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Will Chipotle Stock Hit All-Time Highs in 2019?
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One of last year's more surprising gainers was Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG). The burrito roller soared 49% in 2018, is trading 21% higher year to date, and has more than doubled since bottoming out 11 months ago. There's been a lot of love coming Chipotle's way on Wall Street, and with the shares hitting two-year highs this week, it's easy to get excited. The rub for longtime investors is that the stock still has a long way to go to hit the all-time highs it scored in late 2015. Chipotle stock is still more than 30% away from its peak price of $757. Momentum is in its corner now, but it will take more than inertia to catapult Chipotle shares to record highs in 2019. Chipotle employees training at a store. More Image source: Chipotle Mexican Grill. The turnaround is relative There are plenty of things working for Chipotle these days. Comps are positive, revenue is growing, and the chain's adjusted profit is growing even faster. However, there are also plenty of imperfections once you dig beneath the superficial metrics. Comps may be positive for its latest quarter -- as well as through the first nine months of last year -- but it's only because folks are spending more as a result of price hikes and new items. The actual number of transactions per store declined 2% through the first three quarters of 2018. We will see if Chipotle can end that streak when it reports its fourth-quarter results in two weeks. Revenue is moving higher, but not at a very exciting pace. Chipotle's top line has clocked in with a single-digit percentage increase for five consecutive quarters. Brisk expansion used to pad revenue gains, but the buildout has slowed lately. Chipotle actually closed or relocated more restaurants than it opened during the third quarter. Once-promising sister concepts are sputtering. Chipotle shuttered ShopHouse -- which served Southeast Asian cuisine -- a couple of years ago, and it closed down several Pizzeria Locale restaurants in 2018. Profitability is taking big steps higher, but mostly because the chain is still working off of depressed levels over the two previous years. Chipotle isn't likely to ever achieve the double-digit net margin it posted from 2012 to 2015. The good news is that Chipotle isn't broken. It's just not running the way it was in its prime. BTIG analyst Peter Saleh boosted his price target on the shares from $515 to $605, putting him at the top of the 30 Wall Street pros covering the fast-casual pioneer. He sees a return to double-digit sales growth in 2019, fueled by expansion and comps in the mid-single digits. He also sees continuing margin improvement, with earnings per share soaring better than 45%. Chipotle is no longer being held back by the unfortunate string of foodborne illness outbreaks that started in late 2015, even if it's still not in the clear on that front. It's also seeing many of the operational miscues over the past few years shrinking in the rearview mirror. The chain doesn't need to get back to its peak unit-level sales or companywide margins to take out the all-time high its stock hit in October 2015. There are a lot more locations now than there were in 2015. There are also fewer shares, as buybacks have helped lower the number of outstanding shares by more than 11% in that time. The lower share count means that profits will be higher on a per-share basis than they were before.
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https://news.yahoo.com/chipotle-stock-hit-time-highs-201500734.html
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How do non-EEA citizens get work visas in Ireland?
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In order to fill the tech talent gap in Ireland, major companies are recruiting professionals from non-EEA countries. Many STEM multinationals have, and will continue to, set up massive operations in Ireland. The planned expansion of Facebooks Irish operation and the impending construction of a Dublin Salesforce tower are prime examples of this, not to mention the sheer scale of Irelands booming life sciences industry. Dublin attracts international industry, and therefore is home to an international well of talent. In the jobs market, preference is given to citizens of Ireland and those from the European Economic Area (EEA). Switzerland, though neither a part of the EEA nor the EU, is also granted priority because it is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). However, non-EEA workers can still access the jobs market if they take certain steps. Anyone who has had a brush with bureaucracy in any form will probably have an inkling of the answer: no, they are not. To begin, any non-EEA citizen (bar Swiss citizens) hoping to live and work in Ireland will require an employment permit. As of 2006, there are nine different employment permits that people can be granted depending on their circumstance. Critical Skills visa The permit that tends to be the most applicable to non-EEA STEM workers is the Critical Skills Employment Permit. This visa is aimed at highly skilled workers whom the Irish Government wants to attract to the labour market to plug skills shortages. The Government has a specific list of eligible occupations for this visa. As one may expect, software developers, engineers, and professionals in biomanufacturing, chemical engineering and medicine are included. In this sense, it is very similar to the US-based H-1B visa. This is arguably the most coveted visa among applicants for a few reasons. For one, it doesnt require a Labour Markets Needs Test, a multitiered process that is designed to ensure that positions are only offered to non-EEA candidates where no suitable Irish or EEA candidate has emerged. Another huge benefit of this visa is that visa holders can apply for immediate family reunification from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). When the Critical Skills visa concludes, permit holders can then apply to INIS for permission to reside without an employment permit, which would generally be tied to a specific employer. This differs from the conditions of the General Employment visa in that it expedites the allocation of dependant visas. It can be as long as six months before the families of General Employment visa holders are allowed to come to Ireland to be with them. General Employment visa The General Employment Permit is applicable to all occupations not included in either the Critical Skills occupation list or the ineligible occupations list. Ineligible occupations such as shopkeepers, hairdressers, physiotherapists, counsellors and environmental service managers are those for which the Government feels there is a sufficient amount of Irish or EEA workers to fill the positions. Dependant visa A Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit is given to the spouses and dependants of Critical Skills visa recipients. These people can work in roles on the ineligible occupations list. However, the question of whether those holding a Stamp 3 permit are allowed to work is unclear as employers are generally unaware of the intricacies of the process. It has been a source of great exasperation for activists and current Stamp 3 permit holders. Visa applicants will often have to present banking documentation in order to prove that they have sufficient assets to settle in Ireland. Any and all of their documentation will have to be presented to the Irish Government in a notarised translation into English. Many roles based in Ireland will also require applicants to take (and get the required score on) the IELTS, an international English-language certification comprising reading, writing and comprehension sections.
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https://www.siliconrepublic.com/advice/non-eea-citizens-work-visas-ireland
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Has the slow death march of the smartwatch begun?
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Pebble - the poster boy for smartwatches - has been sold to Fitbit for a nominal fee. Smartwatch sales plummeted between June and September this year, with just 2.7 million units shipped worldwide - thats 51% down on the same period last year, according to analysts IDC, continuing the recent downward sales trend for a sector that had seen solid growth since it really took off back in 2014. Some see it as a portent of a death spiral. I honestly don't think there's anything 'exciting' in [the smartwatch] market, says Duncan Bell, Tech Lifestyle Editor for gadget magazine T3. They provide a second screen for people who don't want to play with their phones constantly but do want to be in touch at all times. I think, by definition, thats a niche audience. I suspect most people who want a smartwatch have now bought one, and have discovered that, unlike a phone, annual or even two-yearly upgrades aren't really necessary. Worryingly, it seems the only optimism is coming from those actually making the products - and thats precisely the stance youd expect them to have. Right now, smartwatches just mimic what your phone does, and consumers cant justify spending the equivalent amount to a phone on their watch, says Jitesh Ubrani, senior market analyst at market research firm IDC. We currently dont know what impact the new Apple Watch 2 has had on the market (as Cooks crew doesnt release sales figures), and theres talk of new Android Wear devices next year, but theres nothing in the pipeline right now that strongly suggests the smartwatch category is about to experience a resurgence. Not over yet But for the smartwatch fan, brands working on connected wristwear do provide flickers of hope that it's not the beginning of the end, rather just a rocky start. Manufacturers have told TechRadar that they see the smartwatch market as still very much in its infancy, and that tech innovations over the next two to three years will give consumers more motivation to spend on smartwatches. One company seeking to address the problem is TAG Heuer, the legendary Swiss watchmaker, which earlier this year released a smartwatch the TAG Heuer Connected designed to appeal to watch traditionalists. Our watch looks like a watch, which is a huge difference, TAG Heuer chief executive Jean-Claude Biver told TechRadar. Its niche at more than 1,100 (US$1,500, around AU$2,100) it was always going to be but its selling reasonably well for a product with that price tag. TAG Heuer has put 60,000 Connected watches on wrists this year, with sales apparently only limited by production capacity, and Biver is forecasting sales of 150,000 next year. The CEO believes innovation will drive the market forward. Smartwatches are in their stone age at the moment, he says, like the early portable phones. Our watch looks like a watch, which is a huge difference. Jean-Claude Biver, TAG Heuer Its a common battle cry of anyone operating in a niche area of technology right now: pointing to the phone as once a slow burning sector before igniting; however, the iPhone was arguably the spark that began that fire, and the Apple Watch has shown that even the Cupertino brand cant make the smartwatch a must-have thing. However, Biver believes the markets big bang will come when smartwatches become fully independent of phones, and able to make and receive calls on their own. As soon as you dont need the phone next to you, many people will just go to a meeting without it, because they can answer [a call] with a Bluetooth headset, he says. Other manufacturers are also predictably optimistic about the fate of the smartwatch. Startup iMCO has created the CoWatch , which integrates with Amazons Alexa voice assistant and effectively functions like an Amazon Echo on your wrist, and was released earlier this year after a successful crowdfunding campaign. When TechRadar asks iMCO co-founder Eric Jin if hes nervous about declining sales in the market he bats away the question, taking a similar line to Biver and claiming that smartwatches are riding a similar curve to phones. Just look at smartphone growth, he says. At the beginning people were reluctant and prices were expensive. Now you have many more choices. I think youll have the same [trend with the] smartwatch, where we will provide more options at different price points. Well make the user experience friendlier and educate consumers so that its more acceptable to use it. Watches that target particular groups of consumers will be the most successful, Jin says. Its a view backed up by the figures: Garmin, with its absolute focus on exercise, is the manufacturer having the most success in 2016, increasing its smartwatch market share in Q3 to 20%, up from 2% last year. iMCO is designing a sport-focused watch for next year, as well as a CoWatch Lite, a slimmed down, more affordable version of its current model. [But] theyre more than just activity tracking, Jin adds. It gives you notifications, you can read messages through your watch, and [we believe] the trend is that people will use their smartwatch to make and receive phone calls. iMCOs view of the smartwatch market sounds a little optimistic - all the things Jin lists are already part of the average smartwatch, and yet they havent helped to create a huge demand. Phone block TAG Heuers Biver thinks itll be the success of the connected device ecosystem as a whole that will fire the future of the smartwatch. He envisions a phoneless future, where watches are just one part of a wearable ecosystem. When I talk with the CEO of Intel and my own engineers, they all say to me that in eight years the phone might be totally obsolete, because all the wearable products will communicate with each other with an incorporated SIM card, he tells us. In eight years the phone might be totally obsolete Jean-Claude Biver, TAG Heuer If thats true, then [the question] becomes obvious: why would you need a phone? Its a radical view of the future, but not one thats totally implausible. Professor Aaron Quigley, chair of Human Computer Interaction at the University of St Andrews School Of Computer Science, says smartwatches will be the perfect focal point of interaction with other wearables. For one of his projects, called MultiFi, his team hooked up a smartwatch to a heads-up display, so that when the watch was held up, information displayed not only on the arm for the user, but around it. Your wrist becomes an extension of the display, or a peephole through which you can see more content or interact, he says. The system could be used with VR headsets or smartglasses, and Quigley believes using your hand, detected through your watch, is the most natural way to interact with these systems much more natural than using a phone, for example. This is a technology thats ready for deployment in the next generation of wearable devices, and theres a lot to be said for the hands as a point of interaction, he tells TechRadar. The team is also working on other projects, like RadarCat, which allows users to interact with smartwatches without actually using a touchscreen. You can imagine [the touch panel] being out on the arm, so if you wanted to stop an alarm, you touch the back of your hand, explains Quigley. When a slider appears and you want to control it, you move your fingers on your wrist or in the air above it. So there is innovation going on in the smartwatch space, and even the market analysts arent completely pessimistic. Despite highlighting the declines in the market, IDCs Ubrani agrees that when the connected watch sheds its dependence on the phone it will see a boost in sales, a view shared by technology goliath Qualcomm . Were expecting an increase in cellular activity [in smartwatches], and by having that youre making it independent of the phone, which is something that is needed, and youre allowing developers to create new experiences, he told us. We might see quarterly rises and falls, but the long-term trend will certainly be upward. The inflexion point Were at a pivotal moment for the smartwatch industry. Following huge declines in smartphone purchases earlier in 2016 all eyes were on the launch of market-leader Apples Watch 2 and, while we dont have definitive sales numbers for the new device, IDC isnt sounding positive. Were also expecting new smartwatches running Android Wear in 2017, but rumors of how theyll look, and whether or not theyll actually be worth buying, are rather thin on the ground. But by mid-June next year we should have a good indication of where the smartwatch is going. And while some can foresee the end, theres a chance if the predictions of many actually making the watches are borne out that this is just the beginning.
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https://www.techradar.com/au/news/has-the-slow-death-march-of-the-smartwatch-begun
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How Do Families Find The Best School For Their Child?
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As school choice becomes more widely available across the country, many families are choosing a school for their child for the first time. This is a major decision. Major decisions come with risks and anxieties. Luckily there are organizations like Texas Families Empowered and people like Colleen Dippel to help families navigate the school choice journey. Colleen Dippel: Families Empowered is a nonprofit parent service organization. We provide parents with information, tools, and support to navigate the increasingly complex and diverse set of school options available to them. We have served over 60,000 families in Texas over the past six years. Our vision is that families will have access to schools that work, for them. Our core customers are the most resource-constrained parents. These are some of the lowest income parents in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Roughly 40% of our families identify Spanish as their dominant language and approximately 1/3 in Houston have a household income of less than $25,000 a year. In short, the stakes for choosing a quality school are higher for these kids than for their more affluent peers. Dippel: Our first priority is to provide parents with basic information about the additional school options available to them. This typically includes location, type (traditional, charter, private, or micro school), and state data. Many people assume that parents know they have alternatives to their zoned school and that they are able to navigate the school application process with relative ease. This is an incredibly privileged perspective. Of the parents we serve, 82% could name only one schoolof the thousands of optionsthat they felt was an option for their child. Families Empowered does not rank or rate schools; we do provide parents with 3rd party ratings if they are interested in campus achievement data (this includes State of Texas Report Cards, Children at Risk rankings, and the GreatSchools school finders). The most valuable information we provide to parents is focused on application timelines, processes, and enrollment constraints. We empower them with the rules of game and data to make informed choices. Dippel: Our data suggest that the most trusted source for finding a school is other parents: people trust people, not institutions & certainly not websites. Given this, we use multiple strategies to meet parents where they are and offer them several ways to find a school: we host fairs, invest heavily in social media outreach, text, call, and send postal mail to reach our families. We have a website that includes a school search tool and other useful data, but we are totally unconvinced that any parent picks a school based on a web search alone. What differentiates our work is that we are committed to building trusting relationships and personalized service because we find that it makes a difference with our parents. For example, we have a full-time bilingual call center. This person-to-person strategy allows us to support parents who call in and need/want to talk to a real person. Additionally, on any given day, we proactively call parents to conduct surveys, inform families about a school opportunity, or remind them to turn their applications in on time. In 2018 we launched ApplyHouston in partnership with several Houston charter schools. This tool allows families to apply to multiple schools with one application and one timeline. Prior to launching ApplyHouston only 6% of our families were applying to 2 or more schools per year. In just one year 23% of the families who used ApplyHouston applied to 2 or more schools. Applying to multiple schools is really important. It increases the likelihood that kids will not languish on one waitlist for years on end and it provides parents with more opportunities to find a school that works for them. Dippel: Our parents often feel resigned to schools that are not working for their children. Schools have little incentive to provide neutral information about alternatives. Government agencies are too far removed from parents to provide meaningful and action-oriented data. Many school finders provide information about only certain types of schools, acting as marketing channels for schools rather than highlighting objective data, and/or fall short of providing actionable data to parents such as information on how to apply. To boot, we find the vast majority of parents we work with dont access these tools. Having more options is important, but having options is only useful if you 1) know they exist 2) understand how to access/ apply to those options and 3) trust that the information you have is neutral and credible. Remember: the majority of families we serve are unable to name even one other school when they first come ask for our help. While there are lots of barriers between low-income families and high-quality seats, if I had to highlight the three biggest, it would be the supply of quality school options, transportation, and knowledge about how to navigate a choice system. Dippel: We measure success by tracking how many parents apply from one school to two or more schools, by how many families view our services as neutral and valuable, and how many are ultimately able to take action on information we provide. We know from following up with a random sample of our parents that about 1/3 of the parents we served had switched schools within 18 months from their first touch point with Families Empowered, and 83% of those are more satisfied with this school than their previous school. Of these families, 87% said our support is useful and 93% say that we present information in a neutral manner. We place our bets on parents and their ability to know what is best for their kids and therefore we measure our success based on what creates value for them. (For what its worth, here are my thoughts !) Dippel: ApplyHouston is a common application, not a unified enrollment system. Both systems rely on common timelines, both rely on one application for multiple campuses, and both provide some kind of school finder feature. We are skeptical that a unified enrollment strategy creates more equitable access for low-income parents and it certainly does not put parents in the driver seat. Most unified enrollment (UE) systems assign families to a preference school based on an algorithm pre-determined by some anointed group of central planners. Now it is very important to consider who sets the constraints (participation and enrollment rules) for these systems. These rules control the ultimate suite of choices available to parents. ApplyHouston does not use a black box algorithm to assign kids to a school and doesnt constrict enrollment processes. ApplyHouston empowers parents to apply to multiple schools, schools run their lotteries, and then parents determine where to enroll and how long they stay at their chosen school. Proponents of UE claim that these systems promote equity, and this may be the case, but the data is thin on this point. In fact, Ive not yet seen any data to support this claim. Often the UE strategy allows districts to keep low-performing schools open due to guaranteed enrollment rather than forcing them to seriously evaluate closing. Ultimately it seems UE puts the algorithm in the driver seatnot parents. A common-application system, like ApplyHouston, puts parents in the driver seat. McShane: There has been a great deal of interest around the country in so-called harbormasters (theyre sometimes called quarterbacks or even air traffic controllers"), organizations that coordinate philanthropic dollars in decentralized schooling systems to try and make sure that low-income students get into high-quality schools. Dippel: I have a mixed view of this strategy. By and large, I am skeptical that a centralizing strategy, controlled and funded by an elite few, will lead to significant measurable change for low-income kids. I am even more skeptical that the innovations and reforms promoted by these organizations will be proximate to and aligned with the needs of the families we serve. We believe that innovation should be community-driven and guided by the voices of the parents and families who are most affected by changes in the quality and variety of school options. Our experience teaches us that the best schools are those that are created by listening to parents and the needs of the specific community they intend to serve from the start. This concentration of wealth and power has the very real potential of squashing local innovation and solutions that are proximate to the actual problems at hand. These organizations led by the super wealthy and the sycophants that sometimes surround them should make everyone concerned. Will these funders demand that local organizations bend to the will of the smart rich folks who know better? Many of these organizations have traditional district superintendents and large Charter Management Organization leaders on their boards. On the other hand, in cities where there is no clear history of innovation, or infrastructure to support reform, these organizations can have a catalyzing effect. In the end, wealthy folks have a right to do what they want with their money. But there will be consequences for this kind of philanthropy concentration and the diversion of resources to a few preferred organizations. I just hope that we dont throw the innovation baby out with the scale, centralizing, and top-down control bath water. To date, the best reforms Ive seen have not come from large top-down organizations but rather from scrappy innovators and entrepreneurs who live very close to the problems they relentlessly worked to solve. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemcshane/2019/01/24/how-do-families-find-the-best-school-for-their-child/
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Why the hate about Muslim students in hijab?
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Lets keep World Hijab day alive The use of hijab by Muslim school girls have become a fling for oppression and segregation by some die hard religious bigots. Last week, we saw again how Muslim students in Iba Senior Secondary School, Iba, Lagos were denied the use of hijab during registration and data capturing process for West African Examinations Council, WAEC but for the quick intervention of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, the haters of Muslims and religious extremists would denied the young Muslim students the opportunity to register for the important examination merely because they chose to express themselves as Muslims. When MURICs team led by Prof Ishaq Akintola got to the scene, Muslims students were refused registration process unless they pull off their hijab, while their Christians counterparts were being registered. After heated argument between the officials and MURIC, the WAEC official in charge, allegedly called WAEC office and after the phone call stated that WAEC had allowed Muslim students to use hijab but they should not cover their faces. Of course, the overzealous officials knew that no student was in purdah, and no student was covering her face, the Muslim student were only wearing their hijab; the officials were only expressing their hatred for Islam and advancing the interest of their cohorts who are fanning the embers of religious crisis. But we give glory to God for the intervention of MURIC. These students would have been denied their rights. These students would have been forced to remove their hijab, wound their sensibilities and perhaps went away with the impression of an insane society. Cases of Hijab abuse Recall that the Principal of Kadara Junior Grammar School, Ebute Meta, Lagos flogged one of her students, Aishat Alabi, then a 16-year-old student for daring to wear hijab after the official closing hour. She was said to have been flogged 43 times as disclosed by one of the students. The incident however became a catalyst for the beginning of the struggle for rights of female Muslims to the use of hijab. Alhamdullilah, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Lagos Area Unit, has done very well in standing for the rights of their members and that has recorded monumental achievements securing Appeal Court judgment in their favour. The Lagos State Government immediately approached the Supreme Court after failing to secure a Stay of Execution, but no judgment has been delivered yet. Right now, the subsisting judgement remains valid since there is no other contrary judgement. This is what these anti-Islamic extremists must know. Shortly after that incident, two female nurses, Mrs Fasilat Olayinka Lawal and Miss Sekinat Sanusi, of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL) were sacked for wearing hijab while on duty. Apart from the provisions of the constitution and the universal rights declaration on the freedom of religion, the duo relied on the prescription of their regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria which says nurses should either wear nurse cap or shoulder length hijab. But some overzealous bosses with chronic islamophobia sacked the nurses. After several months of protest and struggle my some Muslim groups and individuals, they were reinstated. The victory of Barrister Firdaos Amosa who was called to the Nigerian bar in July last year, after a resolved misunderstanding caused by the infringement on her right to use hijab in December 2017, is another victory for Islam. As the wave of victory spreads, the anti-Islam elements decide not to relent and the stop them in Hijab act started again in Lagos State. Five students of Isolo Senior Secondary School, Lagos were suspended by the Principal, Mrs. J.O. Sadare for wearing hijab, telling them to choose between their religion and education. While they were locked out of the premises, the students were seen writing notes and studying inside a tricycle in the area. What can be more trumatising for teenagers, than this just because they chose to comply with divine injunction. That commandment of Allah did not say the hijab should worn in the bedroom, but it is a outdoor specification meant for public places. The International School Ibadan was shut down recently because some female Muslim students wore n Hijab in line with their constitutional right. The case is still in court. About 50 female Muslim students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology International School (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso also recently were harrased and traumatised for wearing hijab on their school uniform. They were locked out of the school premises. Just like the University of Ibadan International Secondary School, the situation is yet to be resolved. School girls do not have to choose between public education and adhering to their faith. It is a religious duty, a commandment by God on how they should look in public places. For Muslims, wearing a hijab is not a mere religious wish or expression, it is strictly a divine commandment; an obligation to all Muslim women. The continuous harassment of the Muslim girl child over hijab in schools by these fanatics is alarming and constitute a serious threat to public peace. The hijab issue is not new particularly in Lagos where several instances of abuse have been recorded and on which subsisting Court of Appeal judgment can be legally placed. The Court of Appeal, presided by Justice A.B. Gumel, on July 21, 2016, overruled the October 17, 2014 judgment of of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, which banned the use of hijab in public primary and secondary schools in Lagos State. While striking down Justices Onyeabos verdict, the Justice Gumel panel held that the ban on hijab was discriminatory against Muslim pupils in the state. As a demonstration of modesty and obedience to Allah, Muslim girls and women wear hijab in line with the injunction of the Quran. Q24:3031. For Muslims, wearing hijab is not a fashion expression, but a strictly religious obligation to be adhered to particularly when in public places. Unless these questions are solved, the issue will remain a gunpowder keg buying time to explode. Truth remains that the more they harass and stop Muslim girls from wearing hijab, the more awareness they create for the use of hijab by Muslim girls. They will never relent in adorning their hijab, they will rock in it to any public place and will prefer to obey Allah than that bigot who ask them to choose between their education and religion. But the Muslim groups and organisations must be ready to confront the challenge. The struggle to finally liberate ourselves from these obsessive fanatics who despite the court judgment allowing the use of hijab still harass, intimidate and oppress young Muslims is now. Certainly, all hands must be on deck to halt these incessant taunts and abuse. World Hijab Day Next Friday is another World Hijab Day. The event is held in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty. A New York resident, Nazma Khan, who came up with the idea as a means of fostering religious tolerance and understanding by inviting women (non-Hijabi Muslims/non-Muslims) to experience the hijab for one day also has her own story. Muslims in this part of the world can as well make a mince meat out of the opportunity the day serves. The struggle must not only continue, it must be seen, heard and loudly too.
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https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/why-the-hate-about-muslim-students-in-hijab/
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Why is hotel coffee so awful?
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When it comes to hotel coffee, maybe it's time to wake up and smell it. Something smells, alright. Blame cheap, substandard coffee makers, low-quality coffee and sloppy housekeeping for an epidemic of bad hotel brew. But you can find a decent cup of joe on your next trip if you know where to look. Very important, according to a survey by Le Mridien Hotels & Resorts, which found that as far as wake-up calls go, a decent cup of brew is better than sex. While some hotel coffee is great even award-winning a lot of it isn't. Coffee makers are prone to breaking, leaking and malfunctioning. Fortunately, I have a few survival tips from hotel-coffee connoisseurs. By the way, good hotel coffee isn't an oxymoron. At the Four Seasons Resort Huallai on Hawaii's Big Island, you'll find a resident coffee expert who can help you choose between local coffee grown and freshly roasted by Big Island Coffee Roasters or Paradise Coffee Roasters. Or if you like your java a little stronger, you could check out a joint like Ninth Street Espresso at New York's Lombardy Hotel. Many hotel rooms feature a selection of mediocre coffees and a coffee maker that's difficult to use and only makes a beverage one tiny cup at a time. (Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Why hotel coffee is usually bad But let's face it: Normally hotel coffee is an unceremonious DIY affair, brewed in the early morning hours in the dark. So much can go wrong. So much does. Heather Turner remembers a coffee machine connected directly to a water line, so it never needed refilling. "I had gone into the bathroom for a minute to keep packing, and when I came out there was a small flood on the floor," says Turner, who owns a marketing firm in Enfield, Connecticut. "The only way to shut it off was to unplug the machine." James Baussmann, who works for a technology company in Bedford, Massachusetts, says he's afraid to use the coffee maker in his room. "When I go to make a coffee in the hotel room, I'm turned off by all the dust or grime that has collected on the coffee maker," he says. "It makes me wonder how safe it is to use and I usually pass it up and get a coffee down the street at a coffee store." Not that safe. A study of hotel coffee makers by the University of Valencia revealed the existence of "a varied bacterial community" in all of the machines sampled. The pathogens included those linked to illnesses such as urinary tract infections and pneumonia. More: Surviving a dirty hotel stay Hotel guests ignore coffee makers Maybe that's why some hotel guests ignore the coffee makers. "I never use them," says Colleen Neurohr, an administrative assistant from Buffalo, New York. "Nine times out of 10 they're located in the bathroom. Yuck! Who would want to use that?" Then again, maybe they pretend the coffee makers don't exist because the coffee itself is beyond awful. The product tastes stale and watered-down, unfit to fertilize your gardenias. My coffee maker complaint is that it discriminates against tea drinkers like me. It's usually the only source of hot water, but every cup of tea I make with it has a faint coffee aftertaste. Yes, some hotels offer water heaters so you can make a decent cup of tea. And yes, the coffee systems like Keurig that use pods to make your beverage can make a terrific cup of tea. But generally, for tea drinkers, it's a wasteland out there. You can buy a better cup of coffee downstairs in the lobby (hello, Starbucks) or you can bring your own coffee maker. That's what Turner the one with the flooded espresso machine does now. For a few years, before I switched to tea, I traveled with a French press and ground my own beans. Hey, if you're serious about coffee, don't take any chances. Tips for a better cup of in-room hotel coffee Rinse and run: Always rinse your coffee maker thoroughly and run it once without any coffee; that will clear out any residual coffee or other debris. (Readers have reported finding insects in their hotel coffee makers.) Consider bringing your own beans: You can overcome even a substandard coffee machine with terrific grounds. If you bring your own beans and grind them, you might get a survivable cup of brew. Maybe. Call room service: If you find a coffee maker that doesn't meet your standards, consider ordering coffee through room service or buying one in the lobby. Or try an app like Bean Hunter, which hosts an online community of coffee lovers, to find a place that serves a better cup of joe. Christopher Elliott is a consumer advocate. Contact him at [email protected] or visit elliott.org. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2019/01/24/hotel-coffee-makers/2667400002/
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2019/01/24/hotel-coffee-makers/2667400002/
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Where are the grown-ups when America needs them most?
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If only we had more grown-ups in the room. The problem is, there were plenty of adults in starring and supporting roles in that sad video that went viral earlier this week showing an awkward confrontation between a Catholic high school student and an elderly leader of a group of Native Americans near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it was the teenager and his buddies who got most of the blow-back from this ugly snapshot of life in America including death threats that resulted in beefed-up security at Kentuckys Covington Catholic High School. Which I find remarkable, considering that once the facts came to light following the knee-jerk reaction this episode produced, its evident these kids were hardly the culprits they were painted out to be. For one thing they are kids. Adolescents, to be exact. Which means that, according to scientific research and personally backed up by my own experiences as a mom and teacher their brains will not be completely formed until they are well into their 20s. Which leaves plenty of room for them to do really dumb things, particularly when there is lack of supervision. And supervision, in this case, was most definitely lacking. What I also found interesting is that 16-year-old Nick Sandmann, who bore the brunt of the vitriol, was doing little else but standing quietly and staring into the face of Nathan Phillips when the Native American activist approached him while banging on the drum. Later, both insisted all they were trying to do was defuse the situation, and whether or not you believe one or the other, the fact is physical violence was avoided. Yes, I know, the kid was accused of smirking as he faced Phillips. And the video shows there were far more dubious and doofus expressions on the faces of his peers as they looked on. But again, as someone who has spent plenty of time around adolescent boys, I can attest to similar looks that take over when they get caught up in uncomfortable situations and are trying to process it all with those still-forming brains. Unfortunately, this confrontation played beautifully into the new narrative being created by extremists on both sides of the political aisle who seem to have turned us into a nation that is fascinated even entertained by the divisiveness that now defines us. This story went virile for the same reason it made mainstream headlines. It became an ugly essay about white privilege versus the disenfranchised minority which, in our current climate, becomes all about politics. It should have been a story directed straight at all adults about how our kids are carefully watching our behavior. They listen to the squabbles at home and at school, they read the online snark and pick up on the nastiness that dominates our discussions which really arent discussions at all. They see our differences as something to be judged rather than celebrated. And they watch as our countrys leaders play childish games of chicken that are hurting us all in ways which could take a long time to heal. President Donald Trump wanted to invite those kids who got caught up in our adult games to the White House, where hed likely pass out cheeseburgers and brand new MAGA attire. But Im more interested in a potential meeting no cameras, no reporters between Phillips and Sandmann, who later admitted on national TV that now I wish I would have walked away. Those young brains are still forming learning how to process the world and their place in it. Scientific studies tell us those same youthful passions that can make adolescents do dumb and risky things can also give rise to inspire rewarding goals. Young lives, they say, can turn quickly in positive or negative directions, which makes adolescence a crucial phase of social and emotional learning and a window of opportunity to promote change for the good. But that takes adults stepping up and leading the way and right now they seem to be in short supply. [email protected] Twitter @dencrosby
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/opinion/ct-abn-crosby-adults-needed-st-0125-story.html
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Is a facial injury the reason for A$AP Rockys babushka obsession?
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Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A$AP Rocky is a certified style icon, but there may be more behind his new favorite accessory than meets the eye. The rapper, 30, recently sparked a menswear trend by wearing a babushka everywhere he goes and while hes hardly the first to rock a silk scarf or bandana, Rocky recently revealed the reason why hes been styling his headwear in such a specific way. I was riding a Razor scooter, I did a pop up wheelie and just ate st and I just had a fg big gash on my face. Had to get plastic surgery and here we are, the musician told GQ. While its difficult to tell whether Rocky was joking about the accident or at least exaggerating the severity of his injuries the rapper did appear on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah last August sporting both a yellow bandana and a bandage on his face. I kind of wanted to make it look like that, he said. Clearly, Rockys musical peer Frank Ocean is into the look: He recently shared an Instagram selfie wearing a white silk headscarf, under which the Praise the Lord rapper immediately commented, BABUSHKA BOI. Rocky even took his obsession a step further, releasing a song titled (what else?) Babushka.
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https://pagesix.com/2019/01/24/is-a-facial-injury-the-reason-for-aap-rockys-babushka-obsession/
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Is Meghan Markle Sending Us a Secret Message?
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British royal family members do not, generally, make a habit of wearing distressed denim. So when the ever-stylish Meghan Markle married Prince Harry last May, your devoted In the Limelight hosts Josh Duboff and Julie Miller envisioned the former actress tossing all of her tastefully ripped jeans into a bonfire, never to be seen again. But Meghans transition into royal life proved rockythe actress was accused of being difficult; scaring off employees; and having a falling-out with her sister-in-law Kate Middleton. On this weeks episode of In the Limelight, Josh and Julie discuss the shocking return of the ripped jeansand wonder whether Meghans rebound back to distressed denim is an act of defiance; simply an off-duty royal look; or a secret message to fans that, in spite of her new title and address, shes still just Meg. A few days after the resurrection of the ripped jeans, Meghan treated fans to another conspicuous throwback, when her makeup artist Daniel Martin sharedpresumably with her permissionan Instagram of the avocado-toast brunch Meghan lovingly prepared. Loading View on Instagram Back to our Tig days, Martin wrote, referring to Meghans shuttered lifestyle blog The Tig, and the chapter of Meghans life that the Palace does not seem particularly keen on promoting. Thank you Meghan for being the consummate hostess this weekend and still being the #avocadotoast whisperer, YUM! In addition to dissecting the meaning of these two events, Josh and Julie also dig into the new rumor that Brad Pitt is dating Charlize Theron. So prepare a batch of homage avocado toast, break out your perfectly Instagrammable Soho Home tea set, and listen to this weeks episode of In the Limelight. Afterward, please share your thoughts, questions, and feedback with In the Limelight on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to In the Limelight on Apple Podcasts. Listeners can also call in to the In the Limelight hotline at (347) 790-0966 to leave tips or ask questions!
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https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/01/meghan-markle-ripped-jeans-in-the-limelight
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What Time Does The Royal Rumble 2019 Start?
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Live from Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, its the 2019 Royal Rumble! WrestleMania season officially kicks off as 30 men and 30 women compete to earn a championship match at the show of shows. This years event is shrouded in mystery. The road to WrestleMania (points at large sign) begins with the 2019 Royal Rumble. Heres everything you need to know! The 2019 Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday, January 27. The Royal Rumble pre-show begins at 5:00 p.m. ET and is available to stream on the WWE Network, as well as WWE.com, the WWE app, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. Two matches are scheduled to take place on the kickoff show: United States Champion Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami in a fatal 4-way match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. The 2019 Royal Rumble officially begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on the WWE Network. HERES HOW TO LOCATE A WWE ROYAL RUMBLE LIVE STREAM: The 2019 Royal Rumble will be available to live stream on the WWE Network. The WWE is currently offering one FREE month (which also includes a Royal Rumble live stream) for new subscribers. You can cancel any time without any further commitments. NXT TakeOver: Phoenix takes place on Saturday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET on the WWE Network. Aside from the mens and womens Royal Rumble matches, this years event will also feature the following bouts: Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor WWE Champion Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles Raw Womens Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks SmackDowns Womens Champion Auska vs. Becky Lynch SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar vs. Pretty much anywhere you want. Once you sign up for the service, you can access the WWE Network by going to the official WWE website through your web browser, or you can download the WWE Network app on iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play. The WWE Network is also available as a channel on your Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku devices. Gamers, youre in luck, too! The WWE Network is also available on Playstation, XBox One, and XBox 360 devices.
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https://decider.com/2019/01/24/royal-rumble-2019-start-time/
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Why not make helping neighbors a new fitness craze?
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A snowstorm hit my neighborhood the other day. I'd recently agreed to be the house's "groundskeeper," which meant I got tasked with shoveling the ten or so inches of snow that covered the driveway. I'd been cooped up in the house during the storm, so I was actually pretty happy to head outside. I shoveled for an hour or so, and I felt muscles in my arms and legs that I'd rarely used start to burn. By the time I finished shoveling, I was feeling the serotonin buzz I normally get from biking. Shoveling was, as it turned out, pretty good exercise. I was actually sorry to stop. A few days later, a few friends and I got into a discussion about how hard it is to exercise. Going to gyms is pretty much the most annoying thing ever . And that's a big problem, since not exercising is so unhealthy. Less than 5 percent of adults are physically active for half an hour a day. Not exercising enough can bring about heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, bone and joint diseases, obesity and depression. And yet, shoveling snow was easy. It didn't take much willpower because I wasn't shoveling for the exercise. I was shoveling because I needed to clear the driveway. Which makes sense: humans didn't evolve to go to gyms; we evolved to expend energy by dealing with daily chores. People shell out tons of money in gym memberships and classes to exert energy that benefits no one. Surely they're better off saving that money and putting the energy to practical use. A neighborhood could have, say, a Facebook group where people could post things they needed help with. Then, people who wanted exercise could help them out. Win-win, no money or willpower necessary. Instead of making it about "helping people," it could be framed as a new fitness craze. Anyway, that's all I've got: a simple idea.
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https://www.treehugger.com/health/why-not-combine-exercise-helping-neighbors.html
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Whats in the Governments no-deal Brexit omnibus Bill?
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Healthcare This part of the Bill covers a range of reciprocal healthcare arrangements, including reimbursements, to be maintained between Ireland and the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The arrangements facilitate access to health services in the UK and Ireland, including access to emergency, routine and planned healthcare, and put the continuation for the Common Travel Area arrangements on a legal footing post-Brexit. The healthcare section covers 18 sections, ranging from guaranteeing that Irish residents with rare diseases or requiring transplants can continue to be treated in UK hospitals to making sure that the HSE can process patient data for UK patients in Irish hospitals. This section covers frontier workers, including people in the Border area who live in the State but work in the UK, workers posted to the State from the UK for no more than two years and pensioners in receipt of a UK state pension who do not receive an Irish contributory State pension. These individuals and dependents will continue to have full healthcare eligibility without means testing . The Bill ensures UK residents and students, including people in the Border area living in the UK but working in the State, will continue to receive healthcare if they become ill or have an accident . This section also allows Northern Ireland-resident workers in the Border area to continue accessing healthcare should they not qualify for full eligibility following the means assessment. Irish patients with rare diseases and requiring certain organ transplants would still be able to access healthcare in the UK under reciprocal arrangements. The legislation creates a similar scheme to the EU cross-Border directive through which Irish residents are reimbursed for the cost of treatment in UK hospitals to ensure these patients can continue to be reimbursed post-Brexit. Welfare It provides for amendments to existing legislation to allow for the continued payment of social welfare payments as they relate to the Common Travel Area. The Common Travel Area allows Irish and EU citizens avail of benefits such as pensions and illness and child benefits in each others country. The legislation would allow for this arrangement to continue even in the case of a no-deal Brexit outcome. Transport The Bill looks to provide for cross-Border rail and bus services between Ireland and Northern Ireland. This includes the recognition of the certifications of train drivers from non-EU countries and how an agreement can be reached with the UK after Brexit for cross-Border rail services, if required. It will allow Ireland, after Brexit, to enter into bilateral agreements with the UK on cross-Border bus services. It will make the National Transport Authority the competent authority to regulate bus services between Ireland and non-EU countries. Enterprise Ireland supports The Bill provides measures enabling Enterprise Ireland to continue supporting businesses through investments, loans, and research and development grants in order to limit the negative effects that Brexit could have on vulnerable enterprises. This section permits the State agency to start grants to non-industrial and horticultural sectors which will help the Government support one of the sectors of the economy most affected by Brexit: agrifood producers. The legislation would allow grant aid to meet the research needs of large indigenous companies in important fields of veterinary and pharmaceutical industries as Brexit may create an additional need for such supports. The 50 per cent cap on grant aid for research and development is lifted, permitting the State to provide up to 70 per cent of the costs for a small business and 60 per cent for a medium-sized enterprise. The Bill permits Enterprise Ireland to make advance research and development grant payments to companies regardless of size. Education grants The Bill protects the payment of education grants to eligible students studying in the UK and UK nationals studying in the UK under the Susi scheme. The grants are being protected as part of the States commitment to the rights and privileges of the Common Travel Area. Insurance companies The Bill also deals with British- or Gibraltar-based insurance companies operating in Ireland. It will ensure that any contracts signed before Brexit day at the end of March will continue to be serviced such as paying out on claims or accepting premium payments. However, such companies will not be able to sign new contracts after Brexit day until they obtain EU authorisation. Employee rights The legislation seeks to protect the rights of Irish employees of UK companies which go insolvent. Specifically, it aims to preserve Irish workers rights to claim pay arrears, holiday pay and pay in lieu of statutory notice under the insolvency payments scheme, which is set up to protect outstanding wage-related entitlements owed to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. Extraditions and immigration The Department of Justice has moved to ensure that extraditions between the UK and Ireland are unaffected. One of the key issues identified . . . is to ensure that effective extradition arrangements are maintained between Ireland and the UK, according to the heads of Bill. The Department of Justice has also inserted amendments to the immigration acts relating to the States obligation to undertake a so-called refoulement consideration in relation to an illegal immigrant who has a concern that their life or freedom could be threatened if they were returned to a particular territory. There are several amendments governing data exchange as it relates to immigration and naturalisation, as well as the EUs data privacy laws. Specifically, the Bill seeks to facilitate the immediate exchange of data with the UK. The Bill also introduces an amendment to provide for the exchange of immigration data with the UK. Taxation The taxation section of the Bill will ensure continuity in access to measures such as allowances and reliefs. Regarding income tax, it will ensure that those measures will continue to apply if the UK is no longer a member of the EU. It also deals with capital gains tax, capital acquisitions tax, stamp duty and corporation tax. The measures will ensure UK citizens resident here continue to qualify for normal reliefs and also cover businesses operating in the two jurisdictions. Stock exchange Another section deals with the status of Euronext Dublin, formerly known as the Irish Stock Exchange. It currently uses a UK-based system to settle trades in Irish equities and exchange-traded funds. This would not be possible in a no-deal Brexit scenario and this element of the legislation would see the Irish Stock Exchange transfer to an EU system over two-year period. Single electricity market This legislative change is precautionary and time-limited to provide the all-island electricity market and would only come into force in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It would give the States energy regulator sufficient powers to amend the licences of energy providers in a transparent and prompt manner to ensure that they comply with the body of EU laws covering energy after the UK leaves the EU.
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https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/what-s-in-the-government-s-no-deal-brexit-omnibus-bill-1.3769895?localLinksEnabled=false
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Is an apology too much to ask?
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Its only day 4 after the call, or no-call and it seems like its been forever. There have been the cathartic calls for lawsuits, posting of billboards and costumes and memes galore. There is no doubt that Krewe du Vieux and the other satirical parades are racing to re-do floats to remain timely with biting humor. As always, when theres some group thats been horribly wronged, theres actually the non-affected folks stages of non-grief. They agree with our anger (commiseration), they call for change (advocation), but soon, the aggrieved, if they keep hold of the issue, become seen as whiny, cry babies, sore losers, by those without a stake (aggravation). Im not sure if were there yet, but were closing in on it. Get over it, Its just a game, You shouldnt have blown an early lead. Yeah, right. Look mistakes happen. Bad mistakes happen. Whats maddening is the lack of a public mea culpa. Especially from the official who blew the call. He should apologize. He didnt mean (I assume) to cost a team a chance at a Super Bowl. To cost one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time the chance to elevate his legacy. But, he should apologize. It wont change anything as far as the outcome. But, now, its all I need. I dont blame the Rams. They didnt do anything wrong. Im not even really mad at Falcons fans delighting in the team and citys misery. You cant dump on a fan base for nearly two solid years and not expect them to delight in your pain the more painful, the better. I realize that blowing a Super Bowl on your own is much different than having one taken from you - but, pain is pain. But you see, it isnt just football. It really isnt. The day of the Super Bowl in 2010 was one of the most magical days in the history of our city. To quote Kermit Ruffins song (All I Want for Christmas is the Saints in the Super Bowl), it was bigger than Mardi Gras. It was. Its not bigger than the institution of Mardi Gras. Not even close. But it sure the heck was bigger than Mardi Gras that year. Id never seen the town so awash, universally, in joy. See, I had been on the WWL-TV coverage team in Miami through that Friday, but I left Saturday to be home for the game. This is where I had to be. Id never seen anything like it. Every, single, neighborhood every one had a block party, or its version of one going. Poor neighborhoods, rich ones, ones still blighted from Katrina. Driving around town was a chore. You couldnt go the speed limit, but you didnt want to because then youd miss the kids in Saints gear throwing the ball in the street with the large screen TV on the lawn. The barbecues, the balloons, decorations and bounce houses, the second line at Sunday Mass, the people wearing their jerseys to the mass. You didnt even have to watch the game to know how we were doing. Screams, hollers, cheers, moans were all audible from inside the sanctuary of your home. It was an entire-city, eight-or-so-hour tailgate. Every major gathering spot was filled with a watch party. See. This isnt Los Angeles where the team hasn't exactly taken hold in its recent return or New England where Super Bowl Sunday happens every year like the Boston Marathon. The Saints football was a symbol of our rebuild. The team had never really been that good. Never elite. Now, it was. If the Saints could do it, so could we. Yes, sports is not real life. Not real like real life problems. Yes, the Saints success only put a temporary balm on the many problems plaguing our city things like crime, schools, bad roads, race relations but, if only temporarily, we saw each other. You didnt have to find a conversation starter with someone you would not normally have spoken to. The aftermath was glorious too, but, even if the Saints had advanced to the Super Bowl this year, that outcome would not have been guaranteed. Its just that I wanted that one more time. I wanted that taste of pure joy once again. But that won't happen this year. A mistake was made. A huge mistake. The official responsible needs to lose his job. He cant referee another game, ever, certainly not a Saints game. Either he didnt see it, or he didnt think it was pass interference (and helmet-to-helmet), in which case he is not fit to be an NFL official. Yes, its silly to still be thinking about the game. Its silly that its that important. I have my three daughters and my wife to show me whats really important and Im so lucky to still have my two parents around. Thats important. This is not. Not really. At least not if your name isnt Sean Payton or Drew Brees or one of the hundred or so other players and employees who may not get this chance again. As fans, we don't know if we'll ever get this chance again. So, all Id really like is an apology. From the official. If the NFL issues one, its basically on his behalf. This wasnt the NFLs fault, except to the extent that it was bound to happen sooner or later and it did and there is no way to address it and ummm. A friend of mine said that several years ago, her daughters high school forgot to fill out or submit some paper work on PSAT tests to have the kids eligible for National Merit Awards, which can bring thousands of dollars in scholarship offers. Several of the kids in that class had scores that would have qualified. They were deprived of some honors and potentially thousands of dollars. Ill bet they got an apology. Really. Nothing will change with the game and the outcome nor should it (it should have Sunday, but thats another story). It wont even hurt the NFL to come out with a statement that an erroneous call prevented the Saints from a chance at a Super Bowl. Use the word chance. That works, because Aaron Donald could have muscled his way in for a block, or Will Lutz could have gone Cody Parkey or the snap could have been bobbled. Most likely though, the Saints would have been in the Super Bowl and this town would have been electric for another two weeks. We were deprived of that. All I really want is an apology.
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https://www.wwltv.com/article/sports/nfl/saints/is-an-apology-too-much-to-ask/289-e626b20c-3afb-4868-875f-23d06c8c4f16
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Can a progressive Democrat win the presidency in 2020?
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Your fathers Democratic Party might have a good chance at capturing the White House in 2020; your childrens Democratic Party, which is what we have today, faces a tougher fight. To win the election, Democrats will have to overcome two major obstacles: history and their lurch to the political left. They cannot change the first obstacle, and they seemingly dont want to change the second. Lets start with history: Its very difficult to beat an incumbent presidential candidate. It has only happened five times in the 30 presidential elections since 1900, and most of those occurred under extraordinary circumstances. For example, Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican President Herbert Hoover in 1932, primarily because of Hoovers feckless efforts to address the economic devastation of the Great Depression. Republican Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter in 1980, in part because the economy was experiencing record high inflation and interest rates and the Iran hostage debacle. And Democrat Bill Clinton defeated President George H.W. Bush in 1992 because Bush broke his no new taxes pledge and third-party candidate Ross Perot siphoned off 19 percent of the vote. Yes, many people can reasonably claim that the Trump presidency is also an extraordinary circumstance, creating the opportunity for an election upset. Even so, when the economy is doing well and if the various investigations dont reveal serious presidential wrongdoing history overwhelmingly favors the incumbent. The second factor working against a Democratic upset victory is the partys increasing leftward shift to democratic socialism. The Gallup polling company reports that 57 percent of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, as opposed to only 37 percent of all voters. It wasnt that long ago when many Democrats were widely respected for their thoughtful, moderate leadership: Sens. Sam Nunn of Georgia, Lloyd Bentsen of Texas and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, to name a few. Those days are gone. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders used to be the only self-described democratic socialist in Congress. Every time he would introduce his socialized-medicine scheme, Medicare for All, other senators would run for cover to avoid any hint of association. At a recent Medicare for All press conference, Sanders was surrounded by Democrats, many of whom are vying to be the next president of the United States. Democratic presidential hopefuls, and the party generally, are embracing policies like those supported by the group Democratic Socialists of America: free college education; free health care; free child care and paid family leave; universal basic income; and a carbon-free economy with only renewable energy and electric cars. Of course, free means taxpayer thats you must pay for it. This is a far cry from the Democratic Party of even President Bill Clinton, who once famously proclaimed the era of big government is over. Todays leading Democrats think the era of big government has just begun. The mainstream media have become co-conspirators in this leap to the left by constantly promoting the most outspoken leftists, especially Sanders and Rep. (and media sensation) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. They, and a few others, are the voices providing the energy and policy ideas driving the Democratic Party. The problem for Democratic candidates is that America is still a moderate to center-right country. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 35 percent of Americans described themselves as conservative and another 35 percent as moderate. Only 26 percent claimed to be liberal. Lurching to the left may win donations, enthusiastic volunteers and even the Democratic presidential nomination. But it will almost certainly lose the election. To be sure, President Donald Trump faces some re-election headwinds, many of his own making. But the biggest factor in favor of his re-election will be running against a democratic socialist, in fact if not in name. ABOUT THE WRITER Merrill Matthews is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation. He holds a PhD in the Humanities from the University of Texas. Readers may write him at IPI, Suite 820, 1328 Greenway D Drive, Irving, TX 70538
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https://www.southcoasttoday.com/opinion/20190124/can-progressive-democrat-win-presidency-in-2020/1
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Why Is Salt Used to Melt Ice on the Roads in Winter?
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" " Many city and municipalities depend on rock salt to de-ice their roadways when the weather gets bad. Rupert Hitchcox Photography Limited/Getty Images If you live in a city that gets lots of snow and ice, then you're familiar with road salt. First, road salt is simply halite rock salt which is table salt in its natural form. The difference is table salt goes through a lengthy purification process, while rock salt does not. And because rock salt still has impurities, it's brown or gray in color. Ice forms when the temperature of water reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), and that includes ice on roadways. Road salt works by lowering the freezing point of water via a process called freezing point depression. The freezing point of the water is lowered once the salt is added, so it the salt makes it more difficult for water to freeze. A 10-percent salt solution freezes at 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 Celsius), and a 20-percent solution freezes at 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius). The key is, there has to be at least a tiny bit of water on the road for freezing point depression to work. That's why you often see trucks pre-treat roads with a brine solution (a mixture of salt and water) when ice and snow is forecast. If the roads are dry and the DOT simply puts down road salt, it likely won't make much of a difference. But pre-treating with a brine solution can help ice from ever forming, and will help reduce the amount of road salt trucks will need to spread to de-ice later. Pros and Cons Rock salt is one of the most widely used road de-icers, but it's not without critics. For one, rock salt does have its limits. If the temperature of the roadway is lower than about 15 degrees F (- 9 C), the salt won't have any effect on the ice. The solid salt simply can't get into the structure of the frozen water to start the dissolving process. In these cases, the DOT typically spreads sand on top of the ice to provide traction. Rock salt also has major environmental issues, including the sodium and chlorine that leaches into the ground and water. And as we mentioned earlier, because rock salt isn't purified and contains contaminants including lead, iron, aluminum and phosphorus when it's spread, these are spread as well. However, rock salt still remains the most widely used and affordable de-icers available. And while there are other chemical de-icers, too, none are 100 percent risk free. Last editorial update on Jan 24, 2019 03:56:49 pm. Related Articles More Great Links
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/road-salt.htm
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What now for DR Congo' Felix Tshisekedi?
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The Democratic Republic of Congo's new president was sworn in on Thursday in the first peaceful handover of power since independence, despite a chaotic and bitterly disputed election. But, all did not go well for Felix Tshisekedi - he briefly fell ill during his inaugural address. "The campaign we had to run... got the better of me," Tshisekedi told reporters, as a way of apology for briefly falling ill during his inauguration ceremony. State television had interrupted its live broadcast of the historic event after Tshisekedi said, "I don't feel well", and sat down as family members came to his side. Twelve minutes later, the 55-year old, clad in a blue suit and dark glasses was back on his feet, cheered on by thousands of supporters, government officials and foreign ambassadors. Tshisekedi vowed to act on human rights, promising to "draw up a country-wide registry of political prisoners (...) with a view to releasing them soon." Thursday's ceremony, attended by Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta--the only foreign head of state present--caps more than two years of turmoil and a tortuous electoral saga, wracked by nagging doubts over last month's presidential election. Tshisekedi was declared the winner of those polls with 38.5 percent of the vote, which was delayed three times. But his opposition rival Martin Fayulu, who was credited with 34.8 percent insists that he was the rightful winner. Lingering doubts Congo's powerful Bishops' National Conference, the CENCO, too cast doubt on the presidential election, saying its unofficial tallies from more than 40,000 observers did not match the official results. Kabila and Tshisekedis camps deny there was any foul. "Martin Fayulu and his entire group have never been able to prove that they won the elections," challenges Toto Mabiku, a presidential advisor to Tshisekedi. Fayulu's supporters allege that the former opposition leader cut a backroom deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila to rig the vote in his favour after the ruling party's candidate did so badly. "These suspicions are totally unfounded," Mabiku told RFI. "It was important for candidates to reassure the outgoing government on a certain number of issues, which is what the international community asked for," he says, referring to calls by former US Ambassador Nikki Hayley for Kabila to hold long-delayed elections, in return for his security and other guarantees. "Because we have given him guarantees, people think we have a struck a deal with him. There was no deal," Mabku insists. Battle for legitimacy The United States on Wednesday recognised Tshisekedi as the country's fifth president, following in the footsteps of the African Union and the European Union. Still, anger over the results has nonetheless cast a cloud over what was meant to be DR Congos first democratic transfer of power in 59 years of independence. "Some Congolese people are very angry because the leader who they chose did not win the elections," comments Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of LUCHA, a movement of young middle-class activists that started in Goma and has now spread across the country. "Many people are waiting to see what his first steps will be and the change he will make in DRC (...) Tshisekedi must show he has power. Right now all the power is with Kabila," he told RFI. The challenges awaiting the new president are vast, the foremost of which will be to prove his legitimacy. "Felix was not seen in the same light as [former vice-president] Jean-Pierre Bemba and [former governor of Katanga] Moise Katumbi, people with real political heft and weight in Congo," explains Ben Shepherd, a Consulting Fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House. "He has always lived under the shadow of his father [Etienne] until his father's death and the UDPS party that he leads has split multiple times," he tells RFI. Building coalitions It does not bode well for the power-sharing government Tshisekedi will have to put together with the outgoing president's bloc. Although, he won the presidency, the pro-Kabila Common Front for Congo (FCC) took the majority of seats in Congo's national assembly. Unless Tshisekedi builds a coalition with the FCC, he faces the prospect of being no more than a lame duck president. The task is easier said than done. "Congo is a very difficult place to govern, it's notoriously big," says Shepherd of the central African country which is twice the size of Western Europe. "The population is very fractured and scattered. The infrastructure is very badly degraded. The capacity of the Congolese state to reach and control much of the territory is low," he adds. There is some hope. "Because the presidency once the dust settles will be weaker than it has been before, the provincial layer will be empowered," explains Shepherd. Shifting the centre of gravity That could bring with it new opportunities. "There will be leaders at a lower level who have more of a connection to populations who in theory they are supposed to represent," he says. Yet this redistribution of power from the centre to the periphery could mean the ball remains firmly in the hands of Kabila, whose supporters now overwhelmingly control parliament. According to a "political coalition agreement" seen by AFP, the position of prime minister is likely to go to a pro-Kabila lawmaker, while the defence, foreign affairs and interior portfolios will go to Kabila's family. As for the outgoing president himself, he will become a senator for life. "There is a glimmer of optimism I think in the medium to long term; but there are a huge number of hurdles to get there," concludes Shepherd.
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http://en.rfi.fr/africa/20190124-what-now-dr-congo-new-president-felix-tshisekedi-calls-reconciliation
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Could there someday be casino near Grand Bend?
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If you can, then youre not alone. South Huron council has started preliminary discussions with gaming officials and governing bodies to see if theres mutual interest in building a casino near Grand Bend. South Huron is an established destination that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, said Mayor George Finch. We will continue to work closely with neighbouring municipalities and partners to explore ideas that grow the regional tourism economy. In a news release, South Huron says their vision of a gaming facility would include everything from slot machines to gaming tables, along with restaurants and a hotel. They believe a casino would compliment the tourism offerings that already exist in and around Grand Bend, including the Dark Horse Winery, Huron Country Playhouse and Grand Bend Motor Speedway.
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https://london.ctvnews.ca/could-there-someday-be-casino-near-grand-bend-1.4267929
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How does social equity factor in Fresno cannabis industry?
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Fresno has not seen the last of the cannabis debates and whether the citys nascent pot industry will be inclusive of people of color remains a top unresolved issue. Voters overwhelmingly approved a business license tax in November, and the Fresno City Council in December passed regulations for businesses. But another issue still isnt settled: social equity in cannabis. In the new industry, the words social equity generally refer to efforts to address the negative effects of marijuana-related criminalization on communities of color and those with pot convictions prior to Proposition 64, specifically during the war on drugs. Passed by California voters in 2016, Prop. 64 legalized adult use of recreational marijuana in the state. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. War on Drugs According to a 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union, African American and white populations use marijuana at roughly the same rate, but blacks are more than three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. The report used data from the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting program. Such racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests exist in all regions of the country, in counties large and small, urban and rural, wealthy and poor, and with large and small Black populations, the report says. The report concludes that the War on Drugs, particularly the War on Marijuana, was a failure, and the price paid for a marijuana conviction can linger for years, if not a lifetime. Some California cities that entered the cannabis market have tried different social equity programs with mixed results. Fresnos marijuana journey Since the early stages of Fresnos cannabis policy discussions, cannabis industry members advocated for a social equity program. Cesar Casamayor and Gidai Maaza, with The Peoples Dispensary Fresno, penned a letter to city officials in March 2018 raising the issue. They, along with other advocate groups, asked the city to analyze which groups and parts of the city were most affected by marijuana-related arrests and convictions. They suggested hosting a workshop to discuss the health impacts of marijuana arrests and convictions, along with best practices to ensure the new cannabis industry would benefit communities most affected by criminalization. This cannabis movement is going to be one of two industries where if we as people of color are not in, we will be locked out of, Maaza said in an interview with The Bee. In a community meeting in May 2018 to discuss draft cannabis regulations, social equity was the No. 1 concern for industry members. They wanted to make sure current cannabis business owners, particularly minority owners, would not be penalized or turned away from the new industry. They also worried the costs to start a new business would be too great for anyone who isnt a millionaire. Former Councilman Oliver Baines, who recently termed out of office and previously worked on the citys cannabis regulations, said Fresno has arrived at the appropriate time in the process to develop a social equity program. He believes community members should shape the equity program, he said. As policymakers, we shouldnt dictate what it should be, he said. It should actually be a community discussion, and the community should weigh in and dictate that. SHARE COPY LINK After Fresno voters approved Measure A, a cannabis business license tax, and the city council passed regulations, leaders will look at social equity for groups negatively affected by the war on drugs. Disagreement on current regulations But city leaders remain unsure what the best path forward is. Theres even disagreement about the current regulations and how equitable they are. In a December editorial published in The Bee, District 3 Councilman Miguel Arias argued that neighborhoods in his district, already hit hard by the war on drugs, will be harmed further by the citys new cannabis regulations. The citys ordinance carefully excludes industry participation of residents from neglected and low-income neighborhoods, which have been deeply impacted by the drug war, while forcing these same neighborhoods to bear all of the industrys environmental impacts, Arias wrote. Excluding entire communities from future prosperity is not only unfair, but it also ensures that the black market will continue to thrive and interfere with public safety for all of us. Days later, former Councilman Clint Olivier, who championed the cannabis issue for the city of Fresno, argued online at California Marijuana Policy that Fresnos new rules may actually hit a sweet spot, in part because the regulations require each business to include a social equity piece in their business license application. It is hoped that by requiring each applicant to furnish its own equity plan, a variety of strategies as diverse as the citys neighborhoods will be submitted, Olivier wrote. Other California cities In August 2018, Sacramento passed its Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) program, which aims to issue half of its business licenses to people impacted by the war on drugs and waives business license fees for qualified applicants, among other things. Oaklands program, however, faced criticism and essentially crumbled when limits on general applicants expired while hundreds of equity applicants still awaited approval on their licenses. Malaki Seku-Amen, the president and CEO of California Urban Partnership, said Fresno has the opportunity to get social equity right the first time, and the best place to start is a social equity analysis. So far, the city hasnt done one and there doesnt appear to be a plan for one. Seku-Amen, who worked with city officials in Sacramento on the issue, described an analysis similar to what Maaza and Casamayor asked the city for analyzing which racial groups and ZP codes were most affected by the war on drugs. He said it should be done by an independent academic group and include feedback from affected populations. The city, from a legal and moral standpoint, cannot treat marijuana regulations as something that is going to benefit only those who are wealthy, he said. The city has a responsibility to ensure that equity is woven throughout its entire cannabis policy framework. In this Jan. 6, 2018, file photo, an employee stocks cannabis at a store shortly before its first day of recreational marijuana sales in San Francisco. In Fresno, voters overwhelmingly approved a marijuana business license tax in November, and the Fresno City Council in December passed regulations for businesses. But another issue still isnt settled: social equity in cannabis. Noah Berger Associated Press file Moving forward Arias plans to bring legislation forward in the spring that will provide a city definition for social equity and a program framework. The way the regulations are currently drafted, business applicants each get to define equity in their own way, he said. He believes the city should set the standard. For me personally, there have to be elements that directly improve the quality of life for areas in which businesses will be housed, he said. Casamayor and Maaza have met with Mayor Lee Brand and his staff to discuss the issue. We want to make sure we dont make the mistakes other cities have on social equity and we have the best practices, Casamayor said. We feel its important to understand we have to compromise on some things. At end of day, our city is kind of conservative. Esmeralda Soria, District 1 council member, said the discussion is far from over. Seku-Amen said, It cant be the last priority. Otherwise, what youll have is as the market continues to open its doors for the big green rush, youll have wealthy investors driving through the door in Ferraris while low-income communities of color are either on their feet or riding bicycles.
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https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article224538550.html
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How is Shutdown Affecting Housing in North Dakota?
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Furloughs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development are making it harder to get out information about government-assisted housing. (Kjetil Ree/Wikimedia Commons) BISMARCK, N.D. North Dakota tenants in government-assisted housing are growing more nervous as the federal government shutdown drags on. But legal and housing experts in the state are encouraging folks to stay calm. Breezy Schmidt, managing attorney with Legal Services of North Dakota, says with a few potential exceptions, North Dakotans who receive help with housing are safe and that tenants who experience something like a rent increase should contact her organization for legal advice. "They need to calm down and they need to understand that most programs are going to be funded at a minimum through the end of January and some through the end of February, and so they need to just continue to do what they already do, which is pay their portion of the rent," she explains. Schmidt notes that two project-based Section 8 properties in Lisbon and Strasburg might be affected because their contracts expired while the government was shut down. Expiring contracts for Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities programs could affect two properties in Grand Forks and one in Bismarck. Rental assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program also could be affected. David Klein, executive director of the Great Plains Housing Authority, which serves six North Dakota counties, says this problem has become more complicated because Department of Housing and Urban Development employees are furloughed. He and other North Dakota housing authorities are meeting on Friday to discuss plans if the shutdown continues. Klein also encourages people to keep cool and pay their rent portions. "The biggest thing is not to panic, not to be packing up your stuff and not worrying about trying to find a place when it is 5 degrees above outside and looking at, 'Do we have to relocate? he stresses. Do we have to rent from another person or try to combine households?' or anything like that." Klein also says landlords should be patient and understanding because the federal government will eventually pay rents back to them. "The portions of rent that could end up being owed are the responsibility of the federal government, not of the tenant, and because of that the tenant is not responsible for late fees or anything else, he stresses. They can't raise the rents on these tenants to cover that." Klein says people can contact their local housing authority if they have more questions and adds that folks should look at their landlord-tenant rights handbook to get acquainted with their legal rights. Eric Tegethoff, Public News Service - ND
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https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2019-01-24/housing-homelessness/how-is-shutdown-affecting-housing-in-north-dakota/a65312-1
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Can Louisville's Jaylen Smith catch NFL draft buzz at the Senior Bowl?
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Dominique Yates, Louisville Courier Journal Excluding three seasons 2004, 2010 and 2013 Louisville has had at least player taken in the NFL Draft every year since 2000. Receiver Jaylen Smith is the Cardinals' best hope for an NFL prospect this year. He'll participate in the annual Reeses Senior Bowl Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Smith is coming off a season in which his struggles mirrored the team's. He finished with 36 receptions, 550 yards and just one touchdown while dealing with health issues and the inconsistencies at quarterback play for U of L. Related: Louisville players bond with new coaches over bowling and trash talk But in 2017, he logged 60 catches for 980 yards. It's that history and his 6-foot-4, 223-pound frame that might intrigue scouts during this weekend's senior showcase. Kentucky will have Mike Edwards, Lonnie Johnson, Jr. and Darius West participate in the Senior Bowl. First-round prospect Josh Allen will not participate. Benny Snell, another UK draft headliner, entered the draft after his junior season. Go to courierjournal.com to catch "Dominique's Dimes," a daily video series on the hottest topics of interest in local sports.
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https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2019/01/24/louisville-football-jaylen-smith-heading-senior-bowl-nfl-draft/2667100002/
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Why Are Democrats Freaking Out About Electability?
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Ben Terris calls it Pundititis. Democrats still havent recovered from the trauma of Hillary Clintons loss to Donald Trump, and its causing them to wring their hands about every candidate emerging to challenge him in 2020. So the Washington Post reporter coined this term to describe a virus affecting the nervous system of Democratic voters that was born out of the 2016 elections. Those infected find themselves unable to fall in love with candidates, instead worrying about what theoretical swing voters may feel. Signs of Pundititis include excessive electoral mapmaking, poll testiness, and an anxious, queasy feeling that comes with picking winners and losers known as Cillizzaseaa dig at Terriss former colleague. This is not an inaccurate diagnosis of the Democrats today. Terris is also right to attribute this malady not only to the results of the last presidential election, but to the mainstream medias analysis of the emerging Democratic field. Reading much of the punditry of late, one might expect the primary season to be the political equivalent of WWEs Royal Rumble, a massive free-for-all in which the candidates beat each other to a pulp in a race to the left, leaving one wobblyand perhaps not very electablecandidate standing for Trump to effortlessly defeat. Fear not, afflicted ones. While Democrats are understandably scarred by 2016, the party has learned its lesson: There will be no coronation this time around, no stark contrast between two candidates representing their respective wings of the party. And while the 2020 primary thus will be crowded, it will be a marked contrast to the clown car Republican primary of 2016. For the next year, the Democrats will showcase a party that looks and sounds very different not only from the GOP, but from the Democratic Party of just a few years ago. Rather than a moment of anxiety, this should be a moment of hope and prideand Republicans should be the ones feeling queasy. Democrats are gearing up for a long, contentious primary season. Nine major candidates have already entered the fraymost recently South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an openly gay 37-year-old military veteran, who announced on Wednesday. By the summer, that number may have ballooned to two dozen or more. That vast field will reflect the Democratic Party in all of its diversity, from ideology to race to sexual orientation to, yes, age. But that has some Democrats nervous that the unfolding contest will distract from the only thing that matters: beating Trump.
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https://newrepublic.com/article/152949/democrats-freaking-out-electability
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Should the Saints re-sign Dez Bryant?
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Attention swirled around the New Orleans Saints when they signed former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant to a one-year contract around midseason, only to see those plans fall apart when Bryant went down with a soft-tissue injury after just two days of practice. Bryant has been diligent in his treatment since then, sharing video updates from his hospital bed post-surgery and checking in on social media as he progresses through rehab. Hes doing his part to return to football shape. Its possible that the Saints give Bryant another chance in 2019. They had a plan to utilize him on critical downs and in scoring position, but his untimely Achilles injury derailed that. As their offense slumped towards a disappointing finish they averaged just 19.7 points per game after Thanksgiving, and only scored a field goal in their final four possessions in the NFC championship game it became clear that quarterback Drew Brees needs better weapons. The Saints cant keep trotting out undrafted rookies from Wisconsin-Platteville and Northern Illinois, and expecting Brees to just work some magic. For his part, Bryant is eager to re-sign with the Saints. Hes been public in expressing his feelings about it, gushing about how he loves the team and its culture, and responding to a fan asking if hell return with, Thats the plan. So it wont take much courting from the Saints to get him back into the fold. And Bryant was very popular with his Saints teammates, however short his stay ended up being. Running back Mark Ingram paid tribute to Bryant after the receivers injury with Bryants signature crossed-arms X celebration, along with Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. Theyre all obviously eager to work with him. Like most things in the NFL, this will likely come down to money. And if Bryants initial contract with the Saints is any clue, he isnt concerned about playing on a modest salary. His first contract was worth just $1.25-million for the year, prorated into a $600,000 base salary with another $500,000 tacked on for incentives. If Bryant is still up for playing on that kind of low-cost deal, and the Saints want to give him another chance, theres no reason this shouldnt work out.
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https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/24/should-saints-re-sign-dez-bryant-michael-thomas-mark-ingram-free-agency/
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What could move in as Nordstrom checks out?
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NORFOLK, Va. There continues to be a lot of disappointment after Nordstrom announced Wednesday it was closing its doors at McArthur Center on April 5. RELATED: Goodbye, Nordstrom. The store in Norfolk is closing. City Leaders said they are upset to see the store leave after almost two decades, but said they are excited for new possibilities for the future open space connected to the mall. We are going to look at this at the glass half full. The reality is retail is changing nationally and internationally. The way you buy your goods and services is just going to be different, explained City Manager Doug Smith. The company was an anchor store at the mall for the past 20 years. Smith said he wasnt surprised that Nordstrom decided to leave. He said many malls are evolving and going in a different direction. Part of what they explained to us is Nordstrom is a very different store themselves than the day they came to the mall," said Smith. "It was a decision that we are not surprised by, but certainly, dont want to see them leave. Sign up for the daily In the NOW Newsletter Sign up for the daily In the NOW Newsletter Something went wrong. This email will be delivered to your inbox once a day in the afternoon. Thank you for signing up for In the NOW Newsletter. Please try again later. Submit Smith said the building the retailer rents is owned by the city of Norfolk. He believes the closing of the store could open a new door for opportunities. We can perhaps reuse the building with another anchor tenant, you could reuse the building with a couple of anchor tenants. You could completely transform the building. It could be residential use, it could be office use, Smith explained. The market will dictate what happens, he said. 13News Now reached out to TCCs Business Administration Professor Peter Shaw. He said he wouldnt be surprised to see office space in the three-story building in the near future. Shaw explained, I could see going into that spot, a high tech software company. You have parking right there next door for the employees. You bring in a software company, you bring in high salary jobs. Shaw said the space is easy to locate, has quick access to the interstate and the airport. He thinks its likely commercial developers are already looking at the store. If you bring in one thats successful its like a herd mentality. There will be others that will be coming to this area, Shaw said. City Leaders said no plans are set in stone on what will go into space as of now. Norfolk Leaders are also helping those working for Nordstrom to obtain new jobs in the city, like at IKEA.
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https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/what-could-move-in-as-nordstrom-checks-out/291-737f0bc9-8ff8-470b-862d-0f5d7710072d
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Will a Revolution Oust Sudans Defiant President?
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by Giorgio Cafiero Widespread rage over rising fuel and bread prices, inflation, and cash shortages triggered Sudans daily protests. These demonstrations began on December 19 in the River Nile city of Atbara, located in central Sudan. They quickly spread to Khartoum and other cities. Early on, those on the street began demanding that President Omar al-Bashir and the minority clique around him step down from power. These anti-regime protests are unusual in Sudans post-independence history. Although Sudan has previously experienced waves of uprisings and protestsOctober 1964, April 1985, June/July 2012, September 2013, and January 2018the ones currently shaking the country are unprecedented in terms of how long they have lasted, the demonstrators diversity, and their size. As Walaa Isam Elboushi, a Sudanese engineer and activist, put it, the protests have become a way of life in the country. Challenging Sudans Post-1989 Political Order Opponents of the ruling government allege that Bashir, since taking power in an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989, has led Sudan in a negative direction. The average Sudanese citizen has paid a major price for the governments handling of internal conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile, southern Sudan (now South Sudan), and elsewhere, which have resulted in extremely bloated defense budgets and the diversion of resources away from economic development. Many Sudanese supporters of regime change argue that the countrys loss of one-third of its territory and 70 percent of Sudans oil reserves because of South Sudans 2011 breakaway resulted from Bashirs mishandling and excessive militarization of domestic affairs. Following South Sudans independence, Sudans economy began crashing. The government responded by taking out loans, selling large swathes of agricultural land, selling gold in foreign markets, and printing a lot of money. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has indicted Sudans head of state on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide charges. The ICCs warrant for Bashirs arrest is one of the factors behind the continuation of U.S. sanctions against Khartouminitially imposed by the Bill Clinton administration in 1993 and partially lifted by Barack Obamas administration in 2017. Those on the streets share a conviction that Bashir must relinquish power. Meanwhile, Bashir is vowing to stand strong and maintain power until the 2020 elections. The Sudanese state has responded to these ongoing protests with relentless force, using bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds, which has resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests. The regime has also imposed a state of emergency and a curfew in certain areas while shutting down the Internet. Amnesty International has accused the state of killing people in an unbridled spree that is even affecting children and also targeting doctors in hospitals. Authorities in Khartoum, however, deny such reports while maintaining that the protestors are agents of foreign powers and rebels from Darfur. Sudans president has alleged that the forces killing demonstrators were not connected to the state security apparatus but were instead people instructed to infiltrate the protests and kill the protesters in order to fuel the conflict, instigate sedition, and destroy the country. The Global Response Naturally, China, with Beijings non-interference foreign policy and close alliance with Khartoum, and Russia, which joins China in having warm ties with Bashir and not criticizing Arab regimes on human rights grounds, have not condemned the Sudanese regime. Both powers can be expected to shield Bashirs regime from any UN resolution that the Security Councils permanent Western members may try to pass. For their part, the United States and some of its Western, democratic allies have put out mild statements calling for the Sudanese government to release detainees held for political purposes, but they have not taken more concrete action. Given that it does not prioritize human rights in its highly transactional foreign policy strategies, the Trump administration has not surprisingly failed to raise the issue of human rights abuses in Sudan. Particularly in light of what happened in Libya, many regional states are concerned about a power vacuum in Sudan if revolutionaries oust Bashir. They look at Sudans head of state and conclude: better the devil you know than the devil you dont. Neither the African Union nor the Arab League has taken any action to hold Sudanese authorities accountable for atrocities, which is markedly different from the Arab Leagues responses to the 2011 uprisings in Libya and Syria. Additionally, almost all Arab states face pressures from democratic groups and activists among their own citizens, so theyre worried about the potential for the winds of change to blow across borders. This is especially so with young Arabs tuned into social media and taking inspiration from movements in other countries. Thats what happened with the uprising in Tunisia that sparked the Arab Spring. Sudan has also been an important ally of wealthy Arab Persian Gulf states, which have vested interests in Khartoum. Given their investments in Sudan, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members have a strong incentive to make sure that a friendly regime remains in power. Politically, the monarchies on both sides of the Qatar crisis have supported Bashirs regime in recent years, especially after Khartoum severed ties with Iran in early 2016. With Saudi and Emirati leaders determined to limit their own countries casualties in the Yemen war, Sudan has been a useful member of the coalition because it has contributed forces to fight the Houthis on the ground. For Qatar, Sudan is an important ally. Khartoum refused to join the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi-led blockade of Doha in mid-2017, demonstrating Sudans commitment to maintaining close ties with all six GCC members. Currently in Doha, Bashir will seek to leave the Qatari capital with a large aid package to help the government in Khartoum cope with the economic crises that initially triggered the anti-regime protests in December. Looking Beyond the Gulf In recent years, Sudan has moved closer to Turkey and Russia, two states that have gained greater influence in the Arab worlds security landscape. Turkeys government expressed solidarity with Sudan in late 2018 and took seriously the Bashir regimes narrative about foreign conspirators. We are aware of the recent ploys against Sudan, said the deputy chairperson of Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) while in a meeting with Khartoums ambassador to Ankara. We support the legitimate government of Sudan. Turkey has faced similar ploys many times. While Bashir has been in Qatar, Sudans oil minister stated that in addition to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey and Russia have offered Khartoum financial aid packages. Last year, Sudans government reportedly was thinking about opening diplomatic relations with Israel. Even though Bashir has accused the Jewish state of playing a role in fomenting the current wave of unrest across Sudan, his decision to permit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to transit Sudanese-controlled South Sudanese airspace en route to Chad this month suggests that Bashirs regime is still trying to keep a door open to Tel Aviv. Khartoums motivations for establishing formal ties with Israel have much to do with Sudans desire to persuade Washington to lift all remaining economic sanctions. Earlier in Trumps presidency, the UAE emerged as a possible diplomatic bridge between the White House and Bashir, potentially paving the way for a Sudan-U.S. rapprochement. Although the Trump administration has yet to make any major overtures to Khartoum, the Sudanese leader no doubt hopes that the U.S. presidents embrace of other autocratic leaders around the world raises the chances of a reconciliation some time before the Trump presidency finishes. Sudans president and those in his clique believe that the Khartoum regime can wait out this period of unrest. However, the security forces intensification of violence only attracts more global media attention to the country. Meanwhile, the protestors, whose demands for freedom and dignity evoke memories of the Arab Spring protests of 2011, are highly disciplined and strategic in their use of non-violent means of resistance. Bashir weathered the Arab Spring revolts. But its debatable whether his 30-year presidency can survive this storm. The regime may have a grave problem on its hands that no violent crackdown can quickly solve. The protests that shook Sudan in 2012, 2013, and January 2018 have now culminated in a new wave of demonstrations that pose the gravest threat to Bashirs regime since its rise to power. Bashir might continue to stand and fight. Or he could negotiate an exit from Sudan and spend the remainder of his life in exile. Then, for the first time since 1989, someone else would take the helm in Khartoum.
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https://lobelog.com/will-a-revolution-oust-sudans-defiant-president/
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Did a planetary collision give Earth the stuff for life?
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Share this Article Facebook Twitter Email You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license. University Rice University Earth most likely received the bulk of its carbon, nitrogen, and other life-essential volatile elements from the planetary collision that created the moon more than 4.4 billion years ago, according to a new study. From the study of primitive meteorites, scientists have long known that Earth and other rocky planets in the inner solar system are volatile-depleted, says study coauthor Rajdeep Dasgupta. But the timing and mechanism of volatile delivery has been hotly debated. Ours is the first scenario that can explain the timing and delivery in a way that is consistent with all of the geochemical evidence. Elemental evidence The researchers compiled the evidence from a combination of high-temperature, high-pressure experiments in Dasguptas lab, which specializes in studying geochemical reactions that take place deep within a planet under intense heat and pressure. In a series of experiments, lead author and graduate student Damanveer Grewal gathered evidence to test a long-standing theory that Earths volatiles arrived from a collision with an embryonic planet that had a sulfur-rich core. The sulfur content of the donor planets core matters because of the puzzling array of experimental evidence about the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur that exist in all parts of the Earth other than the core. The core doesnt interact with the rest of Earth, but everything above it, the mantle, the crust, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere, are all connected, Grewal says. Material cycles between them. One long-standing idea about how Earth received its volatiles was the late veneer theory that volatile-rich meteorites, leftover chunks of primordial matter from the outer solar system, arrived after Earths core formed. And while the isotopic signatures of Earths volatiles match these primordial objects, known as carbonaceous chondrites, the elemental ratio of carbon to nitrogen is off. Earths non-core material, which geologists call the bulk silicate Earth, has about 40 parts carbon to each part nitrogen, approximately twice the 20-1 ratio seen in carbonaceous chondrites. Grewals experiments, which simulated the high pressures and temperatures during core formation, tested the idea that a sulfur-rich planetary core might exclude carbon or nitrogen, or both, leaving much larger fractions of those elements in the bulk silicate as compared to Earth. In a series of tests at a range of temperatures and pressure, Grewal examined how much carbon and nitrogen made it into the core in three scenarios: no sulfur, 10 percent sulfur, and 25 percent sulfur. Nitrogen was largely unaffected, he says. It remained soluble in the alloys relative to silicates, and only began to be excluded from the core under the highest sulfur concentration. Carbon, by contrast, was considerably less soluble in alloys with intermediate sulfur concentrations, and sulfur-rich alloys took up about 10 times less carbon by weight than sulfur-free alloys. Using this information, along with the known ratios and concentrations of elements both on Earth and in non-terrestrial bodies, Dasgupta, Grewal, and postdoctoral researcher Chenguang Sun designed a computer simulation to find the most likely scenario that produced Earths volatiles. Finding the answer involved varying the starting conditions, running approximately 1 billion scenarios, and comparing them against the known conditions in the solar system today. Moon-making impact What we found is that all the evidenceisotopic signatures, the carbon-nitrogen ratio, and the overall amounts of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in the bulk silicate Earthare consistent with a moon-forming impact involving a volatile-bearing, Mars-sized planet with a sulfur-rich core, Grewal says. Dasgupta, the principal investigator on a NASA-funded effort called CLEVER Planets exploring how life-essential elements might come together on distant rocky planets, says better understanding the origin of Earths life-essential elements has implications beyond our solar system. This study suggests that a rocky, Earth-like planet gets more chances to acquire life-essential elements if it forms and grows from giant impacts with planets that have sampled different building blocks, perhaps from different parts of a protoplanetary disk, Dasgupta says. This removes some boundary conditions, he says. It shows that life-essential volatiles can arrive at the surface layers of a planet, even if they were produced on planetary bodies that underwent core formation under very different conditions. Dasgupta says it does not appear that Earths bulk silicate, on its own, could have attained the life-essential volatile budgets that produced our biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. That means we can broaden our search for pathways that lead to volatile elements coming together on a planet to support life as we know it. The study appears in Science Advances. NASA, the Deep Carbon Observatory, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation supported the research. CLEVER Planets is part of the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science, or NExSS, a NASA astrobiology research coordination network dedicated to the study of planetary habitability. CLEVER Planets involves more than a dozen research groups from Rice; NASAs Johnson Space Center; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Colorado Boulder; and the University of California, Davis. Source: Rice University
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https://www.futurity.org/life-on-earth-planetary-collision-1965222/
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Is there a 'circular' solution to world's food problems?
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The pesticide exposure, antibiotic resistance, air and water pollution and other factors caused by industrial food production could kill 5 million people a year by 2050, a new report said. That is four times the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents globally. Preventing that from happening requires producing food locally, using eco-friendly methods, eliminating waste and designing and marketing healthier products, said a foundation set up by record-breaking British sailor Ellen MacArthur.Redesigning the food industry into a so-called "circular economy" model would reduce health costs, save land and water and create new business opportunities, said the report, launched Thursday at the World Economic Forum. Cities could be important catalysts in this change as 80 percent of all food is expected to consumed in cities by 2050, it said. Under the current linear system, food enters cities where it is processed or consumed and only a small portion of the resulting organic waste, in the form of discarded food, byproducts or sewage, gets used again. In a circular economy, raw materials and byproducts are reused and very little is wasted. Cities would need to source food produced locally in ways that regenerate the ecosystem, distribute the surplus to those who cannot afford it, and turn byproducts into new products from fertilizer to feed to materials for bioenergy. The benefits "could be worth $2.7 trillion a year to the global economy", according to the report. In contrast, the "extractive, wasteful, and polluting nature" of current food production costs society $5.7 trillion a year globally, through costs to human and environmental health, the report said. "What you eat matters, but how it has been produced matters as well. You could very well be eating healthy, but still be exposed to the negative impacts because of the way food is produced," said Clementine Schouteden, the report's lead author. "We are at an absolutely critical point," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation from Davos. Scientists are increasingly calling for systemic changes to the way food is being produced and consumed, saying industrial farming has led to a food system that contributes to climate change, cripples the environment and causes a malnutrition crisis. Agriculture, forestry and other land uses are responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Meanwhile, one third of all food produced, worth nearly $1 trillion, is wasted globally every year, FAO figures show, even as 821 million people go hungry and one in eight adults are obese. Last week, scientists unveiled for the first time what they say is an ideal diet for the health of the planet and its people, recommending a doubling of consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes, and a halving of meat and sugar intake.
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https://www.dailysabah.com/food/2019/01/25/is-there-a-circular-solution-to-worlds-food-problems
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Can New Years resolutions actually work?
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By Camilla Nonterah | University of Richmond The beginning of every new year comes with resolutions and plans for behavior change. Often the quest to improve health behaviors, such as losing weight, increasing physical activity or quitting tobacco is short-lived. Estimates vary, but by some accounts, as many as 80 percent of people fail to meet their resolution by mid-February. One study followed 200 people with New Years resolutions and reported that 81 percent of them failed to maintain their health behaviors after two years. Reasons vary With the case of cigarettes, people are dealing with a highly addictive product. For example, about 95 percent of people relapse after six to 12 months of abstinence when they try to quit smoking on their own. Regardless of the severity of your addiction or even if you do not have an addiction, change is very hard. People often have not explored their reasons for making the change or how ready they are. They also may not have come up with a plan. And, they may simply not realize how hard it is to change behavior. I am a counseling psychologist who studies and works with people trying to change their behavior. Those who succeed have certain things in common. They are usually motivated to change, and they believe in their ability to engage in positive health behaviors. They also track their health behaviors and set goals. Behavior change Biological, psychological, social and environmental processes influence behavior change. One of the popular theories used to explain health behaviors is something called the transtheoretical model. This theory states that there are five stages of behavior change. Pre-contemplation. In this stage, the person is not thinking about making the change. Those who fall in this stage may be unwilling to admit they have a problem in the first place. They are unlikely to respond to nagging from others to stop smoking, for example. This could be attributed to the fact that the cons for changing their unhealthy behavior outweighs the pros. Contemplation. This happens when a person acknowledges that he or she has a problematic behavior but is not ready to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Successful behavior change even during this stage is unlikely. However, people in this stage are thinking about making a change within the next six months. Preparation. In this stage, an individual starts making plans for the change. For example, a person who wishes to quit smoking may set a quit date and plan to purchase their last pack of cigarettes the week before the quit date. Action. This is when behavior change starts to occur. In this stage, a person who wishes to stop smoking quits using cigarettes and may start using smoking cessation aids. Or someone who wants to lose weight will start eating fewer calories or start going to the gym. This stage requires the most effort and commitment. Maintenance. This usually occurs after six months of uninterrupted continuous efforts to sustain the changes they have made and to prevent a relapse. It is not uncommon for relapse to occur after a person has been successful with incorporating the new behavior. This usually happens during the action stage and can also happen after maintenance given that it is difficult to sustain behavior change. Most people are not successful with behavior change after a first attempt, especially when changing an addictive behavior. People with New Years resolutions can make about five or more years of continuous attempts to change a behavior before they are successful. Unanticipated barriers such as stressful life events can cause a relapse. While it is normal to experience negative emotions such as guilt and embarrassment after a failed attempt, these feelings can make a person lose hope in their ability to change if they persist for too long. The good news is that after a relapse you can learn from your mistakes and try again. Research shows that a persons odds of success with positive behavior change increase gradually with time, after unsuccessful attempts. It helps to start with a thorough understanding of why you want to change. Without that, it is hard to stay motivated, especially when barriers arise, such as getting stuck in traffic on the way to the gym, or a family member getting sick and needing your care. State of readiness also affects behavior change. Plan Part of your preparation stage should be developing a realistic plan. It should incorporate the reality that behavior change is hard. Studies have shown that just setting a goal does not lead to the desired results. Ambiguous goals, such as saying you want to lose weight in the coming year but not thinking of specific health goals are associated with unsuccessful results. Setting goals that are too challenging, such as going from complete inactivity to trying to exercise seven times a week, often results in failure. Setting several goals also can be overwhelming and result in failure. Factors Even with good goals in place, stress lowers a persons ability to achieve successful change. Stress lowers our inhibitions, making it more difficult to achieve ones goals. For example, the stress of the loss of a job would likely challenge a smokers ability to abstain from cigarettes. Depression and anxiety, when unmanaged, can have a negative effect on a persons motivation and derail efforts to change. A lack of self-efficacy, a persons belief in their ability to exercise successful change, has been associated with unsuccessful behavior change. Biological processes can also affect behavior change. One of the difficulties associated with weight loss is that we inherited traits from our ancestors that cause our bodies to store fat. This was good for our ancestors when food was scarce, but it is bad for our current well-being, given that food is easier to access. Also, studies suggest that our bodies have a certain set-point at which they are most comfortable and have a natural weight thermostat that adjusts our metabolism and eating. This set-point keeps our weight within a certain genetically determined range. This makes initial weight loss easier given that the individuals metabolism is higher as a result of having more weight. However, it becomes harder to lose weight over time as ones metabolism decreases. The environment in which we live also influences behavior change. The majority of our foods are highly processed and contain high fats and sugars. Without the appropriate nutritional knowledge and with limited access to healthy foods, successful weight loss becomes challenging. The food environment coupled with a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on a persons health. People who live in neighborhoods without sidewalks, parks or those who reside in dangerous neighborhoods are less likely to be active. Certain cues in our environment also affect our ability to maintain change. For example, a persons attempts to stop smoking may be hindered by living with other smokers, especially if they have certain rituals around smoking, such as sitting on the porch together at night to chat and smoke. How to improve your odds of success Change for the right reasons. Change for a desire to improve ones health, to be a better example for your family or to prolong your life, are more likely to motivate positive change. Set both short-term and long-term goals when executing change. Researchers have found that these goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely or SMART. Weekly SMART goals help in making progressive steps toward a long-term goal. Track and monitor your behavior. This enhances positive behavior change. You can accomplish this by journaling and note-taking. Many people find free fitness apps are helpful. Get help. In some cases, behavior change may be most successful with the help of a professional such as a licensed clinical health psychologist. Trained professionals can provide services such as motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. (This article was distributed through conversation.com, is an independent source of news and views from the academic and research community. Camilla Nonterah is from the University of Richmond.)
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https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/can-new-years-resolutions-actually-work/534671.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-new-years-resolutions-actually-work
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Where do Sunderland stand with a week of football's January transfer window still to go?
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Get Sunderland AFC updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email With a week to go in the transfer market, Sunderland are poised to make a second signing but not the centre-forward that has become an even higher priority. On Thursday Middlesbrough confirmed the expected signing of former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, freeing Grant Leadbitter to return to his boyhood club. The 33-year-old is Boros club captain, but has not started a Championship game since the opening weekend. He is thought to be ready to take a big pay cut to facilitate a free transfer. Fencehouses-born Leadbitter came through Sunderlands academy, making his first-team debut in September 2003, and made 123 appearances for his boyhood club, including 61 league starts. He was part of the last Black Cats side to win promotion from the second tier in 2006-7 and played Premier League football for them. Most of his career has been spent in the Championship, which Sunderland are striving to reach this season. Roy Keane always an admirer signed him for Ipswich Town in 2009, and he returned to the North East with Boro three years later. Leadbitter will add creativity and dynamism to a central midfield which, particularly recently, has been overloaded with players who prefer to sit deep. George Honeyman missed Januarys games with a long-standing ankle injury, while Luke ONien has been pressed into service at right-back. But manager Jack Ross has made no secret of the fact his top priority this month is at centre-forward, even when it was unclear if Josh Maja was leaving. Owner Stewart Donald is now resigned to that after Bordeaux made a 3.5m bid for the 20-year-old, Sunderlands top-scorer this season with 16 goals. The next-best tally is Chris Maguire and Aiden McGeadys seven each. Maja is out of contract at the end of the season, when he can move for a negligible compensation fee, estimated to be in the region of 300,000. The deal for Maja will see around half the amount paid initially, the rest dependent on performance. With Jerome Sinclair sent back to Watford after joining on loan, Charlie Wyke is Sunderlands only specialist centre-forward. Wyke joined in the summer, but knee injuries prevented him making consecutive league starts until 2019. His hold-up play has been important, but with only two goals so far, he has not yet identified himself as the poacher Ross felt he needed alongside Maja. Duncan Watmore and Lynden Gooch can also play at centre-forward though Gooch has been a success on the right wing this season and Maguire can operate as a false nine. Benji Kimpioka is an exciting and unpredictable talent but the 18-year-old centre-forward or winger has only played 12 minutes of league football. Even when he had Wyke, Sinclair and Maja, Ross tried to bring another centre-forward in the August transfer window, but was unable to do so within his budget. The constraints are much looser now, with Donald determined to back his manager in light of the teams league position, the sacking of high-earners Didier Ndong and Papy Djilibodji, and the cash boost from two of the biggest gates in recent third-tier history over Christmas. Sunderland are third in League One, three points outside the automatic promotion places with a game in hand on the top two, but only a point above fifth-placed Barnsley. Promotion is therefore a strong possibility, but far from being guaranteed. There were stories on Thursday of a 2m bid for Kieffer Moore, who scored both goals in Barnsleys 4-2 defeat at the Stadium of Light in November, but the Black Cats are not thought to have followed up after their promotion rivals rebuffed an inquiry at the start of the month. Wigan Athletics Will Grigg has been the top target all month, but the clubs are yet to agree a fee. The only signing completed so far is central defender Jimmy Dunne, who made his debut at Scunthorpe United after joining on loan from Burnley. Youngsters Andrew Nelson and Luke Molyneux have left, the latter loaned to Hartlepool United until the end of his contract. The transfer window closes at 11pm on January 31.
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https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderland-afc-transfer-where-stand-15729572
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How long does the Garmin Vivosmart HR battery last?
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Best answer: The rechargeable battery in the Garmin Vivosmart HR fitness band can last up to five days on a single charge. This amount of time is about average for current fitness trackers on the market, but there are things you can do to improve it. Average battery life Lasting up to five days on a single charge, the Garmin Vivosmart HR doesn't set any battery life records, but it performs well nonetheless. For example, the Fitbit Charge 3 lasts up to seven days between charges as does the Fitbit Alta HR. The battery life on the Vivosmart HR, meanwhile, matches that of both the UA Band and Samsung Gear Fit 2, so it's not well below the competition. Maximize that time You can maximize the actual amount of time your fitness device will last between battery charges by adjusting key settings. Turning off the auto backlight setting on the Garmin Vivosmart HR will help as will decreasing the backlight brightness. You can also turn off smart notifications and Bluetooth wireless technology, when necessary. If you want to maximize battery life to the fullest on the wearable device, you can turn off wrist-based heart rate monitoring. However, given that heart rating tracking is one of the reasons to buy this product, this type of change probably isn't practical. Another solution: Charge your tracker during break times to add some extra time on the fly.
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https://www.imore.com/how-long-does-garmin-vivosmart-hr-battery-last?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheIphoneBlog+%28iMore%29
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Is a Surprise in the Cards for Novartis (NVS) in Q4 Earnings?
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Swiss pharma-giant Novartis AG NVS is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2018 results on Jan 30. Novartis has a mixed track record. In the last reported quarter, Novartis reported in-line results. The company posted average positive earnings surprise of 1.27% in the trailing four quarters. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors at Play Novartis did not provide any quarterly guidance. The company expects net sales in 2018 to grow mid-single digit. Innovative Medicines is projected to grow mid to high-single digit. Revenues from Sandoz are expected to decline low-single digit, while Alcon sales are estimated to grow mid-single digit. The Innovative Medicines division maintains momentum on the back of strong oncology performance. Novartis has a strong oncology portfolio of drugs like Afinitor, Exjade, Jakavi, Zykadia, Tasigna, Jadenu and Kisqali. Oncology franchise continues to grow on the back of Promacta/Revolade, Tafinlar + Mekinist, Jakavi and recent launches. The Eurooean Commission recently approved a label expansion of Kisqali. Psoriasis Cosentyx continues to gain traction on the back of strong growth in its three approved indications, while Entrestos sales benefited from continued access improvements and expansion of sales force in the United States. We expect the division to record similar growth in the fourth quarter and combat generic pressure for key drugs Diovan, Gleevec and Exforge. However, the generic division faces challenges in the form of price erosion in the United States due to competitive pressure. The trend might continue in the fourth quarter as well. Nevertheless, the launches of Rixathon, the biosimilar version of Rituxan (rituximab), and Erelzi, the biosimilar of Enbrel in EU, will partially offset the decline in the United States. In Europe, Sandoz also obtained approval for Zessly, a biosimilar version of Johnson & Johnsons Remicade. The FDA also approved Hyrimoz, the biosimilar of Humira. Novartis intends to spin-off its ophthalmology division, Alcon, into a separately-traded standalone company in order to grow as a medicines company solely. The Alcon business wasnt performing according to managements expectations. While it did revive in between, the company decided to spin-off the same to focus better on its legacy drug business. Nevertheless, Alcon sales are estimated to grow in low-to-mid-single digits. Apart from the top and bottom-line numbers, we expect investors to focus on the companys pipeline updates. Novartis recently acquired Endocyte to expand expertise in radiopharmaceuticals and transformational therapeutic platforms. The acquisition will add 177Lu-PSMA-617, a potential first-in-class radioligand therapy, to Novartis diverse portfolio. The therapy is in phase III development for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The FDA has accepted the company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for AVXS-101, now known as Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xxxx). The FDA also granted a Priority Review to Zolgensma and regulatory action is expected in May 2019. The European Commission also approved Luxturna, a one-time gene therapy, for the treatment of patients suffering from vision loss due to a genetic mutation in both copies of the RPE65gene who have enough viable retinal cells. The EC granted marketing authorization to Ziextenzo, the biosimilar of Amgens AMGN Neulasta. Management should also throw more light on its acquisition plans for 2019. Share Price Performance Novartis stock has gained 4.7% in the last six months, same as the industry's growth.
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https://news.yahoo.com/surprise-cards-novartis-nvs-q4-213409592.html
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Could an effort to restore wetlands along Mukwonago River cause problems for a half-inch amphibian?
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The tiny Blanchard's cricket frog sits comfortably on a person's index finger. This species, which is listed as endangered in Wisconsin, has been found living near the Davis Nature Preserve near Mukwonago. (Photo: Rori Paloski/Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) MUKWONAGO - Naturally, the last thing you expect a wetland restoration effort to do is negatively impact an already-endangered little frog. Strictly speaking, according to state officials, the 52-acre wetland mitigation project within the Davis Nature Preserve isn't a major factor in the survival of the Blanchard's cricket frog, a half-inch long amphibian that has been struggling to hang on in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. But on about 1.3 acres west of the village of Mukwonago along the Mukwonago River, the dark-colored frog has been making a home in the vicinity of the former wetland habitat that was drained for agricultural use in the 1950s. The process of converting the land back to wetlands, ironically, could cause the frog some problems if it is found to also be living on the preserve, the state's Department of Natural Resources noted in an "incidental taking" notification on Jan. 22. In essence, the Waukesha County Land Conservancy, which is leading the restoration, is faced with the need to consider the frog at the same time it is considering the wetland work as part of the DNR's permit process. Which is what the WCLC intends to do. "Since a frog was identified near our preserve, the DNR rules work to ensure we restore the preserve in a way that creates habitat for the frog and that we dont disrupt their breeding as we restore the property if they exist on the site," said Cheryl White, the land conservancy's executive director. "The DNR rules are more aligned with our mission, so we dont perceive this as a negative." Davis preserve The Davis Nature Preserve in the town of Mukwonago is among the 2,900 acres managed by the WCLC, which was awarded an $886,000 grant from the DNR's Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust program for its efforts. Under the long-term project, the WCLC will disable drainage ditches which were put in place seven decades ago to make about 47 acres suitable for farming and restore the land to allow native plants to grow there instead, according to DNR and WCLC sources. The effort will also improve the native habitat by removing non-native plant species throughout the project area, including in 5 acres of existing floodplain forest wetlands along the river. The Davis wetland mitigation project helps reciprocate for what DNR officials call "unavoidable wetland loss" elsewhere in Wisconsin in effect, creating wetlands in one place to offset the elimination of wetlands in an unrelated place. The WCLC is one of the agencies that helps the DNR fulfill that goal. "Our mission is to protect and care for environmentally significant land and water in Waukesha County for future generations," White said. "We focus on protecting and restoring land for rare species, so we want to create suitable habitat for rare species like the Blanchards cricket frog." A frog's place In an environment that has been the norm since the mid-20th century, the diminutive frog got comfortable over the years, despite its struggles within the state. According to online sources, this species of tree frog is commonly found in wetlands or ponds, or near rows of crops planted by farmers. The DNR also notes the tiny frog has been known to move from streams to adjacent wetlands or marshes and needs to find safe cover to hibernate in winter to avoid freezing. At some point, the DNR found the frog close to the Davis preserve project area. "The presence of the state-endangered Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) has been confirmed in the vicinity of the project site," the DNR said in its official notification this month. "DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some frogs." White noted that in surveys conducted by the WCLC, the Blanchard's cricket frog was not found within the 52-acre restoration area itself. "At this point no frog have been identified on the site," she said. "The reason we are going through this process was one was identified near the site." Frog friendly Nevertheless, some of the work planned as part of the restoration could affect that population, the DNR acknowledged. But not to the level that significantly impacts the frog's status in the state. "Department staff concluded that the proposed project is not likely to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of the species within the state, the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part or the habitat that is critical to its existence," the DNR said in its notification. Under the proposed permit that would allow for the anticipated losses, the WCLC would try to limit the damage through added conservation efforts, according to the DNR. The WCLC will keep the frog in mind throughout the project, White added. "In summary, we follow the DNR to ensure theres no negative effects to the species," she said. "Weve created a conservation plan that goes in tandem with our conservation site plan to help guide the restoration phase of the project. The conservation plan was approved by the Incidental Take department of the DNR. The DNR notification opens up a month-long comment period, which runs through Feb. 21. (Public comments from anyone concerned about the permit or the frog's status should be sent to Rori Paloski, Wisconsin DNR, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, 53707-7921 or [email protected].) WCLC's role The Waukesha County Land Conservancy was recently honored for its ongoing efforts in land conservation. In September, the organization was presented with Gathering Water's 2018 Land Trust of the Year during a ceremony at the Land Conservation Leadership Award in Madison. In a press release, the WCLC noted that the designation "acknowledges a land trust that demonstrates its commitment to permanently safeguard Wisconsins natural treasures and open lands through its leadership, achievements, projects, and more." Formed in 1992, the WCLC protects 2,900 acres of land and water areas. Read or Share this story: https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/mukwonago/2019/01/24/wetland-restoration-near-mukwonago-could-impact-half-inch-long-frog/2649872002/
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/waukesha/news/mukwonago/2019/01/24/wetland-restoration-near-mukwonago-could-impact-half-inch-long-frog/2649872002/
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Did Instagram Really Revoke the Verification of Venezuelan Dictator Nicols Maduro?
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Venezuelas National Assembly head Juan Guaid and President Nicols Maduro YURI CORTEZ/Getty Images As violent protests erupted in Venezuela challenging incumbent President Nicols Maduro, the United States joined several other countries in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaid as the legitimate head of state. But it wasnt only the traditional superpowers or multinational authorities people looked to for a verdict. The signal also seemed to come from a newer geopolitical player: Instagram. On Wednesday, just as the United States indicated its support for Guaid, several observers noted that the Facebook-owned social networking platform appeared to have revoked Maduros verified status, implicitly rejecting his continued claim to office. Screenshots of Maduros noticeably unverified profile were juxtaposed with Guaids, which did sport the coveted blue check mark, implying that Instagram had conferred the elevated status on the newly prominent leader. For instance, take this now-deleted tweet: Twitter An Instagram spokeswoman later clarified in a statement to Fast Company that Nicols Maduro was not verified on Instagram, and we did not remove verification from his account, and Guaid had apparently been verified several months before. But some had already latched on to the rumor, pointing to the social platforms apparent move as a notable rebuke of Maduro. Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT used the rumor to further Russias position that Maduro is still the rightful leader of Venezuela, while arguing that U.S. (and U.S.-based social networks apparent) support of Guaid is a clear example of Western extraterritorial interference. This is far from the first time a tech giant has been accused of taking sides in a geopolitical quarrel. In 2010, Google Maps found itself in the middle of a live border dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In 2011, Facebook effectively acknowledged sovereignty of Kosovo despite the nations lack of official U.N. recognition. In 2013, Google again caused a minor diplomatic row by appearing to recognize the state of Palestine by changing the label on its localized search page from Google Palestinian Territories to Google Palestine. This isnt even the first time social networks profile verification features have become deeply politicized. Twitter has learned this lesson many times over, its own checkmark verification regime sparking actual diplomatic outcry by the Ukrainian embassy to the U.K. when the platform appeared to legitimize Russian control over Crimea by verifying a Russian diplomatic account in the contested territory. We have sent official complaint @TwitterSupport. It's absolutely unacceptable to give so called #Russia's MFA in occupied #Crimea a blue tick! RU illegally annexed Crimea, militarized it & commits gross violations of human rights. Twitter must block that account! #crimeaisukraine pic.twitter.com/CGGQ9RFBem Ukraine's Emb. to UK (@UkrEmbLondon) January 10, 2019 Concerns about verified status extend beyond international diplomacy: Twitter was celebrated by some and criticized by others for choosing ideological sides when it revoked the verified statuses of right-wing trolls and white supremacists. The company admitted that while the tool was intended to be a neutral indicator of authenticity, verification has long been perceived as an endorsement. It updated its policy to allow the status to be removed if verified users engage in hate speech and other threatening behaviors that violate the platforms code of conduct. Platforms must also sometimes decide whether to consider removing controversial and authoritarian leaders outright. Instagram blocked, unblocked, and then re-blocked Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov after the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him under the Magnitsky Act. (As a U.S. company, Facebook explained the move as a legal obligation.) Facebook banned a number of Myanmar military officials after a U.N. report recommended the generals prosecution for war crimes, though media reports and human rights advocacy also reportedly informed the companys decision. But official pronouncements and diplomatic statements are frequently made on social platforms. Deactivating national leaders accounts could interfere with diplomacy or domestic matters. Removing verification, meanwhile, could lead to confusion about the authenticity of these statements, making it exceedingly difficult to spot misinformation that would inevitably come from imposter accounts. In these sorts of gray areas, tech companies need to weigh their own internal policies against relevant laws, public pressure, and immediate circumstances or threats to make rapid and highly public determinations. The outcomes of these decisions can be inconsistent, and their justifications rarely satisfying. As UCLA law professor Kristen Eichensehr has argued, technology companies prefer to fashion themselves as digital Switzerlands. In international customary law, such a designation might be enough to shield a country from conflict. On the internet, though, the situation is far murkier. Technology companies cannot be Switzerlands. They are now inherently political actors, and their product and policy decisions increasingly have real world effects. Companies need to decide, for instance, whether oppressive countries should have access not only to social platforms but to artificial intelligence tools like facial recognition, and are scrambling to craft principles to guide product and business decisions that have implications for human rights. While Instagrams profile verification policy appears to have been a red herring in the ongoing story of Venezuelas upheaval, the thousands of little blue check marks scattered around the internet should serve as a reminder of the widespread influence technology companies have in shaping public perceptions, and of the potentially serious consequences that a few pixels can have on matters of enormous social significance. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
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https://slate.com/technology/2019/01/instagram-facebook-verification-nicolas-maduro-juan-guaido-venezuela.html
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Is The Direct-To-Consumer Bedding Business Turning Into A Bad Dream?
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Once held up as the new model for selling mattresses, direct online sellers, including just this week Nectar, are moving into physical retailing as fast as they can. And in doing so, they are admitting a reality that punches a big fat hole in the direct-to-consumer business model: beyond a certain point, it really doesnt work. From the earliest pioneers of the Internet-driven direct selling movement, its proponents touted that it was the retailing wave of the future and a far, far better way to reach and sell customers. To most people Warby Parker is considered the lead dog in the movement and its original direct model was certainly all the rage when it debuted in 2010. But it didnt take very long before the company started opening physical locations. They danced around the word store, but try as they might there was never any other way to describe these places: a store is a store is a store. Now, six years after the first store opened, there are around 100 Warby Parker locations and the company has said they now contribute more of its revenue than online. It didnt take long for all the Warby wannabes to jump on the store bandwagon and from Bonobos to Everlane to Harrys the push into physical retailing either through their own stores or distributed at existing retailers has become the de facto default for any direct seller. But perhaps in no other category have we seen this march to the mall happen faster and with more veracity than with mattresses. Led by Casper, the Warby of the category, virtually every major player has initiated some sort of a physical strategy. None have been as big or direct-defying as Casper. Not too long after its 2014 launch, the brand began distributing its products through West Elm stores. That was quickly astonishingly quickly in fact usurped by a bigger program with Target. At about the same time, it opened a pop-up store or two under its own name. Nearly as quickly it announced the test a success and said it would open 200 permanent stores by the end of 2021. Casper hasnt officially said how many are now open or what percentage of its business is done in-store versus online but one has to assume it represents a substantial portion of its estimated $600 million in annual sales. It hasnt taken long for Caspers direct mattress competitors to adapt similar, if somewhat less ambitious plans. Purple partnered up with Mattress Firm. Leesa took Caspers place at West Elm. Tuft & Needle went one step further and announced it was merging read that being acquired by Serta Simmons Bedding, one of the two giant traditional wholesale suppliers in the business. And this week Nectar, yet another direct mattress seller, said it was doing a deal with Mattress Warehouse to distribute its products in their 250 stores. All of this activity is suggesting that the fresh approach these direct sellers were allegedly bringing to the marketplace may just be a bad dream. High customer acquisition costs, potentially costly return rates, pricey shipping charges and just the sheer number of competitors seem to be conspiring to lead most of the major players in the space to the same solution: since direct aint working the way we expected the lowly physical retail store is the best place to sell mattresses. None of them are ready to admit all of this at least not in public. In the world of tech-driven start-ups were used to seeing plenty of burn-outs and abnormally high attrition rates. But in the world of direct mattress sellers, were seeing something else entirely: they are rapidly turning into the very companies they were supposed to be disrupting in the first place.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2019/01/24/is-the-direct-to-consumer-bedding-business-turning-into-a-bad-dream/
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What Does Jeff Bridges Cryptic Big Lebowski Video Mean?
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Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski. Working Title Films Just weeks after receiving the Cecile B. DeMille Award and celebrating his storied career at the Golden Globes, Jeff Bridges is revisiting one of his most iconic characters. Cant be living in the past, man. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/zL2CLYhGAM Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) January 24, 2019 The Coen Brothers have said they wont make a followup to the 1998 filmand the video doesnt suggest that theyve changed their minds, unfortunately. The date at the end, Feb. 3, leads us to believe that this is in fact the teaser for a Super Bowl commercial. While neither the Coen Brothers nor Bridges were ever involved in the project, John Turturro got permission from his longtime collaborators to reprise his role of Jesus Quintana in his movie Going Places. Turturros film, which reportedly co-stars Bobby Cannavale, Susan Sarandon, and Audrey Tautou, was said to be both a spinoff of The Big Lebowski and a remake of a 1974 French film. Filming began in 2016 and the movie was expected to be released in 2017, but it never materialized. Its IMDb page now lists a release date of this year. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, you might still choose to believe that Bridges Twitter video is hinting at a full-blown, Coen-sanctioned sequel. Yeah, well, yknow, thats just like, uh, your opinion, man. Subscribe to Slates Culture newsletter for the best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered twice a week.
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https://slate.com/culture/2019/01/jeff-bridges-teases-the-return-of-the-big-lebowski.html
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Does The Gig Economy Really Contribute To Higher Job Insecurity?
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Circumstance stole the joy of 14,000 General Motors workers, with the announcement in November that they would be laid off. In addition, as many as five GM plants will be closing in North America. What was once a major slice of the U.S. economy an industry in which workers had compete job security is now in decline. This is not an isolated incident. Its gone. At the same time, the gig economy is growing individuals and freelancers who have decided to take control over their own work lives and dump the yoke of dependency on companies that are becoming quite fickle. Many would argue no. And, of course, those who state that he does. So, lets take a look at both sides of this argument. The case for job insecurity in the gig economy Certainly, the choice to become a part of the gig economy has its risks. Marketing oneself, having enough reserve to last through the lean months, dealing with a marketplace that is highly competitive and contractors (individual or company) that can be quite fickle and very slow to pay, etc. do all contribute to a lack of job security. There are just no employment guarantees for gig workers. Another case for lack of security relates to wages. Regular employees can count at the minimum wage requirements set by governments. Gig workers have no guarantee of at least a minimum wage. As well, they often take on projects that consume more time than they anticipated and their hourly wage thus falls far below what they might have earned for the same project as a traditional employee. Regular employment offers retirement benefits, both through company plans and the government. Gig workers must plan for their retirement incomes on their own and failing to do so, must continue to work until they drop. Many gig workers are in fields that are changing rapidly, especially technology. As newer entrants into these markets have the latest skills, they are more attractive than those established workers who have not taken the time and spent the money to update their own skills. Uncertainty as a gig worker is a given. The case for job security Many do argue that gig work does produce greater job security, for the following reasons: While there is no guaranteed minimum wage for such workers, their income is also not restricted by a set salary and paycheck. During their high income-producing months, they can set money aside for the lean months and even invest through firms like RE/DEV Crowd and thus have security of meeting their financial obligations. There is no one in control of the hours or amount of work that a gig worker chooses to invest. Those who work hard and smart tend to do well. Its a matter or passion, energy, focus and organization. Additionally, there is no threat of being laid off or terminated because an employer has decided to downsize. In fact, when employers do downsize, they often turn to gig workers for specific task and project work. Its cheaper for them to do so. Gig workers have several clients at a time and, if they continue to market themselves aggressively, they can continue to add to that base, replacing any that dry up. Having a lot of eggs in the basket at all times does create some solid security. If gig workers develop a few areas of expertise, then they have a larger potential client base. Thus, web designers become developers too, or get training in network security or other tech areas. Writers who have focused only on blog posts can increase their client bases by becoming content marketing specialists or strategy consultants. Gig workers who also spread their tentacles and establish a strong presence and portfolio on gig platforms like Moonlighting, PeoplePerHour and FlexJobs can have access to more clients and land more jobs. Job security is not guaranteed for anyone in this new and changing workplace environment. There is still a place for regular employment, to be sure, but more and more skilled and talented individuals have determined that gig work is a better work life for them. Make no mistake about it, though. The gig economy is not for the lazy, the dispassionate, or the disorganized.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/abdullahimuhammed/2019/01/24/does-the-gig-economy-really-contribute-to-higher-job-insecurity/
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Did Kamala Harris Berkeley childhood shape the presidential hopeful?
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California Senator Kamala Harris has officially joined the throng of Democrats pursuing the 2020 presidency. Her long-anticipated announcement came Monday on Good Morning America and in an upbeat video in which Harris invited potential voters to rally with her in Oakland this weekend. But long before Harris became a presidential contender, she was a resident of the Berkeley flats and a student at Thousand Oaks Elementary School. Harris, 54, lived in Berkeley until age 12, when she moved with her family to Montreal. She came back to the U.S. after high school, graduating from Howard University and UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, and later worked as an Alameda County prosecutor before getting elected San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general. Harris early years in Berkeley have come up often in her speeches and writings and could figure heavily in her campaign. Harris speaks affectionately about her exposure to the civil rights movement and black radical thinkers in Berkeley in the 1960s and 70s, describing how the counter-culture environment shaped her progressive worldview and thirst for justice. Many local Democrats have cheered on the strong-willed senator, while other Bay Area leftists have questioned Harris progressive credentials and long career in law enforcement. Early years in the Berkeley flatlands Just a few days before her announcement, Harris posted a photo on social media of a new mural shes featured in at Thousand Oaks. Berkeley High students painted the senators and other influential womens likenesses in the colorful playground piece. Harris has often noted that she started kindergarten one year after Berkley Unified launched its celebrated integration program. I only learned later that we were part of a national experiment in desegregation with working-class black children from the flatlands being bused in one direction and wealthier white children from the Berkeley hills bused in the other, Harris writes in her new memoir The Truths We Hold: An American Journey. Honored to be included among so many extraordinary women @Malala Yousafazai, @DoloresHuerta, Ruth Asawa, @serenawilliams, and Anne Frank in a mural at my alma mater Thousand Oaks Elementary School. pic.twitter.com/RcM8Ks1WNk Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 16, 2019 Those were foundational years, Harris told Berkeleyside. ' Harris said in an emailed statement. Thanks to my beloved first-grade teacher, Mrs. Frances Wilson at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley, I always had an answer I was anxious to share. Mrs. Wilson had a profound effect on all of us and was deeply committed to her students, a diverse group ranging from kids growing up in housing projects to the children of people working at the university. Harris was bused to the school from a yellow duplex on Bancroft Way, between Browning and Bonar streets. Combing through old phone books and real estate records, Berkeley historian Steven Finacom deduced that Harris lived in the building that now houses Berkeley International Montessori School. Harris spokeswoman confirmed the location. When Harris lived there, beloved family friends Regina and Arthur Shelton ran a preschool out of the bottom unit. Her family had previously lived on Milvia Street as well. Around that era, redlining forced black Berkeley residents to live west of what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Way, in the flatland neighborhoods like the area Harris grew up in. Finacom described Harris neighborhood at the time as an integrated community with families of various races, both middle class and poorer residents, and both renters and homeowners. Harris lived in the Bancroft apartment with her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris and her sister Maya, who later became a senior advisor to Hillary Clintons campaign. Shyamala, who came to UC Berkeley from India in 1958 to get her Ph.D., met and married a fellow graduate student, Donald Harris, an immigrant from Jamaica. They separated when Harris was young. Anirvan Chatterjee, a historian of Berkeleys South Asian communities, said many aspects of Harris parents story were unusual. There were relatively few Indian international students at UC Berkeley at that time, he said in an email to Berkeleyside. Its entirely reasonable at the time that Shyamala would have been expected to return home after graduation, and also have an arranged marriage. But Shyamala stuck around, becoming a cancer researcher and a civil rights activist. Harris writes in her book that she spent many childhood days helping clean test tubes in Berkeley labs. Other afternoons were spent at the Rainbow Sign, a black cultural center on Grove Street (now MLK Jr. Way) and Derby Street, which hosted the likes of Alice Walker, Nina Simone and Black Panther leaders. The Berkeley Revolution project, which has extensively documented the history of the Rainbow Sign, says the center was somewhere between a Black Nationalist headquarters and middle-class social club. Writers, intellectuals and artists would gather to sip wine and talk politics. It was where I learned that artistic expression, ambition and intelligence were cool, Harris writes. Product of beloved Berkeley scientist and single mother Growing up in the flatlands of Berkeley, I was raised on stories of activism of the 1960s, Harris told Berkeleyside. From my mother, I learned about the civil rights movement, which was of course allied with the anti-war movement and the Free Speech Movement. She would tell us about students picketing Mels Drive-In for not hiring black servers and CORE organizing sit-ins to protest the federal governments inaction to combat discrimination in the South, and Maya Angelou or Fannie Lou Hamer holding forth at the Rainbow Sign. Chatterjee noted that Shyamala moved to Berkeley just a decade after India gained independence and that she came from a family of freedom fighters. So its pretty likely that she would be incredibly comfortable with the idea of mass political and civic engagement, much more so than contemporaries in the U.S., he said. Those in Berkeley who still remember the Harris family typically remember Shyamala, who died in 2009, most clearly. The scientist was described by many of her former colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a force of nature. She had an incredible resiliency. I strongly suspect Kamala has inherited those genes, said senior scientist Judith Campisi. Another senior scientist at the lab, Mina Bissell, first met Shyamala through her daughter. Harris was taking a ballet class in Berkeley with both Bissell and Bissells daughter. The two young girls discovered both of their moms were scientists, and a lifelong bond between the adults was seeded. If it werent for that relationship, Harris might instead be running for Canadian prime minister. Bissell recalled that she and Shyamala were both up for a prestigious professor position at Cal in the 1970s. Instead, the university gave the job to a man, prompting an official investigation and a lawsuit from Shyamala, according to Bissell. Shyamala ended up taking a position at McGill University in Montreal, moving her dismayed daughters with her. Some years later, when Bissell was director of biology at Berkeley Lab, she pushed to get Shyamala hired back at UC Berkeley. I dont think Kamala quite knows this, but it took quite a bit to bring her back, Bissell said. Harris mothers presence looms large on many pages of her book. Up until her devastating death, Shyamala was Harris caretaker, mentor and guide. Harris writes about defending her decision to become a prosecutor to her radical Berkeley mother and her incredulous community. Her book, too, often reads as a preemptive defense against criticism of her background in law enforcement. Harris writes that she wanted to be sitting at tables where the decisions were being made. She describes wanting to help victims of sex crimes, and says the dichotomy between pursuing consequences for serious infractions and believing the criminal justice system needs reforming is a false choice. Harris recounts launching her influential reentry program Back on Track, which was led by Lateefah Simon, then an activist and an unlikely partner for a DA to have. Simon, now a BART director whose district includes the Ashby station, has remained friends with Harris. She gushed about her former boss to the Guardian, describing a caring and unstoppably hard-working zealot about public service. Harris defense of her career choice apparently won over Shyamala. Multiple lab colleagues remembered the scientist had a bumper sticker that said something like: Back off my daughters are lawyers. When DA Harris refused to seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing a police officer infuriating the police union, and against the wishes of Senator Dianne Feinstein her mother sent her a bouquet of flowers and a card that said, Courage! Harris writes. Miriam Stahl, a Berkeley High art teacher who oversaw the creation of the Thousand Oaks mural, said she believes students there selected Harris to be featured because shes an alumna who shares values of the greater Berkeley community. Of course, the kids wont get the chance to express that opinion at the polls. Harris has many supporters, who see in her an assertive, charismatic leader whos used her prosecutorial skills to make Republicans squirm during confirmation hearings. Harris was the first woman, first black person and first South Asian elected San Francisco DA, and many of her fans want that diversity represented in the White House. In her book, Harris comes across as a daring and dogged politician. She called Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on his home phone the moment she learned of the executive order banning travel from Muslim countries. She eagerly performed same-sex marriages in San Francisco under Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004. She went after big banks. But some on the left dont buy that Harris is anything other than an establishment Democrat and former top cop intent on maintaining the status quo. While Harris identifies as a progressive prosecutor, some Bay Area critics consider the phrase a contradiction in terms, arguing that the senator is herself responsible for the police brutality and mass incarceration she pledges in her book to tackle. While Harris opposed the death penalty in the San Francisco case, she went on to appeal a 2014 federal court ruling that found the death penalty violated Californias constitution. In a recent New York Times op-ed, University of San Francisco law school professor Laura Bazelon argued that Harris has a troubling history of fighting to uphold wrongful convictions and resisting criminal justice reform. Another local legal scholar, UC Berkeley law schools Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, was among the many lawyers who wrote a letter urging a federal investigation into a case that was under Harris purview as attorney general. A judge had disqualified the Orange County District Attorneys office from handling a mass murder case after widespread misconduct allegations arose, shifting responsibility to Harris office. Harris, in turn, appealed the judges disqualification. Chemerinsky and others argued the case demanded an independent investigation into potentially systemic abuses by the DAs office. Kamala Harris made her career by locking up Black people in the Bay Area, said Blake Simons, assistant director of UC Berkeleys Fannie Lou Hamer Black Resource Center and co-creator of the Hella Black Podcast, in a Twitter thread. Her track record consists of terrorizing Black communities through the prison industrial complex. Simons criticized Harris response to 2014 orders that California reduce minimum-security prisoners sentences in overcrowded prisons. Lawyers for Harris at the time argued that the incarcerated workers, who performed jobs that often paid much less than a dollar an hour, were part of an important labor pool that had to be maintained. Harris record as a senator is less extensive than her history as a prosecutor, as she was only elected in 2016. But in the Senate, her actions have often been cheered by progressives. Harris was the first senator to co-sponsor Bernie Sanders Medicare For All bill. She didnt shy away from opposing Trumps cabinet nominees, voting against far more than most of her Democratic colleagues. She co-sponsored legislation with other black senators to make lynching a federal crime, earning unanimous support in the Senate. One of the other senators who sponsored that bill, Cory Booker, is also expected to run for president and has spoken highly of Harris. Harris has joined a likely growing group of eight Democrats who have set their sights on the White House so far. FiveThirtyEight thinks she has a shot at becoming the partys nominee. But its early at this point before the 2016 presidential election, Chris Christie was polling the highest among Republican candidates. Donald Trump would not even announce for another five months. Harriss rally is Sunday at 12 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza.
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https://www.berkeleyside.com/2019/01/24/did-kamala-harris-berkeley-childhood-shape-the-presidential-hopeful
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Should We Sell Stocks Because Of The Consumer Sentiment Slide?
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In the end, something unexpected or not currently accounted for could still surprise investors, so that a balanced approach to investment and risk remains called for. When considering sentiment softness, despite relevant issues at the core of it, we should not ignore the possibility of positive outcomes and current realities. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, published Friday January 18, 2019, marked serious slippage from its prior reporting at the end of December. As you might expect, a variety of issues were cited behind the decline in the consumer mood, with the government shutdown, U.S. trade policy and securities markets volatility at the fore. SPY Price data by YCharts The 5-day chart of the SPDR S&P 500 Index (SPY) shows the market tracking ETF appreciated significantly by 1.3% on January 18, with most of the gain coming at the open. Similar gains were also marked for other major market tracking ETFs. The impact of the decline in Consumer Sentiment was outweighed on the day by speculation about a possible resolution to the trade war between China and the United States. Stock Sector ETF % Change Friday January 18, 2019 SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) +1.3% SPDR Dow Jones (DIA) +1.4% Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) +1.0% iShares Russell 2000 (IWM) +1.1% Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) +1.3% The table here, compiled by your author, shows stocks moved broadly higher on that Friday, as the days beta coefficient of risk assets moved to one-ish because of the positive trade policy news catalyst. The SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), a frequently sought-after safe haven when times are tough in the U.S., declined by 0.9% that day while the Invesco DB US Dollar Bullish (UUP) gained by 0.3% on renewed confidence in the American economy. But Consumer Sentiment Slipped The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, a major measure of the U.S. consumer mood, fell sharply by 7.6 points in its preliminary reading for January, to 90.7, from 98.3 at the close of December (just a few weeks earlier). The chart here, published by the University of Michigan, illustrates just how dramatic the decline was. The Consumer Sentiment Index measures the current mood of consumers along with consumers expectations. Investors should note the significantly stronger indication in the component index measuring consumers current sentiment, and that the absolute values of the indexes still indicate generally positive sentiment. The Current Economic Conditions Index declined 6.1 points to a still stellar 110.0. Sentiment about current conditions far exceeded the Expectations component, which fell by a greater 8.7 points to 78.3. I see this greater change for the expectations figure and the differential between the two indexes (110 vs. 78.3) relevant to readers of the data, and especially investors contemplating acting upon it. It is telling us that current economic conditions remain stellar, despite the component index decline, but that uncertainty about the future of the economy has increased. In this manner, sentiment is like the P/E ratio, which expands as confidence and expectations about the future of a company, an industry or the economy grow. Likewise, it contracts when expectations deteriorate. Economic Uncertainty Increased The compilers of this data indicated that surveyed households listed their reasons for less confidence as most closely tied to: the government shutdown, the impact of tariffs, instabilities in financial markets, the global economic slowdown, and the lack of clarity about monetary policies. These are all serious and relevant issues for investors contemplating equity investment today. The government shutdown has dragged on for roughly a month, and clearly raises uncertainty about the economic outlook. There are real costs to bear as the executive and legislative branches of the government cannot agree on a budget to keep the government open. PIMCO estimates the cost of the shutdown to U.S. GDP at roughly 0.1 percentage point in Q4 2018 and 0.3 to 0.4 percentage point in Q1 2019 (not including indirect repercussions to consumer spending and the economy etc.). All the other issues listed by the University of Michigan are obviously relevant as well and have one thing in common: their relationship to U.S. economic health. The trade war with China may be impacting Chinas economy, and the global economy is tied to China. Brexit uncertainty and issues in Italy and through the EU otherwise continue to weigh on growth in Europe, which acts as a drag to domestic U.S. growth and perhaps a weight against U.S. confidence. Financial market upheaval should weigh against the wealth effect, which is the heightened sense of personal wealth, and resulting confidence, one attains when real estate or investment values are on the rise. Uncertainty about central bank monetary policy given all these risks also weighs against risk taking in securities markets. Still, despite all these concerns weighing against the reported but backward-looking Consumer Sentiment measure, stocks jumped on the day. And even equities more closely related to consumers gained sharply. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) and the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (XLY) gained by +1.9% and 1.4%, respectively. I believe this illustrates just how important a resolution to the trade spat between the U.S. and China is. Otherwise, the performance of these securities, with their close tie to consumer sentiment, would have reflected the deteriorated consumer sentiment data point released that Friday. Thus, I would suggest the consumer sentiment measure is not necessarily an accurate predictive tool for investors today. Its clear that a positive resolution to the government shutdown is imminently possible, if not probable, and would serve to raise consumer and investor confidence, just as it has weighed against confidence recently. It is likewise clear that a resolution to the trade spat with China is possible in the short-term and would raise consumer and investor confidence, just as it has cost confidence more recently. The result of such scenarios playing out would remove weights against the global and domestic economies, and free stocks somewhat from volatility. Certainty about the economy and monetary policy should also benefit. Surveyed consumers are more than just consumers. They are Americans whose concerns are heightened by powerful and sometimes sensational news coverage of scary sounding headlines like trade war and government shutdown. That is not to mention terms like impeachment, recession, Brexit and stock market sell-off, which I note almost daily on major television and internet news media. Perhaps these issues do more than just raise the alarm of consumers about the future but influence their perception of the present as well. The answer is all of us, because of the media coverage of the events. Todays broader reality, however, is that the labor market is at full employment and GDP has been growing at a healthy pace; still, I do not ignore the real risks at hand, including for GDP in the near-term. Conclusion When analyzing sentiment measures like this one, I am always sure to note the difference between current conditions and expectations and what is going on in America at the time. These are especially scary times for anyone connected to the newswires, or in touch with the very real risks exaggerated by them. So when expectations are weighing most against a sentiment measure, I am careful to be critical, especially when the reality on the ground today is still positive. I would tend to vie against the fear tide in most instances like this, to seek equities at discounted value. Because with a swoop of two pens, after much rhetoric and productive dialogue too, the clouds could clear. The risks reflected by the change in sentiment deserve careful consideration, but so do possible positive outcomes. Lets try to keep it all in perspective. Still, there may be other reasons to be prepared to reduce risk again soon, like Brexit or the trend for Q1 GDP to disappoint over recent years. A balanced perspective on a sentiment measure does not necessarily mean we go all in on risk assets. Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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https://seekingalpha.com/article/4235379-sell-stocks-consumer-sentiment-slide
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Will we ever really get to 'The Good Place'?
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Brooklyns William Jackson Harper was about to push pause on his acting career right before landing the role of Chidi on NBCs The Good Place. Three years later, hes juggling his major-network role with upcoming gigs in Tom Clancys Jack Ryan, among other film and TV projects. Its weird, he says, reflecting on the past three years on The Good Place, I mean, I havent ever played a character for that long. Harper was no stranger to acting when he slipped on his afterlife moral philosophy professor hat. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Harper moved to New York City in 2004 to pursue show business and landed roles on the NYC stage, off Broadway in 2012's "The Total Bent" and on Broadway in 2014's "All the Way." Everything changed in 2016 when he was cast opposite Kristen Bell (Eleanor) and Ted Danson (Michael) in the TV comedy. "This show has allowed me to take in other roles and go into rooms to audition and just feel relaxed," he says. Harper discusses here the series third season finale -- which may (or may not) see Chidi, Eleanor and the gang finally enter the actual good place. I mean, thats certainly the goal from my characters point of view. You know, theres just a lot left to explore and Im going to leave it at that because I think the finale is just a really great episode. This one was really important to me and I just want people to go in blind and, hopefully, itll be as wonderful to watch as it was to make. Eat it. Drink it. Do it. Tackle the city, with our help. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Clearly, these four are flawed, but as they move forward trying to do good, Chidi always seems the most morally aware. I feel like one of Chidis flaws is that his idea of being a good person has sort of led him to a self-obsession, thats led to a moral truth above being good to people in your life. While theres something thats admirable about that, its more about Chidi and less about putting good into the world. I think the evolution of Chidi over these last few years has been to move away from what do I think is right? to how do I put good in the world? Each time we hit the point of a reset -- and I feel one is coming -- we see Eleanor and Chidi fall for each other all over again. Thats a really dark thought! Yeah, I mean thats whats so funny about it. People watch the show and have so many theories and ideas that are so beyond what were thinking about. But I think also when theyre in a good place, theyre in a crucible of sorts. Sometimes there are relationships that you choose to be in and there are relationships forced out of necessity. I think that this started as one forced that frequently turns into something you choose. Its like as we get older, its a lot harder to make new friends. It has to be a comfort level for them at this point, too. Yeah, as flawed as they are, they very much lean on and need each other. I think that may be an unexpected hitch in the bad places plans for the people they try to torture. Once people come together and find they need each other, theres a chance bad things can come out of that, but theres a strong chance of some goodness coming out of it, too, and people being selfless. Yeah. They dont [want to be apart]. Theres something about the four of them. They always smell something fishy and I think that brings them together. Beyond just the, I gotta earn my spot here . . . and they made the pact that either were all going [to the good place] together, or no ones going.
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https://www.amny.com/entertainment/the-good-place-1.26400601
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Was Bryan Singer expose timed to ride on Oscars?
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That is the suspicion of the movie director after the Atlantic published the story on Wednesday. Though the article appeared in the Atlantic, it was written by two Esquire reporters, Alex French and Maximillian Potter. It includes the accounts of four new accusers and follows several others that have surrounded Singer - known for directing multiple X-Men movies and Bohemian Rhapsody - for the past 20 years. Singer claims that Esquire chose not to publish the article after "careful fact-checking" and due to "the lack of credible sources". "Again, I am forced to reiterate that this story rehashes claims from bogus lawsuits filed by a disreputable cast of individuals willing to lie for money or attention," his statement reads. "And it is no surprise that, with Bohemian Rhapsody being an award-winning hit, this... smear piece has been conveniently timed to take advantage of its success." The reporters wrote: "Some of the alleged victims say they were seduced... while underage; others say they were raped." French and Potter said their story ran in the Atlantic because Hearst, which owns Esquire, killed it even after it went through a full editorial process, which included fact-checking and a Hearst lawyer's approval. The Atlantic ran the article a day after the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody got the Oscar nod. Twentieth Century Fox fired Singer from the project due to his unreliable behaviour in 2017, a few weeks before production on the film was completed, and Dexter Fletcher took over. But Singer still received the directing credit. WASHINGTON POST
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https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/was-bryan-singer-expose-timed-to-ride-on-oscars
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Which Countries Are Leading the Data Economy?
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With data-fueled applications of artificial intelligence projected, by McKinsey, to generate $13 trillion in new global economic activity by 2030, this could determine the next world order, much like the role that oil production has played in creating economic power players in the preceding century. While China and the U.S. could emerge as two AI superpowers, data sources cant be limited to concentrations in a few places, as we have with an oil-driven economy it needs to be drawn from many, diverse sources and future AI applications will emerge from new and unexpected players. The new world order taking shape is likely to be more complex than a simple bi-polar structure. Building on our past work mapping the digital evolution and digital competitiveness of different countries around the world, we tried mapping the deepest and widest pools of useful data. After all, with data-fueled applications of artificial intelligence projected, by McKinsey, to generate $13 trillion in new global economic activity by 2030, this could determine the next world order, much like the role that oil production has played in creating economic power players in the preceding century. While China and the U.S. could emerge as two AI superpowers, data sources cant be limited to concentrations in a few places as we have with an oil-driven economy it needs to be drawn from many, diverse sources and future AI applications will emerge from new and unexpected players. The new world order taking shape is likely to be more complex than a simple bi-polar structure, especially since data is being produced at a pace that boggles the mind. Building on our past work mapping the digital evolution and digital competitiveness of different countries around the world, we wanted to try to locate the deepest and widest pools of useful data. This is essential to run the myriad machine learning models critical to AI. To do so, it is useful to make a distinction between the raw volume of data and a measure that we shall call gross data product our version of the new GDP. To identify the worlds top gross data product producers, we propose using four criteria: Volume: Absolute amount of broadband consumed by a country, as a proxy for the raw data generated. Usage: Number of users active on the internet, as a proxy for the breadth of usage behaviors, needs and contexts. Accessibility: Institutional openness to data flows as a way to assess whether the data generated in a country permits wider usability and accessibility by multiple AI researchers, innovators, and applications. Complexity: Volume of broadband consumption per capita, as a proxy for the sophistication and complexity of digital activity. There are several nuances to note. For one, we recognize that the digital trace that is generated by computers around the world spans a very wide range of activities, from sending an SMS text message to making a financial transaction. To enable an apples-to-apples comparison across the world, we use broadband per capita as a measure of such breadth and complexity (in some ways, mimicking the use of per capita income as a proxy for overall prosperity). Second, there are differences across countries in terms of how private data is shared across agencies and whether there are digital identity frameworks that can help connect individuals to their digital activities. These institutional factors could make a difference to how data could eventually be pieced together. We do not call out these distinctions. We chose the countries included in our analysis based on a few considerations: 1) Countries that are the most significant contributors to the global digital economy either because they are high on our earlier digital evolution index score or because they have strong momentum in their digital activities; 2) Countries that represent a reasonable spread in terms of region and socio-economic position; and 3) Countries that provided us with a solid data and evidence base to do the analyses. Finally, an important consideration in determining accessibility is privacy. Privacy concerns and data protection regulations can help or hinder the abilities for algorithms to develop new capabilities. We take the position for this analysis that an established framework for ensuring privacy and data protection and openness to the mobility of data is a net benefit and a positive contributor to the development of AI over the long term. As an example, consider the problem of fraud detection in financial transactions. Applications that draw upon insights from diverse geographic locations and multiple usage contexts help establish patterns of trustworthiness and help flag security risks; such applications benefit from systems that meet the accessibility criterion. That said, we acknowledge that in the near-term there could be some countries China being the pre-eminent example where data-sharing between public and private sector agencies with very little mobility beyond the national borders could violate privacy and openness norms and yet yield a temporary advantage in training algorithms inside a walled garden. More on the methodology This research was a collaboration between The Digital Planet initiative at The Fletcher School, Tufts University and Mastercard. We analyzed information from 30 countries on: The number of internet users in a country, 2017 (Source: Euromonitor) The aggregate measure of the amount of broadband traffic per country (fixed and mobile) which was determined using a combined data set created with Cisco as our primary source, and ITU data as a secondary source, for countries with missing information. IP traffic, in terabytes, 2017 (Source: Cisco) Mobile-broadband Internet traffic (within the country, 2017); in terabytes + fixed (wired) broadband internet traffic in terabytes, 2017 (Source: ITU) Item 2 divided by item 1, generates the broadband consumption per capita measure. This draws upon reports on data localization policies and regulations (Source: Fletcher School research using multiple national agencies and news sources). We believe accessibility should remain a foundational criterion. If one were to take the point of view that the biggest and highest impact AI applications are the ones that serve the greatest public purpose, access to data is key. In its recent study of AI for the public good, McKinsey cites access as one of the principal barriers: of the 18 bottlenecks identified by McKinsey, six relate to data availability, volume, quality, and usability. This chart below shows what happens when the 30 countries we studied were mapped using two of our criteria: While the U.S. scores well on all three criteria and this might seem counter-intuitive to prevailing wisdom China operates with a handicap if global accessibility of the data is considered essential for creating successful AI applications in the future. If the EU (currently including the UK) were to act as a collective, it represents a key producer that could rival the U.S. Besides, China, other BRIC nations, Brazil, India, Russia, could emerge as strong tier two contenders, largely on the strengths of raw data they produce; however, they too would be handicapped by accessibility concerns. A different set of implications emerge for smaller countries, such as New Zealand, or those unaffiliated with larger economic unions, such as South Korea, but with high openness and mobility in data flows; such countries would benefit from establishing trade agreements in data with other open countries and thereby overcome their natural limitations, either in terms of number of users or in terms of total broadband consumed within the country. The forms such trade or data-sharing agreements might take is yet to be determined; however, we can envision that they could be a distinct possibility especially when we recognize that gross data product has value just like any other product that is freely traded today. Of course, the direction of high-value AI applications is still emerging. There is also a risk of AI itself being over-hyped, misunderstood, and set up for disappointments down the road. But its clear that many important applications are already in use and more are coming. Our analytical framework is flexible enough to account for such fluidity. If we use a different set of criteria as being more relevant for driving successful AI applications, we find a different picture emerging. The chart below offers one such possibility, where only complexity and accessibility are considered. When viewed in this manner, there is a more linear structuring of this new data-driven world order. The high broadband consumption per capita and institutionally open countries (in the top right hand portion of the graphic) emerge as the clear winners. One can imagine a scenario where the high complexity and mobility of data flows in the top-right of the graphic allow for a more productive free-trade zone, where countries mutually benefit from tapping into each others data reservoirs. Finally, we considered a scenario where all four criteria ought to be considered important. If we assign equivalent weights to all four, a ranking of new data producers and an updated world order emerges. 1. United States 2. United Kingdom 3. China 4. Switzerland 5. South Korea 6. France 7. Canada 8. Sweden 9. Australia 10. Czech Republic 11. Japan 12. New Zealand 13. Germany 14. Spain 15. Ireland 16. Italy 17. Portugal 18. Mexico 19. Argentina 20. Chile 21. Poland 22. Brazil 23. Greece 24. India 25. South Africa 26. Hungary 27. Malaysia 28. Russia 29. Turkey 30. Indonesia Of course, these segmentations provide insight into where the major data producers are based on a set of assumptions about what will be important for the highest-value applications in the future. Our purpose was to acknowledge the uncertainties and show how alternative assumptions yield different scenarios for the world order. A different segmentation and ranking would emerge if were to ask a different set of questions focused on the outcomes, such as economic or geopolitical value through AI that might be assigned to each country or how countries rank in terms of ease of doing digital business currently as they prepare for such a future. We are developing these in future research projects. Data is the fuel of the new economy, and even more so of the economy to come. In declaring back in 2017 that the worlds most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data, The Economist said: Whether you are going for a run, watching TV or even just sitting in traffic, virtually every activity creates a digital trace more raw material for the data distilleries. Algorithms trained by all these digital traces will be globally transformational. Its possible that a new world order will emerge from it, along with a new GDP gross data product that captures an emerging measure of wealth and power of nations. It is time we identified what the field looks like now that new competitive and collaborative opportunities are developing. Editors note: Every ranking or index is just one way to analyze and compare companies or places, based on a specific methodology and data set. At HBR, we believe that a well-designed index can provide useful insights, even though by definition it is a snapshot of a bigger picture. We always urge you to read the methodology carefully.
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https://hbr.org/2019/01/which-countries-are-leading-the-data-economy?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HBR.org%29
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Can Macrons grand debates address yellow vest concerns in France?
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VALENCE, France Mayors from southeastern France gathered Thursday at the regional prefecture here for an aperitif, a hearty country lunch and a chance to air their grievances to President Emmanuel Macron. It was the third grand debate attended by Macron, part of a national conversation he has launched in response to the yellow vest protests. The stated hope is that two months of these exchanges will generate policy ideas that might alleviate the anger that has erupted in French cities and towns, especially on the question of rising inequality. But Macron is also trying to connect with people while fending off criticism that he is aloof and elistist. He is making his way through what is known as peripheral France, communities far from Paris that have seen a sharp decline in local industry and can be difficult to reach by train, the sort of places where the yellow vest movement originated. I find the idea new and interesting, said Bernard Buis, 56, a senator from the Drme region, of which Valence is the capital, and a member of Macrons party. Were giving the chance to the French to explain their concerns and anxieties about daily life. Its relatively easy to do something like this within the confines of a local community, but in a national territory as large as France, thats a much bigger undertaking. The debates appear to have offered Macron some temporary relief from approval ratings that had been in free fall. For the first time in months, his numbers made a slight comeback last week, and polls showed that one in three French citizens intended to participate in the town halls. Yellow vest protesters demonstrate in front of the prefecture in Valence. (Arnold Jerocki/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock) But some of the elected representatives invited to attend the nearly four-hour session in Valence on Thursday used it to repeat what has become the standard refrain among Macrons critics: that he is monarchical, arrogant and uninterested in the difficulties that confront ordinary people. Macron notably faced off against Laurent Wauquiez, one of his principal political adversaries and leader of Frances mainstream conservative party, Les Republicains. The two had a private meeting before the debate began, during which Wauquiez said he questioned how much could come from invitation-only sessions. Macron also met with invited mayors in the previous two debates, the first in the northern town of Bourgtheroulde and the second in the town of Souillac. The session today, its very good. Its staged very well. There are filtered invitations, organized speeches, a calibrated response. But thats not a debate..., Wauquiez told reporters afterward. These are trips into the bubble. The danger[...] is that we leave with propositions too far from removed from what the French are facing, he said. The president of the Republic should change. He should go into the territories and exchange directly with the French, without filter. French President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with local residents in Bourg-de-Peage near Valence, France, on Thursday. (Emmanuel Foudrot/Reuters) Macron was defensive in his collective response at the end of the exchange. If there is one thing that characterizes this country, its that we put everything on the head of the president of the Republic, he said. There may be disgruntled groups, he said. But to consider that they are right because they are dissatisfied is to make little consideration for others. My role is to be the president of all. Emmanuelle Anthoine, a center-right parliamentary deputy from the Drne region, said afterwards her expectations remained low. I think its interesting, but for me this is all unlikely to advance anything big, she said. Ccile Gallient, the mayor of Vorey and vice president of the Association of French Mayors, as well as another member of Macrons party, endorsed the idea of meeting with local officials. Its completely logical, she said, noting that she regularly consulted the cahier des doleances, the book kept in French town halls in which locals can write down their complaints. Were the ones in close touch with [the people], she said. Jean Pisani-Ferry, a political scientist who authored Macrons 2017 election platform, said the anger in France is fundamentally linked to the economic transformation of the country in the past 30 years. The yellow vests whose name comes from the high-visibility jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars have mobilized in response to a larger economic and cultural transformation that began long before Macrons presidency and that shows no signs of abating, he said. We have in peripheral France a social reality that resembles that of America: town centers where shops are closed, chain stores on the outskirts, and workers left to drive for miles to their jobs, he said. What we see at the roundabouts with the gilets jaunes is the effect of this shift, people who seek to reclaim a lost community. With the grand debates, Macron has sought to recreate or simulate, depending on whom you ask a sense of community. After the session with local mayors, he met with local seniors, occasionally answering questions posed to him on Facebook. Macron then made a surprise appearance at a separate debate on the outskirts of Valence on Thursday evening where some in the audience wore yellow vests. Pardon me for turning up uninvited, he said. Read more The cultural anxiety fueling Frances protests, Brexit and Trump Frances protests mark a broader crisis for Western democracy Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/can-macrons-grand-debates-address-yellow-vest-concerns-in-france/2019/01/24/13716220-19a9-11e9-b8e6-567190c2fd08_story.html
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Could Daley's plan to shrink City Council reduce corruption in Chicago?
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Candidates for Chicago mayor all 14 of them have scrambled to be reformer-in-chief ever since the feds brought a corruption charge against Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, earlier this month. Then theres Bill Daley. He has signed on to the reform-minded group think, too. But Daley is taking it one step further with his proposal to reduce the size of the City Council from 50 to 15 members. Credit where its due: In mid-December another candidate, former Ald. Bob Fioretti, introduced to this campaign the perennial suggestion that Chicago cut its council to 25 members. Earlier this month, Daley one-upped (or is it 10-downed?) Fioretti with his more dramatic call for a 15-member council. Daley went a step further Tuesday, calling for a citywide referendum in 2020. Whether Daleys idea can win popular support, only time will tell. There has been no evident public groundswell. And some aldermen already are critiquing the notion. After all, it would put their jobs on the line. The politics around the idea is still developing. The power of the notion as a reform measure is a mixed bag, too, leaving Daley with some explaining to do. Daley has brought up the idea in the context of antidotes to the culture of corruption in Chicago politics. Daley says the days of 50 mini-mayors running the citys 50 wards have come to an end. On that point, hes half right. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the old ward-based system for garbage pickup and clout has been replaced by a grid system. The citys use of technology to track other services, such as street repairs, has weakened aldermanic fiefdoms even more. But lets not forget: Those improvements occurred with 50 wards still on the city map. It didnt take a shrunken City Council to make them happen. As for Daleys implication that the idea is a corruption killer: The connection between corruption and a 50-seat council is not yet clear. Like many of the other candidates, Daley has endorsed the most substantial ideas in circulation: elimination of aldermanic privilege, a stronger inspector general, limitations on outside work by aldermen, term limits and more. Any of those fixes would further erode the mini-mayors effect. But each of them can be done whether there are 15 or 50 people in the council. Heres hoping they will be done by unanimous voice vote. The sooner, the better. The city would save money around $20 million or so, based on a 70 percent cut to the $28 million Emanuel allocated for City Council in his 2019 budget. But big as that number is, it would represent only 0.2 percent of Emanuels $8.9 billion spending plan for 2019. The cost savings would be welcome, but in the face of a city pension shortfall expected to hit $2.13 billion by 2023, they wont do much. Besides, Emanuel has shown it is possible to make meaningful cuts even with 50 aldermen representing 50 wards. In 2011, the year Emanuel was elected, a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that Chicagos City Council ate up 0.93 percent of the citys general funds spending a bigger bite from the citys budget than all major cities except Detroit and San Diego. In the eight years since, cost-cutting progress has been made. For 2019, the projected $28 million budget for the council amounts to just 0.31 percent of the citys total projected spending about a third of what it was when Emanuel took office. Size alone does not produce waste, the Pew study shows. New York Citys 51-member council was largest, yet it consumed just 0.1 percent of the citys budget, the lowest of the 15 cities studied. When considering Daley's proposal, we need to look at the potential negative consequences too. For example, it has the potential to reduce the councils effectiveness in representing the varied and competing interests of Chicagos many different communities. Dick Simpson, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former alderman, says a cut to the council might be a step backward for the cause of representative government. Today, each of Chicagos 50 aldermen represents about 54,000 people. With a 15-ward council, the number would more than triple to 180,000 people per alderman. Wards would cover multiple communities, reducing the tendency of aldermen to represent specific ethnic, economic and geographic interests. The council being reduced from 50 to 15 would be more like a board of directors than a legislative body, Simpson said. Simpson has been a critic of the City Councils ability to represent communities already. In a study of council voting from April 2017 through November 2018, Simpson and two colleagues found a majority of aldermen voted with Mayor Emanuel at least 94 percent of the time. Eleven aldermen backed Emanuel every time they voted. Some political scientists believe aldermen with larger wards would have more power to stand up to the mayor. But local experience says thats not necessarily so. As evidence, Simpson points to the Cook County Board of Commissioners and its 17 commissioners. Each represents more than 300,000 residents. During John Strogers 12-year term as Cook County board president, unanimous votes were commonplace. Under Toni Preckwinkle, the board lately has asserted more independence approving but then rejecting Preckwinkles soda tax, for example. The leadership of the president and politics of the moment were bigger factors than the size of the board. None of this is to say Daleys idea should be a non-starter. The concept is intriguing and merits further discussion. The push for a dramatically reduced City Council is Daleys effort to separate himself from the pack. As a political move, thats understandable. As a matter of policy, his case is not yet made. David Greising is president and chief executive officer of the Better Government Association. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-greising-burke-daley-smaller-city-council-aldermen-0125-20190124-story.html
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How Much Would It Cost To Cover Us All?
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Proposals for single-payer healthcare, also known as Medicare-for-all, have cropped up in various iterations over the years. And now, with Democrats in control of the House, we may be seeing more of them leading up to 2020. Paige Winfield Cunningham writes in The Washington Post: Think of these next two years as a laboratory for Democrats leading the House and those running for president in 2020 to experiment with how various degrees of Medicare expansion might play with the public. Democrats are unified on this goal: extending health coverage to all Americans. What theyre divided about is exactly how to bridge the gap between the 13.7 percent uninsured rate and universal coverage. Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) describes it this way: A system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health care financing, but the delivery of care remains largely in private hands. Under a single-payer system, all residents of the U.S. would be covered for all medically necessary services, including doctor, hospital, preventive, long-term care, mental health, reproductive health care, dental, vision, prescription drug and medical supply costs. The program would be funded by combining our current, considerable sources of public funding (such as Medicare and Medicaid) with modest new taxes based on ability to pay. A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 56 percent of Americans support a nationwide Medicare-for-all plan. But that number dropped considerably when participants were told the plan could raise taxes or increase wait times. Were continuing our week of audience-selected shows with a look at the costs and benefits of single-payer healthcare, and what it would take to get there. Show produced by Paige Osburn. Text by Kathryn Fink. Show topic suggested by Doug Hastings.
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https://the1a.org/shows/2019-01-24/single-payer?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=health
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What makes a Ferrari worth a million dollars in Singapore?
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Above: With a highly tuned twin-turbo V8 engine, the Ferrari Portofino can scamper from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, and reach a scarcely believable top speed of 320 km/h. FOR S$855,000 (excluding the Certificate Of Entitlement), the grown-up kids of today can own a Ferrari Portofino. That might be the famous sports car builder's lowest-priced model, but it's no lightweight. With a highly tuned twin-turbo V8 engine, the Portofino can scamper from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, and reach a scarcely believable top speed of 320 km/h. Lots of people seem to think so. Dieter Knechtel, CEO of Ferrari Far and Middle East, told The Business Times that the Portofino is selling better than anticipated. "The demand from our customers has exceeded our expectations," he said. To find out, BT was invited to the Esperienza Ferrari Test Drive Session, an event for customers to get to know some of the latest Ferrari models in Singapore, including the convertible Portofino and a more practical model, the GTC4Lusso. On hand to walk customers through the Portofino was Marco Bonanomi, a racing driver from (where else?) Italy who won the 2011 Italian GT Championship in the GT3 class, driving (what else?) a Ferrari. Surprisingly, Mr Bonanomi began by emphasising the Portofino's day-to-day driveability instead of its sheer performance. "This is the most comfortable Ferrari in our line-up," he explained. "The Portofino has the softest suspension in comparison to all the other Ferraris right now." Perhaps that was his way of subtly suggesting a gentle approach to my driving an Italian supercar for the first time. My time in the Portofino took place during a downpour of biblical proportions. Add peak hour conditions to the wretched weather, and there was no way to verify Ferrari's claims about hitting 100km/h in 3.5 seconds, without risking hitting something else in the attempt. Still, there was much to see and feel. The car was a snap to guide through curves because of a carefully stiffened body - Mr Bonanomi explained that the suspension mounting points in the Portofino are 50 percent more rigid than those of the California, the car it superseded. And despite driving a low-slung car I couldn't afford to wreck, in hazardous conditions, I found it easy and undemanding to navigate an ocean of frustrated drivers hurrying to work. The rain made it impossible to lower the Portofino's folding roof, but its user-friendliness made it possible to indulge the odd desire to give the accelerator a playful jab, just to briefly feel the Ferrari come alive under me, and to hear the snarling exhaust note that all exotic cars seem to herald their arrival with. After just half an hour with the Portofino, I had cleared space in my dream garage for one, and all without breaking the speed limit. Yet, raw performance is just one factor that draws people to Ferrari, Mr Knechtel noted. "To our loyal clients, Ferrari symbolises exclusivity, innovation, state-of-the-art sporting performance and Italian design," he told BT. As a brand, Ferrari enjoys a measurable amount of clout. Brand Finance, a consultancy, has named it "The World's Most Powerful Brand" for three years running, based on factors such as desirability, consumer sentiment and visual identity. The brand's sporting heritage is another draw, which is why it isn't unusual for Ferrari to fly racing drivers into town to explain the finer points of a new model, and even offer one-on-one driving tips to customers. What's clear is that Ferrari tries to ensure that spending a million or more on one gets someone not just a remarkable car, but also the chance to become a part of an iconic brand. "Once a Ferrari owner buys a Ferrari, he usually stays with Ferrari and builds his collection over time. That is what makes us so unique," added Mr Knechtel. If you think a Ferrari is worth a million dollars, in other words, you might eventually part with far more than that.
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https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/hub/bt-motoring/what-makes-a-ferrari-worth-a-million-dollars-in-singapore
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Did sinking the shot of a lifetime really change Evanstons Blake Peters life?
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The ball couldve clanged off the rim and landed on the court with the thud of irrelevance. Or it couldve barely lipped out, tantalizing the home crowd before breaking fans hearts. But, no. Blake Peters 80-foot heave at the buzzer one year ago this weekend splashed through the net, giving Evanstons varsity boys basketball team a 45-44 victory over Maine South. Thats how a goggled freshman guards 15 minutes of fame began. It changed my whole life, Peters said. If it taught me anything, he said, you just have to stay present and not forget who you are. I went to see Peters this week, never having met him, and with no particular expectations, and what I found was a young man worth knowing. Just turned 16, the 6-1 sophomore is one of the better three-point shooters in the area and a standout student, with an eye on a career in politics. Short-term goal: a basketball scholarship to an Ivy League school. Long-term goal: an appointment as Secretary of State or Attorney General. Yes, of the United States. I just love to learn, he said. I think if youre an educated person in this world, theres a lot you can do. Maybe just a bit. At home, Peters reads about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In class his favorite is Government he strives more and more to push his natural shyness aside and speak up. In the gym, he works harder on his game than just about anybody. Blake spends more time on basketball than any player on our team, Wildkits coach Mike Ellis said. Hes in the gym more than anyone else. If you saw the schedule he keeps, youd know he loves the sport. But Peters is a still a kid, and thats what makes the rise and fall of his fame so interesting and precious. Before he grabbed a missed free throw, spun and let fly from 80 feet last January touching off an epic celebration in which his poor goggles were trampled Peters could walk from one class to another at school without bumping into a friend. Such was life for a freshman whose family had only just moved to Evanston the previous summer. One shot took care of that. Most of the school knew me now, he said. School got a little easier. He rode the wave for all of a couple of weeks. Maybe not even that long. Instantly, Peters felt all eyes on him at games. He went ice cold from the three-point line. A huge home game came against archrival New Trier. About 2,000 fans packed Beardsley Gym and watched the Wildkits lose with Mr. Big Shot missing all nine of his attempts from beyond the arc. I just remember sitting in the locker room for 10, 15 minutes just staring at the ground, he said. He was afraid of what all his new friends what the whole school would say. That was probably one of the worst days of my life, he said. But at that point, too, it kind of taught me that youll get the highs and the lows. Youll have the best moment of your life, but that doesnt mean within a week or two you wont come all the way back down. In the end, though, it was just a game. Peters withstood one of those moments in a young persons life that feels beyond awful, but turns out to be a worthwhile part of the journey toward growing up. Oh, and by the way, he made up for that 0-for-9 in a big way, scoring 19 points as Evanston got revenge against New Trier in an IHSA sectional final en route to a third-place finish in the state tournament. Friday night, Peters and his team No. 7 in the Sun-Times latest Super 25 rankings will play at Maine South. The home fans there will know all too well about the young man in the goggles. Looking back in 20, 30 years, Im going to remember that shot as one of the happiest moments in my life, Peters said. In the end, though, it was, as Peters himself calls it, just one shot. Id like to be known for more than that, he said. I definitely dont want to be defined by that by senior year, because if thats the case, then I obviously havent done too much here. Maybe just a bit.
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/evanston-township-high-school-blake-peters-mike-ellis/
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Should the NFL replay the NFC Championship game?
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New Orleans Saints fans are still reeling from the NFC Championship game, a game the team lost in part due to a controversial no-call on obvious pass interference. Fans are so irate, one group has sued the NFL to replay the game and another started a petition demanding the same. Under Rule 17, Section 2, the NFL Commissioner can reverse a game's result and replay the entire game, or at the point when the extraordinary event occurred. PERSPECTIVES The result of a playoff game has never been reversed nor replayed in NFL history, but extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures. The blatant no-call affected the outcome of the entire game. A pass interference call would have given New Orleans a first down late in the game and a chance to ice it if the Saints scored a touchdown -- a touchdown the team was in great position for. The Saints should be Super Bowl-bound but were robbed by incompetent referees. The league has the chance to redeem itself by calling on the power of Rule 17, Section 2 of the NFL rule book. The league needs to replay this game. Teams have to deal with bad calls on a regular basis. Unlike you, they get over it because it's just a game. There is no reason for the NFL to replay the NFC Championship. Say the Saints did get that pass interference call. The team could've been stopped by the Rams on the next set of downs and scored a field goal, resulting in the same situation. Also, the Saints could have missed a field goal, giving the Rams a chance to win the game. Or New Orleans could've scored a touchdown and the Rams could've scored on the next drive, too. There are too many variables and outcomes to say one specific situation directly altered the result of the entire game. A replay should not be granted. Allowing fans to dictate what the league can and should do sets a bad precedent for the NFL. The fans need to get over the loss. Analysis: Sorry, Saints fans: Roger Goodell was never going to overturn the result of the NFC title game The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.
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https://www.masslive.com/sports/2019/01/should_the_nfl_replay_the_nfc.html
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Can South-East Asia sustain investment boom?
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VENTURE capital and private equity investment in South-east Asia has soared to record levels as scores of new investors pour into the region. In 2017, the number of recorded venture capital deals rose to 524, four times the level of 2012, and private equity deal value rose 75 per cent to US$15 billion, breaking out of a decade-long phase of flat growth. Suddenly, all signs are pointing up. Technology companies attracted the bulk of new capital, rising to 40 per cent of deal count in 2017 from 20 per cent in 2014. South-east Asia-dedicated funds' dry powder - committed but unspent capital - has more than doubled since 2012. The region also has produced its first set of unicorns - new companies that rapidly achieve market valuations of US$1 billion or more. We see the conditions in place for a long-term investment boom. The region's venture and private equity ecosystems have developed critical mass and are entering a new phase of growth. sentifi.com Market voices on: Our research shows private equity deal value over the next five years is likely to total US$70 billion - double the level of the previous five years. By 2024, we expect the region to produce at least 10 new unicorns. But surging investment in South-east Asia means increased competition and higher valuations. To prosper in a changing market, venture capital and private equity investors will need to redouble their focus on value creation and organic growth. STOKING THE BOOM Several important shifts argue for a step change in investment activity in South-east Asia. One is the steady influx of new venture capital and private equity participants. The number of active investors completing private equity transactions with deal values of US$10 million or higher rose to 124 in 2017, a 45 per cent increase from the previous five-year average. The pool of institutional investors, in particular, has expanded significantly. New investors are attracted by the region's strong macroeconomic fundamentals, the chance to invest in emerging regional champions, and a deepening secondary market for deals of all sizes. The mix includes a combination of local venture capital funds and private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and global funds. Navis Capital, for example, recently launched a US$1.75 billion fund focused on South-east Asia and Australia. The region's maturing bench of startups is another powerful investment catalyst. More than 1,300 companies in South-east Asia received a first round of seed, or Series A, financing since 2011, including 261 in 2017 - five times the level of 2011. Overall, the region's increasing demand for capital has dovetailed with rising supply - a signal that company owners across the region are growing more receptive to venture capital and private equity investment. Strong exit momentum and healthy returns are also increasing the pace of investment by recycling capital faster. In 2017, exit deal value rose to US$16 billion, up 86 per cent from the previous five-year average. That virtuous investment cycle helps private equity fund managers feel more confident about raising new funds and putting capital to work. And as private equity funds expand their portfolios, they broaden the potential market for secondary transactions. Deeper integration of the Asean market encourages companies to expand across borders, accelerating their growth. Even businesses that traditionally focused on local markets are attracting capital to expand regionally. Fullerton Health, for example, now operates more than 500 clinics in eight Asia-Pacific countries, since being founded in 2011 with the acquisition of two corporate healthcare providers in Singapore. BookDoc, a three-year-old Malaysian startup with venture funding, connects patients with healthcare providers and has built an online platform spanning five countries. Government initiatives have helped spur venture capital investments and startup centres. Singapore's Startup SG Founder programme, for example, provides S$3 in matching funds, up to S$30,000, for every dollar that new entrepreneurs raise. Companies seeking to raise a second round of S$2 million to S$4 million receive one dollar in matching funds for every dollar they raise. These and other moves have helped boost the percentage of Singapore-based startups that receive follow-on funding to the same level as startups in Europe. Governments throughout South-east Asia are pursuing similar policies. In 2016, the government of Vietnam announced it would offer legal and financial support to 2,600 startups over the next 10 years through its accelerator, Vietnam Silicon Valley. Though Singapore remains South-east Asia's investment hub, vibrant startup ecosystems are emerging across the region, creating a broader base for future investment. The number of companies in Indonesia raising a first round of funding in 2017 rose more than 300 per cent from 2012. Together, Indonesia and Vietnam generated 20 per cent of the region's private equity deal value over the past five years, and that percentage is likely to grow. A recent Bain & Company survey showed nearly 90 per cent of investors said the hottest South-east Asian markets outside of Singapore in 2018-19 will be Indonesia and Vietnam. Strong investor interest in the region's developing technology sector and other consumption-based industries is likely to help sustain higher levels of investment. A 2017 study coauthored by Temasek and Google forecasts South-east Asia's US$50 billion Internet economy will quadruple by 2025. We expect the technology sector to contribute 20 per cent to 40 per cent of deal value over the next five years. The financial technology sector, in particular, is expanding rapidly. Based on the valuations of leading fintech companies and strong investor interest in the sector, we expect two or three fintech unicorns to emerge by 2024. Information and communication technology firms are also growing rapidly and attracting larger pools of venture and private equity investment. More than 60 per cent of top private equity and venture capital professionals in South-east Asia predicted that technology will be the leading investment sector for 2018-19, our research shows. In addition, we see a redoubling of investor interest in healthcare and education - sectors with significant long-term growth potential, but traditionally fragmented. NAVIGATING NEW TERRAIN South-east Asia's maturing venture capital and private equity ecosystems create powerful momentum for ongoing investment. But competition is increasing and valuations are rising - the average multiple of enterprise value to Ebitda for private equity transactions is 17, the highest level in a decade. At the same time, uncertainty about global economic growth is rising, and new technologies are accelerating disruption across many industries. To create value in this changing market and help sustain the investment boom, venture and private equity investors will need to help portfolio companies achieve stronger growth and performance. In 2019, some sectors in South-east Asia will face greater pressure than others. Investors targeting healthcare and medtech, for example, already face intense competition. In our experience, investors who succeed in adding significant value to their companies share a common approach based on four investment guidelines. First, the most successful investors will take an Asean perspective when evaluating deals and incorporate cross-border expansion in their value-creation plans. Companies that diversify across South-east Asia grow faster and reduce the risk of reliance on a single economy. The region's new unicorns highlight the potential for spectacular value creation. They'll also get the right talent in place from the start. Bain research shows portfolio companies' leadership is the greatest source of success or failure for value creation in Asia-Pacific investing - and talent is particularly scarce in the region. But many investors take an overly positive view of management teams early on and delay making changes. Third, winning investors also will build commercial excellence to fuel organic growth. Accelerating top-line growth lifts profitability and magnifies exit multiples, but it's hard to get right. Only 24 per cent of general partners say they've met their top-line expectations in most of their portfolio companies over the last few years, according to Bain & Company's 2018 private equity survey. Leading PE firms build strength in commercial excellence by increasing customer segmentation, upgrading salesforce effectiveness, and revisiting pricing or product portfolio strategy. Finally, they'll use digital tools to improve strategic position and performance. Top global investors are helping management teams understand how new technologies are shifting their profit pools. Digital tools can help them take practical steps to improve their strategic position, commercial performance and cash flow. Portfolio companies that embrace digital strategies are better positioned to manage disruption and keep pace with rapidly changing markets. Investing in South-east Asia is taking off, but new challenges will require investors to navigate adroitly. Those who build regional businesses, secure top talent, improve commercial excellence and harness digital technologies will be best positioned to produce the solid returns they've long been anticipating.
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https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/can-south-east-asia-sustain-investment-boom
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What if Trump tried to go ahead with his State of the Union address at the Capitol without an invitation?
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Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Trump periodically visits the Capitol without much notice or congressional approval to meet with lawmakers. He even dropped by lunch with Senate Republicans during this current shutdown on Jan. 9, stopping to talk to reporters outside the Senate chamber. The president of the United States has House and Senate floor privileges, meaning he could freely mingle about either chamber and visit with lawmakers. But in order to speak, congressional rules dictate that both the House and Senate must adopt a concurrent resolution granting that permission. House Rule IV states that "the Hall of the House shall be used only for the legislative business of the House and for caucus and conference meetings of its Members, except when the House agrees to take part in any ceremonies to be observed therein." Hence, the need for a concurrent resolution for each presidential State of the Union address. The responsibility to block the president from delivering an address on the House floor would likely fall to the House Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving, whose traditional role at the State of the Union is to announce the presidents arrival to the chamber, generally with great fanfare. But Irving is also the lower chamber's chief law enforcement officer and is responsible for maintaining decorum in the House of Representatives. Oh, and if Trump's goal were to gain the national spotlight, Pelosi also controls the House TV cameras -- and the on-off switch -- ensuring that any stunts pulled by Trump would never see the light of day.
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https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-ahead-state-union-address-capitol-invitation/story?id=60596549
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Will Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield be selected in the NBA Draft?
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CLOSE Grant Williams had 43 points at Vanderbilt on Wednesday Mike Wilson, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Grant Williams was nearly perfect against Vanderbilt and is one of the few players in the national player of the year conversation. But that apparently does not mean he is a lock to be drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williams and wing Admiral Schofield have both fluctuated on mock drafts and prospect boards over the first three months of the season. Little consensus has been found for either player, though Williams has a slightly higher outlook for the first round, according to some mockers. Here's a look at five of those boards: Grant Williams Jonathan Givony, ESPN 28th Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation 22nd Steve Kyler, Basketball Insiders N/A NBADraft.net N/A Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated 60th Williams is far from the prototypical prospect. He's a bulky 6-foot-7 and resembles an old-time NBA power forward with a sturdy post game. But he has a workable 3-point shot (one that he does not always need each game) and certainly has enough quickness and basketball IQ to play at the next level. UT fans know he is not just a score-and-rebound frontcourt player. A likely scenario for Williams: a contending team late in the first round who needs to strengthen its bench will give him a guarantee and a spot in the second unit. Admiral Schofield Jonathan Givony, ESPN 29th Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation N/A Steve Kyler, Basketball Insiders N/A NBADraft.net 55th Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated 30th This week is not the best time to buy Schofield's stock, but he has been steady for the Vols all season. Scouts will love his 3-point shooting (42 percent this season and three straight seasons over 38 percent) and he won't be physically outmuscled in the pros. He's also been through the pre-draft process, which can only help.
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https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/mens-basketball/2019/01/24/ut-vols-2019-nba-draft-grant-williams-admiral-schofield/2671204002/
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Why Are Millennials So Attracted To Video Marketing?
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By Shaq Abboud As a marketing tactic, video is becoming more and more relevant, especially amongst millennials or generation Y. Marketing has evolved in such a way that it profoundly exceeds the expectations of even the savviest executives of fifty years ago. No longer are marketers simply forcing products on consumers through a wide range of media channels. Today, they have the opportunity of engaging with their audiences more than ever before. Marketers want to reach millennials, and rightly so. Born between 1980 and 2000, millennials will spend two out of the three dollars earned in Australia by 2030. Considered more educated, connected, digitally empowered and demanding than their parents, millennials will be the most powerful consumer cohort in history, according to Macquaries strategists. For many reasons. Here, we zone in on the purchasing behaviours of millennials and why marketers are intent on targeting this generation. Millennials Watch a Lot of Video Opting for services like Netflix, Stan and other digital streaming platforms, millennials are watching less television than older generations. Therefore, they are not as responsive to the commercials and print advertisements that worked for baby boomers and generation X. Millennials crave engagement, and this they acquire from watching video. Video marketing is considered one of the best alternatives to television and print advertisements when wanting to capture the younger generation. Food for thought: millennials were born during the birth of the digital age and grew up surrounded by technological advancements. They probably dont know a world without mobile phones and tablets. The average millennial spends at least one hour a day watching video online. And by 2020 mobile internet traffic will increase eight times more, with 75 percent being video content. That said, it is important for marketers to continually satisfy the ever-evolving millennial media appetite with video. Millennials Are Not to Be Fooled We must remember that millennials have grown up with advertising thrown at them from every angle. So, they will not be fooled easily by marketing ploys. They realise how important their demographic is to sales and will not play into schemes unless the plans are authentic. It is important for marketers to truly understand this diverse generation. Young people are attached to their smartphones and obsessed with social media such as Instagram and Snapchat. Millennials are less likely to follow societal norms and instead adopt a decentralised mindset, whereas big corporate structures embrace a more centralised view and take on a less personalised, mass-market approach. On the whole, millennials want to receive knowledge and information with marketing clutter and manipulation cut out. Product promotion is viewed as old-fashioned and will fall on deaf ears with the younger generation. That is why social media and video efforts are now playing a huge role in marketing campaigns. Millennials Love Social Media Millennials consume video not only for entertainment but also to learn about companies and make purchasing decisions. In fact, 85 percent of millennials are more likely than baby boomers to watch a video before purchasing a product or service. Since YouTube was introduced in 2005, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have joined the social video movement. You have only to scroll through your Facebook Newsfeed to see that video is starting to run the show when it comes to content marketing. The content on Facebook in five years will mostly be video, according to Mark Zuckerberg. Millennials not only keep up with friends on social media but also companies and brands. As it happens, 84 percent of millennials follow brands and companies on Facebook, 75 percent follow them on YouTube and 47 percent on Twitter. As a rule, millennials thrive on being connected to others via social media sharing and tweeting photos and videos so now is the time to start with a video marketing strategy. Firstly, they want to know about the people and values behind a brand and are less focused on a hard sell. So, it is important to put the spotlight on the people as well as the product and show your audience just how you can help them. Secondly, with the millennial generation having such short attention spans, be sure to make your huge impact in the first ten seconds of the video, or your viewers will get bored and move onto the next one. Keep your videos concise and to the point. Remember, millennials value immediate gratification. Finally, young people love vlogs. And no, that isnt a misprint. If you have a blog, consider replacing it with video blog or vlog. A how-to or review video of your product is something your millennial audience may take great interest in. And there you have it, a close insight into why millennials are so hell-bent on watching videos. They spend a lot of their time watching, sharing, commenting and buying online. Shaq Abboud is the Creative Director of Scope Productions. Millennial stock photo by Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
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https://www.smallbizdaily.com/why-are-millennials-so-attracted-to-video-marketing/
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Is the world ready for the 'digital transformation'?
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Experts said Thursday many companies risk being left behind in the digital revolution that could disrupt their business models The annual business rendezvous in Davos is a hothouse of insider tech jargon, but this year's buzzword of "digital transformation" could translate into profound and painful changes for companies and workers. Whether through robots, automation or artificial intelligence, the impact of the transformation is heaping pressure on governments, with employees worried about their livelihoods and futures. "All these technical and non-technical companies... have a very big responsibility," Jean-Philippe Courtois, head of global sales at Microsoft, told AFP in an interview. The spoils of the digital economy "must be redistributed to a larger mass of people", he said. "This means a responsibility, for example, in education." Tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google and IBM are raking in the profits of building that transformation as client firms shed staff in favour of automation and digitising data. In a survey, corporate consultancy McKinsey found that just eight percent of companies believed their current business model would survive if their industry keeps digitising at current rates. Companies "underestimate the increasing momentum of digitisation, the behavioural changes and technology driving it, and, perhaps most of all, the scale of the disruption bearing down on them", said the report in McKinsey Quarterly. The examples of digital upheaval in the past few years have proliferated, perhaps especially in Europe, where corporate giants from Ford to Dutch bank ING have slashed payrolls. Financial services "were primarily designed to serve people who were employed at a nine-to-five job by a single employer, oftentimes for their entire careers", said Bill Ready, chief operating officer at PayPal. "But changes in the way money is earned must be accompanied by changes in the way money is paid and managed," he added, and that requires digital change. 'Supermarket of the future' Microsoft itself has already transitioned after its former cash cow, the Windows operating system, lost market share, turning instead to offering remote services in the computing "cloud". At a pop-up cafe on the Davos Promenade, Microsoft employees showed interactive videos, calling them "stories", illustrating the small revolutions it says its artificial intelligence can deliver. One featured "the supermarket of the future", including "digital shelves" that can show ads and change prices using a network of sensors. In one scene, a dropped carton of milk is automatically signalled to a clean-up crew. Companies can buy this technology off the shelf, "but you also need to build your own digital core (and) as a result of that, you are going to become a digital company", Courtois said. But in the urgent hunt to modernise, companies "have to be super clear about where you want to go". Data remains at the core of this technology. It can now be collected and treated in innovative andfor somefrightening ways, including facial recognition. But where some see a brave new world, others see chaos or disruption, with scenes of violence by taxi drivers against Uber, or city governments clamping down on Airbnb, worried for their hotel industry. 'Too late zone' This "fourth industrial revolution", another Davos catchphrase, "is moving faster than anyone expected", said World Economic Forum expert Murat Sonmez. "Businesses and governments are falling behind in responding to this pace, continuously operating in the 'too late zone'," he said. Governments say they are now ready to take on big tech, especially after the massive Facebook scandal that saw private data harvested for political gain by Cambridge Analytica. In an address to the Davos forum on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said multilateral bodies such as the World Trade Organisation should gain oversight of cross-border data flows. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan said his country would push for better oversight of data during its chairmanship of the G20 this year. The European Union has led the way to impose greater limits on how companies can use data, with strict privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation. Microsoft's Courtois said that he fully backed GDPR and stressed that rules on technology should go even further. "There is a crucial human element and we must discuss this with regulators ... to ensure that together we build a democratic, accessible and fair intelligence built for society," he said. Explore further: OECD hopes for global digital tax by 2020
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https://phys.org/news/2019-01-world-ready-digital.html
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What made Cleopatras red lips so kissable?
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PLATO'S ALARM CLOCK AND OTHER AMAZING ANCIENT INVENTIONS by James M. Russell (Michael OMara 9.99, 192 pp) It's a funny old game, inventing. James M. Russells ramble through the cunning contraptions produced by our ancestors contains some real surprises. Take the alarm clock mentioned in the title. Plato and his students needed to be up in time for lessons, so the Greek genius built a vessel that gradually filled with water, forcing air through tiny openings that acted as whistles. This, in itself, is clever enough. James M. Russell uncovers a selection of inventions from our ancestors including Cleopatra's (pictured as portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor) red lipstick in a new book But Russell also mentions another early alarm clock a candle with a metal ball embedded in it. When the candle burned down, the ball fell out, hitting a hard surface and so waking up the sleeper. The Chinese had invented teabags by the 7th century AD. The first vending machine appeared 600 years before that, courtesy of Hero of Alexandria. It dispensed holy water in return for a five-drachma coin. (Hero was a clever clogs he also originated the steam engine, force pump and a set of self-opening doors.) The oldest known piece of chewing gum dates from 6,000 years ago. It was found in Finland and still has teeth marks. We already know what the Romans did for us, courtesy of the Monty Python film Life Of Brian (All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order . . .). Should you be in any doubt, however, this book runs you through some of the Romans more notable achievements. Their metalwork was accurate enough to produce tiny working locks. They put the concrete in the harbour at Caesarea in Israel in the 1st century BC and its getting stronger, not weaker. (The seawater reacts with the volcanic ash that was one of the ingredients, closing any fissures.) The Lycurgus Cup is a glass dating from 400 AD lit from behind it appears red; lit from the front it looks green. We only learned how to replicate the effect a few years ago. PLATO'S ALARM CLOCK AND OTHER AMAZING ANCIENT INVENTIONS by James M. Russell (Michael OMara 9.99, 192 pp) Ancient life was innovative, but not always for the squeamish. Even Cleopatra (played by Elizabeth Taylor, pictured) had a close encounter of the insect kind: her red lipstick contained crushed ants and fish scales. Meanwhile, an inventor who told Tiberius that hed come up with unbreakable glass was asked by the Roman emperor if anyone else knew the secret. No, came the reply. At which Tiberius who didnt want to be known as the emperor whod put all his glassmakers out of business had the inventor killed. There is lots of cleverness in this book. But, just to reassure ourselves even the brightest people can be stupid, lets finish with the 11th-century European Christians. They refused to accept a newfangled bit of cutlery known as the fork simply because it reminded them of the pitchfork carried by Satan.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-6629353/What-Cleopatras-red-lips-kissable.html
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Was Trump's rise driven by church decline?
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Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin The decline of Christianity in the U.S. helped President Donald Trump secure the Republican nomination, an analysis argues. "The best way to describe Trumps support in the Republican primaries when he was running against the likes of Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich would be: white evangelicals who do not go to church," Timothy Carney wrote Jan. 17 for The American Conservative. Using Voter Study Group data, Carney found that Trump did best among Republican primary voters who seldom or never attend religious services. Carney, opinion editor for The Washington Examiner and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, also writes about this topic in the forthcoming Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse, which will be published Feb. 19. Carney doesn't place the blame on working-class whites who stopped going to church, but sees it as a complicated story of economic decline contributing to church closures. "Economic collapse goes hand in hand with the desiccation of religious institutions," Carney wrote. "When factories or coal mines close, some portion of the population flees. Still others stop going to church .... "Absent strong job prospects, fewer adults form families. When people have fewer weddings and christenings, and fewer kids to educate on right and wrong, they go to church less. Of course then, this becomes a vicious circle: in communities less anchored in church, theres less family formation. A place with fewer families is a place less attractive to employers thus this social and moral collapse is both a consequence and a cause of economic collapse. "The 'economic anxiety' is inextricably tied with the collapse of church and family. The latter is the more dangerous problem." Carney concluded by noting the "bitter irony" of church decline leading to Trump, for those on the secular Left who believe a less religious nation is a better nation. Others have also argued that the rise of Trump is a symptom of the decline of religion in America. In a Dec. 7 column for New York magazine, columnist Andrew Sullivan wrote that the void left by religion is being filled by both Trump and illiberal social justice warriors. We have the cult of Trump on the right, a demigod who, among his worshipers, can do no wrong. And we have the cult of social justice on the left, a religion whose followers show the same zeal as any born-again evangelical. They are filling the void that Christianity once owned, without any of the wisdom and culture and restraint that Christianity once provided, Sullivan said. Others have similarly argued that Trump's strongest support doesn't come from his most religious voters. Not in church," during the 2016 nomination contests. Some reacted to Carney's column by pointing out that even if dispossessed Christians fueled Trump's rise, devout white evangelicals were still responsible for getting him over the finish line. Plus, some of Trump's strongest supporters continue to be evangelical leaders, such as Pastor Robert Jeffress, the Rev. Franklin Graham, and Liberty University President Jerry Fallwell Jr. In response to Carney's argument, Eastern Illinois University political scientist Ryan Burge wrote for Religion in Public that Republican voters who went to church the most often mostly supported Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. They only represented 20 percent of the sample, however, and every other church attendance category mostly backed Trump. Burge also found that Cruz supporters were the most conservative on Christian Right issues, such as religious freedom, abortion and homosexuality. But beyond those issues, Cruz voters looked similar to Trump voters. In a Tuesday column for Religion & Politics, Janelle Wong, professor of American studies and Asian American studies at the University of Maryland, wrote that evangelical support for Trump is more driven by race than religion. Noting data first reported in her book, Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change (2018), Wong wrote that Trump had higher support from nonevangelical whites than evangelical non-whites, suggesting that white evangelical Trump supporters are more driven by their whiteness than their evangelicalism. Carney and Wong both agree that economics alone doesn't fully explain the source of Trump's strongest supporters. "Its pretty clear at this point that economic disenfranchisement is not the driving force behind white evangelicals conservative politics. Rather, the primary driver in my view is a sense of 'racial embattlement,'" Wong concluded. More evidence for this was in a September 2018 report by Emily Ekins for The Cato Institute (using the same dataset Carney used), which found that nonreligious Trump voters showed more racist attitudes than religious Trump voters. In explaining Trumpism, Carney points to a loss of religious instruction and Wong points to racist sentiments. But these theories can be complementary if racism thrives where religious instruction dwindles. A recent book by political scientists Ruth Melkonian-Hoover and Lyman Kellstedt found that white evangelicals who are theologically conservative and are active in their church are more likely to disagree with Trump on immigration issues, which suggests that a combination of participation and belief, church attendance and instruction can influence political views, and not always in the popularly expected direction.
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https://www.christianpost.com/news/was-trumps-rise-driven-by-church-decline.html
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Can UK blunt the charge of Kansas up all-time hoops wins list?
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Since John Calipari became Kentucky mens basketball coach before the 2009-10 season, UK has won a robust 81.2 percent of its games. Yet, in spite of that bounty of Wildcats victories, Kentucky has actually lost ground since 2009-10 as the mens college basketball all-time wins leader to Kansas, the No. 2 program on that list. When Bill Self brings the No. 9 Jayhawks (16-3, 5-2 Big 12) to Rupp Arena to face No. 8 Kentucky (15-3, 5-1 SEC) at 6 p.m. Saturday, it will be a chance for UK to score head-to-head against the program that lingers in a threatening position to Kentuckys status as college basketballs winningest team. When Self was hired by Kansas before the 2003-04 season after Roy Williams bolted Lawrence for North Carolina, mens college basketballs all-time wins leaders stood like this: Digital Access For Only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. 1. Kentucky 1,848; 2. North Carolina 1,808; 3. Kansas 1,801. You will note that UK had a 40-game margin on UNC and 47-game lead on KU. Since then, Self has compiled 463-99 mark as leader of the Rock, Chalk, Jayhawks. As a result, the mens college hoops all-time wins race now stands like this: 1. Kentucky 2,278; 2. Kansas 2,264; 3. North Carolina 2,247. Kentuckys John Calipari, left, and Kansas Bill Self preside over the two winningest programs in mens NCAA Division I college basketball history. Bill Haber AP For the mathematically challenged, the UK advantage is now plus-14 wins over Kansas and plus-31 over Carolina. The coaching resume of Self, 56, at Kansas never ceases to fascinate. On the one hand, no coach of an elite program has been on the wrong side of more NCAA Tournament upsets by mid-major teams than Self. Bucknell, Bradley, Northern Iowa, VCU and Wichita State have all ended Kansas seasons during March Madness in the Self era. Yet, if Self has presided over some head-scratching NCAA tourney losses, his 16 seasons as Kansas head man have never yielded a bad regular season. Famously, the Jayhawks are in the midst of a stretch of 14 consecutive seasons of either winning outright or sharing the Big 12 regular-season championship. In nine of Selfs 15 full years as KU coach, Kansas has gone over 30 wins. By comparison, Kentucky has four 30-win seasons since 2003-04, North Carolina seven. Under Self, Kansas has only had double-digit losses in a season one time, a 25-10 record in 2013-14. Over the same time, UK has had seven double-digit-loss seasons and UNC six. Particularly costly to Kentucky in the all-time wins battle was the four-year stretch from 2005-06 through 2008-09. When Tubby Smiths otherwise successful Kentucky coaching tenure went stale in its final two seasons, UK went 22-13 (2005-06) and 22-12 (2006-07). The ill-fated Billy Gillispie era then produced records of 18-13 (2007-08) and 22-14 (2008-09). Over those four seasons, Kansas and Self won a combined 38 more games than Kentucky. Anthony Davis, claiming rebound, and Kentucky claimed victory in the most consequential game the Wildcats have played against Kansas in the Bill Self coaching era, a 67-59 UK victory in the 2012 NCAA title game. Lexington Herald-Leader file photo Since Calipari signed on with UK, the Wildcats have enjoyed two 38-win seasons, a 35-victory campaign and a 32-win year. Given that, one might reasonably have expected the Cats to have gained on Kansas. Instead, since 2009-10, Kentucky has won 290 games. Kansas has won 294. The good news for those Cats backers who relish hearing Kentucky referred to as the winningest program in the history of mens college basketball, is that UKs 38-1 season in 2014-15 (a plus-11 year in relation to KUs record of 27-9) helped Kentucky blunt the upward charge of Self and Kansas. On Dec. 15, 2013, the last time I wrote about the UK-KU battle for the all-time wins lead, the Jayhawks were within 11 of the Cats. So Kentucky is plus-three since then. Still, it would provide more peace of mind for UK fans if the Wildcats could expand their all-time wins lead to a number so sufficiently large that Kentucky could not be passed due to one down season. Consider: In 2007-08, Kansas went 37-3 en route to the NCAA title, while Kentucky produced an 18-13 mark in Gillispies first season. That meant the Jayhawks gained 19 games on the Cats in that one year alone. Going forward, thats the scenario Kentucky needs to insulate itself against. As is, when the two winningest teams in mens college basketball history face each other Saturday evening in Rupp Arena, the distance between No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Kansas in all-time victories remains too close for Big Blue comfort. Winningest programs Teams with the most wins in the history of mens Division I college basketball (x-Thursdays game not included): 1. Kentucky 2,278 2. Kansas 2,264 3. North Carolina 2,247 4. Duke 2,160 5. Temple 1,917-x 6. Syracuse 1,897-x 7. UCLA 1,880-x 8. Notre Dame 1,877 9. St. Johns 1,848 10. Indiana 1,829 11. BYU 1,822-x 12. Utah 1,811-x 13. Arizona 1,810-x 14. Cincinnati 1,804-x 15. Purdue 1,790 16. Western Kentucky 1,785 17. Illinois 1,783 18. Penn 1,782 19. Texas 1,780 20. Washington 1,779-x
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https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article225010475.html
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Are these the UKs cheapest homes?
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A one-bed flat in Inverclyde, Scotland, is currently on the market for just 4k Its possible to find properties on the market today for less than 20,000, or the price of an average family car, according to research by Housesimple.com. In fact, the online estate agent worked out that if you bought the 20 cheapest properties for sale in the UK today youd pay a total of 303,900 for the lot. Thats a little over 15,000 a property. The three cheapest properties, which are all in the same area of Inverclyde, in Scotland, can be picked up for less than the price of a new Ford Focus. The cheapest property, a one-bed flat in Port Glasgow, is on the market at 4,000. Two other properties for sale, also in Port Glasgow, are on at 5,500 and 6,000. Purchasing all three of them would set you back 16,000. To put that into context, the average UK house price, according to the Land Registry, currently stands at 230,630. These properties can be bought for one-fourteenth of, or 214,630 less than the price of the average UK house. The cheapest property for sale currently in England is a studio flat in Bradford, West Yorkshire, on the market at 13,000. If its a house youre after, not a flat, youll have to fork out a little more. The cheapest on the market is a two-bed terraced home in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, listed at 15,000. Sam Mitchell, CEO at Housesimple.com, said: With the average UK house price over 200,000, its hard to believe you can still buy a house for pre-1980 prices. These particular properties wont appeal to the majority of buyers, but if youre not afraid to purchase something that needs work, there are some genuine bargains out there waiting to be snapped up. Sellers in this market need to price sensibly if you price it right, theres a buyer out there. Pent-up buyer demand has been building since early December. Low interest rates and competitive mortgage deals make it a very attractive market, but low stock levels in many areas have left buyers with limited choice. Those sellers who market in January will have their pick of the buyers.
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https://www.yourmortgage.co.uk/news/are-these-the-uks-cheapest-homes/
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Is Zwifts virtual racing for pros the future of cycling?
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As the first online race series for pros launches, we look at the emerging discipline The first ever series of online bike races for professionals has officially launched, as virtual training platform Zwift inaugurated its KISS Super League event with much fanfare on Wednesday night (January 23). Industry figures and even a few cycling celebrities packed into the Pinarello store in central London to watch the event kick off. Britains first Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins and Dimensions Datas Steve Cummings were invited along to help launch this latest innovation in a sport so deeply rooted in its own tradition. The Super League involves 15 teams from around the world, including Pro Continental and Continental outfits, who will battle across 10 rounds in virtual Zwift races. Four riders from each team must line up in at least eight of the 10 contests, with winners accumulating points for their team that count towards an overall classification. On Wednesday night, riders from Team WigginsLe Col were lined up in the Pinarello store to race, while other pros from teams including Cofidis, Israel Cycling Academy and Madison-Genesis loaded up their smart trainers across the world to hit the slopes of Watopia, Zwifts virtual homeworld. Zwift CEO Eric Min, speaking to the crowds gathered to watch the opening round, said: The timing is perfect for us to really get behind racing. To really build the infrastructure that really gives it integrity. I think weve demonstrated the platform is stable. We have plenty of users in the community. In terms of what it can be as an e-sport, I think we have the potential to bring more people into the sport that can go on to become great Olympians or winners of the Tour de France. I think e-sports could be a sport in its own right. Were excited about making the sport more accessible, more affordable, global, and scalable. I think it just resonates well with the whole industry and all the partners we work with. And so, the first race in a potential new era of racing began not with a bang but with 500watts straight from the gun. With traditional peloton tactics essentially removed from the equation even with the ability to draft behind other riders on Zwift the hour-long race became a brutal balancing act of power and endurance. The event was broadcast live around the world via Zwifts Facebook presence, with commentators and pundits on-hand to talk viewers through the action. After a blistering start, aided by Irish national Conor Dunne (Israel Cycling Academy) attacking off the front just for the kicks, the racing settled. But without a breakaway and without the usual cohesion within the peloton, settled still saw everyone pushing 400w just to stay in the group. >>> Zwift: Everything you need to know Team Wiggins Jacques Sauvagnargues and Robert Scott were spat out the back before long, leaving team-mates Ollie Robinson and Ben Healy in the bunch. Watching live in store, it was hard to tell who had been dropped from the group as the peloton was consistently whittled down piece by piece. But it was clear who remained strong heading into the second half of the race, as the same names appeared at the front of the bunch regularly, including Dunne and Ian Bibby from Madison-Genesis. Robinson and Healy must also have turned their minds to the final as they held their own that is until the resistance on Healys smart trainer inexplicably dropped to zero. Mechanicals are of course a regular feature of bike racing, but the relentless nature of this race made any slight mishap a critical moment. Despite some frantic maintenance work from Zwift staff, Healy was forced to retire. >>> Sir Bradley Wiggins: My son comes home from school and gets on Zwift instead of Fortnite Speaking after the race, he said: It was going really well until the turbo broke on me. From what I can tell the resistance just went completely, so I couldnt get any power out. It was the end of my race. But I think its a really good idea, getting a lot of strong guys together racing at the start of the season. The relentless pressure finally took its toll on the sole Wiggins rider left in contention, Robinson, who was dropped from the front group in the final stages. Despite the huge wattage hed held for the duration, he was able to ride solo up the final mountain ascent to finish 22nd. By this point in the race, Sauvagnargues and Scott had regrouped and joined a larger chasing bunch behind, who came in five minutes down on the winner. Up at the sharp end, a group of 20 riders approached the line for an uphill sprint finish. Madison-Genesis Tom Moses was the first to kick for the line, setting up a perfect lead-out for team-mate Ian Bibby, who held an enormous 800w to take the win. But the decisive factor in the final run to the line was not holding the power, as Bibby used an in-game power-up that increased his aerodynamics and allowed him to break free. Watching the race from the comfort of the Pinarello store was actually quite a treat. While many fans may not see the appeal of watching a virtual race, there was plenty of entertainment watching the Wiggins riders battle to hold position through pure, brute power. >>> Edvald Boasson Hagen used cycling treadmill for monster six-hour Zwift training ride Being able to see the rider numbers heart rate, cadence, watts in real time was an added joy for any data obsessed cyclists wanting to see how strong the pros really are. The final was actually an enthralling sprint, but the real spectacle lies in seeing the riders in the flesh, slogging their way over virtual mountains, rather than just watching animated avatars on screen. Even the pros enjoyed the exertion. Robinson said after the race: I think its really awesome. Its good to get a bit of competition between guys were going to race on the road and see how theyre going at the moment. I think its a lot easier on the road. In these youre just full gas all the time and theres no let off. On the road you can sit in and cruise, but here you have to put the power down all the time. Of course the nature of bike racing is about the riders relationship with our surroundings, to find who is best able to tackle the natural features of the landscape. While that aspect of cycling is irreplaceable, the first Zwift race for pros shows there is potential for an entirely new discipline to run alongside, as part of the digital evolution of the sport.
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https://www.cyclingweekly.com/cycling-weekly/zwifts-virtual-racing-pros-future-cycling-405803
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What are the games to watch in final two weeks of HS basketball season?
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With a little over two weeks remaining in the high school basketball regular season, the top teams are starting to separate themselves. Each league will automatically qualify three teams for playoffs. At-large teams for Divisions I-IV will be chosen if they did not finish in the top three in their league yet are ranked in Top 15 in their division by MaxPreps. Here are the teams to watch along with the big games remaining and MVP candidates for each league: Boys Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. CCAL Likely In: Gregori (15-8, 4-1), Turlock (11-10, 4-1) On the Bubble: Downey (12-8, 2-3), Enochs (9-14, 2-3), Modesto (10-12, 2-3) Big Games Remaining: Modesto at Turlock (Jan. 30), Turlock at Gregori (Feb. 5) MVP Candidates: Gregori sophomore Carlos Hernandez (15 points, 8.9 rebounds), Turlock senior Cameran Sherwood (16 points, 4.4 rebounds) TCAL Likely In: Modesto Christian (17-5, 7-0), St. Marys (16-6, 6-1), Tracy (14-7, 5-2) On the Bubble: Lincoln (9-14, 3-4) Big Games Remaining: Oak Hill Academy at Modesto Christian (Jan. 26 at Mater Dei HS), St. Marys at Modesto Christian (Feb. 1) MVP Candidates: Modesto Christian senior Earv Knox, Modesto Christian senior Dathan Satchell, St. Marys senior Bryce Johnson (16.6 points, 11.1 rebounds) TVL Likely In: Ripon Christian (15-6, 7-0), Ripon (11-11, 5-1) On the Bubble: Riverbank (10-9, 4-3), Escalon (9-13, 3-3) Big Game Remaining: Ripon at Ripon Christian (Feb. 8) MVP Candidates: Ripon senior Vincent Olmo (16.2 points, 11.8 rebounds), Ripon Christian senior Cade Alger (17.4 points, 11.4 rebounds) VOL Likely In: Weston Ranch (21-1, 6-0), Central Catholic (16-7, 6-1), Manteca (16-6, 5-1) On the Bubble: Sierra (15-6, 3-4) Big Games Remaining: Weston Ranch at Central Catholic (Jan. 29), Weston Ranch at Manteca (Feb. 5) MVP Candidates: Central Catholic senior Justin Traina (14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds), Central Catholic junior Dayton Magana (12.7 points), Manteca senior Jorge Cedano (13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists), Weston Ranch sophomore Donjae Lindsey (15.7 points, 2.8 rebounds), Weston Ranch junior Gavin Wilburn (11.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists) WAC Likely In: Mountain House (15-6, 9-0), Beyer (16-7, 8-1) On the Bubble: Lathrop (14-7, 6-3), Los Banos (17-6, 5-4) Big Game Remaining: Mountain House at Beyer (Jan. 30) MVP Candidates: Beyer senior McKay Bundy, Beyer senior Dom Dancer, Mountain House senior Keenami Maggard, Mountain House senior Yubi Dhillon Girls CCAL Likely In: Turlock (14-7, 4-1), Pitman (12-9, 4-1), Enochs (14-6, 3-2) On the Bubble: Gregori (7-14, 2-3) Big Games Remaining: Enochs at Turlock (Jan. 31), Pitman at Turlock (Feb. 7) MVP Candidates: Enochs senior Melissa Brady (13 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks), Pitman sophomore Jessica Smith (9.7 points, 6.2 rebounds), Turlock senior Jaydon Williams TCAL Likely In: St. Marys (15-6, 3-0), Lincoln (14-9, 5-2), Modesto Christian (9-12, 5-2) On the Bubble: Lodi (12-10, 4-2) Big Games Remaining: Modesto Christian at St. Marys (Feb. 4), Lincoln at St. Marys (Feb. 7) MVP Candidates: Lincoln senior Taylor Low (12.4 points, 3.7 steals), Modesto Christian senior Allison Tilbury, St. Marys senior Jada Moss TVL Likely In: Livingston (14-8, 6-1), Ripon Christian (13-7, 5-2), Ripon (13-7, 5-2) On the Bubble: Escalon (10-10, 3-3) Big Games Remaining: Livingston at Ripon Christian (Jan. 31), Ripon Christian at Ripon (Feb. 7) MVP Candidates: Livingston senior Annie Winton (26.9 points, 3.3 steals), Ripon junior Reina Sausedo (17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.7 steals), Ripon Christian junior Morgan Van Elderen (14.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists) VOL Likely In: Kimball (18-3, 7-0), Manteca (15-7, 6-1), East Union (14-7, 5-2) On the Bubble: Central Catholic (15-8, 2-5) Big Games Remaining: Kimball at Manteca (Feb. 4) MVP Candidates: Kimball sophomore Isabelle Lacap (12.9 points, 2.5 steals), Manteca junior Jayda Jackson (14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds) WAC Likely In: Lathrop (16-5, 9-0), Beyer (17-5, 8-1) On the Bubble: Los Banos (13-7, 4-3), Johansen (12-6, 5-4), Mountain House (10-13, 5-4) Big Game Remaining: Lathrop at Beyer (Jan. 24) MVP Candidates: Beyer senior Alicia Jones (23.8 points, 4.4 steals), Lathrop senior Mary Cotton (15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 3.2 steals)
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https://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/article224965200.html
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Is My Child Missing Too Much School?
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When I was a prekindergarten teacher, my young students always provided an exciting share of challenges. There were children who cried when their parents left in the morning and those who were always last to When I was a prekindergarten teacher, my young students always provided an exciting share of challenges. There were children who cried when their parents left in the morning and those who were always last to be picked up. There were loud children and shy children, potty mishaps, and naptimes that left me exhausted. But the issues that concerned me most werent the things that happened inside my classroom, but what happened outside especially when children regularly missed days of school. In early education such as pre-k, merely showing up is one of the most important ways to ensure children can achieve academic success. Without consistent attendance, my students had a harder time mastering critical skills, including the basics of mathematics or reading. Some parents didnt see the harm in missing school, but I saw my students losing ground and falling behind their classmates. Chronic absenteeism when students miss school for extended periods is an increasingly persistent problem for families and school communities across the country. According to the Brookings Institutions report, School attendance: A building block of student achievement, there are about 8 million students in the United States who missed more than three weeks of school during the 20152016 school year. [Read: What to Do If Your School-Age Child Struggles With Separation Anxiety.] I no longer teach preschool, but as a curriculum advisor, I visit schools around the country. In my work with administrators, teachers and families, I see how chronic absenteeism can hinder students across the spectrum. Children who are chronically absent in the early years fall behind on the building blocks of literacy, numbers, science, math and social skills. In fact, Attendance Works, an initiative that aims to reduce chronic absenteeism, found that students who miss more than 10 percent of school starting in preschool are more likely to be poor readers by third grade. This in turn makes them four times more likely to drop out of high school, according to the 2012 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In all grades, however, missing just three days in a row can set students back for weeks if their classes cover difficult or foundational ideas. Education builds on itself, and a single concept in Algebra II could be the basis of the rest of the semesters work. For this reason and others, extended absences in just one year from 8th to 12th grade can make a student seven times more likely to drop out, according to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. The reasons for chronic absenteeism are as varied as the students experiencing them. Family issues such as financial struggles, homelessness or a lack of transportation can be the cause, and the solutions for these cases require a thoughtful school and community response. Still, many times, absences stem from the fact that parents arent aware of how important attendance is, or dont know how to get the help they need. Here are a few ways that parents can help their child when it comes to recurring absences from school: Build Good Habits Great attendance starts by building great habits early on. Students who are chronically absent in preschool are five times more likely to continue this trend in the second grade, according to the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. So teaching children to value and strive for attendance in their pre-k and kindergarten years can have long-lasting effects. Create a routine that prepares children for their day and gets them excited to go to school. Set regular bedtimes at night and an alarm in the morning to ensure your family wakes with enough time to get ready. A morning chart with a checklist for your childs routine such as getting dressed, eating breakfast and brushing teeth can make preparing to learn fun and interactive as well. [Read: Why Schools Should Take a Restorative Approach to Discipline Issues.] Work With Your School Parents should also know that they are not alone in this mission to promote attendance. If your child is older and skipping class or is struggling with other emotional and social needs at any age, communication with your school is critical. Attendance officers, community liaisons, teachers, counselors and other school staff members have resources that can support your familys needs. Counseling, mediation and tutoring may be available for students who are struggling with learning or attention issues, peer pressure or bullying. And teachers can assign homework via tablets, computers or smartphones to help students catch up or for those who must miss class. There will always be days when kids just cant come to school. Im almost certain the flu travels faster than the speed of sound in a pre-k classroom. But with so many wonderful and foundational things for children to learn every day in class and with so much at stake when they miss out, absent should always be a last resort. There are also many effective digital learning resources families can use at home if their child cant attend to school, both free such as that offered by the nonprofit Khan Academy and subscription-based. [See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids Health.] We all want our children to learn, grow and live up to their enormous potential. School can help them achieve that but only if they show up. With the help of teachers, administrators, and most importantly, parents, we can make sure they do. originally appeared on usnews.com Correction 01/17/19: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Khan Academy.
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https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/is-my-child-missing-too-much-school/
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How Do Corporate Credit Cards Work?
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Companies use corporate credit cards so that employees can charge authorized business expenses such as hotel stays and flights without relying on their own credit cards or cash. A corporate card usually carries a companys Companies use corporate credit cards so that employees can charge authorized business expenses such as hotel stays and flights without relying on their own credit cards or cash. A corporate card usually carries a companys name as well as the name of the employee designated as the cardholder. Broadly speaking, a corporate credit card is intended for a company with millions to billions of dollars in annual revenue, while a business credit card is designed for a company of any size, including a small business or a solo entrepreneur. Both corporate and business credit cards offer different benefits and might be used for different purposes. How Corporate Credit Cards Differ From Other Business Credit Cards One major difference between a corporate card and a business card is whos responsible for the debt. Companies can choose from several liability options. Corporate liability: The company is solely responsible for the debt. In this case, the card issuer sends the bill directly to the company. Individual liability: An employee holding a corporate card is responsible for the debt. In this instance, the card issuer sends the bill to the employees home, and the employee is expected to pay the bill. Generally, the employee then will ask the company for reimbursement. Joint liability: The company and the employee together are responsible for the debt. In this scenario, an employee might be held liable for debt on the card he or she uses. An American Express corporate card, for example, is a joint liability card. An employees personal credit wont take a hit if the bill is paid in full within 180 days. But once that period ends, American Express will report the delinquency to the credit bureaus, and that can damage the employees credit. Business credit cards typically require a personal guarantee, which means both the business and the cardholder are liable for unpaid debt. Some card issuers routinely report business credit card activity on your personal credit report; others do not, or only when your account becomes delinquent. Another major difference between a corporate card and a business card is whos eligible to get one. Typically, a corporate credit card is meant for a company that generates at least $4 million in revenue per year. Additionally, a large nonprofit organization or government agency might qualify for a corporate card. Business credit cards generally have looser revenue requirements or rely on the personal credit standing of the cardholder. [Read: Best Business Credit Cards.] Corporate cards may be available from large credit card issuers, including American Express, Capital One, Citibank, Chase and Wells Fargo. Although these issuers may also offer personal and small business credit cards, corporate cards are a different product line. Aside from minimum annual revenue in the millions, qualifications for a corporate card typically include: At least 15 users of the corporate account within the company. Projected credit card charges of $250,000 or more a year. Registration as an S corporation or a C corporation. A company seeking an American Express corporate card must be in business for at least 12 months; must have a business address thats not a home address; and must not be a sole proprietorship. Other requirements may come into play as well. For instance, corporate credit card issuers could ask for: Your companys recent audited financial statements. Details about your companys structure and organization. Tax information, including a federal tax ID. Contact information for an officer at your company whos authorized to do business on the companys behalf. This could be the companys owner, president, treasurer or general manager, for example. Furthermore, a company applying for a corporate card may need to have its own business credit report and business credit score. Your company may have a credit score once you start opening accounts in the name of your business rather than in your own name. You can check your business credit with resources including Nav.com and Credit.net. Corporate Credit Card Benefits One of the key advantages of a corporate credit card is the ability to more easily manage expenses. For instance, a company can impose limits on how much a cardholder can spend overall or per transaction. It can even control where a card is used, limiting purchases to certain types of merchants or certain countries. For employees, a corporate card can deliver financial relief. It can eliminate the need for an employee to cover expenses such as hotel stays and flights out of his or her own pocket and then wait to be reimbursed. In addition, a corporate card can enable an employee to skip the tedious tasks of keeping receipts and submitting reimbursement forms. [Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.] Corporate credit cards also come with an array of perks. American Express Corporate Platinum Card, for example, provides access to more than 1,100 airport lounges in 120 countries, while its Corporate Gold Card reimburses fees for membership in Global Entry and TSA Precheck programs, which can help you get through airport security and customs faster. The One Card from Capital One earns 1.5 points per dollar on purchases if you choose a 14-day billing cycle, or 1.25 points per dollar on a 30-day billing cycle. Visa-branded corporate cards provide benefits such as emergency cash advances; help finding lost luggage; replacement of your lost, stolen or damaged card within one business day; insurance coverage for rental car losses caused by collision or theft if you used your card to reserve and pay for the car; and emergency assistance services, including emergency medical transportation. Corporate Credit Card Drawbacks Although corporate credit cards can be useful for companies and organizations, they arent without the risks and drawbacks inherent to all types of business credit cards. One of the biggest problems with corporate credit cards is fraud specifically, an employee putting personal expenses on a corporate card. Organizations lose an estimated 5 percent of their annual revenue to fraud, including corporate card schemes. Another problem: A corporate card might encourage an employee to spend more freely, such as booking a stay at a luxury resort or forking over $400 for an extravagant dinner with a client. On top of that, putting corporate cards in the hands of employees boosts the chances that a credit card or data associated with it could be stolen. Under the Credit CARD Act of 2009, corporate credit cards dont have the same legal protections as consumer credit cards. A card issuer could change the grace periods or raise the APR of a corporate card with little or no warning. Also, the CARD Act doesnt cap over-the-limit and late fees for corporate cards. However, some issuers have extended some or all CARD Act protections to holders of business credit cards and corporate cards. Rewards earnings may not be available with corporate credit cards, and of the corporate cards that offer rewards, earnings rates may not be as robust as with small business or personal credit cards. Corporate credit cards may offer a rewards rate of 1 percent cash back, while numerous consumer rewards credit cards are available with cash back rates of 2 percent or higher. And employees may not be able to keep rewards earned on their credit cards and redeem them, as companies may hang onto hotel points or airline miles. [Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.] What Companies Need to Know About Using Corporate Credit Cards Companies must keep an eye on corporate credit card spending. One suggestion: Require receipts for all charges greater than $75. Other steps a company can take to ensure that corporate cards are being used properly include: Institute a policy covering use of corporate cards. This could involve banning card use for personal expenses; setting rules about spending limits; and mandating that only the employee authorized to have the card can use it. Require each employee who has a corporate card to sign an agreement that details the companys expectations for card use. This document should spell out how an employee will be penalized for violating the rules. Review each cardholders credit card charges monthly. What Users Need to Know About Corporate Credit Cards As noted by Harvard University in the guidelines for its corporate card, employees should treat a corporate card the same way theyd treat a personal card with great care. Perhaps most importantly, a corporate credit card user should be aware of spending limits and other rules a company establishes, such as how expense reports are handled and what kinds of expenses are allowed. For example, in late 2018, athletic apparel company Under Armour Inc. banned the use of its corporate cards to pay for visits to strip clubs. Secondly, be aware that your personal credit history might be tied to a corporate credit card, depending on the liability option. For instance, a card issuer might pull your credit report before issuing a corporate card with your name on it, and your credit score might decline temporarily. However, the card wont appear on your credit report. As a result, your credit score normally wont be dinged if the company fails to make a card payment on time. But if the bill has gone unpaid for 180 days and your corporate card has joint liability, the late payment will be reported to the credit bureaus, and your personal credit score could drop. More from U.S. News Credit Cards vs. originally appeared on usnews.com
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https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/how-do-corporate-credit-cards-work/
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Why dev has left Sindh behind?
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Sindh is comparatively the richest province of Pakistan. Its share in the national output is estimated to be 30% when compared to its population share which is 23%. If the share in national output is contemplated relative to population, then Sindh has been losing its lead with the passage of time. A recently written book (to be published by Oxford University Press), The Economy of Modern Sindh: Opportunities lost and lessons for the future weaves together the economic history of Sindh into the status quo, analyses the constraints and issues facing the economy, and uncovers the reasons behind the stagnant economic growth of Sindh. According to the book, Sindhs population grew relatively faster than that of rest of the country. The poverty numbers in rural Sindh are far higher than that in urban Sindh and in the rest of Pakistan. The book also regards the declining productivity in agriculture, industry and services as one of the core reasons of the underdevelopment of the province. Describing the inequality, the book states, Sindh has historically been one of the most unequal and sharply divergent provinces in Pakistan. Karachi has the highest per capita income with the highest ranking across various social indicators while some of the districts in rural Sindh are among the poorest in the country with bottom ranking in access to basic social services. Some of its shocking findings are: For every 100 boys enrolling in primary school in Sindh, only 86 girls do so in the province., only 60% of children in Sindh make it to secondary school, for 21 government primary schools there is only one government secondary school, In 1995 Sindhs poverty headcount ratio was 10% lower than that of the national economy, but in 2001 it was 3% higher. FARAZ AHMED Karachi Share on: WhatsApp
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https://pakobserver.net/why-dev-has-left-sindh-behind/
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Are U.S. diplomats being used to make political point in Venezuela?
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CLOSE Large crowds of protesters gathered in Caracas waving flags and chanting "Get out Maduro" in what was shaping up to be the largest demonstration since a wave of unrest that left more than 120 dead in 2017. (Jan. 23) AP WASHINGTON American diplomatic personnel stationed in Venezuela have suddenly been thrust into the middle of an escalating geopolitical feud between the Trump administration and embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro demanded Wednesday that all U.S. embassy staff leave Venezuela, after President Donald Trump said Maduros claim to power was illegitimate and recognized Juan Guaido, head of Venezuelas opposition-led National Assembly, as the countrys interim president. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo quickly rejected Maduros mandate, saying Maduro had no authority to expel the American diplomats and insisting they would remain in Venezuela at the invitation of Guaido. The situation has sparked concern in Congress, where the top Democrat and Republican lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee raised concerns about Pompeos decision and suggested the Trump administration might be using U.S. diplomats to make a political point. Even with the Administrations recognition of Juan Guaid as President, Maduro maintains control over Venezuelas security forces and could use those forces to harm or intimidate American diplomats, Reps. Eliot L. Engel, the Democratic chairman of committee, and Michael T. McCaul, the panels top Republican, wrote in a letter to Pompeo on Thursday. More: Putin warns against 'destructive interference' in Venezuela after Trump recognizes Juan Guaido Given this potential situation, we want to ensure the safety of our diplomats and not allow it to be compromised in order to reiterate the political point that the United States no longer recognizes Maduros legal authority, the two lawmakers wrote. Engel, D-N.Y., and McCaul, R-Texas, also asked Pompeo for immediate briefings and written materials on all efforts to keep U.S. government employees and their families in Caracas safe and contingency plans for these individuals to exit the country if needed. Former diplomats and security experts also questioned Pompeos decision saying it is risky and potentially irresponsible. They note that Venezuela faces massive political upheaval at the moment, as anti-Maduro protesters face off against the Maduro-controlled security forces. At least a dozen protesters have been killed in the recent violence, according to the Associated Press. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro demonstrates his Salt Bae sprinkling technique during a press conference at the Miraflores Presidential Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018. Maduro demonstrated the technique after speaking about the invitation to the famed Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul when he stopped over briefly in Turkey on the way home from a trip to China. (Photo: Ariana Cubillos, AP) This puts Americans lives in danger. Full stop, tweeted Laura Rosenberger, a former State Department and National Security Council official and foreign policy adviser for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. And here I thought Republicans cared about the security of our diplomats? Rosenbergers remark was a not-so-subtle reference to the House GOPs two-plus-year investigation of the 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Republicans blasted then-Secretary of State Clintons handling of the attack. One of Clintons most aggressive questioners was Pompeo, then a GOP congressman representing Kansas. I am surprised somewhat that Secretary Pompeo, given his particular role in the Benghazi investigation, is sort of taking this amount of risk with the personnel (in Venezuela), said Kelly Magsamen, a former National Security Council and Department of Defense official in the Obama administration. These are all tough calls, Magsamen said of whether to leave or evacuate U.S. personnel from potentially dangerous posts in foreign countries. If you choose to keep your personnel in a country where theres potentially significant violence, you really need to depend on the host government to defend the embassy from any potential protests or whatnot, said Magsamen, now vice president for national security and international policy at the Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington think tank. Given that the Maduro government still appears to maintain control of the police and the army, there are reasonable questions about whether or not they would protect American personnel in the event of violence. This puts Americans lives in danger. Full stop. U.S. to defy Venezuelan order for American diplomats to leave Caracas in 72 hours https://t.co/HHbqJ9o09f Laura Rosenberger (@rosenbergerlm) January 24, 2019 R. Evan Ellis, a research professor in Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College, said Pompeo's decision was "strategically gutsy" because it puts Maduro in a no-win situation. If Maduro sends Venezuela's armed forces to attack the embassy or its staff, the military could turn against him, Ellis said. If Maduro doesn't do anything, Ellis said, he risks looking impotent at a tipping point in his presidency. But while strategically smart, Ellis said, Pompeo's decision is also potentially perilous for those Americans hunkered down in Venezuela. Those foreign service officers are "essentially right now pawns in the middle of a war zone, controlled by a hostile force who is intent on not dislodged from power and so clearly it puts them in a very very difficult situation," said Ellis, who is also a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This is a very dangerous game of chicken." In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trumps National Security Adviser John Bolton said the U.S. had warned Maduro not to harm American citizens in Venezuela. We put a very high priority on the safety both of official Americans in Venezuela and private citizens as well, Bolton said. Weve told the Maduro (regime) very clearly yesterday that if they do anything to endanger Americans, we will hold them directly responsible. I dont think its possible to be any clearer with them than we were. The State Department did not answer questions about how many Americans are stationed in Venezuela or whether any U.S. staff have asked to return to the U.S. despite Pompeo's directive. But a State Department spokesman said the agency was keeping close tabs on the safety of U.S. personal. We are monitoring the security situation in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the spokesman said. The full range of United States government resources are at the ready to ensure the safety and security of U.S. diplomats and their families. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, defended the administration's decision, saying in a tweet that it was important to make clear Maduro doesn't have the authority to oust American diplomats from Venezuela. . @StateDept@SecPompeo makes clear Maduro has no authority to expel US diplomats from #Venezuela & that The United States will take appropriate actions to hold accountable anyone who endangers the safety and security of our mission and its personnel. https://t.co/5to0WfMarF Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 24, 2019 Magsamen said its always desirable to maintain a U.S. diplomatic presence in a foreign country if possible. And she said it was appropriate to telegraph to Maduro that he would be responsible if the embassy or its staff were to be attacked. But keeping diplomats in Venezuela to make a political point is, when theres potential for violence, is to me seems irresponsible, she added. The Maduro government could perceive them (as pawns), she said, and its generating risk for our diplomats in a way that I think is unnecessary. Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/01/24/u-s-diplomats-being-used-make-political-point-venezuela/2666836002/
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/01/24/u-s-diplomats-being-used-make-political-point-venezuela/2666836002/
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Are More Kids Dying in Mass School Shootings?
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Incidence of school-associated homicides (mainly school shootings) with multiple victims rose significantly in recent years, while rates of school-associated homicides with a single victim remained stable, researchers found. From July 1994 to June 2016, there were 30 multiple-victim incidents accounting for 90 youth homicides; eight more occurred from July 2016 to June 2018 with 31 additional youth deaths, reported Kristin M. Holland, PhD, of the CDC, and colleagues, who called the numbers "unacceptably high." Moreover, 95% of multiple-victim school-associated homicides were due to firearm injuries versus a little over 60% of school-associated homicides with only one victim, the authors wrote in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. While multiple-victim homicide deaths evenly split among boys and girls, and almost a quarter were young children, single-victim school-associated homicide victims were mostly older boys, and the incidents occurred disproportionately in urban settings, they noted. Researchers examined data from the School-Associated Violent Death Surveillance System for single-victim incidents from July 1994 to June 2016, and for multiple-victim incidents from July 1994 to June 2018. While the incidents had to involve the homicide of 1 youth ages 5-18, they could also include non-student victims, such as school staff or family members, though the authors said data on adult homicides was not included. There were 423 school-associated homicides from 1994 to 2016. Of these, 393 were single-victim homicides and 30 were multiple-victim homicides, which the authors said represented 1.2% of all homicides among youths ages 5-18 in the U.S. during this time period. There were fluctuations in the rates of single-victim homicides from 1994 to 2016, the authors said. However, they noted that incidence of multiple-victim homicides declined from 1994 to 2009, then increased steadily through the 2017-2018 school year. For multiple-victim homicides, youth deaths were evenly split between girls and boys, and nearly a quarter were ages 5-9. "Strangers" and schoolmates of victims each accounted for 36% of perpetrators. Firearm injuries were the cause of death in 35 multiple-victim incidents that resulted in 115 youth deaths; 85% of those deaths were in incidents involving a single gun. Moreover, 60.5% of perpetrators of multiple-victim homicides who used firearms were younger than 18. "Research has shown that most firearms used by youths in school-associated violent death incidents were obtained from their own home or from a friend or relative, underscoring the need to ensure safe storage and to restrict minors' unsupervised access to firearms," the authors wrote. Single-victim homicides tended to mirror youth homicides unrelated to schools, the authors said, where boys and victims ages 15-18 each accounted for 77% of all victims, respectively. The single-victim homicide rate was 8.27 times higher for non-Hispanic black youths than non-Hispanic white youths. Rates of single-victim homicides were also highest in urban, public, and high schools. Strangers accounted for 27.6% of perpetrators of single-victim homicides, followed by gang members (23.8%). Firearm injuries were the cause of death in 247 single-victim homicides, the authors said, and about 40% of perpetrators of single-victim homicides who used firearms were age <18. Holland and colleagues noted that the CDC has a "technical package" of recommendations for preventing youth violence in communities. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest. 2019-01-24T16:00:00-0500
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https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/77610
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Is CMS Pushing Too Much Risk Onto ACOs?
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WASHINGTON -- Accountable care organizations (ACOs) expressed concern over new Trump administration regulations that reduced the amount of time they can remain in upside-only models. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a new rule that forces ACOs onto a two-sided risk track after a maximum of 2 or 3 years instead of 6 years. Roughly 12% of doctor-led ACOs and about 22% of health centers in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) will have to move onto a two-sided risk track more quickly than in previous years as a result of the new CMS rule, according to a new report from the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS). The new MSSP design has two tracks: "basic" and "enhanced." These replace the former MSSP track categories (tracks 1-3 and track 1-plus). Those on the basic track remain part of the default payment pathway, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, while those on the enhanced track are on the advanced alternative payment model pathway, and are eligible for certain bonuses. On the enhanced track, practices are eligible for up to 75% of shared rewards, but must also manage the first dollar losses from 40% t0 75%. Within the basic track, there are five-lettered levels (A-E) that incrementally increase in risk, with levels A and B serving as upside-only tracks, while levels C, D, and E are two-sided. In Tuesday's report, NAACOS sought to prove its argument that in shortening the runway to two-sided risk models, the final MSSP rule from CMS is shifting greater responsibilities, and potentially greater losses, onto certain ACOs that may not be ready. According to CMS, certain ACOs have more control over their costs than others. But in order to decide which ACOs should take on risk, CMS came up with its own formula for high and low revenue ACOs rather than allowing ACOs to self-report whether they are affiliated with a hospital, explained a NAACOS spokesperson. Most hospital-affiliated or health system ACOs would typically be seen by CMS as high revenue, according to NAACOS. The Formula An ACO would be deemed high revenue by CMS if the ACO's total fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare revenue for all its participating providers is >35% of its total FFS spending for all the beneficiaries assigned to that ACO. If the ACO's total FFS Medicare revenue for all participating providers is <35% of spending for all assigned beneficiaries, it would be considered a low-revenue ACO. Note that the formula for determining these ratios includes only the revenue and spending in Medicare Parts A and B. New ACOs in the high-revenue group are allowed to remain in the basic track for one 5-year agreement, while those in the low-revenue group are offered two 5-year cycles on the lower-risk track, according to the NAACOS spokesperson. In its analysis, NAACOS used 2016 claims data, and based its projections on an ACO's 2016 configuration. The results showed that most hospital-affiliated ACOs would be deemed high revenue. In addition, about 12% of physician-led groups would be categorized by CMS as high revenue "even though we would expect most providers in this category to be low revenue," the report noted. Also, about 22% of health centers (both federally qualified health centers and rural health centers) would be deemed high revenue under the new CMS rule. "It's worth noting this is historic data and the high-low revenue designation would be reset each year," NAACOS explained in its summary document. NAACOS said it is concerned that the new rule creates unnecessary complications for certain ACOs, particularly physician-led ACOs and health centers. The group is also concerned that ACOs who want to include specialists in their model might hesitate to do so, because having specialists increases an ACO's chances of being categorized as high revenue. Prior to its report and the CMS final rule, NAACOS issued a statement asking CMS not to finalize the distinction between high- and low-revenue ACOs. The group also pushed back on the idea that high-revenue ACOs, or any other type, be forced into higher levels of risk. "NAACOS believes there needs to be movement toward greater risk, and that movement requires an appropriate and reasonable glide path to encourage participation and success," Clif Gaus, ScD, CEO of NAACOS, said last month in a statement. In the current report, NAACOS restated its opposition to the "arbitrary distinction" between high- and low-revenue ACOs and "CMS's assertion that high-revenue ACOs are able to assume high levels of risk in shorter amounts of time." Mollie Gelburd, JD, associate director of government affairs for the Medical Group Management Association, said her members agree that ACOs should be allowed to "advance at their own pace." She also seconded NAACOS criticism of the high- and low-revenue mechanism for determining risk, adding that CMS is "equating the control over revenue spending to having control over [patients'] care." If an ACO delivers higher cost services, infusion drugs for example, they will have more costs to attribute to their providers, but that doesn't necessarily make them a high-revenue ACO, Gelburd explained. "If CMS is looking to redesign the program, there's other ways to generate saving besides this overemphasis on risk." Just as ACOs already have "inherent incentives" to take on risk when they're ready to, Gelburd noted, they will also "self-police" based on success or failure. "If they're losing money, they won't stay in the program," she explained. Another option could be for CMS to drop those ACOs that fail to achieve savings after several years. 'A Good Idea' Farzad Mostashari, MD, CEO and co-founder of Aledade, a firm that helps independent practices transition to value-based models, disagreed. Mostashari explained that "CMS set up the 'low revenue' designation based on actuarial analysis showing that these ACOs generated virtually all of the savings in one-sided ACO arrangements. That's the rationale for allowing them to stay in one-sided or lower downside risk arrangements for longer periods." He said the cutoff that maximized the difference in performance between high and low performance was for ACO participants receiving 10% of total FFS payments made for ACO-assigned beneficiaries. "CMS raised that threshold in the proposed rule to 25%, and then further to 35% in the final rule," he added. "We believe that the current designation is a good idea, and that the 35% cutoff is skewed -- if anything -- towards allowing too many hospital ACOs to use the low-revenue designation," Mostashari told MedPage Today via email. "While there may be some 'physician-affiliated ACOs' with a large proportion of specialist docs and relatively few primary care providers that may exceed this threshold, we would be surprised if that comprises a substantial number of active ACOs." 2019-01-24T10:30:00-0500
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https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/medicare/77600
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Are We Really Too Busy to Connect?
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Yes, I know that as physicians we are all busy. So imagine my surprise when my recent article, "Does Loneliness Add to Physician Burnout?" got so much attention on social media. Doctors agreed. They agreed that physicians are, indeed, lonelier than others. They agreed that connection could help bridge that gap. And ... they agreed that it wasn't likely to happen. Because doctors are too busy. Busy. We use that word like it's a badge we've earned in scouting. The answer to so many questions: "How are you?" "Busy." "What's going on?" "Oh, I'm so busy." "Do you have time to talk/get coffee/go to the gym?" "Nope. Too busy." It turns out that the ancient Chinese symbol for busyness has two parts: heart or soul and killing. So busyness actually leads to the death of our soul. Many people feel that busyness reflects a degree of importance, of stature. Despite popular myth to the contrary, it's actually not good to be busy. Thought leaders today have even developed patterns to "unbusy" themselves. Physicians can learn a lot from these folks. Straightforward ideas like eliminating non-essentials from your calendar, scheduling time for fun or exercise, knowing you are in too deep when something exciting is offered and -- instead of jumping at the chance to go to that concert or eat at the new restaurant -- you feel dread and overwhelm. Part of the angst of being busy is also feeling no control. Lack of control is rampant in doctors' lives these days. We can't control our patient flow or operating room start times. We can't control the type of electronic medical records our hospital employs. We can't control whether we can get home in time to do the things that matter most: see our kids; kiss our spouses; oh, and maybe eat and sleep. One of the practices that has helped me and many of my coaching clients is establishing clear boundaries. Boundaries can allow us windows of time, bring us a modicum of control, and reduce our stress. We need to constantly remind ourselves of this simple fact: "No" is a complete sentence. When we set boundaries, it opens the possibility for a sliver of time to emerge. As one of my mentors, Dr. Martha Beck, says we need to learn the 3 Bs: Bag it; Better it; Barter it. Essentially, Dr. Beck recommends to do a "brain dump" and write down every darn thing on your list. And then: break it down. This can help not just on the homefront but in the workplace. Sure. Absolutely. Prioritizing. You'll get that energy of completion and that satisfaction can lead to a more expansive attitude about your schedule. And maybe making time to connect with others doesn't have to be such a big deal. We can connect with others the tiniest bit in our daily lives. Reach out to your mail carrier. The older person behind you in the grocery store. The barista at the coffee shop. Every connection doesn't have to involve a heart-to-heart one-hour conversation about your dreams and wishes (and I know a lot of spouses who are nodding their heads in gratitude at this one). It can just be a sentence and a smile. I get it. We are busy. Busier than most people. And we can improve that in incremental ways that can have a huge impact on our lives, our health, and our future. Yeah. Me, too. Starla Fitch, MD, is an ophthalmologist, speaker, and personal coach. She blogs at Love Medicine Again and is the author of Remedy for Burnout: 7 Prescriptions Doctors Use to Find Meaning in Medicine. She can also be reached on Twitter @StarlaFitchMD. 2019-01-24T11:30:00-0500
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https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/generalprofessionalissues/77602
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Could Blood Test Predict Lung Transplant Rejection?
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A novel blood-based biomarker of lung transplant dysfunction in newly transplanted lungs could help identify patients at high risk for chronic rejection without a lung biopsy, researchers reported. In what was characterized as a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and several other institutions described how donor-derived cell-free DNA (%ddcfDNA) characterized "post-transplantation trends of lung-allograft injury that may lead to allograft failure and death." "Our results demonstrate that the average %ddcfDNA in the early post-transplant period correlated with the development of allograft failure and all-cause mortality," wrote NHLBI researcher Hannah Valantine, MD, and colleagues, in the study online in EBioMedicine. Valantine said the test solves the long-standing problem of detecting hidden signs of rejection and transplant failure in lung transplant recipients with no outward signs of organ rejection. "We showed for the first time that donor-derived DNA is a predictive marker for chronic lung rejection and death, and could provide critical time-points to intervene, perhaps preventing these outcomes," she said in a press statement. "Once rejection is detected early via this test, doctors would then have the option to increase the dosages of anti-rejection drugs, add new agents that reduce tissue inflammation, or take other measures to prevent or slow the progression." Lung transplant patients have the shortest median survival of any solid organ transplant recipients due to the high incidence of chronic rejection, also known as chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Several biomarkers predictive of lung allograft failure have been identified, but their clinical usefulness has been limited by the requirement for bronchoscopy to acquire a sample, poor specificity or sensitivity, or other reasons. Earlier research by Valantine and colleagues led to a sensitive genomic blood test designed to identify allograft injury from infection, acute rejection, and other complications. In the new study, involving 106 lung transplant recipients, the researchers were able to determine the extent of clinically detected and clinically silent allograft injury in the early post-transplant period and determine its relationship to allograft failure. The multicenter, prospective, cohort study included transplant recipients who were closely monitored for allograft failure after transplant. Endpoints included CLAD, retransplantation, and/or death from respiratory failure. Plasma samples were collected serially during the first 3 months following transplantation and assayed for %ddcfDNA using shotgun sequencing. The researchers computed the average levels of %ddcfDNA over 3 months for each patient (avddDNA) and determined its relationship to allograft failure using Cox-regression analysis. A total of 1,145 plasma samples were analyzed (median, 9.7 samples per patient), and 505 of these were within 3 months post-transplant. Among the main findings were the following: AvddDNA was highly variable among subjects: median values were 3.6%, 1.6%, and 0.7% for the upper, middle, and low tertiles, respectively (range 0.1%9.9%) Compared with subjects in the low and middle tertiles, those with avddDNA in the upper tertile had a 6.6-fold higher risk of developing allograft failure (95% CI, 1.619.9, P=0.007) Patients with avddDNA in the upper tertile also had lower peak FEV 1 values, and more frequent %ddcfDNA elevations that were not clinically detectable "At the molecular level, (lung recipients with high avddDNA levels) show more frequent elevated %ddcfDNA levels beyond the early post-transplantation period, suggesting that early unresolved allograft injury sets the stage for further allograft injury and dysfunction," the researchers wrote. Only a third of these elevated %ddcfDNA episodes were associated with acute rejection or clinical infection. "The remainder were not coincident to any signs detectable by histopathology, spirometry, clinical examination, or by any other clinical test. These episodes of clinically silent elevations in %ddcfDNA episodes could represent early detection of injury that progresses to pathologically overt changes," the team said. Study limitations cited by the researchers included the lower than anticipated survival in the cohort, the inability to assess CLAD in study participants who were too sick to undergo spirometry assessment, and variability in the number of samples analyzed per patient. "Future studies should address these limitations, validate our findings, and concurrently employ machine learning algorithm to compute avddDNA measurement with less time lag than the 3 months used in this study," Valantine and co-authors wrote. "Such future studies would require a larger cohort size and more frequent %ddcfDNA measurements. The earlier measures may enable assessments of the risk of allograft failure in the initial 3 months after transplantation." Funding for the research was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 2019-01-24T13:03:19-0500
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https://www.medpagetoday.com/transplantation/transplantation/77604
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Why Does A Leader Of The Indonesian Genocide Get To Play In So Many PGA Tour Pro-Ams?
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There is a scene near the start of Joshua Oppenheimers award-winning 2012 documentary The Act Of Killing in which Japto Soerjosoemarnothe leader of far-right paramilitary group Pancasila Youthis being interviewed on a golf course about his role in the Indonesian genocide of 1965-66. As hes warming up for a drive, an interviewer asks him, How did Pancasila exterminate the communists? Soerjosoemarno replies, We killed them all. May I hit the ball now? The narrative thrust of The Act of Killing is that few of the hatchet men involved in the CIA-backed massacre of between 500,000 and 3,000,000 Indonesians ever faced consequences for the killings, and many of them dont even harbor remorse. Their nonchalant openness about the murderers is what makes the documentary so chilling. Pancasila, which played a major role in the genocide 50 years ago, is still very much active and very much for hire for any, say, European conglomerate that wants to break up a nascent union by force. Soerjosoemarno remains Pancasilas leader, and as the film indicates, he loves to golf. He is listed as a member of PGA Tour Indonesias board of advisors, and he appears to have hosted several golf tournaments in Southern California. PGA Tour Indonesia doesnt appear to be connected to the official PGA Tour, but the official group does seem happy to accept a whole bunch of Soerjosoemarnos blood money. Most recently, Soerjosoemarno was one of the amateur partners for PGA Tour pros Jim Herman and Rod Pampling at this years Desert Classic (he shot a 201 over three rounds.) Soerjosoemarno is especially fond of playing in the Coachella Valley, where the PGA has held a January event for 60 years. It used to be known as the Bob Hope classic, but a variety of sponsors have cycled through it, including the Clinton Foundation. Advertisement A leaderboard from the pro-am in 2018 doesnt show Soerjosoemarnos name, though his sons Jedidiah and Aboshalom both competed. All three played in 2017, and while no amateur pairings nor leaderboards were posted in 2016, Japto partnered up with pros in 2015, 2014, 2013 (shortly after the documentary came out), 2012, and as far back as 2005. Soerjosoemarno is a self-professed gangster and an obviously wealthy man as are most who regularly pay for pro-am entry, which costs $29,000, according to the Desert Sun. (Its unclear whether that is the per-person rate or a group rate, though the general manager of a forthcoming PGA Tour event told Deadspin a three-person berth in his tournaments pro-am would cost $35,000, and they sold out well in advance.) Either way, Soerjosoemarno has paid a ton of money over the years for the right to play with the pros, joining the ranks of celebrity participants like John Elway, Roger Clemens, and Dwight Eisenhower. Deadspin reached out yesterday to two Desert Classic representatives about Soerjosoemarnos long-running involvement with the tournament, and whether or not they knew he admitted to participating in the 1965-66 genocide. They did not reply. Deadspin also asked three PGA Tour reps if they would allow Soerjosoemarno to participate in future events, and whether or not they condemned the Indonesian massacres of 1965-66. They did not respond either.
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https://deadspin.com/why-does-a-leader-of-the-indonesian-genocide-get-to-pla-1831995150
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Is Elizabeth Warrens Wealth Tax Constitutional?
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Subscribe to our free newsletters. The contest to propose the most progressive tax plan possible got kicked up a notch today: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will propose a new annual wealth tax on Americans with more than $50 million in assets, according to an economist advising her on the plan, as Democratic leaders vie for increasingly aggressive solutions to the nations soaring wealth inequality. Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, two left-leaning economists at the University of California, Berkeley, have been advising Warren on a proposal to levy a 2 percent wealth tax on Americans with assets above $50 million, as well as a 3 percent wealth tax on those who have more than $1 billion, according to Saez. On a substantive basis, I dont know if I favor this or not. The 16th Amendment allows the federal government to levy direct income taxes, even if the income is derived from real or personal property, but a direct federal tax on property itself is still forbidden by the Constitution unless its proportional to the population of each statewhich Im sure is something Warren doesnt have in mind. But nobody seems to be mentioning this.
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https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/01/is-elizabeth-warrens-wealth-tax-constitutional/
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What Time Does Black Earth Rising Premiere On Netflix?
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BBC Twos drama Black Earth Rising makes its international debut on Netflix starting January 25th. The series, written and directed by Hugo Blick, is a co-production of Netflix and BBC Two that tells the story of Kate Ashby (Michaela Coel), a woman who was rescued as a young child during the Rwandan genocide and adopted by Eve Ashby (Harriet Walter), a world-class British prosecutor in international criminal law. Raised in Britain and now in her late 20s, Kate works as a legal investigator in the law chambers of Michael Ennis (John Goodman). When Eve takes on a case at the International Criminal Court prosecuting an African militia leader, the story pulls Michael and Kate into a journey that will up-end their lives forever, reported Deadline. Though Black Earth Rising drops tomorrow, Friday, January 25th, the time you can start binge-watching depends on your time zone. Release Times in the U.S. (January 25) 12:01 a.m. Pacific 1:01 a.m. Mountain 2:01 a.m. Central 3:01 a.m. Eastern 10:01 p.m. Honolulu (January 24) 11:01 p.m. Alaska (January 24) Release Times Outside of the U.S. (January 25) 5:01 p.m. Queensland 6:01 p.m. Eastern Daylight AU 5:31 p.m. South Australia 4:31 p.m. Northern Territory 3:01 p.m. Western Australia 8:01 p.m. New Zealand 7:01 a.m. GMT 9:01 a.m. Central European Time 4:01 p.m. Japan/South Korea 2:01 p.m. Indochina Time 11:01 a.m. Gulf Standard Time 3:01 p.m. China/Philippines/Malaysia 10:01 a.m. Eastern Europe Summer Time The eight-part story is described as a labyrinthine thriller about the prosecution of international war crimes and the personal, legal and political turmoil it ignites as well. It also shines a light on the Wests relationship with contemporary Africa. The first trailer for @netflix's new series #BlackEarthRising tells the tale of a genocide survivor seeking answers. https://t.co/YtSW7OxcaV Collider (@Collider) January 15, 2019 Blick, a BAFTA winner, is best known for series like The Honourable Woman and The Shadow Line. Goodman is a Golden Globe-winner and star of The Big Lebowski and Roseanne, while Coel is a BAFTA winner herself for Chewing Gum. They will be joined by Noma Dumezweni (Harry Potter & the Cursed Child), Harriet Walter (The Crown, Downton Abbey), Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Devils Advocate), Lucian Msamati (Taboo, Kiri), and Abena Ayivor (A United Kingdom). Kate Ashbys story is inspirational, it was an honor to play a character in possession of so much strength and integrity, said Coel. Blick added: The past isnt dead, it isnt even past. I was never quite sure exactly what this famous quote meant, but by following the fictional journey of a young black British woman on an epic and deeply personal quest to bring a Rwandan genocidaire to legal justicenow I do. And now I know just how critical, difficult and terrifying that phrase can seem to anyone in pursuit, and denial, of international criminal justice. Netflixs latest international thriller Black Earth Rising, set in the wake of the Rwandan civil war, takes a genocide survivor back to her roots.https://t.co/9joqXpWDUC Charles Onyango-Obbo (@cobbo3) January 24, 2019 The series holds a solid 80% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. M. Skylar Ezell from Black Nerd Problems wrote, If youre looking for a multi-layered political drama and are ready for a good cry, then Black Earth Rising may be for you. But be warned, some of the material may be trigger inducing. NOW Toronto called it a sprawling, ambitious drama about genocide, family, the Wests relationship to Africa and the mythology of heroism in war, while The Heralds Alison Rowat said, Coel, who was required to go from 0-90 emotionally at several points, had the hardest hill to climb. What a talent she is. Watch the trailer for Black Earth Rising below.
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/black-earth-rising-premiere-netflix/
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Could Rami Malek swipe the Best Actor Oscar from Christian Bale?
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With Tuesdays announcement of nominees for the 91st Academy Awards, the real race begins. This week, we continue our look at who has the best chances of winning the top prizes this time, for Best Actor. Christian Bale (Way up) For now, Bale is a shoo-in. Vice, in which he plays Dick Cheney, netted a total of eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Even those who dont love the movie concede Bales performance as the former vice president is extraordinary. The academy rewarded the actor before, as Best Supporting Actor, for his stunning physical transformation in 2010s The Fighter. Theyll do it again for this picture. Rami Malek (Up) Bohemian Rhapsody and its talented star have been underestimated every step of the awards season. Everybody seemed shocked when both won Golden Globes, and gobsmacked when the film was nominated for a Producers Guild Award. Its wins so far prove that theres a lot of affection in Hollywood for this movie, whose reviews were critically mixed. Malek, the only person in this category to have never been nominated for an Oscar before, isnt the front-runner, but a definite dark horse. Bradley Cooper (Up) A lot of coverage around Cooper has focussed on his major snubs: his loss in the best director category to Alfonso Cuarn at the Golden Globes, and his exclusion from that field at the Oscars. But theres a silver lining for the leading man and director of A Star Is Born, whos well-liked and respected in Hollywood: Now voters wont be divided on how best to honor him. Being in just one category gives him a leg up. Willem Dafoe (Way down) Willem Dafoe is lucky to be part of Hollywoods starry night. At Eternitys Gate, in which Dafoe plays Vincent van Gogh, never played more than 178 movie theaters at one time. So very few people actually saw the movie, and Oscar voters are notorious for not watching every screener theyre sent. Despite the actors acclaimed performance, this flick will be at the top of many voters skip it pile. Viggo Mortensen (Down) Mortensen does stellar work in Green Book, and his Italian-American chauffeur, Tony Lip, is totally unrecognizable from his Lord of the Rings days. But hes racked up very few nominations for this role and just one big win, from the National Board of Review. Add in his November controversy when he said the N-word during a Q&A session, and his chances of Oscar victory look minuscule.
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https://nypost.com/2019/01/24/could-rami-malek-swipe-the-best-actor-oscar-from-christian-bale/
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Are the Bulls Right About JD.com's Upside Potential?
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2018 was a terrible year for JD.com (NASDAQ: JD), the second largest e-commerce company in China. Its stock was cut in half as its revenue growth decelerated, its profits plunged, and CEO Richard Liu was arrested on a rape allegation. Concerns about escalating trade tensions, the slowing Chinese economy, and the marketwide sell-off exacerbated the pain. However, a few of those headwinds recently dissipated. The charges against Liu were dropped, JD restructured its businesses to prioritize the growth of JD Mall and its Services revenues, it announced a $1 billion buyback, and there were flickers of hope for a trade deal between the U.S. and China. Wall Street also refused to give up on the stock -- of the 40 analysts who cover JD, none of them have issued a "sell" rating yet; 14 of those firms still rate it a "buy." A bull figurine in front of a stock chart. More Image source: Getty Images. One of those firms is Goldman Sachs. Goldman analyst Ronald Keung recently reiterated his bullish stance on JD, declaring that its restructuring and an improved user experience could boost its active customers over 360 million this year -- up from 305.6 million last quarter. Keung also claims that JD experienced significant growth in monthly active users in November (during Singles Day), and that it could generate about 20% sales growth in both the fourth and first quarters -- which would roughly match analyst expectations. Keung maintained a price target of $41 on JD -- which is significantly higher than the average price target of $28 and would mark a near-90% gain from its current price. Reviewing JD's biggest problems JD's growth in gross merchandise volume (GMV), active customers, and revenue all clearly decelerated over the past year. Metric Q4 2017 Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 GMV* 33.1% 30.4% 30.5% 30.5% Active customers 29.1% 27.6% 21.5% 14.6% Revenue* 38.7% 33.1% 31.2% 25.1% Data source: JD quarterly reports. Year-over-year growth. *RMB terms. During the third quarter, JD blamed those declines on slower sales of "large ticket" electronics and home appliances, which was partly offset by stronger demand for other general merchandise. However, the bears will likely note that Alibaba's (NYSE: BABA) core commerce revenue rose 56% annually last quarter, compared to 61% growth in the first quarter. Alibaba also reached 601 million active buyers during the quarter -- giving it nearly double the e-commerce presence of JD. JD's margins also contracted. Its non-GAAP gross margin fell 10 basis points annually to 15.2% as its operating margin dropped 120 basis points to 0.6%. That was caused by a 27% jump in its operating expenses -- which was led by a 96% increase in its Technology and Content costs. Those expenses are spent on improving JD's automated warehouses, its drone deliveries, logistics services, and the user experiences on its website and app.
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https://news.yahoo.com/bulls-jd-com-apos-upside-234000851.html
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How is the National Guard different from the regular Army?
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Photo courtesy of The National Guard / U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class (AW) Brien Aho The National Guard serves a dual role. Most of the time, its under the control of individual states, with the state governor acting as commander in chief. However, the president can activate the National Guard and place it under federal control. When this occurs, guard units are used to supplement the regular Army, bolstering its forces with additional combat units. Soldiers in the National Guard train one weekend each month, with one two-week training period each year. Theyre typically called into action by a state governor, who can send them to the site of any officially declared emergency in the state. This is usually a weather-related emergency, but civil unrest or terrorist attacks are other emergencies they may respond to. Guard troops can also be used for security details at borders and airports. While state governors command their states guard troops, each state has an adjutant general who acts as a liaison, interpreting the governors orders into specific tactical decisions. " " A Tennessee Army National Guard Soldier, who is not being identified for security reasons, uses binoculars to spot signs of illegal activity along the U.S. border with Mexico. Photo courtesy of The National Guard /U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gordon Hyde When the president federalizes National Guard troops, they can be used in domestic emergencies much like they are used in state emergencies. However, they are not limited to use within their home state. For example, National Guard units from numerous states were used to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. " " A National Guard Humvee departs the New Orleans Superdome in Louisiana to patrol the streets after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city leaving thousands stranded. Photo courtesy of The National Guard / U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class (AW) Brien Aho Federalized Guard troops can also be folded into the regular Army, called up to active service in military operations overseas. In World War I, 40 percent of all U.S. combat troops came from National Guard units [Source: The National Guard]. In 2005, that same percentage was true of U.S. troops in Iraq, and one out of every six U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq came from a National Guard unit [Source: PBS]. " " Sgt. Ed Raati, (left), Sgt. Danny Kraskey, Sgt. Brandon Combs, and Staff Sgt. Bradley Lahti wait for cars to approach them to be searched near Logistical Support Area Anaconda. Photo courtesy of The National Guard Most of the time, when someone refers to the National Guard, theyre talking about the Army National Guard. However, the Air Force has a National Guard as well. The Air National Guard is a separate organization with the same functions as the Army National Guard, but units (usually wings) can be activated to supplement the U.S. Air Force. The two guards were split in this way by a reorganization of the U.S. military after World War II. The National Guards existence is ensured by the Constitution, which has a series of clauses outlining the states right to create militias and the federal governments right to utilize those militias. These are a long chain of federal laws, the most important of which are the 1903 Militia Act and the National Defense Act of 1916. A recent law, the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act of 2007, expanded the presidents authority to activate guard units, eliminating the need for approval from the state governor. About half of the states in the United States also maintain a state defense force. These forces are more like militias all of the troops are volunteers, they receive no federal funding and often have to purchase their own uniforms and equipment. A state defense force is separate from the state National Guard, though they may be organized in parallel. Technically, the president has the authority to call on these state militias when needed, but in practical terms, state defense forces are largely immune to federal activation. For more information on the National Guard and related topics, check out the following links: Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/national-guard.htm
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Will there be farms in New York City's skyscrapers?
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Vertical farm designs feature elegant lines and lots of glass. Image courtesy Chris Jacobs Most vertical farm designs depict them as ultra-modern, stylish skyscrapers, 30 to 40 stories tall. Each floor could potentially feature a variety of crops and small livestock. Tanks would house fish and other seafood. Using technology to minimize waste and energy use, and to facilitate recycling, is essential. To that end, they would contain glass walls, large solar panels, high-tech irrigation systems and incinerators that burn waste for energy. A variety of monitoring systems would ensure that energy and water go where they need to go and that temperature controls are carefully maintained. Water would be carefully distributed through irrigation while any excess water would be collected and recycled. Dew can be collected through evaporation. Sewage, also known as "black water," can be cleaned by algae and plants and made potable. Or it can be treated by filters and made into "gray water," which is sterile and useable for irrigation. Cities dump billions of gallons of gray water into rivers every day. Methane gas, instead of being allowed to escape into the atmosphere, would be collected. Any excess energy would be sold back to the local energy grid. Dr. Despommier believes that 150 30-story farms could feed all of New York City. Elegantly designed, these vertical farms would be carefully placed around a city or clustered together in a nearby development (in the case of New York City, possibly on Governor's Island). They would remain unobtrusive, or even pleasant to the eye. For vertical farming to be possible, experts from a variety of disciplines have to come together, including agriculture, agronomy, civil planning, architecture, engineering, economics and public health. But we're not starting from scratch. Dr. Despommier and others have published studies describing plans for development and implementation of vertical farms. In fact, all of the technology behind vertical farming already exists, though it could take up to 10 years to figure out how to make these technologies work together. Even so, we already grow plants hydroponically (without soil), in extreme environments and on space ships. Biomass, methane collection and waste-water collection are becoming essential tools of conservation. Some criticize vertical farming because it would eliminate jobs of conventional farmers and those who transport and package their goods. To those critics, one could point out that 95 percent of Americans were farmers before the Industrial Revolution, and this may simply be the next step in that evolution. But it's also the contention of Dr. Despommier that vertical farming would create jobs. Thousands of people would be required to develop, build and maintain these systems. The socioeconomic impact could be immense, especially for those who struggle as subsistence farmers or in abject poverty. In the developing world, the presence of a dependable food supply and improved nutrition would raise standards of living, allow the development of commerce and shift children away from agricultural work and into schools. Two hurdles remain for vertical farming to become a reality: money and government support. However, Dr. Despommier is already in touch with investors and philanthropists who want to establish a Center for Urban Sustainable Agriculture. With enough investment, the first vertical farm could be up and running (and even profitable) in 15 years, while government support would surely help in their proliferation. For more information about vertical farming and other related topics, and to watch a video showing a vertical farm design, please check out the links below. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/vertical-farming1.htm
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Is there a torture manual?
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An illustration depicting torture with a hot clothing iron, discovered in an al-Qaida safe house in Iraq in May 2007. Department of Defense In May 2007, the United States military raided a house outside of Baghdad. From the outside, it seemed to be a normal house; it was the scene inside that was chilling. Five Iraqi nationals had been kept and tortured in the house by al-Qaida. The military also found drawings which it believes are part of a torture manual for al-Qaida operatives. The images include depictions of gruesome acts of torture, like pressing a hot clothing iron against a detainee's skin, removing eyeballs and placing a detainee's head in a vise [source: Department of Defense (CAUTION: GRAPHIC CONTENT)]. Even worse, the tools and instruments necessary to carry out such acts -- like blowtorches and power drills -- were also discovered in the house [source: Fox News]. One may be gripped by panic at the thought of being subjected to any of the methods depicted in the al-Qaida manual; having a limb severed or being hung by your arms behind your back are surely horrifying experiences. To add to the argument against torture, these methods are not generally considered useful. Information gathered from a detainee upon whom an interrogator is inflicting intense physical pain is unlikely to be accurate [source: The New York Times]. In other words, a person who has a hot iron pressed to his or her bare chest is likely to say anything -- factual or not -- just to get the torturer to stop. In 1988, a CIA official testified before a Senate intelligence committee, "Physical abuse or other degrading treatment was rejected, not only because it is wrong, but because it has historically proven to be ineffective" [source: The Baltimore Sun]. Because the United States spent decades conducting experiments, field tests and research in a quest to perfect the science of interrogation. Read about the manual that was produced as a result of this research on the next page.
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/torture-manual.htm
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What is Superfund Redevelopment?
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Whether it's a contaminated or already decontaminated site, the process of Superfund Redevelopment can be complicated, frustrating and slow. Nevertheless, the communities' economies will continue to suffer if the land does not return to use. Let's take a look at the factors involved in the overall Superfund program: Investigation of the site: When a community discovers that a piece of land contains toxic waste, it reports that discovery to the National Priorities List, and investigations and soil tests follow to reveal details about the degree, kind and source of the contamination. : When a community discovers that a piece of land contains toxic waste, it reports that discovery to the EPA . The EPA places the site on what's known as the, and investigations and soil tests follow to reveal details about the degree, kind and source of the contamination. Funding the cleanup: The investigation gives the EPA clues as to which manufacturing companies could be Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). The EPA uses its federally bestowed power to require PRPs to pay for these specific cleanups. However, this often leads to liability arguments that make their way to court. Planning reuse: Deciding exactly how the site will be used is important because, although cleanups make the sites safe, not all cleaned sites are clean enough for all uses. For example, the land may require digging restrictions, or it may be unsuitable for residential development. Investigations offer clues as to the potential scope of healthy reuse options. Depending on the preferences of the community and the post-cleanup safety, sites can provide land for stores, sports fields, wildlife reserves and industrial buildings, among other things. Working together: The EPA must work in conjunction with a variety of parties to help the process run smoothly -- usually local organizations such as governments and potential developers. Disagreements among different organizations may cause headaches. Cleanup: Not all cleanups are alike, and various methods may be used to make the land safe for reuse. Methods include: temporarily removing the soil for treatment, permanently removing the soil for safe disposal, recycling toxic material for other uses after treatment, employing microorganisms or plants to naturally stabilize the waste, or merely leaving the toxic waste there and safely covering it up. Overcoming the public's misconceptions: When a community discovers toxic waste, the local media throws a spotlight on the problem. After years in the limelight, the site gains a certain stigma, and people remain hesitant to use the land even after it's safe again. Therefore, the EPA faces the difficult task of informing and convincing the public that the land is now safe. They also have to sell the same idea to potential developers, in hopes they'll build on the land. So it's a long-term process. One obstacle with Superfund Redevelopment is that prospective developers fear cleanup liability. Developers that are interested in purchasing the land worry they'll be held responsible for cleanup costs. Now, these developers can qualify for status under law as a bona fide prospective purchaser. This status protects the developers and prevents them from having to pay for the decontamination of land that was toxic before they purchased it. To learn more about the EPA and related subjects, explore the links below. Forging Friendships with Redevelopment The SRI has formed partnerships with such organizations as the U.S. Soccer Foundation and even the Academy of Model Aeronautics to find new uses for Superfund sites. These partnerships have helped turn many unused sites into soccer fields or space for model airplane flying. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/superfund-redevelopment1.htm
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Does time change speed?
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A copy of Newton's "Philosphiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" at the Science Museum Library and Archives in Swindon, England. Daniel Berehulak/ Getty Images When physicist and philosopher Isaac Newton completed his "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica" in the late 17th century, he led a scientific revolution that changed the way people viewed the world. In the work, he laid out several concepts that would become the basis for classical physics. Among the important theories Newton introduced were the laws of motion that govern the way objects move through space, including the law of universal gravitation, and the foundation for calculus. In other words, most people consider Newton a genius, and scientists still apply his ideas to everyday circumstances. Newton included in the "Principia Mathematica" a scholium, or an appendix of explanatory notes, and in it he defined several important principles, including the idea of absolute time. Although he understood that clocks weren't perfect and measuring time was subject to human error, Newton believed in an absolute time that was similar to a universal, omnipotent God-like time, one that was the same for everyone, everywhere. In other words, someone standing at the North Pole on Earth would experience time the same way as someone standing on Mars. Newton's view on time kept it separate from space. When Albert Einstein introduced his Theory of Relativity in the early 20th century, however, he suggested that time wasn't separate from space but connected to it. Time and space combined to form space-time, and everyone measures his or her own experience in it differently because the speed of light (300,000 km per second) is the same for all observers. In other words, if all observers have to agree on the speed of light being 300,000 km per second, then they can't agree on the time it takes for other objects to travel relative to them. Einstein also suggested that space-time wasn't flat, but curved or "warped" by the existence of matter and energy. Large bodies in space-time, like the Earth, aren't just floating in orbit. Instead, imagine an apple resting on a stretched out blanket -- the weight of the apple warps the sheet. If the Earth is an apple, then we can imagine the Earth's blanket as space-time. This means that someone moving through space-time will experience it differently at various points. Time will actually appear to move slower near massive objects, because space-time is warped by the weight. These predictions have actually been proven. In 1962, scientists placed two atomic clocks at the bottom and top of a water tower. The clock at the bottom, the one closer to the massive center of the Earth, was running slower than the clock at the top. Einstein called this phenomenon time dilation. A further explanation of the bending of space-time and time dilation came in the form of a thought experiment called the twin paradox, devised in 1911 by French physicist Paul Langevin. If one twin lives at the foot of a mountain and the other lives at the top, the twin closer to the Earth will age more slowly. He or she would turn out younger than the other twin, though by a very small amount. If you sent one twin in a spaceship accelerating close to the speed of light, however, he or she would return much younger than the other twin, because high acceleration and large gravitational masses are the same in relativity. Of course, no one's gone so far as to send somebody's twin into high-speed orbit, but scientists proved the hypothesis true in the '70s by sending an atomic clock into orbit. It returned to Earth having run much slower than grounded atomic clocks [source: Europhysics News]. " " Fox Photos/Getty Images So next time you're late for work or want the weekends to last longer, make sure you stay close to the ground and accelerate as much as possible. Boring lectures and waiting areas in doctor's offices, on the other hand, should be spent in the topmost room of high towers. For lots more information on physics and the nature of time, see the next page in a timely fashion. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/time-dilation1.htm
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What's a green marathon?
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The Las Vegas Marathon participates in an eco-rideshare program. Isaac Brekken/Associated Press Green runners don't make a race green, although they certainly deepen the shade. Greening a marathon takes effort from the runners, race directors, volunteers and sponsors. According to the Greenteam, a group of experts from Runner's World and Nature's Path, there are about 30 green-friendly races in the United States and Canada (races varying in distance from 5Ks to marathons) [source: The Greenteam]. Every race needs a location. Green races are located near public transportation and emphasize biking, ride shares and car pooling. The Nike Women's Marathon and Las Vegas Marathon both recently joined an eco-rideshare program called PickupPals. The Fall Cross running series in Colorado encourages participants to travel green by giving away prizes. The Mount Werner Classic Trail Run, also in Colorado, offers carbon offsets to runners who travel more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the event. Marathons also need sponsorship to help offset costs, and eco-friendly race sponsors can help increase green awareness and advocacy for anyone attending the event. With location and sponsorship down, the race is on and runner registration begins. Most registration and communication is paper. Race directors looking for an eco-friendly change look to online registration and e-mail communication. When paper is used, green options include printing on FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) recycled materials with soy or vegetable-based inks rather than petroleum-based types. Race bags, the goody bags given to race participants, don't need to skimp on good swag to still be green -- instead of plastic bags, they're replaced with reusable cloth versions and filled with Earth-friendly race shirts and other treats. On race day itself, pace cars and security vehicles are replaced with bicycles or hybrid or biodiesel cars. Clean power can be used to generate electricity at the start and finish lines and to power the race clock -- the Austin and Portland marathons both use solar power. Participants wouldn't sustain their energy for long without being provided food and water. Biodegradable paper cups, recyclable containers and foods from local farmers' markets are provided at many green marathons; some require runners to bring their own handheld water bottles or waist packs to refill along the course. One stunning display of green originality is the 70-foot (21-meter) long water fountain created for the ING Hartford Marathon finishers -- so far it's saved 20,000 plastic bottles and paper cups from use since it was built in 2007 [source: Hartford Business Journal]. Green marathons commonly reward their finishers with medals created from sustainable materials such as recycled glass, metal and wood. The Portland Triathlon gives out trophies made from recycled bike parts and the Portland Marathon offers one of the most sustainable awards -- a tree seedling. At the end of the day when the race has been run and the medals given out, the final thing to do is clean it all up. Waste collection at conventional races usually means a lot of plastic cups and sport drink containers -- at the 2007 ING New York City Marathon alone, 75,890 plastic water and Gatorade bottles were collected on the course. What helped green the race was that 22,080 pounds (10,015 kilograms) of plastic and cardboard were then recycled [source: Bastone]. It's not only cups and cardboard that trash the course -- shoes and clothing are discarded along the way. Green events donate gently used clothing to local thrift stores, and at the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, for example, runners can donate old shoes at the finish line to the Soles 4 Souls organization. Learn more about green marathons below. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources Bastone, Kelly. "10 Greenest Races." Runner's World. 2008.http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--12876-0,00.html Bastone, Kelly. "Races Go Green." Runner's World. 2008.http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--12875-0,00.html "Carbon dioxide emissions calculator and offset estimator." Carbonify.com.http://www.carbonify.com/carbon-calculator.htm Carbonfund.org. http://www.carbonfund.org/ Galbraith, Kate. "Marathons: Reducing the Runner's Footprint." Green Inc. Blog. The New York Times. 2008. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/marathons-reducing-the-runners-footprint/?hp The Greenteam Green Guide. The Greenteam. http://www.runnersworld-greenteam.com/ "New Fangled 'Bubbler' Saves Water at Marathon." Hartford Business Journal Online. 2008. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news7012.html Stevenson, Jason. "Running's Impact on the Earth." Runner's World. 2008.http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-488--12910-0,00.html "What is a Carbon Footprint?" Carbon Footprint.http://www.carbonfootprint.com/carbonfootprint.html
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/green-marathon1.htm
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Can an aviation strike end the government shutdown?
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With 800,000 federal workers in lines at food banks, calling in sick and looking for other jobs during the longest government shutdown in history, some labor leaders are calling for a bold measure to end the impasse: a mass strike by aviation workers, crippling the movement of travelers and goods, that would force the warring sides to sit down and reopen the government. Couple senior Republican lawmakers tell me the only way this breaks open is if TSA employees stay home and Americans get furious about their flights. Thats the only out, they say. And theyre close to the WH. Robert Costa (@costareports) January 15, 2019 Unions representing air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants this week released a grim assessment of the air travel situation. "In our risk-averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented," wrote the unions. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, has explicitly called for a general strike to end the shutdown. "If there were a time for the labor movement to speak up, the time is now. The time for action is now," Nelson told CBS News. One major reason there hasn't been a strike during the shutdown is that the law clearly forbids federal workers from striking--unlike their private-sector counterparts. "They cannot legally strike. That's a firm position in federal law and I think all the union leaders understand that," Joseph McCartin, a professor at Georgetown University specializing in U.S. labor relations, told CBS News of the air traffic controllers. That law has been on the books since the 1970s The last time federal workers struck was in 1981, when 11,000 air traffic controllers walked off the job to demand better pay and working conditions. The backlash was severe; then-President Ronald Reagan fired the controllers and their union, Patco, was dissolved. Unlike in 1981, when most of the public supported Reagan's action, public opinion this time is much more divided. A majority of Americans say they have been personally affected by the shutdown, and 70 percent say the issue of a border wall is not worth a shutdown. The circumstances are different enough this time around that today's workers who've not been paid can expect more public sympathy than striking workers in 1981, some labor advocates say. "Even more than the law, what allowed Reagan to fire the controllers successfully was that the public backed him," McCartin said. "If President Trump tried to do the same thing today, with circumstances that are really radically different .... I'm not sure the public would want to back the type of action that Ronald Reagan took." Short of a strike, there are other actions workers can take that would send a message -- and affect how government works. "Federal employees work within the rules, but when they want to protest, they all of a sudden stop doing things efficiently," said Dan Meyer, a partner at law firm Tully Rinckey and a former federal investigator. "Law enforcement is notorious for this." They can also sueas a number of federal workers' unions are currently doing. Lawyers representing workers in one case note that, while the law prevents "essential" workers from walking off the job, it also prevents the government from forcing them to work without pay.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-an-aviation-strike-end-the-government-shutdown/
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Who owns Arctic oil?
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The Russian flag marks the North Pole on the Arctic Ocean seabed on Aug. 2, 2007, following the descent of two Mir-1 mini submarines. AP Photo /Association of Russian Polar Explorers Make no mistake: Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States aren't just fighting over table scraps when it comes to Arctic petroleum reserves. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its undiscovered natural gas rest beneath the Arctic's ocean floor [source: Morello]. That means 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet (47 trillion cubic meters) of natural gas may be at stake [source: USGS]. The United Nations' Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) treaty allowed for coastal countries to lay claim to waters extending up to 200 nautical miles off their shorelines. Under the treaty, countries had until May 19, 2009 to request up to 350 nautical miles. All they had to do was prove that the area was part of the country's continental shelf, the sloping undersea plain that runs from dry land to the deep, open ocean. The UNCLOS provisions led to a scramble for Arctic territory. Unlike landgrabs of the past, costly scientific surveys, rather than colonization and military conquest, ensured each country a bigger slice of the pie. Even the United States invested heavily in Arctic mapping, despite continued reluctance to ratify the 1994 treaty. As of August 2009, U.S. lawmakers still hadn't ratified the UNCLOS, despite continued rumblings about doing so. Controversy remains, however. Each country's surveying efforts naturally aim to win them as much Arctic territory as possible. Take the Lomonosov Ridge, for example. This undersea mountain range crosses the Arctic between Greenland and Russia. Russia claims the area is an extension of the Asian continental shelf, while Canada and Denmark argue it's an extension of North America. It should come as no surprise that all three countries continue to produce scientific findings to back their claims. Plus, it may be the 21st century, but dramatic displays of power still resonate strongly -- as Russia has demonstrated on several occasions. In August of 2007, much to the irritation of its competitors, Russia planted a flag on the seafloor beneath the North Pole. As if this statement weren't bold enough, the Russian military has announced plans to drop paratroopers onto the Pole. In analyzing the nation's top security threats, Russian officials went so far as designating it an area of potential military conflict by 2020 [source: Halpin]. The answer is Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States. The really troubling questions, however, deal with just how much of the spoils each country will claim -- and just how far they'll go to assert them. Explore the links below to learn even more about fossil fuels and humanity's tireless hunger for them. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/arctic-oil1.htm
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What's the military (smart) fuel cell?
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Modern soldiers these days got gear, and all that gear requires juice. Sometimes power outlets aren't so easy to find in the battlefield. Courtesy: SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG You've spent days trekking through unfamiliar territory on a reconnaissance mission, carrying the latest military-grade technology every step of the way. Your scouting platoon comes to a halt and you take the opportunity to pull out your laptop and send updated coordinates back to the base. Just one problem; the battery's dead. No need to panic -- you're carrying a Jenny fuel cell, one of several fuel cells specifically designed by Munich-based SFC Smart Fuel Cell for military use. Using the quiet, portable power that the Jenny fuel cell provides, you're able to recharge your laptop's battery and get to work. Fuel cells are similar to batteries in a lot of ways, using chemical reactions to produce electrical energy. Unlike batteries, however, fuel cells don't go dead; as long as a fuel source is available, a fuel cell can continue to produce energy. The idea to use fuel cells for military applications is hardly a new one. Articles exploring the subject go back to the 1950s, but both military and fuel cell technology have advanced significantly since then. Modern soldiers use an amazing array of electrical equipment to do their jobs. Night vision goggles, global positioning systems and computers are just some of the power-hungry devices soldiers carry with them in the field, and finding reliable, portable power for those devices has become an important issue. Batteries for those gadgets can add 20 pounds (9 kilograms) or more to a soldier's load [source: MSNBC]. Fortunately, fuel cell technology has come a long way as well, and SFC is one of the companies pushing the technology forward. SFC says that its fuel cells, named Smart Fuel Cells, offer several advantages over older fuel cell and battery technology. For one thing, they're up to 80 percent lighter, according to the company. Another advantage is that soldiers can carry replacement fuel cartridges to keep the cell going. Smart Fuel Cells, like most fuel cells, also operate very quietly, an important feature for covert military operations. Unlike many other fuel cells, Smart Fuel Cells operate at a fairly low temperature, making them suitable for carrying in both standard issue military vests and military vehicles alike. Read on to learn how Smart Fuel Cells manage to do all of those things when other fuel cells can't.
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/military-smart-fuel-cell.htm
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What is nanotechnology?
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During the Middle Ages, philosophers attempted to transmute base materials into gold in a process called alchemy. While their efforts proved fruitless, the pseudoscience alchemy paved the way to the real science of chemistry. Through chemistry, we learned more about the world around us, including the fact that all matter is composed of atoms. The types of atoms and the way those atoms join together determines a substance's properties. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary science that looks at how we can manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic level. To do this, we must work on the nanoscale -- a scale so small that we can't see it with a light microscope. In fact, one nanometer is just one-billionth of a meter in size. Atoms are smaller still. It's difficult to quantify an atom's size -- they don't tend to hold a particular shape. But in general, a typical atom is about one-tenth of a nanometer in diameter. But the nanoscale is where it's at. That's because it's the scale of molecules. By manipulating molecules, we can make all sorts of interesting materials. But like the alchemists of old, we wouldn't make much headway in creating gold. That's because gold is a basic element -- you can't break it down into a simpler form. We could make other interesting substances, though. By manipulating molecules to form in particular shapes, we can build materials with amazing properties. One example is a carbon nanotube. To create a carbon nanotube, you start with a sheet of graphite molecules, which you roll up into a tube. The orientation of the molecules determines the nanotube's properties. For example, you could end up with a conductor or a semiconductor. Rolled the right way, the carbon nanotube will be hundreds of times stronger than steel but only one-sixth the weight [source: NASA]. That's just one aspect of nanotechnology. Another is that materials aren't the same at the nanoscale as they are at larger scales. Researchers with the United States Department of Energy discovered in 2005 that gold shines differently at the nanoscale than it does in bulk. They also noticed that materials possess different properties of magnetism and temperature at the nanoscale [source: U.S. Department of Energy]. Because the science deals with the basic building blocks of matter, there are countless applications. Some seem almost mundane -- nanoparticles of zinc oxide in sunblock allow you to spread a transparent lotion on your skin and remain protected. Others sound like science fiction -- doctors are attempting to use the protein casings from viruses to deliver minute amounts of drugs to treat cancer. As we learn more about how molecules work and how to manipulate them, we'll change the world. The biggest revelations will come from the smallest of sources. Learn more about nanotechnology by following the links below. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/what-is-nanotechnology.htm
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Is hurricane intensity increasing?
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Hurricane Isabel, a Category 5 storm that hit the East Coast in 2003, looked pretty intense when seen from orbit. StockTrek/Digital Vision/ Getty Images There are three main schools of thought when it comes to whether hurricane intensity is on the rise. The first opinion is that the data is skewed. Hurricane counts were difficult to obtain before satellites began tracking storms in the 1970s, and that's not even getting into later incremental improvements in intensity assessments like more advanced computer tracking systems. Once you push back past the 20th century, the estimates grow even dodgier. Many of history's storms likely went completely unrecorded: If they made landfall in unpopulated areas, dissipated while still out at sea, or were only witnessed by ships whose crews may not have survived to tell the tale, they've been lost to the books. The second school of thought is that hurricane frequency and intensity wax and wane in a yet-to-be explained cycle, and the current upsurge we're experiencing is simply part of this. Whether the cycle is purely natural, partially attributable to humans or due to some unknown combination of factors is still a matter of debate. Thirdly, many scientists -- including all of those who served on the International Panel on Climate Change in 2007 -- think hurricanes are steadily increasing in intensity each season. They also think that global warming and other atmospheric anomalies are to some extent responsible for that rise. Perhaps the data is marginally off, perhaps natural cycles do contribute some, but by and large, these experts hypothesize that human-caused climate change is the main culprit for increasingly ferocious storms. That's because one of the three fundamental building blocks for hurricanes are warm ocean temperatures. And using data compiled mainly from 1970 on, many researchers have found correlations between rises in sea-surface temperature and surges in the number of powerfully intense hurricanes [sources: Emanuel, Bals]. One study researched data between 1970 and 2004, and found that while most hurricane patterns fluctuated during that span, the number of very intense storms increased dramatically [source: Webster]. Despite these tantalizing clues, it seems scientists have yet to come to a consensus on much of anything when it comes to hurricane severity. But if the data set is reliable enough, and the cyclical camp is wrong and this isn't just a fierce phase that will eventually pass, the threat of worsening storms coupled with rising sea levels might be enough to make anyone move a little further inland. Related HowStuffWorks Articles More Great Links Sources
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https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/hurricane-intensity-increasing.htm
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How has Jae Crowder converted so many 4-point plays?
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SALT LAKE CITY Its fair to say somethings going right with your shot when Kyle Korver, one of the most prolific marksmen in NBA history, wants to get pointers from you. On Wednesday night in the Utah Jazzs 114-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Jae Crowder connected on not one, but two four-point plays in the fourth quarter alone, as he got fouled on two separate occasions while shooting a 3-pointer that went in. No official stat for four-point plays is kept, but Crowder has certainly had a bunch this season. Jae leads the league in this, Korver quipped after the game. He gets fouled on half his threes somehow. Its amazing. I need to learn his ways. Owner of arguably the most beautiful shot in basketball, Korver might not want to change his mechanics too much to try to draw more fouls on 3-point attempts, but the way Crowder shoots is the primary reason he gets so many four-point chances. With a little kick forward and longer follow through than many players, defenders who are closing out on Crowder often end up invading his airspace before he completes his shot, resulting in a foul. While Crowder has made less than 33 percent of his tries from distance on the season, the ones he gets fouled on are going in at a high rate, giving him a chance for another point at the charity stripe. In his view, the follow-through, made shots and foul calls all go hand-in-hand. When I follow all the way through, I have a better chance of making it, he said postgame. Guys close out very hard sometimes. Tonight that was one of the cases. Utah Jazz forward Jae Crowder (99) celebrates after detaining a three point shot and getting fouled as the Jazz and the Nuggets play an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Crowders first of the night came with 7:25 remaining. Donovan Mitchell made a nifty move into the lane and rose for a layup that was swatted out to the 3-point line by Denvers Torrey Craig. The ball went right to Korver in the corner, however, and he swung it to Crowder above the break. Crowder shot it, got fouled by Will Barton and the ball swished in. The ensuing free throw stretched the Jazzs lead from seven to 11. Then with just over three minutes remaining and Utah clinging to a six-point lead, Mitchell swung the ball from above the break to Crowder in the corner. Defending Crowder, Barton got his hand on the ball, but Crowder gathered it, took a dribble, paused to get Barton in the air, rose up and released the shot. It was originally ruled a two-point shot but changed to a 3 upon official review as Crowder raised his arms to encourage fans to get loud. I knew I was going up against the shot clock, he said. I wanted to pump fake, get (Barton) off his feet a little bit, try to get a clean look at it, and thats what happened.
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https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900052205/how-has-utah-jazz-jae-crowder-converted-so-many-4-point-plays.html
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Is Lockheed Martin A Buy At These Levels?
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Photo Source Lockheed Martin (LMT) has been a beneficiary of the growing defense budgets of countries around the world. Being a premier manufacturer of planes, helicopters, missiles, and more, the company continues to see revenue rise in almost any economic environment. Due to defense being necessary and technology always evolving, the company has a stream of revenue that is as close to guaranteed as you can get. With shares trading off their highs, they have popped on to my radar. I have long waited to initiate a position in the company and would wait until the recent run up has a pullback again to begin. However, the shares are beginning to look enticing with a 3%+ yield. Performance In the third quarter earnings report, Lockheed reported earnings that beat on both the top and bottom lines. Source: Seeking Alpha The company saw revenue grow 16% and earnings grow 54.8%. This was due in part to tax reform along with the help from the top line growth. The company also raised its forecast for earnings per share of approximately $17.50 (from $16.75$17.05), on net sales of about $53B up from $51.6B.-$53.1B. Cash from operations in the third quarter of 2018 was $361 million after pension contributions of $1.5 billion, compared to cash from operations of $1.8 billion in the third quarter of 2017, with no pension contributions. Seeing the pension being funded is always a positive as it prevents a future overhang of liability from becoming a problem. The company continued to grow its backlog to a now astounding $109 billion. Of course this could change, but given the non-cyclical nature of the business it is probably safe to say that the company has two years worth of revenue already in the pipeline. With continued growth in every division we can see why Lockheed shares continue to trade at a higher P/E multiple than other defense sector companies. Source: 10Q Strong growth in every division should give investors confidence that the company is firing on all cylinders. It is not always the case that every division within a company will see harmonious growth, so seeing this is great. The space division should continue to see growth as the expansion of private sector space exploration and development will cause the need for manufactured components. Also the potential for a future military division for space ventures could help immensely. The company continues to improve its balance sheet as well. Source: 10Q The company reduced pension liabilities by about 1/3 in the last year, which is a huge improvement. While debt only saw a slight decline, it is not overwhelming considering the steady stream of cash Lockheed generates. As we saw earlier the company generated $361 million in cash for the quarter even after funding pension liabilities. This amount of cash generation and a stronger balance sheet will continue to let the company focus on future opportunities. With technological advances and competition continuing to heat up, the company needs to ensure it has premier products to win contracts with or else their R&D spend is a loss. Future Growth The company expects there to be significant increases in its CH-53K deliveries in the coming years. Source: Investor Presentation This will be a boost to future revenues and the potential for international sales will further more add to the demand. Perhaps the most exciting part about Lockheed's future is the growing need for replacement aircraft. Source: Investor Presentation With many of the aircraft aging quickly and the needs from the military changing, the demand for new machines will only pick up. This is a positive long term trend for Lockheed Martin and inevitably its stock. Additionally, not only is offensive military spend important, a growing need for defensive equipment has become important. Source: Investor Presentation Lockheed has no shortage of equipment and brilliantly as it continues to develop new offensive equipment capabilities it increased demand for defense. Lockheed has been working on laser technology, bringing what was long fiction to reality. As this happens, it by nature creates the need for defense systems that can withstand laser attacks. This will only continue to develop their portfolio of options and the need for defense against one more possible attack method. Knowing the growth for revenue is strong, it is only a matter of paying a fair price for the stock. While such tailwinds create a higher growth rate and thus higher valuation metrics, every now and then the market offers an opportunity that shouldn't be overlooked. Valuation Looking at valuation versus peers we see the following. Data by YCharts Lockheed trades at the highest forward P/E ratio, but it is lower than the overall market multiple despite higher expected growth. The shares also offer the highest TTM yield and lowest PEG ratio. This means investors probably are getting a fair deal considering the better than expected growth but small premium assigned to future earnings. Looking at valuation metrics for the last 5 years we can see where shares should generally trade. Source: Morningstar The shares trade slightly below their 5 year average P/S ratio but trade above their P/E ratio. Going forward it trades quite a bit below the average forward P/E and at a lower PEG ratio than we have seen. Given all the above information, it is safe to say that the stock isn't overvalued but isn't undervalued by much either. However, getting shares at such a low forward multiple now with guidance just raised may be a good deal. Investors can take advantage of the share price now and if it should pull back again maybe increase their position. Looking at historical yield to see if it is above average or below is one of my favorite methods to see if a stock is undervalued. Source: YieldChart The average yield for LMT is 2.3%, with shares currently yielding 3.1% it is safe to say that shares represent a good value. In the last 24 years shares have only yielded above 3% about 28% of the time. The spike in the yield was during the last government administration when defense spending was due to be cut. However, that has since been increased and the government is pro defense. Additionally, the company has been raising its dividend for 17 years, with a recent increase of 10% to $2.20 per quarter or $8.80 annually. Continuing to grow the dividend in the future is a focus for management and there is plenty of room to do so with a payout ratio of less than 50%. Conclusion Lockheed Martin offers investors the chance to benefit off the growing demand for defense needs by countries around the world. A growing population and new technologies will continue to grow the demand for a variety of products. Additionally, aging machines in the defense fleets around the world will create a need for continued replacement along with additions. This will benefit Lockheed Martin for many years to come and is evident by the large backlog already present. With the shares trading at a lower forward P/E than normal and yielding above average, now may be the time to start a position. The company faces little risk other than a lower defense budget from the United States, its largest customer, but it will be very hard to do this with nations around the world ramping up. If the shares pull back again from here, I will be starting a position. I am waiting due to the quick run back up from the market overall recently. Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in LMT over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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https://seekingalpha.com/article/4235434-lockheed-martin-buy-levels
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Is It The Right Time For Packers To Draft Aaron Rodgers' Replacement?
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Brett Favre was 35 years, six months and 13 days old when the Green Bay Packers drafted his replacement Aaron Rodgers in 2005. Rodgers will be 35 years, three months and 23 days when the 2019 NFL Draft arrives. Green Bay is armed with two first round draft picks No. 12 and 30 for the first time since 2009. Rodgers is coming off arguably his worst year since he became a starter in 2008. The Packers, who went 6-9-1 in 2018, have far greater needs than quarterback. But as Green Bay showed 14 years ago, having the foresight to replace a Hall of Fame quarterback at the right time can lead to continued success. During a 2015 interview, Rodgers was asked how hell feel when the Packers draft his eventual replacement. Ultimately this game is a young mans game and I think your legacy is how you treat your teammates and how they remember you, Rodgers said. Its hard to speculate on that. Im sure that will be interesting, the kind of feelings that Ill be feeling. No one in the Packers organization was feeling very good about Green Bays quarterback play in 2018. Rodgers struggled with accuracy and holding onto the football too long, which led to him being sacked 49 times the fifth most in the league. At times, Rodgers also refused to run the plays former head coach Mike McCarthy sent into the huddle. I've never seen anything like that before in my life, Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis told Yahoo Sports recently. Rodgers completed 62.3% of his passes, his second-lowest number since becoming a starter in 2008. Rodgers had 25 touchdowns, his fewest in a season where hes played at least 10 games. Rodgers fumbled six times and lost three. And his quarterback rating of 97.6 was his fourth-poorest since becoming a starter. Green Bay fired McCarthy with four games left in the regular season, in part because his relationship with Rodgers was beyond repair. The Packers hired 39-year-old Matt LaFleur, and he understands the importance of connecting with Rodgers and getting him back to his MVP level. Honestly, Im not going to have any preconceived notions, LaFleur said of working with Rodgers. I just want to try to develop the best relationship with Aaron because he is a key piece to the puzzle and a key reason why were going to get to where we want to go. When right, Rodgers is one of the top-15 quarterbacks in NFL history. Rodgers has a 103.1 career passer rating, the best in NFL history. Rodgers touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4.23-1 is also tops in league history. In 2018, though, Rodgers didnt look like the player who won MVP honors in 2011 and 2014, and who led the Packers to a championship in Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers threw off his back foot far too often, his mechanics were flawed and he misfired on throws that he rarely missed in past seasons. When asked about his inconsistency late in the year, Rodgers said: Just not being on the same page with the guys were throwing to. It became crystal clear this season that Green Bays future quarterback isnt on the current roster. DeShone Kizer, who went 0-15 as a starter for Cleveland in 2017, played in three games and had a miserable passer rating of 40.5. Kizer completed just 47.6% of his passes, averaged only 4.0 yards per passing attempt and turned the ball over three times without throwing a touchdown pass. The quarterback class of 2019 is solid, but far from spectacular. Ohio States Dwayne Haskins is widely considered the top prospect, while Oklahomas Kyler Murray, Dukes Daniel Jones and Missouris Drew Lock are all expected to go in the first round. With two first round draft picks, the Packers will have a lot of ammunition to move up and down the draft board and potentially find their quarterback of the future. After Green Bay drafted Rodgers in 2005, he sat behind Favre for three years, then took over in his fourth season. If Green Bay drafted its quarterback of tomorrow in April, an identical timeline could unfold. Rodgers has three years left on his contract, meaning the newbie could sit and learn for the same amount of time Rodgers once did. It remains a longshot that the Packers a team littered with holes would take a first round quarterback. But you never say never. My personality has always been to help the young guys out that they bring into our room, Rodgers said in 2015. Ive never felt threatened in those situations. Ive always felt like if there is any type of competition, there wouldnt be a competition. But it would probably be a different situation if they had somebody in here to compete with me. Then the dynamic would probably be a little different. Whether or not that happens this offseason remains to be seen.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2019/01/24/could-packers-look-for-aaron-rodgers-replacement-in-nfl-draft/
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Will lakes be ready for February events?
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Several fishing circuits have released their 2019 tournament schedules with events beginning in February. The early dates are welcomed by fishermen who are beset with cabin fever and eager to wet a hook and by tournament directors and hosts who have prepared themselves for the season openers. One soggy issue remains. Yadkin reservoirs are near capacity with cold, muddy water cluttered with trash from record rains that began late last summer. Wet weather has plagued the area ever since. High Rock, Tuckertown and Badin are currently less than 1 foot below full pool. Lake Tillery is 1.52 feet below full pool. Theres little room for more water. The lakes below the Yadkin reservoirs dont need any more water either. Consequently, Yadkin lakes are not being pulled very much, hindering their ability to clear. High Rock is a mess. Anglers cant get their boats under the bridges unless theyre fishing from kayaks. The largemouth bass bite vanished weeks ago. Last week, High Points Derek Crumbley saw Abbotts Creek and said it will be some time before it becomes fishable. Jacob Wilson of Anglers Choice, who also viewed High Rock, said the lakes getting trashy again. Just when it just looks like parts of the lake are trying to clear we get hit with another heavy rain, he said. Striper guide Jerry Hill of Lexington shakes his head in disgust when hes asked about High Rock. All thats ugly in High Rock dumps into Tuckertown Lake so that body of water is in no better shape. Even Beaver Dam Creek at Badin Lake, which rarely turns muddy, has become brown and unruly from constant rains. The Lake Forest area is somewhat better, sporting a lighter brown hue. Lexingtons Robert Mixon fished Badin recently and said lake conditions have deteriorated. A couple of weeks ago, I could find patches of clear water; I cant do that now, he said. Elsewhere, Jordan and Kerr lakes could face ramp closings if flooding occurs. Tournament directors may need contingency plans if conditions dont improve. Their tournaments could suffer cancellations, poor fishing and low turnouts because of undesirable lake conditions. For weather-related ramp closings and warnings, visit www.ncwildlife.org. *** These tournament organizations have released their 2019 schedules. The Fishers of Men Piedmont Division begins its season Feb. 9 at Badin Lake out of the Alcoa Landing. On Friday evening, Feb. 8, a mandatory pre-tournament meeting takes place at North Albemarle Baptist Church, 401 Park Ridge Rd., Albemarle. Fishing pro Andy Montgomery is the guest speaker. Carolina Monster Bass visits Badin Lake March 16 out of Alcoa; Randleman Lake April 6, June 29, Aug. 10 and Oct 12 out of Adams Farm Rd. ; and High Rock Lake May 25, July 20 and Sept. 14 out of the Southmont Landing. The entry fee is $60 per adult with a guaranteed $500 for the biggest bass. The Anglers Choice Team Tournament Trail travels to Smith Mountain Lake, Va., March 16 and May 4 out of Parkway Marina and Kerr Lake April 6, April 7, June 8 and Oct. 12-13 out of Occoneechee State Park. The entry fee is $140 per team. The American Bass Anglers Bass Pro Shops Open Series has events Feb. 2 at Lake Norman, Pinnacle Access; March 9 at Lake Wylie, South Point; May 11 at Lake Hickory, Whittenburg Access; June 15 at High Rock Lake, Tamarac Marina; and Sept. 28 at Kerr Lake, Nutbush Park. *** The Hybrid Bass Association held its first Lake Norman Hybrid Bass Tournament Saturday, an event targeting hybrids exclusively. Team Beginners Luck placed first with a tournament limit of four hybrids totaling 14.3 pounds, winning $1,000. Team Pair 9s had 14 pounds for second place worth $500. The team had the biggest hybrid of the day at 5.7 pounds. Team Comfort Zone placed third with 13.7 pounds for $250. Team Huffy had 13 pounds for fourth, and Team City Roofing had 12.6 pounds for fifth. Each team received merchandise. *** Adam Lockler and Josh Featherstone won the Jan. 19 Bo Russell wildcat at Badin with 17.35 pounds, a catch featuring a 6.24-pound bass. Runner-up Brice Hollis had 13.98 pounds. Tony Garitta is a fishing columnist for The Dispatch.
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https://www.the-dispatch.com/sports/20190124/will-lakes-be-ready-for-february-events
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Can Emirates return spark Sanchez revival?
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Alexis Sanchez returns to the Emirates with Manchester United today recovered from injury and in happier mood since the departure of Jose Mourinho, but still with an awful lot to do if he wants to persuade critics his career is not in terminal decline. Theres a certain irony that Sanchez, who is expected to be included in Ole Gunnar Solskjaers squad after shaking off a hamstring problem, is hoping the FA Cup can turn his fortunes around after a flaccid year at Old Trafford since a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan last January. He won the famous trophy twice at Arsenal, after all, but left in search of something more as Arsene Wengers reign limped to an end amid criticism that the FA Cup was the only thing the Gunners could dream of. What Sanchez has found since is that the grass is not always greener on the other side. He has gone from being one of the Premier Leagues most high-profile strikers in London to one who sits on the bench, often third choice behind Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku, in Manchester. That wasnt the plan, of course. When he signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford the Chilean said he was joining the biggest club in the world and looked forward to competing for the trophies he couldnt win at Arsenal the Premier League and Champions League. Marcus Rashford Instead, Uniteds turgid and disjointed football under Mourinho, with Sanchez overlooked, injured or played out of position, led to the managers dismissal and only the arrival of Solksjaer has lifted the gloom. A quick look at the stats shows just what a big job the Norwegian has if he wants to turn around the United career of the man who was honoured with the number seven shirt at Old Trafford, such was his previous reputation. Since arriving in Manchester, Sanchez has scored only four times and played just 22 games six of them as a substitute costing his club almost 7m per goal in wages. This season has been even bleaker. The 30-year-old has scored only once, at an average of only 0.09 a match, and had only seven shots on target; and he has also made just 20.82 passes per match, according to official Premier League statistics. Compare that to his best season at Arsenal in 2016-17 when he hit 24 goals in 38 appearances, at an average of 0.63 a match making 43.24 passes a game and hit 49 shots on target. My challenge right now is just to be a starter in future, to play and score goals, Sanchez admitted as he looked forward to six months which could decide his future at Old Trafford. But that is not easy because of the great quality of the staff we have here. The important thing is that we are now playing well. This season we lost many valuable points at the beginning of the league season, but now we have made a comeback and we are in the race again. We want to do the same in the cup. Perhaps a fourth round tie at the Emirates is the right place for Sanchez to announce his own comeback; and reports from Uniteds Carrington training ground say he has impressed colleagues with his attitude and form in the last fortnight. READ MORE: Man Utd boss Solskjaer sees Pogba as captain material But its hard to understand how United have failed so dismally, until now, to get the best out of such a dynamic player. Only Romelu Lukaku, Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane scored more goals than Sanchez during the years he played at Arsenal and only Mesut Ozil created more chances for the Gunners in that period, too. Sanchez racked up 272 of them. So, something has clearly gone spectacularly wrong. Maybe it started when the striker missed out on a 65m move to Manchester City in the summer of 2017, when Arsenals failure to sign Monacos Thomas Lemar as a replacement scuppered the deal. Or perhaps Mourinho, who initially described Sanchez as one of the best attacking players in the world who would bring his ambition, drive and personality to the club, made a big mistake. Either way, there is work to be done to turn things around. We want to finish the season as strongly as we can, Sanchez said. Results make a big difference in football and its clear we are happier now than before. Our goal is to win games, battle to get into the top four and to see what can happen in the FA Cup and in Europe. The battle for Sanchez is even tougher if he wants to avoid his worst goalscoring season since scoring only four times as a young striker for Udinese way back in 2009-10. That was one of only two times in his entire career that he failed to reach double figures for a campaign but to hit another nine before May is a significant challenge in 2019 given the competition for places at United. That must be the hope because the alternative is a painful homecoming for a player who knows he cannot expect a heros welcome and who has so much to prove.
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https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/can-emirates-return-spark-sanchez-revival-900003.html
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Are These Clot x Converse Sneakers the Footwear Equivalent of Hygge?
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When its cold outside, we want every single thing on our body to be cozy AFincluding our shoes. Since were no longer in seventh grade and wearing UGG boots around would be frowned upon (although you have to admit those things are comfy), we need to find a new way to keep our feet nice and cozy while still looking stylish. Much to our excitement, CLOT and Converse came together to design sneakers inspired by the North Pole (which is like, the coldest place we can think of). These shoes are basically the footwear equivalent of hygge. Hygge, in case you dont know, is a Danish and Norweigan word to describe that feeling of coziness you get when youre sitting by a fire, drinking cocoa and watching snow fall outside. Its that warm and fuzzy feeling that makes winter seem worth it. And now, we have shoes to evoke that same feeling. Winter weather will not break us. Actually, both pairs of CLOT x Converse sneakers are inspired by the polar beara majestic but also very cozy-looking creature. The classic Chuck 70 Hi-Tops feature Sherpa patchwork details on the outside, and are fur-lined on the inside. Itll basically feel like a polar bear is curled up sleeping on your feet. So. Much. Warmth. The other polar bear-inspired pair of sneakers are the Jack Purcell Low-Top, which have a Sherpa lining for maximum coziness. Were feeling cozier already. If youre just as ready to be cozy as we are, the CLOT x Converse collection will be available February 1 online and in Converse stores. Spring doesnt officially start until the end of March, so youll have plenty of time to curl up in the coziest of sneakers. Although, lets be real. Well probably be wearing these shoes all year long.
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https://stylecaster.com/clot-converse-sneakers/
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Will Policy-Makers Turn A Global Economic Slowdown Into A Crisis?
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Authored by Daniel Lacalle via The Mises Institute, The recent macroeconomic data of the leading economies point to a widespread slowdown. What is more concerning is not just a logical moderation in the path of growth, but the acceleration in the weakening of economies that were supposed to be stronger and healthier. It is even more concerning that this aggressive worsening of key leading indicators in China, the EU, and most emerging economies happens at the peak of the largest monetary and fiscal stimulus in decades. It is easy to blame this widespread weakening on political headlines, trade wars, and of course Trump, but it would be disingenuous to believe those are the real factors behind the negative economic surprise. The pace of global recoveries since 1975 has been slower and weaker, consistently, according to the OECD. Recoveries take longer and happen slower. At the same time, periods of crisis are less aggressive albeit more frequent than prior to 1975. Another interesting evidence of the crises and recoveries since 1975 is that almost all economies end the recession period with more debt than before. These factors are all concerning, but the evidence also shows that economic progress has continued regardless and that the main factors of wellbeing have improved dramatically. I had the opportunity of meeting Johan Norberg, author of Progress and we discussed all the positive elements we have seen in the past decades. In the same period, from 1975 to 2018, extreme poverty has been reduced to all-time lows. Hunger, poverty, illiteracy, child mortality all those terrible problems have been dramatically reduced to the lowest levels in history. That is the positive. However, recognizing the positive is important, but ignoring the risks is dangerous. Global debt has ballooned to all-time highs, more than three times the world GDP. For those elements of progress to continue improving, we must stop the race of perverse incentives created by the wrong analysis of the origin of crises and the solutions that are often proposed in mainstream economics and politics. I agree with Johan Norberg that the two main factors that have driven the phenomenal progress we have seen are free markets and openness. The freedom to innovate, experiment, create and share must come with the right incentives. For decades, governments and central banks have always identified the problems of the economy as demand problems, even if it was not the case. If there was a crisis or a recession, governments immediately believed that it must be due to lack of demand, and subsequently decide that the private sector is not willing or able to fulfill the real demand needs of the economy, even if there was no real evidence that companies or citizens were investing or consuming less than what they needed. The entire premise was that companies were not investing enough. Obviously by central planners who benefit from bubbles and overcapacity but never suffer the consequences. Governments and central banks never perceive risks of excess supply and even less predict a bubble. Because most central planners see debt, oversupply, and bubbles as small collateral damages of a greater good: recover growth at any cost. Behind the mistake in diagnosis is the obsession to maintain or grow Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at any cost. GDP is relatively easy to inflate. I always explain to my students that GDP is the only economic calculation in which you add what you spend with what you earn. GDP can be inflated through government spending and with higher debt-fueled expenditures. Debt is not a problem when it serves its purpose, which is to finance productive investment and allow the economy to grow, while efficiency, innovation, and technology allow us to be more productive and receive more and better goods and services at cheaper prices. It is a virtuous cycle. The virtuous cycle of credit turns into a vicious cycle of unproductive debt when we incentivize malinvestment and prevent technology substitution by implementing massive government stimuli and liquidity injections. (Courtesy S&P) Central banks justify their actions saying they do not cut rates, it is a market and private sector demand. Those same governments that feel the need to increase inflation, something that no consumer has demanded ever anywhere, do so because they benefit as the first recipients of newly created money and the only sector that truly benefits from inflation. Not even crony sectors fully benefit from inflation, the tax of the poor. Those suffer higher costs and import expenses. By always making the same diagnosis, mistakes are repeated and accumulated. No wonder the pace of recoveries is slower, weaker and more indebted. First, governments believe the problem is lack of demand and name themselves as the solution, using savers to finance it, via taxes and inflation. Massive white elephants, enormous infrastructure projects that generate a short-term boost to the spending side of GDP. Infrastructure is needed, of course, but the difference is when countries decide to use it as a subterfuge to disguise growth. Build anything at any cost. This leaves behind massive debt and a less dynamic, not stronger economy. Second, demand-side policies perpetuate those sectors that are in process of obsolescence at the expense of savers, salaries and productive sectors. Governments will always subsidize and support the inefficient at the expense of the efficient because their objective is to maintain what they believe works and keeps jobs. It is not due to bad intentions or evil objectives, it is simply to perpetuate the past that they live off. Third, massive liquidity injections and low rates are exactly the equivalents of indirect subsidies to the inefficient. The earliest recipients and most benefitted from unconventional monetary policies will, by definition, be the most indebted and least productive. This is why productivity growth and money velocity stall during periods of government-led monetary and fiscal excess. Fourth, the benefits of the short and long-term credit cycle are broken. Creative destruction is all but eliminated, malinvestment is promoted via unsustainably low rates and liquidity is absorbed by financial assets and unproductive sectors. Inflation does not rise as much as central planners want because technology and efficiency are unstoppable even if they try, and because overcapacity is perpetuated through constant re-financing. Massive liquidity and low rates make zombie companies soar. The percentage of companies that cannot pay interest expenses with operating profits balloons despite ultra-low rates and alleged growth-boosting plans. For decades, demand-side policies showed diminishing but not lethal results, but now the world has repeated the same policies so many times that there is simply exhaustion. Rates are unsustainably low, liquidity is excessive and there is no real fiscal space in governments that have all but consumed their ability to extract wealth from savers. The more we hear from governments that we need to spend more and save less, the weaker the response from economic agents. Governments and central banks create a crisis from a moderate and completely healthy slowdown by denying economic cycles and, even worse, presenting themselves as the ones that will revert them. The current global slowdown is not due to lack of stimuli, but the excess of them. When central planners decide to correct it, they create the seeds of the crisis. Malinvestment reaches unsustainable levels and bubbles burst, affecting all aspects of the real economy. There is no evidence that companies or citizens are investing or consuming less than they need, it only happens in the mind of those that expect excel-spreadsheet-style results from demand-side policies in the real economy. The global economy is close to recession, but a full-blown crisis is still unlikely. If central banks and governments present themselves, again, as the solution, they will create the next crisis.
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https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-24/will-policy-makers-turn-global-economic-slowdown-crisis?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29
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What Does It Mean To Be A Weezer Fan In 2019?
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There's a new Weezer album out today, which I learned about the moment I woke up. When I switched off my phone's alarm and checked my messages, there were texts about it from both my partner and my best friend from high school (who's also the biggest Weezer fan I've ever known, unless someone's been hiding their fandom from me like a dark secret). It's the fifth of their self-titled/color-coded albums, and their twelfth studio album since their 1994 debut. "The Teal Album," in the wake of last year's viral #WeezerCoverAfrica campaign which somehow launched the band back into the broader public consciousness in a way they haven't been since Rivers Cuomo grew a terrible mustache is a cover album. There's another "real" album slated to come out in a couple months, so you might think that surprise-dropping a 36-minutes of covers is just a marketing move. I wouldn't blame you for believing this after listening to the covers, which anyone who's heard the originals and more than two Weezer songs can perfectly imagine in their heads. "Faithful," "uninspired" and "lazy" are all fair descriptors. I don't even think the "surprise" part of the surprise drop even registered with me this morning, because of course Weezer would put out an album of cover songs with no announcement. "So this is what Rivers Cuomo singing 'No Scrubs' sounds like," you'll go. "About what I expected," is the conclusion I came to. It's okay to be mad about Weezer joining the ranks of white people appropriating black music through covers, and fine if you just want to dunk on them for it but we've already been over this, they covered "Hey Ya" on tour in 2017. Part of why I found the #WeezerCoverAfrica campaign so funny wasn't because I thought they would never do it, but because I savored the remote, absurd possibility that they might actually act like they were too good to. Of course, now we're reaping the obvious-in-hindsight outcome of that gambit: here's a whole album, and don't forget the other Toto cover. Judging by the chatter online, the move definitely brought Weezer a good measure of attention, but they don't exactly seem like a band that's desperate for it. Weezer has always had a legion of fans and they've always had their fair share of haters, and they're a band that so famously has fans doubling as haters there's a recent "Saturday Night Live" sketch about it: Not to shit on "SNL," but if the old "'Blue Album' and 'Pinkerton' are Weezer's only good albums" line of thought is now so played-out that Matt Damon agreed to do a four minute sketch about it for America's #1, mostly unadventurous sketch comedy institution, then it's time for the stans of those albums (myself included) to admit we've been ripe for parody for some time. Meanwhile, none of our grousing has stopped Weezer from doing whatever the fuck they want! Subjective assessment of their music aside, there are plenty of good reasons to have always hated on Weezer or to slowly grow out of them. Yes, a lot of the songs on "The Blue Album" and especially "Pinkerton" have a rare-in-pop-rock vulnerability to them, but freely expressing unsubtle misogyny is a trait of early Weezer that has actually endured while others haven't. "Pinkerton" may have been trashed by many critics at the time for reasons that don't hold up to scrutiny, but the accurate reads on Cuomo's creepiness did not stick. Im excited to play Black Ops 4 with you. Im free at 8 am Rivers Cuomo (@RiversCuomo) December 14, 2018 My highest kink fantasy is for you to walk me like a dog Rivers Cuomo (@RiversCuomo) October 28, 2018 Maybe he's being a troll! Maybe it's all real! It definitely does not matter either way, and not in the sense where a normal person performing irony for far too long could risk turning themselves into a genuine asshole. No, Rivers and by extension, Weezer as a unit has been performing "the Weezer thing" for so long now that the barrier that once existed between human and rock act has completely dissolved. I don't think this is uncommon: A lot of bands achieve a similar level of success, the lives they used to lead that informed their art either vanish without a trace or get absorbed into the band's artistic project, the albums get shittier and eventually they break up or devise a 20-year touring plan that ends with them playing the casino circuits between knee surgeries. I, and many others, might not like new Weezer, but I do think they're traveling down their own path, and I think that's because there was a porousness between themselves and the band's legend from the early days. The band cultivated close relationships with devoted fans before their first album dropped two of them, Mykel and Carli Allan (to whom the "Undone" B-side "Mykel and Carli" is dedicated) were quick to start a fan club for the band soon after the release of "The Blue Album." Thanks to Rivers' relatable-if-questionable lyrics, Ric Ocasek's timeless production and some heavy grunge counter-programming radio and MTV rotation, Weezer became a huge band really, really fast. By the time I was actually old enough to start caring about bands the way a gatekeeping "real fan" cares, the drama of the band's post-"Pinkerton" hiatus/Rivers' break to attend Harvard and the "Green Album" comeback/naysayers' "every post-2000 album sucks" stance had not only been crystallized within the fandom, but for all intents and purposes had been played along with by the band. Weezer gave all of what comparatively little it had to fans right out the gate, and with the exception of Rivers' collegiate recluse phase (which is now as much a part of the band's mythology as anything else), the band has been consistently serving up fodder for fans new albums, old demos, questionable tweets ever since. Fodder feels like the right word. Weezer hasn't spent the last 20 years consistently trying to please or troll some segment of their fans. They've been producing things they know fans will respond to however they see fit. You can reject it, you can begrudgingly like it, you can be ecstatic about every new drip but the one thing you can't do is deny that it exists. Every new song and piece of information about the band doesn't or can't challenge the immutable idea of what Weezer is, good or bad. That's Weezer's longevity in a nutshell if they were out here striving to make good music and it all ended up bad, they'd be criticized, increasingly ignored and then forgotten. Instead, Weezer makes music that reminds you that Weezer is around. That people like some of their albums but not others. That Rivers is a creep. I think Weezer fans know this. If they've outgrown the band and rarely talk about it, somehow the other fans or lapsed fans in their orbit will know to text them the morning of a surprise album drop, and those people already know what reaction they'll get out of whoever they texted. A Weezer fan might change so much over the course of their life that they legitimately forget what they really liked about the band in the first place, but it's hard to forget the motions of liking or not liking certain things about the band. They'll yell "smoke dope" during the breakdown of "Surf Wax America" at live shows not only because they want to, but because they know it's just what you do. Sometimes Weezer's creative raison d'tre might be more veiled than others, but an album of rote covers that you know people will debate online is an exceptionally clear way to declare that you're still here. For that reason alone, it might be Weezer's best release since "Pinkerton."
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http://digg.com/2019/weezer-teal-album-fandom-covers
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Could a sawmill help stem the housing crisis faced by Indigenous communities?
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THUNDER BAYOntarios Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford sent a particularly rich letter to the federal government this week, demanding urgent action from Ottawa concerning the crisis in Cat Lake. Rickford, the MPP for KenoraRainy River, called it Ottawas legal, fiduciary and constitutional responsibility to make sure First Nations received the basic needs of on-reserve housing. Ontario's Indigenous Services Minister Greg Rickford sent a letter to his federal counterparts demanding housing help for the Cat Lake community. But there are things that Rickford could do, Tanya Talaga writes. ( Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS ) Last week, Cat Lake Chief Matthew Keewaykapow declared a state of emergency in his northern Ontario community of 800 people, linking woefully poor housing to a variety of illnesses that are causing people to be airlifted to hospitals in urban centres. A recent report found that more than half the homes in Cat Lake 87 houses out of about 125 need to be demolished because they are unfit to live in. Imagine trying to survive in minus 40C weather in living conditions that make you sick. One answer might be as simple as a sawmill. Rickfords letter aligns with the classic pass-the-buck response of Canadian governments when dealing with Indigenous issues. We see it all the time. The finger of blame begins to wave, each level of government accusing the other of inaction concerning responsibilities outlined under their own colonial laws dont make me go on again about the 1876 Indian Act and unfulfilled treaty obligations. Article Continued Below But this letter from Rickford, sent Jan. 22 to Seamus ORegan, the federal minister of Indigenous services, and Carolyn Bennett, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is especially eyebrow-raising. Rickford was a member of former prime minister Stephen Harpers government from 2008 to 2015 many of those years in the inner-circle around the cabinet table. He even served as parliamentary secretary of the department that was then called Indian affairs. The deplorable state of housing on reserves in Canada is not new. Substandard housing is a consistent and reoccurring problem that has existed since the reserves were first created in order to clear Indigenous peoples off the land to make way for settlers. Access to safe housing is an important pillar needed to grow healthy children, as is access to an education, clean water, nutritious food and health care. Yet many First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada go without many of these basic human rights. The state of dilapidated, mould-filled homes would be intolerable in mainstream society, according to Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler. Cat Lake is one of NANs 49 First Nations in northern Ontario, which are spread over two-thirds of the province. Cat Lakes Gladys Nayanookeesic says the most homelessness she has ever seen in Canada is on reserves. Youve got 14 people living in a house because they dont have anywhere else to live. Young couples with kids and no home, she says. Nayanookeesic was recently forced to move her 95-year-old grandma Margaret out of her mould- and bed-bug-filled home. Article Continued Below Instead of passing the buck, there are things Rickford can do. For starters, he can pick up the phone and call Mike McKay, NANs director of housing. McKay wants to see legislative changes at the federal and provincial levels that will allow communities to have lumber mills so they can access wood resources on the land and people can build their own homes. He points out housing standards demanded for homes in cities and the suburbs, such as those concerning energy efficiency, dont really cut it in northern communities. We need to build our own houses. We used to do that. We built our own homes with saw mills that were in the community, he says. But that stopped when modern building codes were introduced. Now the lumber used to construct homes has to meet certain criteria it has to be dried and tested. We cant access all the wood surrounding us. We need to buy it and bring it into the community, he says. Since most NAN First Nations are fly-in, communities have to wait for winter roads in order to transport in large-scale goods. When McKay was a building inspector, he used to write up work orders for improvements such as new exterior stairs. However, the stairs would have to be ordered and shipped from Winnipeg or other cities, at a cost of nearly $3,000. It all comes from the outside, he says. Rickfords letter finished with these thoughts: These houses lack basic services such as clean drinking water, and adequate heating, ventilation and insulation. These houses pose a significant health and safety risk to Indigenous families and are in desperate need of retrofit, replacement and even demolition for the sake of peoples health. The people of Cat Lake, and so many others are depending on your response to this crisis. Ontario stands ready to assist the federal government in meeting its responsibilities, the letter said. Just a suggestion, Minister Rickford, call Mike McKay. Tanya Talaga is a Toronto-based columnist covering Indigenous issues. Follow her on Twitter: @tanyatalaga
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https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/01/24/could-a-sawmill-help-stem-the-housing-crisis-faced-by-indigenous-communities.html
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Will Meghan Markle appear in the final season of Suits?
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The show is set to come to an end next year Suits creator Aaron Korsh has teased the possibility that the Duchess of Sussex could appear in the final season of the show, following the announcement it is due to be axed. Meghan and Patrick J. Adams, who played her on-screen husband, both left the show at the end of season 7 ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry, and there has been much speculation over whether they will star in the final episodes. When asked about the possibility of Meghan making a comeback, Aaron told Deadline: "As of this minute, I don't know which of our old original cast will be back and which won't because we're so early in the season. I can tell you that those things in the papers, I have no idea what theyre talking about." Meghan filmed her final scenes for Suits in 2017 There have been suggestions that NBC Universal would make a multi-million dollar donation to a charity of Meghans choice if she did make a cameo something the creator denied. "I have not arranged for millions of dollars to be donated to anything on behalf of anyone so that I can tell you, but as far as the original people coming back including Jessica, were so early in the season that we havent formulated what we want to do, so we cant reach out to people before we know what we want to do," he said. Loading the player... The show will end after the ninth season Meghan played Rachel Zane in the hit legal drama, and her final scenes aired shortly before the royal wedding in 2018. Speaking about leaving the legal drama after her engagement, Meghan said in 2017: "I don't see it as giving anything up, I just see it as a change It's a new chapter. Right. And also keep in mind I been working on my show for seven years. I have I have ticked this box' I feel really proud of the work I've done there." Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2019012467029/will-meghan-markle-return-to-suits/
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Who is liable for council tax on my rent-free flat?
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Q When my daughter graduates, Im planning to let her live rent-free in a flat that I own. A Domestic rates originated in the Elizabethan poor laws, and from earliest times they were levied on every occupier of lands and houses in a particular district. When the present system of council tax was established by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the legislation preserved the basic concept that the main person responsible for the tax is the legal occupier, not the owner. Section 6(2) of the act lists people who must pay council tax in order of liability. Top are residents who own their freehold, followed by residents with long leases,
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/who-is-liable-for-council-tax-on-my-rent-free-flat-2595m66vc
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Will we ever have home cinema without any wires?
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The typical home cinema setup is invariably a rat's nest of speaker wires and component connections, particularly if you have a full-blown multi-channel sound system. If you've just jumped aboard the Dolby Atmos audio bandwagon, your front room could be stuffed with nine speakers or more, complete with wires... and that's without factoring in source components. In short, that's a lot of cable, so it's easy to see why the notion of a wireless home theater has instant appeal. The good news is that the technology to achieve this neat and tidy dream is largely here already but cost and engineering challenges are the major hurdle to overcome before we can consign wires to the bin - so we're taking a look at what's holding them back. Big brand awareness Multiroom systems, including Sonos and Denon's HEOS (to name two of many), have championed the idea of wireless audio. Delivering stereo around the home over Wi-Fi is now relatively affordable. For Sonos users there's even a wireless 5.1 surround sound option, built around the Sonos Playbar. For home cinema users in general, audio is already primarily wireless. High-quality music streams from Spotify, Tidal and internet radio count as standard sources, so much so that they are often built directly into hardware if not streamed from a mobile device. Bluetooth, particularly with aptX, is a great way to get music wirelessly from a smartphone to a home theatre system. If your AV receiver doesn't have native Bluetooth support, then Arcam's MiniBlink (99 / US$150 / AU $249) is one of the better ways to upgrade it. This pebble-shaped receiver DAC converts a Bluetooth stream into a high quality line-level audio source. Another increasingly compelling way to deliver sound and vision wirelessly to your AV system is by using Google Cast. Any Google Cast-enabled app or content can be streamed to a ChromeCast dongle (30 / US$35 / AU$38) connected to your home cinema system. Just plug your ChromeCast gadget into one of your AV receiver's HDMI inputs and you'll instantly be able to start streaming music around the home. Connecting Blu-ray players and TV set-top boxes wirelessly, however, presents more of a challenge. Wireless video senders enjoyed a bit of a renaissance a couple of years ago, when wireless HDMI models replaced the flaky old Scart RF video senders of yesteryear. They typically used the 5GHz band designated for short-range wireless LAN applications. Some were bolstered by MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antennas, for improved reliability. Today, buyers might look toward the Optoma WHD200 wireless HDMI system (199 / US$215 / around AU$882) to achieve the effect. It comprises a transmitter with two HDMI inputs and one local output, and a HDMI receiver, and supports HD and multichannel audio. "Wireless HDMI senders have their limitations though," suggests Rob Sutherland, MD of Inspired Dwelling, a CEDIA (Custom Electric Design and Installation Association) member that specialises in leading-edge home cinema systems. He says wireless video senders are typically limited to distances under 10 metres. "There's also the general issue of latency, where there is a delay in the time it takes for your equipment to process audio and video data." Early attempts to sell wireless HEOS 3 speakers as a stereo pair for TV use were scuppered by this problem when it became clear that audio was being delivered out of sync with the TV picture. Similarly, first-generation Bluetooth headphones proved of little use to gamers, when latency issues made it almost impossible to react to threats. This led to the development of aptX Low Latency (by makers CSR), which improves audio-video sync by reducing latency to -32ms. Broadcast TV is designed to work with a latency of up to -60ms (audio after video), so the tech could easily keep up. A question of performance Alan Gibb, MD of The Chord Company, a leading UK manufacturer of premium Hi-Fi and video cables, perhaps surprisingly says it's inevitable that all our home entertainment sources will become wireless eventually: "The real question for home cinema enthusiasts has to be what quality can be achieved with the technology?" Currently, audiophiles will always opt for wired over wireless AV, he argues. "Signal conversion to wireless and back again opens audio to potential degradation and interface issues. "Many existing digital systems are very intolerant of HF noise. Well-screened cables help keep this issue at bay allowing higher levels of performance from even very modest equipment." Rob Sutherland suggests current bandwidth limitations preclude wireless high-end home cinema. "When it comes to a Dolby Atmos or 7.1, we may not see a wireless home cinema in the near future, especially not one which delivers a no-compromise AV experience," he cautions. It's currently not possible to reliably deliver 4K video wirelessly. "But there's no doubting the positive aspects of wireless AV," Sutherland adds. "It enables people to build a home cinema without having to tear down their walls and ceilings. It avoids the costs which come with wiring a space for AV. "Despite these benefits, with some wireless AV products, the wireless element is sometimes not actually integrated into the speaker or TV, and consequently, additional black boxes are required to transmit and receive the signal." Technical problems to overcome There's still the issue of reliability to resolve when it comes to wireless signal distribution, notes Sutherland. "Although cabling is not completely immune... wireless systems are often subject to interference from third party devices and even coverage blind spots which will not allow wireless signals to come through the walls, floors or ceiling." There have been developments to improve Wi-Fi reach. Some high-end 802.11ac routers, from brands such as Linksys and D-Link, use targeted beamforming to improve penetration. They need to work with a Wi-Fi device that specifically supports the technology for it to work though. Gibb from The Chord Company is cautious. Wireless transmission still has to contend with variations in building materials in the home, he warns: "For example, in many new-build properties (the UK is targeted to build 250,000 per year), foil-backed insulation materials such as plasterboard, often present unforeseen transfer problems. "Even older buildings with thick stone walls present their own issues. There's also a growing health backlash over the quantity of RF running round a modern living environment. Some European countries have [even] banned Wi-Fi in schools, following guidelines surrounding child health!" When it comes to upgrading standalone components, from Blu-ray players to TV boxes, there's still the sticky issue of cost if you want the premium wireless experience, says Gibb. "Senders and receivers need to be at both the source and sink and not force a significant price premium over wired devices," he says. "The home cinema market is very cost-orientated and at the affordable end, this technology would need to integrate without a significant cost for the end user." But never say never. "At some point this will all be possible," insists Sutherland, "As long as there is an increasing demand for wireless solutions, manufacturers will continue to meet demand. "However, someone will need to solve how to get power to the units within the room to make home cinema a true wireless proposition!"
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https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/home-cinema/home-theatre-audio/will-we-ever-have-home-cinema-without-any-wires-1322387
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Will Congress stay with TDP in TS?
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By Express News Service HYDERABAD: With Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, Congress leaders find themselves having to decide the fate of their alliance with Telugu Desam Party in Telangana. The two parties, along with TJS and CPI, had come together for the Assembly elections, only to perform miserably. The question assumes more significance after AICC in-charge for Andhra Pradesh Oommen Chandy had said on Wednesday that Congress would contest all 175 Assembly ans 25 Lok Sabha seats on its own. AICC national spokesperson Sravan Dasoju said that decision on the matter would soon be taken by party high command. Meanwhile, Telangana TDP president L Ramana said that the decision would be taken a little before the elections, based on the prevailing conditions. When it comes to public issues, parties that were part of the Praja Kutami will work together. On the alliance, we will decide on the eve of polls, he said.
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http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2019/jan/24/will-cong-stay-with-tdp-in-ts-1929348.html
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How much worse does Brexit need to get before corporate cowards speak out?
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A couple of weeks ago, as I was calling a number of chief executives to discuss the Peoples Vote, one replied: I dont like to get involved in things like that. This senior figure of a large, European-owned company was adamant that they dont do politics. I scratched my head. I wondered what kind of crisis might impel him to show courage, even at the potential risk of alienating part of his customer base. I thought of the 1930s but stopped myself. Almost. Mercifully, not all are like that. In the last few days, as the horror of no-deal approaches, company bosses are speaking out. Airbuss Tom Enders called it a disgrace. Sony, Dixons Carphone, Bentley and P&O have issued dire warnings. Corporate chiefs take
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-much-worse-does-brexit-need-to-get-before-corporate-cowards-speak-out-llg0xfv7m
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How long does it take to get a good builder?
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Dont drag out the dust sheets just yet. Homeowners who want to pull off a successful home improvement project must plan up to seven months ahead, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), a trade association. Blame impending Brexit. It has contributed to a shortage of good tradespeople and an increase in people choosing to improve, not move. If homeowners want an extension completed by Christmas 2019, they should be contacting builders for quotes by May at the very latest, says Brian Berry, the chief executive of the FMB. However, dont panic, or youre asking for trouble. Yes, engage a builder as early as possible, says Glenn Williams, the director of Bluelime Home Design
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-a-good-builder-z6nd228gx
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Can I build a garage on a shared garden?
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Q I would like to build a garage on the garden that I share with my downstairs neighbour. A The first thing you will need to do is consult the title deeds to your property to check (i) the extent of your ownership of the part of the garden in question; and (ii) whether there are any burdens or conditions in the title deeds, which would prevent you from building a garage on that land. Your ownership of the garden could be shared in a number of ways: the whole of the garden is owned by you and your neighbour (equally or by some other share), you own one part of the garden and your neighbour owns another part,
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/can-i-build-a-garage-on-a-shared-garden-hq7qc23qf
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Will new law help keep our communities safer?
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Criminon program delivery in Washington, DC Detention Facility Too many inmates have left prison a better criminal than when they entered, due to the severe lack of vocational and education programs There is no person alive who cannot make a new beginning. L. Ron Hubbard, The Way to Happiness WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, January 24, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Editorial written by John Stanard A new era has emerged for criminal justice by the recent signing into law of the criminal justice bill called the FIRST STEP Act. With this new law, which implements key vocational and educational programs for inmates in federal prisons, we hope that the high rate of inmates returning to prison across the country will be improved. For years there has been controversy over the fact that inmates in detention facilities and federal prisons do not have access to rehabilitative programs. Our communities are endangered when offenders are released with little or no vocational skills or the ability to earn a living. Often times an incarcerated person serves time and is released a better criminal than when he or she entered. We all benefit when a returning citizen re-enters society with life skills enabling him or her to be a productive citizen. Washington, DC, like many areas in the country, suffers from a high rate of incarcerated persons returning to prison within a few years. Up to 75% of offenders were rearrested within 5 years according to a 2014 Bureau of Justice Statistics study which covered 30 states. [1] Many people working in the criminal justice field believe that it will take a cooperative effort between government, nonprofit and faith-based organizations to effect real change. Perhaps, The FIRST STEP Act, signed into law by President Trump on Friday, December 21st 2018, which seeks to provide the many needed programs to federal prisoners to reduce the risk of recidivism, will begin this new change. These programs are based on the belief that all men have value and that anyone can turn their lives around and make a better life. As the National Director for Social Betterment Policy and Programs for the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, and national criminal justice reform advocate, I feel that the FIRST STEP Act is a move in the right direction. Our criminal justice system needs to adopt positive approaches towards those who have been imprisoned. We need to make available useful programs that provide training and skills to allow individuals to lead productive lives post-incarceration. The FIRST STEP Act provides funding for such programming as well as a mechanism to reward those who take advantage of that programming. The programs provided for in the FIRST STEP Act provide the services that prisoners need in order to make the changes and gain the skills they need to become better prepared for reentry as successful and contributing members of society. These services can range from literacy training and general education to specific job training and programs to improve their outlook on living productive lives. One such program which has been active both nationally and internationally is Criminon, www.Criminon.org, an international non-profit dedicated to the rehabilitation of criminals through a suite of secular educational life skills programs based on the works of author, humanitarian and philanthropist, L. Ron Hubbard. Matt Robinson, president of Criminon New Life DC said that their work in the Washington, DC, Detention Facility over the last 15 years has been rewarding and successes from those incarcerated are very encouraging. One participant recently told them, for example, that since he started the Criminon program, It has elevated my thinking. I no longer place the blame on others for the wrong that went on [in] my life. I no longer run from reality. I embrace it and look for solutions to fix the situation. The motto of Criminon is taken from the book The Way to Happiness, (www.thewaytohappiness.org) by L. Ron Hubbard, in which he writes, There is no person alive who cannot make a new beginning. Mr. Hubbard also stated that, A criminal career always begins at the moment when the criminal-to-be loses his self-respect, and that is what Criminon addresses with this program. Criminon is supported by the Church of Scientology and its parishioners, and has gotten 23,000 inmates through the program in 23 countries across the globe. We will all be hoping for real change in the criminal justice field to ensure that the recidivism rates (when a convicted criminal reoffends) are reversed and more inmates are honestly rehabilitated. Notes [1] Durose, Matthew R., Alexia D. Cooper, and Howard N. Snyder, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010 (pdf, 31 pages), Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, April 2014, NCJ 244205. EIN Presswire does not exercise editorial control over third-party content provided, uploaded, published, or distributed by users of EIN Presswire. We are a distributor, not a publisher, of 3rd party content. Such content may contain the views, opinions, statements, offers, and other material of the respective users, suppliers, participants, or authors.
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https://www.einpresswire.com/article/474583938/will-new-law-help-keep-our-communities-safer
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What is Pink Shirt Day?
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Its been six years since The Waterloo Region Record first brought Pink Shirt Day to the Waterloo Region. In that time, weve seen a lot of growth in this annual reminder to take a stand against bullying. And while many people are familiar with Pink Shirt Day, not everyone is aware of the history behind this important movement and the work being done locally. Pink Shirt Day began back in 2007, in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, when David Sheppard and Travis Price, two grade 12 students, heard that a grade 9 student was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. They knew they wanted to do something to help so that starting to come up with some ideas. Eventually they realized if everyone was wearing pink they couldnt all be bullied for it. That night they got the message out to as many people as they could and bought up as much pink clothing as they could find. The next day over 800 of the 1000 students in their school were wearing something pink. Sheppard and Price couldnt have known it then, but that one act inspired a movement that now, more than a decade later, is still going strong as a national event. Across Canada, Pink Shirt Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday in February. In the Waterloo Region, preparations begin months in advance. Each November, The Record launches a t-shirt design contest and dozens of community members of all ages submit designs representing what bullying and Pink Shirt Day mean to them. Submissions are judged not just on artistic ability, but also on the overall messaging of the design. The winning design then becomes that years community Pink Shirt. This year, the winning design was created by Dannica Valant from St. Agnes Catholic Elementary School. Pink Shirt Day highlights the amazing impact that young people can have on our world. Of course, it takes more than one day and one movement to create the kind of social change necessary to stop bullying. Proceeds from each Pink Shirt sold go directly to supporting the WAYVE (Wellness, Acceptance, Youth Voices, Empowerment) program run through the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington. WAYVE is a youth-led team that works to support young people in creating important changes right here in our own community. Our focus is on promoting youth mental health and wellness and that also means encouraging people to stand up for one another. While selling the Pink Shirts and encouraging school and community-based activities has always been a primary focus, this year The Record will be hosting a movie night at the Kitchener Public Library's main branch at 85 Queen St N, Kitchener, on Thursday, February 21st at 5pm. You can get involved by wearing pink on February 27th, 2019. This years shirt can be purchased here
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https://www.therecord.com/community-story/9142939-what-is-pink-shirt-day-/
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Will Priyanka challenge Modi at Varanasi?
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India oi-Oneindia Staff By Smriti Pathak New Delhi, Jan 25: Posters urging Priyanka Gandhi to contest the coming general elections from Varanasi-- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency-- came up in the holy city on Thursday. The local unit of the Congress too demanded that Priyanka, who formally entered politics on Wednesday and was appointed the general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, be pitted directly against Modi to galvanise voters of UP and neighbouring states. Also Read | The Priyanka effect: Congress to play long innings in UP The posters featuring Priyanka Gandhi in the middle, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on the top and local Congress leader Ajay Rai, who had contested against Modi in 2014, at the bottom, have come up across Varanasi. The lines, "Kashi Ki Janta Kare Pukar, Priyanka Gandhi Ho Sansad Hamar. We want Priyanka", were printed in bold letters in the centre of the posters. Holding the posters and shouting slogans, some youth Congress workers also took out a march in the Lahurbir locality demanding that Priyanka be declared the party's candidate from Varanasi. "The Congress party soldiers (workers) are ready to make her (Priyanka) win the elections from the temple town constituency... If she contests from here, the impact would be felt in the neighbouring states as well," Rai said. "The wave of PM Modi has now faded as people want to get rid of the Modi-Shah misrule who have ruined the lives of scorers of small businessmen and rendered thousands of people jobless due to their faulty policies and chest thumping," he added. Rai expressed confidence that the Congress would win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2022 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The country witnessed a negative economic growth during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, Rai said. Criticising the the Union government's Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas event being held in Varanasi from January 21 to 23, the Congress leader questioned why the dates of the event were changed. Also Read | Why Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's formal entry into politics matters The event is held to pay respects to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, who returned to India from South Africa on January 9. The BJP changed the dates to gain political mileage, he said.
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https://www.oneindia.com/india/will-priyanka-challenge-modi-at-varanasi-2841763.html?utm_source=/rss/news-india-fb.xml&utm_medium=23.50.225.204&utm_campaign=client-rss
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