display. If true, the Galaxy S8 would be the first smartphone from Samsung to come with pressure-sensitive technology, which Apple refers to as "Force Touch" or sometimes "3D Touch" in its iPhones. An anonymous source told Korean news publication The Investor that Samsung is hoping to adopt Apple's Force Touch technology partially for the Galaxy S8, but full adoption in the range won't come for one or two more years, apparently. Force Touch-like technology is based entirely around a pressure-sensitive display, which enables an extra level of functionality based on how hard you press it. Press and hold on an app icon, for instance, and a menu will appear with options, such as compose a message or take a selfie or whatever is relevant. Apple has been using the feature since the launch of the iPhone 6S in 2015, as well as the Apple Watch and newer MacBooks. Other rumoured features for the Galaxy S8 include two cameras and a dual-curved screen. Check out Pocket-lint's rumour roundup for more details on what the upcoming flagship might feature. The phone will likely be announced in early 2017. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/139473-will-galaxy-s8-be-samsung-s-first-phone-with-a-force-touch-display |
Are these images of the Microsoft Surface phone? | Microsoft has allegedly been working on a Surface Phone for some time now. The phone would run a full version of Windows 10, rather than Windows 10 Mobile that's found on some Lumia device today. There was speculation that Microsoft may have unveiled the Surface Phone, or at least revealed more details, at its recent hardware event that saw the launch of the Surface Book i7 and Surface Studio. Now though, usually reliable leakster Evan Blass has shared some images on Twitter showing a smartphone running Windows 10. It's not clear or confirmed that it's the Microsoft Surface phone and some media outlets have suggested it's a Windows Phone made by Dell. Either way, it's not a concept, as Blass confirmed to Tom Warren of The Verge that the phone is "much more than a concept" and shared some lifestyle images of the phone. The fact there are lifestyle images of the device all but confirm its existence. No further details about the phone have been shared, such as which company is making it and what specs it will have, but if it is the Surface Phone, many expect it to come with an Intel processor. Of course, there's also no word on when the new phone could be announced or released, but hopefully we'll have more details soon. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/microsoft/139393-are-these-images-of-the-microsoft-surface-phone |
What headphones does the iPhone 7 come with? | Apple has announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and one of the big changes is that the 3.5mm headphone socket is gone. That's not a huge deal, it just means you'll have to use the Lightning socket to connect headphones instead. There has been some confusion as to which headphones you actually get in the box, so let's clear this up for you. The iPhone 7 will come with a pair of Apple EarPods. They are the same as the EarPods (headphones in normal speak) that Apple has used on its previous iPhone, except that the wire has a Lightning connector on the end. If you buy a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, there's no need to worry: there's a set of headphones in the box that you can use from day one, you just plug them in and start listening. Apple is already a step ahead of you there. If you have a pair of great wired headphones that you love and you don't want to abandon just because Apple has removed that connection, then there's an adapter in the box. This small adapter will plug into the Lightning port on your iPhone 7 and then offer you a 3.5mm headphone socket for you to plug your cans into. This means you can keep using those lovely Bose, Sennheiser or B&O headphones you paid a fortune for with no worries. This is perhaps the source of the headphone confusion with the new iPhone 7. Apple also announced the AirPods, a set of wireless earbuds. They have independent buds, not connected by a wire, like a pair of Bluetooth headsets. Well that's what the AirPods are: a pair of Bluetooth headsets. Although Apple has brought in a new seamless pairing process, this is just a clever Bluetooth headphones option. The Apple AirPods do not come in the box. They are an accessory that will cost you 159. The clever thing is that once they are connected to your iPhone, iCloud will sync that connection to your other Apple devices too. You don't have to use Apple's AirPods. The iPhone 7 offers Bluetooth too, so if you want to keep the Lightning port free for charging, there's nothing to stop you using a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones. There are plenty of great headphones to choose from too and if you've already got a set of Bluetooth headphones you can use them with the iPhone 7 as normal. Lightning headphones already exist. These are designed for use with the iPhone and iPad. If you'd rather use something more substantial than Apple's EarPod offering, there are a few styles already available. We've rounded up a collection of these headphones you might want to choose from, so take a look through. Removing the 3.5mm headphone socket from the iPhone 7 isn't a big deal, and Apple aren't the first to do it. Motorola has also removed the headphone socket from the Moto Z, although Apple will sell a lot more handsets than Motorola will. The biggest complication is likely to come about if you want to charge your phone and listen to wired headphones at the same time. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/138770-what-headphones-does-the-iphone-7-come-with |
Can Stocks Keep Ignoring Brexit? | Text size The British Parliament overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plan on Tuesday. Only 202 voted in favor and 432 against the motion the largest defeat for a sitting government in history. Yet the Dow Jones Industrial Average shrugged off the news. And it wasnt the only one. The U.K.s FTSE 100 staged a small rally of 0.6% on Tuesday before slipping about 0.5% today, while the Stoxx Europe 50 is little changed Wednesday. British pound has also remained largely stable against the U.S. dollar since the news came out. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen 0.6% today and has gained 1.1% since Tuesday, The markets muted reaction was probably due to the fact that the deals defeat was almost certain, and from the lack of visibility following Tuesdays vote. All this basically means little fresh clarity has emerged, according to a note from DWSs CIO office. Instead, there is more of the same that has been so characteristic of the entire Brexit process so farkicking the can further down the road. And theres more uncertainty to come. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a vote of no-confidence in the government on Wednesday, which could trigger a general election. Prime Minister May also declared that the government would put forward a new motion on Monday Jan. 21, potentially including amendments from opposition parties. DWS, for its part, believes that May will likely win the confidence vote, but it remains uncertain what kind of strategy she will present to the House next Monday. A slightly amended version of the withdrawal bill might yet get parliamentary approval, the report says. However, we see little leeway or desire on the part of the European Union (EU) to make significant changes, especially to the hotly disputed Northern Ireland backstop arrangement. Parliament might try to find alternative arrangements, but they will have to stand up to the same scrutiny as the May deal. That could make a no-deal Brexitalso referred to as hard Brexitmore likely, and that would be a major risk for the global stock market. A clean break with the EU would be destabilizing to the British economy, at least in the short to medium term, according to the DWS note. It would deprive the United Kingdom of easy access to many of its biggest markets, especially in services, But at this moment, as nothing fundamental has changed, investors should not overly focus on yet another episode in the Brexit saga before they can draw a clearer picture, even if markets remain choppy, writes Stephanie Kelly, senior political economist at Aberdeen Standard Investments. Her advice: Do nothing. It is worked well enough so far. Write to Evie Liu at [email protected] | https://www.barrons.com/articles/can-stocks-keep-ignoring-brexit-51547663747 |
Did Barbra Streisand of all people just slip iOS 10's release date? | Barbra Streisand, the 74-year-old singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker, can add a new title to her resume: Apple leaker. During a NPR radio interview over the weekend, Streisand talked about how Siri's pronunciation of her name has annoyed her since Apple launched the assistant in 2011. Siri apparently makes a "Z" sound in the middle of "Streisand", whereas Streisand claimed it's supposed be pronounced with "a soft 's' like sand on the beach". The entertainer said she has been saying her last name like that for her "whole career". But that's not the most interesting part of her interview... Streisand then said she personally called up Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, to ask him to fix the problem - as one does. I called the head of Apple, Tim Cook. And he delightfully agreed to have Siri change the pronunciation of my name finally with the next update on September 30th," Streisand explained. Here's where it gets even more interesting: the next update to iOS - iOS 10 - is expected to launch next month, but it should arrive before 30 September. The because the next iPhone - iPhone 7 - is rumored to be shipping on either 16 September or 23 September, and it will launch with iOS 10 preloaded. Older iOS devices are expected to get the update earlier, likely 14 September. It's hard to tell if she just mixed up the date, or if she was given bad information - because all rumours point to that specific date as being unlikely. She might have been told the update is rolling out at the end of September, and so she simply guessed the date, or Cook could have revealed that a patch, 10.0.1, would be ready by then. Curiouser and curiouser. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/138569-did-barbra-streisand-of-all-people-just-slip-ios-10-s-release-date |
What does Samsung Galaxy Note 7's IP68 waterproofing mean? | Alongside its gorgeous, rounded 5.7-inch screen and iris scanner, the other Samsung Galaxy Note 7 feature that is capturing plenty of attention since its official launch is its waterproofing. Indeed, Samsung had set up an enormous tank of water at the London leg of its Unpacked unveiling, just to show how effective the phone is when submerged. The S Pen too. We have to say it's very impressive. It's not the first phone with IP68 water and dust proofing - the Sony Xperia Z5 and Samsung's own Galaxy S7 and S7 edge handsets are similarly rated, for example - but it's the first time we've seen a stylus working with a normal consumer device under water. Here is our short and handy guide. An Ingress Protection (IP) rating is awarded to a device to give a simple, clear indication of how protected it is from foreign bodies, whether that be moisture of some kind or dust. The first number signifies, on a scale up to seven, how protected the device is from intrusion. The second, on a scale up to nine, gives an indication of how protected it is from moisture. The number "6" means that a device is "protected against dust that may harm equipment", while the second number, "8", means that it is also protected against temporary immersion in water. The Note 7 therefore, with its IP68 rating, is rated as "dust tight" and can be immersed in water for a prolonged but not indefinite period of time. During the launch keynote it was joked that you can even drop the Note 7 down a toilet and it will survive. We haven't tried it yet, but there's no reason to think that's not true. Samsung claims that the Note 7 can be submerged under water down to a depth of around 1.5 metres (5 feet) for 30 minutes, which is impressive. More impressive still is that it remains water resistant even when the S Pen is removed from the handset. The hole where it usually slots in is also protected. The S Pen too is IP68 rated, so can also be submerged under water. So it's very likely the phone with survive a drop into a loo, although we wouldn't recommend it as the case isn't rugged and it might be physically damaged in the fall. Thanks to the "6" in the IP68 rating, the phone is also resistant to sand, so is far better suited to take along on a beach holiday than many handsets. However, just because something is resistant to some of the elements doesn't mean you should purposely expose it to them. Drop the phone on a pebble, for example, and you could have an issue. We'd still advise you protect it further in a decent case. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be available for pre-order from 16 August and will ship from 2 September. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/138420-what-does-samsung-galaxy-note-7-s-ip68-waterproofing-mean |
Did Nextbit just accidentally reveal its next Robin phone? | "I spy with my little eye... something red!" Nexbit, a new phone-maker made up of ex-Google and ex-HTC people, live-streamed via Periscope and Facebook Live on Thursday afternoon in order to announce the beta of its web interface for photo backups. That's neat. That mysterious, red phone casually sitting in the background of the stream. So many questions. Robin stands out from other Android handsets simply because it aims to resolve your storage woes with a clever software system that uses the cloud, and it will smartly archive and restore your content based on your usage and needs. When Pocket-lint reviewed the phone earlier this year, we said we liked the refreshing design, and that Nextbit's cloud storage solution works well. The phone isn't that old, though, so it would be odd for Nextbit to launch a second-generation model. Instead, we're assuming the bright red phone buried beneath a pile of recognisable blue Robins is probably just a red version that's about to be launched. Nextbit likely forgot to move the device out of the camera's view before it hopped online to promote its new web product. Update: It appears this was no accident. Nextbit just posted the following tweet, indicating it knew the red phone was visible all along, and that a red design might indeed be on the way. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/138177-did-nextbit-just-accidentally-reveal-its-next-robin-phone |
How is Cleanliness and Efficient Work Related? | When everyone in the company starts to realize the advantages of a clean workplace, housekeeping will become a company passion January 16, 2019 3 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Not only does the standard of cleaning impact productivity, it also contributes to the general satisfaction of employees. Employees are better engaged when their office is maintained with a professional standard of hygiene. With more inventions and industrialization, there has been a significant rise in new kinds of outbreaks too and we want to ensure that office spaces are safeguarded from the same. One must be mentally stress-free and 100 per cent confident, while at work. People often relate hygiene and cleanliness as one; however, cleanliness simply does not define hygiene. In other words, an office can be visibly clean and might still be prone to cross-contamination, simply due to lack of awareness of the housekeeping staff. When the office environment is actually clean, your efficiency will increase because then everything works just the way it should, contributing to better results. And work satisfaction is, after all, a function of an optimum and ever improving productivity. Cleaning should not just be considered as a chore or an expense but more like a feature which adds value to a brands stance. Good upkeep never goes out of fashion, in addition to the health and comfort benefits it leads to. Health and Safety: One of the obvious benefits of having a clean workplace is the sustainability aspect. This means healthier employees, fewer sick days and sustained proactivity levels. When people think of sanitation, the bathroom is likely the first place to come to your mind. However, there are other areas that can breed germs just as easily. Doors and other surfaces in high traffic areas will see plenty of hands daily, meaning lots of germ buildup with plenty of exposure to employees. Desks, phone receivers, and computer keyboards also tend to be breeding grounds for microorganisms, even the pantry if not maintained time and againin fact, they can actually be more vulnerable than toilets. Safeguarding all these areas is vital to a healthy workforce. Method: The Science behind cleaning and hygiene is also an important thing to consider. A smartly designed cleaning process will amount to minimal disturbance or downtime to any designated function. It reduces likelihood of mistakes and skipped steps, which is important when it comes to maximizing the efficacy of a maintenance routine. In a well-managed facility, employees get the benefit of an office that conforms to their roles, and this enhances the productivity in many ways. When everyone in the company starts to realize the advantages of a clean workplace, housekeeping will become a company passion. The rise in productivity that accompanies a clean office is amazing. Any company that is looking for an easy way to gain an advantage in the competitive business world should encourage workplace cleanliness for maximum productivity. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326409 |
What happens now that Theresa May has survived her no-confidence vote? | LONDON Theresa May has survived a no-confidence vote in her government which came after MPs rejected her Brexit deal on Tuesday in historic numbers. The government saw off the confidence motion by 325 votes to 306, with Tory and DUP rebels who voted against the government on Tuesday uniting in their opposition to the prospect of a Corbyn-led government. Theresa May must now focus on securing a Brexit plan which she can pass through parliament, after losing Tuesday's vote on her original plan by the biggest parliamentary margin in modern British history. May pledges to return to Brussels Reuters May is required to return to parliament within three days and tell lay a motion telling MPs what she plans to do next (the House of Commons doesn't sit on a Friday, meaning her deadline is Monday). She's expected to say that she respects the will of parliament and pledge to return to Brussels to renegotiate the much-hated Irish backstop. The fallback measure, designed to avoid the emergence of border checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland, is deeply unpopular with Tory MPs who say it could bind the UK too closely to EU rules and would undermine Northern Ireland's relationship with the rest of the UK. The question is whether the EU will be willing to renegotiate the deal. Senior EU figures remain very dismissive about the prospect, and it is very difficult to see May being able to secure the kind of concessions that would assuage the concerns of hardline Brexiteers and the DUP over the backstop. However, were May willing to drop some of her negotiating red lines on customs, trade, immigration, or the role of European courts then the EU would almost certainly agree to a more substantial renegotiation. But while pledging to renegotiate in Brussels could buy the prime minister some time, the scale of her defeat on Tuesday means that even a renegotiated deal would face an almighty struggle to make its way through parliament before March 29. Theresa May lets parliament take back control of Brexit UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor Downing Street sources said after the defeat last night that Theresa May would now focus on reaching out to other parties in a bid to find an alternative to her deal. However, as the prime minister pointed out last night, MPs who are united in opposition to her deal are not united in their proposal of an alternative for leaving the EU. Those who voted against the government last night include hard Brexiteers who support a no-deal Brexit, remainers who support a Norway-style deal, remainers who support Labour's call for permanent customs union membership, and supporters of a second referendum. In the coming weeks, should parliament wish to prevent a no-deal Brexit, it will have to coalesce around one of those alternatives. Although May appears to be intensely wary, she may eventually agree to hold a series of indicative votes on Brexit options, including her deal, Norway plus, a Canada plus free trade agreement (although it's unclear that the EU would agree to that without a backstop), a permanent customs union, and a referendum. There appears to be growing support for a permanent customs union membership among MPs and some ministers believe it could win a Commons majority. Many Labour MPs would be likely to support it, so it could be a way through for the prime minister. But that policy would be furiously opposed by large numbers of Conservative MPs, who are demanding a deal which hands Britain an independent trade policy. A deal forced through parliament with the support of Labour MPs and the opposition of a large part of the Conservative party would be a dangerous option for the prime minister. But that doesn't mean it won't happen. MPs block a no-deal Brexit TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images An alternative to a series of indicative votes would be a cross-party plan, led by former Conservative cabinet ministers Nick Boles, Oliver Letwin, and Nicky Morgan, to try and reverse the "default" setting by which Britain leaves the EU without a deal on March 29. The plan would see the EU Withdrawal act amended by a bill which dictates that May must ask for an Article 50 extension if parliament can't agree on a Brexit option. The bill would also give parliament that chance to devise an alternative Brexit plan which the government would be legally required to follow. This move would be as radical as it sounds, ending the parliamentary convention which dictates that only the government can provide time to introduce legislation. It would fundamentally challenge the idea that the executive branch the government steers the passage and direction of legislation, handing MPs across the house the right to steer Brexit in whatever direction they should so wish. The question is how much support it can command. There is overwhelming opposition to a no-deal Brexit in parliament and MPs may decide this bill is not the best mechanism to avoid such an outcome. There are also questions about whether such a bill could find time in parliament, where convention states that government business takes precedence. However, senior parliamentary officials told Business Insider this week that an amendment to next Monday's prime ministerial motion on the Brexit next steps could allow the bill time to pass parliament, if allowed by the Speaker John Bercow. It's a long shot but it could just about happen. Supporters sail in protest, staged by fishermen and fishing communities from the campaign group 'Fishing for Leave' in ports across the country, against Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit transition deal, in Hastings, Britain April 8, 2018. Reuters / Peter Nicholls One thing is clear. Parliament will do everything in its power to block a no-deal Brexit. But that doesn't mean it will be successful. Unless MPs can agree on an alternative, it remains the default option. The reality is that despite the parliamentary majority against a no-deal Brexit, there are not many viable mechanisms for parliament to actually prevent one given that they have already passed legislation defining Britain's exit date into law. One option would be a new bill which would reverse that legal position. However, as discussed above, this would struggle to find parliamentary time. One of the only remaining options would be a general election. However, such an outcome remains very unlikely because it would probably require Labour to win a motion of no-confidence in the government, which would require Conservative MPs to vote against their own prime minister (and likely result in deselection). However, given a binary choice between a no-deal Brexit and a Labour government, some believe that a few Tory MPs could choose the latter and bring down the government. A second referendum Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react as results of the EU referendum are announced at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Rob Stothard/Pool/Reuters The government is very unlikely to back a second referendum under any circumstances, but there is growing support in Labour for such an outcome, with more MPs joining the People's Vote campaign on Wednesday. Campaigners believe it all hinges on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. If he backs a second referendum it could win a Commons majority, perhaps through an indicate vote as discussed above. Business Insider's Adam Payne has more details. May resigns or gets pushed Getty May can't technically be deposed as Conservative leader because she saw off a no-confidence vote before Christmas, and party rules mean she can't be challenged for another 12 months. However, the prime minister has already made clear that she will stand down before the next general election and there are numerous unofficial leadership campaigns already taking place. May has so far shown little to no sign of going willingly, stubbornly fighting on after losing her majority at the general election, suffering dozens of resignations from her frontbench, losing the support of more than a third of her MPs in a confidence vote and losing the vote on her Brexit deal by a historic margin. However, no reign lasts forever and it is still possible that her colleagues may ultimately force her hand. Getty All Brexit options apart from a no-deal scenario are likely to require an extension of Article 50, something which Downing Street is now refusing to rule out. Business Insider's Adam Bienkov has explained why in more detail here. | https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-now-theresa-may-has-survived-no-confidence-vote |
What Are Costco's Key Value Drivers? | Costco saw its stock price increase by nearly 10% over the course of 2018. Much of that increase was due to the companys strong comparable sales growth in the U.S., as well as international markets. We have a $238 price estimate for Costco, which is almost 15% ahead of the current market price. We have created an interactive dashboard on Costcos Revenue and Cash Profits breakdown, which details our forecasts for the companys revenue and cash profits in the calendar year 2019. You can modify our assumptions to see the impact any changes would have on the companys earnings and valuation. We expect Costco to generate around $149 billion in revenues in CY 2019. Of the total expected revenues in CY 2019, we estimate $85 billion in the Costco U.S. business, almost $35 billion for the Costco International business, nearly $26 billion for the Ancillary businesses, and close to $3.3 billion in Membership income. Breakdown By Division Costcos domestic business constitutes 45% of the Trefis price estimate for Costcos stock. It is the most valuable segment for the company, contributing more than half of total sales. The retailer continues to benefit from the positive momentum of its comparable sales in the U.S. In its recent earnings, the company posted a 9% increase in comparable sales. In addition, Costcos organic performance has been keeping pace with the U.S. retail industry. This is primarily due to its business model. The company relies heavily on its membership fees, despite the fact that these fees account for only 3% of total revenues. The companys membership fees contribute around 17% of its value, per our estimates, given the low costs associated with this revenue stream. Like other large retailers, Costco makes small margins on most of its items in its stores, while membership fees help offset these low margins. Paid memberships at Costco have grown at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 4% over the past two years to 51.6 million in fiscal 2018. Going forward, we forecast the companys revenue from membership fees to reach $3.3 billion in CY 2019. Costco operates in ten international markets. The retailer boasts more than 10 million members in Canada with a renewal rate of 90%, which helps the company earn significantly through its membership fees alone. Costco operates 100 stores in Canada (as of Sept. 2018), which is the greatest number of stores in any market outside the U.S., with impressive 5% comparable sales growth. We expect the sales from the Canadian market to boost the companys international revenues in 2019 as well. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/16/what-are-costcos-key-value-drivers/ |
What's new in the latest Marshmallow Samsung Galaxy edge screen update? | Samsung has announced the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its Galaxy S6 edge and with it comes something new. The edge Screen has been given an update that makes it more useful than ever. The edge screen, built on an open SDK, allows for both Samsung and third parties to create new ways to use that extra screen space. The current edge screen is limited to 260 pixels width, this will be expanded to 550 pixels with the new update. This means more content in the display including news, stocks and sports results. These are called edge panels. The People edge and Apps edge can be customised with up to nine tiles for people and ten for apps, that can be arranged in order for single touch access. Users can now also add folders to the Apps edge screen for even more depth thanks to the width of edge panels. A new section to the edge screen that has been added is called Tasks edge. This offers faster access to tools and the like. For example creating an S Planner event, setting an alarm or writing a text can be done from the edge screen. Quick tools have been added including a torch, ruler and compass. These use the new wider width for quick access but enough space to be clear and useful. The edge Handle, a bumper bar that appears on the edge of the screen, can be customised for convenience. The transparency, size and placement of the bar can now be adjusted to perfectly suit the user. This means moving and editing the edge Handle should allow for easier app access without any more accidental taps into the edge. Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports and Yahoo! News all come built into the the edge screen. This means that swiping out using the edge Handle can bring up easily accessible feeds to keep you informed on news, sports results and stocks without the hassle of searching or even opening apps. READ: Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge get Android 6.0 Marshmallow update today | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/136722-what-s-new-in-the-latest-marshmallow-samsung-galaxy-edge-screen-update |
What does the LG X series reveal about the LG G5? | LG has a habit of pre-announcing devices before they officially debut. It's a tactic the company has used for a while meaning by the time we get to the upcoming event or show, there are normally few surprises remaining. The LG G5 is the next hotly-anticipated device and although it has been heavily rumoured, almost all the official details regarding the upcoming flagship have been kept close for now. In the week leading up to Mobile World Congress, LG has revealed two mid-range smartphones that will sit in what it is calling the X series. One of the devices focuses on display, while the other is all about the camera. Here is how the LG X screen and LG X cam compare against the rumoured specs for the LG G5. They may give away more than you'd initially think. The LG X screen is the mid-ranger that has a special focus on display. It comes with a 4.93-inch Full HD main display and a secondary 1.76-inch "Always On" display with a 520 x 80 resolution. The second display is the same low powered display that can be found on the V10. It allows for at-a-glance notifications and information including time and date. The LG G5 is confirmed to be coming with an "Always On" display too after the company uploaded a GIF on its Facebook page presenting the feature and there are also rumours claiming it will have a secondary display. There were no details on size or resolution but based on the rumours, it is likely the G5 will have a larger main display than the X screen, as well as a higher resolution. A 5.3-inch main display with a Quad HD resolution has been suggested for the G5 with a secondary display offering a 1040 x 160 resolution. While the X screen handset doesn't offer any details for the size and resolution, it does suggest that if the mid-ranger is Full HD, a higher resolution and probably larger size will be present on the flagship. We'd also expect the same technology as the X screen. The second mid-ranger that was announced - the LG cam - focuses on the camera. It features 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual rear cameras. These are coupled with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Well the new flagship has been rumoured to be coming with dual rear cameras, as well as an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. It is likely at least an 8-megapixel front camera will appear on the G5 as if the mid-ranger offers this, it would be odd for the flagship to come down, especially as the G4 also comes with an 8-megapixel front snapper. The rumour for the G5's dual rear cameras sits at 16-megapixel and 8-megapixels that are capable of 135-degree wide-angle shots. With the mid-range device offering the dual-camera setup, it is certainly a rumour that is now more plausible for the G5 and a bump in resolution wouldn't be completely nuts either. LG also didn't show off any images of the rear of the X cam smartphone - funny that. The LG X screen measures 142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1mm and comes in black, white and pink gold colour options. The LG X cam measures 147.5 x 73.6mm and has a curved rear between 5.2mm and 6.9mm. It will be available in titan silver, white, gold and pink gold. The LG G5 has plenty of rumours surrounding its design, including the idea that it will be fully-metal with a fingerprint sensor and a modular section to accommodate a removable battery. Its measurements have been touted as 149.4 x 73.9 x 8.2mm, which if true suggests a very similar footprint to the X cam device but a little thicker and taller. There haven't been any rumours surrounding the LG G5's colour options but from the X series, it looks like pink gold is a thing. The LG X screen has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. There is also a 2300mAh battery on board. The LG X cam on the other hand has a 5.2-inch Full HD display, 1.14GHz octa-core processor and a 2520mAh battery. Both have 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and run on Android Marshmallow. The LG G5 is expected to arrive with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It is also thought USB Type-C will be on board along with microSD support and a removable 2800mAh battery. Given the hardware load out of the mid-rangers, the specs predicted for the G5 seem entirely reasonable. No, but they do set a couple of benchmarks for the new flagship device. They also make a couple of the rumours surrounding the LG G5 a little more plausible like the dual cameras and the secondary display because if these features are available on a mid-range device, there is no reason not to combine them and bump up the other specs for the flagship. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/lg/136734-what-does-the-lg-x-series-reveal-about-the-lg-g5 |
Are the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Always On displays a good or bad thing? | LG has just officially announced a feature of the G5 in the form of an Always On display. Samsung is also expected to launch this tech in its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The LG announcement comes in the form of a GIF (below) posted on the company's Facebook page. This shows the screen remaining on while other phones go dark. The Always On display is also expected on Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 edge after the company recently trademarked the name. While Samsung will likely use its AMOLED display, LG is expected to use an LCD. This should mean different battery consumption and display qualities. The prime attraction of an Always On screen has to be the ability to glance at notifications, the time and date all without pressing any buttons. Samsung currently offers a Galaxy S7 edge screen swipe, while locked, to show notification information. We own one and barely ever use it in real world experience. Perhaps this full screen version will be easier and more attractive since it won't require any touching to activate. The main concern with an Always On display has to be battery life. While Samsung is likely to stick to its AMOLED displays, which are low power, LG is rumoured by Android Authority sources to be using LCD. An LCD uses more power than AMOLED, but if LG uses the second low-power screen overlaid on the main screen, as it does with its V10 smartphone, this may help save battery. This low power screen only lights up a certain area with very low light, ideal for an Always On notification section of a display then. This is still less clear from certain angles than an AMOLED though. READ: LG V10 first impressions The key here is to offer the Always On display, as an option that can be turned on and off, without impacting battery life. LG is set to launch its G5 at its event from Mobile World Congress on 21 February. Samsung is going to unveil its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge phones at its own Unpacked event, also from MWC, on the same day. We'll be at MWC 2016 to bring you all the details, including hands-on photos, live from the events. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/136673-are-the-lg-g5-and-samsung-galaxy-s7-always-on-displays-a-good-or-bad-thing |
Will the next Google Nexus phone be HTC? | For the last few years Google has used LG, Huawei and, when it was its own brand, Motorola to build Nexus phones. Samsung preceded those. But the first manufacturer of a Nexus smartphone, released six years ago, was actually HTC. Now it is heavily rumoured that the Taiwanese company is about to get another bite of the cheery as Chinese online chatter suggests that the next Nexus phone will be a HTC model. There is little substantiation to the rumours at present, save for the fact that they are plentiful, and few facts. But it is suggested that HTC will make two separate devices, which will have smaller screens than the current Nexus 5X and 6P handsets, at 5 and 5.5-inches instead of 5.2 and 5.7. A tweet from @LlabTooFeR suggests the codenamed will be T50 and T55. Something to keep an eye out for then. Google working with HTC again for a phone or two is not that far fetched, after all the manufacturer made the Google Nexus 9 tablet last year. READ: Best smartphones to look forward to in 2016 It's still early days for rumours though, with last year's models not launched until September. And there are plenty of other phones from all the major brands still to be announced and released in the interim. Mobile World Congress is only a month away, of course, and we expect LG and Samsung, at the very least, to reveal new flagship devices. We will keep you informed if we hear any more though. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/google/136487-will-the-next-google-nexus-phone-be-htc |
What is the Motorola Moto X Force ShatterShield screen and how is it unbreakable? | Motorola has quietly announced a new phone that it claims offers the world's first shatterproof screen. Meet the Moto X Force. Motorola says its new phone's screen is completely unbreakable. The company is so confident in the strength of the display that it's giving a four year warranty included. The idea is that you'll no longer have to worry about dropping your phone ever again. The new handset features a screen technology that Motorola has called Moto ShatterShield. This offers multiple layers of protection so that dropping a phone is no longer an issue. There's a dual touch layer as a failsafe in case one goes after a fall. This means that touch will remain as sensitive even if there is damage taken. The technology employs an interior lens to stop cracking and an exterior lens with a hard coat to protect against normal wear and tear. The combination of the two should create an encased screen that is impervious to damage. A rigid aluminium core and flexible 5.4-inch QHD AMOLED display also help ensure the screen remains intact even after drop damage. On top of being tough the Moto X Force is also built for longevity. Battery is claimed to last up to 48 hours on a charge. There is also TurboPower charging included meaning up to 13-hours of power can be offered from a 15-minute charge. Of course these numbers vary with real world use but Motorola is cutting edge when it comes to fast charging so expect this to be pretty accurate. Since most camera lenses are covered in sapphire glass they're protected already. But what's behind that tough lens counts. On the rear of the Moto X Force is a whopping 21-megapixel camera that features rapid focus. On the front is a 5-megapixel selfie snapper with wide-angle lens. This also feature a front-facing flash ideal for low light selfies. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor powering the handset. Storage varies from 32GB to 64GB depending on how much you're willing to spend. The Moto X Force can also be personalised using Motorola's Moto Maker for varying colours and materials. The phone will be available from mid-November from 499 for the 32GB model and 534 for the 64GB variant. It will also be available on contract via Carphone Warehouse from 30 upfront on a 32 per month contract. READ: Motorola Moto X Play review: Big-battery beauty | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/motorola/135748-what-is-the-motorola-moto-x-force-shattershield-screen-and-how-is-it-unbreakable |
What is Apple's 3D Touch and how does it work? | Apple's latest iPhones, from the iPhone 6S onwards excluding the iPhone SE, feature a new type of screen. They not only have different glass to older models, but they offer new interactive levels too thanks to a technology called 3D Touch. The iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus recognise force as well as gestures in order to offer more accurate haptic feedback. This in turn results in apps being more accessible thanks to variations in pressure offering previews, quick swiping and more. This feature explains what features Apple's 3D Touch offers and how does the technology works. One of the great things about 3D Touch, if you can get used to using it, is quicker access to various app actions from the home screen. Not all apps offer compatibility with 3D Touch, but there are more on board now than when 3D Touch first appeared. Pressing and holding a compatible app's icon on home screen will pull up a menu, allowing you to perform various tasks without having to open up the app first. For example, pressing and holding the camera app will allow you launch the selfie camera rather than main snapper, while Maps will offer the option to mark your destination or send your location. Press and hold Facebook and you'll get the option of searching, writing a post, uploading a photo or video, or taking a photo or video. Some apps offer more options than others in the pop up menu, including the option to add a widget to the screen to the left of the home screen. All of Apple's native apps support 3D Touch but there are plenty of others too so it's worth having a play. You can also use 3D Touch to jump between apps rather than double tapping the home button. Apply a little but of pressure to the screen edge and you can swipe across between apps. Another of the features within 3D Touch is called "Peek and Pop", which allows for exactly what it suggests: peeking at selected notifications through a pop up screen without needing to open the specific app. Pressing and holding notifications offers a number of options depending on the which app the notification came from. For example, if a tweet, you'll be able to retweet or like it, while an iMessage will allow you to read the message in a pop up screen and reply. When inside apps, you can press lightly for a peek of the content, while continuing to press more firmly will go into the content. In Mail, for example, you can press lightly to glance at a specific email then release the pressure to slip back to your entire list of emails. Pressing deeper when glancing at a specific email in the pop mode and you'll be taken into the message where you will have access to all the actions you would have had if you had entered the Mail app and specific email manually. Another example where Peek and Pop is useful is in Messages. If you receive a message with a time, date, flight number or web address, Messages will automatically highlight the respective event by underlining it. From here, a light press on the event will either pull up your calendar, go to the incoming flight time if a flight number or allow you to peek at the web address within messages without going opening the browser. Capacitive sensors are integrated into the back light of the Retina display. With pressure, microscopic changes between the cover glass and back light are measured, which combined with the touch sensor and accelerometer should provide accurate pressure response. The 3D Touch technology is included in all Apple's devices capable of detecting touch pressure variations. You'll therefore find it in the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It is currently not available in the iPads, despite the iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 12.9 all offering pressure-sensitive displays compatible with the Apple Pencil. It is also not available on the smaller and cheaper iPhone SE. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/135244-what-is-apple-s-3d-touch-and-how-does-it-work |
What products have been invented in Fresno California? | If you are like most people, the idea soon fades and you go on with your life. But not if you are someone like Paula Reinhardt of Fresno, who cruises the aisles of Fresno Ag Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond and Home Depot with ideas popping out of her head. I probably come up with 20 ideas a day, thats why hardware stores are some of my favorite places to go, she said. I just look around and figure out what I need to make my ideas happen. Reinhardt, who spent years in sales, is among the local inventors whove been lucky enough to have their ideas become real products. She created the Clean and Clear 360, a plastic tool used to clean out the canister of a bag-less vacuum. Its sold at Fresno Ag Hardware. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Although not a household name yet, Reinhardt hopes to make it big, just like those who came before her. She also has other ideas in the works, including something for pet owners. Its every inventors dream to finally get your product on the market, she said. But this is not an easy ride. And if your are not a patient person or cant handle disappointment, you better spend your time doing something else. Paula Reinhardt of Fresno is the inventor a the Clean and Clear 360, a vacuum cleaning tool. Special to the Bee Trying to make it in the Valley Experts say the Valley is an ideal place to launch a new product or business. Mark Jackson, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Blue Dolphin Design and Engineering, said its in our blood to be tinkerers, inventors and creators. He said the Valleys deep farming roots have created a culture of self-reliance, persistence and risk-taking, all attributes shared by local inventors. Ive done business from the Bay Area to LA and I 100 percent firmly believe that we have the technical capabilities, resources and the people in the Valley to do what they do in the bigger cities, Jackson said. We also have some of that farmer mindset that when we run across a problem we will find a solution, no matter what. Jacksons latest venture is the Pi Shop, an incubator that provides inventors and start-ups the technical tools and business expertise to launch their companies. Located in the Peerless Building, 1755 Broadway St., in Fresno., Jackson works with everyone from high school students to veteran businesses. You pay a membership fee depending on how many services you use. Jackson has an array of equipment from high-end 3D printers to office space. SHARE COPY LINK Mark Jackson of Blue Diamond, who started The Pi Shop which with its team of engineers and 3D printing capabilities, shows how they help startups and established businesses develop new ideas, on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019 in Fresno. Jackson sees a sort of farm system developing for entrepreneurs in Fresno. It starts at the high school level with the Patino School of Entrepreneurship, extends to Fresno States Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and goes beyond to different incubator programs, including the Pi Shop and the Water, Energy and Technology Center on the Fresno State Campus. We are developing a pipeline and that is good to see, Jackson said. And what Ive learned over 20 years of dealing with inventors and entrepreneurs is that some people are really good at developing the thing, but theres sometimes very little help with the rest of the business and thats just as important. Disappointment is part of the journey For rookie inventors, like Reinhardt, the help of a mentor, coach or incubator, can be invaluable. Shes learned a lot about the patent process, licensing and marketing. But theres little preparation for the disappointment that nearly every inventor faces. Reinhardt vividly recalls the day someone she had been counting on to help her, killed the deal after seven months of discussions. I literally cried so hard I could not open my eyes, she said. But the next day, I got up and told my husband that I was never giving up on this. And after that never looked back. Inventor Diane Fischer of Madera knows all too well that the life of an inventor can be a rocky one. She created the Bottle Stand, a triangle-shaped device that holds bottles or containers upside down. The device solves the problem of trying to get the last drop of ketchup or shampoo out of the bottle. She was disappointed that couldnt make her product in the U.S. The cost of manufacturing overseas is vastly cheaper. She also wished she had launched the product sooner. Some condiment makers have begun making their bottles so you can store them upside down in the refrigerator. Still, the Bottle Stand has many uses including storage for glues, craft paint, and anything in a pump bottle. She sells the stand online at www.thebottlestand.com and you can also find it at Eye Candy Fashion Boutique, 1506 Howard Road. in Madera. She is also working on a stand with a bigger opening for larger bottles and producing them in primary colors for teachers. I am learning a lot about this business and while it can feel overwhelming at times I dont think I would want it any other way, she said. I mean how many people get the opportunity to do something like this. One of the most successful Fresno inventors in recent years is Kelly Fitzpatrick, creator of Bumpits. FRESNO,CA-- - BIZ TAO BUMPITS 1 -- - Kelly Fitzpatrick puts in a Bumpits into her daughters Katherine Dias hair to give it elevation and body. Fitzpatrick is a hairdresser turned mortgage banker and when the mortgage business went South she started her own business making and selling bumpits on the Home Shopping Network in Australia and the U.S. Tomas Ovalle/ The Fresno Bee Fresno Bee Staff Photo Fitzpatrick, whose last name is now Bennett, was a beauty salon owner from Kingsburg turned mortgage banker who was looking for a way to give womens hair some lift in the back. Using a plastic knife, some Velcro and Popsicle sticks, Bennett created her first prototype. Ive always thought that inventing is like crafting, and I think thats why women are so good at it, she said. Sales of Bumpits took off, helping to fuel a national craze of women wanting big hair. The small plastic device gave a womans hair a stylistic bump. At the height of its popularity, Bumpits was being sold at every major department store from Walmart to Target. It became the Claires store all-time, best-selling hair accessory, she said. And to help fight off potential competitors and increase her marketing, Fitzpatrick partnered with a much larger company that also sold the Snuggie blanket. It was a wild ride and it became successful so quickly, she said But the truth is, there was a point where we were ready to end the whole thing. Shortly after premiering on the market in 2008, Bennett and her advertising-buying company parted ways. She faulted them for not buying ads on popular networks like MTV, Country Music Television, or entertainment shows. I think they thought the product was silly, she said. Faced with no advertising and little income coming in, Bennett made the difficult decision to put her fledgling company on hold. She called her son to tell him the bad news and while he was consoling her he noticed hundreds of orders landing in the companys email. He told her it was probably spam and he would have to call her back. At the time, neither realized that one of their ads had just appeared on the MTV network. He called me back and told me that we had 60,000 new orders, she said. After that I called a new media company and the Bumpit became a home run. During its lifetime, more than 10 million Bumpits were sold with sales reaching $100 million. But by 2010, sales began to flatten as the big hair phenomenon started to deflate. Bennett wouldnt say exactly how much she made off Bumpits, but she acknowledged it was enough to buy a large home on the Central Coast and to not have to work another day in her life. But like most inventors, Bennett isnt good at staying idle. She revealed that she will be coming back with a new product this spring. It isnt exactly Bumpits 2.0, but it does have something to do with hair. Lets just say that instead of big hair this will help you get perfect volume, she said. Im a hair girl, what can I say. | https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article223075560.html |
Can stronger necks prevent concussions? | Share this Article Facebook Twitter Email You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. University Rutgers University Neck-strengthening exercises in the preseason can help protect the heads of athletes at higher risk of concussion, new research suggests. For a new study, which appears in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, researchers looked at previous studies on the role that the necks strength, size, and posture play in reducing concussion risk. They also looked into the greater risk of head injury to female and young male athletes who play contact or impact sports. The researchers then developed recommendations physical therapists and athletic trainers can use to protect athletes. These include performing a thorough cervical spine assessment as part of the pre-athletic participation exam; screening for pain because baseline reports of neck pain have been associated with increased concussion risk in young athletes; and providing interventions such as exercises to strengthen neck muscles. Our ability to detect sports-related concussions has greatly improved, but our ability to prevent concussions and decrease post-injury outcomes remains limited, says lead author Allison Brown, an assistant professor at the Rutgers University School of Health Professions. We have identified neck strength, size, and posture as potential factors that reduce risk by lessening the magnitude of force upon impact. Thus, increasing neck strength and possibly size could substantially reduce risk or severity of injury or outcomes. An impact that makes the brain move within the skull causes concussions, which can lead to problems with thinking, concentration, mood, or other neurological changes. Additional symptoms can include dizziness and nausea. A stronger, thicker neck that is aligned in a forward posturewith the ears ahead of rather than aligned with the shouldersmay reduce the amount of energy transferred to the brain during an impact and reduce the risk and severity of injury, says senior author Carrie Esopenko, an assistant professor at the School of Health Professions. Women typically have less neck strength and experience a greater concussion risk as well as greater severity of symptoms and longer duration of recovery compared to men, Esopenko says. Source: Rutgers University | https://www.futurity.org/concussions-necks-athletes-1959052-2/ |
What are the costs of the government shutdown? | Share this Article Facebook Twitter Email You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. University New York University The current government shutdown is now the longest on record, sidelining roughly 800,000 non-essential workers in nine agencies out of about two million full-time federal employees in all (excluding postal workers and soldiers). Paul C. Light, a professor of public service at New York Universitys Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, is a leading expert on the federal service and the author of The Government-Industrial Complex: The True Size of the Federal Government, 1984-2018 (Oxford University Press, 2019). The shutdowns impact extends, Light estimates, to more than 4.1 million contract workers and grantees, as well as the hundreds of thousands of other workers. Like those non-critical workers sitting at home, contract workers, who are largely in service jobs, do not expect to be paid until Congress and the president come to an agreement to resume appropriations. When theyll achieve a compromise is anybodys guess. The sticking point in this shutdown is the more than $5 billion in border-wall funding that President Trump has requested. Meantime, fallout spreads: the appropriations freeze is bringing complications for traditional government services, from public-health inspections of food and environmental hazards to security screening. Here, Light talks about the shutdowns broad repercussions and if he can predict a possible end date: | https://www.futurity.org/government-shutdown-1958432/ |
What does insider trading mean? | Sheridan Smiths new drama Cleaning Up follows an office cleaner, Sam (played by Smith), who turns to insider trading in order to make ends meet. Advertisement Once the city high-flyers power down their computers and exit their skyscraper offices, a team of cleaners move in, tasked with scrubbing stains, wiping desks and taking out bins. But Sam soon learns that one of the companys stockbrokers is profiting from his insider knowledge and she starts to wonder why she shouldnt grab a chance to do the same Sam has a stab at explaining the concept to her fellow cleaner Jess over a drink: These insider traders have info that the public dont know about, she tells her. They then invest that info into the stock market. Bingo! The value of whatever theyve bought goes up because they knew it was going to go up. They had the information. Thats how it works, thats how they get rich. How do they obtain that information, Jess asks. They share it with each other if somebody knows a company is going to get bought out, they know the stocks are going to rise. So then he passes that info on and its all very hush hush. Hush hush indeed because as is mentioned repeatedly in Cleaning Up insider trading is a criminal offence and carries a significant custodial sentence. The stock market is controlled by various rules and regulations in a bid to keep it fair for the people looking to make money from investments. One such rule forbids anyone who has confidential information on a company from using that knowledge to buy and sell shares for their own gain. So, for example, if you were to come by news that a company is about to be bought out by a much bigger company, you might want to invest in a few shares in the smaller of the two companies in anticipation that they would soon be worth more than you paid for them. But if the imminent buy-out is confidential, and knowledge of it is unavailable to other investors on the market, then using that information to spin a profit is illegal and, if discovered, youre likely to face prosecution. Insider trading also applies to information about a soon-to-be fall in a companys fortunes for example, if you had stock in a company and were privy to information that its CEO was about to face criminal prosecution, until that news was made public, it would be illegal to sell up early in anticipation of the price of your stocks dropping. And the law also forbids you from passing on any of that information to someone else to trade for their benefit or yours. No. The United States of America passed the Securities Exchange Act in 1934 which criminalised insider trading, in reaction to the stock market crash of 1929. In the UK, it has been illegal since 1980. In the UK, insider trading carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years and an unlimited fine. The longest sentence imposed so far has been four and a half years. Perhaps one of the most famous cases is that of Martha Stewart cooking entrepreneur and the American equivalent of Mary Berry who in 2003 received a five-month prison sentence. Her conviction was for the sale of her 3,928 shares in ImClone Systems in December 2001 after receiving non-public information from her broker. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-16/cleaning-up-insider-trading/ |
What does the Bezos divorce have to do with Palm Beach County? | The marriage of one of the world's wealthiest couples, now ending in divorce, can be traced back about 25 years ago to a Palm Beach County courthouse. Thats where Amazon chief executive officer and founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, were issued a marriage license by the county, court records show. The license was officially issued Sept. 1, 1993, the same year they held their wedding at Breakers West in West Palm Beach. At the time, she was still MacKenzie Scott Tuttle, and she and Bezos had yet to oversee the rise of an e-commerce company that made Jeff Bezos one of the worlds wealthiest people. Both Forbes and Bloomberg rank Bezos as the wealthiest person in the world, with Forbes listing his 2018 worth at $112 billion and Bloomberg listing his 2019 worth at $139 billion. MacKenzie Bezos was an important part of Amazon's origin. According to the New York Times, she was Amazon's first accountant and drove her husband to Seattle in 1994 while Bezos sat in the passenger seat, working on the company's business plan. The couple announced their divorce in a statement posted to Jeff Bezos Twitter account last week. It is unclear how the couple will divide their assets. Both MacKenzie and Bezos were recently spotted at MacKenzie's parents 55th wedding anniversary in West Palm Beach in May. | https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190116/what-does-bezos-divorce-have-to-do-with-palm-beach-county |
Could Sony be planning Xperia Z5 launch for September? | Rumours are circulating that Sony might be looking to launch a true flagship model in the Xperia Z5, with September as the timeframe for launch. Sony's launches in 2015 have been a little confusing. After the Sony Xperia Z3 - which is a great phone - we've had the Xperia Z4 in Japan and the Xperia Z3+ in the rest of the world. The Xperia Z3+ stumbles a little, not really moving things forward and struggling to keep itself cool. It might not come as a surprise that there's plans for the next device. The timeframe of September fits with IFA 2015. That's a common Launchpad for devices in the latter half of the year. It's where we normally see Samsung update the Galaxy Note, for example, and Sony often has a big presence at the show, previously using it to launch several mobile devices each year. There's talk that the Xperia Z5 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. Announced at MWC 2015, the SD820 is the next generation, scheduled for the second half of 2015. That timeframe also fits, and Sony has debuted some Qualcomm chipsets in the past. When Qualcomm introduced us to the new chipset, one of the hot topics was its support for new fingerprint scanning technology. With Android M supporting fingerprint scanners natively and the launch of Android Pay expected, it makes sense that Sony would be looking to add this tech in too. However, the source of this rumour isn't declared by Technodify who is reporting on the rumour, so we're taking it with a big pinch of salt until we hear more about it. One thing we know, however, is that Sony Mobile has, in the past, skipped from one flagship device to another in quick succession, so it's not entirely out of the question. READ: Sony Xperia Z3+ review | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/sony-mobile/134518-could-sony-be-planning-xperia-z5-launch-for-september |
Is the "10 Year Challenge" on Facebook a privacy scheme disguised as a meme? | It's the simple meme that's taking over your social media feeds: the "10 Year Challenge," where users upload side-by-side photos of themselves from a decade ago and now. But it might not be so simple. Facebook on Wednesday distanced itself from the "10 Year Challenge" after an article set off speculation that the social media giant could be secretly mining data from the photos to improve its facial recognition algorithms. It's a scenario that those who have studied social media companies don't rule out, despite Facebook's denials. The photo challenge gives Facebook "a perfect storm for machine learning," said Amy Webb, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business with an upcoming book about how artificial intelligence can manipulate humans. "It presented Facebook with a terrified opportunity to learn, to train their systems to better recognize small changes" in users' appearances, she told CBS News. The "10 Year Challenge" popped up last week and across Facebook, Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) and Twitter millions of people have participated. The challenge generated 5.2 million engagements on Facebook in just three days, according to the social media monitoring tool Talkwalker. It was the latest in a constant stream of social media crazes like the "Bird Box" challenge and Top Nine photo collage that enticed users to join in with little concern for safety and privacy. There are also viral hashtags like #MyFirstConcertWas, which get users to reveal answers to popular security questions. Speculation about the meme's ulterior motive flared up after Wired writer Kate O'Neill published an op-ed suggesting it wasn't just harmless fun. O'Neill pointed out that the viral challenge has filled Facebook with labeled, side-by-side user photos taken within a fixed period of time. That's different, and easier to analyze, than the years of photos that users have already uploaded in no particular order. It's also more useful for technology that's trying to capture how people look and how they age. She warned of "fraught consequences" that could come from this data, such as insurance companies kicking up coverage costs for people who seem to be aging quickly. (There has been no evidence so far that this is happening.) Facebook issued a statement saying it had no role in starting the challenge and saw no benefit in it. "This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook," the company said. "Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time." But even if Facebook didn't initiate the challenge, it has been using facial recognition intelligence for years to recognize users and people they are pictured with. It is also rolling out new products that rely on artificial intelligence, such as Portal, a video chat screen with a camera that can follow you around a room and automatically focus on your face. The "10 Year Challenge" comes about a year after a similar effort from Google, one of Facebook's biggest competitors. Google's Arts & Culture app matches selfies with works of art that resemble the user. The app uses facial recognition algorithms to create side-by-side comparisons after users upload a photo. Whatever Facebook gets out of the "10 Year Challenge," Barr said it's significant that people questioned its motive in the first place. After an avalanche of Facebook privacy scandals and data breaches in the past two years, now even a meme seems suspect. "It's good that finally, even though it took a couple days, eventually the conversation (began) of, 'What a minute, did we just play into the hands of the tech giants again?'" Barr said. "At least that was part of the conversation." -Dan Patterson contributed to this report. | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-10-year-challenge-meme-could-it-mine-your-data-facial-recognition/ |
Why is the Chiefs defense so much better at home? | Going into the AFC championship game against the Patriots, the Chiefs defense ranks 26th in Football Outsiders opponent-adjusted metrics 12th against the pass and dead last against the run. Its a less-than-ideal matchup against a New England team that just steamrolled the Chargers in the divisional frame with as diverse and effective a run game as youll see in the modern NFL. And when these two teams faced off in Week 6, with the Patriots winning 43-40 in what most called a pass-happy shootout, New England gained 173 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground on 38 carries. If the Chiefs are to move on to their first post-merger Super Bowl, theyll have to find a way to contain Bill Belichicks malevolent ground game, as well as whatever Tom Brady has in store for them. Heres what gives the Chiefs hope, though that Week 6 game was in Foxborough, and the rematch is at Arrowhead Stadium. And as rightfully maligned as Kansas Citys defense has been through most of the 2018 season (pass-rushing excellence aside), this is absolutely a different defense at home. In fact, the Chiefs home and road defensive splits are quite remarkable. Per TeamRankings.com, Kansas Citys defense has allowed 34.8 points per game on the road in the 2018 season, including the postseason, and just 17.4 points per game at home. Thats by far the biggest split between home and road performance in the NFL this season; the Buccaneers ranked second with a 13.6 points-per-game discrepancy behind Kansas Citys 17.2. Only the 49ers, Dolphins and Jaguars had a difference over 10 points per game. Its not just points per game, either, and its not all about beating up weaker opponents at home. Those same Football Outsiders defensive metrics, which again adjust for opponent, have the Chiefs ranked 30th on the road and 12th at home. And with this game in the Chiefs backyard, youd think even the Patriots would be quite vulnerable to a Patrick Mahomes-led offensive attack and a defense thats above league average. And as Seth Keysor of The Athletic points out, the Arrowhead Advantage goes back at least three years its just that the splits between home and road defensive performance have become more graphic in each season. The split was 5.7 points in 2016, 8.7 points in 2017 and now the remarkable split the Patriots are faced with. Whats perhaps most interesting about this phenomenon is that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton either hasnt gone in-depth with it, or hes not going to share his thoughts with the media. I am not sure if its true, Sutton said last week, per the teams media department. I dont know, I havent really studied it like that. Weve had some good games here defensively. I think the obvious thing from a defensive standpoint is that the home crowd here is a huge advantage, especially from a pass-rush standpoint because you have to operate on a silent count on offense. You dont have the cadence as much of a weapon as you normally do. Indy did a really good job at Houston last week. Early in the game they got them to jump twice and Houston can be a pretty loud place too. That would be I think the No. 1 thing that is a huge advantage to the defense is if the offense cant use the cadence as a real weapon. It causes your own set of problems at home. We face the same thing offensively, its hard to communicate and then defensively its loud there. Thats what I would think. The Chiefs have a defensive front that will get sacks and pressures no matter where they are, and in fact, they were more effective with quarterback takedowns on the road in the regular season they had 31 sacks on the road, and 22 at home. The Chiefs had 11 interceptions on the road and just three at home. They gave up 142 first downs at home, 110 on the road. They allowed 19 passing touchdowns at home, just 11 on the road. Some of this can be explained by the quality of offenses the Chiefs faced at home versus on the road this season. They gave up 54 points to the Rams in Los Angeles. They gave up 43 points to the Patriots in Foxborough. They gave up 38 points to the Seahawks in Seattle, and they allowed 37 points to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Rams finished second in Offensive DVOA behind only Kansas City. The Patriots ranked fifth, the Steelers sixth and the Seahawks ninth. Kansas City allowed more than 30 points five times this season, and all five of those games including a 40-33 win over the woeful Raiders were on the road. At home, the Chiefs allowed 20 points or less five times, and those games were against the Jaguars (30th in Offensive DVOA), the Cardinals (dead last), the Bengals (19th), the Raiders (25th), and the Colts in the divisional round. So, the opponent adjustments baked into those home/road splits from Football Outsiders only take us so far. The Colts game is the outlier the Chiefs hope they can repeat. Indianapolis ranked 10th in Offensive DVOA this season, and they were rolling for most of the year until Arrowhead and the Chiefs punched them right in the face. Andrew Lucks offense went three-and-out on each of their first four drives, gaining a total of 21 net yards. They then moved the ball 70 yards downfield near the end of the first half, only to watch Adam Vinatieri miss a 23-yard field goal. Until Luck threw an amazing deep touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton with 5:31 left in the game, Indy didnt do much. The Chiefs played aggressive coverage and bring pressure consistently, which is their preferred method. This isnt a great coordinated zone coverage team, and if you test their man concepts often enough, you will be able to exploit blown assignments. But the Colts were unable to, often because the pressure rocked Luck off his preferred platform, and Kansas Citys secondary was able to hold it together long enough to prevent Luck from throwing to open first reads. Combine that with the weather at Arrowhead that day (the game started at 32 degrees and obviously got colder), and the Colts didnt stand much of a chance in a 31-13 blowout. Given that an Arctic blast is expected to hit Kansas City for this game, there could be a repeat of this from a passing perspective. Where the Chiefs really and obviously need to improve when playing the Patriots is against the run. Here, the trends do not favor the Chiefs. At home this season, theyve allowed 4.9 yards per run and 12 touchdowns compared with five yards per carry and just seven rushing touchdowns on the road. Theres no question that the Chiefs have a decisive statistical advantage with their decent defense in the one category where it really matters points allowed. But the research shows holes in the construction that can be exploited, and if theres one team in the NFL known for exploiting any potential weakness, its the team theyll be facing Sunday afternoon. | https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/01/16/why-is-kansas-city-chiefs-defense-so-much-better-at-arrowhead-stadium/ |
What is the LG G4c and does it really deserve that G4 name? | The LG G4 has arrived to lead the way as the flagship smartphone for LG. It looks like it will have at least one follower in tow after a smaller LG G4c smartphone leaked online. The LG G3 had a smaller, more affordable version called the LG G3 s. This new G4c name has appeared on several German retail websites. So while specs for the G4c might not blow you away, a more powerful G4 s may still be incoming later. The LG G4 is all about that stunning 16-megapixel camera with full manual shooting options and a 2K display to see shots on. The G4c appears to have no such offerings but merely looks similar to the G4, minus the leather back option. The LG G4c is expected to be a more affordable option at between 279 and 300 which is about 205 and 222. The LG G4 is about 500. This should get you a 5-inch 720 x 1,280 resolution IPS display at 294ppi, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor backed by 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage and a 2,540mAh battery. The camera is expected to be just 8-megapixels in the rear with a 5-megapixel selfie snapper in the front. The LG G4c should come with Android 5.0 Lollipop skinned over with the LG UX 4.0. So the specs aren't great compared to the G4 but at that price and with the G4 looks it's an attractive, more affordable option. Here's hoping it gets an official release soon. READ: LG G4 review: A balance of phone meets phablet | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/lg/133816-what-is-the-lg-g4c-and-does-it-really-deserve-that-g4-name |
Can Anyone Look Cuul Smoking a Juul? | Welcome to Signs of the Times, a semi-frequent column that examines trends and other things people are doing. I never got into Juuling. Whenever I tried it, I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio, but not the cool movie version. I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio teething on his e-cigarette at the Screen Actors Guild Awards a few years ago, staring into a glittering void while he considered the emptiness of fame. I do see the utility of a Juul for a lifelong, addicted smoker: A Juul offers up nicotine without the cocktail of extra cigarette poisons, though this is sometimes obscured by the bad press. But Ive always fallen into that more frivolous but still concerning category of smoker: the nondaily, or social, smoker. Specifically, I only smoke when Im drinking, which is code for when Im flirting. If my doctor asks, I flirt three times a year or less. Even though smoking cigarettes was wretched and gave me diarrhea more often than not, I understood their allure from a flirting perspective. They were easily shareable, for one thing. I dated him. Twice. Cigarettes were great because you could ask a stranger if you could bum one as an icebreaker, but you didnt have to risk contact with his stranger germsevery time I suckle from a friends Juul, I feel a little jolt of too-soon intimacy. Cigarettes also gave you a reason to step outside on little smoking adventures: If you were chatting with someone in a loud bar, you could just say, Im going to go out for a cigarette if you want to join. Then you got to go shiver outside together for ten minutes, bonding over your wanton disregard for your health and the cold. Cigarettes were also flattering to the face in a way that Juuls arent. Now, Ive never looked at a man smoking a cigarette and thought, I want those smelly lips on mine right now, but I have looked at a man smoking a Juul and thought, That guy looks really stupid smoking that Juul. You can tell someone is a veteran Juuler by his expression, which is simultaneously vacant and self-righteous. You can tell someone is a newborn Juuler because he looks down his nose at the Juul in wonder, like hes playing a tiny recorder. (Incidentally, I just checked to see if anyone has ever tried to make a bong out of a recorder, and it turns out theres a whole community around it. An amazing time to be alive.) You can tell someone is a newborn Juuler because he looks down his nose at the Juul in wonder, like hes playing a tiny recorder. It was clear where the cigarettes sex appeal came from. When a grown man smoked a cigarette, he was indexing all those rugged Marlboro ads from the olden days. He was indexing Marlon Brando. (The reality, of course, was less sexy: Marlon Brando probably had diarrhea all the time.) When a grown man smokes a Juul, hes indexing tech nerds. I think Juuls look so cool. They dont smell and they plug into a computer, said one adult friend. Theyre like James Dean in Silicon Valley. I briefly drifted off into a Homer Simpson stupor envisioning Silicon Valley James Dean strolling around the Google campus in a vest and shorts, vaping and asking people to call him Jim. I shuddered. Juuls were created by nerds, for nerds. Teens usually hate nerd stuff, but its easy to understand why they took up Juuls. As rebellions go, Juuling is not as obviously harmful as smoking cigarettes or snorting a condom so deeply into ones nose that it can be pulled out ones mouth, but teachers and parents still hate it. The Juul is healthy-illicit. Its the perfect teen vice. In November, Juul Labs deleted its Instagram and Facebook, noted portals to the teen psyche. The company also stopped selling most of its flavored pods after critics suggested that chaste youths, driven to sin by the mango and crme vapors, might take up smoking. Through an adult education campaign, Juul has doubled down on marketing itself as a smoking alternative for grown-ups, which is a noble goal at best and a marketing move la margarine manufacturers calling marge a healthy alternative to butter at worst. Despite Juuls efforts, the association remains and will remain: The Juul is to teens as the cigarette was to rebels without a cause. They immediately call to mind teens, immaturity, and fuccboi-ness, another friend said of Juuls. They are an immediate turn-off in my book. Teens are smart: As soon as adults get into something, the teens back away from it (see also: Facebook). The reverse should be true, but many adults have no concern for generational cross-pollination. Granted, a lot of my friends are drawn to teen trends through a charming, ironic fascination. But adults who Juul recreationally seem to be pulled to it by something sadder: They want to look cool. I have so many friends who never smoked cigs but who smoke Juuls now, my friend went on scathingly. Theyre for people who dont want to take responsibility for a real nicotine habit. Jim Dean, in his vest. A former colleague and frequent Juuler with an appropriate shame for the habit told me he likes being able to Juul furtively. Its easy to be discreet with them, he said. Like you look around, puff, then quickly put it away. (Indeed, this friend had been Juuling for months before I caught him nursing it one day and ruined the discretion by shouting, with et tu, Brute despair, You JUUL?) | https://www.gq.com/story/juul-cuul |
Are Some People Using Their Dogs to Get Opioids? | Following general trends After looking at Penn Vet's prescribing practices, Perrone's team obtained statewide prescription data kept by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for all Pennsylvania veterinarians. Between 2014 and 2017, Pennsylvania vets doled out 688,340 hydrocodone (Hycodan) tablets, 14,100 codeine tablets, 23,110 fentanyl patches, 171,100 tablets of hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and 7,600 doses of oxycodone (Oxycontin), the federal data showed. The findings were published Jan. 10 in the journal JAMA Network Open. The opioid epidemic stems from a shift in medical philosophy, in which pain's role as a symptom to be treated became more prominent and the risks of opioid addiction were not fully appreciated, Feinstein said. "Veterinarians live in the same society as the rest of us," she said. "It's not surprising to see the same trends happening in veterinary medicine as were happening in the rest of medicine. All of medicine was prescribing more opioids and thinking they were safe." Beyond the risk of people "vet shopping" for drugs, Feinstein said the numbers suggest pet cabinets across the country might contain opioids ripe for misuse. "If there is someone with an opioid use problem in your circle, those leftover pills can become a temptation if they're not safely locked up," she said. Dr. John de Jong, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, said he hasn't seen any data to suggest that what was found in Pennsylvania is occurring elsewhere. "First, this is a survey of veterinarians at a veterinary teaching hospital to which complex cases are referred and for which more extensive pain management is often needed," de Jong said. "It is inappropriate to extrapolate results from a practice like that to primary care practices across the country." Second, pain management is a rapidly emerging field in veterinary medicine, de Jong said. "The period of this study overlaps a period of significant growth in understanding pain and its impact on veterinary patients," he said. "It is reasonable to expect that as knowledge grows, so will efforts to address related concerns. So, it's very possible that this study doesn't reflect overprescribing, but instead reflects appropriate prescribing representing better pain management in veterinary patients." | https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20190115/are-some-people-using-their-dogs-to-get-opioids?src=RSS_PUBLIC |
Are there foods to avoid during the government shutdown? | Fresh fruits and vegetables lie on display at a Spanish producer's stand at the Fruit Logistica agricultural trade fair on Feb. 8, 2017, in Berlin, Germany. The answer is complicated, and it depends who you ask. "We are very concerned that the shutdown may lead to lapses in food safety, but we don't know where or when these will happen," said Sarah Sorscher, deputy director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group. On Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration resumed some food safety inspections that had stopped since the government shutdown began on December 22. Inspectors who are back on the job are doing so without pay. When asked what foods he won't eat during the shutdown, food safety attorney Bill Marler said, "I would say anything you aren't controlling yourself, so any fresh, uncooked products on the market place," such as ready-to-eat salads and prepackaged sandwiches, or meals that aren't cooked. His list: "Sprouts, leafy greens, ready to eat products like cheese, ice cream. I would be especially suspect if you're a pregnant woman, children, people with a compromised immune system. I would stay away from it completely." Marler is a food safety attorney who represents people who became sick or families of people who died from a foodborne illness. He represented clients whose cases led lawmakers to pass the Food Safety Modernization Act. He says even when there isn't a government shutdown, the FDA doesn't have enough inspectors, noting that 80% of the food that falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA is inspected. "We're already at a deficit ... when you're cutting back anything at FDA you're cutting back on a lot," he said. "I worry about those foods that are going to institutions like hospitals, like nursing homes ... I worry about our most vulnerable consumers," said Catherine Donnelly, a professor at the University of Vermont and expert on the microbiological safety of food. However, she said her confidence in the safety of the US food supply is still high, even during the shutdown. The FDA is only one part of the safety system, she said. "The FDA made it really clear that the responsibility for food safety lies with the companies," she said. "They just have responsibility for oversight and determining whether there are violations. To a large extent, the job of food safety is already being done very well I think by the food industry at large. "Consumers should continue to have confidence in those brand names that they trust and the willingness of companies to do the right thing in providing them with safe food." Hilary Thesmar, chief food and product safety officer at the Food Marketing Institute, an advocacy organization for the food retail industry, said that supply chain control requirements from grocers help keep the food system safe. Grocers "have a lot of customer specifications and customer requirements on products that they buy," she said. But other consumer groups share Marler's concern about the safety of the food supply during the shutdown, even with some furloughed inspectors going back to work. "Our advice is for people to continue using common sense measures -- that they should rinse off their vegetables, rinse off their fruits, cook their meat, don't eat raw meats, and just do all the normal things that you should do all the time anyway and you should be just fine," Alex Berezow, vice president of scientific affairs of the American Council on Science and Health, a pro-science consumer advocacy organization, said in an email. He added that there really isn't any particular food that should be avoided and said, "If you have any doubts about food, throw it out." Lawmakers are also wondering about the food safety at this time. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, has a congressional caucus planned for Wednesday to, "highlight how the federal government shutdown is impacting the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food safety programs." The FDA stopped some routine food safety inspections at the start of the government shutdown three weeks ago. "We re-starting high risk food inspections as early as tomorrow. We'll also do compounding inspections this week. And we started sampling high risk imported produce in the northeast region today. We'll expand our footprint as the week progresses. Our teams are working," Gottlieb said in a tweet Monday. Last week, Gottlieb said the FDA was taking steps to "expand the scope of food safety surveillance inspections we're doing during the shutdown to make sure we continue inspecting high risk food facilities." He noted that "31% of our inventory of domestic inspections are considered high risk"; those are the inspections the agency is now trying to resume. This applies to routine domestic surveillance inspections of foods including seafood, bakery products filled with custard, soft and semi-soft ripened cheese and cheese products, unpasteurized juices, fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, sandwiches and infant formula, among other food items. "There is no question this has an impact, and it is not business as usual," Gottlieb tweeted last week, adding, "There is a very concerted effort to stand up critical functions and to focus on our consumer protection mission, in many cases relying on excepted employees not being paid." The FDA said in a statement Tuesday, "The American food supply is among the safest in the world" and is "focused on maintaining core activities that directly impact consumer safety and save lives -- including pertaining to food safety." The agency also noted that it is working to expand inspections, monitoring and sampling beyond what has been done during previous government shutdowns. Marler said that while the inspectors are dedicated and good at their jobs, it's hard to stay focused when worried about paying bills. "If people are understandably focused on economics rather than their jobs there's bound to be a mistake whether it's food safety or airline safety," he said. He worries something will fall through the cracks and notes that "the most important part [when it comes to outbreaks] is preventing the illness from occurring in the first place." That step of prevention can occur when a routine inspection identifies an illness causing pathogen such as E. coli or salmonella. But if inspections aren't happening or are happening in a limited basis, that pathogen can then get into the food at the plant and potentially make someone sick. "As more of these routine inspections pile up that have not been done, then there's going to be a backlog issue that they're going to have to address once the government gets up and running. But we don't know when that's going to happen," said Tony Corbo, senior lobbyist for the food campaign at the public interest advocacy group Food & Water Watch. According to Gottlieb, the agency typically performs about 160 domestic food inspections per week when there isn't a shutdown. The Department of Health and Human Services says 41% of all FDA employees are furloughed. Not all inspections have been impacted by the shutdown. From the outset, the agency has said it continued to "inspect facilities when we believe an imminent threat to life and health exists." That refers to inspections related to recalls, outbreaks and foods that are considered high risk because, for example, the manufacturers or facilities have a history of violations. In addition, all regular inspection of foods imported from outside the United States have also continued. Meat, poultry and egg inspections are handled by the USDA. That agency is continuing inspections "to ensure the safety of human life." The FDA says consumers should always follow safe food handling and preparation practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. "There is nothing individual consumers can do to protect themselves beyond pressing the president and Congress to get our food safety workers back on the job with the pay they deserve," Sorscher said. "We acknowledge that as risks go, this isn't that bad but as it drags on the worse the impact will be. "I also don't know how long they [food inspectors] go before they start protesting by not showing up to work." Copyright 2019 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | https://www.click2houston.com/health/are-there-foods-to-avoid-during-the-government-shutdown- |
Is there a new way out of the Brexit labyrinth? | By Jason Farrell, home editor With the Brexit deal rejected, and Theresa May safe in post (for now) we are back deep into the Brexit labyrinth. There are a number of forks in the road and the next turn is crucial as to where we end up. Here are the options and what they mean. A new deal The prime minister said it can't be done and so did Brussels but Theresa May must now try to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. The PM has three working days to confirm the details of her plan B and present it to the house by Monday. Image: Theresa May has three days to come back with a plan. Pic: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor Many Tory MPs will accept nothing less than a rewrite of the agreement to scrap the controversial backstop arrangement which they see as a trap, binding the UK to the European Union. If the EU stands firm the PM has no palatable options. It's argued she could tack towards Labour's position of remaining in a Customs Union with the ambition of winning the support of Labour MP's, but she'd lose backing from many of her own. It would be a revolutionary change to procedure in Westminster, but there's an argument that if you want to chart a route through the parliamentary puzzle you should let MPs map it out. Image: Jeremy Corbyn set the motion to the House when the deal was voted down One idea is to charge the liaison committee with finding a solution. Nick Boles MP admitted that he and two others would try to push through a new law giving this senior panel of MPs responsibility to "come up with its own compromise deal". But this cross-party group is formed of Remain-supporting Labour MPs such as Yvette Cooper and career Eurosceptics such as Bernard Jenkin, so it is hard to see how they would be any more united than the current Tory cabinet. Image: With remain supporting MP Yvette Cooper on the same committee as Leavers, it's no more united than the Conservatives Theresa May could seek out a cross-parliamentary consensus herself. Either way it is likely to steer us towards a softer Brexit. There may for example be majority support in parliament for a Norway model, staying in the single market and continuing to allow free movement of people. Second referendum There is no majority for it in parliament now but if the deadlock continues this may become an option. It would require extending article 50, delaying Brexit and would lead to whole new set of dilemmas over what question to ask and how to read the result. Image: Labour MPs have bolstered their support for the people's vote Supporters of a "people's vote" are likely to sit things out a bit longer in hope that - after losing a no-confidence vote - pressure will mount on the Labour leadership to give formal backing to the idea. No deal The government warned that this is the "default position" if Mrs May's deal is rejected. There have been warnings of food shortages and public disorder if there is no deal. The EU says that there is no such thing as a "managed no-deal," there would be no transition period and it is opposed is by the vast majority of MPs. Image: Several MPs including David Davis and Arlene Foster have presented an alternative deal It would see the UK facing tariffs on the border and major manufacturers, such as the car UK industry, worry their supply chains would be badly hit. It is also predicted the tariffs would translate to price rise for consumers. But some Brexiteers see this as the most viable escape route allowing the UK to negotiate other international trade arrangements outside of the EU and end payments to the European Union. Whatever the route, be it via renegotiation, parliamentary compromise, or a second referendum, there are only three possible outcomes. A new deal, no deal or no Brexit. | https://news.sky.com/story/is-there-a-new-way-out-of-the-brexit-labyrinth-11608872 |
Does anybody understand these baffling MWC slogans? | One of the things we always notice when trudging trade show floors is that companies feel the need to explain what they do, or what they are showing in a three or four word slogan. However, most of them are claptrap of the highest order. What might sound good in a marketeer's office means very little to the rest of us. And Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year has had some of the worst bylines in living memory (apart from the laudible "surround sound for your eyes" we saw on the side of a stand at CES one year). That's why we've collected them here for you to see. We went to the edge of innovation once, it was a long way down and we didn't like it much. Firefox really wants to unleash the future, that's for sure. It doesn't. We were stuck on the tube so were a little late and missed Tomorrow by just a couple of minutes. Qualcomm agrees with Tomorrow and questions the very concept of waiting. NEC plans to move the world a few miles closer to the Sun. It'll extinguish life as we know it, but it'll be brighter at least. We didn't even visit the edge of testing technology after our trip to the edge of innovation. Not with our vertigo. Everyday genius = smart arse. Now that's just scary. Especially after the restraining order. Firefox really won't let it go. Unlike the future, which it is happy to unleash. Now that's just taking the mick. If Optimus Prime had to innovate every time he wanted to transform, the world would never get saved. We'd better get his desk and ID card ready then. If "what's next" is a 12v battery and a set of jump leads, we'd rather not. "Better Life" TM = What you don't already have, loser. Well, at least there won't be too much traffic along the way. Just try to avoid rush hour. Not being a snail, we'd imagine. It's like walking on a bag of Quavers at night time. The bloody edge of testing technology, that's what. Oh, he nipped to the pub. Lucky begger. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/133047-does-anybody-understand-these-baffling-mwc-slogans |
What's new in HTC Sense 7? | HTC Sense 7 makes its debut on the HTC One M9, the new flagship 2015 handset from HTC. Sitting on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop, Sense 7 isn't a major reworking of HTC's user interface, but it does make a few changes and introduce some new features. Here's some of the top new features in Sense 7 to get excited about. HTC is going even larger with customisation through a new app called Themes. The Themes app will let you change just about everything about the look of your phone, with a wide range of options available. If that sounds too complicated, then you can have the entire process automated, just by picking a photo as a starting point. The Themes app then sets your new wallpaper and picks out major colour tones which it uses across the device. You can change icon images, icon shapes, colours, styles of navigation buttons, with lots of options. There are a number of Themes you can download, and there's the potential to have shared themes, team themes and so on in the future. Best of all, it's really easy. HTC is now letting you change the navigation controls across the bottom of the display. You might have learnt to live with back, home and recent apps, but now you can change the order of these controls and the options you have on your main navigation bar. You can add options like notifications, to save you having to swipe them down, screen rotation, hide the navigation bar or turn the screen off. It gives you useful controls and for those with smaller hands it might make notifications much easier to handle. HTC Sense wants to make app management easier with a new widget, called Sense Home. It wants to organise some of your main apps and then using your location, offer the apps you're most likely to need. If you have a set of apps you use at home - like Netflix or Sonos Controller - then when you're at home, they will be right there on your home screen. At work you might have productivity apps or your calendar appear and when you're out, you might want Citymapper, Spotify, Threes. The idea is to make it easy to get to your frequently used apps in those different conditions and save you having to dig through the apps tray to find what you're looking for. There is a suggested apps folder in there, which has the potential to serve up some spam, but you can always delete it if you don't like it. There's a new range of photo editing options and photo effects that you can apply. Some fun features from before still survive, like Face Fusion, but now there's a wide range of elements you can add to photos - like snow or shapes - and you can also mask areas of the pictures so the effect only shows where you want it. Then there's a double exposure option that will allow you to merge two photos for some interesting results. There's also an amusing prism effect that can only be for creating weird album covers. Of course you get normal options to tweak the photos you take to make them look better too. There's a new Fit Fun app, which is an activity tracker but with a slightly more refreshing design. HTC's TV app has been unskinned, so you just have the Peel Smart Remote app instead. That means you'll get updates when the core app is improved. Gallery is designed to be universal, with all your photos from online albums included, but deduplicated so you only see one version of those holiday photos. BoomSound Connect will bring compatibility with AllPlay, so if you have multiroom speakers using AllPlay, you'll be able to control them natively from your phone, rather than using another app. You'll get a morning briefing telling you what's coming up for the day on your lock screen, as well as BlinkFeed suggestions telling places you might like to eat around meal times. Finally, there's going to be a camera store, meaning you can expand the options of the camera, with a Pro app giving you access to raw photo data. We will of course bring you a fuller rundown of HTC Sense once we have the HTC One M9 for review. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/htc/132956-what-s-new-in-htc-sense-7 |
What Is Responsible For The Sudden Hike In The Prices Of Cement? | 0 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY Construction of buildings contributes to employment and GDP. Any rise in construction materials will increase the cost of construction and thus prevent many people from being able to put a roof over their head. Maximum effort should be made to listen to the cries of builders who have been asking why the price of cement is suddenly skyrocketing. In Farafenni as well as the Barra endless claims are being made that cement coming from Senegal has been made more expensive through the rise in duty from 30 percent to 80 percent. Foroyaa will investigate to find out the claims that cement traders in The Gambia have requested for the tariffs on cement to be increased so as to protect their own. | http://foroyaa.gm/what-is-responsible-for-the-sudden-hike-in-the-prices-of-cement/ |
Should Eagles re-sign Golden Tate? | With the Philadelphia Eagles' season coming to an unceremonious end last Sunday in New Orleans, it is time to look towards the offseason. Over the next few weeks, the Eagles will have to make some tough decisions about a couple of key players from their Super Bowl run such as quarterback Nick Foles and defensive end Brandon Graham. Outside of these fan favorites, there are a host of other players, who will be free agents that made key plays down the stretch to help the Eagles reach the postseason. Veteran wide receiver Golden Tate III is one of those free agents, who the Eagles' front office brass will have to take some time to think about re-signing. The Eagles acquired Tate back in October at the trade deadline from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick. On paper, the idea of Tate in Philly's offense seemed like a slam-dunk addition, especially with what he did in Detroit. Despite not being a vertical deep threat, Tate is a YAC (yards after the catch) machine, who you can use in various formations. However, the Eagles' offensive coaching staff had troubles integrating the 31-year-old wide receiver into the game plan through early on. In his first three games, Tate only had 11 receptions (20 targets) for 97 yards and zero touchdowns. From there, Eagles fans started to question if the team made the right decision to use a draft pick on the veteran wideout. But to his credit and the Eagles' coaching staff, they did not give up on making this transition work. Tate would eventually have a breakout performance in a must-win game against Washington in Week 13. The former second-round pick had seven receptions (seven targets) for 85 yards and a touchdown. In that game alone, you could tell that the Eagles made it an emphasis to get him involved early and often. However, Tate's production dropped off again towards the end of the regular season. But in the NFC Wild-Card game against the Chicago Bears, he came up huge with five catches for 46 yards and the game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Tate finished his short stint in Philadelphia with 30 catches for 278 yards and two touchdowns. On Monday at the NovaCare Complex, he expressed his desire to return to the Eagles. "My time is limited. I want to go to a team that has a chance," Tate said (h/t Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds Podcast). "If I don't stay here, of course, I would love to stay here. My years are limited. I don't have time to go somewhere that wants to rebuild. I need to go somewhere where they believe they can win now. That's what I want to do, but who knows. Something I have to think about." While it is nice to hear that Tate would like to return next season, the Eagles are currently strapped for cash heading into free agency. The only way he could come back is if he would be willing to take a significant pay cut. Along with the financial ramifications, the Eagles' front office also has to factor in their wide receiver depth chart heading into next season. Even though Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery are locked in, Philly has to decide if they want to keep Mike Wallace, who missed a majority of the season with an injury, or Jordan Matthews, who was a solid addition when the team was decimated at the position. And then they also have to factor in Mack Hollins, who was placed on IR, and Shelton Gibson, who had a stellar preseason but disappeared in the regular season. Therefore, if the two sides can come to a low-cost contract filled with incentives, then maybe there's a chance Tate comes back. With a full offseason, he can add another dimension to this passing game and make life easier for Carson Wentz. | https://www.metro.us/sports/philadelphia/should-eagles-resign-golden-tate |
Is Sasha Banks Still In The Womens Royal Rumble Match? | Thirty female Superstars will fight for a title match opportunity when the 2019 Womens Royal Rumble Match takes place on Sunday, January 27. The winner of the massive melee will go on to challenge for either the Raw Womens Championship or the SmackDown Womens Championship at WrestleMania 35. With Sasha Banks challenging Ronda Rousey for the Raw Womens Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, WWE.com no longer has her listed as competing the Womens Royal Rumble Match. Banks was listed as an entrant as recently as Tuesday. The latest entrant is Mickie James, who revealed in this promo at Raw she will compete in the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match. There are now 12 entrants in the Womens Royal Rumble Match. Here is the updated list. Alicia Fox Bayley Carmella (earned the coveted No. 30 spot by winning WWE Mixed Match Challenge with R-Truth) Ember Moon Liv Morgan Mandy Rose Mickie James Natalya Ruby Riott Sarah Logan Sonya Deville Zelina Vega History was made last year when Asuka won the first-ever Womens Royal Rumble Match. It starts with two participants, and WWE Superstars enter the ring at equal intervals. This continues until all 30 Superstars have entered the bout. Elimination occurs when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope, and both feet hit the floor. The last Superstar in the ring will be declared the victor. | http://www.pwmania.com/is-sasha-banks-still-in-the-womens-royal-rumble-match |
Is WWE Ready To Rumble? | In less than two weeks, the road to Wrestlemania kicks off with the Royal Rumble, theoretically the start of the build up to the biggest show of the year, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The stadium lists 48,000 seats, but with the stage set up, there will be roughly 45,000 tickets available for the pay-per-view. On the surface, the Rumble, one of the historic events on the year, might be a stadium-level show, but the scenarios currently within the WWE landscape might not be a draw of that magnitude. Granted, WWE brass still have next weeks show to attempt to generate some buzz, but theres a noticeable lack of hype ahead of this event, mostly because of some key decisions that were made previously. Obviously, the traditional Royal Rumble matches are the main draw, but with Roman Reigns on the sidelines, and Brock Lesnar more or less in the witness protection program with the title, there isnt anything in particular thats a draw for an anticipated match that could be set up by the Rumble. This past week on Raw, the Universal title match was randomly switched because Braun Strowman, the promoted challenger still isnt medically cleared from an elbow injury that required surgery a few months ago. I wrote about it several times prior to this, but Romans failed super push came with an opportunity cost. Everyone else on the roster, no matter how over they were with the audience for the past 4-5 years, was booked secondary to the big dawg to ensure he was presented as the top star. That was managements agenda and as long as they maintained revenue, which they did, they could book their chosen champion. However, without Roman on the roster, the writing team is forced to sell the concept that some of those that were stuck in the mid-card should suddenly be perceived as main event level stars. Make no mistake about it, Finn Balor is one of the most talented athletes on the roster, but for the past several months, the perception of his persona on television is a mid-carder that lost matches to Baron Corbin. Dont get me wrong, Finn Balor SHOULD be a main event star and undoubtedly has the skills to be successful in that role, but for the general audience, its about perception and presentation. The whole scenario is so thrown together that the Universal championship match, and thus Finns spotlight almost become an afterthought. Balor will lose so who wins the Rumble to challenge Brock at Wrestlemania? will be the narrative ahead of the pay-per-view. In my opinion, even if Braun will be healthy enough to compete by WM, the demand for him to win the title has already peaked and he isnt nearly as over as he was this time last year. Most of the booking decisions minimized his star power, including the random heel turn before Romans exit because of illness. The elbow injury halted nearly all of the momentum he had, and the harsh reality is that WWE brass mightve missed the boat on Braun Strowman. Again, it cant be understated how important it is for management to capitalize when a competitors popularity peaks to get the most from a specific storyline. For example, if Vince McMahon decided that Steve Austin didnt defeat Shawn Michaels at WM 14 or that Brock didnt pin The Rock at Summer Slam 2002, the launching point of their major runs wouldnt have been as strong if the plan was delayed six months. Part of the ability to make stars is to know when it let a talent run with it, and at this stage, management mightve fumbled the chance to get the most out of Braun Strowmans popularity. Speaking of declining popularity, I wrote detailed reasoning behind it several times so Im not going to fully discuss it again, but Im honestly not sure what the logic is for another WM based around who can defeat Brock Lesnar? I penned an article over a year and a half ago that explained the diminishing return of the Brock Lesnar experiment, but the former UFC heavyweight champion is still at the top of the card. Keep in mind, the entire Brock run last year was intended to get Reigns over, but it didnt. If thats simply because nothing at that point wouldve gotten Roman over or if Lesnar was too stale that a win wouldnt have got him over is a moot point. The bottom line is, the investment into Brock is mostly a flop. You cant blame Lesnar for that either, he took the money on the table for a very limited schedule, and continued to use the UFC as leverage to negotiate with WWE. Perhaps, the sluggish ratings for Raw are because its difficult to generate viewers for a product when the audience knows the championship, which is promoted as an important accomplishment, isnt a part of the show. The whole rare appearances make the champion special became more of a defense for the show that lacked direction than an effective marketing strategy Aside from the lackluster build up to the Universal title match, it almost transfers over to the mens traditional Royal Rumble match because title match is usually linked with the Rumble since it creates speculation for the matches at Wrestlemania. Id say Smackdown is a factor, but in truth, SD has more or less been a continuously better show in recent months so theres no reason to shift direction from the AJ/Bryan feud. Plus, with Raw as the flagship show and the program with lower ratings than usual, the Rumble winner will probably be featured on Raw as a way to boost numbers. But, without hype around the champion, theres indirectly not much hype around a potential Rumble winner. Again, this is another result of some on the roster being kept at the mid-card during the Reigns push. Rollins is great, but he was stuck in Intercontinental incognito when Brock was ice fishing instead of working pay-per-views. At some point, Rollins could become typecast of the IC guythat works just underneath the main event. This is just my two cents, but I think they should book John Cena to win the Rumble and challenge Brock for the title with the angle for WM being the chase toward setting the record for the most world title wins. Yes, its a retread, but it gives the WWE something to promote that books a credible main event star at WM and a way for them to distance themselves from the Lesnar experiment. Another potential benefit is that it sets up for a passing of the torch when Cena eventually drops the belt. Most importantly, it buys time until Roman Reigns returns and will be one of the most legitimately inspirational stories in sports. Cena/Lesnar for a record-setting championship and Ronda Rousey/Becky Lynch could be important bouts on the card that draws a sell out the stadium at WM, but it will be extremely interesting to see if the Rumble will sell out with the scheduled card. 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 | http://www.pwmania.com/is-wwe-ready-to-rumble |
How Much Does ClickFunnels Cost? | Clickfunnels has taken the online marketing world by storm an in a few short years has generated over $100 million in revenue and over $1 billion in revenue for its platform users. The concept is simple build a marketing funnel online, easily, and quickly. Marketing funnels have been around since commerce started, but not till Clickfunnels has it been so easy to create, build and launch a marketing funnel that has all the features to convert customers into sales. The platform is simply an app to build sophisticated digital marketing sales funnels in a fast, efficient and user friendly way, even you dont have much experience in web design. The simple drag and drop page builder (Etison) makes it simple and intuitive to easily create amazing looking landing pages quickly. With a large number of free Clickfunnels templates available, in as little as 10 or 20 minutes you can have an entire funnel built and launched. To be fair, as with any software app or platform that you have just started to use, it does take a little bit of time to get your head around it, but once youve built a few funnels its fast. What I also like about the software is the large range of integration available which makes it possible to do almost anything you like, and if you cant, there is always the trusty Zapier app to pull it all together. Clickfunnels Pricing Options The app is based on a subscription model, and as with all subscription models, the more you pay monthly, the more feature you get access too. Below you can see the options available and what feature you get access to. Simply, there is 14 Day Free Trial, then you can continue at $97 per month, or the fully blow package at $297 per month. Choosing The Best Pricing Option Its a no brainer that if you are just starting out you should probably learn a little about the process first. There are 1000s of free tutorials online and also there is very active Facebook group. However what I suggest, (and its what I did) is to get a FREE Copy of Russel Brunsons (Clickfunnels Founder) Dotcom Secrets Book. Hell actually ship you a paper back copy no matter where you live in the world. Its a great way to learn why funnel marketing is one of the most lucrative and successful ways to start an online business. Get The DotcomSecrets Book For Free Everything You Need To Know About Funnels Once you understand their power, its best then to sign up to the free 14 day trial and simply get started. The $97 option has more than enough features than most marketers will ever need. The fully blown package which includes Backpack (Affiliate Software) and Actionetics (Email Marketing) at $297, will essentially provide a full system. However you can do it cheaper by getting started with an email marketing platform like Active Campaign when youre just getting started. | https://silicondales.com/tutorials/conversion/clickfunnels-pricing-2019-pricing-table-for-clickfunnels-digital-marketing-platform/ |
Why Dont Unpaid Federal Workers Walk Off the Job? | For an employee deemed excepted from furlough during a shutdown which is to say, forced to work without pay walking off the job could carry a similar penalty. Guidance from the federal Office of Personnel Management prohibits excepted employees from taking any sort of leave, including vacation or sick days, during a shutdown. If an excepted employee refuses to report for work after being ordered to do so, the guidance says, he or she will be considered to be absent without leave (AWOL) and will be subject to any consequences that may follow from being AWOL. Employees believe in their mission Union leaders and federal workers frequently stress that furloughed employees want to be allowed to return to their jobs and that employees working without pay are doing so largely because they care about their work, be it protecting public lands, inspecting food for safety or catching drug smugglers at the border. It sounds corny, I know, said Jacqueline Simon, the director of public policy for the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers union. But federal employees are extremely devoted to the mission of their agencies, she said. They dont just fall into these jobs. They believe in public service; they believe in what they do. Theyre not just going to walk away. There may come a point when some of them have to, to feed their families, but no one wants to do that. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has seen no unusual increase in controllers missing work, the unions executive vice president, Trish Gilbert, said on Friday. Asked if the controllers association would consider organizing a strike, a walkout or another job action if the shutdown continued in the long run, Ms. Gilbert said the union would not condone or endorse any kind of activity like that. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/us/politics/shutdown-federal-workers-strike.html |
How will Timberwolves bounce back from 40-point beatdown? | During Tuesdays brutal 40-point loss to the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, the Timberwolves did a lot to prove Jimmy Butlers point that maybe they do, in fact, bleeping need him. With the kindling already in place, and the relationship ready to go up in flames at a moments notice, Butler lit the match in mid-October with his well-documented tirade during a team practice. At one point in a scrimmage, sources said, Butler turned to GM Scott Layden and screamed, "You (bleeping) need me. You can't win without me." Butler left teammates and coaches largely speechless. He dominated the gym in every way. Jimmy's back. Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 10, 2018 That was the beginning of the end for Butler in the Twin Cities, and a month later he was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless. That made Tuesdays marquee matchup between the two teams a game that pretty much everyone had circled on the calendar, whether they admitted or not. As everyone knows by now, it didnt go as planned for the Timberwolves, who came out inexplicably flat en route to a 149-107 beatdown at the hands of the 76ers. While that score might indicate a need for sweeping changes, most of the Timberwolves players blamed the result on lack of effort rather than lack of execution, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Jeff Teague serving as the most critical voices postgame. It falls on all of us, Towns said. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and say we had our (expletive) kicked today and we had to be ready. There will be a chance for atonement down the road when the Timberwolves play host the 76ers again in a couple of months. In the meantime, interim coach Ryan Saunders will be tasked with making sure Tuesdays debacle doesnt have any lasting effects on a team still battling for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. He is 2-2 since taking over for Tom Thibodeau a week and a half ago. Its a good lesson in professional sports, Saunders said, choosing not to eviscerate his team publicly. Its about not getting too high and not getting too low on things and still taking things day by day in terms of improvement. We just got to be a rugged team, Teague said. We cant be a pretty team. I think were a pretty team right now. And pretty gets us beat by 40 points. We got to be ugly. Theres a chance for the Timberwolves to be ugly with winnable games coming up starting with Fridays home game against the San Antonio Spurs. Weve got two days to let this soak in, Towns said. We are going to learn from this game and remember this. As for the rematch with Butler down the road, while the local fans surely will have that one circled on the calendar its March 30 at Target Center the Timberwolves are taking a broader approach moving forward. After a 40-point blowout, I think the rest of the season is circled for us, Teague said. (Expletive), were trying to make the playoffs. A 40-point loss is tough against a playoff team. | https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/16/minnesota-timberwolves-jimmy-butler-philadelphia-76ers/ |
What is Samsung Project Zero and why should Apple be worried? | At long last it looks like a smartphone revolution could be on its way in Samsung's Project Zero. And with stagnation across the board it couldn't come sooner. Samsung's Project Zero is the Korean companys name for its next major project, the Galaxy S6, according to sources of Sam Mobile. But rather than be another generation with slight changes this is expected to be a reimagining of what a smartphone can be. Something Apple fans have wanted for a few generations. Previous phones from Samsung have been named with the Project moniker including Project J for the Galaxy S4, Project H for the Note 3, Project K for the S5 and Project T for the Note 4. Changing from letters to numbers and starting at zero suggests a major shift is coming and the source of this leak says that's what we can expect. Samsung has long held the grips on the Android top spot and as such has been subject to a lot of consumer and professional comment about its plastic handsets. In recent releases like the Galaxy Alpha and Note 4 it's added metal but still with plastic making it feel like an after thought. Perhaps, finally, Samsung is going back to the drawing board to create a handset that reflects the wealth of the company. Perhaps it may start producing premium handsets to directly compete with Apple's iPhones. Here's hoping Samsung can make an impact on a market that's bringing incremental changes to smartphones and leaving the excitement of new releases to grow weaker every generation. The Samsung Project Zero, or Galaxy S6, should be unveiled next year around summer time if the usual timeline is followed. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/131618-what-is-samsung-project-zero-and-why-should-apple-be-worried |
Do Americans Really Need Instructions On How To Use Ground Beef? | My wife is on a new Keto diet which sounds like a joke to me. She gets to eat a lot of stuff that I thought was against diets like ground beef, bacon, fried chicken, and cheese - she just has to watch her carbs. So, she comes home the other day with two 10 pound logs of ground beef (which is fine by me). As we are prepping the meat for cooking and freezing though I decided to read the label, which had an interesting bit of info. Who buys a 10 pound log of beef and doesn't know what to do with it?! They don't say it will be good as taco meat but I used it for that anyways and it was good. Actually, that would be funny and I'd buy it. I do think that unless they are giving recipes for their suggestions on how to use the log of meat that it seems like a silly thing to put on the packaging. | http://newsradio1310.com/do-americans-really-need-instructions-on-how-to-use-ground-beef/ |
What's the future of the ICC after Gbagbo's acquittal? | Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo was arrested in Abidjan in 2011 and charged with crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has acquitted the former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo. He was arrested in the capital Abidjan in 2011 and charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the violence that followed disputed presidential elections in 2010. But after a three-year trial, judges said the prosecution failed to prove Gbagbo's involvement in the violence and ordered his release. Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault Guests: Jim Wormington - researcher, Africa Division of Human Rights Watch. Gilles Yabi - political analyst and founder of the WATHI Think Tank. Mark Kersten - deputy director of The Wayamo Foundation and author of 'Justice in Conflict: The Effects of the International Criminal Court's Interventions on Ending Wars and Building Peace.' Source: Al Jazeera | https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2019/01/future-icc-gbagbo-acquittal-190116185045795.html |
What will Apples iPhone 6 screen resolution be? | While Apple's reveal of its iPhone 6 in September is being accepted almost as fact, details are still subject to rumour. One area that's had a lot of attention is the screen resolution. The iPhone 6 should have Apple's largest smartphone screen yet coming in at 4.7-inches. A big jump up from the iPhone 5S that currently sports a 4-inch display. There is also a rumoured iPhone Air which could have a 5.5-inch screen. While details on the iPhone Air are more scarce, largely owing to reported manufacturing issues that may see it delayed until next year, the iPhone 6 has been leaking a lot. And now screen resolution details are emerging. It looks that way as an iOS 8 hidden code revelation suggests a 1472 x 828 pixel resolution. This would equate to a 360ppi display. Not quite up to the Samsung Galaxy S5's 560ppi but more than the iPhone 5S display which has 326ppi. A more recent rumour has surfaced from Russian luxury iPhone vendor Feld & Volk which claims the iPhone 6 has a 1704 x 960 resolution. This was concluded after the company reportedly put its iPhone 6 under a microscope to count the pixels. This would put the resolution at 416ppi. This would, obviously, be a more welcome pixel count but knowing Apple's past is not to be expected. If the 1704 x 960 resolution were referring to the larger 5.5-inch iPhone Air this would mean a 355ppi resolution. This would seem reasonable if the iPhone 6 does come in at 360ppi. It's all rumour at this stage but one thing that appears clear is that Apple doesn't seem to be aiming for the 2K resolutions Samsung and LG offer. It likely hopes to make up for this with many sensors, quality build and, hopefully, the iWatch companion. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 and iWatch on 9 September. READ: Apple iPhone 6 release date, rumours and everything you need to know | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/130440-what-will-apple-s-iphone-6-screen-resolution-be |
What happens if Arizona fails to meet a water plan deadline? | Lake Mead, the biggest source for water in the Southwest, is on the verge of reaching a critically low level. Gov. Doug Ducey said, this is by far the most pressing issue we face as a state. Arizona is facing a deadline to come up with a plan to conserve Colorado River water feeding Lake Mead. That deadline is two weeks away on Jan. 31 and the governor and legislature are running out of time. We verified it's Brenda Burman, an Arizonan and the first woman to lead the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees Lake Mead. Five of the seven western states that share Lake Mead water have filed plans to manage their water and protect Lake Mead as a longer-term source. California and Arizona are the laggards, but California has pulled ahead of Arizona. Close isn't done, only done will protect this basin, Burman said. If the governor and legislature don't produce a water plan, Brenda Burman and her staff in Washington will do it for Arizona. Arizona is the last piece of this puzzle Bruce Babbitt was the last Arizona governor to craft a major water deal in 1980. Arizona can look to its history to find out what happens if it fails to produce a plan. Every time that happened, we lost, he said. If Arizona does pass a drought plan, the pain will largely be felt by farmers and industry. But if the feds come up with a plan for Arizona, the state could absorb steep cuts to its water supply from Lake Mead and that might hurt everyone. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/what-happens-if-arizona-fails-to-meet-a-water-plan-deadline/75-3c592429-47c0-4e40-b540-0d9eb648b224 |
Is another vote on water fluoridation coming in Calgary? | Another plebiscite on fluoridation could be on the ballot of the 2021 Calgary municipal election. Councillor Jeromy Farkas on Tuesday asked city administration for an update and information on the history and cost of water fluoridation. READ MORE: Heres how removing fluoride from Calgarys water affected kids teeth Theres a lot of recent research and studies that have come out on this topic and we get a lot of questions in our office from constituents, he said. I want to be able come back to this conversation in a fact-based way. Led by Councillor Druh Farrell, Calgary city council in 2011 moved to eliminate fluoride from the citys drinking water, also rejecting setting up an expert panel to study the issue. While some councillors were concerned about adding the chemical to the water, others cited financial reasons. At the time, it was reported it would cost the city of Calgary $6 million to make improvements to water treatment plants. READ MORE: Calgary city council says no to re-assessing fluoride in tap water Farkas said council was wrong to vote the way it did without going to the people. In my mind, it was not legitimate for council to unilaterally stop water fluoridation, given that the precedent is that it was brought in through a plebiscite. The Ward 11 councillor admits he campaigned strongly in favour of fluoridation in the run up to the 2017 municipal election, saying studies hes exposed to demonstrate that water fluoridation is one of modern societys premier innovation in health sciences. READ MORE: Tooth decay epidemic in Canada could be linked to too much fruit juice, study suggests Farkas believes if fluoridation is brought back, it should be done through another plebiscite. I feel the only legitimate way to start water fluoridation again would be in a future plebiscite and depending on the level of public support for that, it could be a plebiscite attached to the next general election and we could do that cost effectively. Calgarians have voted in five plebiscites on water fluoridation, voting to add it to the drinking water in 1998 and, as recently 2016, city council rejected a call for another vote. | https://globalnews.ca/news/4854237/calgary-vote-water-fluoride/ |
What's next for Rutherford schools after referendum defeat? | CLOSE Anchor Margaux Lesser finishes the final frame with consecutive strikes to clinch Teaneck's first Bergen County girls bowling title on Jan. 12, 2019. Greg Tartaglia, Staff Writer, @NJTags13 Rutherford school administrators have regrouped and come up with a new preliminary plan after voters rejected their $53 million referendum for district upgrades in October. After months of acrimony among taxpayers, concerned parents, the school board and administration, voters rejected the referendum, 2,151 to 1,543. Superintendent Jack Hurley met with residents to outline a new proposal that trims the project and the price tag by about $15 million. Hurley said the cost-cutting proposals are "considerations" that may or may not make it into a revised plan. "Nothing is finalized yet," he said adamantly, adding he did not want anyone to interpret the possible changes as a "done deal." New tariffs will increase the cost of the plan by an estimated 10 percent, Hurley said at the meeting. With state aid offsetting some costs, all changes offered would bring the total cost down to about $34.9 million. Jack Hurley shares cost cutting proposals for school upgrades. (Photo: Nicholas Katzban/NorthJersey.com) The previous referendum proposed upgrades to every school building in the district. Hurley said some of the upgrades were to meet state requirements, others to battle crowded classrooms and other changes aimed to create a 21st Century STEM program with all new science facilities. The plan was to be paid for with $53 million in bonds. The rejected plan included an addition to the Pierrepont Elementary School to add classroom space, ADA compliant ramps, bathrooms in every classroom at the Kindergarten Center a state requirement, additional science labs, upgraded science labs and a new cafeteria for the high school with adjoining state-of-the-art kitchen to service the whole district. The latter proved a sticking point with some residents because accommodations for the new cafeteria and kitchen called for filling in the high school's 38-year-old pool. While some rejected the referendum to save the pool, others did so because of the increase in taxes. Hurley said if the cafeteria and kitchen plans are dropped, existing science labs renovated rather than new ones built along with an agreement with the borough to refurbish the high school sports field, the district could take $9.3 million off the previous $53 million total. Hurley said the new plan would leave the district with five fewer classrooms than the original plan, which was intended to ease overcrowding. An additional $1.7 million could be shaved from the referendum, he said, if upgrades to the Kindergarten Center were paid for through the district's capital projects budget, and if plans to install air conditioning at the Union middle school auditorium were scrapped along with plans for playground expansions at three elementary schools. However, $4 million can be saved if the new addition to the Pierrepont School is reduced to a single story, though the floor size would be increased to accommodate six classrooms, rather than five. The downside, Hurley said, would be a new gymnasium not large enough to function with multiple exercise stations and a district still lacking its own special education program for grades 4-6. Resident Adam Szura cited the state Department of Education, maintaining that gymnasiums for elementary school grades can be smaller because they are intended only for exercise, not competitive sports that require regulation sizes for floor area and equipment. District Attorney: Three charged in mob gambling ring in Rockland Murphy's first year: Early successes but no legal weed, no $15 minimum wage Ridgewood: Beloved former girls soccer coach Jeff Yearing keeps on fighting He also suggested using the money, instead, to return to a system of neighborhood schools, while constructing a separate addition at the high school for grades 7 and 8. Overcrowding had not been a problem at the lower schools, he argued. "I would question whether we really have a population problem, or just a planning problem," Szura said. Over extensive talks with other school officials, the township, local architects and consultants, Hurley formulated the above cuts, in addition to surveys sent to every parent with a child in the district, as well as a handful of voters on both sides of the previous plan. The most common points of agreement, he said, were the need for new science labs, more classrooms at Pierrepont, upgrades to the Kindergarten Center and renovations to the high school's crumbling Mortimer Wing. Hurley asked all who will take part in discussions for a new referendum to remain civil and execute judgment when looking for information on the plan-to-come. He asked voters to avoid message boards where hyperbole and misinformation were a driving factor in the bellicose process that besieged the previous plan. "Communication has to be a process," he said during last week's meeting. "More talking, less typing." Residents agreed a repeat of the previous process served to benefit no one. Board of Education member Dennis Mazone said, "It was tough to see a divided Rutherford." Resident Tom Gujda agreed: "We can't go into the next referendum with those kinds of feelings." Subscribe | iPhone app | Android app Download the NorthJersey.com app for 35 free articles a month, or subscribe today for unlimited digital access to all our content. Read or Share this story: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/rutherford/2019/01/15/whats-next-rutherford-nj-schools-after-referendum-defeat/2542062002/ | https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/rutherford/2019/01/15/whats-next-rutherford-nj-schools-after-referendum-defeat/2542062002/ |
Will Android Lollipop be announced at Google I/O? Or will it be one of these alternatives? | Google I/O, the company's developer conference, kicks off today, 25 June, and it is widely expected that senior vice president Sundar Pichai will at the very least offer up a preview of the next build of Android (possibly Android 5.0). Added to that speculation has been talk, not of what the next version might include, but what it might be called. If Google sticks with its most recent tried and trusted naming convention, it will be named after a sweet or dessert starting with the letter "L". The last build is dubbed KitKat and was licensed from Nestle, and before that we had Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, Honeycomb and Gingerbread. Many online have already started to use Lollipop, but we're hedging our bets. So, here's a few others we've come up with that we think would fit. As lemon drizzle cake is very much British, it's unlikely that Google would name its global Android operating system after it. However, we like the cake and the name, so there. It was also subject of one of the better sketches of Little Britain, and for that reason we'd laugh our hats off if Pichai says it out loud at I/O. We love liquorice allsorts here at Pocket-lint and bar their mildly laxative nature, think the sweet variety would make a good Android suffix. In a way, the mix of different styles and fact that people have different favourites suits all builds of Android. Much like the lemon drizzle cake is very much linked to Britain, Life Savers - the fruity Polo style sweets - are firmly rooted in the US. However, it's not unheard of for Google to focus on a US-centric name for its Android build. Ice Cream Sandwich is very American in wording. And surely associating Android with being a Life Saver is no bad thing. Hmmmmm... Lemon sherberts... Hard on the outside and oh so fizzy in the middle. Shame they almost always end up cutting the roof of your mouth and leaving the taste of a mixture your own blood and lemony residue behind. This is actually the favourite name of our own CEO Stuart MIles and can therefore be considered a good outside bet as he can often be right about these sorts of things. However, the rest of us are leaning toward Lion Bar as the next Android name. For a start, it is a confectionery made by Nestle, which Google is already partnered with for KitKat. Secondly, it is bold, strong and full of secret goodness in the middle. Like Android, some might say. The only downsides for Android 5.0 Lion Bar are that it once again gives the impression that Google is selling out and with Apple only recently using Mountain Lion for its OS X build it might be considered too closely linked. Let us know if you've got any other thoughts on the name of the next build of Android in the comments below... | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/129570-will-android-lollipop-be-announced-at-google-i-o-or-will-it-be-one-of-these-alternatives |
Why are US troops in the Syrian city of Manbij? | The location of Wednesday's bomb blast that killed American service members -- the northern Syrian city of Manbij -- has proven vitally strategic for U.S. forces who have had a highly visible presence there for nearly two years. Add Syria as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Syria news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest The Americans have conducted patrols in the city, in vehicles, and on foot, to act as a buffer between Turkey and the U.S.-led coalition's Kurdish partners, a group that's been critical to the fight against ISIS but which Ankara classifies as terrorists. Manbij has long had a historic population mix of Arabs, Kurds, and other minority groups and was part of a swath of territory overtaken by ISIS. During the summer of 2016, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the Kurds make up a significant portion, retook the city to the dismay of Turkey, which didn't like the Kurds operating so far west into Syria and close to their border. In response, Turkey began threatening those partners in Manbij, and the U.S. had to work to prevent the Turks from carrying out any attacks. At the same time, Syrian regime forces and their Russian backers recognized the town's strategic value as well and -- not wanting Turkey to have control of the area -- Russia sent troops to begin patrolling near Manbij. Hussein Malla/AP, FILE By March 2017, the U.S. decided to send hundreds of American troops to Manbij to be a visible presence in the city, so as to prevent Turkish forces from attacking the Kurds and also keep Russian forces at bay. The troops flew the American flag on their vehicles -- a practice not common in other parts of Syria -- because, as a Pentagon spokesman said at the time, they would be "a visible sign of deterrence and reassurance." The U.S. also worked to slowly remove the Kurds from the Manbij Military Council, a group put in place by the SDF, in order to ease Turkey's concerns. Over time, the U.S. vehicle patrols have included "dismounted" patrols with American forces in the city on foot, which is what the U.S. service members who were killed on Wednesday were doing at the time of the explosion. As Turkey continued to issue threats against the Kurds, the U.S. also sought to ease tensions by carrying out joint U.S.-Turkey patrols to the north of Manbij. After months of delays, the joint patrols began last fall, but they were the closest that Turkish troops could come to the city. Since the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, Syrian and Russian forces have once again gotten closer to the city, but have not entered. Kurdish elements welcomed the Syrian advance, fearing that Turkey would invade the city once U.S. troops pulled out. Those fears may very well be founded. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the head of a Turkish-backed militia group was waiting to launch an assault on Manbij if given the go-ahead by Ankara, which is in dialogue with Washington to see how the U.S. withdrawal unfolds. ABC News' Elizabeth McLaughlin contributed to this report. | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-troops-syrian-city-manbij/story?id=60421763 |
Is the Facebook 10-year challenge just a creepy facial recognition tool? | The 10-year challenge is the latest viral craze that encourages social media users to post their current profile picture against one from a decade ago. Given the actions of companies like Facebook in recent times, were more inclined to embrace a little cynicism. Kate ONeill, the tech author and keynote speaker, raises an interesting yet semi-sarcastic point on Twitter. However, its quite the thread and has prompted quite the reaction. In a follow up article on Wired, ONeill outlines how a social network could indeed train a facial recognition algorithm based on age-related characteristics and how people age. She writes that if Facebook wished to do so: Ideally, youd want a broad and rigorous dataset with lots of peoples pictures. It would help if you knew they were taken a fixed number of years apartsay, 10 years. ONeill says that if would also assist Facebook had helpfully labelled then-and-now photos. Effectively, that is the dataset social media users have provided the company with by engaging in the 10-year challenge. Related: How to delete Facebook Facebook points out that this is a user-generated meme that it did not start. However, it is unlikely to be too perturbed by users actively providing it with this data. In a statement to Fox News, the company claimed it gains nothing from the challenge. This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook. Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time. ONeill herself points out that facial recognition tech has countless benefits. He referenced how police in India used the tech to track down 3,000 milling children in four days last year. However, its probably prudent that social media users express a little cynicism when engaging in such memes in future. Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter. | https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/is-the-facebook-10-year-challenge-just-a-creepy-facial-recognition-tool-3646158 |
Has the Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo or S5 Mini leaked? | It looks like Samsung may unveil its affordable Galaxy S5 Neo or S5 Mini shortly after its flagship Galaxy S5 goes on sale this 11 April. A user agent profile has been uploaded to Samsung's servers which has been spotted by GalaxyClub.nl. It refers to a device with the name SM-G750. This format of code name suggests it is a profile for an AT&T network bound device. A few specs were leaked in the profile that reveal a 2.3GHz quad-core processor - suggesting the Snapdragon 800 which is generally clocked at this level. The screen resolution is listed as 720 x 1280, suggesting it's a smaller device like the S4 Mini. But the S4 Mini had a 4.3-inch screen with a 540 x 960 resolution (256ppi) so this could mean a higher pixel density in the Galaxy S5 Mini. Or that this is actually an S5 Neo meaning the 5.1-inch display size of the full-fat S5 (432ppi) will only manage 288ppi on its affordable Neo brother. READ: Samsung Galaxy S5 release date and where to get it The OS is apparently Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, but we'd expect this to be used at testing only, with an Android 4.4 KitKat update installed before release. This might not happen but releasing a new device with Jelly Bean would be a very poor effort on the part of Samsung. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini was 320 at launch. Expect the S5 Mini or Neo to be similarly priced. A release date won't be announced for some time. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is due to go on sale 11 April. READ: Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/samsung/128005-has-the-samsung-galaxy-s5-neo-or-s5-mini-leaked |
Has the Government Legalized Secret Defense Spending? | October 4th, 2018, was a busy news day. The fight over Brett Kavanuaghs Supreme Court nomination dominated the cycle. The Trump White House received a supplemental FBI report it said cleared its would-be nominee of wrongdoing. Retired Justice John Paul Stevens meanwhile said Kavanaugh was compromised enough that he was unable to sit as a judge. #NationalTacoDay trended on Twitter. Chris Evans told the world production wrapped on Avengers 4. The only thing that did not make the news was an announcement by a little-known government body called the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board FASAB that essentially legalized secret national security spending. The new guidance, SFFAS 56 CLASSIFIED ACTIVITIES permits government agencies to modify public financial statements and move expenditures from one line item to another. It also expressly allows federal agencies to refrain from telling taxpayers if and when public financial statements have been altered. To Michigan State professor Mark Skidmore, whos been studying discrepancies in defense expenditures for years, the new ruling and the lack of public response to it was a shock. From this point forward, he says, the federal government will keep two sets of books, one modified book for the public and one true book that is hidden. Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy was one of the few people across the country to pay attention to the FASAB news release. He was alarmed. It diminishes the credibility of all public budget documents, he says. I spent weeks trying to find a more harmless explanation for SFFAS 56, or at least one that did not amount to a rule that allows federal officials to fake public financial reports. I couldnt find one. This new accounting guideline really does mean what it appears to mean, and the details are more bizarre than the broad strokes. The FASAB ruling adds a new and confusing wrinkle to what little we know about levels of spending in the intelligence community. Officially, the fiscal year 2019 appropriation is $81.1 billion, which breaks down to $59.9 billion for the National Intelligence Program, along with $21.2 billion for the Military Intelligence Program. This made a few headlines, as Trumps black budget request was described as the largest in history. *** The story of openly secret budgets really began in 1949, with the passage of the Central Intelligence Agency Act. The law exempted the newly christened spy agency from public financial disclosure. The CIA Act was a radical departure from the Constitution, which is clear about public accounting (emphasis mine): No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time. The CIA Act created a blunt constitutional carve-out. The sums made available to the Agency may be expended without regard to the provisions of law and regulations relating to the expenditure of Government funds, the law read. For objects of a confidential, extraordinary, or emergency nature, such expenditures to be accounted for solely on the certificate of the Director In other words, while other government agencies had to account for their expenses, the word of the CIA director was good enough when it came to what theyd spent and why. In a few accidental disclosures in the Fifties, CIA expenses appeared as Department of Defense line items, despite the fact that the CIA is not a Defense agency. No one much worried over this issue until the early Seventies. Thats when a series of scandals from botched assassination attempts abroad to the discovery of legally proscribed domestic spying programs invited closer scrutiny of the CIA. The most famous oversight effort came in the form of Idaho Senator Frank Churchs famed 1975 committee hearings scrutinizing Americas intelligence agencies. At roughly the same time as the Church hearings, an insurance adjuster named William Richardson got fed up and filed suit against the U.S. government. Richardson wanted secret CIA budgets declared unconstitutional. He barely made the news (his suit was a page 8 blip in the New York Times). Nonetheless, he went all the way to the Supreme Court, and by a thin margin (a 5-4 vote) the court ruled against Richardson, upholding the concept of secret budgets. Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote the majority opinion. Citing an earlier ruling, he in essence said a random citizen whose only problem was that he didnt know where his taxes were going did not have standing to waste the high courts time. A taxpayer, Burger wrote, may not employ a federal court as a forum in which to air his generalized grievances about the conduct of government. Fast-forward 16 years, when, in the second year of George H.W. Bushs presidency, Congress passed the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. This new law was aimed at curbing billions of dollars said to be lost each year through fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of public budgets. It demanded that 23 major federal agencies including the Departments of Defense, Justice, Interior and many others designate a CFO and file regular reports. These reports were to be in the form of complete, reliable, timely and consistent financial information for use by the executive branch. To create a more uniform standard for this reporting, the government created FASAB in that same year. The new Accounting Standards bureau was designed to help make apples-to-apples comparisons between budgets of government departments. With the passage of the CFO Act, the Pentagon was supposed to begin delivering intelligible numbers about its expenditures. It did not. Year after year passed without audits. Finally, Congress appropriated money to hire outside auditors like Ernst & Young to do the work, which was to be completed last year. On November 15th, 2018, however, the Department of Defense failed its first audit, which was conducted by 1,200 auditors. This was after 26 years of what Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called hard-core foot-dragging. We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said at the time. That the Pentagon failed its audit was no surprise. There had already been significant hints that even the supposedly legal version of defense budgeting was an indecipherable morass. On the day before 9/11, for instance, then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced that, according to some estimates, we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions. The following days events obviously distracted the media from that shock announcement. In 2015, the Office of the Inspector General found the Army alone which had a budget of $122 billion that year had $6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments they could not adequately support. Skidmore recalls being dumbfounded by the numbers. When I saw that first report from 2015, with the $6.5 trillion, I thought, Thats impossible, that cant be, he says. 2018 was to be the year when we finally got answers to questions about defense spending. Early results were not encouraging. Outside auditors found that just one Pentagon outfit, the Defense Logistics Agency, could not account for over $800 million in construction transactions. Later that year, the DoD flunked its audit, and little-known FASAB quietly issued a new guidance that may make future disclosures even more remote. The new rule appears to smooth the way for permanent classification of national security expenditures. Formal discussion of the new FASAB rule seems to have begun on August 30th, 2017, at a meeting of the FASAB board. In a staff briefing memo sent to board members ahead of the meeting, a 1999 declaration from then-CIA Director George Tenet argued against the disclosure of topline budget numbers for things like the National Intelligence Program you know, the program that the was budgeted at $59.9 billion for 2019. Disclosure of the budget request reasonably could be expected to provide foreign governments with the United States own assessment of its intelligence capabilities and weaknesses, Tenet said in 1999. The difference between the appropriation for one year and the Administrations budget request for the next provides a measure of the Administrations unique, critical assessment of its own intelligence programs. In the briefing memo sent ahead of the meeting, it was suggested FASAB allow certain types of departures from other standards when needed. However, these departures would be limited to public financial statements, and in amounts that would reconcile in aggregate to schedules or other documentation subject to review. From there, the Board solicited comments from a series of federal agencies and outside experts about the efficacy of allowing secret modification[s] of public financial statements. In reply came 17 comment letters, including from private accounting firms like KPMG and Kearney & Company. Most of the federal agencies solicited seemed more than happy with the idea of having the authority to modify their public financial disclosures. Homeland Security gave a big thumbs-up. DHS agrees with the Boards overall proposed approach for protecting classified information. Classified information should be protected, it wrote, with redundant satisfaction. This made sense, coming from Homeland Security. Ben Carsons agency seemed actively pleased with the idea of allowing the government to move accounting line items from one agency to another. If an entitys identification would disclose there is classified information, HUDs comment letter read, it makes sense to include that organization in another entity. I asked assistant director of FASAB Monica Valentine if such a thing could happen under the new rule: Could an expenditure be moved from [Department of Defense] to HUD? Because of the classified nature of this topic, I will not respond to specific examples, Valentine replied. However, another government source told me flat out that the new rule would not involve moving line items between agencies. Its not clear, however, how firm a line that is. Late last year, for instance, we saw an incident in which two employees of the National Reconnaissance Office and the NSA were arrested for procurement fraud in Colorado in a case involving a classified signals intelligence program. In that instance, the site turned out to be owned by the Department of Health and Human Services. In any case, not all of the comment letters FASAB solicited last year were positive. Several expressed serious concerns. Perhaps the harshest reply came from the office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense, which flatly disagreed with the proposed changes. This proposed guidance is a major shift in Federal accounting guidance, the agency wrote. It added, This approach would likely make the financial statements misleading to all but a select few individuals that are aware of the Interpretation. Others expressed concern that under the new rules, federal agencies would not even be required to tell the public theyve made a modification. KPMG, for instance, wrote, We believe that component reporting entities should be required to disclose that modifications of presentations and omissions of disclosures were made. Kearney & Co. didnt see the need for such a major change, and suggested continuing the current practice of simply redacting sensitive information. Financial statements of classified entities should remain classified or redacted like other classified documents before release to the public, they wrote. The firm added, Allowing only select individuals to view and accept the interpretations would limit due process and transparency. Despite these and other objections, on October 4th of last year, FASAB issued a news release about SFFAS 56. The text of the new rule strongly resembled the original proposal. The money quote: This Statement permits the following an entity to modify information required by other standards if the effect of the modification does not change the net results of operations or net position; a component reporting entity to be excluded from one reporting entity and consolidated into another reporting entity In plain English, the new guidance allowed federal agencies to modify public financial statements, with essentially a two-book system. Public statements would at best be unreliable, while the real books would be audited in classified environment[s] by certain designated officials. When I asked FASAB who would be doing the auditing in classified environment[s], they answered: Please contact the federal entitys Office of the Inspector General for questions pertaining to who does the auditing in a classified environment. This new rule is not confined to a few spy agencies. It appears to allow a stunningly long list of federal agencies to make use of new authority to modify public financial statements. The Treasury Departments definition of a component reporting entity includes 154 different agencies and bodies, from the Smithsonian Foundation to the CIA to the SEC to the Farm Credit Administration to the Railroad Retirement Board. The notion that any of these agencies could now submit altered public financial reports under the rubric of national security is mind-boggling. When asked why this authority extended to so many agencies and not just those with national security mandates, FASAB replied: We use a standard scope paragraph in all of our standards. We have never named specific reporting entities in the scope paragraph. Also we cannot anticipate what the name of a future entity might be. It is simply more practical to make the standards broadly applicable. In a strange twist, paragraph 8a of the new rule seems to insist that modifications may only be made if it does not change the net results of operations. In conversations with federal officials, this was stressed to me, that the new rule would not allow for changes to total net cost line items on public financial disclosures. However, paragraph 8c of the same rule reads: An entity may apply Interpretations of this Statement that allow other modifications to information required by other standards, and the effect of the modifications may change the net results of operations and/or net position. This directly contradicts 8a, and seems to allow in some cases for changes even to total net position numbers. When asked on the record if 8c opened the door for greater changes, FASAB answered, We cannot speculate about the changes. One thing is certain: the taxpayer who opens up a federal financial statement expecting to find correct numbers will no longer be sure of what he or she is reading. Bluntly put, line items in public federal financial statements may now legally be, for lack of a better word wrong. Moreover, the state is not required to include a disclaimer telling the reader that modifications have been made. FASABs answer would probably be they would use this authority responsibly and only when necessary, says Mandy Smithberger of the Project on Government Oversight. Unfortunately, that goes against fifty years of experience when it comes to national security spending. Thats what makes this so crazy. The list of agencies is so long, says Skidmore. If you dont even know whats been modified, why bother reading a summary for any of them? *** This obscure new accounting guideline should be understood in the context of a longstanding debate about the need for budget transparency versus the need to protect classified information. The Brown-Aspin Commission, formed by Congress in the mid-Nineties to examine a series of intelligence-related issues, was sharply critical of the non-transparent accounting of intelligence programs. Information on intelligence programs has not been organized to facilitate decision-making, the Brown-Aspin authors wrote, or to provide outside reviewers, such as [Office of Management and Budget], with an informed view. The commission was dismissive of the idea that publishing bulk amounts of national security expenditures posed any kind of risk. The CATO Institute reported at the time that three former CIA directors also agreed with the assessment. Nonetheless, the commissions suggestions on this issue were not implemented. Other democracies, including nations with whom we share intelligence like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain, publish their intelligence budgets. Beyond these guidelines, the United States already admits very little detail in its national security financial reports. Despite what Tenet appears to have argued, its hard to understand what possible justification there could be in concealing from the public sheer amounts of spending for agencies like the CIA, NSA or the Defense Intelligence Agency. If this authority is used to obscure those top-line numbers, says POGOs Smithberger, that would suggest the potential for abuse. Smithberger expressed hope that someone in Congress would make an official effort to learn more about what the new ruling means, and how exactly it will be implemented. Given the governments track record in failing to force transparency out of the Pentagon, its hard to have a lot of confidence answers will be forthcoming. Catherine Austin Fitts was Assistant Secretary for Housing and Urban Development during the George H.W. Bush administration. Shes been working with Skidmore on defense accounting issues for two years. She was so alarmed about the new FASAB ruling she commissioned an in-depth study of Standard 56 for her site, the Solari Report. In the introduction, the report writes bluntly that SFFAS 56 is: taking government accounting practices from laxly enforced reporting standards to a new benchmark entirelyexpressly approved obfuscation of reporting and, in some cases, outright concealing financials. Reached by email, Austin Fitts was pessimistic about the meaning of the new rule. The White House and Congress just opened a pipeline into the back of the US Treasury, she wrote, and announced to every private army, mercenary and thug in the world that we are open for business. What the rule actually will mean in practice is not clear. But its not hard to imagine how it could be employed. A quick look in the historical rearview mirror offers more than a few hints. The Iran-Contra affair was, at its core, an accounting issue. In it, a group of actors used proceeds of weapons sales to fund unauthorized support of Nicaraguan rebels. Money was moved from one place to another, with the public cut out of the loop. This would fall in line with the pattern of post-9/11 America. So much about intelligence programs in the War on Terror era seems already beyond oversight. Weve been told little-to-nothing about drone assassinations and warrantless detention, and it took a high-profile whistleblower like Edward Snowden to break the news of a vast new domestic surveillance program (something about which former National Intelligence Director James Clapper was willing to lie under oath). A legalized dualistic system for public financial reporting would therefore just be the latest blow to federal transparency, but it would be a big one. It would be nice to get a few answers before paying taxes into a black box becomes a permanent feature of American life. | https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/secret-government-spending-779959/ |
Could the next Nexus phone be a Pixel phone? | Google could be set to change the way its Nexus phones are made, taking control from hardware manufacturers. That could mean that the next Nexus could be more like a Pixel, with Google exerting end-to-end control. Until now the Nexus smartphones have been created by hardware manufacturers with experience in the area. It's been a showcase of different manufacturer's skills, bringing with it character: the Nexus 6 was distinctly Moto, the Nexus 6P distinctly Huawei, achieved by a close working partnership between both sides. Sources talking to The Information claim that Google is looking at designing the hardware as well as the software in future. This will effectively make the smartphone manufacturer a contractor, rather than a partner in the project. Currently the manufacturers don't get much money from the Nexus handsets, with Google taking a 15 per cent slice of the retail price from online sales, hacking profit margins for the manufacturer. The Information reports that some of the larger brands are unlikely to bend the knee to Google willingly, but the company might find a compatriot in HTC. There are already rumours that HTC - struggling financially - is in talks with Google about making future Nexus hardware. HTC was originally an OEM company, that's seen a rapid rise and fall through the Android space. In HTC's current position, it might welcome the opportunity. The Nexus devices have always been big hits, and not just because they run pure Android. Google usually releases its Nexus handsets towards then end of the year, around September. The next Nexus may well find itself only carrying Google branding and none from the manufacturer. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/136600-could-the-next-nexus-phone-be-a-pixel-phone |
Could Dufferin County be a municipal dumping ground for provinces review of regional governments? | The fear Dufferin County could serve as a dumping ground for any municipal bits and pieces left without a home following a provincial restructuring of regional governance across Ontario is real. Among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative regime seek to review for greater efficiencies are Dufferins municipal neighbours in Peel Region and Simcoe County. Amalgamation hasnt shown any of the results that have been promised over the years, says Darren White, the Melancthon mayor who also serves as warden of Dufferin County. It does but nobody seems to know what. Everybody is very tight-lipped at the province. I dont know that us being pushed into an alliance with other bits and pieces would work very well either, said Dufferin County Warden Darren White. That is a concern, he added. Our final answer: Its complicated, but itd most certainly have to be brought down from on high by the province. And itd be far more likely if Peel were to be restructured. That possibility has been made even more real by Tuesdays announcement. Amalgamation disproportionately affects rural areas. It leads to cuts in services and therefore the disenfranchisement of rural residents, White argued. For an area like Dufferin where the largest economic sector is agriculture, that would be a tragedy. Uncertainly in Peel Region, namely due to Mississaugas wish to break away from Brampton and Caledon to become a single-tier government, is the X-factor though. If Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga cant resolve any differences, provincial officials have told Peel politicians a merger of the last two into a single city could be contemplated. Then the question is, does Caledon stay in that new city? Caledon Coun. Ian Sinclair previously asked. Or do we take everything, Mayfield, north and join with the greater Dufferin? MPP Sylvia Jones declined to be interviewed for our investigative series, but she did provide us with a brief statement answering a question we had not yet been able to ask. Im not aware of any conversations about amalgamation, it read. Following the provinces announcement on Tuesday, The Banner reached out to Jones to request another interview on the topic. We were provided with the following statement on Wednesday morning. Article Continued Below Our government is committed to improving the way regional government works and we will be looking at ways to make better use of taxpayers' dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access important municipal services, the statement read. The review will consider whether changes are needed to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively so they can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on. It was no secret that Fords PCs planned to review regional governance across Ontario. With the current model in place for 50 years, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says populations have grown, infrastructure pressures have increased and taxpayer dollars are being stretched to the limit. (We) will be seeking more municipal input to help us ensure that regional government is working harder, smarter and more efficiently, said ministry spokesperson Rachel Widakdo. Its time to consider whether governance in these communities could be improved. The cost-savings-through-amalgamation argument tends to focus on eliminating unnecessary politician and staff salaries. By creating a larger service provider, studies have shown municipalities often need to hire more expertise once theyve become larger. White figures Dufferin County left off the provinces list due to its size. For instance, he said Simcoe County has a gigantic regional government compared to Dufferin. Ours arent gigantic. We have a lot of people but it doesnt cost a lot of money. People seem to think, even locally, that local politicians are making a pile of money and we are just not, White said. It just doesnt work, he said, referring to amalgamations. If you look at other places that have amalgamated, what you will see is sure, theyve gotten rid of some politicians but theyve had to replace low paid politicians with high-paid bureaucrats. From Whites perspective, local governments can make better decisions than outsiders pushing it down their throats. Time will only tell if the province provides them with that autonomy. We can do it better here if were just left to manage our own affairs, White argued. If we are expected to create our own solutions, we can do that much better than an outside force can impose on us. Chris Halliday covers Dufferin County, school board and police. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/01/16/could-dufferin-county-be-a-municipal-dumping-ground-for-provinces-review-of-regional-governments.html |
Could Wile E. Coyote Be Coming To The Boat Show? | I know by me in Avon we gotta be vigilant for these guys because it's mating season for coyotes. This 1 found hanging out inside the bathroom during the Nashville Boat Show maybe was freshening himself up for a date, he'd meet at the boat show. By the way if Mr. Wile E. Coyote has internet access, the Cleveland Boat Show starts tomorrow at the I-X Center, goes on through Sunday. Tickets are $14 but I don't see what it'll cost you bud. Thanks to WSMV-TV in Nashville who have the story HERE. And for you coyote lovers, there is a good ending too. | https://wncx.radio.com/blogs/slats/coyote-found-inside-nashville-boat-show |
Why Aren't Awards Campaigns Taking Measures to Bury Offensive Tweets? | While objectionable comments can cause public relations nightmares (just ask Kevin Hart or 'Green Book' writer Nick Vallelonga), strategists aren't proactively policing past remarks, but after this season, that could change: "If a company did exist to do this, they would probably be hired by everybody." That's the question that Hollywood awards strategists may need to start routinely asking their clients now that a 2015 tweet from Green Book writer-producer Nick Vallelonga in which he agreed with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump that Muslims in New Jersey cheered the 9/11 attacks has threatened to derail that movie's Oscar campaign. While shrewd strategists spend months doing everything they can to promote films from seeking impressive endorsements to throwing seductive soirees they have yet to take proactive measures to bury any potentially explosive tweets. "Every single company except Netflix is just so understaffed or overworked," says one strategist. "Who has the time to do this?" Old news stories, reflecting negatively on an awards hopeful, have haunted strategists in the past. And on Jan. 9, the same day Vallelonga's tweet resurfaced it first was posted by an anonymous commentator calling himself "AlvySinger" on the website AwardsWatch.com another site, The Cut, published excerpts from a 1998 Newsweek story in which Green Book writer-director Peter Farrelly admitted to flashing his genitals in the past. Farrelly quickly apologized, saying, "I was an idiot. I did this decades ago, and I thought I was being funny, and the truth is I'm embarrassed, and it makes me cringe now. I'm deeply sorry." News stories sometimes reappear to do damage. Reports of a 2010 sexual harassment suit (settled out of court) against Casey Affleck shadowed his successful Oscar quest for Manchester by the Sea. But Twitter provides an even richer repository of past missteps, with statements often tossed out off-the-cuff and without filters and easily searchable by anyone seeking to do opposition research or by an obsessed fan looking to do mischief. For some, old tweets have become a veritable land mine. During the past year, politically offensive tweets some old, some new cost Roseanne Barr her TV show, James Gunn his Guardians of the Galaxy directing gig and Kevin Hart the job of Oscar host. Vallelonga also offered an apology, saying, in part, "I spent my life trying to bring this story of overcoming differences and finding common ground to the screen, and I am incredibly sorry to everyone associated with Green Book." He also took down his Twitter account, though by then screenshots of the offending tweet already were in circulation. But among a number of prominent strategists surveyed, none would admit to regularly doing any kind of forensic searches of the online words left behind by the talent on the films they repped in order to erase any problematic opinions before they saw the light of day. One source did acknowledge asking a contender who was very outspoken on Facebook and "friends" with many others in the industry to avoid the site until voting ends. Another admits to having once retained ReputationDefender.com to scrub the internet of old web content that could have hurt a high-profile Oscar hopeful but that person notes that examining social media still hasn't become a matter of course. That could change, though if not for the second half of this awards cycle, then by next Oscar season. "If a company did exist to do this, they would probably be hired by everybody," says Perception PR's Lea Yardum. "And I doubt it would cost more than one trade ad." This story first appeared in the Jan. 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/why-arent-awards-campaigns-taking-measures-bury-offensive-tweets-1176171 |
What foods are safe after a no-deal Brexit? | Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. You can't freeze bananas... oh, my mistake, apparently you can. Picture: LJM You can't freeze bananas... oh, my mistake, apparently you can. Picture: LJM I dont want to panic anyone... I mean, if a week is a long time in politics, then nine weeks probably approximates to the entire Jurassic era. ), or at one of Britains other ports... Felixstowe, even. There have been a number of news reports that people have a box or a shelf or a cupboard in their homes which they have set aside for Brexit. One woman told the BBC she was squirrelling away bottles of tonic water, coffee and French marmalade. Away from the kitchen, in a cupboard she has stored extra bottles of shampoo. This is an unusual choice, one might think although it does appear to protect the continental breakfast and the sundowner gin and tonic. Maybe its an age thing but Im thinking about proprietary medicines, oh, and pasta. We're probably going to be all right fot tea. Picture: LJM We're probably going to be all right fot tea. Picture: LJM Research has shown that, as of October, last year, two per cent of people were starting to stockpile. I read that a Facebook group called the 48% Preppers (named for the proportion of people who voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum) has a leaflet called Getting Ready Together. It suggests stocking up on non-perishable items, which can be prepared quickly and require little water (Im fairly confident we wont run out of water... will we?). The list includes crackers, cheese, milk powder, grains and instant mash. Tinned fish and soup, tea and coffee also feature. Official sources advise against stockpiling and I am minded to take that on board unless, that is, everyone else does it, in which case, I may need to. No one wants to be scuttling around the streets, seeking out black market goods. Therell be men in sharp suits (like Joe in Dads Army) with tins of salmon attached to the insides of their coats. A website called verdict.co.uk points out that less than half of the food consumed in the UK is supplied by UK producers and paints a scary scenario. Looking on the bright side, however, whisky, chocolate and beer are deemed to be safe, if not really the basis of a healthy diet. Picture: LJM We should be okay for cereal products and anything made from wheat, barley or oats. The UK should have enough carbohydrates, including rice, bread and muesli, to avoid a disaster. We should also have enough milk and some varieties of tea. PG Tips are made in the UK. There is a chance there could be a shortage of sugar, according to verdict.co.uk and the UK could also lose access to more than 28% of its potato supplies. The websites list of stuff we might need to think about includes bacon, vegetables, fruit, a generator, emergency fuel supply, a barbecue, a log burger, an ample supply of wood, a horse (or another suitable form of transport). Crumbs. (Which may be all we have to eat). Lets hope so because Im not going to bother buying extra... not now I know Im going to be okay for bread and chocolate. | https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/are-you-stockpiling-food-for-brexit-1-5853963 |
How Bold Will NBCUniversal's "Low-Key" Streaming Bet Actually Be? | NBCs 'The Office,' 'The Good Place' and 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' may be among the series Comcast could include on its streaming platform. The Comcast divisions OTT approach avoids cannibalizing its lucrative cable business and allows the conglomerate to sell ads on multiple platforms while delaying an all-out effort to challenge Netflix. In three years' time, Steve Burke and his NBCUniversal will be forced to make a company-defining decision. Its licensing deal with Netflix for The Office comes to an end in 2021, and with it NBCU's top brass will need to determine whether they want to go all in on what, by then, will be a 1-year-old streaming service. There are two paths that lie before Burke: Make a Disney-esque proclamation that he will pull NBCU programming from third-party streamers as he shores up decades of Saturday Night Live episodes and back-catalog shows like 30 Rock. Or test whether catalog fare like The Office, which Burke and his NBCU colleagues regularly tout as Netflix's most watched show in a given month, can fetch a Friends-style $100 million one-year licensing fee. For now, Burke is signaling that his approach will hew more to the latter. "When the time comes, we'll look at our existing direct-to-consumer service and what kind of volume it has and how much we could expect to make if we moved it over," he told The Hollywood Reporter on Jan. 14, "and we'll have a discussion with Netflix and we'll decide what's right for the show." At a moment when tech giants and entertainment conglomerates are throwing billions at the problem of how to capture audiences accustomed to viewing programming on-demand, NBCU is taking a more measured approach. In a move that one person who knows him calls "classic Steve Burke," NBCU has found a way to launch a streaming service that won't threaten subscribers from the cable companies but, in fact, use those pipes (including ones operated by owner Comcast and newly acquired portfolio company Sky) as distribution. "This is a low-risk way of approaching SVOD," says BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield. "It doesn't disrupt their ad business because Linda Yaccarino will get to sell ads on it. It doesn't hurt their subscription business because you need to be a cable subscriber unless you want to pay." A source familiar with NBCU's decision making says that the strategy Burke laid out Jan. 14 was one of several discussed internally as the company readied its streaming plan over the past year. One option, which the former NBCU exec describes as coming out of the entertainment group, was a CBS All Access-style service that could serve as an extension of the existing broadcast network. Others pushed for NBCU to follow Disney's lead in pulling back programming licensed at third-party streamers like Netflix and Hulu (in which NBCU still owns a 30 percent stake). Instead, former cable chief Bonnie Hammer will preside over an offering designed to bend to consumers' existing viewing habits: Customers pay only if they don't want ads or if they don't already subscribe to cable. Now, Hammer's ability to build an OTT brand will be put to the test as she, Burke and the newly promoted Mark Lazarus and Jeff Shell determine the right balance of library content and original programming. That consortium could make the argument that, because their service is free, they won't need to fill it with as many originals as Disney, which is stockpiling shows based on such beloved properties as Star Wars and High School Musical. But one top TV agent notes the challenge of avoiding churn, arguing that "10 original shows doesn't get you to first base in today's world." NBCU does have a broad pipeline to pull from, including cable producers UCP and Wilshire Studios. Meanwhile, one insider suggests that the recent executive shuffle within DreamWorks Animation, already a big supplier to Netflix and Hulu, was ultimately about realigning it as a top producer of movies and series for the streaming service, as CBS Films is now for CBS' OTT platforms. There's also still a question about how much live news and sports will factor into the service. Though Burke indicated they will be part of the mix, the sports piece could become especially challenging given the restrictive nature of existing rights deals and risk of cannibalizing existing subscription business Gold, which live-streams cycling, figure skating and other top sports. Burke was careful to call the new service "just another buyer," suggesting that its launch won't limit the options for creatives tied to NBCU, but Hammer has acknowledged that there's a ticking clock on the "frenemy relationship" that the entertainment companies have with the streamers. "They need you and you need them right now, but at some point it's going to be a true a conflict of interest as opposed to just conflicting interests that you can somehow work around for a while," she told THR in November. "My concern is what happens when it gets to the point where we should not be feeding them content, we should be feeding our own systems content." Lesley Goldberg, Paul Bond and Borys Kit contributed to this report. This story first appeared in the Jan. 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-bold-will-nbc-universal-s-low-key-streaming-bet-actually-be-1176496 |
How Did the National Enquirer Get Jeff Bezos' Sexts? | The Amazon chief sent private messages to Lauren Sanchez (TV host and wife of Endeavor's Patrick Whitesell), such as, "I want to tuck you in slowly." The National Enquirer's 11-page report on Amazon chief Jeff Bezos' affair with TV host and helicopter pilot (and Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell's wife) Lauren Sanchez-Whitesell is chock-full of lurid details like how the couple took private jet trips to Miami and shared selfies "too explicit to describe." But the most intimate and intrusive bit of reporting is the text messages the 55-year-old husband of MacKenzie Bezos sent to his 49-year-old flame. Your energy and ideas and competence and SPIRIT turn me on, Bezos wrote in one, and in another, I miss you. I want to kiss you right now and tuck you in slowly and gently. A source close to the Enquirer says it's unlikely the texts were hacked. The most probable scenario, he says, is that they were leaked. "In my experience, a lot of times it's a friend of the mistress who perhaps isn't the closest friend," he says. "People talk. He's the world's richest man. That's hard to keep quiet." The Enquirer still pays for sources, the source added. A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/how-did-national-enquirer-get-jeff-bezos-sexts-1176209 |
What's new in Windows Phone 8.1? | Microsoft has unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8.1, at its Build 2014 annual conference in San Francisco. Windows Phone 8 was introduced in October 2011. Three updates later and it was time for a major overhaul. Enter Windows Phone 8.1 with a smorgasbord of updates that make the OS richer and more enticing. We've seen Windows Phone 8.1 in action on the Nokia Lumia 930, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635. It's worth remembering that what you see on these devices is a combination of Windows Phone 8.1 and Nokia Cyan. We've tried to keep the two separate so what we cover here is coming from Microsoft's side. Here are some of the major Windows Phone 8.1 features to get excited about. Users of Windows Phone have long been asking for more detailed top-level notifications and, mostly, a pull-down menu. It is one of the top features of Android, so much so that Apple integrated it into iOS. Now Microsoft is following suit. Microsoft has heeded requests and introduced what it calls Action Centre. Action Centre can be pulled down to access four toggle buttons, set to switch on and off Wi-Fi, controlling brightness, messaging and phone settings by default, but these can be customised. It also offers direct access to the settings menu, which is quick, easy and convenient. The Action Centre has a wide variety of options allowing users to modify what is displayed in notifications to suit their needs. These notifications are much more useful than toast notifications, so it should be much faster to scan and action your incoming messages. There are now independent volume controls for the ringer and notifications and media and apps. This is likely to be widely popular as the previous volume arrangement on Windows Phone was fairly limiting. Named after the artificial intelligence character in the Halo games, Cortana is Microsoft's version of Siri or Google Now. Using Bing search and intelligent spoken interaction, Cortana works as a personal assistant allowing users to control their phone without touching the screen. Since Microsoft is new to this area we're eager to see just how well this works. You'll be able to access Cortana though the search icon and it accepts both spoken and typed input. Cortana has its own live tile to feed information the user might like in a Google Now style. It can do searches, control calendars, send messages, make calls and more. But Cortana can be extended through third party apps allowing you to control them via voice alone. Cortana has its own "Notebook" which shows everything it has learned about the user, meaning it can be edited. It also gets to know a user's friends and family which can be placed on an "inner circle". This is useful for "Quiet hours" which only let the inner circle through during that time. Occasionally Cortana will ask questions as it get to know you, helping it refine the information it will provide. When searching for restaurants, Cortana will incorporate Bing's Yelp data so the user can narrow down choices by asking for specifics like star ratings. Cortana can also be used as a local search via typing. Search for an email from a certain person directly from the search bar, for example. Or set a reminder by typing: "remind me when I get home to cook dinner for my wife," and it will recognise when the user is home to remind them. Cortana can be extended through third party apps allowing you to control them via voice alone. For example a user can say: "Cortana get James Philips on Skype" and it will open the app and call that person. For US users HuluPlus can be used to add shows to a user's playlist. Facebook is also integrated allowing users to ask what's happening with a certain person to instantly be taken to their feed. Cortana will be launching in beta in the US before rolling out to the rest of the world later in 2014, separately from the rest of the Windows Phone 8.1 update. Live tiles have become even more live. Not only do they update with information from the app, but they can also be marked as read using a swipe across them. No more notification numbers appearing then when users have read the message on another device. Now you'll be able to pin a webpage as a live tile and rather than just being a static thumbnail, it will update with information from that website, like news, for example. You can also now opt for an extra row of tiles if you want more on your Start screen. There is a new customisation option too, that will let you change the background wallpaper, so you can select any photo you have on your device and make that the wallpaper for your Start screen, in addition to the normal themes and background colours. The Sense apps allow users to control the phone's power draining functions. The new Wi-Fi Sense app is able to automatically connect a user to free Wi-Fi when in range, automatically accepting terms of use in the portal that usually requires a user to open a window. Impressive, if it works. Conversely, you'll get the option to opt-out of connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots if you prefer. What's even more clever, is that if you log into a Wi-Fi connection on a Windows PC, your Windows Phone 8.1 device will also remember that Wi-Fi spot and automatically connect to it. There's another clever function in Wi-Fi Sense that allows you to easily share your Wi-Fi network, or take advantage of a friend's network. What this will do is let you automatically share your Wi-Fi network password with friends. You get to elect which networks are recognised (Facebook, Skype, Outlook) and if those people walk into your home, they will be able to instantly connect to your home Wi-Fi without you having to give them a password. Again, you can control and turn this off if you don't want it. In addition to Wi-Fi Sense there are Data and Storage Sense apps. Data Sense isn't new as we have it on our Nokia Lumia 925, but this will let you keep track of your data usage, telling you which apps are eating data. Storage Sense offers the same sort of thing, however will let you easily move content from one storage area to another. Battery saver has been refreshed, breaking down apps to detail what has been using the power. There's also a saver option - as there is on Windows Phone 8 - but on Windows Phone 8.1 it will engage at 20 per cent remaining life (by default). Microsoft claims you'll then get 24 hours of life. This is similar to HTC's extreme power saver mode on the HTC One (M8), or Samsung's equivalent on the Samsung Galaxy S5. The stock calendar has been updated to play friendlier with external sources and look more like Outlook on the PC. Google Calendar can now be pulled into the WP 8.1 native app allowing users to access everything in one place. It's even smart enough to pull in the weather so you'll know what to wear before heading out the door. And a week view mode has been added, at last. The stock Windows Phone 8.1 keyboard now has trace input. This allows users to slide their finger across the screen to type at high speed. It will even intelligently add emoticons based on what's being typed. We've had the chance to play with this and its very impressive. We've used plenty of smart keyboards and this addition to Windows Phone 8.1 should make a huge difference to those using it every day. In our quick test we found it to be fast and pretty accurate. Like keyboards such as SwiftKey, the new Windows Phone 8.1 keyboard will learn your language and evolve to give you better word predictions. One of the welcomed changes that comes with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1 is a deeper integration across devices. You'll be able to "Sync my settings" across devices, setting your Windows PC, tablet and Windows Phone with the same theme. There's also smarter handling of things like passwords. Like Wi-Fi Sense, Internet Explorer 11 will sync tabs and favourites across devices, so you can open up a tab on your phone you were looking at on your PC. You'll also get password syncing across devices, so when you sign-in to a website on your PC, you'll be signed-in on your phone. This sounds very much like the way that Google Chrome works between the desktop browser and mobile browser on Android, so should save a lot of time. Developers will also be able to create apps that you only have to buy once and can then be used anywhere, without having to pay for a desktop version and a mobile version. Unless the developer wants to, because they'll still be able to charge for apps separately if they want. Bing searching not only hooks into Cortana (or vice-versa), but the Bing searching is now more intelligent than before. It will search across your device, as well as the internet, but now you can use it for specific searches like "sync my settings" which will take you to that part of the settings directly. Bing apps will now come preinstalled on Windows Phone 8.1. The People hub is one of the nice places that Windows Phone pulls in a number of sources. In Windows Phone 8.1 this will be enhanced, with the options for connections expanding. Third-party apps will be able to get access, so you can have other sources of information for your contacts all rolling into one place. Skype is one of the apps that will be heavily integrated into Windows Phone 8.1. There will be a Skype button in the dialer, meaning you can easily place a Skype call to a contact. However, the really exciting thing is that you'll be able to switch from a cellular call to a Skype video call. In the in-call menu you'll have the option to switch, meaning, for example, that you could be mid-call and decide you want to show something to the person you're talking to, or just move to data rather than talk plan minutes. There's a new stock camera app in Windows Phone 8.1. The big change is that it allows you to customise the viewfinder, so you can have the important things you want right at your fingertips. There are plenty of options too, making the stock camera app much more dynamic than it was previously. Windows Phone 8.1 will start rolling out to older phones in the coming months. New devices will arrive with it by late April and early May. | https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/microsoft/128242-what-s-new-in-windows-phone-8-1 |
Will Tiana Mangakahia leave Syracuse early for WNBA draft? | Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuses Tiana Mangakahia said shes been hearing more trash talk from opponents this season as she pushes her way toward the elite level of best point guards in the country. When the Orange played Texas A&M earlier this season, Mangakahia said one of the Aggies (she either cant remember which one or doesnt want to identify her) tossed out the insult the she wasnt good enough to play in "the league.'' The reference was to the WNBA, and the taunter almost certainly knew she was wrong. The question isnt whether Mangakahia, a junior, will ever navigate WNBA hardwood. Its when shell make the leap from the Orange to the pros. The answer could very well be in a few months, when the league holds its 2019 draft. Mangakahia, 23, already clears one of the requirements of the WNBA that eligible players be at least 22 in the calendar year of the draft. She only needs to notify the league of her decision to renounce her remaining college eligibility 10 days before the draft (the 2019 date has not yet been set). Earlier this week, Mangakahia said she thinks shes ready for the jump but didnt want to speculate beyond that. "I definitely think about the WBNA,'' she said. "But right now, Im just focused on this season. I probably wont know for sure until after the season.'' Until then, Mangakahia seems quite focused on polishing up her pro resume. Mangakahia is coming off a triple-double against North Carolina on Sunday, the fourth in SU history but the first ever in the points-rebounds-assists categories. That earned her a second-straight ACC player of the week honor and she was also tabbed as the United States Basketball Writers Association and Citizen Naismith National Player of the Week. The Australia native led the NCAA with an average of 9.8 assists per game and set an ACC record with 304 assists last season. This year she averaging 17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 8 assists per game for the No. 12 Orange. She is also on the midseason watch list for the John Wooden Award, annually given to the best womens player in the country. In 47 games over two seasons at Syracuse Mangakahia has posted 432 assists, which ranks 10th in program history. Mangakahia has plenty of games left against tough ACC competition and then the postseason stage to prove herself, and one of the early 2019 WNBA mock drafts suggests she has some work to do to crack the elite level of pro prospects. Draftsite.com has Mangakahia going to Los Angeles in the third round at No. 31 in its latest projection. Under the WNBAs 2018 pay scale, third-round picks got three-year deals carrying annual salaries of $41,202, $42,027 and $44,129. Second-round picks got pacts worth $41,796, $42,632 and $46,896 per season. But a couple months of summer play in the WNBA isnt where the best pros make their money. The league is a great springboard for players looking to build a brand for international basketball, and Mangakahia would almost certainly be in line for a lucrative deal at least playing in Australia if not elsewhere around the globe. SU coach Quentin Hillsman said hes never had a player leave early for the WNBA draft in his 12 seasons running the program. Brittney Sykes strongly considered it following Syracuses national championship runner-up season of 2016, but she returned for her senior year and was the seventh overall pick by Atlanta in 2017. Thats the highest WNBA draft slot for a Syracuse player. Hillsman said he and Mangakahia havent yet discussed the possibility of declaring for the 2019 draft. "Shes a very good guard. If she has the opportunity to go to the WNBA and she gets picked high, she has to do whats best for her,'' Hillsman said. "I think that when youre talking about going to the next level, its the highest level of basketball. And if thats what she decides to do, were going to fully support her.'' Return of injured guard boosts depth of Syracuse womens basketball | https://www.syracuse.com/orangewomen/2019/01/will-tiana-mangakahia-leave-syracuse-early-for-wnba-draft.html |
Will William Barr Revive the 1990s Tough-on-Crime Approach? | William Barr, President Trump's pick for attorney general, faced questions from senators on how hed handle the Russia investigation and offered opinions on border protection and the high rate of minority imprisonment. WSJs Jason Bellini reports. Photo: Getty William Barrs vision of law and order was forged at the height of the 1990s crack epidemic, when the consensus in Washington was that long mandatory prison sentences were the best way to fight crime. Since then, bipartisan support has shifted toward more lenient punishments and prison alternatives. Mr. Barr, President Trumps pick for attorney general, is signaling that the views that defined his first stint in the role also may be changing. ... | https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-william-barr-revive-the-1990s-tough-on-crime-approach-11547669578 |
What else can be done to stop illegal drug use? | BAD DEBT: Drug use costs more than simply money. It can impoverish your mind, body, soul and spirit. BAD DEBT: Drug use costs more than simply money. It can impoverish your mind, body, soul and spirit. Supplied THERE doesn't seem to be any way to put a stop to people of all ages killing themselves by taking illegal drugs, despite the fairly constant mention of these deaths in our media. Does it really need a absolutely massive amount of publicity, with increased amounts of detail as to how much drug was taken by people of noted age, with pictures of the bodies (but, of course, not the faces). GEOFF CASS Tewantin | https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/what-else-can-be-done-to-stop-illegal-drug-use/3623657/ |
Should the Texans consider Oklahoma OT Bobby Evans in the 2019 NFL draft? | Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Bobby Evans declared for the NFL draft on Jan. 9, and his entry into the fray brings up the question whether he is a viable prospect for the Houston Texans. The Texans gave up 62 sacks of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who managed to start all 16 games, even though he sustained a broken rib and partially collapsed lung in Week 4 in a 19-16 overtime win against the Dallas Cowboys. Houstons offensive line was universally regarded as bottom tier heading into the 2018 season, and they did live down to those expectations. While the personnel was to blame, general manager Brian Gaine did make the best effort he could to shore up the blockers. In free agency, he signed guards Senio Kelemete and Zach Fulton along with tackle Seantrel Henderson. Gaine even used one of the trio of third-round picks in the 2018 draft to take Mississippi State tackle Martinas Rankin. While Gaine and the front office got an A for effort, the organization got a D for results as Henderson was hurt in Week 1, Rankin never materialized at tackle, being kicked inside to play guard, and the usual suspects of Kendall Lamm and Julin Davenport waved defenders by on their way to Watson. What drafting Evans would do for the Texans offensive line is provide a 6-5, 299-pound unit who has experience blocking for mobile quarterbacks. Evans played right tackle in 2017 when Baker Mayfield was the quarterback and left tackle in 2018 with Kyler Murray as the signal caller. Oklahoma finished 20th in the country with 1.36 sacks allowed, or 19 sacks allowed through 14 games. Walter Football projects Evans as being a day three prospect while The Draft Network envisions Evans as a starting left tackle. In any event, if the Texans are looking for an out-of-the-box run blocker that can develop into a solid pass protector, then the junior from Oklahoma needs to be a consideration. | https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/16/texans-consider-oklahoma-ot-bobby-evans-2019-nfl-draft/ |
Could WA politicians force Trumps hand on tax returns? | But thats all it is a precedent, started after a scandal involving President Richard Nixons tax returns. There is no law in place requiring presidential or vice presidential candidates to release this information. Recently, however, there has been a movement to change that, one that has officially found a home in Washington state. A handful of lawmakers in Olympia is hoping the state will lead the charge in making tax returns a price of entry for the presidential contest, if not to stop the current president, then at least to prevent another candidate from flouting such norms in the future. Earlier this month, state Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, along with three of her Democratic colleagues, filed a bill that would require presidential and vice presidential candidates to disclose federal income tax returns in order to appear on the ballot in Washington state. Specifically, the bill would require all candidates to release returns for the last five years at least 63 days before the presidential primary. Vice presidential candidates would be required to do so as well for the general election. I dont really view this as a Republican or a Democratic issue, said Kuderer. This is really about information that the voters want to have and I believe are entitled to have before they make a decision about who they want as their president of the United States. Kuderer, who has worked as a trial attorney, started serving in the state House of Representatives in 2015 before moving to the upper house in 2017. Although she has sponsored a wide variety of legislation, she has focused some of her attention on elections. Last year, she was a prime sponsor on Senate legislation involving on same-day voter registration on Election Day. Although the legislative session is just getting underway, Kuderer said she has already received some response to the bill from constituents, all positive. She said she hasnt received any feedback, good or bad, from lawmakers, other than her co-sponsors, but expects to hear from them once the bill gets its first public hearing. Kuderer and her co-authors, Democratic Senators Sam Hunt, Jeannie Darneille and Rebecca Saldaa, are seeing common cause with legislators in other states. During the 2017-2018 legislative session, lawmakers in at least 25 states introduced similar bills. None has had any success, though some bills are still pending. Only a few states, including Hawaii and Maryland, actually saw the bill get a vote in either house. In California, a bill similar to the one in Washington was passed by the state Assembly and Senate. The bill, which would only require that the tax returns be submitted within a reasonable time frame, was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, after he questioned its constitutionality. While I recognize the political attractiveness even the merits of getting President Trump's tax returns, I worry about the political perils of individual states seeking to regulate presidential elections in this manner, he said in a message accompanying his veto. First, it may not be constitutional. Second, it sets a slippery slope precedent. Recently, Democrats at the federal level have also been pushing for a similar requirement. Last week, newly empowered House Democrats introduced legislation requiring the last 10 federal income tax returns for both major-party nominees and sitting presidents and vice presidents. A similar requirement also was included in a House ethics bill introduced by Democrats earlier this month. But given that the Republicans hold a majority in the Senate and that the president holds veto power, there is little hope the legislation will make it beyond the House. Meanwhile, at the state level, Washington appears to be in as good a position as any state to actually pass such a bill. The state has the advantage of a Democratic trifecta, which means the party controls the governorship and the two legislative houses. If the bill gets to the Senate and House floors and all Democratic lawmakers support it, it will pass. But should Gov. Jay Inslee decide to veto it, the state does not have quite the majority needed to override that without the help of some Republican lawmakers. Washingtons leadership, including Gov. Jay Inslee, has also been very outspoken when it comes to criticizing Trump. Plus, Inslee could benefit from such a law. The governor is considering his own run for the presidency, and, unlike some other U.S. governors, has already released his tax returns. Were a state with both a good-government tradition and significant concern about the president, said Andrew Siegel, associate professor of law at Seattle University. If you had to pick one state that was most likely to do it, it might well be us. If the legislation does pass, Kuderer said she fully expects it to face a legal challenge. And thats where things become murky. On the one hand, the U.S. Constitution does give states some authority over how presidential elections are executed. For instance, every state decides independently whether it will have a winner-take-all system, proportional representation or some other system altogether. States are also in charge of setting administrative requirements for ballot access, such as gathering a certain number of signatures to get on the ballot. A tax-returns requirement could be viewed as simply one of those regulations, Siegel added. On the other hand, there is legal precedent that casts some doubt on the states authority to add to the qualification required to run for federal office. While the Supreme Court hasnt weighed in on presidential elections in this way, it has delivered decisions that make clear that states do not have the authority to do this for a congressional seat. There are people who argue that because there is a similar list of qualifications for the president and vice president [as there are for members of congress], that opinion would prevail and that a state could not impose additional requirements on someone to be on the state ballot, said Siegel. Kuderer is aware of this interpretation. In 2017, she and 16 of her Senate colleagues sent a letter to Attorney General Bob Ferguson asking him for his official opinion about requiring tax returns in order to gain ballot access. She said she has yet to receive a response. With the 2020 election drawing near, Kuderer decided they couldnt wait any longer. Im not afraid to drop the bill and lets have that aired and lets have that figured out, she said. Let's see if it is constitutional or not. Yet the legislature may decide that, in a busy session crowded with issues, it is not a priority. Sen. Dean Takko, D-Longview, a member of the State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee, which is expected to first hear the legislation, said he plans to vote for it. But he doesnt think lawmakers should spend a lot of extra time on it. It is a controversial thing, said Takko. If its something [where] theres a hearing, a vote, it moves on to the next committee or rules and things move really quickly, then fine. But if it gets hung up somewhere, I dont see people wanting to spend a whole lot of time lobbying and pressuring and trying to move this thing along. Even if the bill makes it through the legislative process, there is still the question of how much impact it will actually have in the 2020 election especially when it comes to Trump. Mark Smith, a political science professor at the University of Washington, said if Washington is the only state that passes a law requiring that presidential candidates release their tax returns, its still unlikely that it would persuade the president to share his financial secrets if he does decide to run for re-election. Washington has not voted for a Republican since Ronald Reagan and, given the wide margin of the last presidential election, is unlikely to do so in 2020. Its one of these things where you need a big enough block of states to do it, where it would really hurt for somebody to not appear on the ballot. Kuderer isnt discouraged. She expects it to impact not only whether a candidate appears on Washingtons ballot, but also whether more states move forward with similar legislation. I think it builds more pressure, she said. If one state can do it, I think youre going to see other states then moving forward with it. | https://crosscut.com/2019/01/could-wa-politicians-force-trumps-hand-tax-returns |
What's next for crippled Spurs? | LONDON Absolutely devastating. That was the reaction of former Tottenham forward Chris Waddle to the news Harry Kane would be ruled out for at least two months after suffering ankle ligament damage during the 1-0 Premier League loss to Manchester United over the weekend. Spurs' prospects of winning a first trophy under manager Mauricio Pochettino this season suffered a significant blow on Tuesday when the club announced Kane - the league's joint-top scorer on 14 goals - was "expected to return to training in early March". "Following preliminary assessments, we can confirm that @HKane has damaged ligaments in his left ankle," an official Spurs tweet read. "He will continue to be monitored by our medical staff as he commences rehabilitation." The England captain tweeted in response that while "injuries are part of the game, no one will be working harder to get back fit". The talismanic striker could possibly miss 12 matches, including a potential League Cup final, both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, and seven league games, as Spurs strive to keep up with leaders Liverpool and Manchester City. The 25-year-old is no stranger to ankle problems, having endured time on the sidelines in the last three years and missing seven weeks in 2016 in what was his most significant spell out. However, with Tottenham 1-0 up in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Chelsea, his absence this time is untimely. Pochettino, who has yet to deliver silverware since joining the club in 2014, is already without Son Heung-min - potentially until Feb 1 - while he plays for South Korea at the Asian Cup, and he has ruled out reintroducing out-of-favour Vincent Janssen to the first team. That leaves Lucas Moura, who should return at Fulham on Sunday after knee trouble, and Fernando Llorente - who has in effect been available for transfer and has been the subject of interest from Barcelona - as his strike options for the foreseeable future. The club had not anticipated entering the market this month and it remains to be seen if that policy shifts in the wake of Kane's injury. Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live it was now imperative for Spurs to bolster their front line in the transfer window and prevent their season from petering out. He said: "I'm sure they're looking around Europe. Could they get someone on loan to tick them over until the end of the season?" However, The Mirror claimed that Spurs could instead splash the cash with Bournemouth's Callum Wilson mooted as a possibility. While the Cherries have reportedly slapped a 75 million (S$130.6 million) asking price on the England forward to ward off any suitors, Sky Sports said Spurs have "admired" the 26-year-old for some time. His nine league goals in 20 appearances this season have fired his club to mid-table safety and Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior felt Wilson would be the "perfect fit" to fill Kane's shoes. The former Brighton defender added: "He is of a profile where he would be delighted to have the chance to play for a club like Spurs. "He gives them the pace to run in behind. I wouldn't be surprised if they put a marker down, and show they want to keep Pochettino and build for the future." THE GUARDIAN, THE TIMES, LONDON | https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/whats-next-for-crippled-spurs |
Is corporate consolidation condemning farmers to crippling servitude? | Agriculture has undergone an incredible consolidation of the companies that farmers rely upon. The global chemical/seed industry has collapsed into four giants; most meat industries are ruled by two or three packers, who often also play in the genetics, feed, production and management fields; Western Canada is utterly dependant upon two railways; two giant regional grain companies dominate the Prairies, with a third international player owning much of the rest of the business; fertilizer production is run by cartels. ADVERTISEMENT Its a critical question in the wake of mega mergers like 2018s Bayer-Monsanto and the radical consolidation that occurred in the Prairie grain handling system in the 2000s and 2010s. I looked at this question in some depth about a year ago in these stories. The bottom line conclusion I got from this work, which involved speaking with economists and farmers, was that while worrisome, consolidation actually seemed to have more upsides than downsides and simplistic assumptions that fewer competitors meant less competition and worse results for farmers didnt necessarily match what was going on in farm country. That was a pleasant surprise for me, and as a journalist, I love when reality turns out to be different than my preconceived notions. ADVERTISEMENT I got another side to the story and a welcome refresh to the same topic this Christmas when I read analyst Jonathan Teppers and Denise Hearns The Myth of Capitalism, which takes the opposite tack to what Id found in my previous work. This book, published in November and getting a lot of buzz, does not focus on agriculture, but substantial sections of the book deal with agriculture and farming as one of the sectors most affected by corporate consolidation. Their work is a passionately argued denunciation of the domination of much of the American and advanced Wests economy and society by oligarchies, which governments have allowed, ignored and even facilitated. Where the economists I quoted in my previous stories measured the impact of monopolies, monopsonies, duopolies and oligarchies in terms of their affect on consumer welfare, considering their existence benign if they offer consumers cheaper prices, more choices or improved access to products and services, Tepper and Hearn see profound dangers and damage in concentrated control of any sector of the economy by vested interests, and they demand governments take actions to control, restrain and break-apart these interests. ADVERTISEMENT Its a bracing read, with no attempt to take the sort of one the one hand . . . on the other hand approach and the it-dependsianism that is so common in books on economics topics. Theres a lot in it that is relevant for farmers, and you can read my summary of the most ag-specific elements here in this story we just published. Not really. I still see good justification for the argument that a handful of major, integrated players can offer consumers and farmers a far more efficient, cheaper and more dynamic set of choices than having many more but smaller, less integrated and less capitalized competitors. Ive seen this in the slaughter and food processing businesses. Bigger grain companies produced by mergers seem to be offering much more than the smaller, poorer companies they emerged from. And I understand the argument that companies like Bayer and Monsanto have made about needing even greater size in order to fund the enormously expensive biotechnology and chemical innovations that are what farmers need, that are possible with enough resources, but which are so dauntingly expensive and such a gamble that even the giant companies of five years ago back away from trying to develop them. But they have offered a refreshing rejoinder to the economists who (possibly) too easily accept a limited justification for the existence of concentrated ownership. There is such an extreme level of concentration now that none of us should be blithely accepting the idea that everythings fine and we dont have anything to worry about. Tepper and Hearn highlight the risks that lie before us, and might already be in play. Its a worthy addition to a discussion we should be having, but generally ignore. By looking at all the sides to this issue, hopefully youll end up with a well-rounded understanding of the situation you are in, and really cannot escape from. | https://www.producer.com/2019/01/is-corporate-consolidation-condemning-farmers-to-crippling-servitude/ |
Can the Lumia 1020 take on a compact system camera? | If you aren't already familiar with the Lumia 1020's camera, it's basically a point-and-shoot or compact camera stuffed into a smartphone body. Sort of. After reviewing Nokia's latest flagship smartphone, we were left wondering why the Finnish company would put a 41MP camera sensor into a device intended for messaging and making phone calls. We've decided to put it up against the iPhone 5, which has a respectable 8MP shooter on board, and the Olympus E-PL5 - a nice compact system camera loaded with features and really good image quality. The first comparison is obvious. The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that you'll find in most hands when you're out and about, and its camera has always performed well against other smartphones. Pitting it against the Lumia 1020 seems fair. We were tempted to compare the 1020 to a full-frame DSLR given the smartphone's incredibly high megapixel count. Nokia also claims in its Lumia 1020 white paper that some of the features on the 41MP PureView camera were only found on DSLRs. But regardless of pixel count, a full-frame sensor from the likes of Nikon or Canon would stomp on any tiny, smartphone camera sensor any day of the week. Instead, we decided to go with the Olympus E-PL5 because it seems more in line with what the Lumia 1020 is trying to be: a compact camera replacement. The Lumia's size and portability is much closer to a compact camera than a DSLR, and like many compact cameras, it has a fixed focal length lens. It's worth noting, however, that the E-PL5 is a micro four-thirds compact system camera that supports interchangeable lenses. The E-PL5 has a 16MP sensor - a far cry from the Nokia's 41MP unit - but the sensor is much larger than the one found in the 1020. So we're going to find out whether megapixels trumps sensor size in this comparison, although if you're familiar with cameras and camera technology, you may already have your money on the bigger sensor. In this image comparison, we're going to take a look at overall image quality, which takes into account color, contrast, details and dynamic range. We're also going to consider performance. Another area we'll consider is low-light performance and how well each of the three devices handles noise. Because of Nokia's claims, we're going to push each camera as far as they will go, even if one camera has capabilities that another doesn't (e.g. aperture controls and high ISO settings). This isn't going to be the sort of comparison where we try to get each camera's settings as close to each other as possible, then pixel-peep the photos. There will be a little bit of that, but for the most part we're going to push these cameras to see whether any can be considered a replacement for the other, or if they're truly in separate classes. | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-5-vs-lumia-1020-vs-olympus-e-pl5-1174823 |
Can Royal Dutch Shell's Cash Flows Remain Consistent? | Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A), saw profits surge in the last quarter, as improvements to capital efficiency has meant the company reported a strong quarter. With oil prices falling into the twentys a couple of years ago, Shell decided to re-focus its strategy. Previously it had focused on acquiring assets, and paid little attention to quality. When the oil prices fell, it had to quickly re-strategize to keep profitability up, and the strategy has paid off. Gas and exploration income almost doubled from the previous year, and the upstream segment of the company saw significant increases. Along with the increase in income, profits almost tripled from the previous year . We have a price estimate of $67 per share for Royal Dutch Shell, which is 10% higher than its current market price. View our interactive dashboard Royal Dutch Shell In 2019 and modify the key drivers to visualize their impact on its valuation. Shell has significantly tightened how it allocated capital in 2018. Capital Expenditure (capex), has remained steady through 2018, and is at similar levels from 2017. Capex is expected to continue into 2019. This means Shell will weather any major prices changes in oil, far better than previous years, where it wasnt prepared for an oil collapse. The volatility in oil could be a reason why the stock remains muted, as investors look for consistent quarterly results before investing in the stock. But with capital expenditure tightening, we expect free cash flow to come in at $20 billion in 2019, up from ~$16 billion in 2018. The companys average realized price for 2018 has been $65, and we are currently expecting a similar average realized price in 2019. Currently the stock trades at a price of $60, and our price estimate is at $67, should cash flows come in strong as expected, we could see the price of the stock achieve much higher levels, with the stock reaching as high as $73 which is illustrated in in our chart labeled (share price), and our dashboard. But for the stocks price to rise to $73, the company would have to show 2-3 quarters of consistent results. With OPEC expected to keep a tight lid on supply, we expect oil prices to remain steady. Overall, Royal Dutch Shells stock is well placed to go higher in 2019. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/16/can-royal-dutch-shells-cash-flows-remain-consistent/ |
What Will Come After The Information Age? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Brian Bi, former software engineer at Google, on Quora: I would say that were currently in the transition from the Information Age to what I call the Age of Reckoning. In the Industrial Age and the Information Age, there was widespread optimism that technology would eventually solve all of our problemspoverty, disease, violence, and others. In the last 5 years or so, its been slowly dawning on us that more technology, by itself, cannot be the solution, and in fact, the systems we currently have in place, while they solve some problems, create other problems that may be equally severe. While technology has certainly lifted many humans out of poverty and enriched our lives in many ways, it has also made the world increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. The rapid disruption of many established industries has meant that even the most intelligent and conscientious individuals have had to struggle to stay relevant in the modern globalized economywhile others, inundated with information to make sense of, cant figure out how to make all the right decisions the first time, and must spend years broke, jobless, underemployed, or burnt out. We are not weaker or stupider than our ancestors, but the world is more challenging than ever before and we need to go through more trial and error than they did in order to secure a comfortable existence. Continued technological development will increase material abundance even more, but technology alone cannot solve the problem of figuring out whom to distribute resources to and getting everyone on board with how resources are distributed. The internet has enabled new modes of social interaction that the evolution of our primate brains didnt equip us to handle. Despite the fact that we are supposed to be more connected than ever before, many people are lonely and starved of genuine positive human attention. Many people dont belong to tribes or bands in which individuals are valued, the way our ancestors have for millennia; instead, we all compete for attention on a globalized market provided by social media, and many people are losing the competition, becoming lonely and depressed, while even those who are winning, receiving a larger share of positive attention than others, can often be anxious and insecure about maintaining their position in the status hierarchy, because they, too, often lack a close-knit social group in which people genuinely care about them. Economic growth and technological development dont increase the ratio of available human attention to the amount of need for human attention (as both scale linearly with the number of humans alive). We have to admit that we simply dont know how to solve this problem right now, but at any rate, its obvious that we cant rely on technology to be our savior. I believe that in order to confront the major problems that we will face this century, we are going to have to look inward and confront some uncomfortable truths about human nature, understand the fact that technology can amplify both the best and the worst aspects of it, and possibly come together to make big sacrifices in order to build a world thats truly better for all of us. This is the reckoning that I speak of. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/16/what-will-come-after-the-information-age/ |
Can People Buy Plots Of Land On The Moon? | Short answer: you cant. No one can. Heres why. There are several international treaties that bear on this subject, but the most important is the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies signed on January 27, 1967 . This treaty is usually called the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 or the OST for short. You can read the treaty and the US State Departments explanation of it here: Outer Space Treaty The relevant provision of the OST is Article II which states: Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. So what? you might say. The OST pertains to nations. Im not a nation, so why cant I buy 40 acres on the Moon with a nice view of the Apollo 15 landing site? Contrary to what you might believe, this provision absolutely prevents you from buying that gray, arid hunk of moon that you crave. Any claim to own real property (immovable property in those countries whose law descends from the Roman Civil Law, or just plain land to most people) MUST derive from some national claim of sovereignty. If you own land in the United States and received an abstract of title look at it carefully, all the way back to the last page. You will see that, at one time or another, your land was claimed as sovereign territory of the United States of America, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain, etc., or the Kingdom of Spain, or the Republic of Mexico, or the Russian Empire, or the Kingdom of Hawaii (I think thats all of them, but I might have missed one in there somewhere). That sovereign then caused that piece of land to be severed from the public domain by means of a land grant, sale, Homestead Act Title, or some other means and became someones property. Title then passed through a series of owners down through history to YOU. Some sovereign had to own the property FIRST, so that you can trace your ownership back to that sovereign (or more than one sovereignmany abstracts refer to the treaty or treaties by which that territory passed from a foreign sovereign into the possession of the United States). Further, it is the law of that sovereign that recognizes, protects, and legitimizes your ownership. At bottom, ownership of land is a legal right to exclusive possession, use, and control of the land and what it produces. That right has meaning ONLY if you can enforce it in the courts. Or from coming on the land armed with Ole Betsy, his trusty 12 gauge shotgun, and running you off the property before you can even get the foundation poured for your house. It is your ability to go to court, get a Temporary Restraining Order barring Mr. Schmuckmaker from interfering with your legal use and enjoyment of the land (and empowering the Madison County Sheriffs Office to cart him off to jail if he violates that order), and obtaining legal damages from him for the tort of trespass, that makes your ownership of the land more than a mere legal formality. Just think about it from the perspective of a bank giving you a loan to buy the land and build (or buy) a house on itno bank would ever give the loan at an interest rate anyone could afford unless there was a legal system that protected your possession of it AND that provided a means by which the bank could foreclose on the loan if you dont make the payments. So, in summary, the OST says that no nation can exercise sovereignty over any body in outer space, including the moon. No private person can own property and freely exercise rights of ownership under the law unless that land has been first legally claimed by some sovereign and unless that sovereign has established a legal system that recognizes and protects that ownership. So, save your money to buy that beautiful oak tree-shaded plot in the Texas hill country, because you simply cant own acreage on the moon. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/16/can-people-buy-plots-of-land-on-the-moon/ |
Where in Canberra? | With flights available on daily basis on Singapore Airlines, it is always easy to plan for a family trip to Canberra. First and Business Class passengers can select a range of meals from Yummy!, an in-flight meal service that even your picky little eaters will enjoy. Families travelling in the Economy Class need not fret as you would still be able to select a child meal before your flight. Whats more, the in-flight entertainment system KrisWorld will keep the family occupied with more than 1,800 on-demand options including movies, TV programmes, audio CDs and interactive games. Once you land, an unforgettable holiday awaits your family in Canberra. Guess the locations of these photos and these might be where your family goes for your next holiday: Location 1 Clue 1: See kangaroos and koalas up close. Clue 2: Take a scenic drive or walk through nature and observe native animals in their natural habitats. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Just a 40-minute drive from the city, the reserve will excite your family with spotting native wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, possums, wallabies and emus. If youre lucky, you might even spot an elusive platypus. Enjoy a scenic drive or trek through the reserve. You can also join a ranger-guided walk or activity. Kids will love the Nature Discovery Playground where they may have fun climbing rope and whizzing down slides. For more fun experiences with animals, visit the National Zoo & Aquarium, National Dinosaur Museum and Canberra Reptile Zoo. Location 2 Clue 1: Canberra glows colourful with culture and creativity during this period. Clue 2: Enjoy an exciting mix of illuminations, arts, music and colourful balloons. Festivals and events Canberra transforms into a hive of activity during the Enlighten Festival. Over 17 nights from March 1, the city turns into a vibrant arts precinct, with live music, roving entertainers, interactive installations and architectural projections. During the Canberra Balloon Spectacular, the city's skyline is dotted with colourful hot-air balloons for nine mornings starting on March 9. The best views are from the lawns of the Old Parliament House. Other highlights include the Night Noodle Markets and the Hit104.7 Skyfire fireworks, which are set to a perfectly-timed soundtrack. Location 3 Clue 1: See some of the world's most popular attractions in miniature form. Clue 2: Take a family ride on a miniature steam train. Cockington Green Gardens Be transported to more than 30 countries at Cockington Green Gardens, which features a fascinating display of miniature buildings from all over the world. You'll get to see Indonesia's Borobudur Temple and Perus Machu Picchu, amongst others. Be awed by the meticulous attention to detail in crafting the tiny structures and surrounding gardens. Check out the Waverley Dolls House, and dont miss taking a ride on the miniature steam train. You may also like to visit the National Arboretum Canberra or Yarralumla Play Station. Location 4 Clue 1: The most unique playground you'll ever visit, complete with acorn cubbies. Clue 2: Your children will get to climb, explore and have fun. Pod Playground Located at the National Arboretum Canberra, Pod Playground features giant acorn cubbies, nest swings and banksia pods. Older kids will enjoy a large climbing net frame and giant acorn cubbies on stilts, connected by net tunnels and ending in a spiral slippery slide. The younger ones can climb a single ladder leading into a giant acorn cubby with a slide. Toddlers will also enjoy themselves with giant banksia cones, musical instruments, and swings. Let the kids have a ball, while the adults relax with a coffee and snack, and enjoy stunning views of the city. | https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/travel/where-in-canberra |
Can Immigration Save the U.S. from Its Birthrate Crisis? | The primary asset of any society is its people. That's true in the lofty spiritual sense and in the crass financial one: Other people produce both the economic goods and the tax revenue that sustain the nation. Like any other asset, this one needs to be replenished by continual reinvestment. A society that stops replacing itself is like a trust-fund kid dipping into the capital. The accounts empty at an accelerating pace, and a bill eventually comes due that cannot be paid. Virtually the entire rich world is now in varying stages of that cycle. In 2000, only three rich-world countries -- the United States, New Zealand and Iceland -- averaged two or more children per woman. Today, only New Zealand is still replacing itself. The average for American women has dropped to 1.76 children, according to a new report from the National Vital Statistics System. "Good!" a certain type of environmentalist might say. But other people may notice that the country's whole political economy assumes population growth. Whether retirements are funded through government or private accounts, the United States still needs enough productive workers to support retirees without impoverishing themselves; no matter how the health-care system is structured, it still must be funded and staffed by the able-bodied. With a shrinking population, even seemingly unrelated areas, such as debt finance, will need rethinking. Debt implicitly assumes growing incomes, growing gross domestic product. But GDP growth is a direct function of the labor force's size. Without that growth, debts bite harder with every passing year. Societies preparing for an aging population ought to be running surpluses to pay down debt and planning for much longer working lives. But almost no one seems ready to do that. Instead, three alternatives are generally proposed: raising birthrates through family subsidies; boosting innovation to offset workforce decline with higher productivity; and replenishing the population through immigration. Unfortunately, there's little evidence that "family policy" has more than a marginal impact on total lifetime fertility. Sociologist Brad Wilcox, who oversees the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, notes that even "krybbe"-to-"grav" Nordic welfare states have failed to keep birthrates above replacement. And while technological innovation can certainly make the most of existing workers, it's unlikely to fully offset workforce decline. After a certain point, aging populations tend to innovate less, because older people are generally more risk-averse and less creative than younger ones. That leaves immigration. Even the hardiest of immigration hard-liners might reconsider their position if the alternative were working to age 90. But the exigencies of an aging population are likely to force immigration advocates to do some rethinking, too. The idea that Social Security and Medicare can be saved by importing younger workers turns out to have some complications. First-generation migrants typically cost the government somewhat more than they pay in taxes. That doesn't mean that migration is a bad deal for the United States, despite what restrictionists claim. By providing low-skill, labor-intensive services, migrants let native-born Americans spend more time on more productive work, boosting everyone's incomes. But when native-born, higher-skill workers become scarcer, the equation changes. To put it another way: You can't save Social Security's finances by replacing an engineer who makes $100,000 a year with someone who had to drop out of school in eighth grade and is struggling to learn English. The way that system is structured, the math doesn't work. This limits our ability to close budget gaps through immigration. An immigration solution to the United States' demographic challenge would probably mean a very different immigration policy, something like the points system used by countries such as Canada and Australia, which selects for migrants reasonably fluent in English and likely to be net tax contributors. Family reunification, which reinforces the United States' historical bias in favor of low-skill migration, might well have to be curtailed. That change would be politically fraught, to say the least. And given that the United States, unlike Canada and Australia, has a long border with a significantly poorer country, it may not even be possible. Moreover, most of the countries that send migrants to the rest of the world themselves have declining birthrates. Scouring countries in demographic decline clean of their working-age populations to feed rich-world economies seems both unethical and impractical. The good news is that demographic crises move at a glacial pace; we have years to weigh these unpalatable options. But, like glaciers, demographic crises are nearly impossible to stop once they really get going. So unless births bounce back soon, we'll probably have to choose. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group | https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/01/16/can_immigration_save_the_us_from_its_birthrate_crisis_139194.html |
Will Biomarkers Eventually Replace Physicians? | For my entire career, I have been an outspoken critic of the thoughtless use of biomarkers in the practice of medicine. Biomarkers are measures of a substance (typically in blood) or a bodily structure or function (often through an imaging study). Originally developed for making a diagnosis, they have subsequently been widely used to estimate the severity of a disease or assess the adequacy of the response to its treatment. There are an extraordinarily large number of biomarkers, and more are developed with each passing day. Physicians routinely measure or evaluate countless biomarkers in clinical practice. Some rely on them heavily. If a patient has diabetes, a physician is likely to monitor HbA1c to guide the use of medications. If a patient has heart failure, a physician may perform repeated measurement of ejection fraction or natriuretic peptides. Biomarkers have long been an important part of medicine. For many decades, patients routinely had blood tests, a urinalysis, and an electrocardiogram. These are all biomarkers. In the past, physicians would spend time interacting with patients, taking a careful history and assessing each patient's progress while answering questions and providing comfort. When biomarkers were assessed, they typically supplemented the personal insights gained from directly talking to patients. The human interaction was primary; the biomarkers were secondary. However, over the past several decades, the time spent with a patient has dwindled, and the number of biomarkers has skyrocketed. Now many physicians are judged and paid according to the biomarkers that they check. If the biomarkers look good, the patient must be doing well. And conversely, if the biomarkers look worrisome, the patient must be doing poorly. In either case, all too often, there is no need to ask the patient how he or she is doing. The biomarkers now have a higher priority than the patient-physician interaction. Most biomarkers are really awful. Even though physicians rely on them, most do not reflect how the patient is feeling or whether their condition is improving or worsening. We have few truly valid biomarkers. HbA1c levels reflect control of blood glucose. And over a period of 10-15 years, that may be important in determining the effect of the disease on some organs. But for the older patient with diabetes, over the time course of 1-5 years, adjusting drugs based on their effect on HbA1c does not change their high risk of cardiovascular or renal disease, which can inflict life-threatening injury, as I wrote last year. Physicians can reduce these risks, but doing so does not involve adjusting drugs based on the measurement of HbA1c. The same applies to heart failure. Many physicians compulsively measure blood levels of natriuretic peptides, and adjust medications to bring the levels towards a normal range. We have many drugs that have been shown to reduce the risk of death and disease progression in heart failure. But in the trials that showed their benefits, none of the drugs were adjusted based on the level of natriuretic peptides. In a large randomized trial, when physician judgment was supplemented by knowledge of natriuretic peptides, patients did not do better, but their care was significantly more expensive. Most are still measuring biomarkers to determine which drugs to use and what doses to prescribe. The biomarkers are easy to measure; they consume little physician time; and they do not require any real thought process. It is going to get worse. If current trends continue, the number of biomarkers will soar to a point where it may be possible -- by the analysis of a single tube of blood -- to measure hundreds (perhaps thousands) of biomarker proteins. Eventually, assay results might be available almost instantaneously. Think about it. At the start of each patient visit, all biomarkers are measured. And within minutes, the computer displays a full detailed profile of their biochemical health -- each value displayed to 3 decimal points! If the biomarkers actually became good enough to accurately measure every disease process, there might never be a reason for the patient to say anything. Just go to the lab, give a sample of blood, and wait a few minutes. And voila! The patient is given a list of diagnoses along with a precise quantification of their severity. And just before leaving, a pharmacist delivers a host of prescriptions that are designed to bring the biomarkers into the normal range. Here is the most interesting part. The entire process does not even need a physician. A computer algorithm can manage the whole visit. There is no need for the patient to talk to a healthcare provider. Arguably, there is no purpose for a history or physical exam. No time is needed for patient questions or the delivery of comforting words. It is all efficient and very cost-effective. In essence, the widespread use of biomarkers eliminates the need for and the expense of a middleman in the practice of medicine. The physician. Physicians who do procedures need not worry. It seems unlikely that robots will be able to do unassisted surgery or perform invasive diagnostic tests or treatments on their own. (I may be wrong about this!) But computers may soon be able to read imaging studies faster, better, and less expensively than radiologists. And if you are a non-procedural physician -- someone who is paid to interact with patients, make a diagnosis, order tests, and prescribe non-procedural treatments -- your days may be numbered. Artificial intelligence can easily do all of these things, with no need for an expensive intermediary. Artificial intelligence can even be programmed to say hello, ask about symptoms, and provide comforting words. The computer would be very thorough and can be programmed to be very empathetic. Arguably, some patients might not even notice the absence of a human presence, or miss it. Fortunately, that day has not yet arrived. However, if you are a physician who robotically moves through their daily routine with minimal patient interaction and with a heavy reliance on ordering and treating biomarkers, you are only one step away from making yourself obsolete. Remember that your humanity is the only part of the interaction that the patient really values. So here is my advice to all healthcare providers: The mission of delivering healthcare is being a healer -- a uniquely human experience. If you do not want to be replaced by a computer, then you should stop acting as if you are following a programmed algorithm. Think about that the next time you order your next routine biomarker. Packer recently consulted for Actavis, Akcea, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cardiorentis, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, J&J, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Synthetic Biologics, and Takeda. He chairs the EMPEROR Executive Committee for trials of empagliflozin for the treatment of heart failure. He was previously the co-PI of the PARADIGM-HF trial and serves on the Steering Committee of the PARAGON-HF trial, but has no financial relationship with Novartis. 2019-01-16T10:00:00-0500 | https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/revolutionandrevelation/77446 |
Will the Global Credit Boom Go Bust? | WASHINGTON -- We are in the midst of a worldwide credit boom that may be without precedent. The debt explosion suggests that the global economy -- all the national economies combined -- is being driven heavily by massive government and private borrowing. No one really knows, but the numbers certainly give pause. While everyone is fixated on President Trump and his opponents, hardly anyone is paying attention. The latest figures come from the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an industry research and advocacy group. It reports that in September, worldwide debt totaled $244 trillion, or almost a record 318 percent of world gross domestic product. That figure covers all government, household and non-financial business borrowing. (World GDP means total global output.) Here's a detailed breakdown. Government debt has tripled from $20 trillion in 2000 to $65 trillion in 2018, rising as a share of GDP from 55 percent to 87 percent. Household debt has increased over the same years, from $17 trillion to $46 trillion (from 44 percent to 60 percent of GDP). Finally, non-financial corporate debt rose from $24 trillion to $73 trillion (71 percent of GDP to 92 percent). "Debt has fueled a good deal of economic growth," says economist Sonja Gibbs of the IIF. Higher borrowing is widespread, though countries borrow differently. Government debt, for example, is highest among mature economies, such as the United States and France. By contrast, business borrowing has been more common in so-called "emerging-market" countries (China, India, Mexico). There are no universal rules on how much debt is too much. A lot depends on investor psychology -- that is, confidence or fear. Behavior can be self-fulfilling. If banks and bond-holders believe debts will be repaid, then they will be, because borrowers will raise new loans to replace the old. Similarly, if lenders fear debts won't be repaid, they may withhold new loans. For the moment, confidence seems to be holding. One reason may be low interest rates, which make it easier for borrowers to carry large debts. Still, the debt buildup poses dangers. The first -- and maybe the most likely -- is that both borrowers and lenders become more cautious. Lenders fear defaults and delinquencies; corporate borrowers worry that they won't be able to "roll over" existing loans, while household borrowers fear losing their homes or cars. If economic growth slows, then servicing outstanding debts becomes harder. "The risk is not [an economic] blowout but a slow slog -- slower growth," says Gibbs. "As debt service gets bigger, it takes away from what you can do with more borrowing. It diverts from more productive uses." Another risk is that over-indebted businesses in emerging-market countries trigger some sort of financial crisis. Loan losses force some banks to close or stop lending. The circumstances are particular to individual countries or industries, but if too many local crises occur, the global economy could lose steam. Finally, there's "rollover risk" -- the possibility that borrowers won't be able to renew existing loans. That prospect seems particularly strong among emerging-market borrowers. According to the data from the IIF, emerging-market borrowers face $2 trillion of maturing debt in 2019, with about a quarter of those loans made in dollars (most of the rest are in local currency). To avoid default, borrowers must somehow raise those dollars, either from a new loan or from other sources. When it comes to global debt, we may be in unexplored territory. The only certainty, as the IIF's Dylan Riddle puts it, is that "there's been a breathtaking accumulation of debt in the last decade or so." (c) 2019, The Washington Post Writers Group | https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/01/16/will_the_global_credit_boom_go_bust_139195.html |
Will the Real Bill Barr Please Stand Up? | On the opening day of his confirmation hearings, attorney general nominee William Barr said many things to reassure senators and the American public about his commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice under the Trump administration. I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody, whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the President, Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee, sounding bold, albeit slightly rehearsed. Barr projected himself as principled, professional and deeply committed to the rule of law. But that did little to calm the concerns of critics who point to the nominees long commitment to an extreme view of executive power in which the president is effectively above the law, and his bizarre memorandum addressed to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein which criticized what Barr assumed was special counsel Robert Muellers theory of obstruction of justicea writing which favorably circulated among top White House officials. If it is the principled, experienced, crusader for apolitical law enforcement, then we can all rest easy. But if the other Bill Barr takes the reins, there is cause for concern. At the hearing, Barr was unable to explain adequately his decision to write the memorandum to Rosenstein last June, while Barr was still in private practice. He claims he was motivated by news stories. But his judgment in drafting and sending it is in tension with his image as a detached professional pursuing evenhanded justice. Pundits and journalists are expected to speculate on information in the public record. They can and do give their opinions about what it appears Mueller and his team are doing and where theyre headed; this is a public service because they are helping people understand a complex and often technical process. By contrast, in drafting and submitting legal memoranda, lawyers serve a different role and are expected to act differently. Lawyers, unlike pundits, are supposed to reserve judgment about the law until they understand the facts. Despite qualifying his memorandum by explaining that he has no understanding of the facts and no independent knowledge about the Mueller probe, Barrs memo launched into a full-throated criticism of Muellers theory of obstruction of justice, as if he knew what that theory is and whether Mueller is pursuing it. Barr begins his memo by conceding "I am in the dark about many facts." He goes on to allege that Mueller is proposing an unprecedented expansion of obstruction laws so as to reach facially-lawful actions taken by the President in exercising the discretion vested in him by the Constitution, although Mueller has not publicly proposed any such action and Barr would have no way of knowing the special counsels thought process. He asserts that the full measure of law enforcement authority is placed in the President's hands, and no limit is placed on the kinds of cases subject to his control and supervision. The Attorney General and Department of Justice lawyers exercise prosecutorial discretion on [the presidents] behalf, Barr argues, an interpretation of executive power which both undermines the DOJs traditional independence and effectively gives the president the power to stop any criminal investigation he chooses. These choices would be appropriate if Barr was rehearsing for a role as personal lawyer to the president, but makes little sense if his only interest was to inform the relevant parties and preserve his reputation as a public servant. Both Republicans and Democrats grilled Barr on the independence of the Department of Justice, and he reassured senators on both sides of the aisle that he has no more remaining professional and personal aspirations. All he cares about is his legacy, his reputation. This, he claimed, uniquely suits him to stand guard of the agency he cares about so deeply. This line of argument is convincingthis is how professionalism is supposed to work. Concern for reputation in a community with particular and exacting standards is a significant check on professionals like Barr, who stand to lose and gain nothing from public service other than their legacy. But if an enduring legacy of public service is his sole motivation, it makes little sense that he would have drafted that memorandum, which was at odds with the best practices of the bar. Somewhat ironically, Barr explained that he could not answer particular questions at the hearings without more facts. There were numerous questions from senators about what might constitute obstruction of justice by a president. Barr agreed that an explicit offer to exchange a pardon for favorable testimony or the refusal to cooperate would constitute obstruction of justice. Likewise, destroying documents with the intent to interfere in an investigation would be a crime. But on more nuanced questions, he reserved judgment. One senator asked whether Barr would allow the special counsel to subpoena the presidents testimony. Barr refused to answer, saying he would need to know the facts. Another asked whether Barr would commit to revealing as much as he could of Muellers report to Congress and explaining why he has withheld anything if he chooses to do so. Barr refused to make a pledge without first seeing the facts. Frustrating as these answers are, lawyers are expected to be cautious in this way. Even in the context of a public hearing whose purpose is to inform lawmakers and the public, lawyers tend to reserve final judgment until they know the facts. It is a central part of their professional obligation. But this cautious approach is at odds with Barrs decision to opine in that memo about whether a set of facts he did not know constituted a crime on a theory of obstruction he did not know was even relevant. There is another inconsistency between the Barr who appeared before the Senate yesterday and the Barr who wrote that memorandum. The theory he embraced in his memo (and has reportedly long held) and the statements he made in his confirmation hearing are in tension. In the memo, Barr embraced a strong vision of the executive whose power is concentrated in the hands of the president. As a president has plenary authority over the executive, Barr insisted, he has full power to hire and fire for any reason, and cannot be prosecuted for exercising his powers with a subjective intent to interfere with an investigation into himself and his campaign. Yet Barr insisted in the hearing that he understands that as the nations chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general must preserve the independence of the Justice Department and protect it from political influenceincluding from the president to whom he reports. These two visions are fundamentally incompatible. If the president controls law enforcement, thenas President Trump and his lawyers have insistedhe is allowed to do anything legal, including inject political considerations into individual prosecutorial decisions. Under his own theory, Barr would be limited to resigning if he disagrees with the presidents directive. Intellectual inconsistency is not a fatal flaw, and ifas he promisedBarr plans to protect both the Mueller investigation and other federal prosecutors from the taint of political interference, the rule of law will win. But his strong vision of executive power calls into question whether that commitment is as strong as he trumpeted at his hearing. That will be his legacy. Rebecca Roiphe (@rroiphe) is a professor of law at New York Law School. | https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/16/william-barr-trump-attorney-general-confirmation-hearings-224022 |
Why didn't Congressman Michael Cloud sign letter to protect Hurricane Harvey relief money? | CLOSE With shutdown negotiations deadlocked, the White House plans further meetings with rank-and-file lawmakers, as the Trump administration acknowledges the prolonged standoff is having a greater economic drag than previously thought. (Jan. 20) AP U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud wasn't among the two dozen top Texas officials who signed a letter telling President Trump not to use Hurricane Harvey relief funds for a border wall. The absence of his signature stands out because he represents District 27, the largest physical area damaged by the hurricane. The answer is that the letter, whose most prominent signers are Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, wasn't strident enough in favor of the wall to suit Cloud. So he wrote his own. "Rep. Cloud is sending his own letter to the president stressing his opposition to using Hurricane Harvey relief funds for purposes other than what they were originally appropriated for," according to a Cloud spokesman. "His letter includes stronger language on the need to include a physical barrier as a part of the solution to secure the border." The letter is dated Jan. 16 and was released publicly hours after the Caller-Times inquired about the absence of Cloud's signature on the bipartisan letter. A spokesman said Cloud had started to write the letter before the Caller-Times reached out. Buy Photo Michael Cloud declared hurricane relief a priority when he ran for and won a special election in June 2018 after Blake Farenthold resigned the seat in April but his signature was absent from a bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him not to use Harvey relief funds to fund a border wall. Here's what the letter Cloud didn't sign said about border security: "We strongly support securing the border with additional federal resources including tactical infrastructure, technology, ports of entry improvements and personnel." If you look carefully at that statement, what you'll see is wording crafted carefully to satisfy a political spectrum of supporters, ranging from Cruz, who backs the wall, to Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, who once famously put out a statement telling Trump to stick the wall where the sun don't shine. The letter was an opportunity for him to join in a bipartisan statement on which a diverse group could agree, and he declined. Let's see: The hurricane affected pretty much all of District 27, which stretches along the coast from Corpus Christi to just south of Houston. Rockport and the surrounding towns including Port Aransas, at District 27's southern end, was where Harvey made landfall. It did not spare Victoria, Republican Cloud's home base. Cloud declared hurricane relief a priority when he ran and won in both the special and general elections last year. But he also declared border security a priority. Rep. Cloud has been focused since day one on securing our southern border and helping the district recover from Hurricane Harvey," according to his spokesman. "He and his office have helped secure tens of millions of dollars for families, schools, and communities in our district, and he will continue working with the president to prioritize Hurricane Harvey relief." U.S. House members from as far west of the coast as Midland stepped up in support of Hurricane Harvey victims by signing the letter Cloud chose not to sign. The whole point that the signers were trying to make is that Harvey relief and border security are separate issues. Buy Photo U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud during a remembrance ceremony for the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey and to honor first responders on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018 in Rockport. When Cloud chose not to sign the letter because of the border security wording, he glued those two issues - Harvey relief and border security - right back together for Trump. If that sounds like spin, consider Cloud's own words to Trump: "Please continue to focus on disaster recovery and securing our southern border. The 27th Congressional District of Texas, the whole state of Texas, and our nation depend on it." Those were the last two sentences of Cloud's letter to Trump. Now, contrast his final two sentences with the final two sentences of the other letter urging Trump, explicitly, not to mix those two unrelated agendas: "Thank you for your commitment to help Texas respond to Hurricane Harvey and to secure the southern border. We ask that you ensure necessary efforts on border security do not jeopardize long-term hurricane recovery and mitigation in Texas." What made the bipartisan letter powerful was that powerful people, many of whom stand with Trump, stood up to him. The absence of the signature of the representative of the biggest mass of land hit by Harvey made it less powerful. What's at stake: Harvey, which hit in late summer 2017, caused an estimated $125 billion in damage, which is the second-costliest in U.S. history since 1900. Texas is having to share about $90 billion in disaster relief with other states. Read or Share this story: https://www.caller.com/story/opinion/2019/01/16/why-didnt-texas-congressman-michael-cloud-sign-hurricane-harvey-letter-president-trump-border-wall/2592726002/ | https://www.caller.com/story/opinion/2019/01/16/why-didnt-texas-congressman-michael-cloud-sign-hurricane-harvey-letter-president-trump-border-wall/2592726002/ |
Why do men with brown hair sometimes have red beards? | Key points: For a child to inherit red hair both of their parents must carry the gene Redheads make up only 1 to 2 per cent of the population Colour difference between scalp and beard hair is not unusual It's a chin-scratching (or beard-stroking) mystery, some have dubbed being a "half ranga". At least that is what Adelaide's Toby Fay calls himself, having sprouted a red mane in spite of his dark brown locks. "At first I really didn't like it, and was actually a little embarrassed by it, to be honest," Mr Fay said. "I do get comments especially due to my dark head of hair, with a ridiculously red-coloured beard, but I have grown to love the fact I have a red beard." The follicle phenomenon a colour difference between the scalp and beard hair is not unusual, according to Dr Alexandra Varol from the Australian College of Dermatologists. She said variation in hair colour comes down to a person's genes. "[They] dictate the amount of melanin or pigment in the hair," Dr Varol said. "In red hair, the pigment is phaeomelanin, rather than eumelanin, which is the skin darkening or sun protective pigment that occurs in dark hair." Phenomenon down to a recessive gene The gene specific to red hair, MCR-1, is recessive, so for a child to inherit red hair, both of their parents must carry it. "Genes are expressed variably and can be influenced by other genes, so a carrier of the MCR-1 gene may not have red hair on their head, but could have variable expression of the gene causing a red beard," Dr Varol said. In fact the difference in colour of hair, or even the eyes and skin, has a term: heterochromia. And in case you were wondering, hair on certain parts of the body is often darker than scalp hair, according to Dr Varol. "In fair-haired people, pubic and axillary hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are usually darker than their scalp hair. In humans, our most darkly pigmented hairs are usually the eyelashes," Dr Varol said. Prominent actors, athletes and even a few ABC journalists have been sporting ginger beards with pride. Far from being ashamed, Mr Fay said positive comments from others had helped him get over any embarrassment. "Some girls seem to like a red beard, I've found out," he said. "I call myself a half ranga, which is kind of correct with my mum's side being predominantly ginger and my dad's side being quite tanned and also having dark hair." But with redheads making up only 1 to 2 per cent of the global population, it's an increasingly rare blessing. "The likelihood of the recessive gene being present in both parents and producing a red-headed child is less likely, which means that yes, maybe there will be fewer redheads in the future," Dr Varol said. Topics: family, genetics, community-and-society, hair, adelaide-5000, sa | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-17/why-do-men-with-brown-hair-have-red-beards/10337136 |
Will the White Sox's reported offer of $175 million be enough to land Manny Machado? | The White Sox repeatedly warn fans not to believe every rumor they hear concerning the teams offseason pursuits. Just a few days ago a source denied an ESPN report saying the Sox had offered Manny Machado eight years, instead of seven, to play on the South Side. But the Sox cant stop rumors from spreading like wildfire, and on Wednesday came another ESPN report: The seven-year offer was for $175 million an average annual value of $25 million. While thats certainly a sizable offer and $107 million more than the biggest contract the Sox have given (the six-year, $68 million deal to Jose Abreu in 2014) its far less than what Machado reportedly expected, not to mention much lower than what fellow free agent Bryce Harper expects to receive when he eventually signs. Harper reportedly rejected a 10-year, $300 million offer from the Nationals in September and is seeking to top the record 13-year, $325 million deal the Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton in 2015. Machado wants to get what Harper gets, if not more. Sports Illustrated called the alleged $175 million offer laughable and an insultingly low-ball figure. Many speculated the Yankees easily could top the Soxs offer, though so far theyve remained on the periphery of the pursuit and reportedly havent made an offer. If the Soxs offer to Machado really is the highest, it could explain why he has yet to sign. A $175 million deal would be tied for the 18th highest in major-league history, less than the $184 million deal the Cubs handed Jason Heyward before the 2016 season. Only one year ago everyone was asking why the top free agents werent getting their expected megadeals. Last January at the Cubs Convention, Chairman Tom Ricketts theorized a lot of teams out there would rather have dry powder a year from now. That was in reference to the current free-agent class of Harper, Machado, Josh Donaldson and others. But Donaldson signed a one-year, $23 million deal with the Braves after an injury-marred season with the Blue Jays and Indians, and the markets for Harper and Machado have been limited to less than a handful of teams, including the Phillies and Sox, both of whom have pursued both. It certainly makes no sense for the Sox to make another offer to Machado and bid against themselves. Team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf isnt crazy. If the Phillies do sign Harper, the Sox should be the last team standing for Machado, who would fall into their lap at a bargain price considering his age 26 and career numbers. Reinsdorf would not only get a premier player to become the new face if the organization, the Sox would have financial flexibility to spend more next offseason, when presumably theyll be in better position to contend in 2020 with the maturation of their young team and the arrivals this year of top prospects Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease. And if Machado rejects the Soxs offer, well, at least fans know they tried. You have to wonder if the much-hyped quote from Machado in the postseason that he was not going to be Johnny Hustle has caused teams to shy from pursuing him. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner in November called the remark troubling at the owners meeting in Atlanta, saying he needed to know the context of the remark because that ain't going to sell where we play baseball. That didnt stop the Yankees, along with the Sox and Phillies, from talking with Machado, but obviously hes still out there for the taking. It didnt stop the Sox from their pursuit, despite the oft-repeated marketing slogan from last year: Rickys Boys Dont Quit. New Sox first baseman Yonder Alonso, Machados brother-in-law, said the Johnny Hustle story was overblown and ignores the hard work Machado has put in over the years to become one of the games elite players. No one doubts Machados talent. But the relative lack of interest from teams this winter is puzzling. SoxFest kicks off Jan. 25 in Chicago, and the Sox would like nothing more than to be able to introduce the biggest free-agent acquisition in team history. But the waiting game continues with more questions than answers. [email protected] Twitter @PWSullivan Column: White Sox's long shot pursuit of Manny Machado could be paying off Ozzie Guillen scheduled to attend SoxFest for 1st time since 2011 White Sox reward Omar Vizquel for work with top prospects | https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-spt-white-sox-manny-machado-20190116-story.html |
Will President Trump Tackle the Defense Waste Beast? | With the federal governments debt at $22 trillion and rising, politicians of both major parties can no longer afford to avoid reducing wasteful spending. A serious plan to cut spending does not just mean reducing the welfare state. It also requires changing our foreign policy and cutting the waste, pork, and unnecessary expenditures in our defense budget very little of which is actually spent defending the American people. According to an analysis of the 2019 federal budget, military spending accounts for more than half of the $1.2 trillion discretionary federal budget. The U.S. spends more on its armed forces than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, the UK and Japan combined. While Congress must make sure our military is able to protect the American people, that does not justify wasting trillions on a futile effort to democratize the world. It also does not justify turning a blind eye to wasteful spending that dulls our militarys efficiency. But here is the good news: President Donald Trump appears ready to begin fulfilling his campaign promise to pursue a new course in foreign policy. Recently, the president made the decision to withdraw roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, thus tattering down Americas longest war. Additionally, he ordered the withdrawal of over 2,000 American soldiers from Syria (although he could backtrack on that promise under pressure from pro-war politicians and even some in his own Cabinet). The administration shouldnt stop there. In addition to bringing the troops home from unnecessary, unconstitutional and unwinnable conflicts, Congress and the president should eradicate wasteful government spending. For example, in 2018 the Department of Defense shelled out nearly $2.7 billion for 20 additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Thats more than a five-fold increase over the amount provided in 2017, all for a military program that is nearly 17 years behind schedule, with a price tag projected to be double the initial estimate and total lifetime operation and maintenance costs totaling approximately $1 trillion. No wonder, the late Senator John McCain who no one ever mistook for a dove decried the F-35 program as both a scandal and a tragedy. The federal government also wastes millions of dollars contracting SpaceX, Elon Musks private aerospace company, during inopportune times. A holdover contractor from the Obama administration, SpaceX receives huge amounts of taxpayer money to supply cargo to the International Space Station. A NASA audit reported last year that SpaceX increased its prices on the government by 50-percent despite its launch services already being notably higher or somewhat higher priced than other vendors. Unless the government is more selective about signing SpaceX, NASA could pay an additional $400 million in the coming years for its delivery contracts, despite moving even less cargo. TRENDING: Cruise Ship Returns to Port Day Early After 500 People Contract Norovirus Fortuitously, it appears as though the Trump administration may already be waking up to the defense budgets apparent inefficiencies. In the case of SpaceX, at least, the Air Force has expressed significant concern and uncertainty regarding the performance of the companys reusable rockets. Perhaps for that reason, SpaceX was recently not offered a contract to continue to develop missiles for the Air Force. That would certainly be a resolution worth keeping. Norm Singleton is president of Campaign for Liberty. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. | https://www.westernjournal.com/will-president-trump-tackle-defense-waste-beast/ |
How does Pelosi keep going in those heels? | Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I am not political at all, but watching U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has raised a style question that maybe you can answer. Judith F. Dear Judith: Im steering clear of politics here, but let me answer that with a personal anecdote. A journalist friend and I covered the White House together, and this required a lot of walking and sometimes even running, and she did it in high heels. I found this astonishing and asked her how she could do that. She told me that over the years, her calf muscles and tendons had shortened from wearing heels, and now she found it actually uncomfortable to wear flats. It turns out that a British study suggests there is scientific evidence to back this up. The study found calf-muscle fibers were 13 percent shorter in high-heel wearers and that Achilles tendons of high-heel wearers were thicker and stiffer than those who didnt wear heels, making it more comfortable to wear heels rather than flatter shoes. This is one explanation why Pelosi seems to walk with ease in 4-inch heels. Last year, Pelosi stood and spoke for more than eight hours on the House floor wearing her trademark stilettos. There was plenty of news coverage of her remarkable feat of feet as she argued for protection of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have a fair complexion, and my eyelashes are very light in color and spare. I have tried the reasonably priced popular brands, and when the mascara is applied, my lashes stick together. Im looking for mascara that does not have the junk added to lengthen them or any added extender ingredient. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Elaine K. Dear Elaine: It would be helpful to know what youre using to remove your mascara, which is where the damage to your lashes is likely to happen. Very gentle use of an oily makeup remover is a place to start. As for the clumping, youll need a little patience but here are some guidelines: Carefully use the mascara wand, applying multiple thin coats instead of one thick one. Give each application 15 seconds to dry before the next round. Instead of using the wand that comes with the mascara (where gunky buildup is inevitable), use disposable wands (amazon.com, starting at $4.99 for 50). Angelic readers 1 In response to Pennys question about whether to save gift boxes etc., I felt the need to chime in. This year at the majority of the stores I shopped, I discovered no one gave out free gift boxes! Had I not saved/recycled gift boxes from previous holidays, I would have been forced to purchase boxes, which are typically not very good quality. If you have space, it is wise to save boxes, gift wrap etc., and the clear storage containers are a great way to do this, since theyre stackable and allow you to see exactly what you have. Kathy O. Angelic readers 2 My plea to readers for a foolproof swim cap to keep hair dry and chlorine-free has been a bust so far, but Sandra R. writes, Invest in clarifying shampoo and products for colored hair care that you spray on your hair before swimming to help protect against color loss and chlorination. (I use Pureology Colour Fanatic hair treatment spray.) Plan to include a little extra time for drying your hair after a swim, and incorporate conditioning treatments into your regular hair care routine. Swimming is such fantastic exercise that it's worth the hassle. Angelic readers 3 A simple and elegant solution to the boot zipper that snags reader Kathleens skirt hem is shrinkable electrical tubing. It can be cut to length, comes in an assortment of sizes, is inexpensive and can be shrunk to seal the offending pull tab with a hair dryer or even dipped in a cup of boiling hot water. Plus, unlike tape, it is a permanent but removable answer. Any hardware or craft store should have it. Tom S. Reader rant 1 I have noticed increasing ads for BOGO. Often it is buy one and get a second one free, or buy one and get the second one for 50 percent off. I dont want to buy more than one!! Just give me the sale price on one. I have seen these sales on clothing, groceries, cosmetics, supplements and beverages, etc. The latest was buy three 12-packs of pop to get the fourth at a sale price. I wont purchase these items and will go somewhere else. Thanks for letting me vent. I wear a lot of cotton knit turtleneck shirts in cold weather. I do not have an oversize head, but these shirts consistently lose their stretch in the neck, to the point where they are gapping away from my neck and collapsing onto my shoulder. I have one very old one that still has its stretch, but my later purchases are pretty hopeless. Thanks for any help! Now its your turn Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty to [email protected]. Too much stuff Ex-White House correspondent recalls George H.W. Maybe you've flagged them with a heart or bookmark, saving them for easy viewing later when you're ready to book. We asked Airbnb about the most commonly "wish-listed" homes throughout Chicago. The results range from a Lincoln Park loft to a transformed garden apartment in Little Village and range from $65 to $109 a night. Two of the listings are Airbnb Plus, meaning they've passed an inspection to ensure they meet certain standards. Although different, each of these rentals has one thing in common: It seems everyone wants to stay for a night. (Susan Moskop) (Susan Moskop) | https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/style/sc-cons-pelosi-high-heels-answer-angel-20190111-story.html |
Can Jason Reitman save Ghostbusters? | Studio Publicity Still from the film Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis 1984 Columbia The big news in the world of film over the last 24 hours has been that a new Ghostbusters film has been greenlit, with a notable name behind the camera. Jason Reitman, director of Juno, Tully, and recent release The Front Runner, will be taking over directing duties for the film that will be released in 2020. It will be a continuation of the first two Ghostbusters films, and is reportedly looking to cast four teenagers in undisclosed roles. Other than that, theres not much known about the project, particularly whether the remaining original cast members will play a part. If recent history is any indication, this new instalment will have its work cut out for it. The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot was mired in controversy, with an ugly online battle between the filmmakers and hard-line fans meaning the light comedy ended up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The bad press resulted in the film being a flop, getting lukewarm reviews and ultimately losing money. This followed years of acrimony between the original cast and Bill Murray, who refused to be involved in a proposed third film in the 90s. Advertisement Advertisement Well, hes certainly got the credentials. A Golden Globe winner and four-time Oscar nominee, Reitman has made a variety of films that are saturated with dark comedy and clever writing. Films like his debut Thank you For Smoking, or Up In The Air show a director with an intelligent outlook, unafraid to find comedy in dark places. As yet hes untested on a mega-budget blockbuster, but theres every reason to suspect bringing his talents to a bigger stage will only benefit the films he makes. Finally got the keys to the car. #GB20 https://t.co/T1Np2lRQl1 Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) January 16, 2019 Of course, theres another reason that makes him suitable Ghostbusters is in his blood. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, director of the first two Ghostbusters films. As a youngster, he visited the set of the films and even had a cameo in the sequel as a kid who calls the Ghostbusters full of crap. He boasts a particularly personal connection to the previous films and saw first hand what makes them work. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he remarked: Ive always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a six-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans. Any new film bearing the Ghostbusters name is always going to be a challenge. The original film in particular was a landmark in blockbuster history, and for many, its wrapped in the kind of nostalgia that is difficult to recreate. However, these very early signs point to a director who was almost bred to take on the franchise, who understands what fans will be demanding. If youre concerned that a new filmmaker wont be sensitive to the look and feel of the original Ghostbusters, Jason Reitman is a choice that should make you very happy. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/16/can-jason-reitman-save-ghostbusters-8350585/ |
Will Sebi do a SpiceJet in clearing the Jet-Etihad deal? | Sebi had in 2015 allowed Ajay Singh to take over SpiceJet from Kalanithi Maran without an open offer. Photo: Abhijit Bhatlekar/Mint Mumbai: Beleaguered airline Jet Airways (India) Ltd will be able to bring on a new majority investor bypassing an open offer if the civil aviation ministry or the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) says it is needed to save the airline, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Mint had reported on Monday that Etihad Airways PJSC may take control of Jet Airways by securing 49% stake in it. This is one of the distress resolution formulas submitted to the lenders. Etihad Airways holds 24% stake in the Naresh Goyal-promoted airline. Under special circumstances, Sebi can give an exemption from an open offer, said one of the two people mentioned above. A change in control requires an open offer to minority investors, according to the takeover code. However, the market regulator can use section 10, 11 of the Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers (SAST), or the takeover code, which allows companies an exemption under special circumstances, he said. The special circumstances under these sections are references from the nodal ministry or competent authority which in this case would be the civil aviation ministry or DGCA, the company is sick or distressed under relevant law, and the exemption is in interest of investors, said the second of the two people mentioned above. Section 10 of the Sebi takeover code allows exemption if it is made under section 18 of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985, or any statutory modification or re-enactment. Section 11 empowers the Sebi board to give exemptions if it deems it a fit case in the interests of investors in securities. These sections are routinely used to give exemptions to public sector banks and undertakings when the government recapitalises them. However, it was used in the rare case of a private airline in 2015 when Ajay Singh and other investors of SpiceJet Ltd were exempted from making an open offer to minority shareholders after they bought a controlling stake in the cash-strapped airline from owner Kalanithi Maran. The open offer exemption would only be after the deal formally comes to Sebi for approval. So far, none of the stakeholders have confirmed the developments or made any public announcement to that affect. A spokesperson for Etihad Airways declined to offer any comments when asked whether they are seeking an open offer exemption. A spokesperson for Jet Airways said the airline was discussing with shareholders a resolution plan with the lead lender State Bank of India. The plan contemplates options on the debt-equity mix, proportion of equity infusion by stakeholders and change in the airlines board. Jet has been struggling for the past three quarters with losses of more than 1,000 crore each since March 2018. It has a debt of 8,052 crore as of September. Jet Airways also defaulted on its debt repayment on 1 January forcing ratings agencies such as Icra Ltd to cut the long-term rating on loans and bonds issued by the private airline from C to D. If Etihad gets this exemption, it would be the second time that it escaped making an open offer to minority investors of Jet Airways. In 2014, Sebi had ruled that Eithads 24% acquisition of Jet could not be construed as control. J.N. Gupta, a former executive director of Sebi and founder of Stakeholder Empowerment Services said that this does seem like a fit case for an exemption from open offer. In normal course, there should not be any exemption from any law but here is a situation that the equity may become zero if aid and exemptions are not granted. The requirement is for all the regulators to assess the situation and take a holistic view. Conditional exemption should be given so that we are aware of who the investors are, said Gupta. | https://www.livemint.com/Companies/Ai1UWJVnjBdjfS8IdaONwM/Will-Sebi-do-a-SpiceJet-in-clearing-the-Jet-Etihad-deal.html |
What should Vince say to Theresa? | So Theresa May is going to be meeting with party leaders tonight and over the next few days to find a way forward on Brexit. Our Vince sparred a lot with her when they were in Cabinet together. She hated immigration. As business minister, he saw its benefits and fought for student visas. On the News Channel this evening, he said that he would talk to May out of courtesy and a general willingness to talk to other people. But we are sticking to our position on the issues wed expect. He also said that Corbyn would have to back the Peoples Vote or be sen as the hand maiden of Brexit. I asked on Twitter what Vince should say to the PM: Id pay good money to see this (but only after the Brexit stuff is sorted) He could always start with giving May some dancing tips Matthew Lloyd (@MatthewLloydGB) January 16, 2019 And then the Peoples Vote run by AV: Referendum with three options: full EU membership, EFTA (Norway), or just out (Canada). AV system. Nick Rijke (@nick_rijke) January 16, 2019 * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings | https://www.libdemvoice.org/what-should-vince-say-to-theresa-59713.html |
Is Bank of America Stocks Earnings Beat Worth 7%? | Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) had a good fourth quarter and was richly rewarded for it. Net income of $7.3 billion, 70 cents per share, sent investors into raptures. BAC stock jumped $1.24 per share in pre-market trading, and have logged a gain of over 7% during the day, a $12 billion gain in market cap. JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ), meanwhile, reported nearly the same net income, $7.06 billion, on $4.5 billion less revenue. Those shares barely budged. Its price-to-book remains below that of JPM, and its dividend yield remains almost 1 percentage point less than JPMorgan Chases. Theres a lesson for investors here, which is that, especially when it comes to bank stocks, the long-term matters more than the short term and success is always relative. Inside the BAC Stock Beat Bank of Americas beat was only by 10% over estimates, with analysts having expected 63 cents per share, not the 70 cents the bank reported. In 2017, Bank of America took a big charge against earnings, preparing for the tax cut that came into effect last January. As a result, its profits for the fourth quarter of 2017 were just 20 cents per share. This helped make its 2018 earnings look better by comparison. Bank of Americas biggest gains came in consumer banking, where revenue was up 10%. Loans jumped 5% and net interest margin rose to 2.48%. This more than offset problems at the investment bank, where trading revenue fell short of estimates, and fees fell 5%. Consumers, not trading and deal-making, were behind Bank of Americas beat. Thats great, so long as the consumer is in good shape, but with the impacts of the government shutdown forcing it Bank of America to roll out assistance programs to affected workers, this may not be true going forward. Why Own Bank Stocks The most important reasons to own big bank stocks are safety and income. Over the last year, Bank of America shares have lost almost 9% of their value, about the same as JPMorgan Chase. Both did much better than Citicorp (NYSE: C ), down nearly 19%; Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC ), down 22%; and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ), down almost 24%, although the headlines on the latter three today are all positive after they beat lowered analyst estimates. Then there is income. Dividends can compensate for a lower stock price, if the fall in that price is temporary and the business remains sound. Citicorp offers a yield of 2.9%, but it has been the sickest of the big banks ever since the Great Recession. Wells Fargo yields 3.5% but, as previously noted, the stocks fall in the wake of continuing scandals has been sickening. Goldman Sachs, with a yield of just 1.6%, less than a government bond, barely registers. Bank of America is presently yielding 2.1%, but youll get 3.1% on your investment in dividends from JPMorgan Chase, whose balance sheet is also the strongest in the industry. The Bottom Line When reading bank earnings, remember why you buy bank stocks. If you need an old song to get in the mood, go for it. Just remember that youre looking for security and income. Bank of America has become a more secure bank over the last decade. Please dont read any criticism of CEO Brian Moynihan into this. It has a Tier One capital ratio of 13.2%, just about as high as JPMorgan Chase, if less consistent. But Bank of America is depending far more on its consumer bank than JPMorgan Chase, and its yield remains much lower. Its getting better, but you want your holdings to be best. Dana Blankenhorn is a financial and technology journalist. He is the author of a new mystery thriller, The Reluctant Detective Finds Her Family, available now at the Amazon Kindle store. Write him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing he owned no shares in companies mentioned in this article. | https://investorplace.com/2019/01/is-bank-of-america-stocks-earnings-beat-worth-7-percent/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InvestorPlace+%28InvestorPlace%29 |
Can Microsofts Partnerships Fend Off Amazon? | Just because you got to the top first, doesnt mean that you get to stay there. Thats what Microsoft ( MSFT ) is saying to Amazon ( AMZN ) when it comes to cloud services. Amazon has capitalized on its long-term build up and build out of its Amazon Web Services (AWS) which was first done to roll out its series of content offerings from ebooks to music and of course its Prime video programming platform. It then opened its AWS to individuals, companies and even governments far and wide to host store and process data and other content making it the largest cloud company in a rapidly expanding market. But with billions of dollars in revenue out in the market, Amazon quickly is finding competition. This includes the likes of Alphabets Google ( GOOGL ), Adobe ( ADBE ), Rackspace ( RAX ) and even the old-timer trying to change its ways with IBM ( IBM ). But the company that is really threatening the crown of the cloud is Microsoft. Its Azure cloud business unit has quickly become the number two cloud company and it may potentially topple Amazon for the top spot in the ether of the clouds. The key is that Microsoft isnt just offering access, storage and processing but its expertise in adapting the cloud to specific commercial applications for a wider array of businesses. And this plan is being ramped up with a series of partnerships. Recently it announced a pact with Kroger ( KR ) to roll out an online virtual shopping shelves offering for the companies 2,780 stores. This would enable shoppers to more easily shop, compare, select and then have the groceries delivered. Microsofts investments in virtual reality, gaming and artificial intelligence (AI) are all being pulled in to make the partnerships project not just a success for Kroger but potentially for other grocers and retail companies. Then there is the partnership announced with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA). This deal has a collection of projects that incorporates health data and prescription drugs as well as instore digital health centers in the stores. The digital centers will offer devices for sale and potentially involve screening for customers. In addition, it also brings Microsofts 365 software to Walgreens 380,000 workers. This is also important given Walgreens earlier partnership Humana ( HUM ) to compete with Aetna now acquired by Walgreens competitor, CVS ( CVS ). CVS just announced a spat with Walmart over a dispute with its pharmaceutical benefit management (PBM) providing a potential gain for Walgreens. But it is interesting to note that separately Walgreens already has a coop with Verily Life Sciences which is part of Alphabets Google. So just because you have a partnership agreement it doesnt mean that the company has to be monogamous. Microsoft has also been partnering with healthcare providers including medical and hospital companies to solve for one of the more vexing of problems in data entry by doctors and practitioners as well as data management. Microsoft also just announced today that it is expanding further into AI and the Internet of Things (IOT) in a partnership with the local Chinese government authority in the Pudong New Area and Shanghai Zhangjiang Group which is a high-tech zone developer. This will be Microsofts largest AI development center which will not only work to propel its capability with its existing products and partnerships but also open it up to domestic Chinese companies outside of some of the rules restricting export of US-sourced technology. And then if the news of partnerships isnt chock full enough, Microsoft also just announced another initiative called xCloud. The project is being called the Netflix ( NFLX ) of gaming and will be bringing gaming to nearly any connected handheld device or tablet. It already has a wealth of a game catalog from its Xbox game division and it could open it up to other gaming companies in new partnerships to follow. All of this shows the aggressive moves of the company to ramp up its capabilities beyond the basics of cloud computing and will give a real challenge to Amazon. Microsoft is already a successful dividend-paying technology company that is the poster-child for recurring income and its stream of new and pending partnerships will only aid in bolstering revenue to support higher dividends. Neil George is the editor of Profitable Investing and does not have any holdings in the securities mentioned above. | https://investorplace.com/2019/01/can-microsofts-partnerships-fend-off-amazon/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InvestorPlace+%28InvestorPlace%29 |
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