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Could Wagyu beef protect against heart disease? | Good news for beef lovers! A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. Researchers at the Liggins Institute at Auckland University are looking into whether grass-fed Wagyu beef can protect against the disease. Study lead, David Cameron-Smith told Tim Dower processed red meat has been linked to colon cancer but that's not the case for grass-fed beef. "Processed red meat clearly does carry a degree of risk so there's been all that research looking at colon cancer and processed red meat." Advertisement "But here in New Zealand, we are extremely lucky to have grass-fed beef. In fact, we have the best beef and that's this Wagyu beef and unlike anywhere else in the world, the Wagyu that we eat, or the Wagyu that's available to us in the supermarkets, is a cross with dairy...and it's grass fed, so it makes it completely unique." "It's the champagne of beef when you compare it on an international scale." He said the high-fat quantity in grass-fed beef shouldn't be a concern either because it contains Omega 3. Wagyu cattle. Photo / Michael Cunningham "Here in New Zealand, the only way you can get marbled fatty meat is for that animal to be crossed with a breed like Wagyu [and] the unique thing about that meat is that it's really high in Omega 3." "Grass-fed animals have much higher, double the concentration, of Omega 3 fatty acids and for people who don't eat fish that's their predominant source of those healthy Omega 3 fats." The fat could also be key to protecting against heart disease. "In our research with AgResearch, the government agency that's involved in agricultural research around New Zealand, we have identified other forms of fat that are in that marbled meat that may be beneficial to heart disease," Cameron-Smith said. However, he said that doesn't mean you can start eating steak for every meal. "It's not true that you can eat meat willy-nilly. Of course, the dietary requirements remain the same, you should eat red meat three times a week and supplement it with other forms of protein." "But if are going to eat meat, eat the best, it's the stuff that we export, it's the study that's amazing and we are sop fortunte...that we have this healthy red meat." While processed meat is linked with cancer, he said having bacon once a week shouldn't be of concern. | A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12191378 | 0.194588 |
Could Wagyu beef protect against heart disease? | Good news for beef lovers! A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. Researchers at the Liggins Institute at Auckland University are looking into whether grass-fed Wagyu beef can protect against the disease. Study lead, David Cameron-Smith told Tim Dower processed red meat has been linked to colon cancer but that's not the case for grass-fed beef. "Processed red meat clearly does carry a degree of risk so there's been all that research looking at colon cancer and processed red meat." Advertisement "But here in New Zealand, we are extremely lucky to have grass-fed beef. In fact, we have the best beef and that's this Wagyu beef and unlike anywhere else in the world, the Wagyu that we eat, or the Wagyu that's available to us in the supermarkets, is a cross with dairy...and it's grass fed, so it makes it completely unique." "It's the champagne of beef when you compare it on an international scale." He said the high-fat quantity in grass-fed beef shouldn't be a concern either because it contains Omega 3. Wagyu cattle. Photo / Michael Cunningham "Here in New Zealand, the only way you can get marbled fatty meat is for that animal to be crossed with a breed like Wagyu [and] the unique thing about that meat is that it's really high in Omega 3." "Grass-fed animals have much higher, double the concentration, of Omega 3 fatty acids and for people who don't eat fish that's their predominant source of those healthy Omega 3 fats." The fat could also be key to protecting against heart disease. "In our research with AgResearch, the government agency that's involved in agricultural research around New Zealand, we have identified other forms of fat that are in that marbled meat that may be beneficial to heart disease," Cameron-Smith said. However, he said that doesn't mean you can start eating steak for every meal. "It's not true that you can eat meat willy-nilly. Of course, the dietary requirements remain the same, you should eat red meat three times a week and supplement it with other forms of protein." "But if are going to eat meat, eat the best, it's the stuff that we export, it's the study that's amazing and we are sop fortunte...that we have this healthy red meat." While processed meat is linked with cancer, he said having bacon once a week shouldn't be of concern. | A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. Researchers are looking into whether grass-fed Wagyu beef can protect against the disease. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12191378 | 0.398408 |
Could Wagyu beef protect against heart disease? | Good news for beef lovers! A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. Researchers at the Liggins Institute at Auckland University are looking into whether grass-fed Wagyu beef can protect against the disease. Study lead, David Cameron-Smith told Tim Dower processed red meat has been linked to colon cancer but that's not the case for grass-fed beef. "Processed red meat clearly does carry a degree of risk so there's been all that research looking at colon cancer and processed red meat." Advertisement "But here in New Zealand, we are extremely lucky to have grass-fed beef. In fact, we have the best beef and that's this Wagyu beef and unlike anywhere else in the world, the Wagyu that we eat, or the Wagyu that's available to us in the supermarkets, is a cross with dairy...and it's grass fed, so it makes it completely unique." "It's the champagne of beef when you compare it on an international scale." He said the high-fat quantity in grass-fed beef shouldn't be a concern either because it contains Omega 3. Wagyu cattle. Photo / Michael Cunningham "Here in New Zealand, the only way you can get marbled fatty meat is for that animal to be crossed with a breed like Wagyu [and] the unique thing about that meat is that it's really high in Omega 3." "Grass-fed animals have much higher, double the concentration, of Omega 3 fatty acids and for people who don't eat fish that's their predominant source of those healthy Omega 3 fats." The fat could also be key to protecting against heart disease. "In our research with AgResearch, the government agency that's involved in agricultural research around New Zealand, we have identified other forms of fat that are in that marbled meat that may be beneficial to heart disease," Cameron-Smith said. However, he said that doesn't mean you can start eating steak for every meal. "It's not true that you can eat meat willy-nilly. Of course, the dietary requirements remain the same, you should eat red meat three times a week and supplement it with other forms of protein." "But if are going to eat meat, eat the best, it's the stuff that we export, it's the study that's amazing and we are sop fortunte...that we have this healthy red meat." While processed meat is linked with cancer, he said having bacon once a week shouldn't be of concern. | A new study suggests grass-fed beef could help protect against heart disease. Researchers at the Liggins Institute at Auckland University are looking into whether Wagyu beef can protect against the disease. Study lead, David Cameron-Smith said processed red meat has been linked to colon cancer but that's not the case for grass- fed beef. | bart | 2 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12191378 | 0.634404 |
Will May Survive Her Brexit Defeat? | The only meaningful unity that the United Kingdom has seen in the past two years has been opposition to the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the European Union. That agreement, as predicted, suffered a crushing blow in the House of Commons today, voted down by a 432-to-202 margin in what was instantly the worst parliamentary defeat in history. The defeat, as predicted, has prompted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to propose a vote, expected to be held on Wednesday, of no confidence in the government. When future historians consider Brexit, they will surely marvel at Mays obstinate capacity for survival in the face of unending political humiliation. Though her authority is all but nil at this point, if she hangs on tomorrow, her leadership will be further cemented. What doesnt kill me makes me stronger, though it still doesnt bring me Brexit . . . Mays final plea before the defeat was that a vote against this deal is a vote for nothing more than uncertainty, division, and the very real risk of no deal, or worse, no Brexit at all. Which is true. Labour is just as split as the Tories on the question of how to proceed. Corbyn now faces enormous pressure from his own back-benchers to back a second referendum, and has shown no sign at any point of having an alternative to Mays deal in mind. That is because there were only ever two alternatives to Mays deal, as the EU saw it: no-deal Brexit (which they deem disastrous) or no Brexit at all (which theyd quite like). For the British people, the choice was simpler still faith in Brexit or no faith in Brexit. Now it seems that Britain faces two distinct but inexorably linked crises: a crisis of government and a crisis of legitimacy. Should both crises collide, it is hard to imagine the havoc that would ensue. Indeed, while it was one thing for Conservative MPs to vote against the prime minister in a Tory-party confidence vote (which May narrowly won), it would be quite another for Conservative MPs to vote with Corbyn in order to bring down a Tory government. Doing so, even as an attempt to prevent a no-deal Brexit, would be political suicide. Yet it is this desperation that Corbyn is banking on. It appears that there is a majority in the Commons set on blocking a no-deal Brexit. That much became clear when the speaker of the House tabled an amendment last week that will force May to return to the Commons within three days of her defeat and present an alternative plan. Of course, that doesnt necessarily translate into opposition to the government. Meanwhile, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist party, on whom the Conservative government relies for its majority, has already promised to back the government in tomorrows vote. The DUP would be content with no-deal Brexit, as it would mean the end of the proposed arrangement whereby the U.K. would remain in the European customs union indefinitely in order to prevent a hard border with Ireland. Clearly the only way to stop a no-deal Brexit is to put something or someone else in its place. Though the EU has said previously that it will not budge on the terms of the deal negotiated by May, its bluff is about to be called. No-deal Brexit is not in Europes interests, and so the EU may push for a softer Brexit by permitting the extension or revocation of Article 50, which currently mandates that Britain leave the EU on March 29. At any rate, the question of who governs Britain does not resolve any of the uncertainty or division surrounding Brexits implementation. Britons voted to leave the European Union, but two years later none of their representatives in Parliament is any closer to knowing what that would look like. Corbyn argued today that May had reached the end of the line after two years of failure. More from National Review | Prime Minister Theresa May's deal with the EU suffered a crushing blow in the House of Commons today. The defeat, as predicted, has prompted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to propose a vote of no confidence in the government. Mays authority is all but nil at this point, but if she hangs on tomorrow, her leadership will be further cemented. | bart | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/may-survive-her-brexit-defeat-224810031.html | 0.111905 |
Can Philadelphia 'stop people from dying' as drug crisis and gun violence rage on? | The prevalence of drug overdoses and homicides is helping drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city as premature deaths have been rising since 2015 Trina Singletons son died a day before his 25th birthday, gunned down on the same day 10 people were shot in Philadelphia. Elise Schillers daughter died of a heroin overdose at the treatment center where she had gone to seek help breaking her addiction. They were victims of two tragedies drug overdoses and homicides now so prevalent in Philadelphia that theyve helped drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city. Premature deaths have been increasing since 2015, according to the report released this month by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Life expectancy began to fall after 2014, the city says. For men, it was 72.4 in 2017, down from 73.2 in 2013. Women had a longer life expectancy at 79.7, but that number has stopped improving. The city counts the years of its citizens lives lost to early death, before the age of 75. The number hit a low of 9,004 years in 2014 and then reversed course rising to 9,901 years in 2017. Life expectancy has also fallen across the nation as opioid overdoses claimed more and more lives, but the drug epidemic has hit Philadelphia harder than any other large city. In 2017, there were 1,217 overdose deaths in the city the third highest cause of death, trailing only heart disease and cancer. Its a huge crisis that has really affected the health of the entire city, Health Commissioner Tom Farley told the Guardian. The last time life expectancy dropped like this was during the AIDS epidemic. Elise Schillers daughter Giana became addicted to painkillers she was prescribed for injuries she suffered as an athlete and a veterinary nurse, before turning to heroin. I was so blindsided, said Schiller, 67, of Germantown. I became increasingly confused and disturbed by the way in which they were treating her. Schiller has become an advocate for better treatment, the kind her daughter did not get using medications like methadone and buprenorphine, which research shows are more likely to succeed in combating opioid addiction. Treatment programs also neglected her mental health problems. In her case, it was fatal, Schiller said. Philadelphias crisis is especially bad because it lies at the intersection of two trends, Farley said. The city has long been a hub for the distribution of heroin around the east coast, most of it now mixed with the more deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Add to that doctors over-prescribing opioids for pain. One in three Philadelphians report taking a prescription opioid in the last year. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. One still remains on Emerald Street entrenched enough that its nickname, Emerald City, pops up as a destination in Google Maps. People live in tents under a bridge, but orange notices warn residents that they must clear out or be cleared out by 31 January. Its an open air drug market. The city let that happen, said Carol Rostucher, who founded the group Angels in Motion to help people living on the street with addictions after seeing her son, who is now in recovery, go through the same experience. Highly-potent fentanyl factored in 84% of deaths in 2017, according to the citys report. Its effects wear off faster than heroin, which leads people to use more of it, which leads to more deaths. Youre using every couple hours so youre not sick, Rostucher said. Every single time, its a gamble. At a town hall meeting in the basement of Kensingtons Mother of Divine Grace Church, Farley told neighbors the city is laser focused on one goal: To keep people from dying. Philadelphia is looking to open a supervised injection site, where people addicted to heroin would inject the drug with medical help immediately on hand to prevent overdoses. But theres no timeline for it to open and the idea faces fierce opposition from the Trump administration. Over the last year and a half, the city has distributed 70,000 doses of naloxone, which can reverse an overdose. Destinie Campanella carries three of those doses with her at all times. Around her neck hangs a locket reminding her of the reason why: Her uncle Christian, who was her best friend, died of a heroin overdose six years ago. I give it out like water, said Campanella, 28. While the crisis may be most visible in Kensington, it is killing people in neighborhoods around the city. Most people who die of overdoses die in their homes. There were 8,065 visits to the emergency room for overdoses in 2017, according to the citys report. Theres no poster child for the opioid epidemic, said Dr Priya Mammen, an emergency room physician at Methodist Hospital-Jefferson Health. Her South Philadelphia hospital deals with the third highest number of overdoses in the city. Many of the overdose victims in South Philadelphia are construction workers or manual laborers. Theyre often reluctant to look for treatment because of the stigma. People who have homes, who have jobs, who have a family are like, Eh, Im not that bad, Mammen said. They feel like they have control over their use Except fentanyl is a game changer. None of us have control. As part of her job at Mental Health Partnerships, Campanella does homeless outreach on the streets of Kensington. On her own time, she does the same in South Philadelphia, where she has lived her whole life. In South Philly, its more hidden. People are using behind closed doors, she said, adding that people are reluctant to take the anti-overdose drug because they cant accept that their loved ones may need it. They live at home. They have jobs. Theyre working. A lot of people might go to the gym, go to the tanning salon, even do steroids to make their appearance look better. While overdoses remain at crisis levels, theres a hint of good news: deaths began to tick down for the first half of 2018. Im hopeful well be able to look back and say this is the year we turned the tide, Farley said. The murder rate, on the other hand, only got worse . Facebook Twitter Pinterest Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. Photograph: Joseph Kaczmarek/AP Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. The murder rate was nearly 10 times higher for black Philadelphians than whites. It helps explain why black men have the lowest life expectancy of any group in the city, at 69.1 years. A black boy is shot and killed, and thats that, said Singleton, whose son Darryl was shot and killed in 2016 near his childhood home. Its always the same story: no motive, no suspects. But Singleton, 47, remembers her son as an outgoing young man who was going to school to be an EMT, loved spending summers with his grandmothers in Georgia and South Carolina, and doted on his youngest brother, who was just five when Darryl was killed. The younger boy made a card that sits on a corner table in Singletons home next to a photo of Darryl: I hope you feel good in heaven. Love you. After Darryls murder, his mother discovered a poem he had written for her but never gave her, expressing appreciation for the way his parents raised him. I just wanted my sons to be better, said Singleton, a real estate agent. Darryl Singletons life is now remembered in an obituary written by the Philadelphia Obituary Project. So are murder victims like Paris Wright, 21, who died before he could meet his newborn daughter, and Dominique Oglesby, 23, a student at Penn State who had overcome a health condition to become a talented singer. Attorney Cletus Lyman started the project, distressed that victims lives were getting lost in the sheer number of murders, most of them by gun. I didnt think people should just become statistics, he said. Many of the murders are never solved. Thats true for Darryl Singleton, whose killer has not been arrested. These young people think they can get away with murder. They know they can get away with murder, Trina Singleton said. Philadelphias mayor has asked for a new plan to tackle gun violence, treating it as a public health problem. Law enforcement is important, but its not alone going to solve this problem, Farley said. Carmen Pagan, 41, became an advocate against gun violence after her brother was caught in the crossfire and shot to death three years ago. I could have chosen to stay in bed and be depressed and just let him be another number, said Pagan, who founded the group Somber (Sisters of Murdered Brothers Emerging and Revolutionizing). I wanted to take a stand. From her home in West Kensington, she sees the gun violence and drug crises collide. Her 13-year-old daughter designed a gun out of bullet casings on a canvas with the words: Our zip codes define our life expectancy. Theres truth to that: theres a gap of more than two decades between the part of the city with the lowest life expectancy, 64, and the highest, 87. Her seven-year-old daughter has already learned to look out for needles in the street. We have to help ourselves because nobodys going to come help us, Pagan said. | The prevalence of drug overdoses and homicides is helping drive down life expectancy in Philadelphia. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/16/can-philadelphia-stop-people-from-dying-as-drug-crisis-and-gun-violence-rage-on | 0.360603 |
Can Philadelphia 'stop people from dying' as drug crisis and gun violence rage on? | The prevalence of drug overdoses and homicides is helping drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city as premature deaths have been rising since 2015 Trina Singletons son died a day before his 25th birthday, gunned down on the same day 10 people were shot in Philadelphia. Elise Schillers daughter died of a heroin overdose at the treatment center where she had gone to seek help breaking her addiction. They were victims of two tragedies drug overdoses and homicides now so prevalent in Philadelphia that theyve helped drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city. Premature deaths have been increasing since 2015, according to the report released this month by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Life expectancy began to fall after 2014, the city says. For men, it was 72.4 in 2017, down from 73.2 in 2013. Women had a longer life expectancy at 79.7, but that number has stopped improving. The city counts the years of its citizens lives lost to early death, before the age of 75. The number hit a low of 9,004 years in 2014 and then reversed course rising to 9,901 years in 2017. Life expectancy has also fallen across the nation as opioid overdoses claimed more and more lives, but the drug epidemic has hit Philadelphia harder than any other large city. In 2017, there were 1,217 overdose deaths in the city the third highest cause of death, trailing only heart disease and cancer. Its a huge crisis that has really affected the health of the entire city, Health Commissioner Tom Farley told the Guardian. The last time life expectancy dropped like this was during the AIDS epidemic. Elise Schillers daughter Giana became addicted to painkillers she was prescribed for injuries she suffered as an athlete and a veterinary nurse, before turning to heroin. I was so blindsided, said Schiller, 67, of Germantown. I became increasingly confused and disturbed by the way in which they were treating her. Schiller has become an advocate for better treatment, the kind her daughter did not get using medications like methadone and buprenorphine, which research shows are more likely to succeed in combating opioid addiction. Treatment programs also neglected her mental health problems. In her case, it was fatal, Schiller said. Philadelphias crisis is especially bad because it lies at the intersection of two trends, Farley said. The city has long been a hub for the distribution of heroin around the east coast, most of it now mixed with the more deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Add to that doctors over-prescribing opioids for pain. One in three Philadelphians report taking a prescription opioid in the last year. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. One still remains on Emerald Street entrenched enough that its nickname, Emerald City, pops up as a destination in Google Maps. People live in tents under a bridge, but orange notices warn residents that they must clear out or be cleared out by 31 January. Its an open air drug market. The city let that happen, said Carol Rostucher, who founded the group Angels in Motion to help people living on the street with addictions after seeing her son, who is now in recovery, go through the same experience. Highly-potent fentanyl factored in 84% of deaths in 2017, according to the citys report. Its effects wear off faster than heroin, which leads people to use more of it, which leads to more deaths. Youre using every couple hours so youre not sick, Rostucher said. Every single time, its a gamble. At a town hall meeting in the basement of Kensingtons Mother of Divine Grace Church, Farley told neighbors the city is laser focused on one goal: To keep people from dying. Philadelphia is looking to open a supervised injection site, where people addicted to heroin would inject the drug with medical help immediately on hand to prevent overdoses. But theres no timeline for it to open and the idea faces fierce opposition from the Trump administration. Over the last year and a half, the city has distributed 70,000 doses of naloxone, which can reverse an overdose. Destinie Campanella carries three of those doses with her at all times. Around her neck hangs a locket reminding her of the reason why: Her uncle Christian, who was her best friend, died of a heroin overdose six years ago. I give it out like water, said Campanella, 28. While the crisis may be most visible in Kensington, it is killing people in neighborhoods around the city. Most people who die of overdoses die in their homes. There were 8,065 visits to the emergency room for overdoses in 2017, according to the citys report. Theres no poster child for the opioid epidemic, said Dr Priya Mammen, an emergency room physician at Methodist Hospital-Jefferson Health. Her South Philadelphia hospital deals with the third highest number of overdoses in the city. Many of the overdose victims in South Philadelphia are construction workers or manual laborers. Theyre often reluctant to look for treatment because of the stigma. People who have homes, who have jobs, who have a family are like, Eh, Im not that bad, Mammen said. They feel like they have control over their use Except fentanyl is a game changer. None of us have control. As part of her job at Mental Health Partnerships, Campanella does homeless outreach on the streets of Kensington. On her own time, she does the same in South Philadelphia, where she has lived her whole life. In South Philly, its more hidden. People are using behind closed doors, she said, adding that people are reluctant to take the anti-overdose drug because they cant accept that their loved ones may need it. They live at home. They have jobs. Theyre working. A lot of people might go to the gym, go to the tanning salon, even do steroids to make their appearance look better. While overdoses remain at crisis levels, theres a hint of good news: deaths began to tick down for the first half of 2018. Im hopeful well be able to look back and say this is the year we turned the tide, Farley said. The murder rate, on the other hand, only got worse . Facebook Twitter Pinterest Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. Photograph: Joseph Kaczmarek/AP Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. The murder rate was nearly 10 times higher for black Philadelphians than whites. It helps explain why black men have the lowest life expectancy of any group in the city, at 69.1 years. A black boy is shot and killed, and thats that, said Singleton, whose son Darryl was shot and killed in 2016 near his childhood home. Its always the same story: no motive, no suspects. But Singleton, 47, remembers her son as an outgoing young man who was going to school to be an EMT, loved spending summers with his grandmothers in Georgia and South Carolina, and doted on his youngest brother, who was just five when Darryl was killed. The younger boy made a card that sits on a corner table in Singletons home next to a photo of Darryl: I hope you feel good in heaven. Love you. After Darryls murder, his mother discovered a poem he had written for her but never gave her, expressing appreciation for the way his parents raised him. I just wanted my sons to be better, said Singleton, a real estate agent. Darryl Singletons life is now remembered in an obituary written by the Philadelphia Obituary Project. So are murder victims like Paris Wright, 21, who died before he could meet his newborn daughter, and Dominique Oglesby, 23, a student at Penn State who had overcome a health condition to become a talented singer. Attorney Cletus Lyman started the project, distressed that victims lives were getting lost in the sheer number of murders, most of them by gun. I didnt think people should just become statistics, he said. Many of the murders are never solved. Thats true for Darryl Singleton, whose killer has not been arrested. These young people think they can get away with murder. They know they can get away with murder, Trina Singleton said. Philadelphias mayor has asked for a new plan to tackle gun violence, treating it as a public health problem. Law enforcement is important, but its not alone going to solve this problem, Farley said. Carmen Pagan, 41, became an advocate against gun violence after her brother was caught in the crossfire and shot to death three years ago. I could have chosen to stay in bed and be depressed and just let him be another number, said Pagan, who founded the group Somber (Sisters of Murdered Brothers Emerging and Revolutionizing). I wanted to take a stand. From her home in West Kensington, she sees the gun violence and drug crises collide. Her 13-year-old daughter designed a gun out of bullet casings on a canvas with the words: Our zip codes define our life expectancy. Theres truth to that: theres a gap of more than two decades between the part of the city with the lowest life expectancy, 64, and the highest, 87. Her seven-year-old daughter has already learned to look out for needles in the street. We have to help ourselves because nobodys going to come help us, Pagan said. | Drug overdoses and homicides are driving down life expectancy in Philadelphia. Premature deaths have been increasing since 2015, according to a city report. The city counts the years of its citizens lives lost to early death before the age of 75. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/16/can-philadelphia-stop-people-from-dying-as-drug-crisis-and-gun-violence-rage-on | 0.348738 |
Can Philadelphia 'stop people from dying' as drug crisis and gun violence rage on? | The prevalence of drug overdoses and homicides is helping drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city as premature deaths have been rising since 2015 Trina Singletons son died a day before his 25th birthday, gunned down on the same day 10 people were shot in Philadelphia. Elise Schillers daughter died of a heroin overdose at the treatment center where she had gone to seek help breaking her addiction. They were victims of two tragedies drug overdoses and homicides now so prevalent in Philadelphia that theyve helped drive down life expectancy in the nations sixth largest city. Premature deaths have been increasing since 2015, according to the report released this month by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Life expectancy began to fall after 2014, the city says. For men, it was 72.4 in 2017, down from 73.2 in 2013. Women had a longer life expectancy at 79.7, but that number has stopped improving. The city counts the years of its citizens lives lost to early death, before the age of 75. The number hit a low of 9,004 years in 2014 and then reversed course rising to 9,901 years in 2017. Life expectancy has also fallen across the nation as opioid overdoses claimed more and more lives, but the drug epidemic has hit Philadelphia harder than any other large city. In 2017, there were 1,217 overdose deaths in the city the third highest cause of death, trailing only heart disease and cancer. Its a huge crisis that has really affected the health of the entire city, Health Commissioner Tom Farley told the Guardian. The last time life expectancy dropped like this was during the AIDS epidemic. Elise Schillers daughter Giana became addicted to painkillers she was prescribed for injuries she suffered as an athlete and a veterinary nurse, before turning to heroin. I was so blindsided, said Schiller, 67, of Germantown. I became increasingly confused and disturbed by the way in which they were treating her. Schiller has become an advocate for better treatment, the kind her daughter did not get using medications like methadone and buprenorphine, which research shows are more likely to succeed in combating opioid addiction. Treatment programs also neglected her mental health problems. In her case, it was fatal, Schiller said. Philadelphias crisis is especially bad because it lies at the intersection of two trends, Farley said. The city has long been a hub for the distribution of heroin around the east coast, most of it now mixed with the more deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. Add to that doctors over-prescribing opioids for pain. One in three Philadelphians report taking a prescription opioid in the last year. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP The most notorious public face of Philadelphias overdose crisis is the Kensington neighborhood, where drugs are sold openly, and the city has cleared out encampments of homeless people addicted to heroin. One still remains on Emerald Street entrenched enough that its nickname, Emerald City, pops up as a destination in Google Maps. People live in tents under a bridge, but orange notices warn residents that they must clear out or be cleared out by 31 January. Its an open air drug market. The city let that happen, said Carol Rostucher, who founded the group Angels in Motion to help people living on the street with addictions after seeing her son, who is now in recovery, go through the same experience. Highly-potent fentanyl factored in 84% of deaths in 2017, according to the citys report. Its effects wear off faster than heroin, which leads people to use more of it, which leads to more deaths. Youre using every couple hours so youre not sick, Rostucher said. Every single time, its a gamble. At a town hall meeting in the basement of Kensingtons Mother of Divine Grace Church, Farley told neighbors the city is laser focused on one goal: To keep people from dying. Philadelphia is looking to open a supervised injection site, where people addicted to heroin would inject the drug with medical help immediately on hand to prevent overdoses. But theres no timeline for it to open and the idea faces fierce opposition from the Trump administration. Over the last year and a half, the city has distributed 70,000 doses of naloxone, which can reverse an overdose. Destinie Campanella carries three of those doses with her at all times. Around her neck hangs a locket reminding her of the reason why: Her uncle Christian, who was her best friend, died of a heroin overdose six years ago. I give it out like water, said Campanella, 28. While the crisis may be most visible in Kensington, it is killing people in neighborhoods around the city. Most people who die of overdoses die in their homes. There were 8,065 visits to the emergency room for overdoses in 2017, according to the citys report. Theres no poster child for the opioid epidemic, said Dr Priya Mammen, an emergency room physician at Methodist Hospital-Jefferson Health. Her South Philadelphia hospital deals with the third highest number of overdoses in the city. Many of the overdose victims in South Philadelphia are construction workers or manual laborers. Theyre often reluctant to look for treatment because of the stigma. People who have homes, who have jobs, who have a family are like, Eh, Im not that bad, Mammen said. They feel like they have control over their use Except fentanyl is a game changer. None of us have control. As part of her job at Mental Health Partnerships, Campanella does homeless outreach on the streets of Kensington. On her own time, she does the same in South Philadelphia, where she has lived her whole life. In South Philly, its more hidden. People are using behind closed doors, she said, adding that people are reluctant to take the anti-overdose drug because they cant accept that their loved ones may need it. They live at home. They have jobs. Theyre working. A lot of people might go to the gym, go to the tanning salon, even do steroids to make their appearance look better. While overdoses remain at crisis levels, theres a hint of good news: deaths began to tick down for the first half of 2018. Im hopeful well be able to look back and say this is the year we turned the tide, Farley said. The murder rate, on the other hand, only got worse . Facebook Twitter Pinterest Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. Photograph: Joseph Kaczmarek/AP Homicide was the tenth leading cause of death in 2017, with 322 Philadelphians slain, according to the Health Department report. The murder rate was nearly 10 times higher for black Philadelphians than whites. It helps explain why black men have the lowest life expectancy of any group in the city, at 69.1 years. A black boy is shot and killed, and thats that, said Singleton, whose son Darryl was shot and killed in 2016 near his childhood home. Its always the same story: no motive, no suspects. But Singleton, 47, remembers her son as an outgoing young man who was going to school to be an EMT, loved spending summers with his grandmothers in Georgia and South Carolina, and doted on his youngest brother, who was just five when Darryl was killed. The younger boy made a card that sits on a corner table in Singletons home next to a photo of Darryl: I hope you feel good in heaven. Love you. After Darryls murder, his mother discovered a poem he had written for her but never gave her, expressing appreciation for the way his parents raised him. I just wanted my sons to be better, said Singleton, a real estate agent. Darryl Singletons life is now remembered in an obituary written by the Philadelphia Obituary Project. So are murder victims like Paris Wright, 21, who died before he could meet his newborn daughter, and Dominique Oglesby, 23, a student at Penn State who had overcome a health condition to become a talented singer. Attorney Cletus Lyman started the project, distressed that victims lives were getting lost in the sheer number of murders, most of them by gun. I didnt think people should just become statistics, he said. Many of the murders are never solved. Thats true for Darryl Singleton, whose killer has not been arrested. These young people think they can get away with murder. They know they can get away with murder, Trina Singleton said. Philadelphias mayor has asked for a new plan to tackle gun violence, treating it as a public health problem. Law enforcement is important, but its not alone going to solve this problem, Farley said. Carmen Pagan, 41, became an advocate against gun violence after her brother was caught in the crossfire and shot to death three years ago. I could have chosen to stay in bed and be depressed and just let him be another number, said Pagan, who founded the group Somber (Sisters of Murdered Brothers Emerging and Revolutionizing). I wanted to take a stand. From her home in West Kensington, she sees the gun violence and drug crises collide. Her 13-year-old daughter designed a gun out of bullet casings on a canvas with the words: Our zip codes define our life expectancy. Theres truth to that: theres a gap of more than two decades between the part of the city with the lowest life expectancy, 64, and the highest, 87. Her seven-year-old daughter has already learned to look out for needles in the street. We have to help ourselves because nobodys going to come help us, Pagan said. | Drug overdoses and homicides are driving down life expectancy in Philadelphia. Premature deaths have been increasing since 2015, according to a report. The city counts the years of its citizens lives lost to early death before the age of 75. The number hit a low of 9,004 years in 2014 and then reversed course. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/16/can-philadelphia-stop-people-from-dying-as-drug-crisis-and-gun-violence-rage-on | 0.353065 |
Will California Gavin Newsom drug pricing plan save money? | Gov. Gavin Newson wants to deliver lower drug prices by harnessing the full weight of the state against the pharmaceutical industry, but its unclear whether his team can get a better deal without giving up something Californians want. In his first act as governor, Newsom issued an executive order creating the largest single purchaser of prescription drugs in the country. It combines negotiations for some 13 million people in government-administered plans like Medi-Cal and eventually invites other organizations to join. His argument centers on the idea that a bigger organization can extract a better price from pharmaceutical companies. We believe this will significantly reduce costs, he said at a press conference last week, adding that hed ask other governors if they want to participate. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Health policy experts said theres no guarantee the ambitious plan will work. Size has its limits, experts said, and the downside could be Californians losing access to certain drugs. To some extent, scale counts. (But) I am skeptical that just aggregating by itself gives much more bargaining leverage, said James Robinson, who directs the UC Berkeley Center for Health Technology. At the end of the day, what gives bargaining leverage for a purchaser is you say if you dont give me a discount I will not buy your product, he said. That means getting better prices could put politicians in the position of denying certain pricey drugs to beneficiaries, Robinson said. Already a big player Jennifer Kent, director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says federal protections ensure that necessary drugs will be covered. Federal law requires that Medi-Cal cover drugs that a doctor says a patient needs, and that wont change under Newsoms executive order, she said. The state directly oversees the health plans for some 2 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries but the vast majority of Medi-Cal enrollees obtain coverage through insurers like Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Those companies, which provide coverage for thousands of other Californians in the private market, negotiate for themselves. Newsom wants to take that power away from them and give it to the state. The transition, according to the executive order, should be complete by January 2021. The lingering question, said Democratic Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, is whether California will be able to make out better as one entity than commercial insurers who have more inside knowledge and incentives to get deeper discounts. Its unclear whether or not this will yield significant savings, said Arambula, a Fresno doctor. By harnessing all of those covered lives into one rebate (discount) negotiation, California may be able to extract additional rebates but also will not have the benefit of knowing what rebates are given to other insurance plans. A 2013 report by the California Health Foundation concluded the state already possesses considerable market power. Since 1995 at least 14 states, including Massachusetts, New York and Georgia have tried to coordinate drug purchasing through block negotiations, the report said. The Assembly recently commissioned a study on health care options from a group of University of California researchers. It concluded states have had trouble creating and sustaining such large negotiating agencies. The real flaw here I think is an understanding flaw that just bigger means being able to negotiate more, said Ian Spatz, a senior adviser with the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phelps and an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. In the drug world, the better prices have come from your ability to favor one drug over another by using formularies. $1,000 pills Health policy leaders in the California assembly say the current system, where numerous health plans negotiate separately, is the problem. The challenge around drug pricing is that we havent been able to understand why pills cost $1,000 a piece, why treatments are six figures or why there are widely different prices depending on what country youre in, said Democratic Assemblyman David Chiu. Chiu, who twice introduced legislation designed to combine pharmaceutical negotiations, said the result has been myriad agencies that are all purchasing the same drugs but at different prices. Chiu said his bill was largely non-controversial in the legislative process but did not have support from former Gov. Jerry Browns administration. There is potential for significant savings to the state in the hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially, said Democratic Assemblyman Jim Wood, who will chair the Assemblys health committee. The bigger the book of business, the more people are going to want it because if you dont get it you have a problem. The pharmaceutical industry, for its part, is keeping quiet until more specifics emerge. The states drug price transparency law SB 17 was challenged in court by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, although the organization did not prevail. We welcome the opportunity to work with the governor and his administration on comprehensive solutions to the problems patients are facing accessing and affording their medicines, Priscilla VanderVeer, a PhRMA spokesperson, said in an email. Sacramento Bee reporter Sophia Bollag contributed to this report. | Gov. Gavin Newson wants to deliver lower drug prices by harnessing the full weight of the state against the pharmaceutical industry. Newson issued an executive order creating the largest single purchaser of prescription drugs in the country. It combines negotiations for some 13 million people in government-administered plans like Medi-Cal and eventually invites other organizations to join. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article224538795.html | 0.108577 |
What Stops Women From Mentoring? | While moderating the Q&A of a panel about mentoring as a means to promote women in industries and occupations where they are under-represented, someone asked a great question: Are our expectations of senior women too high? The young woman in the early stages of her career went on to tell us about a time where she sought out guidance from a senior woman and was rebuffed. It caught her off guard. It just wasnt at all what she expected would happen, nor what she thought should happen, and there were plenty of women there who appeared to feel the same way. I've been thinking about the question since I heard it asked. I've been a mentor to plenty of women and men, and I've known lots of senior women who find joy in being allies, advisors, mentors and sponsors. They seek it out. Yet there are also women who dont initiate or accept the responsibility to actively participate in other women's career development. That shouldnt be surprising. Just as not all women think alike, they dont all act alike either. Just look at election results, for example. Women dont vote as a block and they dont act the same way at work. There are many reasons why some women dont offer the developmental support that mentoring provides. Whether they are amenable to it depends on many factors, such as whether or not they are a natural giver and have relational savvy, the bandwidth to take on the work and, not least of all, their understanding of how they see their role as executives. And theres much more to it still. Some who look to senior women for the connection and learning and career benefits that a high-quality give-and-receive relationship offers expect to get support because they share the same gender. But that isnt how all women see it. Some may have minimized the significance of being a woman in a company or an industry where they have until recently been an "only." Many feel scrutinized for being female and may take pride in their hard work having paid off without anyones help. If they are the only woman, a person of a different race or individual with a disability at work, they may downplay their "only" status. That's why they've gone out of their way not to view themselves through a gender lens and instead worked hard to fit in, not stand out. I know of many cases, for example, where women insist on exceptional performance from everyone and drive teams very hard to get it. Women can sometimes hold both sexes to a tougher line because theyve had to hold themselves to an impossibly high standard to garner credibility and respect from others. This may not make sense to you if you havent faced or witnessed discrimination early in your own career. But for those who have, they can find themselves distancing themselves from other women doing what they can to prove they made it in the workplace because of their performance, not because of any special treatment. Having their gender define a good deal of their identity is something they go to great lengths to avoid, not embrace. This is just one of the many ways in which gender bias can generate conflict between multiple generations of women. Women may be more likely than men to put their job before their career. This explains why some senior women show a disinterest in helping high-performing women who show promise. Senior women may neglect the importance of growing their networks and building currencies of exchange with others who are junior. Think too about the impact of those senior women who lacked a mentor themselves. Also, possibly for those who did have mentors or sponsors, its likely it was an older male supporter because there werent many women at the top. They didn't have the experience of a woman's mentoring on the unique challenges faced by women. We need to also look at the greater context of work today to understand why some women don't want to mentor. Women persistently find themselves on an uneven playing field. There are so few women in the C-suite and on boards that scarcity can often place a chill on woman-to-woman dynamics. Without the reliability of equal pay for equal work, and far fewer opportunities to reach senior leadership levels, the workplace dynamic can set women up to compete with one another. At the same time, things are changing in some ways for the better. We cant overlook that there have always been women who support one another. Today, there are far more conversations about how to close the gaps of inequity at work sparked by the #MeToo movement. Women in male-led industries and businesses are organizing events where women with something to say about issues that affect women at work are finally given a platform. Although change is slow to happen, I am hearing more about newly created formal mentoring programs in businesses and professional associations and about informal sponsorship relationships where senior women are opening doors for others behind them to actively support their careers. Women supporting other women is powerful. There are legacy reasons why it isnt consistent across industries. Nevertheless, when women do raise each other up, there's reason to be hopeful. Long may this continue. | There are many reasons why some women dont offer the developmental support that mentoring provides. Having their gender define a good deal of their identity is something they go to great lengths to avoid, not embrace. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/16/what-stops-women-from-mentoring/ | 0.168261 |
What Stops Women From Mentoring? | While moderating the Q&A of a panel about mentoring as a means to promote women in industries and occupations where they are under-represented, someone asked a great question: Are our expectations of senior women too high? The young woman in the early stages of her career went on to tell us about a time where she sought out guidance from a senior woman and was rebuffed. It caught her off guard. It just wasnt at all what she expected would happen, nor what she thought should happen, and there were plenty of women there who appeared to feel the same way. I've been thinking about the question since I heard it asked. I've been a mentor to plenty of women and men, and I've known lots of senior women who find joy in being allies, advisors, mentors and sponsors. They seek it out. Yet there are also women who dont initiate or accept the responsibility to actively participate in other women's career development. That shouldnt be surprising. Just as not all women think alike, they dont all act alike either. Just look at election results, for example. Women dont vote as a block and they dont act the same way at work. There are many reasons why some women dont offer the developmental support that mentoring provides. Whether they are amenable to it depends on many factors, such as whether or not they are a natural giver and have relational savvy, the bandwidth to take on the work and, not least of all, their understanding of how they see their role as executives. And theres much more to it still. Some who look to senior women for the connection and learning and career benefits that a high-quality give-and-receive relationship offers expect to get support because they share the same gender. But that isnt how all women see it. Some may have minimized the significance of being a woman in a company or an industry where they have until recently been an "only." Many feel scrutinized for being female and may take pride in their hard work having paid off without anyones help. If they are the only woman, a person of a different race or individual with a disability at work, they may downplay their "only" status. That's why they've gone out of their way not to view themselves through a gender lens and instead worked hard to fit in, not stand out. I know of many cases, for example, where women insist on exceptional performance from everyone and drive teams very hard to get it. Women can sometimes hold both sexes to a tougher line because theyve had to hold themselves to an impossibly high standard to garner credibility and respect from others. This may not make sense to you if you havent faced or witnessed discrimination early in your own career. But for those who have, they can find themselves distancing themselves from other women doing what they can to prove they made it in the workplace because of their performance, not because of any special treatment. Having their gender define a good deal of their identity is something they go to great lengths to avoid, not embrace. This is just one of the many ways in which gender bias can generate conflict between multiple generations of women. Women may be more likely than men to put their job before their career. This explains why some senior women show a disinterest in helping high-performing women who show promise. Senior women may neglect the importance of growing their networks and building currencies of exchange with others who are junior. Think too about the impact of those senior women who lacked a mentor themselves. Also, possibly for those who did have mentors or sponsors, its likely it was an older male supporter because there werent many women at the top. They didn't have the experience of a woman's mentoring on the unique challenges faced by women. We need to also look at the greater context of work today to understand why some women don't want to mentor. Women persistently find themselves on an uneven playing field. There are so few women in the C-suite and on boards that scarcity can often place a chill on woman-to-woman dynamics. Without the reliability of equal pay for equal work, and far fewer opportunities to reach senior leadership levels, the workplace dynamic can set women up to compete with one another. At the same time, things are changing in some ways for the better. We cant overlook that there have always been women who support one another. Today, there are far more conversations about how to close the gaps of inequity at work sparked by the #MeToo movement. Women in male-led industries and businesses are organizing events where women with something to say about issues that affect women at work are finally given a platform. Although change is slow to happen, I am hearing more about newly created formal mentoring programs in businesses and professional associations and about informal sponsorship relationships where senior women are opening doors for others behind them to actively support their careers. Women supporting other women is powerful. There are legacy reasons why it isnt consistent across industries. Nevertheless, when women do raise each other up, there's reason to be hopeful. Long may this continue. | There are many reasons why some women dont offer the developmental support that mentoring provides. Having their gender define a good deal of their identity is something they go to great lengths to avoid, not embrace. Women may be more likely than men to put their job before their career. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/16/what-stops-women-from-mentoring/ | 0.276119 |
What's in the Cards for State Street (STT) in Q4 Earnings? | State Street STT is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and 2018 results on Jan 18, before the market opens. While revenues for the to-be-reported quarter are expected to grow year over year, earnings are likely to witness a decline. In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results were hurt by an increase in expenses. However, higher revenues provided some support. Nevertheless, State Street boasts an impressive earnings surprise history. The companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 2.8%. State Street Corporation Price and EPS Surprise State Street Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | State Street Corporation Quote Notably, activities of the company during the fourth quarter failed to win analysts confidence. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of $1.71 for the to-be-reported quarter has moved 4.5% downward over the past seven days. Further, the figure represents a year-over-year decline of 6.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales is pegged at $2.98 billion for the fourth quarter, reflecting 4.8% year-over-year growth. Before we take a look at what our quantitative model predicts, lets check the factors that are expected to impact fourth-quarter results. Factors at Play The Zacks Consensus Estimate for average interest-earning assets of $182.6 billion for the fourth quarter represents a marginal decline from the prior quarter. Moreover, overall lending activities were not very impressive during the quarter. Nevertheless, driven by modest loan growth, along with benefits of higher interest rates, State Streets net interest income (NII) is likely to either remain stable or witness a modest improvement. Management expects momentum in NII growth to continue in the fourth quarter. In addition, management expects fourth-quarter servicing fee revenues to be flat sequentially on assumptions of continuing industry conditions and stable market levels. Driven by substantial volatility during the quarter, the companys trading revenues are expected to be positively impacted. However, while foreign exchange trading volumes were relatively flat during the quarter, foreign exchange volatility in the emerging markets declined sequentially. Thus, because of lower volatility, foreign exchange trading revenues are likely to decline during the to-be-reported quarter. Further, the spread between the three-month LIBOR and the Fed funds rate contracted during the fourth quarter. Thus, because of narrower spreads, securities lending revenues are likely to decline sequentially. State Streets expenses have remained elevated over the past few years due to rise in compensation and employee benefit costs as well as acquisition and restructuring costs. Owing to the companys continuing restructuring efforts, costs are likely to remain elevated. However, the State Street Beacon expense savings are likely to offset the rise to some extent during the quarter. Notably, management expects total expenses in the fourth quarter to be marginally above the third-quarter level. Here is what our quantitative model predicts: Chances of State Street beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the fourth quarter are low. This is because it does not have the right combination of the two key ingredients a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better for increasing the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for State Street is -1.95%. Zacks Rank: State Street currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are a few bank stocks that you may want to consider, as according to our model, these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. Earnings ESP for M&T Bank MTB is +0.80% and the stock currently has a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is scheduled to release results on Jan 17. BB&T Corporation BBT has an Earnings ESP of +0.53% and it presently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. It is also slated to report quarterly numbers on Jan 17. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated HBAN is set to report earnings on Jan 24. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.32% and it currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | State Street STT is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and 2018 results on Jan 18. While revenues for the to-be-reported quarter are expected to grow year over year, earnings are likely to witness a decline. | bart | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/whats-cards-state-street-stt-123812642.html | 0.216925 |
What's in the Cards for State Street (STT) in Q4 Earnings? | State Street STT is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and 2018 results on Jan 18, before the market opens. While revenues for the to-be-reported quarter are expected to grow year over year, earnings are likely to witness a decline. In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results were hurt by an increase in expenses. However, higher revenues provided some support. Nevertheless, State Street boasts an impressive earnings surprise history. The companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 2.8%. State Street Corporation Price and EPS Surprise State Street Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | State Street Corporation Quote Notably, activities of the company during the fourth quarter failed to win analysts confidence. Thus, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of $1.71 for the to-be-reported quarter has moved 4.5% downward over the past seven days. Further, the figure represents a year-over-year decline of 6.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales is pegged at $2.98 billion for the fourth quarter, reflecting 4.8% year-over-year growth. Before we take a look at what our quantitative model predicts, lets check the factors that are expected to impact fourth-quarter results. Factors at Play The Zacks Consensus Estimate for average interest-earning assets of $182.6 billion for the fourth quarter represents a marginal decline from the prior quarter. Moreover, overall lending activities were not very impressive during the quarter. Nevertheless, driven by modest loan growth, along with benefits of higher interest rates, State Streets net interest income (NII) is likely to either remain stable or witness a modest improvement. Management expects momentum in NII growth to continue in the fourth quarter. In addition, management expects fourth-quarter servicing fee revenues to be flat sequentially on assumptions of continuing industry conditions and stable market levels. Driven by substantial volatility during the quarter, the companys trading revenues are expected to be positively impacted. However, while foreign exchange trading volumes were relatively flat during the quarter, foreign exchange volatility in the emerging markets declined sequentially. Thus, because of lower volatility, foreign exchange trading revenues are likely to decline during the to-be-reported quarter. Further, the spread between the three-month LIBOR and the Fed funds rate contracted during the fourth quarter. Thus, because of narrower spreads, securities lending revenues are likely to decline sequentially. State Streets expenses have remained elevated over the past few years due to rise in compensation and employee benefit costs as well as acquisition and restructuring costs. Owing to the companys continuing restructuring efforts, costs are likely to remain elevated. However, the State Street Beacon expense savings are likely to offset the rise to some extent during the quarter. Notably, management expects total expenses in the fourth quarter to be marginally above the third-quarter level. Here is what our quantitative model predicts: Chances of State Street beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the fourth quarter are low. This is because it does not have the right combination of the two key ingredients a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better for increasing the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for State Street is -1.95%. Zacks Rank: State Street currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are a few bank stocks that you may want to consider, as according to our model, these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. Earnings ESP for M&T Bank MTB is +0.80% and the stock currently has a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is scheduled to release results on Jan 17. BB&T Corporation BBT has an Earnings ESP of +0.53% and it presently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. It is also slated to report quarterly numbers on Jan 17. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated HBAN is set to report earnings on Jan 24. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.32% and it currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | State Street STT is scheduled to report fourth-quarter and 2018 results on Jan 18, before the market opens. While revenues for the to-be-reported quarter are expected to grow year over year, earnings are likely to witness a decline. In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. | bart | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/whats-cards-state-street-stt-123812642.html | 0.243927 |
What is the right way to cook pasta? | To enjoy pasta, even on a diet, its all about how it is cooked and limiting the size of your portion. Dont discard it. The Mediterranean diet is considered the best diet today and it includes pasta. The correct way to cook it is al dente, which means to the tooth, so that there is some firmness to the bite. Al dente pasta is lower on the glycemic index than soft, overcooked pasta if pasta is cooked too long, more starch is released and the body breaks it down into glucose meaning al dente pasta doesnt spike blood sugar as rapidly. Pasta and sauce should be made separately. I have tried recipes for one-pan pasta and I assure you that using two pans gives you a much better result. And it takes the same amount of time. Story continues below advertisement Sauces can made ahead of time, but cooking the pasta is a last-minute event. I was recently in Positano, Italy, and chef Vincenzo Esposito of Li Galli restaurant gave me a pasta cooking lesson. First, in a large pot, bring at least three litres of water to a boil, then add 1 tablespoons of Kosher salt or tablespoons regular salt. When the water returns to a rolling boil, add just enough pasta for each serving: 3 ounces or 80 grams per person is considered the right amount, but some people like more. Once the pasta is in the water, stir occasionally to make sure it doesnt stick. Cook until almost al dente. It will feel undercooked. A visual cue that youve done this right is a little ring of white inside the pasta where you have bitten it. Another clue is the cooking time on the package. Cook for one minute less than the lesser amount of time. Have your sauce simmering beside your pasta pot and, with tongs, take the pasta and toss it in the sauce. Add a cup or so of pasta-cooking water and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. (It should be perfectly al dente after a minute or two.) This makes starches, fats and proteins confidently amalgamate together. Toss everything around, sprinkle some olive oil over and add grated cheese, if desired. Serve immediately. Pasta waits for no one. Cook the pasta for about three minutes before tossing with the sauce and baking. It may seem raw, but it will be perfect after baking. Use larger thicker noodles, with ridged edges, so they dont overcook, and the sauce has something to cling to. Avoid long noodles or fine pastas, which will become too soft. Toss in different cooked veggies (this is a good opportunity to use up leftovers), and finish with lots of cheese for the gooey texture. For an Italian brand of pasta available in the supermarket, I like De Cecco, although many other (more expensive) brands are also good. Buy pasta that says Made in Italy, because it is more authentic. The pasta must be made with 100-per-cent durum wheat semolina, which is not always true here. Send your questions to [email protected]. | The Mediterranean diet is considered the best diet today and it includes pasta. The correct way to cook it is al dente, which means to the tooth, so that there is some firmness to the bite. Al dente pasta is lower on the glycemic index than soft, overcooked pasta. | bart | 2 | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article-what-is-the-right-way-to-cook-pasta/ | 0.330472 |
Could These China Tech Companies Dominate The Future? | China's technology sector and its continued advances never cease to intrigue. On one hand, the region offers impressive innovation in the emerging tech space of Artificial Intelligence, blockchain and more. On the other, there is the challenge of freedom of expression by individuals across certain tech platforms. Indeed, as many companies from China displayed new advances at the recent, mammoth Consumer Electronics Show(CES), news reports swirled simultaneously about the detention of citizens in China by officials merely for posting on Twitter. Dichotomies abound when it comes to China, and the future is uncertain. But in the midst of CES two China tech companies of particular note emerged in terms of innovation. However, given the current climate, within which is a confluence of economic and cultural elements, navigating a competitive, global future could present a daunting challenge. First, Pacific Future, a company that specializes in the integration of light field, image recognition, motion tracking and other algorithms is busily working to leverage such elements to build the first virtual 3D human. The intent of the company is to offer an individual the ability to clone him or herself both off- and online. The company's founder and CEO Kien Lee says that the advantage of having such an extension will save people time, space and cost. "We believe that people are connecting now over social media via text and simple images," explains Lee, "but soon people will crave something much more interactive with depth. This will be about being able to connect people on entirely new levels. You will want a full representation of yourself on-screen via future devices. Essentially, you will need another you." Previously such a feat was extremely expensive to execute. To create motion tracking needed for 3D imaging of a human body, tech costs started and $20,000 and continued upward. However, Pacific Future utilizes a camera to achieve the same goal that expensive sensors attached to the body offer. Yet the gains made in costs are certainly made up for in work at the company. The task is extremely difficult to execute and is steeped in mathematics via a team of nearly 38 engineers estimating every single joint movement that is possible with the human body. Afterward, artificial intelligence is combined with both the mathematical solution and physics in order to estimate force of movement. It took one year to create the algorithms that now allow a simple webcam that typically offers 2D image to now be translated by algorithm into 3D, and voila, you have a virtual you that moves exactly as you do in real time. "Our company differentiator is that we are not scanning whole body," explains Lee. "It's about the movement only so that the 'best you' is seen, like what we all typically present on social media. We make possible the transfer of human motion from 2D to 3D in a way that works for today's communication style." Pacific Future has left nothing to detail. Even the shadows cast from the image match real-life and use authentic, as opposed to virtual light, in order to offer the most realistic experience. Lee inspiration to create the company came from his love of various films that utilize special effects. He believes that the need for the technology offered by Pacific Futures will be driven by the impending 5G introduction across mobile devices and more. But unlike many startups, the company is already generating revenue. Pacific Futures had to actually build its own hardware devices in order to test the algorithms. The results were so impressive that organizations such as the Malaysian Tourism Board saw them and asked if the company could make such items to offer a companion virtual experience for various museum-goers in the country. Now Pacific Futures has a thriving rental business in this region and others providing historical education on a new which capturing valuable tourist data for the tourism organizations. And given the fact that Lee says that there are five billion tourists in China alone, the company is in a key position for generating even more revenue. If Pacific Futures has its eye firmly set on 3D destiny as a new company, Soguo is working to bring new meaning to Internet usage, search and various related applications to it as an established behemoth. Currently, the company is the fourth largest Chinese Internet company, ranked only behind Tencent, Baidu and Alibaba. The company reports that it is Chinas second largest search engine by mobile queries with over 560 million monthly active users globally. Sogou is also the leading Chinese language input software in the world in that it occupies 99% desktop market share and 70% mobile market share. Indeed, the company says that Sogou Mobile Keyboard has 405 million DAUs (daily average users), up 32% year-over-year. As China's largest voice app, it processes up to 500 million daily voice requests. Under the direction of Xiaochuan Wang, the current CEO of Sogou, the company is becoming one of the most watched of its type in China and beyond, for it is a publicly traded company (NYSE: SOGO) The company was first developed as a mere portal for its parent company-at-the-time, Sohu, as a search engine to compete against Baidu. Wang was brought on as CTO of Sohu in order to launch the endeavor. To do so, he recruited top talent in China, but the company became so large so quickly that Sohu soon spun Sogou out as its own company naming Wang its CEO. Even Alibaba got in on the action for a time when it sought to be part of the search engine game and invested in the company. However, since that time Alibaba has withdrawn its interests and, currently, Tencent and Sohu are Sogou's biggest shareholders, and Sogou shows no signs of slowing down. Part of the reason behind the company's ability to scale at such a rate was that Wang cleverly created both a browser and search engine together simultaneously for Sogou. At the same time Tencent initially integrated their burgeoning search engine into Soguo. In addition, Sogou is also the default for all the public content on WeChat. That means extremely valuable numbers. Yet there are still many hurdles to overcome in surprising ways. "In China," Wang explains through an interpreter, "ads in healthcare are big business, yet they are not reputable. So one of our next main goals is to make authoritative search." Thus the company is applying artificial intelligence to improve accuracy and vetting so that users see ads from only those offering the most reputable care. To ensure success in this area, Sogou is also partnering with such companies as WebMD and the MayoClinic to further vet and categorize. "There are easily at least 40 million searches across Soguo per day about health, " explains Wang. "So getting this right is extremely important to us." In addition, Sogou wants to help not only obtain the information they need but also to use technology to better express themselves. The intent is to use artificial intelligence to advance communication in a number of ways including upping the ante by enabling search via voice and image recognition. "Currently we have over 400 million searches that are answerback via a link. In the near future, voice will answer you back," explains Wang. " For next generation of AI, the objective is to have the technology gather, read, and suggest all in real-time." Yet amidst such developments by both Pacific Future and Sogou, business outlets such as Bloomberg predict a rocky road for such companies based on US-China trade conflict, decline in advertising and more. There is also the question about what part such companies will play in the growing tensions around cultural norms in the country, particularly when it comes to the wishes of the authorities and more vocal citizens. For now, it's full speed ahead in innovation, and many will continue to track the progression closely. | Two China tech companies of particular note emerged in the midst of CES. Both are working to build the first virtual 3D human. The future of China's tech sector is uncertain. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencoleman/2019/01/16/could-these-china-tech-companies-dominate-the-future/ | 0.123576 |
Could These China Tech Companies Dominate The Future? | China's technology sector and its continued advances never cease to intrigue. On one hand, the region offers impressive innovation in the emerging tech space of Artificial Intelligence, blockchain and more. On the other, there is the challenge of freedom of expression by individuals across certain tech platforms. Indeed, as many companies from China displayed new advances at the recent, mammoth Consumer Electronics Show(CES), news reports swirled simultaneously about the detention of citizens in China by officials merely for posting on Twitter. Dichotomies abound when it comes to China, and the future is uncertain. But in the midst of CES two China tech companies of particular note emerged in terms of innovation. However, given the current climate, within which is a confluence of economic and cultural elements, navigating a competitive, global future could present a daunting challenge. First, Pacific Future, a company that specializes in the integration of light field, image recognition, motion tracking and other algorithms is busily working to leverage such elements to build the first virtual 3D human. The intent of the company is to offer an individual the ability to clone him or herself both off- and online. The company's founder and CEO Kien Lee says that the advantage of having such an extension will save people time, space and cost. "We believe that people are connecting now over social media via text and simple images," explains Lee, "but soon people will crave something much more interactive with depth. This will be about being able to connect people on entirely new levels. You will want a full representation of yourself on-screen via future devices. Essentially, you will need another you." Previously such a feat was extremely expensive to execute. To create motion tracking needed for 3D imaging of a human body, tech costs started and $20,000 and continued upward. However, Pacific Future utilizes a camera to achieve the same goal that expensive sensors attached to the body offer. Yet the gains made in costs are certainly made up for in work at the company. The task is extremely difficult to execute and is steeped in mathematics via a team of nearly 38 engineers estimating every single joint movement that is possible with the human body. Afterward, artificial intelligence is combined with both the mathematical solution and physics in order to estimate force of movement. It took one year to create the algorithms that now allow a simple webcam that typically offers 2D image to now be translated by algorithm into 3D, and voila, you have a virtual you that moves exactly as you do in real time. "Our company differentiator is that we are not scanning whole body," explains Lee. "It's about the movement only so that the 'best you' is seen, like what we all typically present on social media. We make possible the transfer of human motion from 2D to 3D in a way that works for today's communication style." Pacific Future has left nothing to detail. Even the shadows cast from the image match real-life and use authentic, as opposed to virtual light, in order to offer the most realistic experience. Lee inspiration to create the company came from his love of various films that utilize special effects. He believes that the need for the technology offered by Pacific Futures will be driven by the impending 5G introduction across mobile devices and more. But unlike many startups, the company is already generating revenue. Pacific Futures had to actually build its own hardware devices in order to test the algorithms. The results were so impressive that organizations such as the Malaysian Tourism Board saw them and asked if the company could make such items to offer a companion virtual experience for various museum-goers in the country. Now Pacific Futures has a thriving rental business in this region and others providing historical education on a new which capturing valuable tourist data for the tourism organizations. And given the fact that Lee says that there are five billion tourists in China alone, the company is in a key position for generating even more revenue. If Pacific Futures has its eye firmly set on 3D destiny as a new company, Soguo is working to bring new meaning to Internet usage, search and various related applications to it as an established behemoth. Currently, the company is the fourth largest Chinese Internet company, ranked only behind Tencent, Baidu and Alibaba. The company reports that it is Chinas second largest search engine by mobile queries with over 560 million monthly active users globally. Sogou is also the leading Chinese language input software in the world in that it occupies 99% desktop market share and 70% mobile market share. Indeed, the company says that Sogou Mobile Keyboard has 405 million DAUs (daily average users), up 32% year-over-year. As China's largest voice app, it processes up to 500 million daily voice requests. Under the direction of Xiaochuan Wang, the current CEO of Sogou, the company is becoming one of the most watched of its type in China and beyond, for it is a publicly traded company (NYSE: SOGO) The company was first developed as a mere portal for its parent company-at-the-time, Sohu, as a search engine to compete against Baidu. Wang was brought on as CTO of Sohu in order to launch the endeavor. To do so, he recruited top talent in China, but the company became so large so quickly that Sohu soon spun Sogou out as its own company naming Wang its CEO. Even Alibaba got in on the action for a time when it sought to be part of the search engine game and invested in the company. However, since that time Alibaba has withdrawn its interests and, currently, Tencent and Sohu are Sogou's biggest shareholders, and Sogou shows no signs of slowing down. Part of the reason behind the company's ability to scale at such a rate was that Wang cleverly created both a browser and search engine together simultaneously for Sogou. At the same time Tencent initially integrated their burgeoning search engine into Soguo. In addition, Sogou is also the default for all the public content on WeChat. That means extremely valuable numbers. Yet there are still many hurdles to overcome in surprising ways. "In China," Wang explains through an interpreter, "ads in healthcare are big business, yet they are not reputable. So one of our next main goals is to make authoritative search." Thus the company is applying artificial intelligence to improve accuracy and vetting so that users see ads from only those offering the most reputable care. To ensure success in this area, Sogou is also partnering with such companies as WebMD and the MayoClinic to further vet and categorize. "There are easily at least 40 million searches across Soguo per day about health, " explains Wang. "So getting this right is extremely important to us." In addition, Sogou wants to help not only obtain the information they need but also to use technology to better express themselves. The intent is to use artificial intelligence to advance communication in a number of ways including upping the ante by enabling search via voice and image recognition. "Currently we have over 400 million searches that are answerback via a link. In the near future, voice will answer you back," explains Wang. " For next generation of AI, the objective is to have the technology gather, read, and suggest all in real-time." Yet amidst such developments by both Pacific Future and Sogou, business outlets such as Bloomberg predict a rocky road for such companies based on US-China trade conflict, decline in advertising and more. There is also the question about what part such companies will play in the growing tensions around cultural norms in the country, particularly when it comes to the wishes of the authorities and more vocal citizens. For now, it's full speed ahead in innovation, and many will continue to track the progression closely. | Two China tech companies of particular note emerged in the midst of CES. Both are working to build the first virtual 3D human. The future of China's tech sector is uncertain, given the country's political and economic climate. However, these companies could play a key role in shaping the future. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencoleman/2019/01/16/could-these-china-tech-companies-dominate-the-future/ | 0.276257 |
Are Investors Undervaluing United Continental (UAL) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is United Continental (UAL). UAL is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 7.52 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 8.77. Over the past 52 weeks, UAL's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.18 and as low as 7.52, with a median of 8.86. Investors will also notice that UAL has a PEG ratio of 0.34. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. UAL's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.73. Over the past 52 weeks, UAL's PEG has been as high as 1.98 and as low as 0.34, with a median of 0.44. Investors should also recognize that UAL has a P/B ratio of 2.30. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.45. Over the past 12 months, UAL's P/B has been as high as 2.85 and as low as 2.12, with a median of 2.40. Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. UAL has a P/S ratio of 0.54. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. Finally, we should also recognize that UAL has a P/CF ratio of 4.99. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. UAL's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 5.56. Within the past 12 months, UAL's P/CF has been as high as 6.04 and as low as 4.27, with a median of 5. These are just a handful of the figures considered in United Continental's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that UAL is an impressive value stock right now. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | United Continental (UAL) is currently sporting a Value grade of A. It has a forward P/E ratio of 7.52, as well as a PEG ratio of 0.34. | pegasus | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-united-continental-ual-141002446.html | 0.250735 |
Are Investors Undervaluing United Continental (UAL) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is United Continental (UAL). UAL is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with P/E ratio of 7.52 right now. For comparison, its industry sports an average P/E of 8.77. Over the past 52 weeks, UAL's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.18 and as low as 7.52, with a median of 8.86. Investors will also notice that UAL has a PEG ratio of 0.34. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. UAL's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 0.73. Over the past 52 weeks, UAL's PEG has been as high as 1.98 and as low as 0.34, with a median of 0.44. Investors should also recognize that UAL has a P/B ratio of 2.30. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 2.45. Over the past 12 months, UAL's P/B has been as high as 2.85 and as low as 2.12, with a median of 2.40. Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. Some people prefer this metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement. This means it could be a truer performance indicator. UAL has a P/S ratio of 0.54. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. Finally, we should also recognize that UAL has a P/CF ratio of 4.99. This metric takes into account a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find stocks that are undervalued based on their solid cash outlook. UAL's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 5.56. Within the past 12 months, UAL's P/CF has been as high as 6.04 and as low as 4.27, with a median of 5. These are just a handful of the figures considered in United Continental's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that UAL is an impressive value stock right now. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | United Continental (UAL) is currently sporting a Value grade of A. It has a forward P/E ratio of 7.52, as well as a PEG ratio of 0.34. UAL's PEG has been as high as 1.98 and as low as 0.34, with a median of 0.44. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-united-continental-ual-141002446.html | 0.379546 |
Are Investors Undervaluing American Airlines (AAL) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is American Airlines (AAL). AAL is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 5.50, which compares to its industry's average of 8.77. AAL's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.53 and as low as 5.34, with a median of 7.30, all within the past year. We also note that AAL holds a PEG ratio of 0.72. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. AAL's industry currently sports an average PEG of 0.73. Within the past year, AAL's PEG has been as high as 5.31 and as low as 0.38, with a median of 0.68. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. AAL has a P/S ratio of 0.33. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. Finally, investors should note that AAL has a P/CF ratio of 4.80. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. AAL's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 5.56. Within the past 12 months, AAL's P/CF has been as high as 7.33 and as low as 4.50, with a median of 5.56. These are only a few of the key metrics included in American Airlines's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AAL looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | American Airlines (AAL) is a great value stock. | pegasus | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-american-airlines-aal-141002563.html | 0.181817 |
Are Investors Undervaluing American Airlines (AAL) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is American Airlines (AAL). AAL is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 5.50, which compares to its industry's average of 8.77. AAL's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.53 and as low as 5.34, with a median of 7.30, all within the past year. We also note that AAL holds a PEG ratio of 0.72. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. AAL's industry currently sports an average PEG of 0.73. Within the past year, AAL's PEG has been as high as 5.31 and as low as 0.38, with a median of 0.68. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. AAL has a P/S ratio of 0.33. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. Finally, investors should note that AAL has a P/CF ratio of 4.80. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. AAL's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 5.56. Within the past 12 months, AAL's P/CF has been as high as 7.33 and as low as 4.50, with a median of 5.56. These are only a few of the key metrics included in American Airlines's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AAL looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | American Airlines (AAL) is a great value stock. It has a forward P/E ratio of 5.50, a PEG ratio of 0.72, and a P/S ratio of 0.33. | pegasus | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-american-airlines-aal-141002563.html | 0.195213 |
Are Investors Undervaluing American Airlines (AAL) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is American Airlines (AAL). AAL is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 5.50, which compares to its industry's average of 8.77. AAL's Forward P/E has been as high as 11.53 and as low as 5.34, with a median of 7.30, all within the past year. We also note that AAL holds a PEG ratio of 0.72. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. AAL's industry currently sports an average PEG of 0.73. Within the past year, AAL's PEG has been as high as 5.31 and as low as 0.38, with a median of 0.68. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. AAL has a P/S ratio of 0.33. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. Finally, investors should note that AAL has a P/CF ratio of 4.80. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. AAL's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 5.56. Within the past 12 months, AAL's P/CF has been as high as 7.33 and as low as 4.50, with a median of 5.56. These are only a few of the key metrics included in American Airlines's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, AAL looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | American Airlines (AAL) is a great value stock. It has a forward P/E ratio of 5.50, a PEG ratio of 0.72, and a P/S ratio of 0.33. AAL is trading at a discount to its industry's average P/S of 0.7. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-american-airlines-aal-141002563.html | 0.287535 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Boot Barn (BOOT) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is Boot Barn (BOOT). BOOT is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. Investors should also note that BOOT holds a PEG ratio of 0.69. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. BOOT's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.08. Within the past year, BOOT's PEG has been as high as 1.68 and as low as 0.49, with a median of 0.95. Investors should also recognize that BOOT has a P/B ratio of 2.65. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.62. BOOT's P/B has been as high as 3.88 and as low as 1.87, with a median of 2.72, over the past year. These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Boot Barn is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, BOOT feels like a great value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | Boot Barn (BOOT) is a great value stock right now. | pegasus | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-boot-barn-boot-141002487.html | 0.4963 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Boot Barn (BOOT) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today. One company value investors might notice is Boot Barn (BOOT). BOOT is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. Investors should also note that BOOT holds a PEG ratio of 0.69. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. BOOT's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.08. Within the past year, BOOT's PEG has been as high as 1.68 and as low as 0.49, with a median of 0.95. Investors should also recognize that BOOT has a P/B ratio of 2.65. The P/B is a method of comparing a stock's market value to its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 3.62. BOOT's P/B has been as high as 3.88 and as low as 1.87, with a median of 2.72, over the past year. These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Boot Barn is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, BOOT feels like a great value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | Boot Barn (BOOT) is a great value stock right now. The company is holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. BOOT's PEG is as high as 1.68 and as low as 0.49, with a median of 0.95. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-boot-barn-boot-141002487.html | 0.501818 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Sprint (S) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Sprint (S) is a stock many investors are watching right now. S is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Another valuation metric that we should highlight is S's P/B ratio of 0.88. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. S's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.49. S's P/B has been as high as 0.98 and as low as 0.73, with a median of 0.83, over the past year. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. S has a P/S ratio of 0.74. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.34. Finally, investors will want to recognize that S has a P/CF ratio of 1.55. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. S's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 3.84. Within the past 12 months, S's P/CF has been as high as 1.67 and as low as 1.24, with a median of 1.45. These are only a few of the key metrics included in Sprint's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, S looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | Sprint (S) is a stock many investors are watching right now. | bart | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-sprint-now-141002379.html | 0.132479 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Sprint (S) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Sprint (S) is a stock many investors are watching right now. S is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Another valuation metric that we should highlight is S's P/B ratio of 0.88. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. S's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.49. S's P/B has been as high as 0.98 and as low as 0.73, with a median of 0.83, over the past year. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. S has a P/S ratio of 0.74. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.34. Finally, investors will want to recognize that S has a P/CF ratio of 1.55. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. S's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 3.84. Within the past 12 months, S's P/CF has been as high as 1.67 and as low as 1.24, with a median of 1.45. These are only a few of the key metrics included in Sprint's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, S looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | Sprint (S) is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The value strategy looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. | pegasus | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-sprint-now-141002379.html | 0.335872 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Sprint (S) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Sprint (S) is a stock many investors are watching right now. S is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Another valuation metric that we should highlight is S's P/B ratio of 0.88. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. S's current P/B looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.49. S's P/B has been as high as 0.98 and as low as 0.73, with a median of 0.83, over the past year. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. S has a P/S ratio of 0.74. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.34. Finally, investors will want to recognize that S has a P/CF ratio of 1.55. This data point considers a firm's operating cash flow and is frequently used to find companies that are undervalued when considering their solid cash outlook. S's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 3.84. Within the past 12 months, S's P/CF has been as high as 1.67 and as low as 1.24, with a median of 1.45. These are only a few of the key metrics included in Sprint's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, S looks like an impressive value stock at the moment. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | Sprint (S) is a stock many investors are watching right now. S is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, S looks like an impressive value stock. | bart | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-sprint-now-141002379.html | 0.271024 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a stock many investors are watching right now. NMM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. NMM has a P/S ratio of 0.81. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.14. Finally, investors will want to recognize that NMM has a P/CF ratio of 5.27. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. NMM's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 9.93. Over the past 52 weeks, NMM's P/CF has been as high as 8.47 and as low as 3.45, with a median of 4.78. These are just a handful of the figures considered in Navios Maritime Partners LP's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that NMM is an impressive value stock right now. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a great value stock right now. | pegasus | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-navios-maritime-partners-141002295.html | 0.525581 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a stock many investors are watching right now. NMM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. NMM has a P/S ratio of 0.81. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.14. Finally, investors will want to recognize that NMM has a P/CF ratio of 5.27. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. NMM's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 9.93. Over the past 52 weeks, NMM's P/CF has been as high as 8.47 and as low as 3.45, with a median of 4.78. These are just a handful of the figures considered in Navios Maritime Partners LP's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that NMM is an impressive value stock right now. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a great value stock right now. It has a P/S ratio of 0.81, a P/S ratio of 0.81, and a P/CF ratio of 5.27. | pegasus | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-navios-maritime-partners-141002295.html | 0.518628 |
Are Investors Undervaluing Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) Right Now? | Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks. The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks. Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today. Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a stock many investors are watching right now. NMM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. NMM has a P/S ratio of 0.81. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.14. Finally, investors will want to recognize that NMM has a P/CF ratio of 5.27. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. NMM's current P/CF looks attractive when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 9.93. Over the past 52 weeks, NMM's P/CF has been as high as 8.47 and as low as 3.45, with a median of 4.78. These are just a handful of the figures considered in Navios Maritime Partners LP's great Value grade. Still, they help show that the stock is likely being undervalued at the moment. Add this to the strength of its earnings outlook, and we can clearly see that NMM is an impressive value stock right now. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM) is a stock many investors are watching right now. NMM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks. | bart | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/investors-undervaluing-navios-maritime-partners-141002295.html | 0.258121 |
How Can We Help Solve The Global Mental Health Crisis? | Today, 450 million people worldwide live with a mental illness. According to the World Health Organization, one in four of us will experience a mental or neurological disorder during our lifetime. Depression is the leading cause of disability around the world. Yet low-income countries generally lack the human resources necessary to provide adequate care for the mentally ill, resulting in an astonishing treatment gap. Pavel Reppo founded a non-profit called mindfullwe in order to address this problem, and just finished his pilot program of community-based mental health support in Uganda. We recruit, train and employ local community members to provide basic therapeutic support services to individuals struggling with depression , Pavel says. The work is steeped in task-sharing, whereby the few specialists on-the-ground in the country are reallocated to offer oversight, quality assurance, and supervision so that lesser-trained workers can be empowered to act as the frontline in mental health support. The stepped care these workers provide includes 1) psychoeducation: offering practical advice in coping with problems, 2) antidepressant drug therapy, 3) interpersonal counseling: which focuses on understanding the relationship between symptoms and triggers, and if necessary, 4) referral to a mental health specialist. Moving forward, mindfullwe intends to partner with vetted organizations around the world to run similar programs, sharing a functional playbook detailing the steps to effectively replicating the program in other geographical locales. Their hope is to catalyze a shift towards community-based mental health services. Reppo says he was inspired to pursue his life purpose of facilitating groundbreaking work in mental healthcare by Tom Chi, a pioneer in rapidly prototyping solutions to different problems. But also, he was inspired to found mindfullwe based on his personal experience with mental illness. At 13, I found myself washing my hands for 45 minutes at a time. My hands began to crack and bleed, and yet I could not stop. I was in the cold grip of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since that fated day, I've had an outpouring of support to reclaim my life. Even so, it has been far from easy. Im rounding the corner on five years of behavioral therapy, a year with an OCD expert, several bouts of medication, and keeping up-to-date with the latest literature and research in OCD management. And Im one of the lucky ones. The global mental health landscape is bleak, Reppo reports. On average, there is only one psychotherapist for every 200,000 or more people in the world. In Africa, most countries spend less than 1% of their health budgets on mental health care. The World Health Organization posits that one of the most important recommendations for improving healthcare globally is integrating mental healthcare into primary care settings, which includes screening, assessment and treatment. One simple and effective solution is task-sharing: using non-professionals trained in brief, intense therapies to offer services. By no means did I invent this solution, Reppo explains. However, I am undaunted in applying task-sharing to bridge the global mental health treatment gap. Reppo shares the story of a patient, whom well call Jane, who came into a Uganda health clinic for a check-up for her one-year-old daughter. After sitting down with a health worker trained by mindfullwe, Jane confessed that she had been struggling with severe stress for months, stemming from her separation from her husband, taking care of three children as a single mother, and being the sole provider for her family, including her mother and sister. On top of that, she recently had lost her job. The night before, she had made the decision to take her life. She had cooked a local Ugandan dish and planned to purchase rat poison to mix with the food. Luckily, the mindfullwe health worker was able to understand the diagnosis of depression, manage Janes suicidal risk, and offer practical advice. This timely intervention may have saved Janes life, and saved her three children from growing up without a mother. This anecdote shows just how meaningful our work is, Reppo says. While he finds the constant travel back and forth between Colorado and Uganda exhausting, he is passionate about what he does. We literally save lives. Other patients report having more interest and pleasure doing things. Most are more upbeat, resilient, and hopeful. Nevertheless, pursuing this career path takes its toll on Reppos own physical and mental health. Ive noticed that I am willing to give everything I have in order to see mindfullwe flourish. In doing so, I subject myself to ungodly work hours, expectations, and standards. I dont extend compassion to me, and end up hurting myself. Im learning to understand that it is not okay to give up my health for another pursuit, he says. In pursuing your life purpose, Reppo recommends a horizontal approach where you experiment doing things that may be completely unrelated. Listen to what grips and interests you, what sours you and pushes you away. A close cousin of this is, be willing to look silly or foolish in new endeavors. Frankly, if you are focused on tapping into your life purpose, its not going to matter in the long run how it appears to someone else. | World Health Organization: 450 million people worldwide live with a mental illness. Low-income countries generally lack the human resources necessary to provide adequate care for the mentally ill. One simple and effective solution is task-sharing: using non-professionals trained in brief, intense therapies to offer services. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2019/01/16/how-can-we-help-solve-the-global-mental-health-crisis/ | 0.303244 |
What Is A Home Equity Loan And How Does It Work? | If you need money to cover life's big expenses, tapping into the equity in your home can be a smart option. One way to do that is by getting a home equity loan. In the post below, we'll describe what this loan is, how it works, and how to qualify for one of your own. Keep reading to learn if this financial move makes sense for you. A home equity loan is often referred to as a second mortgage because that's truly what it is. It's a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. Often, this type of loan can be a way for homeowners to access large sums of money to pay for life's big expenses. It's not uncommon to see someone take out a home equity loan to finance home improvements, to cover medical debts, or to assist a child in paying for his or her education. Home equity loans are often an attractive source of funding because they're available at lower interest rates than credit cards or personal loans. However, be aware that those low interest rates come with a high amount of risk. Lenders feel comfortable offering lower rates because these loans are secured by your home, meaning that the lender can foreclose on you if you decide to stop making your payments. Put simply, home equity loans work in much the same way that your first mortgage did when you initially bought your house. The money from the loan is disbursed as a lump sum, allowing you to use it as you see fit. After you receive it, you start making fixed, monthly payments to pay back the loan. With each payment, you'll always be paying down a portion of both the principal and the interest. Also of note, home equity loans come with fixed interest rates. Qualifying for a home equity loan Again, qualifying for a home equity loan is very similar to qualifying for a first mortgage. Your lender will want to see proof of employment, as well as records of your debts and assets. You should be prepared to bring the following documentation with you when you visit your lender. Two years of W-2's or tax returns, if you're self-employed. Your most recent pay stub with your year-to-date income listed Statements for all your bank accounts and assets Debt records for any credit cards or other loans However, in addition to these documents, your lender will also look at one more piece of information. He or she will evaluate how much equity you have in your home. (Remember, equity is the percentage of your home that you own outright.) Here, the amount of equity you've built up in your home will help determine how much money you can borrow. Most lenders only allow you to borrow against up to 85% of your equity. To find out how much you can borrow, follow this equation: The amount your home is worth x the percentage of home equity you're allowed to borrow - how much you owe on your home For example: Let's say your home is worth $200,000 (according to a recent appraisal) and you're allowed to borrow up to 85% of your home equity, but you still have a $100,000 balance on your mortgage. $300,000 x 0.85 = 170,000 $170,000 - $100,000 = $70,000 In this case, you'd be approved for a $70,000 loan. The difference between a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit Often, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit get confused for each other. They're similar in that they both let you borrow against the value of your home, but they work much differently from one and other. While a home equity loan functions like a traditional mortgage, a home equity line of credit works like a credit card. It gives you a period of time when you're allowed to draw on the equity in your home, as needed. Home equity lines of credit also have adjustable interest rates. If you're not sure which of the two is right for you, talk to your current loan officer and/or a financial advisor. They can help you take a more in-depth look at your options in order to decide which one will serve you the best. | A home equity loan is a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. | bart | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/taramastroeni/2019/01/16/what-is-a-home-equity-loan-and-how-does-it-work/ | 0.449591 |
What Is A Home Equity Loan And How Does It Work? | If you need money to cover life's big expenses, tapping into the equity in your home can be a smart option. One way to do that is by getting a home equity loan. In the post below, we'll describe what this loan is, how it works, and how to qualify for one of your own. Keep reading to learn if this financial move makes sense for you. A home equity loan is often referred to as a second mortgage because that's truly what it is. It's a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. Often, this type of loan can be a way for homeowners to access large sums of money to pay for life's big expenses. It's not uncommon to see someone take out a home equity loan to finance home improvements, to cover medical debts, or to assist a child in paying for his or her education. Home equity loans are often an attractive source of funding because they're available at lower interest rates than credit cards or personal loans. However, be aware that those low interest rates come with a high amount of risk. Lenders feel comfortable offering lower rates because these loans are secured by your home, meaning that the lender can foreclose on you if you decide to stop making your payments. Put simply, home equity loans work in much the same way that your first mortgage did when you initially bought your house. The money from the loan is disbursed as a lump sum, allowing you to use it as you see fit. After you receive it, you start making fixed, monthly payments to pay back the loan. With each payment, you'll always be paying down a portion of both the principal and the interest. Also of note, home equity loans come with fixed interest rates. Qualifying for a home equity loan Again, qualifying for a home equity loan is very similar to qualifying for a first mortgage. Your lender will want to see proof of employment, as well as records of your debts and assets. You should be prepared to bring the following documentation with you when you visit your lender. Two years of W-2's or tax returns, if you're self-employed. Your most recent pay stub with your year-to-date income listed Statements for all your bank accounts and assets Debt records for any credit cards or other loans However, in addition to these documents, your lender will also look at one more piece of information. He or she will evaluate how much equity you have in your home. (Remember, equity is the percentage of your home that you own outright.) Here, the amount of equity you've built up in your home will help determine how much money you can borrow. Most lenders only allow you to borrow against up to 85% of your equity. To find out how much you can borrow, follow this equation: The amount your home is worth x the percentage of home equity you're allowed to borrow - how much you owe on your home For example: Let's say your home is worth $200,000 (according to a recent appraisal) and you're allowed to borrow up to 85% of your home equity, but you still have a $100,000 balance on your mortgage. $300,000 x 0.85 = 170,000 $170,000 - $100,000 = $70,000 In this case, you'd be approved for a $70,000 loan. The difference between a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit Often, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit get confused for each other. They're similar in that they both let you borrow against the value of your home, but they work much differently from one and other. While a home equity loan functions like a traditional mortgage, a home equity line of credit works like a credit card. It gives you a period of time when you're allowed to draw on the equity in your home, as needed. Home equity lines of credit also have adjustable interest rates. If you're not sure which of the two is right for you, talk to your current loan officer and/or a financial advisor. They can help you take a more in-depth look at your options in order to decide which one will serve you the best. | A home equity loan is a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. Home equity loans are often an attractive source of funding because they're available at lower interest rates. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/taramastroeni/2019/01/16/what-is-a-home-equity-loan-and-how-does-it-work/ | 0.494553 |
What Is A Home Equity Loan And How Does It Work? | If you need money to cover life's big expenses, tapping into the equity in your home can be a smart option. One way to do that is by getting a home equity loan. In the post below, we'll describe what this loan is, how it works, and how to qualify for one of your own. Keep reading to learn if this financial move makes sense for you. A home equity loan is often referred to as a second mortgage because that's truly what it is. It's a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. Often, this type of loan can be a way for homeowners to access large sums of money to pay for life's big expenses. It's not uncommon to see someone take out a home equity loan to finance home improvements, to cover medical debts, or to assist a child in paying for his or her education. Home equity loans are often an attractive source of funding because they're available at lower interest rates than credit cards or personal loans. However, be aware that those low interest rates come with a high amount of risk. Lenders feel comfortable offering lower rates because these loans are secured by your home, meaning that the lender can foreclose on you if you decide to stop making your payments. Put simply, home equity loans work in much the same way that your first mortgage did when you initially bought your house. The money from the loan is disbursed as a lump sum, allowing you to use it as you see fit. After you receive it, you start making fixed, monthly payments to pay back the loan. With each payment, you'll always be paying down a portion of both the principal and the interest. Also of note, home equity loans come with fixed interest rates. Qualifying for a home equity loan Again, qualifying for a home equity loan is very similar to qualifying for a first mortgage. Your lender will want to see proof of employment, as well as records of your debts and assets. You should be prepared to bring the following documentation with you when you visit your lender. Two years of W-2's or tax returns, if you're self-employed. Your most recent pay stub with your year-to-date income listed Statements for all your bank accounts and assets Debt records for any credit cards or other loans However, in addition to these documents, your lender will also look at one more piece of information. He or she will evaluate how much equity you have in your home. (Remember, equity is the percentage of your home that you own outright.) Here, the amount of equity you've built up in your home will help determine how much money you can borrow. Most lenders only allow you to borrow against up to 85% of your equity. To find out how much you can borrow, follow this equation: The amount your home is worth x the percentage of home equity you're allowed to borrow - how much you owe on your home For example: Let's say your home is worth $200,000 (according to a recent appraisal) and you're allowed to borrow up to 85% of your home equity, but you still have a $100,000 balance on your mortgage. $300,000 x 0.85 = 170,000 $170,000 - $100,000 = $70,000 In this case, you'd be approved for a $70,000 loan. The difference between a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit Often, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit get confused for each other. They're similar in that they both let you borrow against the value of your home, but they work much differently from one and other. While a home equity loan functions like a traditional mortgage, a home equity line of credit works like a credit card. It gives you a period of time when you're allowed to draw on the equity in your home, as needed. Home equity lines of credit also have adjustable interest rates. If you're not sure which of the two is right for you, talk to your current loan officer and/or a financial advisor. They can help you take a more in-depth look at your options in order to decide which one will serve you the best. | A home equity loan is a loan that lets you borrow against the value of your home. Often, this type of loan can be a way for homeowners to access large sums of money. Home equity loans are often an attractive source of funding because they're available at lower interest rates. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/taramastroeni/2019/01/16/what-is-a-home-equity-loan-and-how-does-it-work/ | 0.549037 |
Why did Kyle Kuzma tweet at halftime of the Lakers game' vs. Bulls? | Here's a weird thing that happened at 11:48 p.m. PT: Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma tweeted. Because Kuzma was in the middle of playing a game against the Chicago Bulls. We know it was halftime because the Lakers sent a tweet at 11:35 p.m., about 10 minutes before. But Kuzma's tweet is simply the handle of Ball is Life, which posts all things hoops content. On Tuesday night, the account retweeted a couple of Kuzma-related videos/GIFs. Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) reacts during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports) One theory: Someone else with access to the account accidentally pushed "send" on a draft. Or it was a tweet scheduled to run at that time, although that seems more improbable. Another: He sat on his phone in his locker and butt-tweeted. Maybe the last thing he had open was the Ball Is Life's feed. Kuzma finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers' much-needed win over the Bulls. Los Angeles is only 4-7 since LeBron James' Christmas Day injury. The only certainty is we've come a long way (nearly 10 years, to be exact) on Twitter since Charlie Villanueva's famous halftime tweet blew up and led to an NBA social media policy: | Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma tweeted at halftime of a game against the Chicago Bulls. The tweet is simply the handle of Ball is Life, which posts all things hoops content. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2019/01/16/kyle-kuzma-tweets-halftime-lakers-game-bulls/38906347/ | 0.3147 |
Why did Kyle Kuzma tweet at halftime of the Lakers game' vs. Bulls? | Here's a weird thing that happened at 11:48 p.m. PT: Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma tweeted. Because Kuzma was in the middle of playing a game against the Chicago Bulls. We know it was halftime because the Lakers sent a tweet at 11:35 p.m., about 10 minutes before. But Kuzma's tweet is simply the handle of Ball is Life, which posts all things hoops content. On Tuesday night, the account retweeted a couple of Kuzma-related videos/GIFs. Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) reacts during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center. (Photo: Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports) One theory: Someone else with access to the account accidentally pushed "send" on a draft. Or it was a tweet scheduled to run at that time, although that seems more improbable. Another: He sat on his phone in his locker and butt-tweeted. Maybe the last thing he had open was the Ball Is Life's feed. Kuzma finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers' much-needed win over the Bulls. Los Angeles is only 4-7 since LeBron James' Christmas Day injury. The only certainty is we've come a long way (nearly 10 years, to be exact) on Twitter since Charlie Villanueva's famous halftime tweet blew up and led to an NBA social media policy: | Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma tweeted at halftime of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Bulls. The tweet is simply the handle of Ball is Life, which posts all things hoops content. The Lakers won the game, beating the Bulls by a score of 98-91. | bart | 2 | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2019/01/16/kyle-kuzma-tweets-halftime-lakers-game-bulls/38906347/ | 0.429015 |
Does the NFL need a Rooney Rule for women? | Sarah Thomas made history in 2019, becoming the first female referee to work a game in the postseason. The NFL has always been a boys club, but women are slowly making their way to the league. While the NFL said a Rooney Rule equivalent for women was coming in 2016, it only applied to the league office. Expansion to all teams would help accelerate the NFL's inclusion of women. However, others feel opportunities shouldn't be handed out. They have to be earned, just like everything else in the league. PERSPECTIVES Sarah Thomas broke another barrier for women in the NFL by becoming the first woman to referee a playoff game. While this is a remarkable achievement, the fact that this is newsworthy in 2018 is sad. Women in the NFL should be the norm, not the exception. The league's proposed Rooney Rule expansion for women in 2016 was a step in the right direction, but expanding it to all teams would modernize the league by putting women in executive positions on teams, which would only benefit the league with fresh perspectives and new ideas. Much like the original Rooney Rule, adding diversity to the league is never a bad thing. Roger Goodell: NFL creating a Rooney Rule for women True equality is earning your spot through your merit. Getting handed out opportunities is not the right path to diversity. Sarah Thomas earned her way to the NFL Playoffs because she proved her skills on the field in the regular season. If they put someone out there just because she's a woman, it would be a disservice to anyone to toiled and built their resume's fairly. If a woman is right for the job in the NFL, she will be hired. They don't need a rule to force teams to interview a woman to accomplish that. 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. | Sarah Thomas is the first woman to referee a playoff game in the NFL. The NFL said a Rooney Rule equivalent for women was coming in 2016. | bart | 0 | https://www.nola.com/interact/2019/01/does_the_nfl_need_a_rooney_rul.html | 0.123836 |
Does the NFL need a Rooney Rule for women? | Sarah Thomas made history in 2019, becoming the first female referee to work a game in the postseason. The NFL has always been a boys club, but women are slowly making their way to the league. While the NFL said a Rooney Rule equivalent for women was coming in 2016, it only applied to the league office. Expansion to all teams would help accelerate the NFL's inclusion of women. However, others feel opportunities shouldn't be handed out. They have to be earned, just like everything else in the league. PERSPECTIVES Sarah Thomas broke another barrier for women in the NFL by becoming the first woman to referee a playoff game. While this is a remarkable achievement, the fact that this is newsworthy in 2018 is sad. Women in the NFL should be the norm, not the exception. The league's proposed Rooney Rule expansion for women in 2016 was a step in the right direction, but expanding it to all teams would modernize the league by putting women in executive positions on teams, which would only benefit the league with fresh perspectives and new ideas. Much like the original Rooney Rule, adding diversity to the league is never a bad thing. Roger Goodell: NFL creating a Rooney Rule for women True equality is earning your spot through your merit. Getting handed out opportunities is not the right path to diversity. Sarah Thomas earned her way to the NFL Playoffs because she proved her skills on the field in the regular season. If they put someone out there just because she's a woman, it would be a disservice to anyone to toiled and built their resume's fairly. If a woman is right for the job in the NFL, she will be hired. They don't need a rule to force teams to interview a woman to accomplish that. 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. | Sarah Thomas is the first female referee to work a game in the NFL playoffs. The NFL proposed a Rooney Rule for women in 2016, but it only applied to the league office. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.nola.com/interact/2019/01/does_the_nfl_need_a_rooney_rul.html | 0.128442 |
Does the NFL need a Rooney Rule for women? | Sarah Thomas made history in 2019, becoming the first female referee to work a game in the postseason. The NFL has always been a boys club, but women are slowly making their way to the league. While the NFL said a Rooney Rule equivalent for women was coming in 2016, it only applied to the league office. Expansion to all teams would help accelerate the NFL's inclusion of women. However, others feel opportunities shouldn't be handed out. They have to be earned, just like everything else in the league. PERSPECTIVES Sarah Thomas broke another barrier for women in the NFL by becoming the first woman to referee a playoff game. While this is a remarkable achievement, the fact that this is newsworthy in 2018 is sad. Women in the NFL should be the norm, not the exception. The league's proposed Rooney Rule expansion for women in 2016 was a step in the right direction, but expanding it to all teams would modernize the league by putting women in executive positions on teams, which would only benefit the league with fresh perspectives and new ideas. Much like the original Rooney Rule, adding diversity to the league is never a bad thing. Roger Goodell: NFL creating a Rooney Rule for women True equality is earning your spot through your merit. Getting handed out opportunities is not the right path to diversity. Sarah Thomas earned her way to the NFL Playoffs because she proved her skills on the field in the regular season. If they put someone out there just because she's a woman, it would be a disservice to anyone to toiled and built their resume's fairly. If a woman is right for the job in the NFL, she will be hired. They don't need a rule to force teams to interview a woman to accomplish that. 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. | Sarah Thomas is the first woman to referee a playoff game in the NFL. The NFL said a Rooney Rule equivalent for women was coming in 2016, but it only applied to the league office. Expansion to all teams would help accelerate the NFL's inclusion of women. Some feel opportunities shouldn't be handed out. | bart | 2 | https://www.nola.com/interact/2019/01/does_the_nfl_need_a_rooney_rul.html | 0.167095 |
Is Facebook's '10 Year Challenge' meme a creepy facial recognition gambit? | By now, all of your social media feeds are probably brimming with then-and-now pictures showing the "glow-up" or positive transformations of people including celebrities, friends, family or random folks sharing decade-old images of themselves, alongside current photographs. Although the meme that's proliferated on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is a great way to show much you've changed over the years, and users are freely sharing the images, one technologist and follower of the meme pondered whether the entire challenge was actually something more sinister and sparked a discussion about the technology in the process. Kate O'Neill, who authored a book called "Tech Humanist," went on to theorize that, if you were training a facial recognition program on age-related traits, it would be useful to have a large data set taken at a fixed number of years apart. "Thanks to this meme, there's now a very large data set of carefully curated photos of people from 10 years ago and now. Not necessarily," O'Neill said on Twitter, noting that such technology could be used to find missing children. A number of technology companies, including Facebook and Amazon, have been criticized over the privacy implications of facial recognition technology. A Facebook spokesperson provided the following statement to Fox News: This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook. Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time. Instagram and Twitter have not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News. BROKE TEEN WHO SOLD KIDNEY FOR IPHONE NOW BEDRIDDEN FOR LIFE Although O'Neill said that facial recognition technology will likely be most useful for targeted advertising, she emphasized in several follow-up tweets that users should remain vigilant with what they share regardless of the social platform. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The broader message, removed from the specifics of any one meme or even any one social platform, is that humans are the richest data sources for most of the technology emerging in the world. We should know this, and proceed with due diligence and sophistication," O'Neill wrote in an opinion piece for Wired on the meme. | The meme shows 10-year-old photos of people alongside current photos. A technologist theorized that the meme could be used to train a facial recognition program. A Facebook spokesperson said the meme was a user-generated meme that went viral. | bart | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/is-facebooks-10-year-challenge-meme-a-creepy-facial-recognition-gambit | 0.209224 |
Is Facebook's '10 Year Challenge' meme a creepy facial recognition gambit? | By now, all of your social media feeds are probably brimming with then-and-now pictures showing the "glow-up" or positive transformations of people including celebrities, friends, family or random folks sharing decade-old images of themselves, alongside current photographs. Although the meme that's proliferated on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is a great way to show much you've changed over the years, and users are freely sharing the images, one technologist and follower of the meme pondered whether the entire challenge was actually something more sinister and sparked a discussion about the technology in the process. Kate O'Neill, who authored a book called "Tech Humanist," went on to theorize that, if you were training a facial recognition program on age-related traits, it would be useful to have a large data set taken at a fixed number of years apart. "Thanks to this meme, there's now a very large data set of carefully curated photos of people from 10 years ago and now. Not necessarily," O'Neill said on Twitter, noting that such technology could be used to find missing children. A number of technology companies, including Facebook and Amazon, have been criticized over the privacy implications of facial recognition technology. A Facebook spokesperson provided the following statement to Fox News: This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook. Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time. Instagram and Twitter have not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News. BROKE TEEN WHO SOLD KIDNEY FOR IPHONE NOW BEDRIDDEN FOR LIFE Although O'Neill said that facial recognition technology will likely be most useful for targeted advertising, she emphasized in several follow-up tweets that users should remain vigilant with what they share regardless of the social platform. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "The broader message, removed from the specifics of any one meme or even any one social platform, is that humans are the richest data sources for most of the technology emerging in the world. We should know this, and proceed with due diligence and sophistication," O'Neill wrote in an opinion piece for Wired on the meme. | The "10 Year Challenge" is a meme that's proliferated on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. One technologist theorized that, if you were training a facial recognition program on age, it would be useful to have a large data set taken at a fixed number of years apart. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.foxnews.com/tech/is-facebooks-10-year-challenge-meme-a-creepy-facial-recognition-gambit | 0.269564 |
How does the government shutdown affect breweries? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The government shutdowns tentacles reach into multiple areas, but you can include a popular and beloved industry in its reaches. Beer. The reason for the shutdown's effect on the world of suds is simple: Beers being brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state require federal approval. It's ironic that beer is being affected by the government today, Jan. 16. The date marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 18th Amendment, which started Prohibition until its repeal in 1933. The shutdown's effect is not lost on Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Fred Karm, who has worked in a competitive landscape to market his beers. The 13-year-old Akron brewery's beers are distributed to 23 states and 38 countries. "We have a wide distribution network," he said. "The government shutdown has affected what we told our distributors. Every year we give a schedule of what is coming out." And what is coming out is Hoppin' Frog's Tadpole series in 16-ounce cans. But the release order of those six beers has changed, thanks to the shutdown. "We had to drop (the first beer) because of the shutdown," said Karm, who made the decision after Christmas to shift the schedule. "The first one we arent going to make. because I didnt get approval of the label." The "cookie-style beer" he had planned blends "beer with dessert flavors. People go crazy for that. Several distributors were excited about it. I had to bite the bullet for that." Instead, Karm will be releasing Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Stout, the next beer in the series. The cookie-style beer might come out toward the end of the year, he said, but that is not certain, considering the many recipes he has in the pipeline and the momentum that some beers gain in the marketplace. "I invested in brand, time and money," he said. "The first-of-six series is now a five-beer series." Most distributors, he said, want a long lead time. "With our distributors it requires a lot of legwork now. It didnt before. I have to communicate with them way ahead of time," he said, to get his beers on their plate - or in their glass, so to speak. "The government shutdown I wouldnt say greatly affected us, but it has adversely affected us. That was the disappointing thing about the Tadpole series. Here we are trying to stay relevant in this market, and this gets thrown at us." Karm said he always obtains federal approval for his beers being distributed outside the country, but he added it is an "unknown if it is required." "I really wish I could yell at the government," he said. Karm's frustration is based on working in an ever-growing competitive landscape. American craft brewers in particular churn out very creative brews and expand style categories. They are in a battle for shelf and tap space, which is a challenge for them while being good for the consumer. Government shutdowns that took place more than a decade ago had limited impact on beer because there were fewer craft breweries. But the industry has grown - and keeps growing - on multiple platforms: Some breweries expand with additional fermenters, new ones start up. With more space and equipment comes more beer. With more beer comes the quest for distribution channels - and the labels that go on those beers. Beers distributed outside the state need federal approval via the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Label approval is required for several reasons, including ingredient and source information. It also is doubtful to see a beer called "I Hate My ($&*!) Neighbor at (insert house number and street)" Ale. Two beers from different breweries cannot have the same name, so a registration process mostly prevents that. When it does occur it often is settled with a friendly call or cease-and-desist letter between brewers, though in some cases the dispute winds up in court. Attorney and former Clevelander Adam Russ, who includes beer, wine and spirits among his areas of legal expertise, said with the proliferation of craft breweries "How many plays on the word 'hop' or 'IPA' or 'ale' can you really include?" Russ, who now works in Houston for Lorance Thompson, said labels are regulated for consumers so "there's no confusion about what theyre buying." While he said it is "hard to tell" how much of an effect the shutdown can have on the craft-brewing industry, he said "the issue that (the shutdown) can have an effect, I think, for not only breweries in production but breweries that are looking for expanding distribution." Well-known breweries in Northeast Ohio that have been expanding include Great Lakes Brewing Co., Ohio's first and largest craft brewery, which is distributed in more than a dozen states; Fat Head's Brewery, which recently opened a huge production facility and taproom in Middleburg Heights; and Platform Beer Co. All are based in Cuyahoga County, and all ship their beer outside the state. Summit County's two largest breweries both distribute outside Ohio. In addition to Hoppin' Frog, Thirsty Dog goes to 12 states. Many area breweries like The Brew Kettle, Goldhorn, Market Garden, Masthead and Sibling Revelry - all in Cuyahoga County - are not affected because, while they have strong regional distribution, their beers do not leave the state for sale. State regulation of a brewery's beers, Goldhorn's Joel Warger said, is not intended solely for labels but also for any distribution or packaging. Lindsey LeBerth, brand manager for the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, confirmed that any beer an Ohio brewery makes must be registered. "The state wants to register everything you do," Warger said. But if you're distributing only within Ohio you do not have to register federally, he added. The decision to distribute depends on a brewery's volume as well as its mission. Small breweries can have distribution limited to just a few neighborhoods, or sell beer exclusively from their taprooms. But others - larger, more established ones - send their beer to multiple states. Jack Kephart of The Brew Kettle said the shutdown affected him in 2013 but not now. "It affected me more then because I was doing more federal registrations," he said. "We were distributed outside the state, in Kentucky. So we were doing COLAs (Certificate of Label Approval) at that time. That was a major hangup for us. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out." Kephart said The Brew Kettle had a "couple" of beers waiting on label approval in 2013, but working in advance helps. "If you don't have it planned out well in advance it can definitely trip you up," he said. Federal waiting times for beer labels are at least 21 days, according to TTB figures. Kephart added Ohio's beer-registration fee is $50 while the federal permit is free. Frank Luther, one of the owners of Masthead, sees an interesting, potential ramification for some Ohio breweries. "Depending on how long it lasts, it could end up being a win for local breweries on the store shelf as out-of-state breweries that weren't able to get TTB label approval for new products prior to the shutdown won't be able to sell their products here," he said. Jan. 16 marks a record 26th day of the shutdown, which is affecting more than three quarters of a million federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay. It is a result of the congressional stalemate over President Trump's call for funds to build a wall along Mexico. When the government shut down for 16 days in 2013, there were about 100 breweries in Ohio. Today, there are 297, according to the non-profit Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Coincidentally, Goldhorn is the site for Craft Beer & Conversation: Government Shutdown at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. The group Craft Beer & Conversation said via Facebook that it "aims to bring people together to civilly discuss hot topics in a safe space." Previous coverage: Northeast Ohio breweries and the 2013 shutdown | Government shutdown affects beer brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state. Hoppin' Frog Brewery's release order has changed because of the shutdown. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/how-does-the-government-shutdown-affect-breweries.html | 0.270534 |
How does the government shutdown affect breweries? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The government shutdowns tentacles reach into multiple areas, but you can include a popular and beloved industry in its reaches. Beer. The reason for the shutdown's effect on the world of suds is simple: Beers being brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state require federal approval. It's ironic that beer is being affected by the government today, Jan. 16. The date marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 18th Amendment, which started Prohibition until its repeal in 1933. The shutdown's effect is not lost on Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Fred Karm, who has worked in a competitive landscape to market his beers. The 13-year-old Akron brewery's beers are distributed to 23 states and 38 countries. "We have a wide distribution network," he said. "The government shutdown has affected what we told our distributors. Every year we give a schedule of what is coming out." And what is coming out is Hoppin' Frog's Tadpole series in 16-ounce cans. But the release order of those six beers has changed, thanks to the shutdown. "We had to drop (the first beer) because of the shutdown," said Karm, who made the decision after Christmas to shift the schedule. "The first one we arent going to make. because I didnt get approval of the label." The "cookie-style beer" he had planned blends "beer with dessert flavors. People go crazy for that. Several distributors were excited about it. I had to bite the bullet for that." Instead, Karm will be releasing Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Stout, the next beer in the series. The cookie-style beer might come out toward the end of the year, he said, but that is not certain, considering the many recipes he has in the pipeline and the momentum that some beers gain in the marketplace. "I invested in brand, time and money," he said. "The first-of-six series is now a five-beer series." Most distributors, he said, want a long lead time. "With our distributors it requires a lot of legwork now. It didnt before. I have to communicate with them way ahead of time," he said, to get his beers on their plate - or in their glass, so to speak. "The government shutdown I wouldnt say greatly affected us, but it has adversely affected us. That was the disappointing thing about the Tadpole series. Here we are trying to stay relevant in this market, and this gets thrown at us." Karm said he always obtains federal approval for his beers being distributed outside the country, but he added it is an "unknown if it is required." "I really wish I could yell at the government," he said. Karm's frustration is based on working in an ever-growing competitive landscape. American craft brewers in particular churn out very creative brews and expand style categories. They are in a battle for shelf and tap space, which is a challenge for them while being good for the consumer. Government shutdowns that took place more than a decade ago had limited impact on beer because there were fewer craft breweries. But the industry has grown - and keeps growing - on multiple platforms: Some breweries expand with additional fermenters, new ones start up. With more space and equipment comes more beer. With more beer comes the quest for distribution channels - and the labels that go on those beers. Beers distributed outside the state need federal approval via the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Label approval is required for several reasons, including ingredient and source information. It also is doubtful to see a beer called "I Hate My ($&*!) Neighbor at (insert house number and street)" Ale. Two beers from different breweries cannot have the same name, so a registration process mostly prevents that. When it does occur it often is settled with a friendly call or cease-and-desist letter between brewers, though in some cases the dispute winds up in court. Attorney and former Clevelander Adam Russ, who includes beer, wine and spirits among his areas of legal expertise, said with the proliferation of craft breweries "How many plays on the word 'hop' or 'IPA' or 'ale' can you really include?" Russ, who now works in Houston for Lorance Thompson, said labels are regulated for consumers so "there's no confusion about what theyre buying." While he said it is "hard to tell" how much of an effect the shutdown can have on the craft-brewing industry, he said "the issue that (the shutdown) can have an effect, I think, for not only breweries in production but breweries that are looking for expanding distribution." Well-known breweries in Northeast Ohio that have been expanding include Great Lakes Brewing Co., Ohio's first and largest craft brewery, which is distributed in more than a dozen states; Fat Head's Brewery, which recently opened a huge production facility and taproom in Middleburg Heights; and Platform Beer Co. All are based in Cuyahoga County, and all ship their beer outside the state. Summit County's two largest breweries both distribute outside Ohio. In addition to Hoppin' Frog, Thirsty Dog goes to 12 states. Many area breweries like The Brew Kettle, Goldhorn, Market Garden, Masthead and Sibling Revelry - all in Cuyahoga County - are not affected because, while they have strong regional distribution, their beers do not leave the state for sale. State regulation of a brewery's beers, Goldhorn's Joel Warger said, is not intended solely for labels but also for any distribution or packaging. Lindsey LeBerth, brand manager for the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, confirmed that any beer an Ohio brewery makes must be registered. "The state wants to register everything you do," Warger said. But if you're distributing only within Ohio you do not have to register federally, he added. The decision to distribute depends on a brewery's volume as well as its mission. Small breweries can have distribution limited to just a few neighborhoods, or sell beer exclusively from their taprooms. But others - larger, more established ones - send their beer to multiple states. Jack Kephart of The Brew Kettle said the shutdown affected him in 2013 but not now. "It affected me more then because I was doing more federal registrations," he said. "We were distributed outside the state, in Kentucky. So we were doing COLAs (Certificate of Label Approval) at that time. That was a major hangup for us. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out." Kephart said The Brew Kettle had a "couple" of beers waiting on label approval in 2013, but working in advance helps. "If you don't have it planned out well in advance it can definitely trip you up," he said. Federal waiting times for beer labels are at least 21 days, according to TTB figures. Kephart added Ohio's beer-registration fee is $50 while the federal permit is free. Frank Luther, one of the owners of Masthead, sees an interesting, potential ramification for some Ohio breweries. "Depending on how long it lasts, it could end up being a win for local breweries on the store shelf as out-of-state breweries that weren't able to get TTB label approval for new products prior to the shutdown won't be able to sell their products here," he said. Jan. 16 marks a record 26th day of the shutdown, which is affecting more than three quarters of a million federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay. It is a result of the congressional stalemate over President Trump's call for funds to build a wall along Mexico. When the government shut down for 16 days in 2013, there were about 100 breweries in Ohio. Today, there are 297, according to the non-profit Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Coincidentally, Goldhorn is the site for Craft Beer & Conversation: Government Shutdown at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. The group Craft Beer & Conversation said via Facebook that it "aims to bring people together to civilly discuss hot topics in a safe space." Previous coverage: Northeast Ohio breweries and the 2013 shutdown | Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Tadpole series won't come out this year because of the government shutdown. Beers being brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state require federal approval. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/how-does-the-government-shutdown-affect-breweries.html | 0.230947 |
How does the government shutdown affect breweries? | CLEVELAND, Ohio The government shutdowns tentacles reach into multiple areas, but you can include a popular and beloved industry in its reaches. Beer. The reason for the shutdown's effect on the world of suds is simple: Beers being brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state require federal approval. It's ironic that beer is being affected by the government today, Jan. 16. The date marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 18th Amendment, which started Prohibition until its repeal in 1933. The shutdown's effect is not lost on Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Fred Karm, who has worked in a competitive landscape to market his beers. The 13-year-old Akron brewery's beers are distributed to 23 states and 38 countries. "We have a wide distribution network," he said. "The government shutdown has affected what we told our distributors. Every year we give a schedule of what is coming out." And what is coming out is Hoppin' Frog's Tadpole series in 16-ounce cans. But the release order of those six beers has changed, thanks to the shutdown. "We had to drop (the first beer) because of the shutdown," said Karm, who made the decision after Christmas to shift the schedule. "The first one we arent going to make. because I didnt get approval of the label." The "cookie-style beer" he had planned blends "beer with dessert flavors. People go crazy for that. Several distributors were excited about it. I had to bite the bullet for that." Instead, Karm will be releasing Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Stout, the next beer in the series. The cookie-style beer might come out toward the end of the year, he said, but that is not certain, considering the many recipes he has in the pipeline and the momentum that some beers gain in the marketplace. "I invested in brand, time and money," he said. "The first-of-six series is now a five-beer series." Most distributors, he said, want a long lead time. "With our distributors it requires a lot of legwork now. It didnt before. I have to communicate with them way ahead of time," he said, to get his beers on their plate - or in their glass, so to speak. "The government shutdown I wouldnt say greatly affected us, but it has adversely affected us. That was the disappointing thing about the Tadpole series. Here we are trying to stay relevant in this market, and this gets thrown at us." Karm said he always obtains federal approval for his beers being distributed outside the country, but he added it is an "unknown if it is required." "I really wish I could yell at the government," he said. Karm's frustration is based on working in an ever-growing competitive landscape. American craft brewers in particular churn out very creative brews and expand style categories. They are in a battle for shelf and tap space, which is a challenge for them while being good for the consumer. Government shutdowns that took place more than a decade ago had limited impact on beer because there were fewer craft breweries. But the industry has grown - and keeps growing - on multiple platforms: Some breweries expand with additional fermenters, new ones start up. With more space and equipment comes more beer. With more beer comes the quest for distribution channels - and the labels that go on those beers. Beers distributed outside the state need federal approval via the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Label approval is required for several reasons, including ingredient and source information. It also is doubtful to see a beer called "I Hate My ($&*!) Neighbor at (insert house number and street)" Ale. Two beers from different breweries cannot have the same name, so a registration process mostly prevents that. When it does occur it often is settled with a friendly call or cease-and-desist letter between brewers, though in some cases the dispute winds up in court. Attorney and former Clevelander Adam Russ, who includes beer, wine and spirits among his areas of legal expertise, said with the proliferation of craft breweries "How many plays on the word 'hop' or 'IPA' or 'ale' can you really include?" Russ, who now works in Houston for Lorance Thompson, said labels are regulated for consumers so "there's no confusion about what theyre buying." While he said it is "hard to tell" how much of an effect the shutdown can have on the craft-brewing industry, he said "the issue that (the shutdown) can have an effect, I think, for not only breweries in production but breweries that are looking for expanding distribution." Well-known breweries in Northeast Ohio that have been expanding include Great Lakes Brewing Co., Ohio's first and largest craft brewery, which is distributed in more than a dozen states; Fat Head's Brewery, which recently opened a huge production facility and taproom in Middleburg Heights; and Platform Beer Co. All are based in Cuyahoga County, and all ship their beer outside the state. Summit County's two largest breweries both distribute outside Ohio. In addition to Hoppin' Frog, Thirsty Dog goes to 12 states. Many area breweries like The Brew Kettle, Goldhorn, Market Garden, Masthead and Sibling Revelry - all in Cuyahoga County - are not affected because, while they have strong regional distribution, their beers do not leave the state for sale. State regulation of a brewery's beers, Goldhorn's Joel Warger said, is not intended solely for labels but also for any distribution or packaging. Lindsey LeBerth, brand manager for the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, confirmed that any beer an Ohio brewery makes must be registered. "The state wants to register everything you do," Warger said. But if you're distributing only within Ohio you do not have to register federally, he added. The decision to distribute depends on a brewery's volume as well as its mission. Small breweries can have distribution limited to just a few neighborhoods, or sell beer exclusively from their taprooms. But others - larger, more established ones - send their beer to multiple states. Jack Kephart of The Brew Kettle said the shutdown affected him in 2013 but not now. "It affected me more then because I was doing more federal registrations," he said. "We were distributed outside the state, in Kentucky. So we were doing COLAs (Certificate of Label Approval) at that time. That was a major hangup for us. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out." Kephart said The Brew Kettle had a "couple" of beers waiting on label approval in 2013, but working in advance helps. "If you don't have it planned out well in advance it can definitely trip you up," he said. Federal waiting times for beer labels are at least 21 days, according to TTB figures. Kephart added Ohio's beer-registration fee is $50 while the federal permit is free. Frank Luther, one of the owners of Masthead, sees an interesting, potential ramification for some Ohio breweries. "Depending on how long it lasts, it could end up being a win for local breweries on the store shelf as out-of-state breweries that weren't able to get TTB label approval for new products prior to the shutdown won't be able to sell their products here," he said. Jan. 16 marks a record 26th day of the shutdown, which is affecting more than three quarters of a million federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay. It is a result of the congressional stalemate over President Trump's call for funds to build a wall along Mexico. When the government shut down for 16 days in 2013, there were about 100 breweries in Ohio. Today, there are 297, according to the non-profit Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Coincidentally, Goldhorn is the site for Craft Beer & Conversation: Government Shutdown at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20. The group Craft Beer & Conversation said via Facebook that it "aims to bring people together to civilly discuss hot topics in a safe space." Previous coverage: Northeast Ohio breweries and the 2013 shutdown | Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Tadpole series won't come out this year because of the government shutdown. Beers being brewed in Ohio and distributed outside the state require federal approval. It's ironic that beer is being affected by the government today, Jan. 16. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/01/how-does-the-government-shutdown-affect-breweries.html | 0.217541 |
Is The ICO Market Truly Dead? | Recently, more than one analyst has gone on the record to state that the market for initial coin offerings (ICOs) is basically dead. Michael Novogratz, founder, CEO and chairman of Galaxy Digital, told Bloomberg last month that "The ICO market is pretty much dead right now." Barry Silbery, CEO and founder of Digital Currency Group, concurred, telling CNBC in an interview that the ICO was "dead" and "over." [Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.] Token Sale Evolution However, several market observers have asserted that ICOs are not dead, they are simply evolving. "ICOs are not dead, far from it," said Matthew Unger, founder and CEO of iComply Investor Services inc. John Hargrave, publisher of Bitcoin Market Journal, offered a similar point of view. "The ICO market is not dead, but changing," he claimed. Hargrave pointed to Google Trends data, emphasizing that search interest for the term "ICO" has fallen sharply over the last year. While a score of "100" represents peak search interest, this measure has been closer to 10 over the last few months. Rise of STOs He emphasized that the search interest for the term "STO," which stands for security token offering, has been fluctuating far closer to all-time highs in recent months. Unger also spoke to the proliferation of these sales, stating that: "For every ICO we see going live today there are at least three security tokens being launched." Eric Ervin, CEO of Blockforce Capital, also spoke to this transition taking place in the market for digital token sales. "As they continue to mature and people become more familiar with blockchain technology, we expect STOs to become more prolific," he stated. "In short, ICOs arent dead, investors are just doing more due diligence and looking for more credible and vetted projects," said Ervin. Crypto Wealth Effect While the landscape for digital token sales is clearly changing, shifting toward STOs, another factor that is contributing to lackluster ICO activity is the sentiment of investors, said analysts. "Global Ether buyers/owners have MUCH less 'house money' to spend," said Sean Walsh, CEO of crypto mining firm HyperBlock. Ether was trading close to $125 at the time of this writing, far below the value it had at many points in 2017 and 2018. When ether was more valuable, it likely made those who held it feel affluent. According to the wealth effect, people are more likely to spend when they feel well off. In this case, the assertion is that investors were more likely to take part in ICOs during the bull market because their crypto holdings were substantially more valuable. However, the value of the crypto market has fallen sharply over the last year, causing the net worth of many digital currency investors to dwindle. "Without that wealth effect, they're unwilling to participate in ICOs," said Walsh. Hargrave also weighed in on this situation, stating that: The whole market moves in tandem. So when BTC is down, so is ETH. When ETH is down, investors are less likely to buy into tokens. When token funding is down, the whole market slows down. It's a cycle. "But cycles change. Seasons change. Crypto winter will surely be followed by crypto spring." Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether. | "ICOs are not dead, far from it," said Matthew Unger, founder and CEO of iComply Investor Services inc. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2019/01/16/is-the-ico-market-truly-dead/ | 0.424576 |
Is The ICO Market Truly Dead? | Recently, more than one analyst has gone on the record to state that the market for initial coin offerings (ICOs) is basically dead. Michael Novogratz, founder, CEO and chairman of Galaxy Digital, told Bloomberg last month that "The ICO market is pretty much dead right now." Barry Silbery, CEO and founder of Digital Currency Group, concurred, telling CNBC in an interview that the ICO was "dead" and "over." [Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.] Token Sale Evolution However, several market observers have asserted that ICOs are not dead, they are simply evolving. "ICOs are not dead, far from it," said Matthew Unger, founder and CEO of iComply Investor Services inc. John Hargrave, publisher of Bitcoin Market Journal, offered a similar point of view. "The ICO market is not dead, but changing," he claimed. Hargrave pointed to Google Trends data, emphasizing that search interest for the term "ICO" has fallen sharply over the last year. While a score of "100" represents peak search interest, this measure has been closer to 10 over the last few months. Rise of STOs He emphasized that the search interest for the term "STO," which stands for security token offering, has been fluctuating far closer to all-time highs in recent months. Unger also spoke to the proliferation of these sales, stating that: "For every ICO we see going live today there are at least three security tokens being launched." Eric Ervin, CEO of Blockforce Capital, also spoke to this transition taking place in the market for digital token sales. "As they continue to mature and people become more familiar with blockchain technology, we expect STOs to become more prolific," he stated. "In short, ICOs arent dead, investors are just doing more due diligence and looking for more credible and vetted projects," said Ervin. Crypto Wealth Effect While the landscape for digital token sales is clearly changing, shifting toward STOs, another factor that is contributing to lackluster ICO activity is the sentiment of investors, said analysts. "Global Ether buyers/owners have MUCH less 'house money' to spend," said Sean Walsh, CEO of crypto mining firm HyperBlock. Ether was trading close to $125 at the time of this writing, far below the value it had at many points in 2017 and 2018. When ether was more valuable, it likely made those who held it feel affluent. According to the wealth effect, people are more likely to spend when they feel well off. In this case, the assertion is that investors were more likely to take part in ICOs during the bull market because their crypto holdings were substantially more valuable. However, the value of the crypto market has fallen sharply over the last year, causing the net worth of many digital currency investors to dwindle. "Without that wealth effect, they're unwilling to participate in ICOs," said Walsh. Hargrave also weighed in on this situation, stating that: The whole market moves in tandem. So when BTC is down, so is ETH. When ETH is down, investors are less likely to buy into tokens. When token funding is down, the whole market slows down. It's a cycle. "But cycles change. Seasons change. Crypto winter will surely be followed by crypto spring." Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether. | Some analysts say the ICO market is dead. Others say it is evolving and will be back in the future. Investors have less money to spend on ICOs as the value of the market has fallen. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2019/01/16/is-the-ico-market-truly-dead/ | 0.336433 |
Is The ICO Market Truly Dead? | Recently, more than one analyst has gone on the record to state that the market for initial coin offerings (ICOs) is basically dead. Michael Novogratz, founder, CEO and chairman of Galaxy Digital, told Bloomberg last month that "The ICO market is pretty much dead right now." Barry Silbery, CEO and founder of Digital Currency Group, concurred, telling CNBC in an interview that the ICO was "dead" and "over." [Ed note: Investing in cryptocoins or tokens is highly speculative and the market is largely unregulated. Anyone considering it should be prepared to lose their entire investment.] Token Sale Evolution However, several market observers have asserted that ICOs are not dead, they are simply evolving. "ICOs are not dead, far from it," said Matthew Unger, founder and CEO of iComply Investor Services inc. John Hargrave, publisher of Bitcoin Market Journal, offered a similar point of view. "The ICO market is not dead, but changing," he claimed. Hargrave pointed to Google Trends data, emphasizing that search interest for the term "ICO" has fallen sharply over the last year. While a score of "100" represents peak search interest, this measure has been closer to 10 over the last few months. Rise of STOs He emphasized that the search interest for the term "STO," which stands for security token offering, has been fluctuating far closer to all-time highs in recent months. Unger also spoke to the proliferation of these sales, stating that: "For every ICO we see going live today there are at least three security tokens being launched." Eric Ervin, CEO of Blockforce Capital, also spoke to this transition taking place in the market for digital token sales. "As they continue to mature and people become more familiar with blockchain technology, we expect STOs to become more prolific," he stated. "In short, ICOs arent dead, investors are just doing more due diligence and looking for more credible and vetted projects," said Ervin. Crypto Wealth Effect While the landscape for digital token sales is clearly changing, shifting toward STOs, another factor that is contributing to lackluster ICO activity is the sentiment of investors, said analysts. "Global Ether buyers/owners have MUCH less 'house money' to spend," said Sean Walsh, CEO of crypto mining firm HyperBlock. Ether was trading close to $125 at the time of this writing, far below the value it had at many points in 2017 and 2018. When ether was more valuable, it likely made those who held it feel affluent. According to the wealth effect, people are more likely to spend when they feel well off. In this case, the assertion is that investors were more likely to take part in ICOs during the bull market because their crypto holdings were substantially more valuable. However, the value of the crypto market has fallen sharply over the last year, causing the net worth of many digital currency investors to dwindle. "Without that wealth effect, they're unwilling to participate in ICOs," said Walsh. Hargrave also weighed in on this situation, stating that: The whole market moves in tandem. So when BTC is down, so is ETH. When ETH is down, investors are less likely to buy into tokens. When token funding is down, the whole market slows down. It's a cycle. "But cycles change. Seasons change. Crypto winter will surely be followed by crypto spring." Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash and ether. | ICOs are not dead, they are simply evolving, says Matthew Unger, CEO of iComply Investor Services inc. John Hargrave, publisher of Bitcoin Market Journal, offered a similar point of view. The landscape for digital token sales is clearly changing, shifting toward STOs. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2019/01/16/is-the-ico-market-truly-dead/ | 0.578301 |
Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | As many other countries are working on building up their nuclear industries, in the United States nuclear simply cant compete with cheap natural gas and other renewables growing more affordable all the time in the nations wholesale electricity markets. In fact, just within the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. Even with the application of the most promising technological advancements in development to boost efficiency and reduce cost, it likely wouldnt be enough to make the plants competitive with other energy sources. While many of these advanced nuclear technologies remain in the research phase and are largely untested, many of the current research shows great promise. Technologies under development that would be able to make new reactors both cheaper and safer than the current standard include small modular reactors (SMRs), generation IV reactors, and liquid-sodium cooled reactors. The SMRs, thanks to their compact size, would require less investment in infrastructure and less on-site construction. The Generation IV reactors are innovative in that their design does not include complex external cooling systems, which, notably, are the apparatus that failed in 2011s Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The benefit of the liquid-sodium cooled reactors is that they are able to utilize spent uranium and plutonium, meaning they can produce energy for much more extended periods of time without the need for expensive refueling. Related: Oil Rises After Choppy Start To The Week In an effort to keep the United States from falling behind the rest of the world in terms of nuclear power, the US Energy Department is planning to invest $115 million to aid the development of some of these technologies, with the money going to an Ohio-based pilot project focused on producing a more energy-dense uranium, which would support the newer, smaller reactors that the nuclear industry is moving toward. While the US nuclear industry has floundered, other nations have stepped up. China is building new nuclear power capacity, Russia has led the development of some nuclear projects in other countries, and Japan has been working hard to resurrect their once powerful nuclear sector in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. In fact, Russia is already capable of producing the higher-enriched uranium that the United States Energy Departments new program is currently just now working up to producing. Without investment in new nuclear technologies such as this, the US could very well be left behind and left out of the global nuclear industrys continuing evolution according to Dan Brouillette, Deputy Energy Secretary. Related: Russia Looks To Build LNG Island To Supply Booming Asian Market While the advances in the nuclear industry currently being supported by the US energy department would go a long way toward making nuclear more affordable, it still wouldnt come close to the ultra-low cost of natural gas thanks to the U.S. current fracking boom and subsequent shale oil and gas glut. According to some experts, what is possibly the last hope for nuclear to compete in the United States cheap and highly saturated energy market would be a price on carbon. As the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago puts it, There is a world where nuclear is competitive. It involves pricing carbon. If fossil fuel producers in the United States were made to pay a price for their hefty carbon emissions, as has been implemented by many countries around the world since the 1990s (as far-flung and diverse as Denmark, South Korea, and Zimbabwe), nuclear would be able to hold onto its meager market share or even expand it. (Click to enlarge) By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | In the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are facing retirement. | pegasus | 0 | https://news.yahoo.com/u-keep-nuclear-industry-afloat-180000627.html | 0.133382 |
Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | As many other countries are working on building up their nuclear industries, in the United States nuclear simply cant compete with cheap natural gas and other renewables growing more affordable all the time in the nations wholesale electricity markets. In fact, just within the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. Even with the application of the most promising technological advancements in development to boost efficiency and reduce cost, it likely wouldnt be enough to make the plants competitive with other energy sources. While many of these advanced nuclear technologies remain in the research phase and are largely untested, many of the current research shows great promise. Technologies under development that would be able to make new reactors both cheaper and safer than the current standard include small modular reactors (SMRs), generation IV reactors, and liquid-sodium cooled reactors. The SMRs, thanks to their compact size, would require less investment in infrastructure and less on-site construction. The Generation IV reactors are innovative in that their design does not include complex external cooling systems, which, notably, are the apparatus that failed in 2011s Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The benefit of the liquid-sodium cooled reactors is that they are able to utilize spent uranium and plutonium, meaning they can produce energy for much more extended periods of time without the need for expensive refueling. Related: Oil Rises After Choppy Start To The Week In an effort to keep the United States from falling behind the rest of the world in terms of nuclear power, the US Energy Department is planning to invest $115 million to aid the development of some of these technologies, with the money going to an Ohio-based pilot project focused on producing a more energy-dense uranium, which would support the newer, smaller reactors that the nuclear industry is moving toward. While the US nuclear industry has floundered, other nations have stepped up. China is building new nuclear power capacity, Russia has led the development of some nuclear projects in other countries, and Japan has been working hard to resurrect their once powerful nuclear sector in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. In fact, Russia is already capable of producing the higher-enriched uranium that the United States Energy Departments new program is currently just now working up to producing. Without investment in new nuclear technologies such as this, the US could very well be left behind and left out of the global nuclear industrys continuing evolution according to Dan Brouillette, Deputy Energy Secretary. Related: Russia Looks To Build LNG Island To Supply Booming Asian Market While the advances in the nuclear industry currently being supported by the US energy department would go a long way toward making nuclear more affordable, it still wouldnt come close to the ultra-low cost of natural gas thanks to the U.S. current fracking boom and subsequent shale oil and gas glut. According to some experts, what is possibly the last hope for nuclear to compete in the United States cheap and highly saturated energy market would be a price on carbon. As the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago puts it, There is a world where nuclear is competitive. It involves pricing carbon. If fossil fuel producers in the United States were made to pay a price for their hefty carbon emissions, as has been implemented by many countries around the world since the 1990s (as far-flung and diverse as Denmark, South Korea, and Zimbabwe), nuclear would be able to hold onto its meager market share or even expand it. (Click to enlarge) By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | In the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. | bart | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/u-keep-nuclear-industry-afloat-180000627.html | 0.156355 |
Can The U.S. Keep Its Nuclear Industry Afloat? | As many other countries are working on building up their nuclear industries, in the United States nuclear simply cant compete with cheap natural gas and other renewables growing more affordable all the time in the nations wholesale electricity markets. In fact, just within the last five years six nuclear plants in the United States have closed and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. Even with the application of the most promising technological advancements in development to boost efficiency and reduce cost, it likely wouldnt be enough to make the plants competitive with other energy sources. While many of these advanced nuclear technologies remain in the research phase and are largely untested, many of the current research shows great promise. Technologies under development that would be able to make new reactors both cheaper and safer than the current standard include small modular reactors (SMRs), generation IV reactors, and liquid-sodium cooled reactors. The SMRs, thanks to their compact size, would require less investment in infrastructure and less on-site construction. The Generation IV reactors are innovative in that their design does not include complex external cooling systems, which, notably, are the apparatus that failed in 2011s Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The benefit of the liquid-sodium cooled reactors is that they are able to utilize spent uranium and plutonium, meaning they can produce energy for much more extended periods of time without the need for expensive refueling. Related: Oil Rises After Choppy Start To The Week In an effort to keep the United States from falling behind the rest of the world in terms of nuclear power, the US Energy Department is planning to invest $115 million to aid the development of some of these technologies, with the money going to an Ohio-based pilot project focused on producing a more energy-dense uranium, which would support the newer, smaller reactors that the nuclear industry is moving toward. While the US nuclear industry has floundered, other nations have stepped up. China is building new nuclear power capacity, Russia has led the development of some nuclear projects in other countries, and Japan has been working hard to resurrect their once powerful nuclear sector in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. In fact, Russia is already capable of producing the higher-enriched uranium that the United States Energy Departments new program is currently just now working up to producing. Without investment in new nuclear technologies such as this, the US could very well be left behind and left out of the global nuclear industrys continuing evolution according to Dan Brouillette, Deputy Energy Secretary. Related: Russia Looks To Build LNG Island To Supply Booming Asian Market While the advances in the nuclear industry currently being supported by the US energy department would go a long way toward making nuclear more affordable, it still wouldnt come close to the ultra-low cost of natural gas thanks to the U.S. current fracking boom and subsequent shale oil and gas glut. According to some experts, what is possibly the last hope for nuclear to compete in the United States cheap and highly saturated energy market would be a price on carbon. As the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago puts it, There is a world where nuclear is competitive. It involves pricing carbon. If fossil fuel producers in the United States were made to pay a price for their hefty carbon emissions, as has been implemented by many countries around the world since the 1990s (as far-flung and diverse as Denmark, South Korea, and Zimbabwe), nuclear would be able to hold onto its meager market share or even expand it. (Click to enlarge) By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | Six nuclear plants in the United States have closed in the last five years and almost 35% of the nuclear plants that remain are being met with the possibility of early closure or are facing retirement. The US Energy Department is planning to invest $115 million to aid the development of some of these technologies, with the money going to an Ohio-based pilot project. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/u-keep-nuclear-industry-afloat-180000627.html | 0.225928 |
Is Julian Edelman's shout-out to Patriots fans more right than he realizes? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com Julian Edelman simply was acknowledging New England Patriots fans Tuesday when he logged onto Instagram. Scroll to continue with content Ad "Home field advantage means something more at Gillette," Edelman wrote in a post Tuesday morning. "Thank you for being the best fans in the league. #OnToKC" The Patriots played their last home game of the season last Sunday in an AFC Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Chargers -- they'll travel to Kansas City this weekend for the AFC Championship Game -- so this was a good time to shout out the denizens of Gillette Stadium. Also: Edelman may be more right than he realizes about that home field advantage bit. Never mind that New England is 9-0 at home this season and was the only team in the NFL to go 8-0 at home during the regular season. And never mind that the Patriots had a +15.9 point differential at home this season, better than every team in the league. (The Chiefs were second with a +14.8 point differential.) The best way to see how much home-field mattered to the Patriots is to look at how poorly they played outside Foxboro. Patriots' home/away splits in a few key areas this season: pic.twitter.com/Dc3ghnwBcd Joe Osborne (@JTFOz) January 15, 2019 Story continues New England went 3-5 away from home this season and based on a few key metrics was one of the league's worst road teams. Despite finishing tied for the league's sixth-best record, the Patriots actually have been outscored on the road this season and rank 26th or lower in net yards per play, offensive red zone touchdown percentage and opponents' third down conversion percentage. Simply put: No team benefited more from home field advantage this season than the Patriots. They'll have to shake those bad habits and recent history Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, as road teams have lost the last 10 conference championship games dating to 2012. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. | Julian Edelman thanked fans for being the best fans in the league. Edelman may be more right than he realizes about that home field advantage bit. The Patriots had a +15.9 point differential at home this season. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/julian-edelmans-shout-patriots-fans-185316457.html?src=rss | 0.421129 |
Is Julian Edelman's shout-out to Patriots fans more right than he realizes? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com Julian Edelman simply was acknowledging New England Patriots fans Tuesday when he logged onto Instagram. Scroll to continue with content Ad "Home field advantage means something more at Gillette," Edelman wrote in a post Tuesday morning. "Thank you for being the best fans in the league. #OnToKC" The Patriots played their last home game of the season last Sunday in an AFC Divisional Round win over the Los Angeles Chargers -- they'll travel to Kansas City this weekend for the AFC Championship Game -- so this was a good time to shout out the denizens of Gillette Stadium. Also: Edelman may be more right than he realizes about that home field advantage bit. Never mind that New England is 9-0 at home this season and was the only team in the NFL to go 8-0 at home during the regular season. And never mind that the Patriots had a +15.9 point differential at home this season, better than every team in the league. (The Chiefs were second with a +14.8 point differential.) The best way to see how much home-field mattered to the Patriots is to look at how poorly they played outside Foxboro. Patriots' home/away splits in a few key areas this season: pic.twitter.com/Dc3ghnwBcd Joe Osborne (@JTFOz) January 15, 2019 Story continues New England went 3-5 away from home this season and based on a few key metrics was one of the league's worst road teams. Despite finishing tied for the league's sixth-best record, the Patriots actually have been outscored on the road this season and rank 26th or lower in net yards per play, offensive red zone touchdown percentage and opponents' third down conversion percentage. Simply put: No team benefited more from home field advantage this season than the Patriots. They'll have to shake those bad habits and recent history Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, as road teams have lost the last 10 conference championship games dating to 2012. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. | Julian Edelman thanked fans for being the best fans in the league on Instagram. Edelman may be more right than he realizes about that home field advantage bit. The Patriots had a +15.9 point differential at home this season, better than every team in the NFL. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://sports.yahoo.com/julian-edelmans-shout-patriots-fans-185316457.html?src=rss | 0.432861 |
What about the thousands of women in Canada with stories similar to Rahafs? | On Saturday, a Saudi teenager fleeing domestic abuse was offered protection in Canada. As a bevy of television cameras captured Rahaf Mohammeds arrival at Pearson International Airport, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland handed her a Canada hooded sweater, and welcomed her to her new homeland. As many people now know, Rahaf fled to Bangkok from Kuwait, where her family was on holiday, in the hopes of receiving asylum in Australia. She was briefly detained and authorities confiscated her passport. She then barricaded herself in a hotel room to thwart her removal to Saudi Arabia. At this point, she became a person without status as her primary documentation for her identity and travel had been taken from her. Asylum Seeker Rahaf Mohammed, 18, smiles as she is introduced to the media at Toronto Pearson International Airport, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, right, on Saturday in Toronto. ( Cole Burston / GETTY IMAGES ) Ottawa deserves credit for acting swiftly to offer asylum to the 18-year-old, who alleged her family would kill her if she was forced to return to Saudi Arabia. Freeland says Rahaf was singled out because every light is significant. The positive outcome in Rahafs case often eludes the thousands of women and children who become undocumented or non-status in Canada after fleeing domestic abuse. Since people who become undocumented usually fear coming to the attention of immigration authorities, they are often forced to live clandestinely and work under the table in order to avoid removal. Article Continued Below There are an estimated 20,000 to 200,000 individuals in Canada who dont have legal immigration papers. And many of them have stories similar to Rahafs. Through my work with the Rights of Non-Status Women Network, a Toronto-based grassroots organization to support and disseminate information to front line workers, I heard many of these stories. The government is, at best, ignoring the claims and calls for protection for these women and their dependants and, at worst, potentially pushing them back to their abusers. It is done through the underfunding of womens shelters and through Ontarios civil court system, where they have to seek injunctions against abusers. It is done through tying subsidized housing access to immigration status, forcing women to choose between abuse and homelessness. It is done through not officially unplugging the Harper-era police hotline for Canadians to anonymously report barbaric cultural practices that could get other people deported. Network sources tell us that abusers and traffickers use the threat of phoning the anonymous hotline threat to manipulate, control, and harm vulnerable people. And, finally, it is done through not providing duty counsel or free access to high-quality legal counsel in immigration and refugee matters before the courts. Article Continued Below There has also been no mention of whether Rahaf will need to reimburse the government for her flight, a huge financial burden for other newcomers, or the usual payments for language certification, identification documentation and eventually citizenship. At the press conference at Pearson, Freedland said We believe very strongly that womens rights are human rights. Thats something we believe in and act on here at home. Lets hold her up to this promise and support the decisions and actions of women and children like Rahaf, but also those who are already in Canada. Lets also remind ourselves that while migration is not a right, all migrants are entitled to enjoy human rights. Dr. Stephanie J. Silverman is the interim associate director of the Ethics, Society, and Law Program at Trinity College, University of Toronto and the Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS). | Rahaf Mohammed, 18, was granted asylum in Canada on Saturday. Stephanie Silverman says the positive outcome in Rahaf's case often eludes the thousands of women and children who become undocumented or non-status in Canada after fleeing domestic abuse. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2019/01/16/what-about-the-thousands-of-women-in-canada-with-stories-similar-to-rahafs.html | 0.227285 |
Is the "10 Year Challenge" on Facebook a privacy scheme disguised as a meme? | It's the simple meme that's taking over your social media feeds: the "10 Year Challenge," where users upload side-by-side photos of themselves from a decade ago and now. But it might not be so simple. Facebook on Wednesday distanced itself from the "10 Year Challenge" after an article set off speculation that the social media giant could be secretly mining data from the photos to improve its facial recognition algorithms. It's a scenario that those who have studied social media companies don't rule out, despite Facebook's denials. The photo challenge gives Facebook "a perfect storm for machine learning," said Amy Webb, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business with an upcoming book about how artificial intelligence can manipulate humans. "It presented Facebook with a terrified opportunity to learn, to train their systems to better recognize small changes" in users' appearances, she told CBS News. The "10 Year Challenge" popped up last week and across Facebook, Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) and Twitter millions of people have participated. The challenge generated 5.2 million engagements on Facebook in just three days, according to the social media monitoring tool Talkwalker. It was the latest in a constant stream of social media crazes like the "Bird Box" challenge and Top Nine photo collage that enticed users to join in with little concern for safety and privacy. There are also viral hashtags like #MyFirstConcertWas, which get users to reveal answers to popular security questions. Speculation about the meme's ulterior motive flared up after Wired writer Kate O'Neill published an op-ed suggesting it wasn't just harmless fun. O'Neill pointed out that the viral challenge has filled Facebook with labeled, side-by-side user photos taken within a fixed period of time. That's different, and easier to analyze, than the years of photos that users have already uploaded in no particular order. It's also more useful for technology that's trying to capture how people look and how they age. She warned of "fraught consequences" that could come from this data, such as insurance companies kicking up coverage costs for people who seem to be aging quickly. (There has been no evidence so far that this is happening.) Facebook issued a statement saying it had no role in starting the challenge and saw no benefit in it. "This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook," the company said. "Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time." But even if Facebook didn't initiate the challenge, it has been using facial recognition intelligence for years to recognize users and people they are pictured with. It is also rolling out new products that rely on artificial intelligence, such as Portal, a video chat screen with a camera that can follow you around a room and automatically focus on your face. The "10 Year Challenge" comes about a year after a similar effort from Google, one of Facebook's biggest competitors. Google's Arts & Culture app matches selfies with works of art that resemble the user. The app uses facial recognition algorithms to create side-by-side comparisons after users upload a photo. Whatever Facebook gets out of the "10 Year Challenge," Barr said it's significant that people questioned its motive in the first place. After an avalanche of Facebook privacy scandals and data breaches in the past two years, now even a meme seems suspect. "It's good that finally, even though it took a couple days, eventually the conversation (began) of, 'What a minute, did we just play into the hands of the tech giants again?'" Barr said. "At least that was part of the conversation." -Dan Patterson contributed to this report. | The "10 Year Challenge" is taking over your social media feeds. Users upload side-by-side photos of themselves from a decade ago and now. An article set off speculation that Facebook could be secretly mining data from the photos. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-10-year-challenge-meme-could-it-mine-your-data-facial-recognition/ | 0.116213 |
Is the "10 Year Challenge" on Facebook a privacy scheme disguised as a meme? | It's the simple meme that's taking over your social media feeds: the "10 Year Challenge," where users upload side-by-side photos of themselves from a decade ago and now. But it might not be so simple. Facebook on Wednesday distanced itself from the "10 Year Challenge" after an article set off speculation that the social media giant could be secretly mining data from the photos to improve its facial recognition algorithms. It's a scenario that those who have studied social media companies don't rule out, despite Facebook's denials. The photo challenge gives Facebook "a perfect storm for machine learning," said Amy Webb, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business with an upcoming book about how artificial intelligence can manipulate humans. "It presented Facebook with a terrified opportunity to learn, to train their systems to better recognize small changes" in users' appearances, she told CBS News. The "10 Year Challenge" popped up last week and across Facebook, Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) and Twitter millions of people have participated. The challenge generated 5.2 million engagements on Facebook in just three days, according to the social media monitoring tool Talkwalker. It was the latest in a constant stream of social media crazes like the "Bird Box" challenge and Top Nine photo collage that enticed users to join in with little concern for safety and privacy. There are also viral hashtags like #MyFirstConcertWas, which get users to reveal answers to popular security questions. Speculation about the meme's ulterior motive flared up after Wired writer Kate O'Neill published an op-ed suggesting it wasn't just harmless fun. O'Neill pointed out that the viral challenge has filled Facebook with labeled, side-by-side user photos taken within a fixed period of time. That's different, and easier to analyze, than the years of photos that users have already uploaded in no particular order. It's also more useful for technology that's trying to capture how people look and how they age. She warned of "fraught consequences" that could come from this data, such as insurance companies kicking up coverage costs for people who seem to be aging quickly. (There has been no evidence so far that this is happening.) Facebook issued a statement saying it had no role in starting the challenge and saw no benefit in it. "This is a user-generated meme that went viral on its own. Facebook did not start this trend, and the meme uses photos that already exist on Facebook," the company said. "Facebook gains nothing from this meme (besides reminding us of the questionable fashion trends of 2009). As a reminder, Facebook users can choose to turn facial recognition on or off at any time." But even if Facebook didn't initiate the challenge, it has been using facial recognition intelligence for years to recognize users and people they are pictured with. It is also rolling out new products that rely on artificial intelligence, such as Portal, a video chat screen with a camera that can follow you around a room and automatically focus on your face. The "10 Year Challenge" comes about a year after a similar effort from Google, one of Facebook's biggest competitors. Google's Arts & Culture app matches selfies with works of art that resemble the user. The app uses facial recognition algorithms to create side-by-side comparisons after users upload a photo. Whatever Facebook gets out of the "10 Year Challenge," Barr said it's significant that people questioned its motive in the first place. After an avalanche of Facebook privacy scandals and data breaches in the past two years, now even a meme seems suspect. "It's good that finally, even though it took a couple days, eventually the conversation (began) of, 'What a minute, did we just play into the hands of the tech giants again?'" Barr said. "At least that was part of the conversation." -Dan Patterson contributed to this report. | The "10 Year Challenge" is taking over your social media feeds. Users upload side-by-side photos of themselves from a decade ago and now. An article set off speculation that Facebook could be secretly mining data from the photos. Facebook issued a statement saying it had no role in starting the challenge. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-10-year-challenge-meme-could-it-mine-your-data-facial-recognition/ | 0.150306 |
Why are US troops in the Syrian city of Manbij? | The location of Wednesday's bomb blast that killed American service members -- the northern Syrian city of Manbij -- has proven vitally strategic for U.S. forces who have had a highly visible presence there for nearly two years. Add Syria as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Syria news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest The Americans have conducted patrols in the city, in vehicles, and on foot, to act as a buffer between Turkey and the U.S.-led coalition's Kurdish partners, a group that's been critical to the fight against ISIS but which Ankara classifies as terrorists. Manbij has long had a historic population mix of Arabs, Kurds, and other minority groups and was part of a swath of territory overtaken by ISIS. During the summer of 2016, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the Kurds make up a significant portion, retook the city to the dismay of Turkey, which didn't like the Kurds operating so far west into Syria and close to their border. In response, Turkey began threatening those partners in Manbij, and the U.S. had to work to prevent the Turks from carrying out any attacks. At the same time, Syrian regime forces and their Russian backers recognized the town's strategic value as well and -- not wanting Turkey to have control of the area -- Russia sent troops to begin patrolling near Manbij. Hussein Malla/AP, FILE By March 2017, the U.S. decided to send hundreds of American troops to Manbij to be a visible presence in the city, so as to prevent Turkish forces from attacking the Kurds and also keep Russian forces at bay. The troops flew the American flag on their vehicles -- a practice not common in other parts of Syria -- because, as a Pentagon spokesman said at the time, they would be "a visible sign of deterrence and reassurance." The U.S. also worked to slowly remove the Kurds from the Manbij Military Council, a group put in place by the SDF, in order to ease Turkey's concerns. Over time, the U.S. vehicle patrols have included "dismounted" patrols with American forces in the city on foot, which is what the U.S. service members who were killed on Wednesday were doing at the time of the explosion. As Turkey continued to issue threats against the Kurds, the U.S. also sought to ease tensions by carrying out joint U.S.-Turkey patrols to the north of Manbij. After months of delays, the joint patrols began last fall, but they were the closest that Turkish troops could come to the city. Since the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, Syrian and Russian forces have once again gotten closer to the city, but have not entered. Kurdish elements welcomed the Syrian advance, fearing that Turkey would invade the city once U.S. troops pulled out. Those fears may very well be founded. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the head of a Turkish-backed militia group was waiting to launch an assault on Manbij if given the go-ahead by Ankara, which is in dialogue with Washington to see how the U.S. withdrawal unfolds. ABC News' Elizabeth McLaughlin contributed to this report. | Manbij has long had a historic population mix of Arabs, Kurds, and other minority groups. The U.S. decided to send hundreds of American troops to Manbij to be a visible presence in the city. | pegasus | 1 | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-troops-syrian-city-manbij/story?id=60421763 | 0.288622 |
Why are US troops in the Syrian city of Manbij? | The location of Wednesday's bomb blast that killed American service members -- the northern Syrian city of Manbij -- has proven vitally strategic for U.S. forces who have had a highly visible presence there for nearly two years. Add Syria as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Syria news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Add Interest The Americans have conducted patrols in the city, in vehicles, and on foot, to act as a buffer between Turkey and the U.S.-led coalition's Kurdish partners, a group that's been critical to the fight against ISIS but which Ankara classifies as terrorists. Manbij has long had a historic population mix of Arabs, Kurds, and other minority groups and was part of a swath of territory overtaken by ISIS. During the summer of 2016, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which the Kurds make up a significant portion, retook the city to the dismay of Turkey, which didn't like the Kurds operating so far west into Syria and close to their border. In response, Turkey began threatening those partners in Manbij, and the U.S. had to work to prevent the Turks from carrying out any attacks. At the same time, Syrian regime forces and their Russian backers recognized the town's strategic value as well and -- not wanting Turkey to have control of the area -- Russia sent troops to begin patrolling near Manbij. Hussein Malla/AP, FILE By March 2017, the U.S. decided to send hundreds of American troops to Manbij to be a visible presence in the city, so as to prevent Turkish forces from attacking the Kurds and also keep Russian forces at bay. The troops flew the American flag on their vehicles -- a practice not common in other parts of Syria -- because, as a Pentagon spokesman said at the time, they would be "a visible sign of deterrence and reassurance." The U.S. also worked to slowly remove the Kurds from the Manbij Military Council, a group put in place by the SDF, in order to ease Turkey's concerns. Over time, the U.S. vehicle patrols have included "dismounted" patrols with American forces in the city on foot, which is what the U.S. service members who were killed on Wednesday were doing at the time of the explosion. As Turkey continued to issue threats against the Kurds, the U.S. also sought to ease tensions by carrying out joint U.S.-Turkey patrols to the north of Manbij. After months of delays, the joint patrols began last fall, but they were the closest that Turkish troops could come to the city. Since the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, Syrian and Russian forces have once again gotten closer to the city, but have not entered. Kurdish elements welcomed the Syrian advance, fearing that Turkey would invade the city once U.S. troops pulled out. Those fears may very well be founded. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the head of a Turkish-backed militia group was waiting to launch an assault on Manbij if given the go-ahead by Ankara, which is in dialogue with Washington to see how the U.S. withdrawal unfolds. ABC News' Elizabeth McLaughlin contributed to this report. | U.S. troops have had a highly visible presence in the Syrian city of Manbij for nearly two years. The Americans have conducted patrols in the city, in vehicles, and on foot, to act as a buffer between Turkey and the U.S.-led coalition's Kurdish partners. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-troops-syrian-city-manbij/story?id=60421763 | 0.424627 |
Could Dufferin County be a municipal dumping ground for provinces review of regional governments? | The fear Dufferin County could serve as a dumping ground for any municipal bits and pieces left without a home following a provincial restructuring of regional governance across Ontario is real. Among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative regime seek to review for greater efficiencies are Dufferins municipal neighbours in Peel Region and Simcoe County. Amalgamation hasnt shown any of the results that have been promised over the years, says Darren White, the Melancthon mayor who also serves as warden of Dufferin County. It does but nobody seems to know what. Everybody is very tight-lipped at the province. I dont know that us being pushed into an alliance with other bits and pieces would work very well either, said Dufferin County Warden Darren White. That is a concern, he added. Our final answer: Its complicated, but itd most certainly have to be brought down from on high by the province. And itd be far more likely if Peel were to be restructured. That possibility has been made even more real by Tuesdays announcement. Amalgamation disproportionately affects rural areas. It leads to cuts in services and therefore the disenfranchisement of rural residents, White argued. For an area like Dufferin where the largest economic sector is agriculture, that would be a tragedy. Uncertainly in Peel Region, namely due to Mississaugas wish to break away from Brampton and Caledon to become a single-tier government, is the X-factor though. If Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga cant resolve any differences, provincial officials have told Peel politicians a merger of the last two into a single city could be contemplated. Then the question is, does Caledon stay in that new city? Caledon Coun. Ian Sinclair previously asked. Or do we take everything, Mayfield, north and join with the greater Dufferin? MPP Sylvia Jones declined to be interviewed for our investigative series, but she did provide us with a brief statement answering a question we had not yet been able to ask. Im not aware of any conversations about amalgamation, it read. Following the provinces announcement on Tuesday, The Banner reached out to Jones to request another interview on the topic. We were provided with the following statement on Wednesday morning. Article Continued Below Our government is committed to improving the way regional government works and we will be looking at ways to make better use of taxpayers' dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access important municipal services, the statement read. The review will consider whether changes are needed to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively so they can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on. It was no secret that Fords PCs planned to review regional governance across Ontario. With the current model in place for 50 years, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says populations have grown, infrastructure pressures have increased and taxpayer dollars are being stretched to the limit. (We) will be seeking more municipal input to help us ensure that regional government is working harder, smarter and more efficiently, said ministry spokesperson Rachel Widakdo. Its time to consider whether governance in these communities could be improved. The cost-savings-through-amalgamation argument tends to focus on eliminating unnecessary politician and staff salaries. By creating a larger service provider, studies have shown municipalities often need to hire more expertise once theyve become larger. White figures Dufferin County left off the provinces list due to its size. For instance, he said Simcoe County has a gigantic regional government compared to Dufferin. Ours arent gigantic. We have a lot of people but it doesnt cost a lot of money. People seem to think, even locally, that local politicians are making a pile of money and we are just not, White said. It just doesnt work, he said, referring to amalgamations. If you look at other places that have amalgamated, what you will see is sure, theyve gotten rid of some politicians but theyve had to replace low paid politicians with high-paid bureaucrats. From Whites perspective, local governments can make better decisions than outsiders pushing it down their throats. Time will only tell if the province provides them with that autonomy. We can do it better here if were just left to manage our own affairs, White argued. If we are expected to create our own solutions, we can do that much better than an outside force can impose on us. Chris Halliday covers Dufferin County, school board and police. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about: | Dufferin County is among 82 municipalities and nine regional governments under review by the province. | bart | 0 | https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/01/16/could-dufferin-county-be-a-municipal-dumping-ground-for-provinces-review-of-regional-governments.html | 0.414327 |
Could Dufferin County be a municipal dumping ground for provinces review of regional governments? | The fear Dufferin County could serve as a dumping ground for any municipal bits and pieces left without a home following a provincial restructuring of regional governance across Ontario is real. Among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative regime seek to review for greater efficiencies are Dufferins municipal neighbours in Peel Region and Simcoe County. Amalgamation hasnt shown any of the results that have been promised over the years, says Darren White, the Melancthon mayor who also serves as warden of Dufferin County. It does but nobody seems to know what. Everybody is very tight-lipped at the province. I dont know that us being pushed into an alliance with other bits and pieces would work very well either, said Dufferin County Warden Darren White. That is a concern, he added. Our final answer: Its complicated, but itd most certainly have to be brought down from on high by the province. And itd be far more likely if Peel were to be restructured. That possibility has been made even more real by Tuesdays announcement. Amalgamation disproportionately affects rural areas. It leads to cuts in services and therefore the disenfranchisement of rural residents, White argued. For an area like Dufferin where the largest economic sector is agriculture, that would be a tragedy. Uncertainly in Peel Region, namely due to Mississaugas wish to break away from Brampton and Caledon to become a single-tier government, is the X-factor though. If Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga cant resolve any differences, provincial officials have told Peel politicians a merger of the last two into a single city could be contemplated. Then the question is, does Caledon stay in that new city? Caledon Coun. Ian Sinclair previously asked. Or do we take everything, Mayfield, north and join with the greater Dufferin? MPP Sylvia Jones declined to be interviewed for our investigative series, but she did provide us with a brief statement answering a question we had not yet been able to ask. Im not aware of any conversations about amalgamation, it read. Following the provinces announcement on Tuesday, The Banner reached out to Jones to request another interview on the topic. We were provided with the following statement on Wednesday morning. Article Continued Below Our government is committed to improving the way regional government works and we will be looking at ways to make better use of taxpayers' dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access important municipal services, the statement read. The review will consider whether changes are needed to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively so they can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on. It was no secret that Fords PCs planned to review regional governance across Ontario. With the current model in place for 50 years, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says populations have grown, infrastructure pressures have increased and taxpayer dollars are being stretched to the limit. (We) will be seeking more municipal input to help us ensure that regional government is working harder, smarter and more efficiently, said ministry spokesperson Rachel Widakdo. Its time to consider whether governance in these communities could be improved. The cost-savings-through-amalgamation argument tends to focus on eliminating unnecessary politician and staff salaries. By creating a larger service provider, studies have shown municipalities often need to hire more expertise once theyve become larger. White figures Dufferin County left off the provinces list due to its size. For instance, he said Simcoe County has a gigantic regional government compared to Dufferin. Ours arent gigantic. We have a lot of people but it doesnt cost a lot of money. People seem to think, even locally, that local politicians are making a pile of money and we are just not, White said. It just doesnt work, he said, referring to amalgamations. If you look at other places that have amalgamated, what you will see is sure, theyve gotten rid of some politicians but theyve had to replace low paid politicians with high-paid bureaucrats. From Whites perspective, local governments can make better decisions than outsiders pushing it down their throats. Time will only tell if the province provides them with that autonomy. We can do it better here if were just left to manage our own affairs, White argued. If we are expected to create our own solutions, we can do that much better than an outside force can impose on us. Chris Halliday covers Dufferin County, school board and police. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about: | Dufferin County is among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments under review by the province. The review is aimed at finding efficiencies and cost-savings in regional governments. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/01/16/could-dufferin-county-be-a-municipal-dumping-ground-for-provinces-review-of-regional-governments.html | 0.500442 |
Could Dufferin County be a municipal dumping ground for provinces review of regional governments? | The fear Dufferin County could serve as a dumping ground for any municipal bits and pieces left without a home following a provincial restructuring of regional governance across Ontario is real. Among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative regime seek to review for greater efficiencies are Dufferins municipal neighbours in Peel Region and Simcoe County. Amalgamation hasnt shown any of the results that have been promised over the years, says Darren White, the Melancthon mayor who also serves as warden of Dufferin County. It does but nobody seems to know what. Everybody is very tight-lipped at the province. I dont know that us being pushed into an alliance with other bits and pieces would work very well either, said Dufferin County Warden Darren White. That is a concern, he added. Our final answer: Its complicated, but itd most certainly have to be brought down from on high by the province. And itd be far more likely if Peel were to be restructured. That possibility has been made even more real by Tuesdays announcement. Amalgamation disproportionately affects rural areas. It leads to cuts in services and therefore the disenfranchisement of rural residents, White argued. For an area like Dufferin where the largest economic sector is agriculture, that would be a tragedy. Uncertainly in Peel Region, namely due to Mississaugas wish to break away from Brampton and Caledon to become a single-tier government, is the X-factor though. If Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga cant resolve any differences, provincial officials have told Peel politicians a merger of the last two into a single city could be contemplated. Then the question is, does Caledon stay in that new city? Caledon Coun. Ian Sinclair previously asked. Or do we take everything, Mayfield, north and join with the greater Dufferin? MPP Sylvia Jones declined to be interviewed for our investigative series, but she did provide us with a brief statement answering a question we had not yet been able to ask. Im not aware of any conversations about amalgamation, it read. Following the provinces announcement on Tuesday, The Banner reached out to Jones to request another interview on the topic. We were provided with the following statement on Wednesday morning. Article Continued Below Our government is committed to improving the way regional government works and we will be looking at ways to make better use of taxpayers' dollars and make it easier for residents and businesses to access important municipal services, the statement read. The review will consider whether changes are needed to ensure that regional governments are working efficiently and effectively so they can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on. It was no secret that Fords PCs planned to review regional governance across Ontario. With the current model in place for 50 years, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says populations have grown, infrastructure pressures have increased and taxpayer dollars are being stretched to the limit. (We) will be seeking more municipal input to help us ensure that regional government is working harder, smarter and more efficiently, said ministry spokesperson Rachel Widakdo. Its time to consider whether governance in these communities could be improved. The cost-savings-through-amalgamation argument tends to focus on eliminating unnecessary politician and staff salaries. By creating a larger service provider, studies have shown municipalities often need to hire more expertise once theyve become larger. White figures Dufferin County left off the provinces list due to its size. For instance, he said Simcoe County has a gigantic regional government compared to Dufferin. Ours arent gigantic. We have a lot of people but it doesnt cost a lot of money. People seem to think, even locally, that local politicians are making a pile of money and we are just not, White said. It just doesnt work, he said, referring to amalgamations. If you look at other places that have amalgamated, what you will see is sure, theyve gotten rid of some politicians but theyve had to replace low paid politicians with high-paid bureaucrats. From Whites perspective, local governments can make better decisions than outsiders pushing it down their throats. Time will only tell if the province provides them with that autonomy. We can do it better here if were just left to manage our own affairs, White argued. If we are expected to create our own solutions, we can do that much better than an outside force can impose on us. Chris Halliday covers Dufferin County, school board and police. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about: | Dufferin County is among the 82 municipalities and nine regional governments under review by Premier Doug Ford. Dufferins neighbours in Peel Region and Simcoe County are also under review. I dont know that us being pushed into an alliance with other bits and pieces would work very well either, says Warden Darren White. | bart | 2 | https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/01/16/could-dufferin-county-be-a-municipal-dumping-ground-for-provinces-review-of-regional-governments.html | 0.541527 |
Will Mayor David Briley get derailed Music City Music Council back on track? | Buy Photo Nashville Mayor David Briley has reiterated his faith in the Music City Music Council and expressed confidence the group will get back on track. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean) Ten years after the Music City Music Council was launched by former Mayor Karl Dean with tremendous fanfare, the music business advisory board has found itself stuck in neutral. Dean created the Music Council with visions of connecting Music Row to Metro and jump-starting music industry economic development initiatives. The 20-person board included leading executives from every corner of the music industry and A-list Nashville artists such as Emmylou Harris and Jack White. But in the last year the Music Council has languished. The group has met just once in the last 12 months, and after its highly regarded executive director Justine Avila departed for another job, Mayor David Brileys administration created a job description for her replacement that includes economic development projects outside the narrow focus of the music industry. Among its accomplishments over the last decade, the Music Council played a key role in creating the artist housing development Ryman Lofts, provided input for the construction of Ascend Amphitheater, helped recruit music business jobs such as the Warner Music back-office expansion and lured the annual Music Biz conference to Nashville. The Music Council also played a key role in an economic impact report that found in 2013 that the music industry has a $9.8 billion annual impact on Nashville. Through a spokesman, Briley reiterated his faith in the Music Council and expressed confidence the group would get back on track. Mayor Briley supports the Music City Music Council, Briley's spokesman Thomas Mulgrew said. His vision for the council mirrors MC2s mission statement, which is for the organization to be dedicated to developing strategies toward heightening the awareness and development of Nashvilles world-wide reputation as Music City. That optimism was echoed by Music Council co-chair Scott Clayton, a managing partner at the Nashville office of WME. I look forward to working with Mayor Briley and his administration alongside vice chair Sally Williams and all of the current council members, Clayton said. I am very proud of what the Music City Music Council has accomplished in the past, and I remain optimistic about what we will achieve together in our continued commitment to growing the music business in Nashville and promoting the citys status as the leading global music destination. The Music City Music Council met once in 2018 shortly before former Mayor Megan Barry resigned from her job. Metro was in a state of flux after Barrys departure, with Briley, who had been vice mayor, taking over and then winning election. Avila left as executive director of the Music Council. In November, Brileys administration forwarded the Music Council a job description for Avilas replacement. The job focus includes music industry initiatives but also added other economic development areas, including special projects. Thanks to the leadership of MC2 and other key stakeholders, Nashvilles music and entertainment industry is stronger than ever, Mulgrew said. Since 2009, MC2s role as an organization focused on promoting and growing these sectors of our economy has played a central part in a number of major developments, notably the expansions of Sony/ATV and Eventbrite and the creation of the Ryman Lofts, among others. Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau. Be in the know: Learn about the latest business news and developments. Sign up for our free newsletter. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | Music City Music Council has met just once in the last 12 months. Mayor David Briley has expressed confidence the group will get back on track. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | 0.429913 |
Will Mayor David Briley get derailed Music City Music Council back on track? | Buy Photo Nashville Mayor David Briley has reiterated his faith in the Music City Music Council and expressed confidence the group will get back on track. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean) Ten years after the Music City Music Council was launched by former Mayor Karl Dean with tremendous fanfare, the music business advisory board has found itself stuck in neutral. Dean created the Music Council with visions of connecting Music Row to Metro and jump-starting music industry economic development initiatives. The 20-person board included leading executives from every corner of the music industry and A-list Nashville artists such as Emmylou Harris and Jack White. But in the last year the Music Council has languished. The group has met just once in the last 12 months, and after its highly regarded executive director Justine Avila departed for another job, Mayor David Brileys administration created a job description for her replacement that includes economic development projects outside the narrow focus of the music industry. Among its accomplishments over the last decade, the Music Council played a key role in creating the artist housing development Ryman Lofts, provided input for the construction of Ascend Amphitheater, helped recruit music business jobs such as the Warner Music back-office expansion and lured the annual Music Biz conference to Nashville. The Music Council also played a key role in an economic impact report that found in 2013 that the music industry has a $9.8 billion annual impact on Nashville. Through a spokesman, Briley reiterated his faith in the Music Council and expressed confidence the group would get back on track. Mayor Briley supports the Music City Music Council, Briley's spokesman Thomas Mulgrew said. His vision for the council mirrors MC2s mission statement, which is for the organization to be dedicated to developing strategies toward heightening the awareness and development of Nashvilles world-wide reputation as Music City. That optimism was echoed by Music Council co-chair Scott Clayton, a managing partner at the Nashville office of WME. I look forward to working with Mayor Briley and his administration alongside vice chair Sally Williams and all of the current council members, Clayton said. I am very proud of what the Music City Music Council has accomplished in the past, and I remain optimistic about what we will achieve together in our continued commitment to growing the music business in Nashville and promoting the citys status as the leading global music destination. The Music City Music Council met once in 2018 shortly before former Mayor Megan Barry resigned from her job. Metro was in a state of flux after Barrys departure, with Briley, who had been vice mayor, taking over and then winning election. Avila left as executive director of the Music Council. In November, Brileys administration forwarded the Music Council a job description for Avilas replacement. The job focus includes music industry initiatives but also added other economic development areas, including special projects. Thanks to the leadership of MC2 and other key stakeholders, Nashvilles music and entertainment industry is stronger than ever, Mulgrew said. Since 2009, MC2s role as an organization focused on promoting and growing these sectors of our economy has played a central part in a number of major developments, notably the expansions of Sony/ATV and Eventbrite and the creation of the Ryman Lofts, among others. Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau. Be in the know: Learn about the latest business news and developments. Sign up for our free newsletter. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | Music City Music Council has met just once in the last 12 months. Mayor David Briley has reiterated his faith in the Music Council and expressed confidence the group will get back on track. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | 0.47787 |
Will Mayor David Briley get derailed Music City Music Council back on track? | Buy Photo Nashville Mayor David Briley has reiterated his faith in the Music City Music Council and expressed confidence the group will get back on track. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean) Ten years after the Music City Music Council was launched by former Mayor Karl Dean with tremendous fanfare, the music business advisory board has found itself stuck in neutral. Dean created the Music Council with visions of connecting Music Row to Metro and jump-starting music industry economic development initiatives. The 20-person board included leading executives from every corner of the music industry and A-list Nashville artists such as Emmylou Harris and Jack White. But in the last year the Music Council has languished. The group has met just once in the last 12 months, and after its highly regarded executive director Justine Avila departed for another job, Mayor David Brileys administration created a job description for her replacement that includes economic development projects outside the narrow focus of the music industry. Among its accomplishments over the last decade, the Music Council played a key role in creating the artist housing development Ryman Lofts, provided input for the construction of Ascend Amphitheater, helped recruit music business jobs such as the Warner Music back-office expansion and lured the annual Music Biz conference to Nashville. The Music Council also played a key role in an economic impact report that found in 2013 that the music industry has a $9.8 billion annual impact on Nashville. Through a spokesman, Briley reiterated his faith in the Music Council and expressed confidence the group would get back on track. Mayor Briley supports the Music City Music Council, Briley's spokesman Thomas Mulgrew said. His vision for the council mirrors MC2s mission statement, which is for the organization to be dedicated to developing strategies toward heightening the awareness and development of Nashvilles world-wide reputation as Music City. That optimism was echoed by Music Council co-chair Scott Clayton, a managing partner at the Nashville office of WME. I look forward to working with Mayor Briley and his administration alongside vice chair Sally Williams and all of the current council members, Clayton said. I am very proud of what the Music City Music Council has accomplished in the past, and I remain optimistic about what we will achieve together in our continued commitment to growing the music business in Nashville and promoting the citys status as the leading global music destination. The Music City Music Council met once in 2018 shortly before former Mayor Megan Barry resigned from her job. Metro was in a state of flux after Barrys departure, with Briley, who had been vice mayor, taking over and then winning election. Avila left as executive director of the Music Council. In November, Brileys administration forwarded the Music Council a job description for Avilas replacement. The job focus includes music industry initiatives but also added other economic development areas, including special projects. Thanks to the leadership of MC2 and other key stakeholders, Nashvilles music and entertainment industry is stronger than ever, Mulgrew said. Since 2009, MC2s role as an organization focused on promoting and growing these sectors of our economy has played a central part in a number of major developments, notably the expansions of Sony/ATV and Eventbrite and the creation of the Ryman Lofts, among others. Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau. Be in the know: Learn about the latest business news and developments. Sign up for our free newsletter. Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | Music City Music Council has met just once in the last 12 months. Mayor David Briley has reiterated his faith in the Music Council and expressed confidence the group will get back on track. The Music Council played a key role in creating the artist housing development Ryman Lofts. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/01/16/music-city-music-council-nashville-david-briley/2592253002/ | 0.569504 |
How Does the Government Shutdown Affect Medicare? | [Answer]No. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been funded through September 30, 2019, and its programs (Medicare and Medicaid) haven't been affected by the partial government shutdown. Claims continue to be processed as usual. SEE ALSO: 10 Things You Need to Know About Medicare Medicare enrollment, which is processed through the Social Security Administration, hasn't been affected, either. The SSA has also been funded through fiscal year 2019 (which ends on September 30, 2019), and branch offices continue to be open on their regular schedule. If you're turning 65 and signing up for Medicare, however, the most efficient way to enroll is online at www.ssa.gov/medicare, even if you aren't signing up for Social Security benefits yet. (If you delayed signing up for Medicare past the age of 65 because you were working and had employer coverage, you'll need to fill out some extra forms and either mail them to the SSA or visit a Social Security office rather than signing up online.) These procedures haven't changed because of the shutdown. See Signing Up for Medicare When You're Still Covered by an Employer's Health Plan for more information. You can continue to contact Medicare's toll-free 800-Medicare number (800-633-4227) with any questions on the program, although the phone lines tend to be busy early in the year; some other resources might be easier to reach, regardless of the shutdown. You can get help from your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselors, who can answer questions about Medicare enrollment, rules and appeals. You can find contact information for your local SHIP at www.shiptacenter.org. Another good resource is the Medicare Rights Center, which runs a national helpline and includes answers to many questions at Medicare Interactive. And you can find out about Part D and Medicare Advantage plans in your area through the Medicare Plan Finder. See Switching to a New Medicare Advantage Plan Gets Easier for more about when you can switch plans after open enrollment. Medicare.gov also has a lot of great resources to help answer your questions about Medicare coverage and rules. The Shutdown's Impact on Health Coverage for Veterans, Government Employees The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been funded through fiscal year 2019 and is not affected by the shutdown. The Department of Health and Human Services, which also has been funded for fiscal year 2019, runs the ACA marketplaces, and subsidy payments will not be disrupted. If you move or leave your job and qualify for a special enrollment period to buy individual health insurance on the exchanges outside of open enrollment, you can still go to Healthcare.gov to purchase a policy or find links to your state exchange. Federal employees continue to be covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits program during the shutdown, even if they have been furloughed. However, any changes to their coverage (say, for a life event, such as moving, changing jobs or having a baby) may be delayed while they are furloughed. EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors | No. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been funded through September 30, 2019. Medicare enrollment, which is processed through the Social Security Administration, hasn't been affected. Federal employees continue to be covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits program during the shutdown, even if they are furloughed. | bart | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/does-government-shutdown-affect-medicare-212721127.html | 0.184976 |
Should the Mavericks Trade Dennis Smith Jr.? | The NBA rumor mill is starting to heat up as the trade deadline draws near. The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick has struggled in his first two seasons in the NBA and with the emergence of Luka Doncic as a playmaker, it might be time to explore options. On the latest episode of the Open Floor podcast, Andrew Sharp and The Washington Posts Ben Golliver examine trade ideas for Smith Jr. and his lack of success in Dallas. (Listen to the latest Open Floor podcast here. The following transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.) Laughs. Sharp: Oh man! This is a really tough situation for me because you know I am not a Rick Carlisle guy, never haven been and I really would love to crush them for not giving Dennis Smith Jr. enough time and for basically wasting a top 10 pick. I think some of that is probably fair because Carlisle just can't make it work with guys. Its not just Smith Jr., it goes back to Rondo and Nerlens Noel. Its really hard to completely crush them for this. I think people have been criticizing this and saying the Mavs are going to get screwed in this trade and its just a bad look for the organization. I am just not a big fan of Smith Jr. and where he is going. Golliver: Last time I talked about Dennis Smith Jr. it got transcribed and it went viral because I was so mean, so I am not going to try to repeat that. I am just going to say in Dallas defense, if you look at that class behind him, its not like he is the only mistake. But Malik Monk and Luke Kennard Sharp: We dont talk enough about Stan Van Gundy taking Luke Kennard 12th. That was a really deep draft and Van Gundy made that pick and everyone was like What the hell is he doing? The only reason why that pick didnt get much heat is because no one really cares about the Pistons. On the night of the draft, this is not hindsight, but Donovan Mitchell would have made 10x more sense for the Detroit Pistons than Kennard did. Golliver: There were guys that was behind Smith Jr. You got Mitchell, Bam, John Collins in Atlanta who has had a really nice season, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. It wasnt just Dallas saying like, Oh Dennis Smith Jr. we are randomly just high on him. Sharp: Yeah, he was top five to top 10. People really liked him and I think what Dallas was doing, which actually made sense at the time, was saying like We dont know if we are going to continue to be in the top 10 and while we are here, we rather take a big swing on a guy that could be a legit superstar. For about one week at NBA Summer League during his rookie year, Dennis Smith was like the talk of summer league. People were convincing themselves that he was a future All-Star and everything was great. Everyone kind of sobered up midway through last year. This guy is not very efficient; hes too small to ever be good on defense and kind of looks disinterested in playing defense whatsoever. Golliver: The comparison I made for him last time was to Emmanuel Mudiay and the advantage Dallas has if they think about trading him now, that means they gave up quicker than Denver did on Mudiay, so you should get a bit more on the return package. I just think the book is out on him. Hes a very inefficient shooter, poor decision maker and its not a Carlisle thing, he just makes bad decisions. Its possible. Sharp: Its possible. Golliver: I dont see it. He is just somebody elses problem to me. If I am Orlando or if I am Phoenix and I got nothing going on at the point guard position, I would be like okay lets roll the dice. If I am a team with a capable point guard, I would pass. | The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for Dennis Smith Jr. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.si.com/nba/2019/01/16/dennis-smith-jr-dallas-mavericks-trade-rumors-open-floor | 0.137897 |
Should the Mavericks Trade Dennis Smith Jr.? | The NBA rumor mill is starting to heat up as the trade deadline draws near. The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick has struggled in his first two seasons in the NBA and with the emergence of Luka Doncic as a playmaker, it might be time to explore options. On the latest episode of the Open Floor podcast, Andrew Sharp and The Washington Posts Ben Golliver examine trade ideas for Smith Jr. and his lack of success in Dallas. (Listen to the latest Open Floor podcast here. The following transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.) Laughs. Sharp: Oh man! This is a really tough situation for me because you know I am not a Rick Carlisle guy, never haven been and I really would love to crush them for not giving Dennis Smith Jr. enough time and for basically wasting a top 10 pick. I think some of that is probably fair because Carlisle just can't make it work with guys. Its not just Smith Jr., it goes back to Rondo and Nerlens Noel. Its really hard to completely crush them for this. I think people have been criticizing this and saying the Mavs are going to get screwed in this trade and its just a bad look for the organization. I am just not a big fan of Smith Jr. and where he is going. Golliver: Last time I talked about Dennis Smith Jr. it got transcribed and it went viral because I was so mean, so I am not going to try to repeat that. I am just going to say in Dallas defense, if you look at that class behind him, its not like he is the only mistake. But Malik Monk and Luke Kennard Sharp: We dont talk enough about Stan Van Gundy taking Luke Kennard 12th. That was a really deep draft and Van Gundy made that pick and everyone was like What the hell is he doing? The only reason why that pick didnt get much heat is because no one really cares about the Pistons. On the night of the draft, this is not hindsight, but Donovan Mitchell would have made 10x more sense for the Detroit Pistons than Kennard did. Golliver: There were guys that was behind Smith Jr. You got Mitchell, Bam, John Collins in Atlanta who has had a really nice season, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. It wasnt just Dallas saying like, Oh Dennis Smith Jr. we are randomly just high on him. Sharp: Yeah, he was top five to top 10. People really liked him and I think what Dallas was doing, which actually made sense at the time, was saying like We dont know if we are going to continue to be in the top 10 and while we are here, we rather take a big swing on a guy that could be a legit superstar. For about one week at NBA Summer League during his rookie year, Dennis Smith was like the talk of summer league. People were convincing themselves that he was a future All-Star and everything was great. Everyone kind of sobered up midway through last year. This guy is not very efficient; hes too small to ever be good on defense and kind of looks disinterested in playing defense whatsoever. Golliver: The comparison I made for him last time was to Emmanuel Mudiay and the advantage Dallas has if they think about trading him now, that means they gave up quicker than Denver did on Mudiay, so you should get a bit more on the return package. I just think the book is out on him. Hes a very inefficient shooter, poor decision maker and its not a Carlisle thing, he just makes bad decisions. Its possible. Sharp: Its possible. Golliver: I dont see it. He is just somebody elses problem to me. If I am Orlando or if I am Phoenix and I got nothing going on at the point guard position, I would be like okay lets roll the dice. If I am a team with a capable point guard, I would pass. | The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick has struggled in his first two seasons in the NBA and with the emergence of Luka Doncic, it might be time to explore options. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/nba/2019/01/16/dennis-smith-jr-dallas-mavericks-trade-rumors-open-floor | 0.156892 |
Should the Mavericks Trade Dennis Smith Jr.? | The NBA rumor mill is starting to heat up as the trade deadline draws near. The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick has struggled in his first two seasons in the NBA and with the emergence of Luka Doncic as a playmaker, it might be time to explore options. On the latest episode of the Open Floor podcast, Andrew Sharp and The Washington Posts Ben Golliver examine trade ideas for Smith Jr. and his lack of success in Dallas. (Listen to the latest Open Floor podcast here. The following transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.) Laughs. Sharp: Oh man! This is a really tough situation for me because you know I am not a Rick Carlisle guy, never haven been and I really would love to crush them for not giving Dennis Smith Jr. enough time and for basically wasting a top 10 pick. I think some of that is probably fair because Carlisle just can't make it work with guys. Its not just Smith Jr., it goes back to Rondo and Nerlens Noel. Its really hard to completely crush them for this. I think people have been criticizing this and saying the Mavs are going to get screwed in this trade and its just a bad look for the organization. I am just not a big fan of Smith Jr. and where he is going. Golliver: Last time I talked about Dennis Smith Jr. it got transcribed and it went viral because I was so mean, so I am not going to try to repeat that. I am just going to say in Dallas defense, if you look at that class behind him, its not like he is the only mistake. But Malik Monk and Luke Kennard Sharp: We dont talk enough about Stan Van Gundy taking Luke Kennard 12th. That was a really deep draft and Van Gundy made that pick and everyone was like What the hell is he doing? The only reason why that pick didnt get much heat is because no one really cares about the Pistons. On the night of the draft, this is not hindsight, but Donovan Mitchell would have made 10x more sense for the Detroit Pistons than Kennard did. Golliver: There were guys that was behind Smith Jr. You got Mitchell, Bam, John Collins in Atlanta who has had a really nice season, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. It wasnt just Dallas saying like, Oh Dennis Smith Jr. we are randomly just high on him. Sharp: Yeah, he was top five to top 10. People really liked him and I think what Dallas was doing, which actually made sense at the time, was saying like We dont know if we are going to continue to be in the top 10 and while we are here, we rather take a big swing on a guy that could be a legit superstar. For about one week at NBA Summer League during his rookie year, Dennis Smith was like the talk of summer league. People were convincing themselves that he was a future All-Star and everything was great. Everyone kind of sobered up midway through last year. This guy is not very efficient; hes too small to ever be good on defense and kind of looks disinterested in playing defense whatsoever. Golliver: The comparison I made for him last time was to Emmanuel Mudiay and the advantage Dallas has if they think about trading him now, that means they gave up quicker than Denver did on Mudiay, so you should get a bit more on the return package. I just think the book is out on him. Hes a very inefficient shooter, poor decision maker and its not a Carlisle thing, he just makes bad decisions. Its possible. Sharp: Its possible. Golliver: I dont see it. He is just somebody elses problem to me. If I am Orlando or if I am Phoenix and I got nothing going on at the point guard position, I would be like okay lets roll the dice. If I am a team with a capable point guard, I would pass. | The Mavericks have reportedly engaged in discussions on finding a trade partner for Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick has struggled in his first two seasons in the NBA and with the emergence of Luka Doncic as a playmaker, it might be time to explore options. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.si.com/nba/2019/01/16/dennis-smith-jr-dallas-mavericks-trade-rumors-open-floor | 0.158064 |
What Happens to U.K. Companies if There's a No Deal Brexit? | The very possible scenario that the U.K. leaves the European Union without a negotiated exit deal would be a shock to everyones system. With no trade deals in place, tariffs would jolt into effect, causing shortages on shelves and blockages in ports. Many financial services firms are moving assets out of the U.K. and into the EU. As the consultancy giant EY reported, 20 companies have already publicly announced such shifts. EY put a conservative estimate of 800 billion pounds ($1.02 trillion) on the total. Barclays has shifted ownership of its French, German, and Spanish operations from its British base to its Irish subsidiary. More than a third of big U.K. financial services firms are moving staff abroad. Many industries are stockpiling. Though the British government has announced that medicine imports will get priority at the ports in the event of no deal, pharma giants such as AstraZeneca and Merck are caching meds, just to make sure. (AstraZeneca has also begun parallel testing at a Swedish site, owing to likely sudden changes in regulation.) And in the auto industry, Aston Martin and Volkswagen-owned Bentley are not only stockpiling components in order to avoid manufacturing disruptions, theyre also arranging to use ports other than Dover, the U.K.s main ferry link with the European mainland, which is likely to become heavily congested. We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Reuters. This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of Fortune. | Many companies are moving assets out of the U.K. and into the EU. Many industries are stockpiling medicine in the event of a no-deal exit deal. | ctrlsum | 1 | http://fortune.com/2019/01/16/no-deal-brexit-emergency-plans/ | 0.117841 |
What Happens to U.K. Companies if There's a No Deal Brexit? | The very possible scenario that the U.K. leaves the European Union without a negotiated exit deal would be a shock to everyones system. With no trade deals in place, tariffs would jolt into effect, causing shortages on shelves and blockages in ports. Many financial services firms are moving assets out of the U.K. and into the EU. As the consultancy giant EY reported, 20 companies have already publicly announced such shifts. EY put a conservative estimate of 800 billion pounds ($1.02 trillion) on the total. Barclays has shifted ownership of its French, German, and Spanish operations from its British base to its Irish subsidiary. More than a third of big U.K. financial services firms are moving staff abroad. Many industries are stockpiling. Though the British government has announced that medicine imports will get priority at the ports in the event of no deal, pharma giants such as AstraZeneca and Merck are caching meds, just to make sure. (AstraZeneca has also begun parallel testing at a Swedish site, owing to likely sudden changes in regulation.) And in the auto industry, Aston Martin and Volkswagen-owned Bentley are not only stockpiling components in order to avoid manufacturing disruptions, theyre also arranging to use ports other than Dover, the U.K.s main ferry link with the European mainland, which is likely to become heavily congested. We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer told Reuters. This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of Fortune. | The U.K. leaves the European Union without a negotiated exit deal. With no trade deals in place, tariffs would jolt into effect, causing shortages on shelves and blockages in ports. Many financial services firms are moving assets out of the U.S. and into the EU. | bart | 2 | http://fortune.com/2019/01/16/no-deal-brexit-emergency-plans/ | 0.223706 |
What Does Socialism Have to Do With Sex? | One of the most popular tourist attractions in Berlin is the D.D.R. Museum, which opened in 2006 and aims to show visitors what life was like for ordinary people in the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The museum uses interactive installations and cleverly designed displays of documents, photographs, and household goods to summon the recent past. Schoolchildren line up for the opportunity to sit in the drivers seat of a Trabant simulator, to perch on a couch in a reconstructed East German apartment, or to see examples of the games played and the foods eaten by Germans who lived behind the Iron Curtain. The exhibits are generally fascinating, although embarrassed middle schoolers may scoot quickly by the extensively illustrated display dedicated to the East German enthusiasm for nudism. The less savory aspects of the East German regime are chillingly represented: theres a mock interrogation room of the sort that would have been used by the Stasi, and a prison cell with a grim, narrow bed, underlining the brutality of the regime for anyone who crossed the secret police. The descriptive panels accompanying the displays, which are in German and English, often have an oddly pejorative, snarky tone, even in exhibits on the more benign aspects of everyday East German life. In a re-created kindergarten classroom with books, wooden cars, a shoe rack, and a linoleum floor, the wall text notes that attending kindergarten was an exercise in conformity rather than an opportunity to develop individual skillspresenting the fact that children were all required to nap at the same time as damning evidence of a repressive state, as opposed to an eminently sensible practice observed by caregivers of small children in societies even as capitalistic as the United States. The tone of superiorityas if the decades of socialism in East Germany were nothing but a misguided aberrationis hardly limited to the curators of the D.D.R. Museum. It is, in fact, a pervasive attitude found in contemporary liberal democracies toward the leftist political alternatives that existed in many parts of the world during much of the twentieth century. In Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence, Kristen R. Ghodsee, who teaches Russian and East European studies at the University of Pennsylvania, seeks to counter this narrative, arguing that for all the crushing repression under a political system like that of the former East Germany, women in those countries enjoyed certain freedoms, both material and existential, that were and remain largely unavailable, or even unimaginable, to women in liberal democracies. Ghodsees title is a memorable one, with its suggestion that under socialism women might all be having as much fun as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pirouetting on a Boston rooftop. As in the Times Op-Ed from which the book originated, the title refers to the results of studies conducted in Germany from the mid-nineteen-eighties onward, which reported, among other intriguing findings, that eighty per cent of East German women always experienced orgasm during sex, compared to sixty-three per cent of women in West Germany. Ghodsee cites the work of a number of scholars of sexuality, who have addressed these topics in greater depth. But her own point is a larger one. Unregulated capitalism is bad for women, she writes. If we adopt some ideas from socialism, women will have better lives. The two Germanys, whose populations were ethnically and culturally identical before the political division, offered researchers an irresistible natural experiment through which to explore womens rights and experiences. Ghodsee discusses several fascinating studies that suggested East German women reported higher levels of satisfaction, even the non-orgasmic kind, than their West German sisters. The division of domestic labor in the East was more equitable, in part because of a system of state-funded creches that allowed East German women to remain a part of the workforce. Because men in the East could not depend upon wealth or economic success to win over a mate, they had to rely upon other attributes, including, Ghodsee argues, a greater sensitivity to the needs of women. Divorce was easier in the East, so women could liberate themselves from unhappy relationships with less difficulty. And, as Ghodsee suggests, the very aspects of East German life that struck the West as the most repugnantthe totalitarian foreclosure of the public spheremeant that the domestic and private spheres became, perforce, more important and more worthy of care and personal investment. Elsewhere in the state-socialist East of the twentieth century, womens rights and freedoms were extendednot with the intention of cultivating womens self-actualization, as Western mainstream feminism sought to do, but for more basic economic reasons. Women made up half of the potential workforceand more than half in countries where the male population had been ravaged by war. In 1950, fifty-two per cent of Soviet workers were female, compared with twenty-eight per cent of North American workers. While American women were being encouraged to find fulfillment as wives and mothers, Soviet women were being sent to universities to become scientists or trained to become cosmonauts. Women in the Eastern Bloc were, like their Western counterparts, encouraged to have children. But they were entitled to state-funded maternity leave, a provision that, outrageously, still eludes American women. Nearly thirty years after the end of the Cold War, the United States remains one of only a handful of countries that lacks legislation guaranteeing any kind of paid maternity leave. (The others include Suriname and Papua New Guinea.) Ghodsee acknowledges that women who lived under the various iterations of state socialism in Eastern Europe were often worse off in many specifically feminine ways than their Western sistersfrom shortages of sanitary towels in Bulgaria to the tragic natalist policies practiced in Ceausescus Romania, where women were forced to bear children they couldnt afford to raise, then obliged to give them up to orphanages. Yet, stressing that she is by no means advocating a return to the repressive practices of the Communist Bloc, Ghodsee points out that some aspects of socialism, such as the provision of state-funded parental leave and free higher education, have been successfully implemented in Scandinavian social democracies without being accompanied by shortages or enforced childbearing, let alone the cruelties carried out by the Stasi. She seeks to remind her readers that, as difficult as it may be to imagine an alternative political structure from within an existing one, even countries committed to neoliberal capitalism are capable of having different priorities; she cites the example of Finland, which has had legislation providing maternal job protection in place for a hundred years. The virtue of Ghodsees smart, accessible book is that it illustrates how it might be possible for a womanor, for that matter, a manto have an entirely different structural relationship to something as fundamental as sex, or health. The United Kingdom, for example, has hardly shied away from capitalist enterprise, but thanks to the National Health Service, or N.H.S., Brits reflexively assume that the government will provide free health carean unimaginable expectation among Americans. (Two of the most cherished institutions in the U.K. are the N.H.S. and the monarchy, proving that it is possible for a populace to see simultaneously the appeal of socialism and feudalism.) Ghodsee approvingly notes the growing appeal of socialist ideas among young people in the United States and Western Europe, and her book is a useful reminder that the spread of these ideas would not just advantage the Bernie bros but might also better womens lives in significant ways. More orgasms alone might be a fine thing. But a change in the structural conditions under which more orgasms might be possible is another level of turn-on entirely. | The D.D.R. Museum is a popular tourist attraction in Berlin. The museum uses interactive installations and cleverly designed displays of documents, photographs, and household goods to summon the recent past. In a new book, Kristen R. Ghodsee argues that under socialism women have better sex. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/what-does-socialism-have-to-do-with-sex | 0.122792 |
Should the State of the Union be postponed until the government shutdown ends? | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has taken the unprecedented step of un-inviting the president from delivering the State of the Union to Congress. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Pelosi said the ongoing shutdown had left many government security officials furloughed and unable to adequately prepare security measures for the event. Not allowing the president to speak directly to the American people for an hour would also be politically advantageous for the Democrats. PERSPECTIVES The Washington Post reports in her letter to the White House, Pelosi urged the president to pick a different date to deliver the State of the Union. "Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th," Pelosi wrote in the letter. The Speaker of the House typically invites the president to deliver the State of the Union to a joint session of Congress. However, that has not always been the case. For 112 years, between the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson, the president submitted the State of the Union in writing. Wilson restarted the tradition of delivering the address to Congress. When asked whether she had un-invited the president as punishment for his intransigence during the shutdown, Pelosi maintained the decision was based only on security concerns, saying the decision was a "housekeeping matter... honor the responsibility of the invitation we extended to the president. He can make it from the Oval Office if he wants." Politico reports Pelosi's decision had support from fellow Democrats. "This shutdown is ridiculous and the people tasked with protecting him and protecting us are not getting a paycheck," said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass. ), the House Rules Committee chair. "So it's inappropriate to carry on with business as usual." While the Speaker said her decision was based only on logistics, there are clear political benefits to postponing the event until the end of the shutdown. Per The New York Times: With Democrats and Mr. Trump at an impasse over his demands for funding for a wall along the southern border, the speech would give Mr. Trump a nationally televised bully pulpit to hammer away at Ms. Pelosi and her party. Politico reports some Democrats have been concerned about the unfettered access the State of the Union would provide the president. But privately, Democrats also don't want to give Trump a major platform to blame them for the shutdown when Trump's demand for billions in wall funding has been the main driver, according to a Democratic lawmaker close to leadership. Trump has tried to pin the blame on the shutdown on Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, but public polls shows the public largely blames the president. Some may wonder whether these political concerns justify delaying or canceling one of the most important political events of the year. 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. | Nancy Pelosi un-invited the president from delivering the State of the Union to Congress. Pelosi said the decision was based only on security concerns, but there are clear political benefits to postponing the event until the end of the shutdown. The Speaker of the House said the president can make it from the Oval Office if he wants. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.nola.com/interact/2019/01/should_the_state_of_the_union.html | 0.123137 |
Are Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth expecting a baby? | Newly-married Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are reportedly expecting their first child. A source told the magazine OK! Australia that couple, who wed on December 23, that they are thrilled by the baby news. "Miley's over the moon because she's carrying Liam's baby... It's a girl, which is what [they] hoped for," claimed the unnamed source. "He called his brothers and parents. [Miley] got him to Skype call her family, too. Her mum was crying." Advertisement The singer reportedly wants to raise her first child in Hemsworth's home in Australia, specifically the coastal town of Byron Bay - where the couple regularly visit Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. "Byron Bay feels like a second home to her... Miley wants to buy a house next to Chris and Elsa's, so they can all spend more time together and the cousins can grow up together," the insider said. Cyrus has previously vowed to be married with children by 2019, in a previous interview with Glamour magazine. In 2009, when asked where she sees herself in decade she said: "Hopefully I'll be settled: making movies, living in a house, maybe even married. "I think my mom [Tish Cyrus] did everything pretty close to perfect, and I want to be the cool mum that the kids run home to." The Hollywood couple's fairytale romance began in 2009, when they met on the set of coming of age drama The Last Song. The couple got engaged in 2012 but but broke up the following year. However, they rekindled their relations in 2016 and Cyrus was pictured wearing her ring again. Last year on December 23 , they got married in Tennessee, surrounded by family and friends. | Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are expecting their first child. | bart | 0 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12191857 | 0.229665 |
Are Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth expecting a baby? | Newly-married Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are reportedly expecting their first child. A source told the magazine OK! Australia that couple, who wed on December 23, that they are thrilled by the baby news. "Miley's over the moon because she's carrying Liam's baby... It's a girl, which is what [they] hoped for," claimed the unnamed source. "He called his brothers and parents. [Miley] got him to Skype call her family, too. Her mum was crying." Advertisement The singer reportedly wants to raise her first child in Hemsworth's home in Australia, specifically the coastal town of Byron Bay - where the couple regularly visit Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. "Byron Bay feels like a second home to her... Miley wants to buy a house next to Chris and Elsa's, so they can all spend more time together and the cousins can grow up together," the insider said. Cyrus has previously vowed to be married with children by 2019, in a previous interview with Glamour magazine. In 2009, when asked where she sees herself in decade she said: "Hopefully I'll be settled: making movies, living in a house, maybe even married. "I think my mom [Tish Cyrus] did everything pretty close to perfect, and I want to be the cool mum that the kids run home to." The Hollywood couple's fairytale romance began in 2009, when they met on the set of coming of age drama The Last Song. The couple got engaged in 2012 but but broke up the following year. However, they rekindled their relations in 2016 and Cyrus was pictured wearing her ring again. Last year on December 23 , they got married in Tennessee, surrounded by family and friends. | Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are expecting their first child. The couple wed on December 23. The baby is expected to be a girl, a source told OK! Australia. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12191857 | 0.323055 |
Are Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth expecting a baby? | Newly-married Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are reportedly expecting their first child. A source told the magazine OK! Australia that couple, who wed on December 23, that they are thrilled by the baby news. "Miley's over the moon because she's carrying Liam's baby... It's a girl, which is what [they] hoped for," claimed the unnamed source. "He called his brothers and parents. [Miley] got him to Skype call her family, too. Her mum was crying." Advertisement The singer reportedly wants to raise her first child in Hemsworth's home in Australia, specifically the coastal town of Byron Bay - where the couple regularly visit Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky. "Byron Bay feels like a second home to her... Miley wants to buy a house next to Chris and Elsa's, so they can all spend more time together and the cousins can grow up together," the insider said. Cyrus has previously vowed to be married with children by 2019, in a previous interview with Glamour magazine. In 2009, when asked where she sees herself in decade she said: "Hopefully I'll be settled: making movies, living in a house, maybe even married. "I think my mom [Tish Cyrus] did everything pretty close to perfect, and I want to be the cool mum that the kids run home to." The Hollywood couple's fairytale romance began in 2009, when they met on the set of coming of age drama The Last Song. The couple got engaged in 2012 but but broke up the following year. However, they rekindled their relations in 2016 and Cyrus was pictured wearing her ring again. Last year on December 23 , they got married in Tennessee, surrounded by family and friends. | Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are expecting their first child. The couple wed on December 23. The baby is expected to be a girl, a source told OK! Australia. The singer reportedly wants to raise her first child in Hemsworth's home in Byron Bay. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12191857 | 0.362432 |
Can the Patriots limit Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce? | FOXBORO Minutes after an exhilarating win against the Chiefs in October, Patriots veteran Duron Harmon summed up his night against Tyreek Hill in a dozen words. He is, Harmon said, by far the fastest person Ive ever come in contact with. Hes a matchup nightmare, but then again so is his entire team. Facing the Chiefs is a game of whack-a-mole for any defensive coordinator. Prioritize Hill, and Sammy Watkins pops up. He was on pace for 1,000 yards before a foot injury wiped out of the second half of his season. Double-team Travis Kelce with a safety, and youre taking chances one-on-one elsewhere. You cant stop it all. I think you have to put your chips on something, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. If it is, nobodys figured out the formula. The Chargers shut down Kelce to the tune of one catch for 6 yards in the season opener. Hill went nuts for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers held Hill to two receptions in Week 3 but allowed Kelce to catch eight passes for 114 yards. The Raiders almost blanked Hill in Week 13, limiting him to one catch for 13 yards. Kelce destroyed them for 12 receptions, 168 yards and two touchdowns. Only one team held both Kelce and Hill under 70 yards: The Chargers in a 29-28 victory in Week 15. When the Patriots beat the Chiefs in Week 6, they allocated extra resources to both All-Pro pass-catchers. The goal was to disrupt Kelces release wherever he went. If Kelce was aligned from a traditional tight end position, that meant the defensive end (in many cases Trey Flowers) would bump him as he started his route. If Kelce was detached from the formation, a linebacker followed him and did the same. The strategy was mostly effective, even though it meant subtracting a potential pass-rusher from the equation (sometimes Donta Hightower would jam Kelce and then rush a second or two late). The Pats didnt allow much to Hill when they were in man coverage with a safety shading toward his side. But attempts to jam him were basically a waste. On a third-and-17, Kyle Van Noy stood over Hill in the slot. Hightower followed Kelce outside the numbers. Hightower got a decent jam on Kelce. Van Noy didnt get a hand on Hill. Because both linebackers were occupied, the Patriots could only muster a three-man rush. This enabled Patrick Mahomes to drift to his left, extend the play and find Hill 27 yards downfield against zone coverage. Hills 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter also was against zone coverage and a three-man rush. Zone coverage with two deep safeties. Also a three-man rush. The Pats wont enter Sundays AFC Championship with an identical gameplan. Their personnel has changed, as undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson has emerged as a strong No. 2 cornerback. They might trust Jackson to man up with Watkins, a high-end No. 2 receiver, and let Gilmore chase Hill. They know what worked and what bombed the first time around. There will be tweaks from the Patriots side. Theyre surely anticipating adjustments from Kansas City, too. When youre dealing with Andy Reid, a great offensive mastermind, hes going to make it hard on the defense, Harmon said. Its going to be like a chess match, something that were excited and ready for. Thats what these types of games are. Championship games are (won) not just lining up and playing, but being able to adjust, being able to play fast. BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is bundled up against the cold during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Julian Edelman (11) of the New England Patriots warm ups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Albert McClellan (59) of the New England Patriots runs through warmups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: J.C. Jackson (27) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: James White (28), Sony Michel (26) and Rex Burkhead (34) of the New England Patriots on the field for warm ups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Stephon Gilmore (24) of the New England Patriots stretches during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Stephon Gilmore (24) of the New England Patriots stretches during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: David Andrews (60) of the New England Patriots takes questions during player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Devin McCourty (32) of the New England Patriots leaves the podium after player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots answers questions during player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) In the Week 6 matchup, the Patriots thrived when linebackers and defensive backs hovered over the ball before the snap, making it difficult for the offensive line to identify which players were rushing and which were dropping. That trend has continued late in the season. As Reid said, Theyre bringing everybody. Youve got to come up with a plan to try to put body-on-body, the coach added. Theyre moving people around and they mess with you that way. On a third-and-4 at the Pats 24-yard line, the Pats showed seven potential rushers at the snap. Hightower and Van Noy retreated to the shallow middle at the snap. Devin McCourty and Harmon rushed with three defensive linemen, and the Kansas City offensive line didnt make the read quickly enough. Harmon got a free run at Mahomes, forcing him to unload early. He missed Kelce on a corner route and the Chiefs settled for a field goal. Theres danger in sending extra rushers at Mahomes; if he side-steps the tackler and flees the pocket, hell spot Hill inevitably running away from the one defensive back covering him. As the Patriots learned in Week 6, theres equal danger in rushing three and letting Mahomes calmly scan the field. Theres risk in pretty much everything against the Chiefs offense. Andy does a great job of putting the defense in compromising positions where you have to make choices, Belichick said. There are no perfect answers. The Patriots can simply hope the lane they choose ends up working just well enough. | The New England Patriots face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship. The Patriots have struggled to stop the Chiefs' top two pass-catchers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/01/16/can-the-patriots-limit-tyreek-hill-and-travis-kelce/ | 0.33606 |
Can the Patriots limit Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce? | FOXBORO Minutes after an exhilarating win against the Chiefs in October, Patriots veteran Duron Harmon summed up his night against Tyreek Hill in a dozen words. He is, Harmon said, by far the fastest person Ive ever come in contact with. Hes a matchup nightmare, but then again so is his entire team. Facing the Chiefs is a game of whack-a-mole for any defensive coordinator. Prioritize Hill, and Sammy Watkins pops up. He was on pace for 1,000 yards before a foot injury wiped out of the second half of his season. Double-team Travis Kelce with a safety, and youre taking chances one-on-one elsewhere. You cant stop it all. I think you have to put your chips on something, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. If it is, nobodys figured out the formula. The Chargers shut down Kelce to the tune of one catch for 6 yards in the season opener. Hill went nuts for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers held Hill to two receptions in Week 3 but allowed Kelce to catch eight passes for 114 yards. The Raiders almost blanked Hill in Week 13, limiting him to one catch for 13 yards. Kelce destroyed them for 12 receptions, 168 yards and two touchdowns. Only one team held both Kelce and Hill under 70 yards: The Chargers in a 29-28 victory in Week 15. When the Patriots beat the Chiefs in Week 6, they allocated extra resources to both All-Pro pass-catchers. The goal was to disrupt Kelces release wherever he went. If Kelce was aligned from a traditional tight end position, that meant the defensive end (in many cases Trey Flowers) would bump him as he started his route. If Kelce was detached from the formation, a linebacker followed him and did the same. The strategy was mostly effective, even though it meant subtracting a potential pass-rusher from the equation (sometimes Donta Hightower would jam Kelce and then rush a second or two late). The Pats didnt allow much to Hill when they were in man coverage with a safety shading toward his side. But attempts to jam him were basically a waste. On a third-and-17, Kyle Van Noy stood over Hill in the slot. Hightower followed Kelce outside the numbers. Hightower got a decent jam on Kelce. Van Noy didnt get a hand on Hill. Because both linebackers were occupied, the Patriots could only muster a three-man rush. This enabled Patrick Mahomes to drift to his left, extend the play and find Hill 27 yards downfield against zone coverage. Hills 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter also was against zone coverage and a three-man rush. Zone coverage with two deep safeties. Also a three-man rush. The Pats wont enter Sundays AFC Championship with an identical gameplan. Their personnel has changed, as undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson has emerged as a strong No. 2 cornerback. They might trust Jackson to man up with Watkins, a high-end No. 2 receiver, and let Gilmore chase Hill. They know what worked and what bombed the first time around. There will be tweaks from the Patriots side. Theyre surely anticipating adjustments from Kansas City, too. When youre dealing with Andy Reid, a great offensive mastermind, hes going to make it hard on the defense, Harmon said. Its going to be like a chess match, something that were excited and ready for. Thats what these types of games are. Championship games are (won) not just lining up and playing, but being able to adjust, being able to play fast. BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is bundled up against the cold during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Julian Edelman (11) of the New England Patriots warm ups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Albert McClellan (59) of the New England Patriots runs through warmups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: J.C. Jackson (27) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: James White (28), Sony Michel (26) and Rex Burkhead (34) of the New England Patriots on the field for warm ups during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots warms up during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Stephon Gilmore (24) of the New England Patriots stretches during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Stephon Gilmore (24) of the New England Patriots stretches during practice at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: David Andrews (60) of the New England Patriots takes questions during player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Devin McCourty (32) of the New England Patriots leaves the podium after player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) BOSTON MA. - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady (12) of the New England Patriots answers questions during player availability at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) In the Week 6 matchup, the Patriots thrived when linebackers and defensive backs hovered over the ball before the snap, making it difficult for the offensive line to identify which players were rushing and which were dropping. That trend has continued late in the season. As Reid said, Theyre bringing everybody. Youve got to come up with a plan to try to put body-on-body, the coach added. Theyre moving people around and they mess with you that way. On a third-and-4 at the Pats 24-yard line, the Pats showed seven potential rushers at the snap. Hightower and Van Noy retreated to the shallow middle at the snap. Devin McCourty and Harmon rushed with three defensive linemen, and the Kansas City offensive line didnt make the read quickly enough. Harmon got a free run at Mahomes, forcing him to unload early. He missed Kelce on a corner route and the Chiefs settled for a field goal. Theres danger in sending extra rushers at Mahomes; if he side-steps the tackler and flees the pocket, hell spot Hill inevitably running away from the one defensive back covering him. As the Patriots learned in Week 6, theres equal danger in rushing three and letting Mahomes calmly scan the field. Theres risk in pretty much everything against the Chiefs offense. Andy does a great job of putting the defense in compromising positions where you have to make choices, Belichick said. There are no perfect answers. The Patriots can simply hope the lane they choose ends up working just well enough. | The New England Patriots face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship. The Patriots have struggled to stop the Chiefs' top two pass-catchers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, in the past. Belichick says there's no formula for stopping the pair. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/01/16/can-the-patriots-limit-tyreek-hill-and-travis-kelce/ | 0.387605 |
How did a photo of Justin Trudeau and his family in a canoe wind up on a billboard in Kentucky? | OTTAWA You might think the last thing youd stumble onto on a rural road in central Kentucky is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Chances are many of the people who pass by the intersection where Mammoth Cave Road meets Old Mammoth Cave Road dont even notice that they did. But there, on the right side of the road, about two hours south of Louisville at the edge of a national park, is a giant billboard advertising the Mammoth Cave Canoe and Kayak operation, one mile ahead on the left. And the photo on the billboard, of a smiling family of four in a canoe, is clearly the Canadian prime minister, his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and their two oldest children, Xavier and Ella-Grace. They are in a red canoe, all clad in life jackets, and Sophie and Ella-Grace are waving. A call to Mammoth Cave Canoe and Kayak went unreturned Wednesday, but a man who owns a cabin rental operation across the street from the billboard confirmed its existence. He said he hadnt looked at it that closely before and was surprised to learn it featured Trudeau. The billboard photo wasnt there in June 2015, when Google captured an image of the spot for its Google Street View page. But it has been there since at least 2016, when an observant Facebook user spotted the sign and posted about it in French. Another person mentioned the billboard on Twitter last June. But the story seemed to take on more legs Wednesday after a Reddit user posted a photo of the billboard captioned, Did you ever hear about our Trudeau billboard down here in Kentucky. We havent quite learned not to steal pictures from the Internet yet. It prompted Trudeau to tweet a response. For the record: This was taken in Yukon in 2013. A spectacular part of this country to explore. For the record: This was taken in Yukon in 2013. A spectacular part of this country to explore. #ExploreYukon cc: @TravelYukon https://t.co/nMVQCA50AV Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 16, 2019 Trudeau originally tweeted the photo himself in August 2013 when he announced he and his wife were expecting their third child. Thrilled to let you know were going to need another seat in our canoe: Sophie is pregnant! #threeisthenewtwo, he posted, more than two years before he would become prime minister. When it comes to advertisers nabbing internet photos of unwitting politicians, Trudeau was portrayed in a somewhat more flattering light than Conservative MP Michael Chong. In 2017, a Canadian woman noticed a photo of Chong was being used in a poster campaign in Guatemala advertising sanitary bathrooms. | A billboard in central Kentucky features a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The photo is of a smiling family of four in a canoe. The billboard has been there since at least 2016, when an observant Facebook user spotted it. Trudeau originally tweeted the photo himself in August 2013 when he announced he was expecting. | bart | 2 | https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/kentucky-canoe-outfit-borrows-photo-of-trudeau-family-to-market-business | 0.135946 |
How did we get to a place where the FBI wondered if an American president was a Russian asset? | Federal counterintelligence agents believed there was credible enough information to open a formal investigation into whether the president of the United States was or is a Russian asset. This is our national reality, not the stuff of an airport spy novel. The story in The New York Times, published Jan. 11, details that in the days after Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey: Counterintelligence investigators had to consider whether the president's own actions constituted a possible threat to national security. Agents also sought to determine whether Mr. Trump was knowingly working for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscows influence. Such an inquiry is unprecedented in American history. But given the set of facts and circumstances surrounding the president and Russia, it is and we are astounded to find ourselves in a place in history saying this unsurprising. The presidents refusal to acknowledge Russias plain interference in the 2016 presidential election. His suggestion that the U.S. should withdraw from NATO. His decision to throw U.S. intelligence officers under the bus in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin at Helsinki. His decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria. A day after The Times reported that Trump was put under investigation as a possible Russian asset, The Washington Post added more grist: President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials. This is not how presidents have historically behaved when dealing with the leader of the nation most hostile to our national interests and to the interest of democracy globally. Putin is an enemy of freedom, an enemy of the alliances that have supported freedom and a man bent on diminishing the forces of freedom across the globe. America is the beacon of that freedom, its historical defender and the force most responsible for its expansion around the world. We must have clarity on who our president is, what side he is on, why has he done the things he has done. We have to accept, based on the facts in front of us, that we just dont know. And nothing, right now, could be more important. Our worry is that our country is so divided in this time that we cannot stop and ask ourselves hard questions about the fearful possibility this news should raise. | Federal counterintelligence agents believed there was credible enough information to open a formal investigation into whether the president of the United States was or is a Russian asset. This is our national reality, not the stuff of an airport spy novel. We have to accept, based on the facts in front of us, that we just dont know. | bart | 2 | https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/01/16/get-place-fbi-wondered-american-president-russian-asset | 0.120457 |
What's wrong with Vanderbilt basketball in first 0-4 SEC start in program history? | CLOSE Vanderbilt lost 74-71 to South Carolina, falling to 0-4 in SEC play for the first time in program history. Adam Sparks, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee Vanderbilt basketballs five-star freshman Simi Shittu said he had never lost four games in a row in his life until the Commodores current skid. Then again, Vanderbilt had never gone 0-4 to start SEC play in program history until suffering a 74-71 loss to South Carolina Wednesday night. A few players lay on the Memorial Gym court in disbelief after squandering a 12-point lead in the second half to the Gamecocks. Coach Bryce Drew said some players cried in the locker room after the game, and he admitted being baffled about the outcome. How in the world did we lose that game? Drew said. It was somewhat a rhetorical question. Drew already knew why Vanderbilt lost the game, or at least some of the factors. But there are others, as well. Missed free throws coming at worst times Vanderbilts cumulative free-throw shooting isnt as bad as it seems. The Commodores have made 70.3 percent of their foul shots. In the previous 20 seasons, they shot worse than that eight times. But the misses are magnified in key situations and SEC games. Vanderbilt has made only 63.1 percent (82 of 130) in four SEC games, averaging 12 missed free throws per league loss. Drew said this team has shot more free throws in practice than any hes coached in his career. There is no clear-cut leader, and players know it Freshman point guard Darius Garland was viewed as the team leader before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. But that was two months ago, and the Commodores are still searching for his replacement in that role. Thats not our decision, Shittu said. Thats coachs decision, so youll have to ask him. Added freshman Aaron Nesmith: I wouldnt say that we have a vocal leader right now, so weve got to figure that out. That hurts us. Top scorers arent shooters Vanderbilt would be in a worse place if not for Shittu and sophomore guard Saben Lee, who lead the team in scoring at 14.1 points and 12.3 points per game, respectively. But neither is an accurate jump-shooter, foul shooter or 3-point shooter, which limits their options as go-to-scorers in tight games. Both can go strong to the rim, but drawing fouls in the paint actually lessens their effectiveness. Shittu (66.3 percent) and Lee (70.4) are two of the teams worst foul shooters, and they have attempted 207 of Vanderbilts 421 free throws this season. Revamped roster has been counter-productive after Garland injury Five of the nine players in Vanderbilts rotation are newcomers this season, and that lack of cohesion is showing against elite SEC competition. With Garland, the Commodores looked like a team loaded with talent and destined to mesh. Without him, the newness has turned to inconsistency. There were always going to be growing pains, but the team has struggled to adapt after his loss. Players simply have no past experience together to define their roles. Team tightens in final minutes of close games Vanderbilt forward Matt Ryan (32) leaves the court as South Carolina players celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. South Carolina won 74-71. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Photo: The Associated Press) A combination of these other factors has led to Vanderbilt faltering in crunch time of games, a slide that usually starts with about eight minutes remaining. Against Ole Miss, the Commodores were tied at the eight-minute mark, but they lost by 10. Against Georgia, they were down 7 at that point and lost by 19. Against Kentucky, they trailed by only 3 at the eight-minute mark but lost by 9. And against South Carolina, they were up 3 and then lost by 3. A strong SEC field makes Vanderbilt look worse Despite the historic 0-4 SEC start, this is not an all-time bad Vanderbilt team. It beat Liberty for a top-50 win, defeated then-No. 19 Arizona State a month ago and put up a good fight in losses to No. 14 Kentucky and No. 20 Ole Miss. But those tough opponents are taking a toll on the Commodores, whose confidence is waning. This is the best conference in the country, by far, I feel, Shittu said. Just the pace and the toughness of players. Weve just got to get tougher from (players) one to nine and play for the whole 40 minutes. It will only get harder. Vanderbilts next four games are against Top 25 teams, including No. 23 Mississippi State on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 23 (6 p.m., ESPN2), at No. 19 Oklahoma on Jan. 26 (3 p.m., ESPN2) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and No. 14 Kentucky on Jan. 29 (8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2). "It's not the start we wanted," Drew said. "The reality is we aren't the team that we planned to be. But we're going to be a much better team than we are now come February." Reach Adam Sparks at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamSparks. | Vanderbilt lost 74-71 to South Carolina, falling to 0-4 in SEC play for the first time in program history. Coach Bryce Drew said some players cried in the locker room after the game. | bart | 1 | https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2019/01/17/vanderbilt-basketball-bryce-drew-simi-shittu-saben-lee/2566699002/ | 0.14223 |
What's wrong with Vanderbilt basketball in first 0-4 SEC start in program history? | CLOSE Vanderbilt lost 74-71 to South Carolina, falling to 0-4 in SEC play for the first time in program history. Adam Sparks, USA TODAY NETWORK Tennessee Vanderbilt basketballs five-star freshman Simi Shittu said he had never lost four games in a row in his life until the Commodores current skid. Then again, Vanderbilt had never gone 0-4 to start SEC play in program history until suffering a 74-71 loss to South Carolina Wednesday night. A few players lay on the Memorial Gym court in disbelief after squandering a 12-point lead in the second half to the Gamecocks. Coach Bryce Drew said some players cried in the locker room after the game, and he admitted being baffled about the outcome. How in the world did we lose that game? Drew said. It was somewhat a rhetorical question. Drew already knew why Vanderbilt lost the game, or at least some of the factors. But there are others, as well. Missed free throws coming at worst times Vanderbilts cumulative free-throw shooting isnt as bad as it seems. The Commodores have made 70.3 percent of their foul shots. In the previous 20 seasons, they shot worse than that eight times. But the misses are magnified in key situations and SEC games. Vanderbilt has made only 63.1 percent (82 of 130) in four SEC games, averaging 12 missed free throws per league loss. Drew said this team has shot more free throws in practice than any hes coached in his career. There is no clear-cut leader, and players know it Freshman point guard Darius Garland was viewed as the team leader before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. But that was two months ago, and the Commodores are still searching for his replacement in that role. Thats not our decision, Shittu said. Thats coachs decision, so youll have to ask him. Added freshman Aaron Nesmith: I wouldnt say that we have a vocal leader right now, so weve got to figure that out. That hurts us. Top scorers arent shooters Vanderbilt would be in a worse place if not for Shittu and sophomore guard Saben Lee, who lead the team in scoring at 14.1 points and 12.3 points per game, respectively. But neither is an accurate jump-shooter, foul shooter or 3-point shooter, which limits their options as go-to-scorers in tight games. Both can go strong to the rim, but drawing fouls in the paint actually lessens their effectiveness. Shittu (66.3 percent) and Lee (70.4) are two of the teams worst foul shooters, and they have attempted 207 of Vanderbilts 421 free throws this season. Revamped roster has been counter-productive after Garland injury Five of the nine players in Vanderbilts rotation are newcomers this season, and that lack of cohesion is showing against elite SEC competition. With Garland, the Commodores looked like a team loaded with talent and destined to mesh. Without him, the newness has turned to inconsistency. There were always going to be growing pains, but the team has struggled to adapt after his loss. Players simply have no past experience together to define their roles. Team tightens in final minutes of close games Vanderbilt forward Matt Ryan (32) leaves the court as South Carolina players celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. South Carolina won 74-71. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) (Photo: The Associated Press) A combination of these other factors has led to Vanderbilt faltering in crunch time of games, a slide that usually starts with about eight minutes remaining. Against Ole Miss, the Commodores were tied at the eight-minute mark, but they lost by 10. Against Georgia, they were down 7 at that point and lost by 19. Against Kentucky, they trailed by only 3 at the eight-minute mark but lost by 9. And against South Carolina, they were up 3 and then lost by 3. A strong SEC field makes Vanderbilt look worse Despite the historic 0-4 SEC start, this is not an all-time bad Vanderbilt team. It beat Liberty for a top-50 win, defeated then-No. 19 Arizona State a month ago and put up a good fight in losses to No. 14 Kentucky and No. 20 Ole Miss. But those tough opponents are taking a toll on the Commodores, whose confidence is waning. This is the best conference in the country, by far, I feel, Shittu said. Just the pace and the toughness of players. Weve just got to get tougher from (players) one to nine and play for the whole 40 minutes. It will only get harder. Vanderbilts next four games are against Top 25 teams, including No. 23 Mississippi State on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 23 (6 p.m., ESPN2), at No. 19 Oklahoma on Jan. 26 (3 p.m., ESPN2) in the Big 12/SEC Challenge and No. 14 Kentucky on Jan. 29 (8 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2). "It's not the start we wanted," Drew said. "The reality is we aren't the team that we planned to be. But we're going to be a much better team than we are now come February." Reach Adam Sparks at [email protected] and on Twitter @AdamSparks. | Vanderbilt lost 74-71 to South Carolina, falling to 0-4 in SEC play for the first time in program history. The Commodores squandered a 12-point lead in the second half to the Gamecocks. Coach Bryce Drew said some players cried in the locker room after the game. | bart | 2 | https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2019/01/17/vanderbilt-basketball-bryce-drew-simi-shittu-saben-lee/2566699002/ | 0.392185 |
Which is the world's most vegan city? | Since Greggs announced a new vegan alternative to its meaty sausage roll at the start of the year, the Quorn pastries have flown off the shelves, the bakery chain says, selling hundreds of thousands in the first week alone. Its success is a testament to both a remarkable PR stunt and the seemingly unstoppable rise of veganism, which, according to a new study, has been led by Bristol. If you have a vegan friend you will know it Chef's Pencil The online food blog Chefs Pencil used Google Trends data to look at the most popular cities for vegan-related searches, which were at record levels last year, rising 11% from 2017 and 35% from 2016. According to Google Trends, the interest level around the world for all things vegan restaurants, recipes, dog food was highest in Bristol, followed by Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. Facebook Twitter Pinterest People in a park in Clifton, Bristol, no doubt thinking about veganism. Photograph: Alamy Google searches wont give you an accurate idea of how many people commit to vegan diets or buy vegan products, but Chefs Pencil says the analysis does tell you there is an intent in taking action about your diet in these cities. In Bristol there is a vibrant local community, says a spokesperson from Chefs Pencil, and having a core community of vegans plays a huge role because theyre so active and loud. If you have a vegan friend you will know it. Bristol has long been seen as place for all things green and liberal. Its home to the Viva! animal rights campaigning group. Three out of four Bristol MPs say they are vegan or veggie. And the online community Vegan Bristol has a long, thorough list of places that are meat-free. Read more Portlands vegan voice is equally loud. Paul McCartney and the animal rights campaign group Peta named it the most vegan-friendly city in 2016, even handing the mayor a bouquet of vegetables. Portland has a vegan summer camp, a venue for punk music that also promotes veganism, a vegan shopping mall and even a vegan strip club. The rise of veganism has undoubtedly been led by city dwellers. A 2016 UK survey by the Vegan Society found veganism was significantly more popular in urban areas rather than rural places. Two-thirds of those surveyed who said they didnt eat meat and avoided dairy products lived in urban and suburban Britain. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Impossible Burger 2.0, a new version of Impossible Foods plant-based vegan burger, is introduced at a press event in Nevada in January 2019. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images This is partly due to a greater ease of access to vegan options, according to Sam Calvert from the Vegan Society. A vegan for 24 years, she remembers a lot of friends in previous years saying it would be too hard to eat out and find suitable alternatives. With more choices available now, people are more likely to make that leap. The typical vegan would be young and female, and youre more likely to find young people in cities, she says. As with all communities its easier to find more people of the same in cities. There are lots of vegan meet-up groups, which tend to be in cities. Other cities have seen the veggie lifestyle promoted from a political level, mainly for environmental reasons and as a push towards sustainability. In 2016 Barcelona declared itself vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, encouraging residents to embrace a meat-free diet by promoting meat-free Mondays and creating a vegetarian guide to the city. That same year Turins new mayor declared the Italian city to be the worlds first vegan city. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Heather Mills tells meat-eating chef Antony Worrall Thompson on ITVs This Morning that becoming vegan helped her to get over the loss of a limb. Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock The promotion of vegan and vegetarian diets is a fundamental act in safeguarding our environment, the health of our citizens and the welfare of our animals, the city said in a statement. It was intended as programme to raise awareness of sustainability and alternatives to meat, but was unsurprisingly divisive. If being a true vegan city involved banning the sale of meat or dairy products, then the Gujarat town of Palitana would be on the list. A hunger strike by Jain monks in 2014 led to the local government declaring the city and its holy sites to be meat-free zones. Interestingly, while India is viewed by the rest of the world as a predominantly vegetarian country, research last year from the US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natrajan and the India-based economist Suraj Jacob suggested only about 20% of Indias population are vegetarian lower than official statistics suggest. The Indian cities with the highest proportion of people with vegetarian diets are Indore with 49%, Meerut with 36% and Delhi with 30%. Most lists of vegetarian- or vegan-friendly cities are based on the number of veggie restaurants or cafes in a place rather than the amount of people interested in practising veganism. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wool, Dorset. Not the worlds capital of veganism. Photograph: UrbanLandscapes/Alamy Stock Photo According to Happy Cow, a crowdsourced list of veggie and vegan restaurants, London is the most vegan-friendly city in the world. It was the first on the site to surpass 100 completely vegan restaurants, in 2017, and currently has 110 vegan eateries in a five-mile radius within the city. It is closely followed by Berlin, with 65 vegan restaurants within a five-mile radius. The unstoppable rise of veganism: how a fringe movement went mainstream Read more But perhaps it is all in a name. Last year animal rights activists tried to change the name of the West Country village of Wool to Vegan Wool. If the proposal had been accepted by the parish council (it wasnt), then this unassuming place in Dorset would have surely taken the title of the worlds vegan capital by default. Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here | Bristol, Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle are most popular vegan cities. | bart | 0 | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jan/17/which-is-the-worlds-most-vegan-city | 0.479629 |
Which is the world's most vegan city? | Since Greggs announced a new vegan alternative to its meaty sausage roll at the start of the year, the Quorn pastries have flown off the shelves, the bakery chain says, selling hundreds of thousands in the first week alone. Its success is a testament to both a remarkable PR stunt and the seemingly unstoppable rise of veganism, which, according to a new study, has been led by Bristol. If you have a vegan friend you will know it Chef's Pencil The online food blog Chefs Pencil used Google Trends data to look at the most popular cities for vegan-related searches, which were at record levels last year, rising 11% from 2017 and 35% from 2016. According to Google Trends, the interest level around the world for all things vegan restaurants, recipes, dog food was highest in Bristol, followed by Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. Facebook Twitter Pinterest People in a park in Clifton, Bristol, no doubt thinking about veganism. Photograph: Alamy Google searches wont give you an accurate idea of how many people commit to vegan diets or buy vegan products, but Chefs Pencil says the analysis does tell you there is an intent in taking action about your diet in these cities. In Bristol there is a vibrant local community, says a spokesperson from Chefs Pencil, and having a core community of vegans plays a huge role because theyre so active and loud. If you have a vegan friend you will know it. Bristol has long been seen as place for all things green and liberal. Its home to the Viva! animal rights campaigning group. Three out of four Bristol MPs say they are vegan or veggie. And the online community Vegan Bristol has a long, thorough list of places that are meat-free. Read more Portlands vegan voice is equally loud. Paul McCartney and the animal rights campaign group Peta named it the most vegan-friendly city in 2016, even handing the mayor a bouquet of vegetables. Portland has a vegan summer camp, a venue for punk music that also promotes veganism, a vegan shopping mall and even a vegan strip club. The rise of veganism has undoubtedly been led by city dwellers. A 2016 UK survey by the Vegan Society found veganism was significantly more popular in urban areas rather than rural places. Two-thirds of those surveyed who said they didnt eat meat and avoided dairy products lived in urban and suburban Britain. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Impossible Burger 2.0, a new version of Impossible Foods plant-based vegan burger, is introduced at a press event in Nevada in January 2019. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images This is partly due to a greater ease of access to vegan options, according to Sam Calvert from the Vegan Society. A vegan for 24 years, she remembers a lot of friends in previous years saying it would be too hard to eat out and find suitable alternatives. With more choices available now, people are more likely to make that leap. The typical vegan would be young and female, and youre more likely to find young people in cities, she says. As with all communities its easier to find more people of the same in cities. There are lots of vegan meet-up groups, which tend to be in cities. Other cities have seen the veggie lifestyle promoted from a political level, mainly for environmental reasons and as a push towards sustainability. In 2016 Barcelona declared itself vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, encouraging residents to embrace a meat-free diet by promoting meat-free Mondays and creating a vegetarian guide to the city. That same year Turins new mayor declared the Italian city to be the worlds first vegan city. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Heather Mills tells meat-eating chef Antony Worrall Thompson on ITVs This Morning that becoming vegan helped her to get over the loss of a limb. Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock The promotion of vegan and vegetarian diets is a fundamental act in safeguarding our environment, the health of our citizens and the welfare of our animals, the city said in a statement. It was intended as programme to raise awareness of sustainability and alternatives to meat, but was unsurprisingly divisive. If being a true vegan city involved banning the sale of meat or dairy products, then the Gujarat town of Palitana would be on the list. A hunger strike by Jain monks in 2014 led to the local government declaring the city and its holy sites to be meat-free zones. Interestingly, while India is viewed by the rest of the world as a predominantly vegetarian country, research last year from the US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natrajan and the India-based economist Suraj Jacob suggested only about 20% of Indias population are vegetarian lower than official statistics suggest. The Indian cities with the highest proportion of people with vegetarian diets are Indore with 49%, Meerut with 36% and Delhi with 30%. Most lists of vegetarian- or vegan-friendly cities are based on the number of veggie restaurants or cafes in a place rather than the amount of people interested in practising veganism. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wool, Dorset. Not the worlds capital of veganism. Photograph: UrbanLandscapes/Alamy Stock Photo According to Happy Cow, a crowdsourced list of veggie and vegan restaurants, London is the most vegan-friendly city in the world. It was the first on the site to surpass 100 completely vegan restaurants, in 2017, and currently has 110 vegan eateries in a five-mile radius within the city. It is closely followed by Berlin, with 65 vegan restaurants within a five-mile radius. The unstoppable rise of veganism: how a fringe movement went mainstream Read more But perhaps it is all in a name. Last year animal rights activists tried to change the name of the West Country village of Wool to Vegan Wool. If the proposal had been accepted by the parish council (it wasnt), then this unassuming place in Dorset would have surely taken the title of the worlds vegan capital by default. Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here | Bristol, Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle are most popular vegan cities. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. | bart | 1 | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jan/17/which-is-the-worlds-most-vegan-city | 0.462685 |
Which is the world's most vegan city? | Since Greggs announced a new vegan alternative to its meaty sausage roll at the start of the year, the Quorn pastries have flown off the shelves, the bakery chain says, selling hundreds of thousands in the first week alone. Its success is a testament to both a remarkable PR stunt and the seemingly unstoppable rise of veganism, which, according to a new study, has been led by Bristol. If you have a vegan friend you will know it Chef's Pencil The online food blog Chefs Pencil used Google Trends data to look at the most popular cities for vegan-related searches, which were at record levels last year, rising 11% from 2017 and 35% from 2016. According to Google Trends, the interest level around the world for all things vegan restaurants, recipes, dog food was highest in Bristol, followed by Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. Facebook Twitter Pinterest People in a park in Clifton, Bristol, no doubt thinking about veganism. Photograph: Alamy Google searches wont give you an accurate idea of how many people commit to vegan diets or buy vegan products, but Chefs Pencil says the analysis does tell you there is an intent in taking action about your diet in these cities. In Bristol there is a vibrant local community, says a spokesperson from Chefs Pencil, and having a core community of vegans plays a huge role because theyre so active and loud. If you have a vegan friend you will know it. Bristol has long been seen as place for all things green and liberal. Its home to the Viva! animal rights campaigning group. Three out of four Bristol MPs say they are vegan or veggie. And the online community Vegan Bristol has a long, thorough list of places that are meat-free. Read more Portlands vegan voice is equally loud. Paul McCartney and the animal rights campaign group Peta named it the most vegan-friendly city in 2016, even handing the mayor a bouquet of vegetables. Portland has a vegan summer camp, a venue for punk music that also promotes veganism, a vegan shopping mall and even a vegan strip club. The rise of veganism has undoubtedly been led by city dwellers. A 2016 UK survey by the Vegan Society found veganism was significantly more popular in urban areas rather than rural places. Two-thirds of those surveyed who said they didnt eat meat and avoided dairy products lived in urban and suburban Britain. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Impossible Burger 2.0, a new version of Impossible Foods plant-based vegan burger, is introduced at a press event in Nevada in January 2019. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images This is partly due to a greater ease of access to vegan options, according to Sam Calvert from the Vegan Society. A vegan for 24 years, she remembers a lot of friends in previous years saying it would be too hard to eat out and find suitable alternatives. With more choices available now, people are more likely to make that leap. The typical vegan would be young and female, and youre more likely to find young people in cities, she says. As with all communities its easier to find more people of the same in cities. There are lots of vegan meet-up groups, which tend to be in cities. Other cities have seen the veggie lifestyle promoted from a political level, mainly for environmental reasons and as a push towards sustainability. In 2016 Barcelona declared itself vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, encouraging residents to embrace a meat-free diet by promoting meat-free Mondays and creating a vegetarian guide to the city. That same year Turins new mayor declared the Italian city to be the worlds first vegan city. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Heather Mills tells meat-eating chef Antony Worrall Thompson on ITVs This Morning that becoming vegan helped her to get over the loss of a limb. Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock The promotion of vegan and vegetarian diets is a fundamental act in safeguarding our environment, the health of our citizens and the welfare of our animals, the city said in a statement. It was intended as programme to raise awareness of sustainability and alternatives to meat, but was unsurprisingly divisive. If being a true vegan city involved banning the sale of meat or dairy products, then the Gujarat town of Palitana would be on the list. A hunger strike by Jain monks in 2014 led to the local government declaring the city and its holy sites to be meat-free zones. Interestingly, while India is viewed by the rest of the world as a predominantly vegetarian country, research last year from the US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natrajan and the India-based economist Suraj Jacob suggested only about 20% of Indias population are vegetarian lower than official statistics suggest. The Indian cities with the highest proportion of people with vegetarian diets are Indore with 49%, Meerut with 36% and Delhi with 30%. Most lists of vegetarian- or vegan-friendly cities are based on the number of veggie restaurants or cafes in a place rather than the amount of people interested in practising veganism. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wool, Dorset. Not the worlds capital of veganism. Photograph: UrbanLandscapes/Alamy Stock Photo According to Happy Cow, a crowdsourced list of veggie and vegan restaurants, London is the most vegan-friendly city in the world. It was the first on the site to surpass 100 completely vegan restaurants, in 2017, and currently has 110 vegan eateries in a five-mile radius within the city. It is closely followed by Berlin, with 65 vegan restaurants within a five-mile radius. The unstoppable rise of veganism: how a fringe movement went mainstream Read more But perhaps it is all in a name. Last year animal rights activists tried to change the name of the West Country village of Wool to Vegan Wool. If the proposal had been accepted by the parish council (it wasnt), then this unassuming place in Dorset would have surely taken the title of the worlds vegan capital by default. Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to join the discussion, and explore our archive here | Bristol, Portland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and Seattle are most popular vegan cities. Six of the top 20 cities were in the US, with European and Australian cities also showing a strong interest in going meat-free. A 2016 UK survey by the Vegan Society found veganism was significantly more popular in urban areas rather than rural places. | bart | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jan/17/which-is-the-worlds-most-vegan-city | 0.530046 |
Is Universal Financial Inclusion For The Third World's Poor Achievable? | Financial Inclusion is the current term for the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services such as savings, loans and money transfers. The terminology reflects the latest expansion of what began as the microcredit movement in the late 1970s when it was widely believed that access to credit would lift people out of poverty. Today about 70% of adults worldwide are "banked," in contrast to 40% in the third world. The World Bank's goal is Universal Financial access by 2020. There is some progress towards this. Just in the last three years the number of unbanked people worldwide has gone from 2.6 billion to 1.7 billion. And unlike in the developed world where the number of bank branches per 100,000 adults is going down (an extreme example is Finland which went from 13.17 branches per 100,000 in 2004 to 1.43 branches in 2017) in much of the developing world the number of bank branches is going up (e.g., Kenya 2.74 to 5.27). Still, overall progress towards universal financial access is likely to stall the closer we get to the bottom of the unbanked pyramid. My experience researching the views and behavior of many poor "unbanked" people in developing countries since the 1980s suggests that financial inclusion is not as important to a great many of them as it is to the international development establishment that promotes it. To begin with the movement rests on a zero-sum premise: that inclusion implies prior exclusion. The view expressed in a Wall Street Journal blog is typical: "There is a strong link between poverty and lack of access to basic financial services such as savings accounts and loans. When poor people are shut out of the formal banking system they have to rely on less-efficient and potentially usurious sources of credit, such as moneylenders. The economy is also deprived of a large pool of savings which could be invested profitably." Rather than being "shut out" because they are poor, the reality is that the feeling is mutual - the world's poor have as many reasons not to do business with banks as banks have not to do business with them. First of all, while they may not always be financially literate, the poor know something about money. Not having much of it teaches sensible lessons. They are aware of opportunity costs and often see financial transactions in terms of relationships, which explains why non-bank and informal types of financial services remain popular, such as moneylenders and informally organized rotating savings groups. Moneylenders, pretty much everywhere in the third world, answer a need that banks and non-bank financial service providers (such as non-profit microfinance providers) cannot. A poor woman facing a sudden medical crisis in the middle of the night might have access to a local healer or provider of medicines but needs cash that she does not have. The local moneylender knows her, is available night and day and the transaction cost amounts to the effort it takes to wake him up. The moneylender's interest rate is by our standards usurious, but not by hers. She'll pay for the convenience and the trust and the lower opportunity cost compared to trying to get the same loan from a formal source. Consider a bank, even if there were one located near her rural area. The paperwork to open an account is daunting, and even though more and more countries are moving towards universal identity documentation many poor do not have proper identification. The physical appearance of the bank is often a psychological barrier and the terminology is unfamiliar. Banks have their own business reasons for not wanting to deal with millions of the very poor. The transaction costs for a $0.50 savings deposit are the same as for $50.00. Naturally the bank prefers richer clients. On her side, the poor woman has her own reasons not to do business with the bank. The first is interpersonal. She doesn't know these people nor they her. The bank's hours don't suit her and there is the cost of transport to get to it. Based on experience and what she hears from her peers, she has an inherent distrust of large institutions. Finally, she intuits correctly that there are likely to be various fees involved in doing business with the bank or restrictions (e.g. not being able to access her savings when she wants) that do not make financial sense for her. And as with the option of a moneylender for emergency loans she has still other financial alternatives. The traditional rotating savings and credit association (called ROSCA in the literature) is widespread in the third world and usually informally arranged among extended family, neighbors, ex school mates, etc. ROSCAs have been around for ages. In East Africa these are called "merry-go-rounds," in parts of West Africa "susu," in Maharashtra state in India, "bishis." Each week or two weeks or each month each member (there may be ten to twenty or more) puts a small amount of money in the group pool. Then in rotating fashion at the end of each interval one person gets to take the entire amount in the kitty as a lump sum. For poor people who rarely see more than a few pennies or dollars at a time, having 40 or 50 dollars in one go enables all kinds of improvements in their lives. There is no interest to be paid and no transaction cost. As for the idea that lack of bank access denies the larger economy the use of savings, this is not so, since any form of savings, including the ROSCA, puts money into the economy. Likewise the notion that there is a link between mass access to formal financial services and poverty reduction is not borne out by history, both the four decade history of microfinance and the much longer history of formal financial service access in the so-called developed world. As for microfinance, by 2009 we had the first rigorous impact studies, among them those conducted by MIT's Poverty Lab, and these showed that access to credit in poor areas did not reduce poverty. More important, economic history in Europe and the United States from the late 19th century on suggests strongly that mass access to formal financial services was led by rising incomes and consumption. In short financial inclusion was not the cause of poverty reduction, it was the result. Finally much of the data we have on financial inclusion is self reported - thus much is being left out and especially at the bottom of the rich-to-poor pyramid the poor have reasons not to reveal everything about their financial lives. Where we do see measureable and significant financial behavior change among the poor is in the use of mobile money (via cell phones), a form of transaction that is less daunting than going to a bank. Mobile money transactions per 1,000 adults have gone up by almost 500% in the last three years from 30.5 to 176.6, and mobile money agent outlets (from small grocery stores to kiosks in rural areas) per 100,000 adults have gone from 6 to 10, a rise of 66% in the last three years. But just as with the moneylender, mobile money makes life for the poor more convenient without necessarily changing their condition. It is quite possible that a good proportion of the last large group of unbanked people will remain so because in their view it might just be their best option. | Financial Inclusion is the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasdichter/2019/01/17/is-universal-financial-inclusion-for-the-third-worlds-poor-achievable/ | 0.157631 |
Is Universal Financial Inclusion For The Third World's Poor Achievable? | Financial Inclusion is the current term for the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services such as savings, loans and money transfers. The terminology reflects the latest expansion of what began as the microcredit movement in the late 1970s when it was widely believed that access to credit would lift people out of poverty. Today about 70% of adults worldwide are "banked," in contrast to 40% in the third world. The World Bank's goal is Universal Financial access by 2020. There is some progress towards this. Just in the last three years the number of unbanked people worldwide has gone from 2.6 billion to 1.7 billion. And unlike in the developed world where the number of bank branches per 100,000 adults is going down (an extreme example is Finland which went from 13.17 branches per 100,000 in 2004 to 1.43 branches in 2017) in much of the developing world the number of bank branches is going up (e.g., Kenya 2.74 to 5.27). Still, overall progress towards universal financial access is likely to stall the closer we get to the bottom of the unbanked pyramid. My experience researching the views and behavior of many poor "unbanked" people in developing countries since the 1980s suggests that financial inclusion is not as important to a great many of them as it is to the international development establishment that promotes it. To begin with the movement rests on a zero-sum premise: that inclusion implies prior exclusion. The view expressed in a Wall Street Journal blog is typical: "There is a strong link between poverty and lack of access to basic financial services such as savings accounts and loans. When poor people are shut out of the formal banking system they have to rely on less-efficient and potentially usurious sources of credit, such as moneylenders. The economy is also deprived of a large pool of savings which could be invested profitably." Rather than being "shut out" because they are poor, the reality is that the feeling is mutual - the world's poor have as many reasons not to do business with banks as banks have not to do business with them. First of all, while they may not always be financially literate, the poor know something about money. Not having much of it teaches sensible lessons. They are aware of opportunity costs and often see financial transactions in terms of relationships, which explains why non-bank and informal types of financial services remain popular, such as moneylenders and informally organized rotating savings groups. Moneylenders, pretty much everywhere in the third world, answer a need that banks and non-bank financial service providers (such as non-profit microfinance providers) cannot. A poor woman facing a sudden medical crisis in the middle of the night might have access to a local healer or provider of medicines but needs cash that she does not have. The local moneylender knows her, is available night and day and the transaction cost amounts to the effort it takes to wake him up. The moneylender's interest rate is by our standards usurious, but not by hers. She'll pay for the convenience and the trust and the lower opportunity cost compared to trying to get the same loan from a formal source. Consider a bank, even if there were one located near her rural area. The paperwork to open an account is daunting, and even though more and more countries are moving towards universal identity documentation many poor do not have proper identification. The physical appearance of the bank is often a psychological barrier and the terminology is unfamiliar. Banks have their own business reasons for not wanting to deal with millions of the very poor. The transaction costs for a $0.50 savings deposit are the same as for $50.00. Naturally the bank prefers richer clients. On her side, the poor woman has her own reasons not to do business with the bank. The first is interpersonal. She doesn't know these people nor they her. The bank's hours don't suit her and there is the cost of transport to get to it. Based on experience and what she hears from her peers, she has an inherent distrust of large institutions. Finally, she intuits correctly that there are likely to be various fees involved in doing business with the bank or restrictions (e.g. not being able to access her savings when she wants) that do not make financial sense for her. And as with the option of a moneylender for emergency loans she has still other financial alternatives. The traditional rotating savings and credit association (called ROSCA in the literature) is widespread in the third world and usually informally arranged among extended family, neighbors, ex school mates, etc. ROSCAs have been around for ages. In East Africa these are called "merry-go-rounds," in parts of West Africa "susu," in Maharashtra state in India, "bishis." Each week or two weeks or each month each member (there may be ten to twenty or more) puts a small amount of money in the group pool. Then in rotating fashion at the end of each interval one person gets to take the entire amount in the kitty as a lump sum. For poor people who rarely see more than a few pennies or dollars at a time, having 40 or 50 dollars in one go enables all kinds of improvements in their lives. There is no interest to be paid and no transaction cost. As for the idea that lack of bank access denies the larger economy the use of savings, this is not so, since any form of savings, including the ROSCA, puts money into the economy. Likewise the notion that there is a link between mass access to formal financial services and poverty reduction is not borne out by history, both the four decade history of microfinance and the much longer history of formal financial service access in the so-called developed world. As for microfinance, by 2009 we had the first rigorous impact studies, among them those conducted by MIT's Poverty Lab, and these showed that access to credit in poor areas did not reduce poverty. More important, economic history in Europe and the United States from the late 19th century on suggests strongly that mass access to formal financial services was led by rising incomes and consumption. In short financial inclusion was not the cause of poverty reduction, it was the result. Finally much of the data we have on financial inclusion is self reported - thus much is being left out and especially at the bottom of the rich-to-poor pyramid the poor have reasons not to reveal everything about their financial lives. Where we do see measureable and significant financial behavior change among the poor is in the use of mobile money (via cell phones), a form of transaction that is less daunting than going to a bank. Mobile money transactions per 1,000 adults have gone up by almost 500% in the last three years from 30.5 to 176.6, and mobile money agent outlets (from small grocery stores to kiosks in rural areas) per 100,000 adults have gone from 6 to 10, a rise of 66% in the last three years. But just as with the moneylender, mobile money makes life for the poor more convenient without necessarily changing their condition. It is quite possible that a good proportion of the last large group of unbanked people will remain so because in their view it might just be their best option. | Financial Inclusion is the current term for the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services such as savings, loans and money transfers. The World Bank's goal is Universal Financial access by 2020. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasdichter/2019/01/17/is-universal-financial-inclusion-for-the-third-worlds-poor-achievable/ | 0.389803 |
Is Universal Financial Inclusion For The Third World's Poor Achievable? | Financial Inclusion is the current term for the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services such as savings, loans and money transfers. The terminology reflects the latest expansion of what began as the microcredit movement in the late 1970s when it was widely believed that access to credit would lift people out of poverty. Today about 70% of adults worldwide are "banked," in contrast to 40% in the third world. The World Bank's goal is Universal Financial access by 2020. There is some progress towards this. Just in the last three years the number of unbanked people worldwide has gone from 2.6 billion to 1.7 billion. And unlike in the developed world where the number of bank branches per 100,000 adults is going down (an extreme example is Finland which went from 13.17 branches per 100,000 in 2004 to 1.43 branches in 2017) in much of the developing world the number of bank branches is going up (e.g., Kenya 2.74 to 5.27). Still, overall progress towards universal financial access is likely to stall the closer we get to the bottom of the unbanked pyramid. My experience researching the views and behavior of many poor "unbanked" people in developing countries since the 1980s suggests that financial inclusion is not as important to a great many of them as it is to the international development establishment that promotes it. To begin with the movement rests on a zero-sum premise: that inclusion implies prior exclusion. The view expressed in a Wall Street Journal blog is typical: "There is a strong link between poverty and lack of access to basic financial services such as savings accounts and loans. When poor people are shut out of the formal banking system they have to rely on less-efficient and potentially usurious sources of credit, such as moneylenders. The economy is also deprived of a large pool of savings which could be invested profitably." Rather than being "shut out" because they are poor, the reality is that the feeling is mutual - the world's poor have as many reasons not to do business with banks as banks have not to do business with them. First of all, while they may not always be financially literate, the poor know something about money. Not having much of it teaches sensible lessons. They are aware of opportunity costs and often see financial transactions in terms of relationships, which explains why non-bank and informal types of financial services remain popular, such as moneylenders and informally organized rotating savings groups. Moneylenders, pretty much everywhere in the third world, answer a need that banks and non-bank financial service providers (such as non-profit microfinance providers) cannot. A poor woman facing a sudden medical crisis in the middle of the night might have access to a local healer or provider of medicines but needs cash that she does not have. The local moneylender knows her, is available night and day and the transaction cost amounts to the effort it takes to wake him up. The moneylender's interest rate is by our standards usurious, but not by hers. She'll pay for the convenience and the trust and the lower opportunity cost compared to trying to get the same loan from a formal source. Consider a bank, even if there were one located near her rural area. The paperwork to open an account is daunting, and even though more and more countries are moving towards universal identity documentation many poor do not have proper identification. The physical appearance of the bank is often a psychological barrier and the terminology is unfamiliar. Banks have their own business reasons for not wanting to deal with millions of the very poor. The transaction costs for a $0.50 savings deposit are the same as for $50.00. Naturally the bank prefers richer clients. On her side, the poor woman has her own reasons not to do business with the bank. The first is interpersonal. She doesn't know these people nor they her. The bank's hours don't suit her and there is the cost of transport to get to it. Based on experience and what she hears from her peers, she has an inherent distrust of large institutions. Finally, she intuits correctly that there are likely to be various fees involved in doing business with the bank or restrictions (e.g. not being able to access her savings when she wants) that do not make financial sense for her. And as with the option of a moneylender for emergency loans she has still other financial alternatives. The traditional rotating savings and credit association (called ROSCA in the literature) is widespread in the third world and usually informally arranged among extended family, neighbors, ex school mates, etc. ROSCAs have been around for ages. In East Africa these are called "merry-go-rounds," in parts of West Africa "susu," in Maharashtra state in India, "bishis." Each week or two weeks or each month each member (there may be ten to twenty or more) puts a small amount of money in the group pool. Then in rotating fashion at the end of each interval one person gets to take the entire amount in the kitty as a lump sum. For poor people who rarely see more than a few pennies or dollars at a time, having 40 or 50 dollars in one go enables all kinds of improvements in their lives. There is no interest to be paid and no transaction cost. As for the idea that lack of bank access denies the larger economy the use of savings, this is not so, since any form of savings, including the ROSCA, puts money into the economy. Likewise the notion that there is a link between mass access to formal financial services and poverty reduction is not borne out by history, both the four decade history of microfinance and the much longer history of formal financial service access in the so-called developed world. As for microfinance, by 2009 we had the first rigorous impact studies, among them those conducted by MIT's Poverty Lab, and these showed that access to credit in poor areas did not reduce poverty. More important, economic history in Europe and the United States from the late 19th century on suggests strongly that mass access to formal financial services was led by rising incomes and consumption. In short financial inclusion was not the cause of poverty reduction, it was the result. Finally much of the data we have on financial inclusion is self reported - thus much is being left out and especially at the bottom of the rich-to-poor pyramid the poor have reasons not to reveal everything about their financial lives. Where we do see measureable and significant financial behavior change among the poor is in the use of mobile money (via cell phones), a form of transaction that is less daunting than going to a bank. Mobile money transactions per 1,000 adults have gone up by almost 500% in the last three years from 30.5 to 176.6, and mobile money agent outlets (from small grocery stores to kiosks in rural areas) per 100,000 adults have gone from 6 to 10, a rise of 66% in the last three years. But just as with the moneylender, mobile money makes life for the poor more convenient without necessarily changing their condition. It is quite possible that a good proportion of the last large group of unbanked people will remain so because in their view it might just be their best option. | Financial Inclusion is the current term for the movement to provide the third world's poor with access to formal financial services such as savings, loans and money transfers. The World Bank's goal is Universal Financial access by 2020, but there is some progress towards this, says Andrew Hammond. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasdichter/2019/01/17/is-universal-financial-inclusion-for-the-third-worlds-poor-achievable/ | 0.382853 |
Why did it take TV to turn the tide against R. Kelly? | CHICAGOFor almost two decades, allegations of sexual abuse of women and girls by singer R. Kelly have been part of the public record. Times up for R. Kelly, says the R&B star John Legend in the film, pointedly using the name of the powerful anti-sexual harassment movement. Lady Gaga, Cline Dion and Chance the Rapper have joined recently in the condemnation and ended access to tunes recorded with Kelly. Demonstrators chant during an R. Kelly protest outside Sony headquarters, in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Kelly has been under fire since the recent airing of a Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly. ( Richard Drew / AP ) In this Nov. 10, 2010 file photo, singer R. Kelly performs When A Woman Loves, during the Soul Train awards in Atlanta. ( David Goldman / AP ) Referring to 2015s Somewhere in Paradise, Chance says in the series some of which will be re-airing this weekend on Slice that making a song with R. Kelly was a mistake. But celebrity shunning is the least of the problems for Kelly, the 52-year-old Chicagoan also facing money woes, a shrinking range of outlets for his music and a criminal investigation. As relentless celebrity chronicler TMZ put it recently, the walls are closing in. Part of why the charges against Kelly are gaining traction this time is, yes, the power of the visual medium, of actually seeing women who say they were abused. Article Continued Below A parade of them, many wiping tears as they talk, appears in the six-hour film. They range from Kellys ex-wife Andrea to Floridian Lizzette Martinez, who says Kelly picked her up as a 17-year-old in a mall and took advantage of her desire to be a singer. He told her that her voice was good, she recounts, and then he French-kissed her. I wanted the dream so bad, she tells the documentary makers, but I knew it was going to be something else. Having television drive home the message about Kelly is welcomed by Jim DeRogatis, the Chicago music critic who has led the reporting detailing the abuse allegations, from stories in the Sun-Times beginning in 2000 to an influential set of articles in BuzzFeed in mid-2017. (Kelly denies committing sexual abuse, typically contending that his accusers are lying in search of profit.) Ive never felt proprietary about this story. I think its too urgent, DeRogatis said in an interview. (Full disclosure: DeRogatis is married to Carmel Carrillo, a Tribune arts editor.) I think Im being conservative when I say, of the women who have spoken to me on the record or off the record, and the women that Im aware of, were talking 60 abuse victims. He credits former Sun-Times reporter Abdon Pallasch, who shared much of the Kelly load at that paper with him, and columnist Mary Mitchell (a goddess), who broke sexual abuse news in some of her more than 20 columns about Kelly. DeRogatis will have his own book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly, coming out in the fall, he said. But the story has many dimensions. As print journalists, there are certain things you do that nobody else can do, and that is deliver the complexities of an incredibly complex story, DeRogatis said in an interview. And there are certain things that broadcast does better than anything, and meeting those women was that. I think its that directness, that direct emotional connection. And its the number. Its woman after woman after woman doing this difficult thing, telling this story. DeRogatis compared it to the way seeing so many accusers helped turned the tide against comedian Bill Cosby after years of alleged sexual assaults those brave women who put their faces on the cover of New York magazine, two dozen of them. Article Continued Below Bringing up Cosby suggests another key factor. According to the filmmakers themselves, the road was smoothed for the documentarys reception by recent cultural factors. In the last 18 months, a #MuteRKelly movement, which would tie into the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter efforts, went after Kellys concert and radio-play income and started to resonate across pop culture. MuteRKelly was sparked by the BuzzFeed stories in July 2017 by DeRogatis that documented a new development in the Kelly narrative, allegations that he was keeping multiple young women under his control and cutting them off from their families in what family members described as a kind of sex cult. I cant discount the hard work of the MeToo movement, said Brie Miranda Bryant, the documentarys executive producer for Lifetime, which saw record ratings for Surviving R. Kelly despite it airing right after the year-end holidays. In the past year weve seen a shift in culture and conversation with the MeToo and TimesUp movements. Added Tamra Simmons, one of the executive producers for the filmmaker, Kreativ, The Surviving R. Kelly documentary is just like a megaphone in this social movement for women to be able to tell a story they previously thought the world wouldnt care to hear. So it wasnt just the power of video, but video does have some inherent advantages, Bryant said: When youre seeing it, its delivered to you as is. And in that moment, you know, I think people have emotionally connected with these survivors and participants and had a larger understanding of what they went through. In print, too, said Greg Kot, the Chicago Tribune rock critic and DeRogatis longtime partner on the public radio music show Sound Opinions, the story was almost ahead of its time in the sense that, you know, pop star behaviour like that was accepted for so long. I mean, it was just part of the lexicon of drugs, sex, rock and roll. Even though theres reportedly been a spark of new interest in Kellys music on streaming services since the documentary first aired, the bigger story seems to be the series of Kelly-related headlines suggesting an empire, a career and a mythology in decline. Kelly had already lost rented homes outside Atlanta in one of them a woman in the documentary says she and others were kept as virtual prisoners for failure to pay rent. Now the warehouse Kelly has rented on the Near West Side, which reportedly contains a recording studio and residential spaces, will soon be lost to him if he doesnt pay back rent, according to news reports. Concert promoters have cancelled performances, including one at the UIC Pavilion in Kellys hometown of Chicago after student and staff protest, and attendance has been sparse at some of his concerts that have taken place. His record label, RCA, isnt dropping him, but it says it has no plans to release any new music. After years of trying to separate the music from the man, radio mogul Tom Joyner says in the film, Joyner agreed last year to a request by MuteRKelly activists to stop playing Kellys music on his stations, African-American outlets which are, in essence, the artists base. And music streaming services have taken Kellys work off or curated or recommended lists, meaning it is much less likely to just pop up in a listeners stream. Perhaps most threatening to the singer, prosecutors in Atlanta and Chicago are reportedly looking into criminal charges. At the root of this decline has been the work of DeRogatis, said Lifetimes Bryant: I think that man has really carried this story on his back for so long. I really commend him for that and being a champion of these survivors and for black girls. I think he did a tremendous thing. Kot agreed. The series struck at exactly that moment where people were viewing these kind of affairs in a new light, he said. But it needs to be said that there is no Lifetime series if it hadnt been for Jims reporting. He really built a foundation on which all of this R. Kelly house of cards can come tumbling down finally. | R. Kelly has been accused of sexual abuse of women and girls for almost two decades. A Lifetime documentary about the singer's alleged abuse is airing this weekend. The documentary is titled "Surviving R.Kelly" A Chicago music critic says he's never felt proprietary about the story. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2019/01/17/why-did-it-take-tv-to-turn-the-tide-against-r-kelly.html | 0.152658 |
What went right for the Mets in 2018? | The Mets finished with a losing record in 2018 for the eighth time in 10 seasons. But just like the preceding seven sub-.500 campaigns, this one came without a full bottoming out and thus reason to believe the Mets can return to relevancy sooner rather than later. Time will tell on that, but theres no doubt the Mets had some notable positive moments last season Heres six of them: 1.) Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. DeGrom pitched about as well as three aces combined this year, when he managed to destroy the idea wins should serve as a metric of a pitchers value by winning the Cy Young despite recording only 10 victories. DeGrom may never have another season as good as this one, but then again, his 2018 was a generational tour de force. At the least, deGrom has proven, health permitting, he should be among the top handful of pitchers in the game into the 2020s. 2.) Manager Mickey Callaway proved to be a pitching savant with both starters and relievers. Not only did deGrom emerge as a superstar, but Zack Wheeler had a breakout year. And while Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz continued to battle durability issues, each had his best season while on the mound. 3.) In addition, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, each of whom looked like a tweener maybe not quite a back-of-the-rotation starter, but maybe not a shutdown reliever either turned into valuable weapons out of the bullpen. Lugos velocity shot up as he dominated in his multi-inning bridge role while Gsellman did a serviceable job as a fill-in closer following the trade of Jeurys Familia. 4.) Brandon Nimmo, who also looked like a tweener in his previous big league stints, proved to be a terrific everyday player and sparkplug atop the lineup, though his emergence also magnified the short-sightedness of the Mets front office, which stockpiled veteran outfielders on long-term deals (Juan Lagares, Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce) because they didnt know the controllable gem in their system. Almost as impressively, Nimmo maintained his perpetually sunny demeanor even in the midst of another losing season in which everything fell apart around him. 5.) David Wright got to say goodbye on his terms. It wasnt the exit Wright or anyone could have envisioned in 2013, when the iconic third baseman appeared to be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. But Wrights body betrayed him and cruelly made the game he loved so much an exercise in daily torture. It took everything Wright had to make it back for three plate appearances on the final weekend of the season, but at least he, the Mets and their fans got a modified goodbye. 6.) The Mets didnt bottom out. This may not be a good thing in retrospect. But by losing only 85 games, the Mets avoided a full-scale rebuild and elected to go for it in 2019 with most of their generational rotation intact. A whole lot can go wrong over the coming months and years to prove the Mets were just delaying the inevitable by pushing off a rebuild, but in an era in which teams with far better recent track records than the Mets have decided to tank for 2019 and beyond, theres something admirable in a flawed team chasing immediate glory. | The Mets finished with a losing record in 2018 for the eighth time in 10 seasons. Jacob deGrom won the Cy Young, Zack Wheeler had a breakout year and the Mets didn't bottom out. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybeach/2018/12/31/what-went-right-for-the-mets-in-2018/ | 0.371133 |
What went right for the Mets in 2018? | The Mets finished with a losing record in 2018 for the eighth time in 10 seasons. But just like the preceding seven sub-.500 campaigns, this one came without a full bottoming out and thus reason to believe the Mets can return to relevancy sooner rather than later. Time will tell on that, but theres no doubt the Mets had some notable positive moments last season Heres six of them: 1.) Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. Jacob deGrom. DeGrom pitched about as well as three aces combined this year, when he managed to destroy the idea wins should serve as a metric of a pitchers value by winning the Cy Young despite recording only 10 victories. DeGrom may never have another season as good as this one, but then again, his 2018 was a generational tour de force. At the least, deGrom has proven, health permitting, he should be among the top handful of pitchers in the game into the 2020s. 2.) Manager Mickey Callaway proved to be a pitching savant with both starters and relievers. Not only did deGrom emerge as a superstar, but Zack Wheeler had a breakout year. And while Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz continued to battle durability issues, each had his best season while on the mound. 3.) In addition, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, each of whom looked like a tweener maybe not quite a back-of-the-rotation starter, but maybe not a shutdown reliever either turned into valuable weapons out of the bullpen. Lugos velocity shot up as he dominated in his multi-inning bridge role while Gsellman did a serviceable job as a fill-in closer following the trade of Jeurys Familia. 4.) Brandon Nimmo, who also looked like a tweener in his previous big league stints, proved to be a terrific everyday player and sparkplug atop the lineup, though his emergence also magnified the short-sightedness of the Mets front office, which stockpiled veteran outfielders on long-term deals (Juan Lagares, Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce) because they didnt know the controllable gem in their system. Almost as impressively, Nimmo maintained his perpetually sunny demeanor even in the midst of another losing season in which everything fell apart around him. 5.) David Wright got to say goodbye on his terms. It wasnt the exit Wright or anyone could have envisioned in 2013, when the iconic third baseman appeared to be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. But Wrights body betrayed him and cruelly made the game he loved so much an exercise in daily torture. It took everything Wright had to make it back for three plate appearances on the final weekend of the season, but at least he, the Mets and their fans got a modified goodbye. 6.) The Mets didnt bottom out. This may not be a good thing in retrospect. But by losing only 85 games, the Mets avoided a full-scale rebuild and elected to go for it in 2019 with most of their generational rotation intact. A whole lot can go wrong over the coming months and years to prove the Mets were just delaying the inevitable by pushing off a rebuild, but in an era in which teams with far better recent track records than the Mets have decided to tank for 2019 and beyond, theres something admirable in a flawed team chasing immediate glory. | The Mets finished with a losing record in 2018 for the eighth time in 10 seasons. Jacob deGrom won the Cy Young, Zack Wheeler had a breakout year and Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman looked like a "tweener" The Mets avoided a full-scale rebuild and elected to go for it in 2019. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybeach/2018/12/31/what-went-right-for-the-mets-in-2018/ | 0.34284 |
Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? | Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York. Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia and whether the president obstructed the investigation. Trump also plays a central role in a separate case in New York, where prosecutors have implicated him in a crime. They say Trump directed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to make illegal hush money payments to two women as a way to quash potential sex scandals during the campaign. House Republicans brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the Justice Department's handling of the investigations into Trump's ties to Russia and Democrat Hillary Clinton's emails. In a letter released before Republicans cede the House majority to Democrats, the chairmen of two committees described what they said was the "seemingly disparate treatment" the two probes received during the 2016 presidential election and called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation, done in a letter and without a full final report, was a quiet end to a probe that was conducted mostly behind closed doors but also in public. Republican lawmakers often criticized interview subjects afterward and suggested they were conspiring against Trump. Trump's pick for attorney general, William Barr, sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department this year criticizing parts of the Mueller probe as "fatally misconceived." The 20-page memo, sent in June while Barr was in private practice and months before he was selected by Trump for the Justice Department job, may prompt questions about his ability to oversee the special counsel's investigation fairly. The document argues that there could be disastrous consequences for the Justice Department and the presidency if Mueller were to conclude that acts a president is legally permitted to take such as firing an FBI director could constitute obstruction of justice, just because someone concludes that there was corrupt intent. There is no smoking gun when it comes to the question of Russia collusion. But the evidence so far shows a broad range of Trump associates had Russia-related contacts during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition period, and that several lied about the communication. There is also evidence that some people in the president's orbit were discussing a possible email dump from WikiLeaks before it occurred. American intelligence agencies and Mueller have said Russia was the source of hacked material released by WikiLeaks during the campaign that was damaging to Clinton's presidential effort. That is another unresolved question that Mueller is pursuing. Investigators have examined key episodes such as Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey and his fury over the recusal from the investigation of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has repeatedly slammed the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and insisted there was "NO COLLUSION" with Russia. He also says his now-former lawyer, Cohen, lied to get a lighter sentence in New York. For more in-depth information, follow AP coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations | Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York. | pegasus | 0 | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/investigations-related-trump-stand-60101908 | 0.57899 |
Where do the investigations related to Trump stand? | Add Donald Trump as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Donald Trump news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York. Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia and whether the president obstructed the investigation. Trump also plays a central role in a separate case in New York, where prosecutors have implicated him in a crime. They say Trump directed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to make illegal hush money payments to two women as a way to quash potential sex scandals during the campaign. House Republicans brought an unceremonious end to their yearlong look at the Justice Department's handling of the investigations into Trump's ties to Russia and Democrat Hillary Clinton's emails. In a letter released before Republicans cede the House majority to Democrats, the chairmen of two committees described what they said was the "seemingly disparate treatment" the two probes received during the 2016 presidential election and called on the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate further. The wrapping up of the congressional investigation, done in a letter and without a full final report, was a quiet end to a probe that was conducted mostly behind closed doors but also in public. Republican lawmakers often criticized interview subjects afterward and suggested they were conspiring against Trump. Trump's pick for attorney general, William Barr, sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department this year criticizing parts of the Mueller probe as "fatally misconceived." The 20-page memo, sent in June while Barr was in private practice and months before he was selected by Trump for the Justice Department job, may prompt questions about his ability to oversee the special counsel's investigation fairly. The document argues that there could be disastrous consequences for the Justice Department and the presidency if Mueller were to conclude that acts a president is legally permitted to take such as firing an FBI director could constitute obstruction of justice, just because someone concludes that there was corrupt intent. There is no smoking gun when it comes to the question of Russia collusion. But the evidence so far shows a broad range of Trump associates had Russia-related contacts during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition period, and that several lied about the communication. There is also evidence that some people in the president's orbit were discussing a possible email dump from WikiLeaks before it occurred. American intelligence agencies and Mueller have said Russia was the source of hacked material released by WikiLeaks during the campaign that was damaging to Clinton's presidential effort. That is another unresolved question that Mueller is pursuing. Investigators have examined key episodes such as Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey and his fury over the recusal from the investigation of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has repeatedly slammed the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt" and insisted there was "NO COLLUSION" with Russia. He also says his now-former lawyer, Cohen, lied to get a lighter sentence in New York. For more in-depth information, follow AP coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations | Trump is facing criminal investigations in Washington and New York. There is no smoking gun when it comes to the question of Russia collusion. There is also evidence that some people in the president's orbit were discussing a possible email dump from WikiLeaks. | pegasus | 1 | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/investigations-related-trump-stand-60101908 | 0.521005 |
Why am I still charged for cards when I transfer money? | Transferwise still levies a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds to the account with them, despite the law change banning surcharges. The company told me it is part of their policy and that as they provide alternative free means of payment they are in compliance with the regulation. AI, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January and banned traders from levying surcharges on card payments. In its response to you, however, Transferwise claims that surcharges are fine so long as they are displayed upfront and so long as they only reflect the actual cost of processing the card payment. It muddies the waters further in its response to me, claiming that the fee for paying by card is not a card surcharge. Transferwise offers three significantly different products at three different prices, it says. Hence theres no card surcharge as we do not charge based on payment instrument. Instead, the difference in charges is comparable to saying we charge X for delivery tomorrow, and XY for delivery instantly. Its website, however, appears to make no bones about the fact that its card service is more expensive because card transactions incur an interchange fee payable to the card issuer. It says that since your complaint it has made its prices more transparent on its website. There is plenty wrong with the surcharge ban because cards do indeed cost traders more to process and that cost now has to be passed on to all customers in hidden ways. However, because local trading standards are the authorities required to enforce it and with shrinking budgets and increasing legislation this is not a priority. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tells the Observer helplessly: Under new surcharge legislation, companies based in the UK cannot charge a fee to consumers using a credit card to make a purchase or transfer money. says that the law is clear to stop customers being penalised for paying by card and traders should be called out for flouting it. The government and regulator need to closely monitor the impact of the ban, as well as look at the interchange fee regulation and the charges companies pay for processing card payments, to ensure that the reforms have the positive outcome for consumers originally intended. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Subject to our terms and conditions | Transferwise still levies a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds. | bart | 0 | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/01/why-am-i-still-charged-for-cards-when-i-transfer-money | 0.107005 |
Why am I still charged for cards when I transfer money? | Transferwise still levies a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds to the account with them, despite the law change banning surcharges. The company told me it is part of their policy and that as they provide alternative free means of payment they are in compliance with the regulation. AI, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January and banned traders from levying surcharges on card payments. In its response to you, however, Transferwise claims that surcharges are fine so long as they are displayed upfront and so long as they only reflect the actual cost of processing the card payment. It muddies the waters further in its response to me, claiming that the fee for paying by card is not a card surcharge. Transferwise offers three significantly different products at three different prices, it says. Hence theres no card surcharge as we do not charge based on payment instrument. Instead, the difference in charges is comparable to saying we charge X for delivery tomorrow, and XY for delivery instantly. Its website, however, appears to make no bones about the fact that its card service is more expensive because card transactions incur an interchange fee payable to the card issuer. It says that since your complaint it has made its prices more transparent on its website. There is plenty wrong with the surcharge ban because cards do indeed cost traders more to process and that cost now has to be passed on to all customers in hidden ways. However, because local trading standards are the authorities required to enforce it and with shrinking budgets and increasing legislation this is not a priority. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tells the Observer helplessly: Under new surcharge legislation, companies based in the UK cannot charge a fee to consumers using a credit card to make a purchase or transfer money. says that the law is clear to stop customers being penalised for paying by card and traders should be called out for flouting it. The government and regulator need to closely monitor the impact of the ban, as well as look at the interchange fee regulation and the charges companies pay for processing card payments, to ensure that the reforms have the positive outcome for consumers originally intended. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Subject to our terms and conditions | Transferwise still charges a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds. The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January and banned traders from levying surcharges on card payments. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/01/why-am-i-still-charged-for-cards-when-i-transfer-money | 0.151442 |
Why am I still charged for cards when I transfer money? | Transferwise still levies a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds to the account with them, despite the law change banning surcharges. The company told me it is part of their policy and that as they provide alternative free means of payment they are in compliance with the regulation. AI, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January and banned traders from levying surcharges on card payments. In its response to you, however, Transferwise claims that surcharges are fine so long as they are displayed upfront and so long as they only reflect the actual cost of processing the card payment. It muddies the waters further in its response to me, claiming that the fee for paying by card is not a card surcharge. Transferwise offers three significantly different products at three different prices, it says. Hence theres no card surcharge as we do not charge based on payment instrument. Instead, the difference in charges is comparable to saying we charge X for delivery tomorrow, and XY for delivery instantly. Its website, however, appears to make no bones about the fact that its card service is more expensive because card transactions incur an interchange fee payable to the card issuer. It says that since your complaint it has made its prices more transparent on its website. There is plenty wrong with the surcharge ban because cards do indeed cost traders more to process and that cost now has to be passed on to all customers in hidden ways. However, because local trading standards are the authorities required to enforce it and with shrinking budgets and increasing legislation this is not a priority. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tells the Observer helplessly: Under new surcharge legislation, companies based in the UK cannot charge a fee to consumers using a credit card to make a purchase or transfer money. says that the law is clear to stop customers being penalised for paying by card and traders should be called out for flouting it. The government and regulator need to closely monitor the impact of the ban, as well as look at the interchange fee regulation and the charges companies pay for processing card payments, to ensure that the reforms have the positive outcome for consumers originally intended. If you need help email Anna Tims at [email protected] or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Subject to our terms and conditions | Transferwise still charges a 1.5% charge for using a credit card to move funds. The Payment Services Regulations came into force in January. But Transferwise claims that surcharges are fine so long as they are displayed upfront and only reflect the actual cost of processing the card payment. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/01/why-am-i-still-charged-for-cards-when-i-transfer-money | 0.164677 |
Could Exercising In Frigid Temperatures Make Us Healthier? | Enlarge this image toggle caption NurPhoto/Getty Images NurPhoto/Getty Images When Scott Carney first saw the photo of a nearly naked man sitting comfortably on a glacier in the frigid cold, he was skeptical. The man Wim Hof is a Dutch athlete who claims to control his body temperature in extreme cold through sheer force of will. Exercising in the cold, Hof argues, makes people healthier. "I actually flew out there with the intention of debunking him as a fraud," says Carney, a Colorado-based journalist, author and senior fellow at Brandeis University's Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. But after learning Hof's methodology a combination of meditation, breathing exercises and immersion in icy cold water Carney became a believer. "In a matter of a few days, I was meditating on the bank of a snowy river in Poland in ridiculous, freezing winter, and melting the snow around me with my body temperature," Carney says. Carney details that experience in his book, What Doesn't Kill Us, which was released in 2017 and recently came out in paperback. Carney points out that humans dealt with cold temperatures for much of their evolutionary history. Introducing a bit of chill into our daily life now, he says, stimulates muscles and tissue in a good way. "Our bodies need to be in constant variation," Carney says. "That's what keeps us healthy and fit." We asked some leading physiologists to weigh in. Burning extra calories Many of the purported benefits of cold hinge on brown fat, sometimes referred to as "good" fat. Long known to exist in human infants, brown fat burns calories and generates heat. Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, a researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, was among the first scientists to document the existence of brown fat in very small amounts in adults in the mid-2000s. People can increase their levels of brown fat by being in mildly cold environments, Kahn says, though the effect on the number of calories they burn will be relatively small. "The average person will burn an extra 100 to 200 calories a day when brown fat is activated," Kahn says. "But if you go eat half a muffin, forget it." And that "100 to 200 calories" figure is for someone who's chilly all day long, he says. Most people experience cold for only short periods of time. "When you activate brown fat, it may stay active for a few hours," Kahn says. "Not permanently." Kahn also warns that Hof's call for exposure to the extreme cold could be overkill. "What it takes to activate brown fat is very mild degrees of cold," Kahn says. "If I put you in a room at 60 or 62 degrees Fahrenheit and you're dressed in very light clothing, that's enough to do it." A second way that people can burn extra calories when they're cold is through shivering. But Kahn doesn't suggest that strategy, either, because shivering makes most of us miserable. "It's a way to burn extra energy," Kahn says. "But I don't think there's any data to say that this is a good way to lose weight ... because it's not comfortable." Furthermore, people often warm up when they exercise, notes John Castellani, a research physiologist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Since you have to feel cold to burn those extra calories, Castellani says, people who exercise outside might not actually be burning any more calories than those who are in a warm room. Exercising the blood vessels A side effect of exposure to the extreme cold that Hof calls for is vasoconstriction. When you're subjected to extreme cold, the muscles surrounding many of your blood vessels cause them to contract sending more blood to your core, where it can stay warm. Carney says that because modern humans live in temperature-controlled environments, "all of that musculature is weak." Exercising those muscles through cold exposure, he claims, has "a huge impact on circulation and arterial health." Castellani says the theory is interesting but still untested. "In terms of using [cold] as a way of ... 'training the blood vessels?' To my knowledge there's no data to support that claim," says Castellani. Additionally, Dr. Aaron Cypess, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health worries that cold-induced vasoconstriction could have negative consequences for some people, including spikes in blood pressure. "We were looking at someone in one of our mild cold studies, and his blood pressure went really high," Cypess says. "That's not a good thing." Training the immune system One of Wim Hof's more startling claims that he could consciously control his immune system drew the attention of Matthijs Kox, a researcher at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. "At first we were a little bit reluctant, but then we started to look up all the remarkable feats he had pulled off," explains Kox. "So we decided to give him a chance to prove his claim." To put Hof to the test, Kox and his team injected Hof with a solution containing pieces of E. coli bacteria. Since the injection didn't contain live bacteria, it couldn't actually make Hof sick. But in most people, these bacterial compounds would fool the body into believing it is being attacked, triggering a temporary immune response that includes fever and inflammation. If Hof could indeed suppress his immune system, then the injection would have no such effect. Sure enough, Hof's body showed little reaction to the injection. "He had virtually no symptoms which was remarkable," Kox says. Kox followed up, repeating the test on a group of individuals whom Hof had trained. Just as with Hof, people in the study who had received the training showed little reaction to the injection. But untrained control subjects experienced fevers, headaches and chills. Kox and his research team published their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in 2014. Suppressing your own immune system may be possible, those results suggest but for many of us, this may seem counterproductive. Carney thinks that sort of suppression might benefit patients who are suffering from autoimmune disorders such as forms of arthritis that are linked to the body's immune system essentially attacking itself. If people could suppress their immune system as Hof does, Carney contends, some could potentially cure themselves of those diseases. Kox is cautiously optimistic that this could, indeed, someday be a treatment strategy. "We still have to test it, but it might be beneficial in conditions associated with an overactive immune response," Kox says. "But we need more work more proof to see whether this is really beneficial." Kox says he can't tell from his findings, but he is currently supervising an experiment to find out. He expects those results to be published within the next couple of years. Until then, the value of cold exposure as a treatment for autoimmune disease remains largely unproven, if promising. The bottom line is, there is little evidence so far to suggest that training in cold weather makes you healthier, or that you can burn significantly more calories. The physiologists Shots talked to all agreed on one thing: There simply hasn't been enough research to say one way or another. Cypess says he isn't ready to dismiss the potential benefits. But until he sees more compelling data, he's not likely to suggest it as a therapy. He has a bigger priority. "The most important thing is to get the person to exercise," Cypess says. "There is no obvious added benefit to exercising in the cold." Paul Chisholm is a freelance science writer in Rapid City, S.D. You can reach him on Twitter: @PaulJChisholm. | Wim Hof claims to control his body temperature in extreme cold through sheer force of will. Exercising in the cold, Hof argues, makes people healthier. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/01/01/681259440/could-exercising-in-frigid-temperatures-make-us-healthier?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=shotshealthnews | 0.14459 |
Could Exercising In Frigid Temperatures Make Us Healthier? | Enlarge this image toggle caption NurPhoto/Getty Images NurPhoto/Getty Images When Scott Carney first saw the photo of a nearly naked man sitting comfortably on a glacier in the frigid cold, he was skeptical. The man Wim Hof is a Dutch athlete who claims to control his body temperature in extreme cold through sheer force of will. Exercising in the cold, Hof argues, makes people healthier. "I actually flew out there with the intention of debunking him as a fraud," says Carney, a Colorado-based journalist, author and senior fellow at Brandeis University's Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. But after learning Hof's methodology a combination of meditation, breathing exercises and immersion in icy cold water Carney became a believer. "In a matter of a few days, I was meditating on the bank of a snowy river in Poland in ridiculous, freezing winter, and melting the snow around me with my body temperature," Carney says. Carney details that experience in his book, What Doesn't Kill Us, which was released in 2017 and recently came out in paperback. Carney points out that humans dealt with cold temperatures for much of their evolutionary history. Introducing a bit of chill into our daily life now, he says, stimulates muscles and tissue in a good way. "Our bodies need to be in constant variation," Carney says. "That's what keeps us healthy and fit." We asked some leading physiologists to weigh in. Burning extra calories Many of the purported benefits of cold hinge on brown fat, sometimes referred to as "good" fat. Long known to exist in human infants, brown fat burns calories and generates heat. Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, a researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, was among the first scientists to document the existence of brown fat in very small amounts in adults in the mid-2000s. People can increase their levels of brown fat by being in mildly cold environments, Kahn says, though the effect on the number of calories they burn will be relatively small. "The average person will burn an extra 100 to 200 calories a day when brown fat is activated," Kahn says. "But if you go eat half a muffin, forget it." And that "100 to 200 calories" figure is for someone who's chilly all day long, he says. Most people experience cold for only short periods of time. "When you activate brown fat, it may stay active for a few hours," Kahn says. "Not permanently." Kahn also warns that Hof's call for exposure to the extreme cold could be overkill. "What it takes to activate brown fat is very mild degrees of cold," Kahn says. "If I put you in a room at 60 or 62 degrees Fahrenheit and you're dressed in very light clothing, that's enough to do it." A second way that people can burn extra calories when they're cold is through shivering. But Kahn doesn't suggest that strategy, either, because shivering makes most of us miserable. "It's a way to burn extra energy," Kahn says. "But I don't think there's any data to say that this is a good way to lose weight ... because it's not comfortable." Furthermore, people often warm up when they exercise, notes John Castellani, a research physiologist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Since you have to feel cold to burn those extra calories, Castellani says, people who exercise outside might not actually be burning any more calories than those who are in a warm room. Exercising the blood vessels A side effect of exposure to the extreme cold that Hof calls for is vasoconstriction. When you're subjected to extreme cold, the muscles surrounding many of your blood vessels cause them to contract sending more blood to your core, where it can stay warm. Carney says that because modern humans live in temperature-controlled environments, "all of that musculature is weak." Exercising those muscles through cold exposure, he claims, has "a huge impact on circulation and arterial health." Castellani says the theory is interesting but still untested. "In terms of using [cold] as a way of ... 'training the blood vessels?' To my knowledge there's no data to support that claim," says Castellani. Additionally, Dr. Aaron Cypess, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health worries that cold-induced vasoconstriction could have negative consequences for some people, including spikes in blood pressure. "We were looking at someone in one of our mild cold studies, and his blood pressure went really high," Cypess says. "That's not a good thing." Training the immune system One of Wim Hof's more startling claims that he could consciously control his immune system drew the attention of Matthijs Kox, a researcher at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. "At first we were a little bit reluctant, but then we started to look up all the remarkable feats he had pulled off," explains Kox. "So we decided to give him a chance to prove his claim." To put Hof to the test, Kox and his team injected Hof with a solution containing pieces of E. coli bacteria. Since the injection didn't contain live bacteria, it couldn't actually make Hof sick. But in most people, these bacterial compounds would fool the body into believing it is being attacked, triggering a temporary immune response that includes fever and inflammation. If Hof could indeed suppress his immune system, then the injection would have no such effect. Sure enough, Hof's body showed little reaction to the injection. "He had virtually no symptoms which was remarkable," Kox says. Kox followed up, repeating the test on a group of individuals whom Hof had trained. Just as with Hof, people in the study who had received the training showed little reaction to the injection. But untrained control subjects experienced fevers, headaches and chills. Kox and his research team published their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in 2014. Suppressing your own immune system may be possible, those results suggest but for many of us, this may seem counterproductive. Carney thinks that sort of suppression might benefit patients who are suffering from autoimmune disorders such as forms of arthritis that are linked to the body's immune system essentially attacking itself. If people could suppress their immune system as Hof does, Carney contends, some could potentially cure themselves of those diseases. Kox is cautiously optimistic that this could, indeed, someday be a treatment strategy. "We still have to test it, but it might be beneficial in conditions associated with an overactive immune response," Kox says. "But we need more work more proof to see whether this is really beneficial." Kox says he can't tell from his findings, but he is currently supervising an experiment to find out. He expects those results to be published within the next couple of years. Until then, the value of cold exposure as a treatment for autoimmune disease remains largely unproven, if promising. The bottom line is, there is little evidence so far to suggest that training in cold weather makes you healthier, or that you can burn significantly more calories. The physiologists Shots talked to all agreed on one thing: There simply hasn't been enough research to say one way or another. Cypess says he isn't ready to dismiss the potential benefits. But until he sees more compelling data, he's not likely to suggest it as a therapy. He has a bigger priority. "The most important thing is to get the person to exercise," Cypess says. "There is no obvious added benefit to exercising in the cold." Paul Chisholm is a freelance science writer in Rapid City, S.D. You can reach him on Twitter: @PaulJChisholm. | Wim Hof is a Dutch athlete who claims to control his body temperature in extreme cold through sheer force of will. Exercising in the cold, Hof argues, makes people healthier. Many of the purported benefits of cold hinge on brown fat, sometimes referred to as "good" fat. | bart | 2 | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/01/01/681259440/could-exercising-in-frigid-temperatures-make-us-healthier?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=shotshealthnews | 0.192841 |
Will new federal tax law hurt SC nonprofits, charities? | Midlands nonprofits are hoping changes to the federal tax law wont discourage South Carolinians from giving to charity since many filers will no longer write off their donations on their tax returns. Standard deductions were expanded under the 2017 federal tax law, meaning more filers will choose that larger deduction $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married joint-filers in April because its more generous, said tax economist Nicole Kaeding. That has some S.C. nonprofits on edge particularly those that rely on middle-income donors. They are concerned they will receive fewer donations than in past years. However, groups also say that, for the most part, people give to charity because they want to. If the standard deduction is bigger, you take that, said Kaeding, the federal policy director with the Washington, D.C. think-tank Tax Foundation. In 2017, about 70 percent of taxpayers took the standard deduction. This year, its estimated to be about 90 percent. $20 for 365 Days of Unlimited Digital Access Last chance to take advantage of our best offer of the year! Act now! Madeleine McGee, head of Together SC, which advocates for S.C. nonprofits, said stakeholders are watching for that potential impact. Everyone is watching to see what happens and hoping that giving wont decline, she said. If it does, I believe leaders ... stand ready to help find a fix. The question, McGee said, is whether donors will change their giving behavior without the financial incentive. Thats to be determined. So far, childrens advocacy group Childrens Trust of South Carolina said it has not seen a significant drop in giving. However, we recognize that it may be too early to gauge the consequences, and we are watching what this could mean for us in the future, said Childrens Trust CEO Sue Williams. And United Way of the Midlands also said its too early to tell the laws impact given the groups campaign fundraising season stretches until June 30. Im optimistic that it wont, said the groups president and CEO, Sarah Fawcett. For the most part, people give because they believe in causes. I hope people do continue to give regardless of the tax law or its impact. | S.C. nonprofits are hoping changes to the federal tax law wont discourage South Carolinians from giving to charity. | bart | 0 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/south-carolina/article223665435.html | 0.304984 |
Will new federal tax law hurt SC nonprofits, charities? | Midlands nonprofits are hoping changes to the federal tax law wont discourage South Carolinians from giving to charity since many filers will no longer write off their donations on their tax returns. Standard deductions were expanded under the 2017 federal tax law, meaning more filers will choose that larger deduction $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married joint-filers in April because its more generous, said tax economist Nicole Kaeding. That has some S.C. nonprofits on edge particularly those that rely on middle-income donors. They are concerned they will receive fewer donations than in past years. However, groups also say that, for the most part, people give to charity because they want to. If the standard deduction is bigger, you take that, said Kaeding, the federal policy director with the Washington, D.C. think-tank Tax Foundation. In 2017, about 70 percent of taxpayers took the standard deduction. This year, its estimated to be about 90 percent. $20 for 365 Days of Unlimited Digital Access Last chance to take advantage of our best offer of the year! Act now! Madeleine McGee, head of Together SC, which advocates for S.C. nonprofits, said stakeholders are watching for that potential impact. Everyone is watching to see what happens and hoping that giving wont decline, she said. If it does, I believe leaders ... stand ready to help find a fix. The question, McGee said, is whether donors will change their giving behavior without the financial incentive. Thats to be determined. So far, childrens advocacy group Childrens Trust of South Carolina said it has not seen a significant drop in giving. However, we recognize that it may be too early to gauge the consequences, and we are watching what this could mean for us in the future, said Childrens Trust CEO Sue Williams. And United Way of the Midlands also said its too early to tell the laws impact given the groups campaign fundraising season stretches until June 30. Im optimistic that it wont, said the groups president and CEO, Sarah Fawcett. For the most part, people give because they believe in causes. I hope people do continue to give regardless of the tax law or its impact. | Standard deductions were expanded under the 2017 federal tax law. That has some S.C. nonprofits on edge, particularly those that rely on middle-income donors. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/south-carolina/article223665435.html | 0.352256 |
Will new federal tax law hurt SC nonprofits, charities? | Midlands nonprofits are hoping changes to the federal tax law wont discourage South Carolinians from giving to charity since many filers will no longer write off their donations on their tax returns. Standard deductions were expanded under the 2017 federal tax law, meaning more filers will choose that larger deduction $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married joint-filers in April because its more generous, said tax economist Nicole Kaeding. That has some S.C. nonprofits on edge particularly those that rely on middle-income donors. They are concerned they will receive fewer donations than in past years. However, groups also say that, for the most part, people give to charity because they want to. If the standard deduction is bigger, you take that, said Kaeding, the federal policy director with the Washington, D.C. think-tank Tax Foundation. In 2017, about 70 percent of taxpayers took the standard deduction. This year, its estimated to be about 90 percent. $20 for 365 Days of Unlimited Digital Access Last chance to take advantage of our best offer of the year! Act now! Madeleine McGee, head of Together SC, which advocates for S.C. nonprofits, said stakeholders are watching for that potential impact. Everyone is watching to see what happens and hoping that giving wont decline, she said. If it does, I believe leaders ... stand ready to help find a fix. The question, McGee said, is whether donors will change their giving behavior without the financial incentive. Thats to be determined. So far, childrens advocacy group Childrens Trust of South Carolina said it has not seen a significant drop in giving. However, we recognize that it may be too early to gauge the consequences, and we are watching what this could mean for us in the future, said Childrens Trust CEO Sue Williams. And United Way of the Midlands also said its too early to tell the laws impact given the groups campaign fundraising season stretches until June 30. Im optimistic that it wont, said the groups president and CEO, Sarah Fawcett. For the most part, people give because they believe in causes. I hope people do continue to give regardless of the tax law or its impact. | The new federal tax law has some S.C. nonprofits on edge. Tax economist: More filers will choose larger deduction in April because it's more generous. But groups say that, for the most part, people give to charity because they want to, not because of financial incentive. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/south-carolina/article223665435.html | 0.500165 |
Will UPS and FedEx Rate Hikes Doom Free Shipping? | The free shipping that consumers have come to expect when ordering online could be jeopardized by the latest rate hikes imposed by UPS (NYSE: UPS) and FedEx (NYSE: FDX). The average rate hike of 4.9% is the same amount the two carriers have imposed every year since 2010. But the increases in ancillary fees and surcharges are what could wreak havoc with free shipping, because they're targeted at the residential customer -- and some rates will rise as much as 30% or more. Although UPS has couched the rate hikes as a way to improve customer service, John Haber, the CEO of supply chain consultancy Spend Management Experts, says the "rate increases are massive and are going to negatively impact shippers of all sizes." UPS delivery truck More Image source: UPS. An expensive benefit UPS gave shippers less than a month's notice that it was raising rates on the day after Christmas, while FedEx rates will go up starting Jan. 7. The two national carriers are also raising a variety of fees and surcharges that -- depending upon your ZIP code -- will increase shipping costs by an average of 9% or more. More worrisome for the future of free shipping is the rate hike UPS is imposing on SurePost, the service provided in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) under which UPS uses the USPS to provide faster last-mile delivery. For packages over one pound, rates are rising by 9%; for those under a pound, they're going up 9.34%. Surcharges to certain rural or difficult-to-access locations will see rates rise by 32%. Rates for FedEx's similar SmartPost arrangement are also going up. The USPS also raised its rates this past October, with its Parcel Select package rates rising between 9% and 12%. It's a problem because Spend Management Experts says that SurePost, SmartPost, and Parcel Select are the options retailers most often use to offer free shipping in a bid to maintain parity with Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). That causes the retailers to operate at razor-thin margins, and the rate hikes could make free shipping a money-losing option for them. The Amazon effect The impact of the rate increases on Amazon, while not negligible, is more easily borne because it has over 100 million customers paying $119 a year for a Prime membership to get "free shipping." That offsets the cost to an extent, even though there are many other benefits included in the loyalty program. Also, Amazon began building out its own logistics operations several years ago, which are increasingly taking over package delivery from the national carriers. It just announced it was expanding by 10 planes the number of aircraft it will lease from Air Transport Services Group, to add to the 40 planes it currently has in its Amazon Air fleet. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate Amazon can save anywhere from $2 to $4 per package when using its private fleet, amounting to some $2 billion annually. That would equal about 10% of the $21 billion Amazon spent on shipping in 2017. The rate hikes will only encourage Amazon to further build out its delivery business, particularly for last-mile delivery. There's no free lunch The e-commerce giant is most dependent upon the USPS. Estimates of the post office's share of Amazon's overall volume vary widely. One analyst estimates that the USPS delivers 45% of Amazon's domestic shipping volume and 23% of Amazon's total volume. Another industry consultant says that the figure is higher, projecting as many as 62% of Amazon parcels get delivered through the USPS. | The average rate hike of 4.9% is the same amount UPS and FedEx have imposed every year since 2010. The increases in ancillary fees and surcharges are what could wreak havoc with free shipping. The rate hikes will only encourage Amazon to further build out its delivery business. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/ups-fedex-rate-hikes-doom-121800411.html | 0.327415 |
Is Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Well, Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) would not be a good potential starting point right now. FRNRX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We classify FRNRX in the Sector - Energy category, an area that is rife with possible choices. Throughout the massive global energy sector, Sector - Energy mutual funds hold a wide range of quickly changing and vitally important industries. While oil and gas comprise the bulk of the exposure, carbon-based fuels will be the biggest group of assets in these funds, though clean energy is starting to pick up steam. History of Fund/Manager Franklin Templeton is based in San Mateo, CA, and is the manager of FRNRX. Since Franklin Natural Resources A made its debut in June of 1995, FRNRX has garnered more than $283.65 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. FRNRX has a 5-year annualized total return of -7.45% and is in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 1.08%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FRNRX over the past three years is 21.11% compared to the category average of 12.48%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 22.13% compared to the category average of 12.56%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. FRNRX lost 54.92% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 0.23%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market. Nevertheless, with a 5-year beta of 1.09, the fund is likely to be more volatile than the market average. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. FRNRX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -16.05, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, FRNRX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.13% compared to the category average of 1.48%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FRNRX is actually cheaper than its peers. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Bottom Line Overall, Franklin Natural Resources A ( FRNRX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Franklin Natural Resources A ( FRNRX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. Your research on the Sector - Energy segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (FRNRX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell) We classify FRNRX in the Sector - Energy category, an area that is rife with possible choices. | bart | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/franklin-natural-resources-frnrx-strong-120012823.html | 0.199154 |
Is Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Well, Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) would not be a good potential starting point right now. FRNRX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We classify FRNRX in the Sector - Energy category, an area that is rife with possible choices. Throughout the massive global energy sector, Sector - Energy mutual funds hold a wide range of quickly changing and vitally important industries. While oil and gas comprise the bulk of the exposure, carbon-based fuels will be the biggest group of assets in these funds, though clean energy is starting to pick up steam. History of Fund/Manager Franklin Templeton is based in San Mateo, CA, and is the manager of FRNRX. Since Franklin Natural Resources A made its debut in June of 1995, FRNRX has garnered more than $283.65 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. FRNRX has a 5-year annualized total return of -7.45% and is in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 1.08%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FRNRX over the past three years is 21.11% compared to the category average of 12.48%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 22.13% compared to the category average of 12.56%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. FRNRX lost 54.92% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 0.23%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market. Nevertheless, with a 5-year beta of 1.09, the fund is likely to be more volatile than the market average. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. FRNRX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -16.05, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, FRNRX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.13% compared to the category average of 1.48%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FRNRX is actually cheaper than its peers. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Bottom Line Overall, Franklin Natural Resources A ( FRNRX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Franklin Natural Resources A ( FRNRX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. Your research on the Sector - Energy segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (FRNRX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | Franklin Natural Resources A (FRNRX) holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell) FRNRX has a 5-year annualized total return of -7.45%. The fund has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -16.05. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/franklin-natural-resources-frnrx-strong-120012823.html | 0.149857 |
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