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Devalued Asian currencies allowed Americans to buy more imported goods in 1998. The previous record deficit, $153.3 billion, was set in 1987.
Economists predict the record will be broken in 1999 as the US continues to buy imports from troubled countries.
Monogamy: Foundation of Western Civilization?
"Does polygamy between consenting adults harm anyone else?" Yes, answers the Guardian's Andrew Brown, looking at some fascinating new anthropological research. Polygamy, he explains, winds up encouraging dangerous competition and poor childrearing.
The men who fail to get wives will be driven by competition that it increasingly dangerous to society and to themselves ... the winners, who get wives of their own, find their own behaviour distorted by polygamy. Because the competition for women is so fierce, making them valuable objects rather than loveable people, m...
Meanwhile, though society may be forever bemoaning monogamy's flaws, it turns out that monogamy, in fact, "gives huge advantages to the societies which practice it." While "highly polygynous countries" wind up with "low saving rates, high fertility, and low GDP per capita," the anthropologist Brown quotes says that, ap...
We are moving back to London soon and that brought another climate issue to mind. I said it was probably a bad idea to live close to the River Thames, as floods are likely to become more frequent. She’s starting to think Canada might be a better option.
If you too ignored the IPCC report this week, I won’t judge you. I skimmed The Guardian story with a mixture of resignation and despair. Thanks, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, I needed cheering up! A viral headline from the BBC, later changed, summed up a the problem: “Climate report: scientists politely ur...
The challenge for us who want strong action to avert a climate crisis isn’t denial any more: it is apathy, despair and paralysis. In our world of short attention spans, constant shocks and economic insecurity, the warnings are not doing their job. Climate scientists are pushing the button but the warning lights remain ...
The media get a lot of blame for this. As someone who has been tracking the BBC’s failings on climate change for a decade, I think they deserve much of it. But simply pushing the panic button harder won’t work. We need a different alarm system altogether. Why? Because we aren't reaching people with stories that affect ...
Simply pushing the panic button harder won’t work. We need a different alarm system altogether.
Any story about the climate crisis has to start with a family, not a statistic. We have to stop this obsession with 1.5 or 2 or 3 or 4°C. It means little to non-scientists and sounds like minor differences. Worse, stories of doom make people more depressed. When bad news is everywhere, the first thing we do is ignore t...
The climate crisis is first and foremost a story about people: how it is hurting them and how it will upturn their lives. That is where we must start. People are affected by and remember stories they can relate to, not statistics. We need to stop focusing on degrees, sea levels, coral reefs or Arctic icesheets, and foc...
You could say it’s the job of journalists to turn those numbers into stories and you’d be right. But the IPCC updates and the avalanche of doomsday scenarios have created a narrative around statistics and disaster. Politicians overwhelmingly take their cue from this avalanche of numbers. The media dutifully run them on...
And that’s just the first problem.
Climate change is a left-wing issue. The language, the solutions, the advocacy is almost entirely by and for a left-liberal audience. But those are not the people we need to convince. Right-wingers don’t listen to our warnings because we don’t speak their language and they don’t trust us.
Right-wingers don’t listen to our warnings because we don’t speak their language and they don’t trust us.
I know what you’re going to say: that we cannot reach those people because capitalist interests already have them convinced. In that case, go home because you’ve already given up. Instead we could list to people like Katharine Hayhoe, a Christian evangelical and a climate scientist, who is trying an approach that invol...
Even our solutions are limited. We cannot overcome the climate crisis just through ‘eco socialism’ – it will need billions of investment into clean energy and new technologies too. We have to champion a range of voices and solutions for everyone.
Climate scientists are not all political partisans but the people pushing their message almost entirely are. And that’s why so many resist it. We have to convince our political opposites we have their interests at heart because… there is no other choice.
What is our vision for the future?
I’m a paid-up member of this movement and yet I still don’t know if our governments are hitting necessary targets or how much the shortfall is. Most of us don’t know what goals countries should aim for, so journalists rarely ask politicians how they match up. It allows politicians to make vague promises without firm co...
What does a world with cheap, green energy look like? Given how cheap solar energy has become just in the last decade, where could we be in 20 years? What is our positive vision? There is no positive agenda so it's easy for our opponents to say we just want to hike up energy prices. There is no pushback to that narrati...
None of this is to deny the media could be covering climate change much better. Or that there aren’t big corporate interests opposed to any action. We still need to call out oil companies for funding climate denialism.
We also need climate change to be featured in general news coverage, as Genevieve Guenther’s project End Climate Silence is pushing for, and call out the media when they don’t link climate change to natural disasters.
But we have to stop hoping journalists will become advocates. Instead we have to get better at setting the media agenda. If we feed it an endless diet of doomsday statistics, readers start to tune out, and journalists have a strong incentive to follow. Big oil doesn’t need to confuse the public when we are already putt...
I know this debate is not new. Our problem isn't a choice between good news or bad news or between hope and fear - it is that our stories are too abstract and removed from daily lives.
The climate crisis is already affecting families like mine, but I can make that link because I follow it closely. Most people don’t because the debate is too abstract. There is little point in just blaming the media for this, though. We can make those links in face-to-face conversations with our friends and families, i...
Much has been made of the lack of millennial homebuyers in the market, but many feel this group might be making waves soon. Since the Great Recession, employment numbers have been low, income gains modest, and debt and rent levels high — all while access to credit has been tight. This combination has kept young homebuy...
Millennials make up much of the first-time homebuyer market, and their unemployment numbers have been less than encouraging in recent years. This past January, however, employment among 25- to 34-year-olds reached its highest level since the end of 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor. This, combined with pent-up dem...
Early signs indicate that 2015 might see a surge in home purchases overall, and particularly with first-time buyers. According to data from Redfin, in the week of Jan. 12, 57 percent of the home tours conducted by its agents were for first-time homebuyers, a significant increase from the 48 percent seen in the same wee...
Interest likely will continue to increase, but tours by first-time homebuyers won’t turn into sales if buyers are still unable to access financing. Since the financial downturn, tightened credit standards have been the norm as lenders zealously pursue fiscal responsibility through the simplest means. Because of this, l...
According to industry experts, nearly 1 in 3 consumers has a FICO credit score below 640, and for the millennial generation, the numbers are even lower. Millennials (those aged 19-29) have a national average credit score of 628, the lowest score of any generation, according to Experian’s Fourth Annual State of Credit r...
These consumers can become homeowners, however, if they are able to partner with the right mortgage lender and a real estate agent who is aware of the latest changes in the mortgage landscape.
Despite the perceived risk, some lenders still want to serve the underserved market with well-managed programs tailored to fit this market’s needs. These lenders have responsibly lowered minimum credit requirements, extended eligibility to more property types and reduced overlays. Some lenders also offer simplified loa...
Although these consumers might not be “perfect” borrowers on the surface, lenders with programs such as these can help bridge the financing gap and facilitate millennials’ entry into the market. Real estate agents who are working with first-time homebuyers and the millennial cohort should be on the lookout for lenders ...
In addition to programs offered by individual mortgage lenders, many national and federal organizations have recently changed their requirements to foster more first-time homebuyers. In December, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced the launch of mortgage programs that allow for down payments as low as 3 percent. And i...
If the early positive indicators hold out, 2015 could turn out to be a great year for the real estate market. According to Redfin, the median home price increased 7.6 percent year over year in January. In addition, home tour demand was up 62 percent from the same January period the year before, and signed offers were u...
As more millennials and first-time buyers look to purchase a home, they will need access to loan programs developed to serve the underserved market and not just the top tier of conventional borrowers. Increased access to credit, along with the recent changes in down payments and mortgage insurance premiums, could bring...
Ray Brousseau serves as executive vice president of Carrington Mortgage Services.
WWE News: Ric Flair To Appear On RAW Tonight — What Will His Role Be?
Tonight’s WWE RAW is the go-home edition for this Sunday’s WWE pay-per-view Fast Lane, and the Wrestling Observer is reporting that WWE Hall of Famer, the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will be appearing on tonight’s show, likely to confront Triple H, and get involved in his storyline with Sting.
Ric Flair and Sting have a storied past together, and were likely each other’s greatest opponent. Ric Flair and Triple H also have a storied past together, as Triple H grew up idolizing Ric Flair, and Flair managed Triple H while they were both in the legendary faction Evolution.
On last week’s RAW, Triple H demanded to know if Sting was going to accept his challenge, and show up at Fast Lane this Sunday. Sting accepted in a rather elaborate way.
The last time Ric Flair was on RAW, he was knocked out by the Big Show, and carried to the back by WWE doctors, Shawn Michaels, Roman Reigns and Hulk Hogan. It’s unlikely that Flair will be seeking revenge, especially since it appears that the Big Show turned babyface on this past Thursday’s SmackDown.
In WWE.com’s five-point preview for tonight’s RAW, they tease that Triple H will reveal how he’s preparing psychologically for his upcoming encounter with Sting. So, Flair’s role could very well be to help Triple H prepare.
“Last Monday night on RAW, Triple H demanded that Sting respond to his challenge to meet face to face at WWE Fast Lane, and the vigilante finally replied to The Game in bewildering, near-supernatural fashion.
Of course, it’s unlikely that Sting will appear during tonight’s show, as that would kill the need for WWE fans to tune into Fast Lane on Sunday. But it is likely that Sting will have another elaborate message for Triple H tonight.
Boss Liam McDonald has urged Rushall Olympic to avoid being the victims of an upset in tonight’s FA Cup first qualifying round replay.
The Pics host Sutton Coldfield Town tonight after drawing 2-2 at Coles Lane on Saturday.
McDonald’s side play a level above the Royals but he said: “It’s a balanced tie because it’s the FA Cup.
“I’m sure there’ll be teams upset by lower opposition and we’ve just got to make sure we’re not one of them.
Ben Lund and skipper Ashley Sammons found the net for Rushall on Sutton’s artificial pitch. Jordan Nadat cancelled out Lund’s strike. James Beresford scored late on after Sammons’ sharp finish.
The replay kicks off at 7.45pm and the winner will receive £6,000.
“We knew they were going to come and press us a little higher and get bodies around the ball at times.
“We just, sort of, played at our own pace – but they upped it. We weren’t able to match it at times.
The furthest the Pics have gone in the competition is the fourth qualifying round, which they reached in the 2007/08 and 2013/14 seasons.
For one hour and 18 minutes, the pilots — flying at 37,000 feet above sea level — were radio silent with air traffic controllers, who at times tried to reach the cockpit, according to a news release from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilots of the Airbus A320 told the FBI and airport police that they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost awareness of the situation, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The NTSB plans to interview the crew and is reviewing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the flight, Northwest 188 from San Diego to Minneapolis. The NTSB will be investigating whether the pilots fell asleep, along with all other possibilities.
Early in 2008, the two pilots of a go! Airlines flight from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii fell asleep for at least 18 minutes while in the air. The plane flew past the airport and out to sea before air traffic controllers finally were able to reach the pilots, who turned the plane around. The captain later was diagnosed wit...
Yes, Macklemore is from the Northwest. But check out these talented artists from Portland, where the hip-hop scene is making noise after cops shut down a number of local shows.
Gregory Poe, aka Illmaculate, won the Scribble Jam battle rap competition in 2004, and has consistently been a heavy-hitter in the Pacific Northwest hip-hop scene ever since. He's described his March 2014 album Clay Pigeons, which pairs soul-bearing lyrics with blunted party beats, as a "momentum builder."
Vinnie Dewayne moved from Portland Chicago for college but never stopped repping his home neighborhood, St. Johns. His 2012 mixtape Castaway got people talking about his expertise, and he's got a new mixtape, St. Johns Scholar, in the works.
Essential track: "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
Heady and passionate emcee Mic Capes, whose real name Michael Caples, is also from Portland's St. Johns neighborhood. His 2012 debut Rise & Grind was strong and soulful — do yourself a favor and listen to "Wake Up" immediately — and he's been teasing his sophomore project Concrete Dreams with some loose bangers.
Mikey Vegaz, born Eddie Bynum, Jr., has gotten attention from places like XXL and The Source since his freshman album Fli Rock was released in 2007. Since, the self-proclaimed "Prince of the City" has just gotten better — check out his 2013 tape, Gold Kilos N Tha Trap.
Essential track: "Gods Be Gods"
Born Loren Ware, Glenn Waco flow that's laid-back but full of intention. His November 2013 mixtape NorthBound mixes stories about growing up amidst violence in Portland's St. Johns neighborhood with smooth, lighter fare. Try lusty "Crush" or the nostalgic "Gutterball."
7hirdwav3, the rap/R&B duo comprised of Neka Perini and Jordan "Kahlo" Kokich, released their debut self-titled EP in May 2014. With Neka's powerhouse pipes and Kahlo's gritty rhymes, the couple are more than keeping up in what tends to be a boys club.
Rasheed Jamal moved to Portland from Arkansas back in 2008 to pursue bigger opportunities, and his work in the local scene is paying off. When he's not performing with Glenn Waco and Mic Capes as The Resistance, he's flexing his lyrical chops and slight southern twang in solo work like 2012's My Beautiful Ugly. He desc...
The trio — made up of emcees Anthony "Tope" Anderson and Jamiah "Epp" Sneeds, and producer Gabe "G Force" Edelmann — have been around since 2009 but made a splash in January 2014 with the release of TxE vs. PRTLND. The album is built on samples from some of Portland's best indie rock acts, and cemented the group as a l...
The young Cassow (think "Picasso") has gotten some national attention since he put out his first mixtape, Off to Mars, back in 2010. His 2013 release, Cold Winter, features verses from both Danny Brown and Smoke DZA, and he performed at SXSW this year. Look out for the upcoming Bayous by US.
You can't talk about Portland hip-hop without talking about Cool Nutz, whose real name is Terrance Scott. He's been around since the early '90s, when he co-founded the Portland Oregon Hip-Hop (POH-Hop) Festival. Today, he divides his time between managing other local acts on his label Jus Family Records and releasing h...
There’s an Italian farmer’s market, sauce cook-off, craft vendors, a grape stomp, wine walk and gelato-eating contest in downtown Reno this weekend.
The annual Great Italian Festival brings food, entertainment and more food to downtown Reno this weekend.
It’s the 37th year for the Eldorado event celebrating Italian culture.
There’s an Italian farmer’s market, sauce cook-off, craft vendors, a grape stomp, wine walk and gelato-eating contest.
Virginia Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between Second and Fifth streets from 7 a.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Monday.
What: Eldorado Great Italian Festival.
Where: Downtown Reno from Second to Fifth streets.
Cost: Admission and entertainment are free. The food, of course, costs money.
Sauce-tasting: For $5, you can get a four-compartment muffin tin to try sauces from more than 25 family sauce-makers.
Entertainment: Music on two stages – Fourth and Virginia streets and Third and Virginia streets.
NewLink Genetics and Incyte Corporation's IDO-inhibitors could be the next big advance in cancer treatment.
NewLink Genetics (NASDAQ:NLNK) and Incyte Corporation (NASDAQ:INCY) are racing a new class of drugs through clinical trials, and if these trials are successful, these new drugs may change how doctors treat cancer, including melanoma.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a protein that suppresses the immune system that cancer cells sometimes hijack. By inhibiting IDO, NewLink Genetics and Incyte hope to restore immune system responses so that cancer cells can be more easily identified and destroyed.
At NewLink Genetics, researchers are working on two IDO-inhibitors: indoximod, which it's developing on its own, and GDC-0919, which it's developing with Roche Holdings (NASDAQOTH:RHHBY).
Last week, NewLink Genetics unveiled updated results from a 60-person phase 2 study evaluating indoximod alongside Merck & Co.'s (NYSE:MRK) Keytruda in advanced melanoma. In this trial, 52% of patients responded to this two-drug therapy, and 73% had either a complete response, partial response, or stable disease.
The response rates are intriguing in part because the FDA approved Keytruda monotherapy in advanced melanoma after 33% of Keytruda patients responded to the drug in trials.
Incyte is also putting up impressive results in trials evaluating its IDO-inhibitor, epacadostat. In December, Incyte reported a 58% overall response rate in advanced melanoma patients who were given epacadostat and Keytruda. Overall, 74% of patients saw a complete response, partial response, or stable disease in this ...
NewLink Genetics data failed to impress investors who were hoping for a better than Incyte result, and because of that, NewLink Genetics shares have fallen.
However, investors might not want to draw too many conclusions between the two drugs and their efficacy. After all, these drugs are not being studied in head-to-head trials, so it's bad science to compare these trials with one another, especially since Incyte's trial included only 19 patients, while NewLink Genetics tr...
Because of differences in trial size and mechanism of action, investors are probably best served considering the results from both of these trials as evidence that targeting IDO puts both of these companies on the right track.
NewLink Genetics and Incyte are also evaluating IDO-inhibitors in solid tumors.
NewLink Genetics and Roche Holdings' GDC-0919 works in a manner that's more similar to epacadostat than indoximod, and results from a phase 1b study evaluating its use alongside Roche's Tecentriq (a drug that's similar to Keytruda) in solid tumors should be available later this year. Meanwhile, Incyte's epacadostat stu...
Of course, it's anyone's guess if these trials pan out, but if they do, then IDO-inhibitors may not only transform how we treat advanced melanoma, but also how we treat non-small lung cancer, triple negative breast cancer, and bladder cancer, too. And, that's potentially very big news for both of these companies.
I argued that the Lean Start-up movement is about leveraging platforms and because of this today's investors need to build platforms that make company building more efficient. Optimization of these platforms will force firms to focus by stage and partners to invest in helping entrepreneurs get maximum leverage from the...
Today's entrepreneurs are not only innovating on the products and services they are building, but the best are innovating on the way they build, scale and bring these products and services to market.
This reality creates a disconnect between investors and entrepreneurs that is especially painful when ideas got funded and then do not work. The old VC playbook says when an idea doesn't work, you write another check. If it still doesn't work, you fire the CEO and then write another check.

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