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Is Diversification Still The Best Strategy? | A Variegated (Diversified) Garden getty You may have noticed that the stocks of a small number of very large companies have great impact on the performance of the stock market. I did an Internet search on 5 stocks dominate and turned up a very large number of articles discussing the unprecedented share of the FAANG stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon AMZN , Netflix NFLX , Google GOOG ) in total market capitalization. The grouping of dominant stocks is elastic, sometimes including Microsoft MSFT and Tesla TSLA . You might wonder if the world has changed. Perhaps diversification no longer makes sense if a handful of companies make up such are large share of the overall market. Perhaps investing success simply requires purchasing the top 5 or ten stocks. Just in the nick of time, Hendrik Bessembinders article, "Do Stocks Outperform Treasury Bills?" in the Journal of Financial Economics, rides to the rescue. Bessembinders research provides long-term perspective on this question. Heres a sneak preview diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. The paper analyzes the returns of every US stock represented in the University of Chicagos Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) database from 1926 to 2016 90 years and 25,967 stocks. That adds up to 3,565,216 months of stock performance! The paper compares the performance of each stock, each month, to the performance of Treasury bills in that same month. Treasury bills are effectively the risk-free US asset. The headline finding is that, while on average, stocks do outperform Treasury bills, more often than not, individual stocks underperform both Treasury bills and the stock market index. That sounds like an internally contradictory statement. Understanding it requires a brief digression into some simple statistical ideas. Stay with me they are easy to understand. Suppose we have 3 stocks, A, B and C. During January, A loses 30%, B returns 0%, and C returns 30%. January Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Bs return of 0% is also the median or middle return (marker for median return is hidden behind B). The mean or average return is the sum of all the returns divided by the number of stocks. In this case, thats -30% plus 0% plus 30% or 0% divided by 3, which is 0% (also the same as Bs return, thus the marker is hidden behind B). In January, the mean or average return equals the median or middle return. February Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial In February, A again loses 30% (poor A! ), B breaks even at 0%, and C has a barnburner month, gaining 330%. The median (middle) return for the month is still Bs 0% (again, the marker is hidden behind B), but the mean (average) is the total of all three returns, -30% + 0% + 330% = 300%, divided by 3 thats 100% (green triangle in the chart). The mean is larger than the median. When the mean is larger than the median, the distribution is said to be skewed to the right. That basically means that the distribution isnt symmetrical (like a bell curve). There are a few very large positive returns (like Cs in February), but most returns are much smaller (like As and Bs). Investors buying all three stocks would receive the mean return. Investors buying just one stock might get any of the three returns. If we were considering a more realistic situation with many stocks, and a return distribution skewed to the right, the number of stocks earning large returns will be small, and investors buying just one stock will have only a small chance of earning those large returns (half of these investors will receive the median return or less). Effectively, Bessembinder finds that the distribution of individual stock returns is skewed to the right, and it is more skewed for longer time periods. The median stock return is close to the T-Bill rate. Most investors holding individual stocks, in many months, would do better with the risk-free investment. Top Ten Value Creating US Stocks From 1926-2016 Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Value creation is concentrated, too Historically, the stocks that performed best did very, very well indeed (see chart above). The top ten stocks (out of 25,967, remember) generated 16% of all the economic value (return over Treasury bill returns) created by the US stock market between 1926 and 2016. The green curve shows the cumulative percentage of value created by the listed stocks from largest (Exxon) to number 10 (Walmart WMT ), from left to right. You probably recognize the names of the stocks. Were not finished yet, though. The top 90 stocks (.36%) account for half the value created, and the top 1,092 (4.31%) contributed all of it. The remaining 24,000 or so, the remaining 95+% (! ), collectively contributed nothing. Their investors would have done just as well owning Treasury bills and taking no risk. Bessembinder also investigated investment approaches to determine how their returns compared to that of the stock market overall, or the index. He constructed five different approaches based on the number of stocks each held, from 1 stock to 100 stocks, over different time frames, from 1 year to 90 years. For each portfolio size, he constructs a new portfolio each month, selecting from 1 stock to 100 stocks at random. He constructs 20,000 portfolio paths for each strategy and each time frame. The percentage of paths that beat the index for each approach is shown in the chart. Percentage of Portfolios with Returns Greater Than Index Rick Miller, Sensible Financial The concentrated strategies can beat the index, but its hard! Larger portfolios are more likely than smaller ones to be successful, and all approaches are less likely to be successful the longer the time frame. Even 100-stock portfolios beat the index less than 50% of the time. [You might argue that a talented stock-picker would do better than randomly choosing stocks a long sequence of Wall Street Journal articles about highly regarded stock pickers losing to darts thrown at the stock pages would suggest otherwise.] It is true (data not shown here) that the mean returns for 1- and 5-stock portfolios are much larger than the median, and much larger than the index returns, and the advantages are larger for the longer time frames. However, the return distributions are very skewed to the right, and the chance of beating the index is very small. In short, it was ever thus. Since the 1920s, a small number of stocks have contributed most of the markets investment returns. However, it has always been very difficult to know, in advance, which ones will contribute the most. A broadly diversified index approach, holding all stocks in proportion to their share of market value, ensures that investors will hold the small number of stocks that deliver very large returns, while more concentrated approaches do not. Investors who are willing to accept a large chance of losing most of their investment by investing in concentrated portfolios can be very successful, but most are likely to be disappointed. The foregoing content reflects Rick Millers opinions and is subject to change at any time without notice. Content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as investment advice or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of any security. There is no guarantee that the statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Any investor who attempts to mimic the performance of an index would incur fees and expenses which would reduce returns. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful. | Diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rmiller/2021/05/19/is-diversification-still-the-best-strategy/ | 0.620192 |
Is Diversification Still The Best Strategy? | A Variegated (Diversified) Garden getty You may have noticed that the stocks of a small number of very large companies have great impact on the performance of the stock market. I did an Internet search on 5 stocks dominate and turned up a very large number of articles discussing the unprecedented share of the FAANG stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon AMZN , Netflix NFLX , Google GOOG ) in total market capitalization. The grouping of dominant stocks is elastic, sometimes including Microsoft MSFT and Tesla TSLA . You might wonder if the world has changed. Perhaps diversification no longer makes sense if a handful of companies make up such are large share of the overall market. Perhaps investing success simply requires purchasing the top 5 or ten stocks. Just in the nick of time, Hendrik Bessembinders article, "Do Stocks Outperform Treasury Bills?" in the Journal of Financial Economics, rides to the rescue. Bessembinders research provides long-term perspective on this question. Heres a sneak preview diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. The paper analyzes the returns of every US stock represented in the University of Chicagos Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) database from 1926 to 2016 90 years and 25,967 stocks. That adds up to 3,565,216 months of stock performance! The paper compares the performance of each stock, each month, to the performance of Treasury bills in that same month. Treasury bills are effectively the risk-free US asset. The headline finding is that, while on average, stocks do outperform Treasury bills, more often than not, individual stocks underperform both Treasury bills and the stock market index. That sounds like an internally contradictory statement. Understanding it requires a brief digression into some simple statistical ideas. Stay with me they are easy to understand. Suppose we have 3 stocks, A, B and C. During January, A loses 30%, B returns 0%, and C returns 30%. January Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Bs return of 0% is also the median or middle return (marker for median return is hidden behind B). The mean or average return is the sum of all the returns divided by the number of stocks. In this case, thats -30% plus 0% plus 30% or 0% divided by 3, which is 0% (also the same as Bs return, thus the marker is hidden behind B). In January, the mean or average return equals the median or middle return. February Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial In February, A again loses 30% (poor A! ), B breaks even at 0%, and C has a barnburner month, gaining 330%. The median (middle) return for the month is still Bs 0% (again, the marker is hidden behind B), but the mean (average) is the total of all three returns, -30% + 0% + 330% = 300%, divided by 3 thats 100% (green triangle in the chart). The mean is larger than the median. When the mean is larger than the median, the distribution is said to be skewed to the right. That basically means that the distribution isnt symmetrical (like a bell curve). There are a few very large positive returns (like Cs in February), but most returns are much smaller (like As and Bs). Investors buying all three stocks would receive the mean return. Investors buying just one stock might get any of the three returns. If we were considering a more realistic situation with many stocks, and a return distribution skewed to the right, the number of stocks earning large returns will be small, and investors buying just one stock will have only a small chance of earning those large returns (half of these investors will receive the median return or less). Effectively, Bessembinder finds that the distribution of individual stock returns is skewed to the right, and it is more skewed for longer time periods. The median stock return is close to the T-Bill rate. Most investors holding individual stocks, in many months, would do better with the risk-free investment. Top Ten Value Creating US Stocks From 1926-2016 Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Value creation is concentrated, too Historically, the stocks that performed best did very, very well indeed (see chart above). The top ten stocks (out of 25,967, remember) generated 16% of all the economic value (return over Treasury bill returns) created by the US stock market between 1926 and 2016. The green curve shows the cumulative percentage of value created by the listed stocks from largest (Exxon) to number 10 (Walmart WMT ), from left to right. You probably recognize the names of the stocks. Were not finished yet, though. The top 90 stocks (.36%) account for half the value created, and the top 1,092 (4.31%) contributed all of it. The remaining 24,000 or so, the remaining 95+% (! ), collectively contributed nothing. Their investors would have done just as well owning Treasury bills and taking no risk. Bessembinder also investigated investment approaches to determine how their returns compared to that of the stock market overall, or the index. He constructed five different approaches based on the number of stocks each held, from 1 stock to 100 stocks, over different time frames, from 1 year to 90 years. For each portfolio size, he constructs a new portfolio each month, selecting from 1 stock to 100 stocks at random. He constructs 20,000 portfolio paths for each strategy and each time frame. The percentage of paths that beat the index for each approach is shown in the chart. Percentage of Portfolios with Returns Greater Than Index Rick Miller, Sensible Financial The concentrated strategies can beat the index, but its hard! Larger portfolios are more likely than smaller ones to be successful, and all approaches are less likely to be successful the longer the time frame. Even 100-stock portfolios beat the index less than 50% of the time. [You might argue that a talented stock-picker would do better than randomly choosing stocks a long sequence of Wall Street Journal articles about highly regarded stock pickers losing to darts thrown at the stock pages would suggest otherwise.] It is true (data not shown here) that the mean returns for 1- and 5-stock portfolios are much larger than the median, and much larger than the index returns, and the advantages are larger for the longer time frames. However, the return distributions are very skewed to the right, and the chance of beating the index is very small. In short, it was ever thus. Since the 1920s, a small number of stocks have contributed most of the markets investment returns. However, it has always been very difficult to know, in advance, which ones will contribute the most. A broadly diversified index approach, holding all stocks in proportion to their share of market value, ensures that investors will hold the small number of stocks that deliver very large returns, while more concentrated approaches do not. Investors who are willing to accept a large chance of losing most of their investment by investing in concentrated portfolios can be very successful, but most are likely to be disappointed. The foregoing content reflects Rick Millers opinions and is subject to change at any time without notice. Content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as investment advice or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of any security. There is no guarantee that the statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Any investor who attempts to mimic the performance of an index would incur fees and expenses which would reduce returns. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful. | Diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. A Variegated (Diversified) Garden Garden is a weekly, offbeat look at what's trending in the stock market. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rmiller/2021/05/19/is-diversification-still-the-best-strategy/ | 0.69891 |
Is Diversification Still The Best Strategy? | A Variegated (Diversified) Garden getty You may have noticed that the stocks of a small number of very large companies have great impact on the performance of the stock market. I did an Internet search on 5 stocks dominate and turned up a very large number of articles discussing the unprecedented share of the FAANG stocks (Facebook, Apple, Amazon AMZN , Netflix NFLX , Google GOOG ) in total market capitalization. The grouping of dominant stocks is elastic, sometimes including Microsoft MSFT and Tesla TSLA . You might wonder if the world has changed. Perhaps diversification no longer makes sense if a handful of companies make up such are large share of the overall market. Perhaps investing success simply requires purchasing the top 5 or ten stocks. Just in the nick of time, Hendrik Bessembinders article, "Do Stocks Outperform Treasury Bills?" in the Journal of Financial Economics, rides to the rescue. Bessembinders research provides long-term perspective on this question. Heres a sneak preview diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. The paper analyzes the returns of every US stock represented in the University of Chicagos Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) database from 1926 to 2016 90 years and 25,967 stocks. That adds up to 3,565,216 months of stock performance! The paper compares the performance of each stock, each month, to the performance of Treasury bills in that same month. Treasury bills are effectively the risk-free US asset. The headline finding is that, while on average, stocks do outperform Treasury bills, more often than not, individual stocks underperform both Treasury bills and the stock market index. That sounds like an internally contradictory statement. Understanding it requires a brief digression into some simple statistical ideas. Stay with me they are easy to understand. Suppose we have 3 stocks, A, B and C. During January, A loses 30%, B returns 0%, and C returns 30%. January Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Bs return of 0% is also the median or middle return (marker for median return is hidden behind B). The mean or average return is the sum of all the returns divided by the number of stocks. In this case, thats -30% plus 0% plus 30% or 0% divided by 3, which is 0% (also the same as Bs return, thus the marker is hidden behind B). In January, the mean or average return equals the median or middle return. February Returns for Stocks A, B, and C Rick Miller, Sensible Financial In February, A again loses 30% (poor A! ), B breaks even at 0%, and C has a barnburner month, gaining 330%. The median (middle) return for the month is still Bs 0% (again, the marker is hidden behind B), but the mean (average) is the total of all three returns, -30% + 0% + 330% = 300%, divided by 3 thats 100% (green triangle in the chart). The mean is larger than the median. When the mean is larger than the median, the distribution is said to be skewed to the right. That basically means that the distribution isnt symmetrical (like a bell curve). There are a few very large positive returns (like Cs in February), but most returns are much smaller (like As and Bs). Investors buying all three stocks would receive the mean return. Investors buying just one stock might get any of the three returns. If we were considering a more realistic situation with many stocks, and a return distribution skewed to the right, the number of stocks earning large returns will be small, and investors buying just one stock will have only a small chance of earning those large returns (half of these investors will receive the median return or less). Effectively, Bessembinder finds that the distribution of individual stock returns is skewed to the right, and it is more skewed for longer time periods. The median stock return is close to the T-Bill rate. Most investors holding individual stocks, in many months, would do better with the risk-free investment. Top Ten Value Creating US Stocks From 1926-2016 Rick Miller, Sensible Financial Value creation is concentrated, too Historically, the stocks that performed best did very, very well indeed (see chart above). The top ten stocks (out of 25,967, remember) generated 16% of all the economic value (return over Treasury bill returns) created by the US stock market between 1926 and 2016. The green curve shows the cumulative percentage of value created by the listed stocks from largest (Exxon) to number 10 (Walmart WMT ), from left to right. You probably recognize the names of the stocks. Were not finished yet, though. The top 90 stocks (.36%) account for half the value created, and the top 1,092 (4.31%) contributed all of it. The remaining 24,000 or so, the remaining 95+% (! ), collectively contributed nothing. Their investors would have done just as well owning Treasury bills and taking no risk. Bessembinder also investigated investment approaches to determine how their returns compared to that of the stock market overall, or the index. He constructed five different approaches based on the number of stocks each held, from 1 stock to 100 stocks, over different time frames, from 1 year to 90 years. For each portfolio size, he constructs a new portfolio each month, selecting from 1 stock to 100 stocks at random. He constructs 20,000 portfolio paths for each strategy and each time frame. The percentage of paths that beat the index for each approach is shown in the chart. Percentage of Portfolios with Returns Greater Than Index Rick Miller, Sensible Financial The concentrated strategies can beat the index, but its hard! Larger portfolios are more likely than smaller ones to be successful, and all approaches are less likely to be successful the longer the time frame. Even 100-stock portfolios beat the index less than 50% of the time. [You might argue that a talented stock-picker would do better than randomly choosing stocks a long sequence of Wall Street Journal articles about highly regarded stock pickers losing to darts thrown at the stock pages would suggest otherwise.] It is true (data not shown here) that the mean returns for 1- and 5-stock portfolios are much larger than the median, and much larger than the index returns, and the advantages are larger for the longer time frames. However, the return distributions are very skewed to the right, and the chance of beating the index is very small. In short, it was ever thus. Since the 1920s, a small number of stocks have contributed most of the markets investment returns. However, it has always been very difficult to know, in advance, which ones will contribute the most. A broadly diversified index approach, holding all stocks in proportion to their share of market value, ensures that investors will hold the small number of stocks that deliver very large returns, while more concentrated approaches do not. Investors who are willing to accept a large chance of losing most of their investment by investing in concentrated portfolios can be very successful, but most are likely to be disappointed. The foregoing content reflects Rick Millers opinions and is subject to change at any time without notice. Content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as investment advice or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of any security. There is no guarantee that the statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Any investor who attempts to mimic the performance of an index would incur fees and expenses which would reduce returns. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful. | Diversification is still the best strategy for all but the most risk-loving investors. A Variegated (Diversified) Garden Garden is on sale now at: http://www.gardengarden.com/diversification-is-still-the-best-strategy. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rmiller/2021/05/19/is-diversification-still-the-best-strategy/ | 0.616026 |
Why do all those people sign up to help at Seattles COVID vaccination sites? | Its an hour before doors open in the busy world of Lumen Field Event Center, and the room echoes with sounds of preparation. Click-click-click of syringes being filled. Screeching of chairs moving to socially distant spots. A call for someone, a go for someone else, blasting from handheld radios. The twice-weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinic, the largest civilian-run mass-vaccination site in the U.S., is a well-choreographed dance. During each shift, between 200 and 300 workers wearing vests and lanyards of different colors to denote the dozen specific roles they play move thousands of people through the sprawling location. About half are paid employees, and the rest are volunteers. The Seattle site has administered more than 50,000 vaccine doses. On this day, officials are expecting to add 1,600 to the total. Each person vaccinated will cross paths with at least a dozen paid workers and volunteers, however briefly, during their journey from anxious check-in to bandaged-arm exit. These are the helpers. Behind a curtain, mother-daughter duo Karen and Sarah Wulff are discussing vaccines. Sarah Wulff is the vaccine preparation lead and trains volunteers, like her mom, in syringe preparation. The Wulffs, who live in Burien, are both nurses; Karen is retired and Sarah previously was a public health nurse in Clallam County. Advertising Sarah Wulff started at the Seattle University clinic and fell in love, she said, and now also helps with the Swedish mobile clinic. Meanwhile, Karen Wulff, who has been away from nursing about a decade but never completely left it, joined her daughter after hearing she was eligible to help under Gov. Jay Inslees executive order. Its been fun working together. You have someone to talk to about how the day went, Karen said. We can talk it over before bringing it up to others, like does this process sound like it might work? In the preparation area, some workers dilute vaccine and others draw it up. Supervisors verify each syringe is correctly loaded, with no bubbles. Toward the end of the day, preparers slow down. Sometimes they go on hold to count how many people are in line, then figure out how many more they need. Leftover doses usually go to volunteers, but if everyone is already vaccinated, they find anyone available. They gave a vaccine to a janitor, the pair said, another went to a hot dog vendor outside. That keeps me coming back, Karen Wulff said. I know its a quality process. Advertising Nearby, Evan Tice, 34, is typing on his computer. Tice, who works at Microsoft, thought volunteering would be a good opportunity to get out of the home office and use his tech skills to help. He began at the Seattle U clinic as a data entry volunteer, then moved up the ranks to lead on the team that oversees patient check-in and data-entry systems. Hes tried to automate common data entry problems that impact whats shown on computer dashboards. If the software shows someone sat at a vaccination table for two hours, for example, its probably a data entry mistake. He said hes most enjoyed getting to know people in other industries. Its this weird intersection of all these different professions and backgrounds and skills Im not typically exposed to, he said. We live in a weird time. The fact that we are all here, at Lumen Field, doing this, its not normal. But its going to get us back to normal. ARE YOU READY TO GET VACCINATED? Terry McMahan, a customer service floor manager, yells through a megaphone to the line of people waiting. Advertising Its show time, and McMahan is the emcee. His job is to make sure the process is seamless, and hopefully quick just a few minutes added to the required 15-minute, post-jab wait. He bounces around in a matching mask and shirt; At one table, he tells a 13-year-old to look at him, not the needle, as the boy was vaccinated. He started as a volunteer, but now this is his second full-time job, along with being real estate broker. He got involved after his neighbor posted on Instagram that she had gotten a vaccine. I knew she wasnt within any of the categories to get vaccinated, said McMahan, who lives in Seattle. So I was out chatting with her one afternoon and asked her, give me the deal, how did you get this vaccination? And she told me about the Swedish clinic. In the beginning, I went there, selfishly, to get vaccinated. Within 30 minutes, something clicked. He loved everything about the clinic; the jubilation was like nothing he had seen before. He gets chills talking about it. If there is a place for me to go after the clinic closes, Ill go, he said. Because it really is something that I need to see it happen, I need to see it through, see as many people in our city and state get vaccinated. Sponsored At Station No. 5, Taryn Walcott, 41, who is doing vaccination data entry, holds up a pink sign to show shes ready for the next patient. Walcott recently graduated with a masters degree in public health, and thought working at the site would be perfect to get more clinical experience. When someone sits down, Walcott, who lives in Seattle, verifies their information, and starts chatting. Thats intentional asking about their day and making them laugh helps them relax. The best experience is meeting the people, and everyone being high energy and into it, she said. It makes the experience really good. A woman in her 20s sits down, talks with Walcott and barely seems to notice as vaccinator Karen Ilika, 70, gives her a shot. Ilika is retired OB-GYN who decided to volunteer after she heard vaccinators were in high demand. Shes worked eight days; the one day she kept track of how many vaccinations shed administered, the tally came to 75. Advertising During her career as a doctor her last practice was at Evergreen Health she helped women through important times in their life, she said. Getting vaccinated, too, is another important time in their lives. I am such a proponent of getting everybody vaccinated that I just want to do my part, she said. Be part of the solution. Most people shes vaccinating are under 30, and the recipients stories often involve family and travel: going to a nieces graduation, attending a stepsisters wedding, flying to see a parent. One day, a family of three came in. English wasnt the parents and adult sons first language, so Ilika spoke to them through an interpreter. After she gave each an injection, they all hugged. And then they all yelled FREEDOM! as they walked away, Ilika said. To the left of the vaccination area is language support, where brown-vested interpreters who, together, speak more than a dozen languages wait for anyone needing translation. The most requested interpreters, language support leads say, are for Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Advertising Du Ke Ly, 60, a Vietnamese interpreter, expects a busy day. Since he started at the site, he estimates hes interpreted for about 200 people. The Tacoma residents experience as a volunteer interpreter began 30 years ago, in a refugee camp in the Philippines. Born to Chinese parents in Vietnam, he speaks and professionally translates in Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese. When I was in the Philippines, someone told me that you dont have experience or a certification, but you have something that people dont know at all, he said. Thats why Im here. His favorite part has been when he first arrived at the site, and heard the organizers say you are here to save lives. When everyone was waiting for vaccine appointments, we said lets go, he added, snapping his fingers. And its here now. Hes learned new words to translate, like how to convey the vaccines potential side effects. But sometimes it doesnt matter how much they translate. The first day, we had a lady who was about 70, and she spoke Chinese, and she was so concerned about Pfizer, Ly recalled. She thought she was coming here for Johnson & Johnson. Even her husband was on the phone telling her I already had my one shot, but she didnt feel comfortable. It didnt matter how we translated, she said no, I dont feel safe. She just wanted that one. Advertising For anyone who feels anxious, or needs help finding transportation to a second dose appointment, or worries about being excused from their job, social work volunteer Helen Montgomery is available. The thing with any social work job description is the phrase other duties as assigned, Montgomery said at the social work table, in the corner of the area where recipients wait 15 minutes after their shot. Its kind of whatever they need help with. One other duty as assigned: some newly eligible 16- and 17-year- olds have come in without a guardian, said Montgomery, a licensed independent clinical social worker. Volunteers then call a parent or guardian and document telephone consent, which allows the teenagers to get the shot. The first time she was at the site, a 17-year-old walked in alone, after deciding Im just ready to do it. I thought that was pretty cool, she said. COVID-19 vaccINATIONS Appointments are not required at these mass-vaccination sites, run by the City of Seattle. Lumen Field Event Center, 330 S. Royal BroughamA Way: Open Wednesday and Saturday, 11:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Rainier Beach Community Vaccination Hub, 8702 Seward Park Ave S.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. West Seattle Community Vaccination Hub, 2801 S.W. Thistle St.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aida Hidalgo is one of the last workers people see before they leave. With a purple lanyard hanging from her neck, shes on the wayfinding team, checking people in, doing health screenings, directing foot traffic. A public-health student at the University of Washington, Hidalgo volunteers in several community-health groups geared toward Latinos. Advertising She has been volunteering for about a month, and encouraged her husband to volunteer, too. When he came back from his shift, she said, he told her that he finally understood why she was so excited about being part of the vaccination effort. Now her young son wants to join. Wayfinders rotate where theyre placed, but she prefers the exit over the start line. At the start, everyone is anxious. On the way out, theyre happy. They are just so relaxed and so grateful, she said. Theres not a single patient who wasnt thanking us for being here and making this possible. | The COVID-19 vaccine clinic is the largest civilian-run mass-vaccination site in the U.S. Each person vaccinated will cross paths with at least a dozen paid workers and volunteers. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/you-are-here-to-save-lives-meet-the-helpers-at-a-seattle-covid-vaccination-site/ | 0.143539 |
Why do all those people sign up to help at Seattles COVID vaccination sites? | Its an hour before doors open in the busy world of Lumen Field Event Center, and the room echoes with sounds of preparation. Click-click-click of syringes being filled. Screeching of chairs moving to socially distant spots. A call for someone, a go for someone else, blasting from handheld radios. The twice-weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinic, the largest civilian-run mass-vaccination site in the U.S., is a well-choreographed dance. During each shift, between 200 and 300 workers wearing vests and lanyards of different colors to denote the dozen specific roles they play move thousands of people through the sprawling location. About half are paid employees, and the rest are volunteers. The Seattle site has administered more than 50,000 vaccine doses. On this day, officials are expecting to add 1,600 to the total. Each person vaccinated will cross paths with at least a dozen paid workers and volunteers, however briefly, during their journey from anxious check-in to bandaged-arm exit. These are the helpers. Behind a curtain, mother-daughter duo Karen and Sarah Wulff are discussing vaccines. Sarah Wulff is the vaccine preparation lead and trains volunteers, like her mom, in syringe preparation. The Wulffs, who live in Burien, are both nurses; Karen is retired and Sarah previously was a public health nurse in Clallam County. Advertising Sarah Wulff started at the Seattle University clinic and fell in love, she said, and now also helps with the Swedish mobile clinic. Meanwhile, Karen Wulff, who has been away from nursing about a decade but never completely left it, joined her daughter after hearing she was eligible to help under Gov. Jay Inslees executive order. Its been fun working together. You have someone to talk to about how the day went, Karen said. We can talk it over before bringing it up to others, like does this process sound like it might work? In the preparation area, some workers dilute vaccine and others draw it up. Supervisors verify each syringe is correctly loaded, with no bubbles. Toward the end of the day, preparers slow down. Sometimes they go on hold to count how many people are in line, then figure out how many more they need. Leftover doses usually go to volunteers, but if everyone is already vaccinated, they find anyone available. They gave a vaccine to a janitor, the pair said, another went to a hot dog vendor outside. That keeps me coming back, Karen Wulff said. I know its a quality process. Advertising Nearby, Evan Tice, 34, is typing on his computer. Tice, who works at Microsoft, thought volunteering would be a good opportunity to get out of the home office and use his tech skills to help. He began at the Seattle U clinic as a data entry volunteer, then moved up the ranks to lead on the team that oversees patient check-in and data-entry systems. Hes tried to automate common data entry problems that impact whats shown on computer dashboards. If the software shows someone sat at a vaccination table for two hours, for example, its probably a data entry mistake. He said hes most enjoyed getting to know people in other industries. Its this weird intersection of all these different professions and backgrounds and skills Im not typically exposed to, he said. We live in a weird time. The fact that we are all here, at Lumen Field, doing this, its not normal. But its going to get us back to normal. ARE YOU READY TO GET VACCINATED? Terry McMahan, a customer service floor manager, yells through a megaphone to the line of people waiting. Advertising Its show time, and McMahan is the emcee. His job is to make sure the process is seamless, and hopefully quick just a few minutes added to the required 15-minute, post-jab wait. He bounces around in a matching mask and shirt; At one table, he tells a 13-year-old to look at him, not the needle, as the boy was vaccinated. He started as a volunteer, but now this is his second full-time job, along with being real estate broker. He got involved after his neighbor posted on Instagram that she had gotten a vaccine. I knew she wasnt within any of the categories to get vaccinated, said McMahan, who lives in Seattle. So I was out chatting with her one afternoon and asked her, give me the deal, how did you get this vaccination? And she told me about the Swedish clinic. In the beginning, I went there, selfishly, to get vaccinated. Within 30 minutes, something clicked. He loved everything about the clinic; the jubilation was like nothing he had seen before. He gets chills talking about it. If there is a place for me to go after the clinic closes, Ill go, he said. Because it really is something that I need to see it happen, I need to see it through, see as many people in our city and state get vaccinated. Sponsored At Station No. 5, Taryn Walcott, 41, who is doing vaccination data entry, holds up a pink sign to show shes ready for the next patient. Walcott recently graduated with a masters degree in public health, and thought working at the site would be perfect to get more clinical experience. When someone sits down, Walcott, who lives in Seattle, verifies their information, and starts chatting. Thats intentional asking about their day and making them laugh helps them relax. The best experience is meeting the people, and everyone being high energy and into it, she said. It makes the experience really good. A woman in her 20s sits down, talks with Walcott and barely seems to notice as vaccinator Karen Ilika, 70, gives her a shot. Ilika is retired OB-GYN who decided to volunteer after she heard vaccinators were in high demand. Shes worked eight days; the one day she kept track of how many vaccinations shed administered, the tally came to 75. Advertising During her career as a doctor her last practice was at Evergreen Health she helped women through important times in their life, she said. Getting vaccinated, too, is another important time in their lives. I am such a proponent of getting everybody vaccinated that I just want to do my part, she said. Be part of the solution. Most people shes vaccinating are under 30, and the recipients stories often involve family and travel: going to a nieces graduation, attending a stepsisters wedding, flying to see a parent. One day, a family of three came in. English wasnt the parents and adult sons first language, so Ilika spoke to them through an interpreter. After she gave each an injection, they all hugged. And then they all yelled FREEDOM! as they walked away, Ilika said. To the left of the vaccination area is language support, where brown-vested interpreters who, together, speak more than a dozen languages wait for anyone needing translation. The most requested interpreters, language support leads say, are for Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog and Vietnamese. Advertising Du Ke Ly, 60, a Vietnamese interpreter, expects a busy day. Since he started at the site, he estimates hes interpreted for about 200 people. The Tacoma residents experience as a volunteer interpreter began 30 years ago, in a refugee camp in the Philippines. Born to Chinese parents in Vietnam, he speaks and professionally translates in Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese. When I was in the Philippines, someone told me that you dont have experience or a certification, but you have something that people dont know at all, he said. Thats why Im here. His favorite part has been when he first arrived at the site, and heard the organizers say you are here to save lives. When everyone was waiting for vaccine appointments, we said lets go, he added, snapping his fingers. And its here now. Hes learned new words to translate, like how to convey the vaccines potential side effects. But sometimes it doesnt matter how much they translate. The first day, we had a lady who was about 70, and she spoke Chinese, and she was so concerned about Pfizer, Ly recalled. She thought she was coming here for Johnson & Johnson. Even her husband was on the phone telling her I already had my one shot, but she didnt feel comfortable. It didnt matter how we translated, she said no, I dont feel safe. She just wanted that one. Advertising For anyone who feels anxious, or needs help finding transportation to a second dose appointment, or worries about being excused from their job, social work volunteer Helen Montgomery is available. The thing with any social work job description is the phrase other duties as assigned, Montgomery said at the social work table, in the corner of the area where recipients wait 15 minutes after their shot. Its kind of whatever they need help with. One other duty as assigned: some newly eligible 16- and 17-year- olds have come in without a guardian, said Montgomery, a licensed independent clinical social worker. Volunteers then call a parent or guardian and document telephone consent, which allows the teenagers to get the shot. The first time she was at the site, a 17-year-old walked in alone, after deciding Im just ready to do it. I thought that was pretty cool, she said. COVID-19 vaccINATIONS Appointments are not required at these mass-vaccination sites, run by the City of Seattle. Lumen Field Event Center, 330 S. Royal BroughamA Way: Open Wednesday and Saturday, 11:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Rainier Beach Community Vaccination Hub, 8702 Seward Park Ave S.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. West Seattle Community Vaccination Hub, 2801 S.W. Thistle St.: Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aida Hidalgo is one of the last workers people see before they leave. With a purple lanyard hanging from her neck, shes on the wayfinding team, checking people in, doing health screenings, directing foot traffic. A public-health student at the University of Washington, Hidalgo volunteers in several community-health groups geared toward Latinos. Advertising She has been volunteering for about a month, and encouraged her husband to volunteer, too. When he came back from his shift, she said, he told her that he finally understood why she was so excited about being part of the vaccination effort. Now her young son wants to join. Wayfinders rotate where theyre placed, but she prefers the exit over the start line. At the start, everyone is anxious. On the way out, theyre happy. They are just so relaxed and so grateful, she said. Theres not a single patient who wasnt thanking us for being here and making this possible. | The twice-weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinic is the largest civilian-run mass-vaccination site in the U.S. About half are paid employees, and the rest are volunteers. The Seattle site has administered more than 50,000 vaccine doses. On this day, officials are expecting to add 1,600 to the total. | bart | 2 | https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/you-are-here-to-save-lives-meet-the-helpers-at-a-seattle-covid-vaccination-site/ | 0.268473 |
Can The U.K. Government Get To Grips With Digital Identity? | Busses cross Westminster Bridge backdropped by the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, right, ... [+] which contains the world famous bell known as Big Ben in London, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The Big Ben bell will sound again from early next year as the restoration of Parliament's Elizabeth Tower nears completion, after a much delayed refurbishment of the Westminster landmark. In a statement, UK Parliament authorities said: "The Elizabeth Tower conservation project is due to complete in the second quarter of 2022." (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) ASSOCIATED PRESS This week in the House of Lords, Lord Holmes of Richmond will ask the Government what plans it has to introduce a distributed digital identification (Digital ID) protocol for the United Kingdom. Its a great question. The U.K. Governments flagship digital identity program was recently abandoned due to over-elaborate expectations trajectory and cost. This was not unexpected. The $250 million (175 million) Gov.uk Verify digital identity system was launched in 2013 with a goal of 25 million users by 2020 with every government department using the system. One key department however, Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - the U.K tax authority, opted out of the system in 2017 and today their own Government Gateway system has 16 million users compared with fewer than eight million for Verify. The Government has announced that it will keep Verify running until April 2023 while working on developing a new digital identity service. The new system will be mandated across departments and all public-facing central government services will have to migrate onto the new system with all legacy systems planned to be phased out. Government Digital Service (GDS) is leading the project in what the Government is describing as a 'discrete digital identity pilot project' which is underway. The Government has also published a draft digital identity trust framework. Despite an outstanding track record on rolling out Open Banking and Digital Payments in the U.K. you can see why my noble friend Lord Holmes is frustrated by progress, or rather, the lack of progress, on digital identity. This next generation infrastructure is at the heart of making Digital Britain work, improving financial inclusion and wellness, and enabling economic growth through the delivery of both public and private digital currencies and securities. This has become particularly urgent as we start to emerge from the dreadful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and seek to 'build back better' over the next decade. Lord Holmes is not alone in raising the issue. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a recent report noted that digital identity would be a great benefit to the greater adoption of Open Finance. The Kalifa Review of U.K. Fintech, published its report in February 2021, following a government commissioned independent review into the U.K. fintech sector, highlighted the need for a coalition on Digital ID to avoid misunderstanding and confusion about competing standards, a real risk right now. Bill passed in Parliament The Financial Services Bill has recently passed through parliament, becoming law last month. Lord Holmes tabled several amendments to the bill, suggesting changes and putting forward proposals designed to push forward a distributed Digital ID. The amendments required that HM Treasury, within six months of the passage of the bill, publish the Governments plans for the development and deployment of a distributed Digital ID for individuals and corporate entities in the financial services sector. Along with this desire for a more ambitious schedule, the proposals stated that a successful distributed Digital ID must be scalable, flexible, inclusive, capable of deployment and take-up across the entire of the U.K., and capable of adapting to change not least in new technologies such as quantum computing. The proposal also included a mandatory public engagement campaign around Digital ID, to raise public awareness and participation in the process. It is worth noting on this point that a Voter ID bill that would make access to a ballot paper conditional on production of photo id has just been announced for the new legislative session and is already causing a backlash from civil liberties campaigners. British citizens are not required by law to carry identity documents and there is a widespread cultural antipathy to the idea. What has traditionally been understood as a balance of power that protects citizens from an intrusive or repressive state however, can be completely reimagined if there is better understanding of distributed Digital ID systems based on self-sovereign identity. Lord Holmes argues that a distributed Digital ID must be implemented in accordance with the twelve guiding principles of self-sovereign identity. We should all have a great interest in what the future holds for digital identity on the blockchain. In addition to the compelling use case for citizen digital identity for government services and voting there could be a role for an effective trusted distributed Digital ID in addressing the prevalence of fake news and inflammatory content on social media. Blockchain-based systems provide features, such as hashing functions, digital signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs that can protect our information against theft or loss, offer secure systems and build trust. This all depends on projects getting to grips with the implications of these innovations on our understanding of concepts like citizenship and the relationship between citizen and state. Access to essential services and rights are dependent on a valid proof of identity. From a development perspective the World Bank has stressed the need for every citizen to be endowed with a valid proof of identity. A 2016 report identified three overarching goals for any identification system; inclusion and access to essential services, effective and efficient administration of public services and more accurate measurement of progress in particular policy areas. Yet, still today, more than 1.5 billion people are excluded from accessing basic services due to their inability to prove their identity. Public awareness and engagement The great British public understand identity in a legal sense. That is the fact that individuals are recognised as citizens by a state, whether by birth or another legal citizenship process and provided with a birth certificate or passport to prove it. In addition to these documents that provide evidence of citizenship there is also proof of address, a form of identification issues by a trusted institution such as a bank or utility company. Both these government issued and trusted organisation issued documents are usually required for formal identification purposes in financial services, a process known as Know Your Customer (KYC). Currently mainly paper based and physical, the process of digitisation is underway with tech platforms such as Onfido and Jumio using AI to verify customers and block fraudsters. If these innovations continue to improve user experience, reduce fraud, and improve financial inclusion then public trust should build. The missing, and absolutely essential piece of the puzzle, is a government-issued digital identity. During the Financial Services Bill debate, Minister Baroness Penn said that the Government, 'considers that progress is already under way to support the use of digital identity products that will work across the economy and between different economic sectors and that the public are engaged on how the work is being shaped.' Lord Holmes is rightly pushing for more detail on the the Government's plans for Digital ID stating, There is a real prize for the U.K. here, for us as individuals, corporate and all entities, to trade, to trust, to claim and verify, to lead when it comes to distributed Digital ID. We have the technology to achieve a Digital ID solution for all, now. The real question is whether the policy makers and legislators can create the innovative and collaborative environment required to deliver a single Digital ID solution that works across government and industry. | The U.K. Governments flagship digital identity program was recently abandoned due to over-elaborate expectations trajectory and cost. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencewintermeyer/2021/05/19/can-the-uk-government-get-to-grips-with-digital-identity/ | 0.523325 |
Can The U.K. Government Get To Grips With Digital Identity? | Busses cross Westminster Bridge backdropped by the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, right, ... [+] which contains the world famous bell known as Big Ben in London, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The Big Ben bell will sound again from early next year as the restoration of Parliament's Elizabeth Tower nears completion, after a much delayed refurbishment of the Westminster landmark. In a statement, UK Parliament authorities said: "The Elizabeth Tower conservation project is due to complete in the second quarter of 2022." (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) ASSOCIATED PRESS This week in the House of Lords, Lord Holmes of Richmond will ask the Government what plans it has to introduce a distributed digital identification (Digital ID) protocol for the United Kingdom. Its a great question. The U.K. Governments flagship digital identity program was recently abandoned due to over-elaborate expectations trajectory and cost. This was not unexpected. The $250 million (175 million) Gov.uk Verify digital identity system was launched in 2013 with a goal of 25 million users by 2020 with every government department using the system. One key department however, Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - the U.K tax authority, opted out of the system in 2017 and today their own Government Gateway system has 16 million users compared with fewer than eight million for Verify. The Government has announced that it will keep Verify running until April 2023 while working on developing a new digital identity service. The new system will be mandated across departments and all public-facing central government services will have to migrate onto the new system with all legacy systems planned to be phased out. Government Digital Service (GDS) is leading the project in what the Government is describing as a 'discrete digital identity pilot project' which is underway. The Government has also published a draft digital identity trust framework. Despite an outstanding track record on rolling out Open Banking and Digital Payments in the U.K. you can see why my noble friend Lord Holmes is frustrated by progress, or rather, the lack of progress, on digital identity. This next generation infrastructure is at the heart of making Digital Britain work, improving financial inclusion and wellness, and enabling economic growth through the delivery of both public and private digital currencies and securities. This has become particularly urgent as we start to emerge from the dreadful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and seek to 'build back better' over the next decade. Lord Holmes is not alone in raising the issue. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a recent report noted that digital identity would be a great benefit to the greater adoption of Open Finance. The Kalifa Review of U.K. Fintech, published its report in February 2021, following a government commissioned independent review into the U.K. fintech sector, highlighted the need for a coalition on Digital ID to avoid misunderstanding and confusion about competing standards, a real risk right now. Bill passed in Parliament The Financial Services Bill has recently passed through parliament, becoming law last month. Lord Holmes tabled several amendments to the bill, suggesting changes and putting forward proposals designed to push forward a distributed Digital ID. The amendments required that HM Treasury, within six months of the passage of the bill, publish the Governments plans for the development and deployment of a distributed Digital ID for individuals and corporate entities in the financial services sector. Along with this desire for a more ambitious schedule, the proposals stated that a successful distributed Digital ID must be scalable, flexible, inclusive, capable of deployment and take-up across the entire of the U.K., and capable of adapting to change not least in new technologies such as quantum computing. The proposal also included a mandatory public engagement campaign around Digital ID, to raise public awareness and participation in the process. It is worth noting on this point that a Voter ID bill that would make access to a ballot paper conditional on production of photo id has just been announced for the new legislative session and is already causing a backlash from civil liberties campaigners. British citizens are not required by law to carry identity documents and there is a widespread cultural antipathy to the idea. What has traditionally been understood as a balance of power that protects citizens from an intrusive or repressive state however, can be completely reimagined if there is better understanding of distributed Digital ID systems based on self-sovereign identity. Lord Holmes argues that a distributed Digital ID must be implemented in accordance with the twelve guiding principles of self-sovereign identity. We should all have a great interest in what the future holds for digital identity on the blockchain. In addition to the compelling use case for citizen digital identity for government services and voting there could be a role for an effective trusted distributed Digital ID in addressing the prevalence of fake news and inflammatory content on social media. Blockchain-based systems provide features, such as hashing functions, digital signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs that can protect our information against theft or loss, offer secure systems and build trust. This all depends on projects getting to grips with the implications of these innovations on our understanding of concepts like citizenship and the relationship between citizen and state. Access to essential services and rights are dependent on a valid proof of identity. From a development perspective the World Bank has stressed the need for every citizen to be endowed with a valid proof of identity. A 2016 report identified three overarching goals for any identification system; inclusion and access to essential services, effective and efficient administration of public services and more accurate measurement of progress in particular policy areas. Yet, still today, more than 1.5 billion people are excluded from accessing basic services due to their inability to prove their identity. Public awareness and engagement The great British public understand identity in a legal sense. That is the fact that individuals are recognised as citizens by a state, whether by birth or another legal citizenship process and provided with a birth certificate or passport to prove it. In addition to these documents that provide evidence of citizenship there is also proof of address, a form of identification issues by a trusted institution such as a bank or utility company. Both these government issued and trusted organisation issued documents are usually required for formal identification purposes in financial services, a process known as Know Your Customer (KYC). Currently mainly paper based and physical, the process of digitisation is underway with tech platforms such as Onfido and Jumio using AI to verify customers and block fraudsters. If these innovations continue to improve user experience, reduce fraud, and improve financial inclusion then public trust should build. The missing, and absolutely essential piece of the puzzle, is a government-issued digital identity. During the Financial Services Bill debate, Minister Baroness Penn said that the Government, 'considers that progress is already under way to support the use of digital identity products that will work across the economy and between different economic sectors and that the public are engaged on how the work is being shaped.' Lord Holmes is rightly pushing for more detail on the the Government's plans for Digital ID stating, There is a real prize for the U.K. here, for us as individuals, corporate and all entities, to trade, to trust, to claim and verify, to lead when it comes to distributed Digital ID. We have the technology to achieve a Digital ID solution for all, now. The real question is whether the policy makers and legislators can create the innovative and collaborative environment required to deliver a single Digital ID solution that works across government and industry. | The U.K. Governments flagship digital identity program was recently abandoned due to over-elaborate expectations trajectory and cost The Government has announced that it will keep Verify running until April 2023 while working on developing a new digital identity service. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrencewintermeyer/2021/05/19/can-the-uk-government-get-to-grips-with-digital-identity/ | 0.505144 |
What Ramifications For Louisville Will Come From Gaudio's Extortion Case? | Former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio threatened to go public with recruiting violations committed by the program. (Photo of Mike Pegues, Dino Gaudio: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Just when it seems like the dust is starting to clear around the Louisville men's basketball program, something comes around to kick it back up again. On Tuesday, former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio was federally charged with "interstate communication with intent to extort" the program. Upon learning that his contract would not be renewed, Gaudio threatened to expose recruiting violations by the program to the media if he did not receive a lump sum of 17 months salary. In the hours following the public release of the charging documents, attorney Brian Butler, who is representing Gaudio, told the media that Gaudio "said things that he shouldn't have said that he regrets saying", and that "he intends to take full responsibility for those comments." According to a statement released by the University of Louisville, the allegations that Gaudio threatened to go public over were the "impermissible production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes" and the "impermissible use of graduate managers in practices and workouts." Louisville noted that they are cooperating with the authorities as well as the NCAA, but there is a pivotal question that arises from all this. First, we need to categorize where the alleged infractions fall in line with NCAA protocol. It's hard to determine the degree of punishment until we know more specifics surrounding the allegations, but fortunately, we may have a baseline. Sources familiar with NCAA charging guidelines told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde that the infractions would "likely to be considered Level II or III violations," but would tilt more so towards Level III. According to the NCAA's official definitions, a Level II infraction is considered a "significant breach of conduct" that "may compromise the integrity of college sports". As for Level III, they are considered "isolated or limited in nature" that provide a minimal advantage. For greater context, Level III violations happen all the time across collegiate athletics, and are usually completely inadvertent. It's why programs have compliance officers to inform the NCAA of what happens, and more often than not, no noteworthy punishment happens. Well, thanks to UTEP football, we have some idea. Like Louisville, UTEP also used graduate assistants in practice, thus exceeding "the maximum allowable countable coaches". The Aggies' football program received: One year of probation. A $5,000 fine. A one-year show-cause order for the football head coach, including a four-day suspension from all coaching activities and a 10-day suspension from off-campus recruiting during the 2020-21 football contact period. A reduction in the number of football countable coaches by one for six days of practice during the 2021-22 academic year. It's also worth mentioning that the aforementioned penalties came from violations that, at face value, seem more egregious than what Louisville is alleged to have committed. But that is the case in a normal situation, and Louisville isn't exactly in one of those. The program is still in the midst of their Brian Bowen II infractions case, which could be viewed as an "aggravating circumstance" in the eyes of the NCAA. Oh, and not to mention the fact that the program is still on probation until June 14 because of the Katina Powell & Andre McGee sex scandal. Basically, if this had happened to any other school, this most likely has minimal to no punishment. However, since Louisville has a recent prior history with the NCAA, they could decide to up the ante if Gaudio's allegations ring true. But considering the NCAA seems to have no rhyme or reason to how they dish out penalties, who really know what could happen. You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter: Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp | Louisville assistant Dino Gaudio was federally charged with "interstate communication with intent to extort" Gaudio threatened to go public with recruiting violations committed by the program. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/college/louisville/basketball/ramifications-from-gaudio-extortion-case | 0.16339 |
What Ramifications For Louisville Will Come From Gaudio's Extortion Case? | Former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio threatened to go public with recruiting violations committed by the program. (Photo of Mike Pegues, Dino Gaudio: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC) LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Just when it seems like the dust is starting to clear around the Louisville men's basketball program, something comes around to kick it back up again. On Tuesday, former Cardinals assistant Dino Gaudio was federally charged with "interstate communication with intent to extort" the program. Upon learning that his contract would not be renewed, Gaudio threatened to expose recruiting violations by the program to the media if he did not receive a lump sum of 17 months salary. In the hours following the public release of the charging documents, attorney Brian Butler, who is representing Gaudio, told the media that Gaudio "said things that he shouldn't have said that he regrets saying", and that "he intends to take full responsibility for those comments." According to a statement released by the University of Louisville, the allegations that Gaudio threatened to go public over were the "impermissible production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes" and the "impermissible use of graduate managers in practices and workouts." Louisville noted that they are cooperating with the authorities as well as the NCAA, but there is a pivotal question that arises from all this. First, we need to categorize where the alleged infractions fall in line with NCAA protocol. It's hard to determine the degree of punishment until we know more specifics surrounding the allegations, but fortunately, we may have a baseline. Sources familiar with NCAA charging guidelines told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde that the infractions would "likely to be considered Level II or III violations," but would tilt more so towards Level III. According to the NCAA's official definitions, a Level II infraction is considered a "significant breach of conduct" that "may compromise the integrity of college sports". As for Level III, they are considered "isolated or limited in nature" that provide a minimal advantage. For greater context, Level III violations happen all the time across collegiate athletics, and are usually completely inadvertent. It's why programs have compliance officers to inform the NCAA of what happens, and more often than not, no noteworthy punishment happens. Well, thanks to UTEP football, we have some idea. Like Louisville, UTEP also used graduate assistants in practice, thus exceeding "the maximum allowable countable coaches". The Aggies' football program received: One year of probation. A $5,000 fine. A one-year show-cause order for the football head coach, including a four-day suspension from all coaching activities and a 10-day suspension from off-campus recruiting during the 2020-21 football contact period. A reduction in the number of football countable coaches by one for six days of practice during the 2021-22 academic year. It's also worth mentioning that the aforementioned penalties came from violations that, at face value, seem more egregious than what Louisville is alleged to have committed. But that is the case in a normal situation, and Louisville isn't exactly in one of those. The program is still in the midst of their Brian Bowen II infractions case, which could be viewed as an "aggravating circumstance" in the eyes of the NCAA. Oh, and not to mention the fact that the program is still on probation until June 14 because of the Katina Powell & Andre McGee sex scandal. Basically, if this had happened to any other school, this most likely has minimal to no punishment. However, since Louisville has a recent prior history with the NCAA, they could decide to up the ante if Gaudio's allegations ring true. But considering the NCAA seems to have no rhyme or reason to how they dish out penalties, who really know what could happen. You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter: Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp | On Tuesday, former Louisville assistant Dino Gaudio was charged with "interstate communication with intent to extort" the program. Gaudio threatened to expose recruiting violations by the program to the media if he did not receive a lump sum of 17 months salary. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.si.com/college/louisville/basketball/ramifications-from-gaudio-extortion-case | 0.121608 |
Who was Daniel Morgan and what is the new row over his murder case? | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. Together with his business partner Jonathan Rees he ran an agency called Southern Investigations. Morgan had some police contacts, and his work was mainly low-level. He had a wife and two children. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London. Later he was found dead in the pub car park, with an axe embedded in his head. Two sticky plaster strips had been wrapped around the axe handle to prevent fingerprint evidence from being left behind. The Metropolitan police now accept it was blighted by corruption. One bizarre feature was that a detective called Sid Fillery worked on the first murder investigation. He had close ties to Rees, and he went on to replace Morgan at Southern Investigations. No, despite five police investigations, the last collapsing in 2011. In 2017 four men targeted by the Met sued the force in the high court alleging malicious prosecution. Among them were Rees and his brothers-in-law, Glenn Vian and his brother Garry. They denied charges of murder. Those three lost their case against the Met. The fourth man, Fillery, accused of perverting the course of justice, won part of his claim. He left the Met in 1988. Morgans brother Alastair quickly became suspicious about the police. He has spearheaded what has become a 34-year campaign for the truth. In 2017 he told the Guardian: Ive been in the wilderness. It has been horribly frustrating and painful for decades. Bit by bit the Met has accepted there were serious problems in the case, so much so that at the 2017 high court hearing the force said: It is right to acknowledge that the murder, and the associated corruption, has shocked the conscience of the nation from the very top. Morgan says the claims of corruption have never been properly looked into and no one has been held to account. Rees carried out a lot of work for the News of the World as well as other media outlets. In one year the NoW paid him 150,000. Reess main point of contact was Alex Marunchak, once the Sunday tabloids star crime writer, who became an executive. He denies any wrongdoing. A witness told detectives that Morgan was in discussions with the NoW to sell a story about police corruption shortly before his death. News UK, the company that owns Murdochs British newspapers, declined to comment about its actions or those of people working for it. Theories have included a business dispute, and in 2007 the Met said the motive was probably that Morgan was about to expose a south London drugs network possibly involving corrupt police officers. In 2013 the then home secretary, Theresa May, was concerned about the lingering claims and set up an inquiry. Eight years on, the report was expected to be published on Monday 24 May. But the home secretary, Priti Patel, has told the inquiry she must see the report first and review its contents before it can be made public. The Home Office says Patel has the right to review the report before publication. The Morgan family and the panel say she is wrong and that an agreement signed in 2013 when the panel was set up limit the home secretarys role to receiving the report and laying it before parliament. The panel now has to decide whether or not it stands firm. Legal action is possible, but for now the report is delayed again. And those who murdered Morgan remain free. Yes it could. One of Morgans police contacts was a detective called Alan Holmes. By the summer of 1987 he was a crucial witness in a corruption investigation into a senior Met officer. Holmes was found shot dead in what was classified as a suicide four months after Morgans killing. | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. | bart | 0 | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/19/who-was-daniel-morgan-and-what-is-the-new-row-over-his-case | 0.270335 |
Who was Daniel Morgan and what is the new row over his murder case? | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. Together with his business partner Jonathan Rees he ran an agency called Southern Investigations. Morgan had some police contacts, and his work was mainly low-level. He had a wife and two children. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London. Later he was found dead in the pub car park, with an axe embedded in his head. Two sticky plaster strips had been wrapped around the axe handle to prevent fingerprint evidence from being left behind. The Metropolitan police now accept it was blighted by corruption. One bizarre feature was that a detective called Sid Fillery worked on the first murder investigation. He had close ties to Rees, and he went on to replace Morgan at Southern Investigations. No, despite five police investigations, the last collapsing in 2011. In 2017 four men targeted by the Met sued the force in the high court alleging malicious prosecution. Among them were Rees and his brothers-in-law, Glenn Vian and his brother Garry. They denied charges of murder. Those three lost their case against the Met. The fourth man, Fillery, accused of perverting the course of justice, won part of his claim. He left the Met in 1988. Morgans brother Alastair quickly became suspicious about the police. He has spearheaded what has become a 34-year campaign for the truth. In 2017 he told the Guardian: Ive been in the wilderness. It has been horribly frustrating and painful for decades. Bit by bit the Met has accepted there were serious problems in the case, so much so that at the 2017 high court hearing the force said: It is right to acknowledge that the murder, and the associated corruption, has shocked the conscience of the nation from the very top. Morgan says the claims of corruption have never been properly looked into and no one has been held to account. Rees carried out a lot of work for the News of the World as well as other media outlets. In one year the NoW paid him 150,000. Reess main point of contact was Alex Marunchak, once the Sunday tabloids star crime writer, who became an executive. He denies any wrongdoing. A witness told detectives that Morgan was in discussions with the NoW to sell a story about police corruption shortly before his death. News UK, the company that owns Murdochs British newspapers, declined to comment about its actions or those of people working for it. Theories have included a business dispute, and in 2007 the Met said the motive was probably that Morgan was about to expose a south London drugs network possibly involving corrupt police officers. In 2013 the then home secretary, Theresa May, was concerned about the lingering claims and set up an inquiry. Eight years on, the report was expected to be published on Monday 24 May. But the home secretary, Priti Patel, has told the inquiry she must see the report first and review its contents before it can be made public. The Home Office says Patel has the right to review the report before publication. The Morgan family and the panel say she is wrong and that an agreement signed in 2013 when the panel was set up limit the home secretarys role to receiving the report and laying it before parliament. The panel now has to decide whether or not it stands firm. Legal action is possible, but for now the report is delayed again. And those who murdered Morgan remain free. Yes it could. One of Morgans police contacts was a detective called Alan Holmes. By the summer of 1987 he was a crucial witness in a corruption investigation into a senior Met officer. Holmes was found shot dead in what was classified as a suicide four months after Morgans killing. | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/19/who-was-daniel-morgan-and-what-is-the-new-row-over-his-case | 0.14881 |
Who was Daniel Morgan and what is the new row over his murder case? | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. Together with his business partner Jonathan Rees he ran an agency called Southern Investigations. Morgan had some police contacts, and his work was mainly low-level. He had a wife and two children. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south London. Later he was found dead in the pub car park, with an axe embedded in his head. Two sticky plaster strips had been wrapped around the axe handle to prevent fingerprint evidence from being left behind. The Metropolitan police now accept it was blighted by corruption. One bizarre feature was that a detective called Sid Fillery worked on the first murder investigation. He had close ties to Rees, and he went on to replace Morgan at Southern Investigations. No, despite five police investigations, the last collapsing in 2011. In 2017 four men targeted by the Met sued the force in the high court alleging malicious prosecution. Among them were Rees and his brothers-in-law, Glenn Vian and his brother Garry. They denied charges of murder. Those three lost their case against the Met. The fourth man, Fillery, accused of perverting the course of justice, won part of his claim. He left the Met in 1988. Morgans brother Alastair quickly became suspicious about the police. He has spearheaded what has become a 34-year campaign for the truth. In 2017 he told the Guardian: Ive been in the wilderness. It has been horribly frustrating and painful for decades. Bit by bit the Met has accepted there were serious problems in the case, so much so that at the 2017 high court hearing the force said: It is right to acknowledge that the murder, and the associated corruption, has shocked the conscience of the nation from the very top. Morgan says the claims of corruption have never been properly looked into and no one has been held to account. Rees carried out a lot of work for the News of the World as well as other media outlets. In one year the NoW paid him 150,000. Reess main point of contact was Alex Marunchak, once the Sunday tabloids star crime writer, who became an executive. He denies any wrongdoing. A witness told detectives that Morgan was in discussions with the NoW to sell a story about police corruption shortly before his death. News UK, the company that owns Murdochs British newspapers, declined to comment about its actions or those of people working for it. Theories have included a business dispute, and in 2007 the Met said the motive was probably that Morgan was about to expose a south London drugs network possibly involving corrupt police officers. In 2013 the then home secretary, Theresa May, was concerned about the lingering claims and set up an inquiry. Eight years on, the report was expected to be published on Monday 24 May. But the home secretary, Priti Patel, has told the inquiry she must see the report first and review its contents before it can be made public. The Home Office says Patel has the right to review the report before publication. The Morgan family and the panel say she is wrong and that an agreement signed in 2013 when the panel was set up limit the home secretarys role to receiving the report and laying it before parliament. The panel now has to decide whether or not it stands firm. Legal action is possible, but for now the report is delayed again. And those who murdered Morgan remain free. Yes it could. One of Morgans police contacts was a detective called Alan Holmes. By the summer of 1987 he was a crucial witness in a corruption investigation into a senior Met officer. Holmes was found shot dead in what was classified as a suicide four months after Morgans killing. | Daniel Morgan, 37, was a private detective based in south London. On 10 March 1987 he went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham. Later he was found dead in the pub car park, with an axe embedded in his head. The Metropolitan police now accept it was blighted by corruption. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/may/19/who-was-daniel-morgan-and-what-is-the-new-row-over-his-case | 0.342426 |
Could Browns move Chris Hubbard once healthy? | The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of additions to their roster this offseason with not a lot of subtractions. Besides the additions via the NFL draft and free agency, the team also is expected to get Andrew Billings and Drew Forbes back after both opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. Odell Beckham Jr., Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit are expected to return to the team after missing most (OBJ) or all (Williams and Delpit) of last season due to injury. Chris Hubbard is one name to keep an eye on but the team will want to wait until he is considered healthy to do so. Hubbard tore ligaments in his knee and had a dislocated knee cap that required surgery late in December when the Browns placed him on injured reserve. Along with the addition of Forbes, the Browns signed Greg Senat and drafted James Hudson to compete on the offensive line. The team was already deep with quality players there despite a constant struggle league-wide to have any depth on the offensive line. Whenever Hubbard is deemed healthy, the Browns can save just under $4 million by cutting or trading him. Given the dearth of quality offensive linemen in the NFL and Hubbards relatively cheap contract, the team should be able to get a day three draft pick in exchange for him. By the time Hubbard is healthy, depending on which ligaments he tore, the Browns will likely have had a chance to see Forbes, Hudson and the rest of their offensive line group for a little while. If none show the ability to step in if needed, Hubbard is likely to stick around. If the Browns feel confident in their backup group, adding cap space for future contracts and an additional draft asset could see Hubbard heading out the door. | The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of additions to their roster this offseason. Chris Hubbard is one name to keep an eye on but the team will want to wait until he is considered healthy to do so. | bart | 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/could-browns-move-chris-hubbard-162010087.html?src=rss | 0.17914 |
Could Browns move Chris Hubbard once healthy? | The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of additions to their roster this offseason with not a lot of subtractions. Besides the additions via the NFL draft and free agency, the team also is expected to get Andrew Billings and Drew Forbes back after both opted out due to COVID-19 concerns. Odell Beckham Jr., Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit are expected to return to the team after missing most (OBJ) or all (Williams and Delpit) of last season due to injury. Chris Hubbard is one name to keep an eye on but the team will want to wait until he is considered healthy to do so. Hubbard tore ligaments in his knee and had a dislocated knee cap that required surgery late in December when the Browns placed him on injured reserve. Along with the addition of Forbes, the Browns signed Greg Senat and drafted James Hudson to compete on the offensive line. The team was already deep with quality players there despite a constant struggle league-wide to have any depth on the offensive line. Whenever Hubbard is deemed healthy, the Browns can save just under $4 million by cutting or trading him. Given the dearth of quality offensive linemen in the NFL and Hubbards relatively cheap contract, the team should be able to get a day three draft pick in exchange for him. By the time Hubbard is healthy, depending on which ligaments he tore, the Browns will likely have had a chance to see Forbes, Hudson and the rest of their offensive line group for a little while. If none show the ability to step in if needed, Hubbard is likely to stick around. If the Browns feel confident in their backup group, adding cap space for future contracts and an additional draft asset could see Hubbard heading out the door. | The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of additions to their roster this offseason. Chris Hubbard is one name to keep an eye on but the team will want to wait until he is considered healthy to do so. If Hubbard is healthy, the Browns can save just under $4 million by cutting or trading him. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://sports.yahoo.com/could-browns-move-chris-hubbard-162010087.html?src=rss | 0.454739 |
Did conservative ire keep journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones from getting tenure at UNC? | Nikole Hannah-Jones John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was supposed to join UNC-Chapel Hills Hussman School of Journalism and Media in July as a tenured professor. Instead, her role as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism will be as a fixed-term Professor of the Practice, with the option of being reviewed for tenure within five years. The journalism schools dean, Susan King, said she was told that the UNC-CH Board of Trustees was hesitant to give tenure to someone outside of academia. But the news comes as Hannah-Jones has been a lightning rod for some conservatives critical of her work, particularly on The 1619 Project, which explores the legacy and history of Black Americans and slavery. Her piece won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, but faced scrutiny from some historians and politicians and led to a clarification from the New York Times. Investigative journalists always are involved in controversies, King said. They dig deep, and they raise questions that demand answers. Part of what they do is raise uncomfortable questions for people, institutions and systems. In Hannah-Jones hiring announcement in April, King said one of the most respected investigative journalists in America will be working with our students on projects that will move their careers forward and ignite critically important conversations. Hannah-Jones could not be reached for comment as of Wednesday afternoon. Board of Trustees didnt approve Earlier this week, King explained in a message to faculty that when Hannah-Jones case for tenure was presented, the campus trustees did not act on it. So the university offered her a five-year fixed-term contract, which was different from the original job description. Hannah-Jones will also remain a journalist at the New York Times. NC PolicyWatch first reported that UNC backed down from offering Hannah-Jones the tenure-track position after conservative criticism. The board has the authority to approve all tenured positions, which are lifetime appointments. In the message, King said she was told: the board was worried about a non-academic entering the university with this designation. However, all of UNC-CHs previous Knight Chairs have been appointed with tenure, and the position is designed to bring professionals into academia. Some Knight Chairs around the nation are not tenured positions, King wrote, but this will have implications for their next search and appointment of this role. Tenure is a rigorous process that requires approval at many levels. Hannah-Jones was being courted by King before The 1619 Project was published and her hiring for this position has been months in the making. As part of her tenure package, Hannah-Jones met with groups of faculty and taught a class at UNC-CH. She wrote a statement about her professional vision, teaching and service and presented her body of work to be explored by the journalism schools promotion and tenure committee, which voted to approve her. That package was also reviewed by outside academics and presented to all tenured faculty in the journalism school. Then King presented it to the provost, to the promotion and tenure committee at the university level and then to the Board of Trustees. King said she had the support of the provost and chancellor in making this hire, even after it didnt include tenure. They stood by the school to try to find a way to bring her here, King said. She will help our students navigate a changing time in America at a very partisan moment. Members of the Board of Trustees did not issue a statement when Hannah-Jones hiring was announced. The board did not publicly discuss whether or not she should get tenure. Still, it never got a vote from the board. This issue could come up at board committee meetings Wednesday and with the full board on Thursday. Concern among faculty King said she respects the boards authority and decision, but it is concerning for the school and its faculty given Hannah-Jones qualifications. She said it could be a setback for the Hussman school and the university as a whole. People are worried about what this says about the board, King said. Im afraid of what our peers will say or potential new scholars or practitioners. Will they want to come here? Hannah-Jones covers civil rights and racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine. She is a MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant recipient and was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and inducted to the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame. King said UNC been congratulated on this hire, with some saying Hannah-Jones is the most important journalist of this generation. But the news of her hire also drew criticism from some UNC alumni and conservative groups. Jay Schalin, director of policy analysis at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, wrote that the hire signals a degradation of journalistic standards, taking aim at The 1619 Project. Schalin said the projects goal was not historical or journalistic, but political agitation. Shannon Watkins, also from the Martin Center, criticized the trustees and the UNC system for its inability to prevent activist-scholars from gaining positions within the university. What was the leadership at UNC thinking? said an unsigned editorial from the Carolina Partnership for Reform. This lady is an activist reporter not a teacher. But at the journalism school, the controversy over Hannah-Jones hiring is seen through a different lens. Associate Professor Deb Aikat said it sets a disturbing precedent that in 2021, when we are in a racial reckoning, the UNC Board of Trustees declined to consider for tenure a prospective faculty of color. Our faculty colleagues in UNC are troubled and tormented that conservative ire has forced the UNC Board of Trustees to back down from offering a tenured position to an acclaimed journalist like Nikole Hannah-Jones, Aikat said. About two dozen journalism and media faculty, including Aikat, released a statement Wednesday saying they are stunned that Hannah-Jones wasnt awarded tenure and demanded explanations from the universitys leadership. The failure to offer Hannah-Jones tenure with her appointment as a Knight chair unfairly moves the goalposts and violates long-standing norms and established processes relating to tenure and promotion at UNC-Chapel Hill, they wrote. They mentioned Hannah-Jones 20-plus years of journalism experience and her necessary and transformative work on Americas racial history. The national politicization of universities, journalism, and the social sciences undermines the integrity of and academic freedom within the whole University of North Carolina system, they wrote. | Nikole Hannah-Jones was supposed to join UNC-Chapel Hill's journalism school in July as a tenured professor. Instead, her role as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism will be as a fixed-term professor. Hannah-Jones has been a lightning rod for some conservatives critical of her work. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article251527603.html | 0.375393 |
When Gaza guns fall silent, will new path to peace emerge? | Still, the current fighting has raised another question at the heart of the Gaza paradox: whether the price of not doing so might be too high. That would demand an active role of America, Israels closest ally. President Joe Biden has shown no interest in expending political capital on what has historically proved to be a fruitless task: His foreign policy priority is China, not the Middle East. He will doubtless be profoundly dubious about launching a new U.S. diplomatic initiative there. Both, at least for now, stand to emerge politically strengthened from the latest bloodletting. But in the longer term the outbreak of violence might just might prompt a renewed focus on trying to find a long-term compromise between Israel and the Palestinians. It has been over 20 years since the U.S. was last involved in a serious effort to resolve the Palestinian issue. The current fighting between Israel and Hamas might just possibly prompt Washington to try again. On the one hand, the fighting has shaken a widespread belief in Israel that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fading away. It has put the idea of a two-state solution back on the table. On the other, both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are implacably opposed to any such negotiated compromise. At the heart of the current fighting between Israel and Hamas lies a paradox. Sadly, weve been here before: the militant Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza, on Israels southern border, firing missiles at Israeli towns and cities, Israel responding with overwhelming force, hundreds of innocent civilian lives lost, mostly Palestinian. But while the military equation hasnt changed, the political context has. A critically important paradox lies at the heart of this latest round of fighting, the third major outbreak in the last dozen years. How its resolved will determine what happens when the guns fall silent again. Why We Wrote This It has been over 20 years since the U.S. was last involved in a serious effort to resolve the Palestinian issue. The current fighting between Israel and Hamas might just possibly prompt Washington to try again. On the one hand, the fighting has shaken a widespread belief in Israel that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was fading away, and has put the idea of a two-state solution back on the table. On the other, both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are implacably opposed to any such negotiated compromise. And both, at least for now, stand to emerge politically strengthened from the latest bloodletting. Hamas will feel it has achieved what it was seeking last week by targeting missiles not just at nearby southern Israeli towns but also, crucially, at Jerusalem the disputed holy city at the root of the current conflict, where Israeli police were clashing with protesters angered by the threatened eviction of a number of Palestinian families. To claim overall Palestinian leadership at a time when the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority on the West Bank has been drained of most of its authority at home and is finding it increasingly difficult to make its voice heard abroad. For Mr. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving leader, the showdown came at the most precarious point in his political career. Facing trial on corruption charges, he had failed to assemble a new governing coalition after a fourth indecisive election in two years. Rival politicians on left and right were working to form an alternative coalition including, for the first time ever, a Muslim party representing Arab Israeli citizens. Within days, the situation for Mr. Netanyahu changed. He was leading a country united by the need to bring an end to the Hamas rocket attacks. Opposition leaders suspended their coalition talks, with all potential partners aware theyd be risking the ire of their own constituents by launching a joint Jewish-Arab government amid the escalating violence. Sebastian Scheiner/Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he shows a slide illustrating Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip to foreign ambassadors on May 19, 2021. The key question now will be on the other side of the paradox: whether the short-term political effects of the fighting give way in the months ahead to a renewed focus on trying to find a long-term compromise between Israel and the Palestinians. That will depend not just on Israelis and Palestinians, but on outside powers such as Arab countries, the European Union, and above all Israels principal ally, the United States. The prognosis: It could happen, but the obstacles are daunting. First, the fighting has to end. If the template of past Israel-Hamas confrontations holds, that is likely to happen in the coming days: The Israeli military will step up attacks to destroy as many Hamas targets as possible, world pressure will build amid rising civilian casualties in tiny, densely populated Gaza, and Egypt will mediate a truce. If not, there is little chance of a parliamentary majority, and a fifth election might be on the way. A weakened Palestinian Authority would welcome a renewed push for a negotiated compromise, with the prospect of a PA-led state made up of the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. So, too, would European countries and much of the international community. Theyve never wavered from their commitment to the two-state formula. But the critical player will be America. Former President Donald Trump broke with decades of U.S. policy by shunting aside the two-state idea and backing Mr. Netanyahus right-wing nationalist coalition in its bid to cement open-ended Israeli control of the West Bank. The Trump administration also mediated groundbreaking peace deals between Israel and two Gulf Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Since this required the Arab leaders to ignore protests from the Palestinians, it reinforced the sense for most Israelis that the Palestinian issue was far less pressing than it had been. President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his support for the two-state model. But his foreign policy focus has been on repairing U.S. alliances and dealing with China, not on the Middle East. And he has been close enough to the corridors of power for long enough to know only too well how Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy has been bogged down in stalemate since the turn of the century. It has been more than two decades since President Bill Clinton tried, came close, but ultimately failed to bring a two-state deal to fruition. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Your email address By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy That may leave Mr. Biden profoundly dubious about embarking on a new U.S. diplomatic push. Still, the current fighting has raised another question at the heart of the Gaza paradox: whether the price of not doing so might be too high. | Frida Ghitis: When Gaza guns fall silent, will a new path to peace emerge? She says the price of not doing so might be too high for U.S., Israel's closest ally. She says both sides stand to emerge politically strengthened from the latest bloodletting. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2021/0519/When-Gaza-guns-fall-silent-will-new-path-to-peace-emerge?icid=rss | 0.115552 |
Why has the price of Bitcoin been falling? | The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Other digital currencies suffered sharp declines as well. Bitcoins volatility was on full display: The decline had narrowed to below 10% in early afternoon trading. Bitcoin has lost about 40% of its value since April 13 when it hit a high of more than $64,606 per coin. Before Wednesday, Teslas decision to not accept the digital currency as payment for cars, along with concerns about tighter regulation of digital currencies, were major factors in the decline. The price is still up about 31% in 2021 and nearly 300% from a year ago. Story continues below advertisement Heres a look at Bitcoin and digital currencies in general: HOW BITCOIN WORKS Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who mine them by lending computing power to verify other users transactions. They receive Bitcoins in exchange. The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Some businesses take Bitcoin as payment, and a number of financial institutions allow it in their clients portfolios, but overall mainstream acceptance is still limited. Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals. Bitcoins have to be stored in a digital wallet, either online through an exchange like Coinbase, or offline on a hard drive using specialized software. According to Coinbase, there are about 18.7 million Bitcoins in circulation and only 21 million will ever exist. The reason for that is unclear, and where all the Bitcoins are is anyones guess. On Wednesday, a statement posted on the Chinese Banking Associations website said financial institutions should resolutely refrain from providing services using digital currencies because of their volatility. Virtually every cryptocurrency fell after the industry groups statement. As of 1:10 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, Bitcoin was down more than 7% at around $40,310 per coin. Most cryptocurrencies lost between 7% and 22% of their value and shares of Coinbase dropped 5.4%. Story continues below advertisement The value of Bitcoin can change by thousands of dollars in a short time period. On the last trading day of 2020, Bitcoin closed just under $30,000. In mid-April, it flirted with $65,000. The price bounced around after that, with some notable swings, before taking a decidedly negative turn last week. Yes, and a fairly big one. Musk announced in February that his electric car company Tesla had invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin. In March, Tesla began accepting Bitcoin as payment. Those actions contributed to the run-up in Bitcoins price, and Musk also promoted the digital currency Dogecoin, which also spiked in value. However, Musk reversed course in just a short time, saying last week that Tesla would stop accepting Bitcoin because of the potential environmental damage that can result from Bitcoin mining. The announcement sent Bitcoin falling below $50,000 and set the tone for the big pullback in most cryptocurrencies. A number of Bitcoin fans pushed back on Musks reasoning. Fellow billionaire Mark Cuban said that gold mining is much more damaging to the environment than the mining of Bitcoin. A 2019 study by the Technical University of Munich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the Bitcoin network generates an amount of CO2 similar to a large Western city or an entire developing country like Sri Lanka. But a University of Cambridge study last year estimated that on average, 39% of proof-of-work crypto mining was powered by renewable energy, primarily hydroelectric energy. The digital payment company Square and its CEO Jack Dorsey also the CEO of Twitter have been big proponents of Bitcoin. Overstock.com also accepts Bitcoin, and in February, BNY Mellon, the oldest bank in the U.S., said it would include digital currencies in the services it provides to clients. And Mastercard said it would start supporting select crypto currencies on its network. Story continues below advertisement Bitcoin has become popular enough that more than 300,000 transactions typically occur in an average day, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info. Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and credit cards. Yes, plenty of it. Tracking Bitcoins price is obviously easier than trying to figure out its value, which is why so many institutions, experts and traders are skeptical about it and cryptocurrency in general. Digital currencies were seen as replacements for paper money, but that hasnt happened so far. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the central bank prefers to call crypto coins crypto assets, because their volatility undermines their ability to store value, a basic function of a currency. While some banks and financial services companies are getting in on it, others are staying away. Regulators arent very worried about a possible crash in digital currencies dragging down the rest of the financial system or economy. Even with the recent sell-off, digital currencies have a market value of about $1.5 trillion, according to the website coinmarketcap.com. But that pales compared with the $46.9 trillion stock market, $41.3 trillion residential real estate market and nearly $21 trillion Treasury market at the start of the year. The European Central Bank said Wednesday that the risk of cryptocurrencies affecting the financial systems stability looks limited at present. In large part, thats because theyre still not widely used for payments and institutions under its purview still have little exposure to crypto-linked instruments. Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve said a survey of market contacts found roughly one in five cited cryptocurrencies as a potential shock to the system over the next 12 to 18 months. Thats a turnaround from the fall, when a similar survey found none mentioning cryptocurrencies. Washington officials have been talking about regulating digital currencies more, and worries about a heavier hand have played a role in the recent swoon in prices. Gary Gensler, who took over as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, has said that cryptocurrency markets would benefit from more oversight to protect investors. In a hearing before the Houses financial services committee earlier this month, Gensler said neither the SEC nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which he used to head, has a regulatory framework for trading on cryptocurrency exchanges yet. He said he thought Congress would ultimately have to address it because theres really not protection against fraud or manipulation. HOW BITCOIN CAME TO BE Its a mystery. Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesnt matter: The currency obeys its own internal logic. In 2016, An Australian entrepreneur stepped forward and claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin, only to say days later that he did not have the courage to publish proof that he is. No one has claimed credit for the currency since. Story continues below advertisement Be smart with your money. Get the latest investing insights delivered right to your inbox three times a week, with the Globe Investor newsletter. Sign up today. | Price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/article-why-has-the-price-of-bitcoin-been-falling/ | 0.388397 |
Why has the price of Bitcoin been falling? | The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Other digital currencies suffered sharp declines as well. Bitcoins volatility was on full display: The decline had narrowed to below 10% in early afternoon trading. Bitcoin has lost about 40% of its value since April 13 when it hit a high of more than $64,606 per coin. Before Wednesday, Teslas decision to not accept the digital currency as payment for cars, along with concerns about tighter regulation of digital currencies, were major factors in the decline. The price is still up about 31% in 2021 and nearly 300% from a year ago. Story continues below advertisement Heres a look at Bitcoin and digital currencies in general: HOW BITCOIN WORKS Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by users who mine them by lending computing power to verify other users transactions. They receive Bitcoins in exchange. The coins also can be bought and sold on exchanges with U.S. dollars and other currencies. Some businesses take Bitcoin as payment, and a number of financial institutions allow it in their clients portfolios, but overall mainstream acceptance is still limited. Bitcoins are basically lines of computer code that are digitally signed each time they travel from one owner to the next. Transactions can be made anonymously, making the currency popular with libertarians as well as tech enthusiasts, speculators and criminals. Bitcoins have to be stored in a digital wallet, either online through an exchange like Coinbase, or offline on a hard drive using specialized software. According to Coinbase, there are about 18.7 million Bitcoins in circulation and only 21 million will ever exist. The reason for that is unclear, and where all the Bitcoins are is anyones guess. On Wednesday, a statement posted on the Chinese Banking Associations website said financial institutions should resolutely refrain from providing services using digital currencies because of their volatility. Virtually every cryptocurrency fell after the industry groups statement. As of 1:10 p.m. eastern time Wednesday, Bitcoin was down more than 7% at around $40,310 per coin. Most cryptocurrencies lost between 7% and 22% of their value and shares of Coinbase dropped 5.4%. Story continues below advertisement The value of Bitcoin can change by thousands of dollars in a short time period. On the last trading day of 2020, Bitcoin closed just under $30,000. In mid-April, it flirted with $65,000. The price bounced around after that, with some notable swings, before taking a decidedly negative turn last week. Yes, and a fairly big one. Musk announced in February that his electric car company Tesla had invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin. In March, Tesla began accepting Bitcoin as payment. Those actions contributed to the run-up in Bitcoins price, and Musk also promoted the digital currency Dogecoin, which also spiked in value. However, Musk reversed course in just a short time, saying last week that Tesla would stop accepting Bitcoin because of the potential environmental damage that can result from Bitcoin mining. The announcement sent Bitcoin falling below $50,000 and set the tone for the big pullback in most cryptocurrencies. A number of Bitcoin fans pushed back on Musks reasoning. Fellow billionaire Mark Cuban said that gold mining is much more damaging to the environment than the mining of Bitcoin. A 2019 study by the Technical University of Munich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the Bitcoin network generates an amount of CO2 similar to a large Western city or an entire developing country like Sri Lanka. But a University of Cambridge study last year estimated that on average, 39% of proof-of-work crypto mining was powered by renewable energy, primarily hydroelectric energy. The digital payment company Square and its CEO Jack Dorsey also the CEO of Twitter have been big proponents of Bitcoin. Overstock.com also accepts Bitcoin, and in February, BNY Mellon, the oldest bank in the U.S., said it would include digital currencies in the services it provides to clients. And Mastercard said it would start supporting select crypto currencies on its network. Story continues below advertisement Bitcoin has become popular enough that more than 300,000 transactions typically occur in an average day, according to Bitcoin wallet site blockchain.info. Still, its popularity is low compared with cash and credit cards. Yes, plenty of it. Tracking Bitcoins price is obviously easier than trying to figure out its value, which is why so many institutions, experts and traders are skeptical about it and cryptocurrency in general. Digital currencies were seen as replacements for paper money, but that hasnt happened so far. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the central bank prefers to call crypto coins crypto assets, because their volatility undermines their ability to store value, a basic function of a currency. While some banks and financial services companies are getting in on it, others are staying away. Regulators arent very worried about a possible crash in digital currencies dragging down the rest of the financial system or economy. Even with the recent sell-off, digital currencies have a market value of about $1.5 trillion, according to the website coinmarketcap.com. But that pales compared with the $46.9 trillion stock market, $41.3 trillion residential real estate market and nearly $21 trillion Treasury market at the start of the year. The European Central Bank said Wednesday that the risk of cryptocurrencies affecting the financial systems stability looks limited at present. In large part, thats because theyre still not widely used for payments and institutions under its purview still have little exposure to crypto-linked instruments. Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve said a survey of market contacts found roughly one in five cited cryptocurrencies as a potential shock to the system over the next 12 to 18 months. Thats a turnaround from the fall, when a similar survey found none mentioning cryptocurrencies. Washington officials have been talking about regulating digital currencies more, and worries about a heavier hand have played a role in the recent swoon in prices. Gary Gensler, who took over as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, has said that cryptocurrency markets would benefit from more oversight to protect investors. In a hearing before the Houses financial services committee earlier this month, Gensler said neither the SEC nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which he used to head, has a regulatory framework for trading on cryptocurrency exchanges yet. He said he thought Congress would ultimately have to address it because theres really not protection against fraud or manipulation. HOW BITCOIN CAME TO BE Its a mystery. Bitcoin was launched in 2009 by a person or group of people operating under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin was then adopted by a small clutch of enthusiasts. Nakamoto dropped off the map as bitcoin began to attract widespread attention. But proponents say that doesnt matter: The currency obeys its own internal logic. In 2016, An Australian entrepreneur stepped forward and claimed to be the founder of Bitcoin, only to say days later that he did not have the courage to publish proof that he is. No one has claimed credit for the currency since. Story continues below advertisement Be smart with your money. Get the latest investing insights delivered right to your inbox three times a week, with the Globe Investor newsletter. Sign up today. | The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Bitcoin has lost about 40% of its value since April 13 when it hit a high of more than $64,606 per coin. The price is still up about 31% in 2021 and nearly 300% from a year ago. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/investment-ideas/article-why-has-the-price-of-bitcoin-been-falling/ | 0.44508 |
Did Ether Enter A Bear Market After Losing More Than 50% Of Its Value? | Ether prices have tumbled lately, after approaching $4,400 earlier this month. (Photo by Jaap ... [+] Arriens/Sipa USA) (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Ether prices fell sharply today, dropping to nearly $1,900, their lowest since early April, amid a broader sell-off in digital currencies. The cryptocurrency, which is the native token of the Ethereum platform, declined to $1,902.08, according to CoinDesk data. When it reached this level, ether was down more than 56% from the all-time high of nearly $4,400 that it reached earlier this month, additional CoinDesk figures reveal. In spite of these recent losses, traders should remember that the digital currency has experienced some astronomical gains this year, climbing from under $750 to roughly $4,380. [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.] Ether Retracement Healthy Given the notable decline that ether prices have experienced lately, several analysts commented on whether the digital currency has entered a bear market. Several of them emphatically denied that this was the case. This was a healthy pullback and a great buying opportunity, said Vinny Lingham, cofounder & CEO of Civic. Michael Conn, who is the chairman, CEO and co-chief investment officer at Zilliqa Capital, also weighed in. He described the latest pullback as a healthy correction before the digital currency experiences its next upward movement. Scott Melker, a crypto investor and analyst who is the host of The Wolf Of All Streets Podcast, offered a similar assessment, stating: I do not believe that Ethereum has entered a bear market, but rather that it is completing a healthy retracement before a larger move to the upside. A Highly Volatile Market Melker elaborated on his views, stating that Stock analysts often point to a drop of 20% or more from recent highs as a marker for a bear market. This number is often invoked when an assets price declines. What many fail to realize is that the definition of a bear market also includes a time-frame usually longer than two months, he noted. Crypto moves at the speed of light, and 20% drops are insignificant and can happen in less than a day, said Melker. He emphasized that when he prepared this commentary, ether had already recovered 30% from its intraday low, and could be out of the defined bear market in a matter of hours or days. Amber Ghaddar, cofounder of decentralized capital marketplace AllianceBlock, also commented on the extreme price volatility that characterizes digital currencies. The traditional definition of bull and bear market is inconsistent with the price action of crypto as 20% plus dips are frequent and are often part of a correction followed by a broader build-up. Throughout 2016-2017 we had 6 corrections of 30%+. She claimed that when it comes to defining bear and bull markets in crypto, There is no rule of thumb as this asset class is too young and historical data is too little. Disclosure: I own some bitcoin, bitcoin cash, litecoin, ether and EOS. | Ether prices fell sharply today, dropping to nearly $1,900, their lowest since early April. When it reached this level, ether was down more than 56% from the all-time high of nearly $4,400 that it reached earlier this month. Several analysts commented on whether the digital currency has entered a bear market. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cbovaird/2021/05/19/did-ether-enter-a-bear-market-after-losing-more-than-50-of-its-value/ | 0.251078 |
Why is the Israel lobby attacking Ilhan Omar? | Ongoing Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip have killed hundreds of civilians. At time of writing, at least 213 Gazans had been killed, including 61 children, and the territory's beleaguered hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties. As Amira Haas reports at Haaretz, several individual homes have been bombed in the middle of the night with no warning suggesting a deliberate intent to wipe out entire families, since the Israeli military has detailed information on Gaza residents and has provided evacuation warnings in other instances. Meanwhile, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, but because almost all of them were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system, only 12 Israelis have been killed, including one child. Israel's actions have inspired unusually stark condemnations from left-wing Democratic members of Congress, including (but not limited to) Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. In response, the leading pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S., the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent thousands of dollars on Facebook attack ads with the faces of Omar and Ocasio-Cortez superimposed on pictures of Hamas rockets all but implying they are in league with the group: These ads are plainly dishonest (though not as bad as the 2019 ads that said Omar was "maybe more sinister" than ISIS, for which AIPAC apologized). In a recent speech, Omar condemned both Israeli bombing and Hamas rockets: "I understand, on a deeply human level, the pain and the anguish families are feeling in Palestine and in Israel at this moment whether rocket attacks or air strikes, violence does nothing to make people more secure." Ocasio-Cortez has also said Hamas' actions are "condemnable[.]" Their criticism is focused primarily on Israel because that country is committing the overwhelming majority of the violence against civilians in the conflict, and because it receives both enormous subsidies and diplomatic protection from the U.S. government. America has little leverage over Hamas, but could easily pressure Israel into accepting a proposed ceasefire from Hamas it has so far rejected, or ending the occupation that is at the root of the conflict. One wonders why AIPAC feels the need to single out these two women of color (one of whom is a Muslim) and misrepresent what they are saying. More stories from theweek.com Stephen Breyer is delusional about the Supreme Court 7 cartoons about the CDC's surprising mask mandate reversal The threat of civil war didn't end with the Trump presidency | Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have condemned Israeli bombing of Gaza. AIPAC, the leading pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S., has spent thousands on Facebook attack ads with their faces superimposed on pictures of Hamas rockets. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/why-israel-lobby-attacking-ilhan-172727060.html | 0.116315 |
What Plays Better With the Public, Democratic Corporate Tax Hikes Or GOP User Fees? | Cash and E-Z Pass signs at the New Jersey Turnpike. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images ... [+] Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images President Biden and Democrats and Republicans in Congress have begun a fascinating game of three-dimensional chess over Bidens $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending plan and the way to pay for it. As the game begins, it may be worth looking at where public opinion stands on infrastructure spending and how it should be funded. To start, there appears to be broad-based public support for increased spending on infrastructure. Thats probably why Senate Republicans quickly put their own $568 billion counteroffer on the table. But survey results are extremely sensitive to the way the question is framed. For instance, there is far more support for the individual elements of the presidents plan than for something identified as Bidens infrastructure proposal. Still, almost every survey shows that at least half and often far more than half of those polled back additional spending on roads and bridges. Paying for it all is another matter. Biden favors corporate tax increases. Congressional Republicans prefer unspecified user fees. Moderate Democrats such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) support some corporate tax increases but wont go as far as Biden. For example, while Biden would raise corporate income tax rates from 21 percent to 28 percent, Manchin says he would limit the rate hike to 25 percent. There has been widespread support for raising taxes on corporations and high-income households for years. Recent polling suggests there may be some differences in support for one over the other. But support for these taxes hikes remains strongly held. Recent public opinion surveys For example, a Morning Consult in March found that 54 percent of respondents favored Bidens infrastructure improvements financed by raising taxes on those making $400,000 or more or on corporations. Only half as many backed new infrastructure without tax increases. Of course, the poll showed deep partisan divisions, with 72 percent of Democrats but 32 percent of Republicans favoring the pairing. By 10 percentage points 57 percent to 47 percentrespondents favored tax hikes on high-income individuals over corporations An April Monmouth University poll found that about two-thirds of respondents favored a tax hike on either high-income individuals or corporations to fund the new spending. And a mid-April Washington Post poll found that while 52 percent of respondents backed Bidens infrastructure plan, 58 percent favored the idea if it includes a corporate tax rate increase. All this puts Biden on pretty firm ground. For now, Republicans are hiding behind the blandand largely meaninglessphrase. But at some point, they may have to be explicit. When it comes to roads and bridges, user fees for individuals generally mean either a motor fuels tax or some form of tolling. Most politicians oppose both, probably on the assumption that so do voters. But survey research paints a much more complicated picture. While ether idea probably violates Biens pledge to not raise taxes on those making $400,000 or less, they dont seem unpopular. It very much depends on how the questions are framed. For instance, The Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University has been polling on gas taxes since 2010. In 2019, it found that 40 percent favored a 10 cent-a-gallon tax hike, up 11 percentage points from a decade earlier. But even more75 percentsupported the gas tax hike if they were told the money would be used to improve roads and bridges. It didnt matter much whether the respondents drove a lot or not at all. And while there were some regional differences, they were not large. It is worth noting that a variant of the gas taxa tax based on miles traveled polled more poorly, though peoples responses indicated they were, more than anything, confused by the idea. Tolls Polling on tolling is even harder to sort out. There is surprisingly little recent survey data, and many polls were done by interest groups. Independent surveys generally were positive but also highly sensitive to framing. in general, they found more support for tolls than taxes. A 2008 National Academy of Sciences analysis of the then-available survey research concluded, The pubic favors tolls over taxes....Tolling represents freedom of choice. Only users pay. While the study is quite old, its results are music to Republican ears. A more recent 2013 study by the Brookings Institution found cautious support for tolling and other forms of congestion pricing. But a 2018 survey found that people are more willing to pay both higher tolls and taxes for better roads and faster commutes. If these surveys are to be believed, Biden appears to be starting with the upper hand. But public views on how to fund infrastructure spending are likely to be driven, as usual, by who is best at framing the debate over the next few months. | Biden favors corporate tax increases, GOP prefers unspecified user fees. Polls show public support for tax hikes on corporations and high-income households. But survey results are extremely sensitive to the way the question is framed. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2021/05/19/what-plays-better-with-the-public-democratic-corporate-tax-hikes-or-gop-user-fees/ | 0.360619 |
What Plays Better With the Public, Democratic Corporate Tax Hikes Or GOP User Fees? | Cash and E-Z Pass signs at the New Jersey Turnpike. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images ... [+] Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images President Biden and Democrats and Republicans in Congress have begun a fascinating game of three-dimensional chess over Bidens $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending plan and the way to pay for it. As the game begins, it may be worth looking at where public opinion stands on infrastructure spending and how it should be funded. To start, there appears to be broad-based public support for increased spending on infrastructure. Thats probably why Senate Republicans quickly put their own $568 billion counteroffer on the table. But survey results are extremely sensitive to the way the question is framed. For instance, there is far more support for the individual elements of the presidents plan than for something identified as Bidens infrastructure proposal. Still, almost every survey shows that at least half and often far more than half of those polled back additional spending on roads and bridges. Paying for it all is another matter. Biden favors corporate tax increases. Congressional Republicans prefer unspecified user fees. Moderate Democrats such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) support some corporate tax increases but wont go as far as Biden. For example, while Biden would raise corporate income tax rates from 21 percent to 28 percent, Manchin says he would limit the rate hike to 25 percent. There has been widespread support for raising taxes on corporations and high-income households for years. Recent polling suggests there may be some differences in support for one over the other. But support for these taxes hikes remains strongly held. Recent public opinion surveys For example, a Morning Consult in March found that 54 percent of respondents favored Bidens infrastructure improvements financed by raising taxes on those making $400,000 or more or on corporations. Only half as many backed new infrastructure without tax increases. Of course, the poll showed deep partisan divisions, with 72 percent of Democrats but 32 percent of Republicans favoring the pairing. By 10 percentage points 57 percent to 47 percentrespondents favored tax hikes on high-income individuals over corporations An April Monmouth University poll found that about two-thirds of respondents favored a tax hike on either high-income individuals or corporations to fund the new spending. And a mid-April Washington Post poll found that while 52 percent of respondents backed Bidens infrastructure plan, 58 percent favored the idea if it includes a corporate tax rate increase. All this puts Biden on pretty firm ground. For now, Republicans are hiding behind the blandand largely meaninglessphrase. But at some point, they may have to be explicit. When it comes to roads and bridges, user fees for individuals generally mean either a motor fuels tax or some form of tolling. Most politicians oppose both, probably on the assumption that so do voters. But survey research paints a much more complicated picture. While ether idea probably violates Biens pledge to not raise taxes on those making $400,000 or less, they dont seem unpopular. It very much depends on how the questions are framed. For instance, The Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University has been polling on gas taxes since 2010. In 2019, it found that 40 percent favored a 10 cent-a-gallon tax hike, up 11 percentage points from a decade earlier. But even more75 percentsupported the gas tax hike if they were told the money would be used to improve roads and bridges. It didnt matter much whether the respondents drove a lot or not at all. And while there were some regional differences, they were not large. It is worth noting that a variant of the gas taxa tax based on miles traveled polled more poorly, though peoples responses indicated they were, more than anything, confused by the idea. Tolls Polling on tolling is even harder to sort out. There is surprisingly little recent survey data, and many polls were done by interest groups. Independent surveys generally were positive but also highly sensitive to framing. in general, they found more support for tolls than taxes. A 2008 National Academy of Sciences analysis of the then-available survey research concluded, The pubic favors tolls over taxes....Tolling represents freedom of choice. Only users pay. While the study is quite old, its results are music to Republican ears. A more recent 2013 study by the Brookings Institution found cautious support for tolling and other forms of congestion pricing. But a 2018 survey found that people are more willing to pay both higher tolls and taxes for better roads and faster commutes. If these surveys are to be believed, Biden appears to be starting with the upper hand. But public views on how to fund infrastructure spending are likely to be driven, as usual, by who is best at framing the debate over the next few months. | Biden favors corporate tax increases, GOP prefers unspecified user fees. Polls show public support for tax hikes on corporations and high-income households. But survey results are extremely sensitive to the way the question is framed, says Julian Zelizer. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2021/05/19/what-plays-better-with-the-public-democratic-corporate-tax-hikes-or-gop-user-fees/ | 0.388492 |
Does letter to tenants signal end of county plan to build jail at KC trailer park? | Jackson County might not build its new jail on the site of an east Kansas City trailer park after all. Negotiations have stalled, according to county officials, and on Wednesday the project schedule on the countys website was changed without explanation. It now delays construction by several months, presumably so the county can zero in on another site or reach a deal with the owner of Heart Mobile Village. Heart Mobiles management, meanwhile, sent tenants a letter this week that for the first time acknowledged the countys interest in the site, while seeming to put that transaction in the past tense by announcing plans to invest in new park facilities. While it all seems to suggest that the jail will no longer be built on the countrys preferred site, the county is not ruling it out entirely, one top official said privately. But officially the county remained mum and Heart Mobile Village management did not return phone calls. County spokeswoman Marshanna Smith also did not respond to a request for comment as of mid-afternoon Wednesday. The developments come days ahead of when officials had planned to publicly acknowledge that a sale was in the works. An appraisal had begun and county officials were discussing privately and publicly their concerns about the need to pay for relocating the 100 families who live at Heart Mobile. The first public sign that things were amiss came when Park Properties Inc., owner of the nearly 100-acre Heart Mobile Village, sent letters to residents on Tuesday saying that while the parks management is honored that Jackson County officials like our property, the mobile home community is not under contract for sale to Jackson County. No one ever said it was. The county had signed a letter of intent to purchase the property for an undisclosed price, a precursor to negotiating a sale contract. But its not clear that Park Properties ever signed that letter of intent. The Wichita company bought Heart Mobile for $3.4 million two years ago, but wanted to make a sizable profit on its investment. Its not known how much distance there was between what Park Properties wanted for the property and what Jackson County was willing to pay for a site that will need a lot of fill to alleviate flooding risks. Story continues The letter to tenants also outlined Park Properties plan to make investments in Heart Mobile and said that it was trying to attract new tenants after suspending all new rentals several months ago, as negotiations with the countys real estate broker began. We are also preparing additional renovations to the office to construct a new clubhouse, laundry center, and even a small convenience store, it said. The letter blamed the news media for causing residents panic or concern for no good reason. The Star first reported in April that the property at 7000 E. US 40 Highway was the countys preferred site for the nearly $300 million new jail. The county never publicly acknowledged that Heart Mobile Village was the site, but several acknowledged it privately and legislator Jalen Anderson publicly fretted over what would become of the roughly 100 families that rent space there. Part of any negotiation for the land, Anderson and others said privately, would require working out a compensation package for those people so they could find other places to live. A Star reporter provided county officials on Tuesday with a copy of the letter Park Properties had sent its tenants. Sometime after 10 on Wednesday morning, the projects timeline was changed without notice. Construction of a replacement for the downtown detention center had been scheduled to begin this fall, with completion and final move-in set for summer 2024. The new timeline had construction starting next spring and the new jail becoming fully operational no earlier than the fall of 2024. Heart Mobile fit most if not all of the requirements that the county was looking for in a site to build a jail whose construction alone is estimated to cost $260 million. Land, equipment and other expenses are expected to push the total cost to $300 million. It is twice the 50-acre minimum size that the countys consultant, JCDC Partners, had set. It fits the requirement that it be 20 to 30 minutes by road from Truman Medical Centers location at Hospital Hill, as well as the two county courthouses. Its on a bus line and has easy highway access, yet has few residential neighbors. JCDC identified 40 possible sites for a jail and gave county legislators a short list to choose from back in January. The Star has not been able to determine where those locations are. One qualification that Heart Mobile did not meet was that it preferably be on unincorporated property in Jackson County. The Blue Summit area north of I-70 along I-435 has often been mentioned as a potential jail site. The current jail in downtown Kansas City is 40 years old, deteriorating and has an inefficient design. | Jackson County might not build its new jail on the site of an east Kansas City trailer park. Negotiations have stalled, according to county officials. On Wednesday the project schedule on the countys website was changed without explanation. | pegasus | 1 | https://news.yahoo.com/does-letter-tenants-signal-end-201012966.html | 0.116916 |
Does letter to tenants signal end of county plan to build jail at KC trailer park? | Jackson County might not build its new jail on the site of an east Kansas City trailer park after all. Negotiations have stalled, according to county officials, and on Wednesday the project schedule on the countys website was changed without explanation. It now delays construction by several months, presumably so the county can zero in on another site or reach a deal with the owner of Heart Mobile Village. Heart Mobiles management, meanwhile, sent tenants a letter this week that for the first time acknowledged the countys interest in the site, while seeming to put that transaction in the past tense by announcing plans to invest in new park facilities. While it all seems to suggest that the jail will no longer be built on the countrys preferred site, the county is not ruling it out entirely, one top official said privately. But officially the county remained mum and Heart Mobile Village management did not return phone calls. County spokeswoman Marshanna Smith also did not respond to a request for comment as of mid-afternoon Wednesday. The developments come days ahead of when officials had planned to publicly acknowledge that a sale was in the works. An appraisal had begun and county officials were discussing privately and publicly their concerns about the need to pay for relocating the 100 families who live at Heart Mobile. The first public sign that things were amiss came when Park Properties Inc., owner of the nearly 100-acre Heart Mobile Village, sent letters to residents on Tuesday saying that while the parks management is honored that Jackson County officials like our property, the mobile home community is not under contract for sale to Jackson County. No one ever said it was. The county had signed a letter of intent to purchase the property for an undisclosed price, a precursor to negotiating a sale contract. But its not clear that Park Properties ever signed that letter of intent. The Wichita company bought Heart Mobile for $3.4 million two years ago, but wanted to make a sizable profit on its investment. Its not known how much distance there was between what Park Properties wanted for the property and what Jackson County was willing to pay for a site that will need a lot of fill to alleviate flooding risks. Story continues The letter to tenants also outlined Park Properties plan to make investments in Heart Mobile and said that it was trying to attract new tenants after suspending all new rentals several months ago, as negotiations with the countys real estate broker began. We are also preparing additional renovations to the office to construct a new clubhouse, laundry center, and even a small convenience store, it said. The letter blamed the news media for causing residents panic or concern for no good reason. The Star first reported in April that the property at 7000 E. US 40 Highway was the countys preferred site for the nearly $300 million new jail. The county never publicly acknowledged that Heart Mobile Village was the site, but several acknowledged it privately and legislator Jalen Anderson publicly fretted over what would become of the roughly 100 families that rent space there. Part of any negotiation for the land, Anderson and others said privately, would require working out a compensation package for those people so they could find other places to live. A Star reporter provided county officials on Tuesday with a copy of the letter Park Properties had sent its tenants. Sometime after 10 on Wednesday morning, the projects timeline was changed without notice. Construction of a replacement for the downtown detention center had been scheduled to begin this fall, with completion and final move-in set for summer 2024. The new timeline had construction starting next spring and the new jail becoming fully operational no earlier than the fall of 2024. Heart Mobile fit most if not all of the requirements that the county was looking for in a site to build a jail whose construction alone is estimated to cost $260 million. Land, equipment and other expenses are expected to push the total cost to $300 million. It is twice the 50-acre minimum size that the countys consultant, JCDC Partners, had set. It fits the requirement that it be 20 to 30 minutes by road from Truman Medical Centers location at Hospital Hill, as well as the two county courthouses. Its on a bus line and has easy highway access, yet has few residential neighbors. JCDC identified 40 possible sites for a jail and gave county legislators a short list to choose from back in January. The Star has not been able to determine where those locations are. One qualification that Heart Mobile did not meet was that it preferably be on unincorporated property in Jackson County. The Blue Summit area north of I-70 along I-435 has often been mentioned as a potential jail site. The current jail in downtown Kansas City is 40 years old, deteriorating and has an inefficient design. | Jackson County might not build its new jail on the site of an east Kansas City trailer park. Negotiations have stalled, according to county officials. On Wednesday the project schedule on the countys website was changed without explanation. It now delays construction by several months. | pegasus | 2 | https://news.yahoo.com/does-letter-tenants-signal-end-201012966.html | 0.125027 |
Who Is the Weakest Link on the 49ers Offensive Line? | The 49ers have made a number of moves to improve their offensive line from last year. Let's go ahead and rank what will likely be their starting offensive line from best to worst. 1. Trent Williams Left Tackle The 49ers made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL this offseason. Although he will turn 33 before the start of the season, Williams still is the best left tackles in the league. Despite missing the 2019 season, the veteran made a successful return to the field and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first season with San Francisco. If Williams can stay healthy, he is clearly the best player on the 49ers offensive line. 2. Alex Mack Center The 49ers signed the 12-year veteran early in free agency. Despite his age, Mack is still capable of playing at a high level and has missed only two games the last six seasons. This is one of the most important traits that Mack brings with him. Last season saw musical chairs at the center and right guard positions, and with it became a lack of communication and missed calls. Mack has experience playing under Kyle Shanahan, and his presence should have a positive effect across the offensive line. 3. Mike McGlinchey Right Tackle Despite all of the negative reviews of his play, McGlinchey is still among the better members of the 49ers offensive line. Theres no arguing that McGlinchey struggles in pass protection, but he is a very good run blocker. One thing that may have a role in the up-and-down play from McGlinchey is the revolving door or journeymen at right guard. Look for that to change in 2021. 4. Aaron Banks Right Guard The 49ers front office seems to have realized the issues at right guard because they used the 48th pick in the draft on Banks, the mammoth guard from Notre Dame. Despite weighing 338 pounds and standing 65, the El Cerrito High School product shows the ability to move well in space. The most impressive aspect of Banks play and where he will likely help out McGlinchey is his pass protection. Banks was dominant in pass protection during his time at Notre Dame, and this should be a welcome change for the 49ers quarterbacks. 5. Laken Tomlinson Left Guard If anyone benefitted from the struggles of the right side of the 49ers offensive line in 2020, it was Laken Tomlinson. While the majority of the attention surrounding the porous offensive line has centered around McGlinchey, many fail to remember that it was a missed block by Tomlinson that led to the hit in Week 2 on Jimmy Garoppolo that would sideline the quarterback for the majority of the season with a high ankle sprain. The overall play of the seven-year veteran definitely took a step back in 2020. If Tomlinsons play continues to slide, he will be the weakest link among the 49ers offensive line. | Trent Williams is the best player on the 49ers offensive line. Laken Tomlinson will be the weakest link if he continues to slide. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/who-is-the-weakest-link-on-the-san-francisco-49ers-offensive-line | 0.534122 |
Who Is the Weakest Link on the 49ers Offensive Line? | The 49ers have made a number of moves to improve their offensive line from last year. Let's go ahead and rank what will likely be their starting offensive line from best to worst. 1. Trent Williams Left Tackle The 49ers made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL this offseason. Although he will turn 33 before the start of the season, Williams still is the best left tackles in the league. Despite missing the 2019 season, the veteran made a successful return to the field and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first season with San Francisco. If Williams can stay healthy, he is clearly the best player on the 49ers offensive line. 2. Alex Mack Center The 49ers signed the 12-year veteran early in free agency. Despite his age, Mack is still capable of playing at a high level and has missed only two games the last six seasons. This is one of the most important traits that Mack brings with him. Last season saw musical chairs at the center and right guard positions, and with it became a lack of communication and missed calls. Mack has experience playing under Kyle Shanahan, and his presence should have a positive effect across the offensive line. 3. Mike McGlinchey Right Tackle Despite all of the negative reviews of his play, McGlinchey is still among the better members of the 49ers offensive line. Theres no arguing that McGlinchey struggles in pass protection, but he is a very good run blocker. One thing that may have a role in the up-and-down play from McGlinchey is the revolving door or journeymen at right guard. Look for that to change in 2021. 4. Aaron Banks Right Guard The 49ers front office seems to have realized the issues at right guard because they used the 48th pick in the draft on Banks, the mammoth guard from Notre Dame. Despite weighing 338 pounds and standing 65, the El Cerrito High School product shows the ability to move well in space. The most impressive aspect of Banks play and where he will likely help out McGlinchey is his pass protection. Banks was dominant in pass protection during his time at Notre Dame, and this should be a welcome change for the 49ers quarterbacks. 5. Laken Tomlinson Left Guard If anyone benefitted from the struggles of the right side of the 49ers offensive line in 2020, it was Laken Tomlinson. While the majority of the attention surrounding the porous offensive line has centered around McGlinchey, many fail to remember that it was a missed block by Tomlinson that led to the hit in Week 2 on Jimmy Garoppolo that would sideline the quarterback for the majority of the season with a high ankle sprain. The overall play of the seven-year veteran definitely took a step back in 2020. If Tomlinsons play continues to slide, he will be the weakest link among the 49ers offensive line. | Trent Williams is the best player on the 49ers offensive line. Laken Tomlinson will be the weakest link if he continues to slide. The 49ers signed Alex Mack and Aaron Banks this offseason. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/who-is-the-weakest-link-on-the-san-francisco-49ers-offensive-line | 0.55361 |
Who Is the Weakest Link on the 49ers Offensive Line? | The 49ers have made a number of moves to improve their offensive line from last year. Let's go ahead and rank what will likely be their starting offensive line from best to worst. 1. Trent Williams Left Tackle The 49ers made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL this offseason. Although he will turn 33 before the start of the season, Williams still is the best left tackles in the league. Despite missing the 2019 season, the veteran made a successful return to the field and was named to the Pro Bowl in his first season with San Francisco. If Williams can stay healthy, he is clearly the best player on the 49ers offensive line. 2. Alex Mack Center The 49ers signed the 12-year veteran early in free agency. Despite his age, Mack is still capable of playing at a high level and has missed only two games the last six seasons. This is one of the most important traits that Mack brings with him. Last season saw musical chairs at the center and right guard positions, and with it became a lack of communication and missed calls. Mack has experience playing under Kyle Shanahan, and his presence should have a positive effect across the offensive line. 3. Mike McGlinchey Right Tackle Despite all of the negative reviews of his play, McGlinchey is still among the better members of the 49ers offensive line. Theres no arguing that McGlinchey struggles in pass protection, but he is a very good run blocker. One thing that may have a role in the up-and-down play from McGlinchey is the revolving door or journeymen at right guard. Look for that to change in 2021. 4. Aaron Banks Right Guard The 49ers front office seems to have realized the issues at right guard because they used the 48th pick in the draft on Banks, the mammoth guard from Notre Dame. Despite weighing 338 pounds and standing 65, the El Cerrito High School product shows the ability to move well in space. The most impressive aspect of Banks play and where he will likely help out McGlinchey is his pass protection. Banks was dominant in pass protection during his time at Notre Dame, and this should be a welcome change for the 49ers quarterbacks. 5. Laken Tomlinson Left Guard If anyone benefitted from the struggles of the right side of the 49ers offensive line in 2020, it was Laken Tomlinson. While the majority of the attention surrounding the porous offensive line has centered around McGlinchey, many fail to remember that it was a missed block by Tomlinson that led to the hit in Week 2 on Jimmy Garoppolo that would sideline the quarterback for the majority of the season with a high ankle sprain. The overall play of the seven-year veteran definitely took a step back in 2020. If Tomlinsons play continues to slide, he will be the weakest link among the 49ers offensive line. | The 49ers have made a number of moves to improve their offensive line. Trent Williams is the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. Mike McGlinchey is still among the better members of the 49ers offensive line. Laken Tomlinson is the weakest link among the 49ers offensive line. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/who-is-the-weakest-link-on-the-san-francisco-49ers-offensive-line | 0.685237 |
Is Christian McCaffrey Hinting at a Jersey Number Change? | The NFL eased up on jersey number restrictions this offseason by allowing players to choose from a wider range of numbers. The expanded jerseys will allow running backs, tight ends, fullbacks, H-backs, and wide receivers to wear numbers 1-49 and 80-89; defensive backs can choose from 1-49; linebackers 1-59 and 90-99; offensive linemen 50-79; and defensive linemen 50-79 and 90-99. QBs, kickers, and punters will remain in 1-19. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22 but posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey - the number he wore during his time in college at Stanford. It certainly seems like McCaffrey is considering the switch but it would be a pretty expensive decision if he decides to follow through with it. Any returning NFL player that makes a number change will have to buy up the entire inventory of jerseys from the jersey number they are switching out of. For a player of McCaffrey's caliber, that could be roughly $1 million based on a recent estimate of what Vikings RB Dalvin Cook would have had to pay. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook - @PanthersOnSI Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_. | Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/is-christian-mccaffrey-hinting-at-a-jersey-number-change | 0.124989 |
Is Christian McCaffrey Hinting at a Jersey Number Change? | The NFL eased up on jersey number restrictions this offseason by allowing players to choose from a wider range of numbers. The expanded jerseys will allow running backs, tight ends, fullbacks, H-backs, and wide receivers to wear numbers 1-49 and 80-89; defensive backs can choose from 1-49; linebackers 1-59 and 90-99; offensive linemen 50-79; and defensive linemen 50-79 and 90-99. QBs, kickers, and punters will remain in 1-19. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22 but posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey - the number he wore during his time in college at Stanford. It certainly seems like McCaffrey is considering the switch but it would be a pretty expensive decision if he decides to follow through with it. Any returning NFL player that makes a number change will have to buy up the entire inventory of jerseys from the jersey number they are switching out of. For a player of McCaffrey's caliber, that could be roughly $1 million based on a recent estimate of what Vikings RB Dalvin Cook would have had to pay. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook - @PanthersOnSI Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_. | Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22. McCaffrey posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/is-christian-mccaffrey-hinting-at-a-jersey-number-change | 0.24645 |
Is Christian McCaffrey Hinting at a Jersey Number Change? | The NFL eased up on jersey number restrictions this offseason by allowing players to choose from a wider range of numbers. The expanded jerseys will allow running backs, tight ends, fullbacks, H-backs, and wide receivers to wear numbers 1-49 and 80-89; defensive backs can choose from 1-49; linebackers 1-59 and 90-99; offensive linemen 50-79; and defensive linemen 50-79 and 90-99. QBs, kickers, and punters will remain in 1-19. Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22 but posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey - the number he wore during his time in college at Stanford. It certainly seems like McCaffrey is considering the switch but it would be a pretty expensive decision if he decides to follow through with it. Any returning NFL player that makes a number change will have to buy up the entire inventory of jerseys from the jersey number they are switching out of. For a player of McCaffrey's caliber, that could be roughly $1 million based on a recent estimate of what Vikings RB Dalvin Cook would have had to pay. You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter: Facebook - @PanthersOnSI Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_. | Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey currently wears No. 22. McCaffrey posted a picture on Instagram with a photoshop version of him in a No. 5 Panthers jersey. Any returning NFL player that makes a number change will have to buy up the entire inventory of jerseys from the jersey number they are switching out of. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/is-christian-mccaffrey-hinting-at-a-jersey-number-change | 0.261195 |
Where is Washingtons defense in Bleacher Reports post-draft rankings? | The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. That performance helped Washington win the NFC East, despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Now, thats not to say Washingtons defense was perfect in 2020. It wasnt. The Football Team ranked No. 14 in run defense, despite the presence of four former first-round picks on the defensive line. Washington allowed almost 113 yards per game on the ground. Instead of Rivera just hoping his team would naturally progress in year two, he made it a point to get better. Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. Heres what B/R had to say about the WFT: The Washington Football Team parlayed one of the best defensive performances of the 2020 campaign into a surprise run to the NFC East title. They should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. Davis will thrive behind Washingtons loaded defensive line, possessing the speed to get sideline to sideline swiftly and surge through holes to disrupt in the backfield. Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. The Football Team didnt make too much noise in free agency, but signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby. The club didnt need to make any further big-money signings following a fantastic year on defense. Washington improved at cornerback when it replaced Darby with Jackson. The Football Team has also added depth at both cornerback and safety in free agency and the draft. Davis is an instant starter for Washingtons defense at linebacker. He can play all three downs and will also be an asset in coverage something Washington has lacked from that position. If they can avoid major injuries, the Washington Football Team should once again be outstanding on defense in 2021. | Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021. The Washington Football Team finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. | pegasus | 0 | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-washington-defense-bleacher-report-201146325.html?src=rss | 0.633687 |
Where is Washingtons defense in Bleacher Reports post-draft rankings? | The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. That performance helped Washington win the NFC East, despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Now, thats not to say Washingtons defense was perfect in 2020. It wasnt. The Football Team ranked No. 14 in run defense, despite the presence of four former first-round picks on the defensive line. Washington allowed almost 113 yards per game on the ground. Instead of Rivera just hoping his team would naturally progress in year two, he made it a point to get better. Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. Heres what B/R had to say about the WFT: The Washington Football Team parlayed one of the best defensive performances of the 2020 campaign into a surprise run to the NFC East title. They should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. Davis will thrive behind Washingtons loaded defensive line, possessing the speed to get sideline to sideline swiftly and surge through holes to disrupt in the backfield. Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. The Football Team didnt make too much noise in free agency, but signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby. The club didnt need to make any further big-money signings following a fantastic year on defense. Washington improved at cornerback when it replaced Darby with Jackson. The Football Team has also added depth at both cornerback and safety in free agency and the draft. Davis is an instant starter for Washingtons defense at linebacker. He can play all three downs and will also be an asset in coverage something Washington has lacked from that position. If they can avoid major injuries, the Washington Football Team should once again be outstanding on defense in 2021. | Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021. Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-washington-defense-bleacher-report-201146325.html?src=rss | 0.671622 |
Where is Washingtons defense in Bleacher Reports post-draft rankings? | The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. That performance helped Washington win the NFC East, despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Now, thats not to say Washingtons defense was perfect in 2020. It wasnt. The Football Team ranked No. 14 in run defense, despite the presence of four former first-round picks on the defensive line. Washington allowed almost 113 yards per game on the ground. Instead of Rivera just hoping his team would naturally progress in year two, he made it a point to get better. Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. Heres what B/R had to say about the WFT: The Washington Football Team parlayed one of the best defensive performances of the 2020 campaign into a surprise run to the NFC East title. They should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. Davis will thrive behind Washingtons loaded defensive line, possessing the speed to get sideline to sideline swiftly and surge through holes to disrupt in the backfield. Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. The Football Team didnt make too much noise in free agency, but signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby. The club didnt need to make any further big-money signings following a fantastic year on defense. Washington improved at cornerback when it replaced Darby with Jackson. The Football Team has also added depth at both cornerback and safety in free agency and the draft. Davis is an instant starter for Washingtons defense at linebacker. He can play all three downs and will also be an asset in coverage something Washington has lacked from that position. If they can avoid major injuries, the Washington Football Team should once again be outstanding on defense in 2021. | Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021. Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. The Washington Football Team finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020, despite one of the worst offensive units in the NFL. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-washington-defense-bleacher-report-201146325.html?src=rss | 0.763352 |
Can A Battery-Powered F-150 Truck Persuade Americans To Embrace Electric Vehicles? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images There's a lot riding on the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup truck that Ford is unveiling Wednesday night. For the company, it represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles one that nearly every rival automaker is also making. And it's also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting: Made in America, pairing blue-collar roots and high-tech ambitions, fighting climate change without making compromises. The subtext was made explicit when the president visited Ford's Rouge complex on Tuesday to tout electric vehicles in general and praise this one in particular even taking it for a spin on the test track. Behind all this buzz and boosterism is an incredibly daunting challenge for the auto industry. According to a report out this week from the International Energy Agency, for the energy sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. Five years later, in 2035, all new cars would need to be electric. Automakers like General Motors and Volvo have openly embraced that timeline, as have governments like the U.K.. But a transformation of that scale raises myriad challenges chargers that need to be built, supply chains that need to expand, factories that need to be retooled. Ford hopes that's where the F-150 Lightning comes in. "There's a lot at stake here, not just for Ford, but really for the country," says Darren Palmer, Ford's head of battery electric vehicles. "This could be the point when people really notice electric [vehicles]." Ford's not the only one hoping there's a big pool of would-be buyers who aren't interested in a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf, but would happily spring for an electric version of their favorite pick-up. "That vehicle is going to come in and fill a void. And if it's affordable, I mean, it's going to be a game changer," says Shelley Francis, the co-founder of EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle enthusiasts. "It's the number one selling vehicle in the country just across the board; it's also the number one selling vehicle among African-American communities," she says. "Then when you think about rural communities ... there's an opportunity for this community to be part of this conversation." Ford is unveiling its F-150 Lightning at a ceremony on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. It's part of a spate of electric pickup trucks arriving on the market. There are the start-ups: Rivian is targeting outdoor enthusiasts with its $75,000 truck, which is poised to start deliveries next month and win the race to be the first electric pickup to market. The futuristic Tesla Cybertruck is on the way at a much lower price point, while Lordstown Motors is focusing on business customers with its upcoming vehicle. Meanwhile General Motors is bringing the Hummer brand back as a top-of-the-line premium electric pickup, initially starting at more than $100,000. An electric Silverado is also in the works. And Stellantis, Chrysler's parent company, has promised a battery-powered Ram, eventually. The F-150 carries extra symbolic and economic weight. It's America's best-selling vehicle, and has been for 40 years. Ford sells more than a million F-series trucks per year, raking in more than $40 billion dollars annually, more than McDonald's or Nike bring in as entire companies. But that doesn't mean that Ford enthusiasts will automatically leap at this new vehicle. Surveys show that more than half of truck drivers are not interested in going electric, full stop. Palmer laid out Ford's argument to skeptical V8-loving pickup drivers using a cordless drill metaphor. It wasn't hard to convince people to switch from old battery technology to lighter, longer-running lithium ion drills: quite the opposite. "The functionality difference [it] was better," Palmer says. "Everybody wanted the best tool. It's the same thing." Ford argues that the perks of electrification will speak for themselves, like the effortless torque that's characteristic of all electric motors and the potential for new, practical features (the hybrid F-150 has an option that allows you to run power tools off the car's battery at a work site, for instance). It's a lot of economic, political and environmental baggage for one vehicle, no matter how powerful its towing capacity. | Ford is unveiling the all-electric F-150 Lightning on Wednesday night. The truck represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles. It's also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998205598/can-a-battery-powered-f-150-truck-persuade-americans-to-embrace-electric-vehicle | 0.230725 |
Can A Battery-Powered F-150 Truck Persuade Americans To Embrace Electric Vehicles? | Enlarge this image toggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images There's a lot riding on the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric pickup truck that Ford is unveiling Wednesday night. For the company, it represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles one that nearly every rival automaker is also making. And it's also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting: Made in America, pairing blue-collar roots and high-tech ambitions, fighting climate change without making compromises. The subtext was made explicit when the president visited Ford's Rouge complex on Tuesday to tout electric vehicles in general and praise this one in particular even taking it for a spin on the test track. Behind all this buzz and boosterism is an incredibly daunting challenge for the auto industry. According to a report out this week from the International Energy Agency, for the energy sector to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. Five years later, in 2035, all new cars would need to be electric. Automakers like General Motors and Volvo have openly embraced that timeline, as have governments like the U.K.. But a transformation of that scale raises myriad challenges chargers that need to be built, supply chains that need to expand, factories that need to be retooled. Ford hopes that's where the F-150 Lightning comes in. "There's a lot at stake here, not just for Ford, but really for the country," says Darren Palmer, Ford's head of battery electric vehicles. "This could be the point when people really notice electric [vehicles]." Ford's not the only one hoping there's a big pool of would-be buyers who aren't interested in a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf, but would happily spring for an electric version of their favorite pick-up. "That vehicle is going to come in and fill a void. And if it's affordable, I mean, it's going to be a game changer," says Shelley Francis, the co-founder of EVHybridNoire, a network of diverse electric vehicle enthusiasts. "It's the number one selling vehicle in the country just across the board; it's also the number one selling vehicle among African-American communities," she says. "Then when you think about rural communities ... there's an opportunity for this community to be part of this conversation." Ford is unveiling its F-150 Lightning at a ceremony on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. It's part of a spate of electric pickup trucks arriving on the market. There are the start-ups: Rivian is targeting outdoor enthusiasts with its $75,000 truck, which is poised to start deliveries next month and win the race to be the first electric pickup to market. The futuristic Tesla Cybertruck is on the way at a much lower price point, while Lordstown Motors is focusing on business customers with its upcoming vehicle. Meanwhile General Motors is bringing the Hummer brand back as a top-of-the-line premium electric pickup, initially starting at more than $100,000. An electric Silverado is also in the works. And Stellantis, Chrysler's parent company, has promised a battery-powered Ram, eventually. The F-150 carries extra symbolic and economic weight. It's America's best-selling vehicle, and has been for 40 years. Ford sells more than a million F-series trucks per year, raking in more than $40 billion dollars annually, more than McDonald's or Nike bring in as entire companies. But that doesn't mean that Ford enthusiasts will automatically leap at this new vehicle. Surveys show that more than half of truck drivers are not interested in going electric, full stop. Palmer laid out Ford's argument to skeptical V8-loving pickup drivers using a cordless drill metaphor. It wasn't hard to convince people to switch from old battery technology to lighter, longer-running lithium ion drills: quite the opposite. "The functionality difference [it] was better," Palmer says. "Everybody wanted the best tool. It's the same thing." Ford argues that the perks of electrification will speak for themselves, like the effortless torque that's characteristic of all electric motors and the potential for new, practical features (the hybrid F-150 has an option that allows you to run power tools off the car's battery at a work site, for instance). It's a lot of economic, political and environmental baggage for one vehicle, no matter how powerful its towing capacity. | Ford is unveiling the all-electric F-150 Lightning on Wednesday night. The truck represents a big strategic bet on the rise of electric vehicles. It's also a symbol for the vision of America that President Biden has been promoting. A report says electric vehicles would need to go from 5% of global sales to 60% in less than a decade. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/998205598/can-a-battery-powered-f-150-truck-persuade-americans-to-embrace-electric-vehicle | 0.299983 |
What does the new criminal inquiry mean for Donald Trump? | The DAs office has been scouring Trumps tax records, hired a former mafia prosecutor to help run its investigation and has been interviewing witnesses including Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The attorney general's office is conducting the probe, confirmed late Tuesday, in tandem with the Manhattan district attorneys office, which has been scrutinizing Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, for about two years. NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump is facing a one-two punch of criminal investigations in New York, with the state attorney generals office saying its ongoing civil inquiry into the former president and his businesses is now a criminal matter. Advertisement So far, theres no indication that charges are looming. Trump has continued to decry the whole thing as a witch hunt." New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., both Democrats, have been running parallel investigations into Trump and his businesses for more than two years. Vances office has been investigating whether the Republican ex-president, his company or people connected to them committed crimes relating to matters including hush-money payments for women who say they slept with Trump, property valuations and employee compensation. James probe began as a civil matter, looking at possible violations of state laws punishable with penalties such as fines, and centered on some of the same issues. Her investigation now also pertains to possible criminal conduct. James office said it recently informed the Trump Organization that its investigation into the company had expanded into a criminal matter. The attorney generals office publicly disclosed the change Tuesday night. We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the company is no longer purely civil in nature, James office said in a statement. Advertisement We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. James office offered no explanation for what prompted the shift in its approach to the investigation or why it chose to announce it publicly. Andrew G. Celli Jr., a high-ranking official in the attorney generals office from 1999 to 2003, said you don't typically see a public announcement when an investigation changes from civil to criminal. He said the statement could be an indication something else public is coming soon, or could be a way of sending a message to witnesses and targets. Another possibility, not as dramatic, is someone else tipped off media outlets about the change and James office was compelled to respond publicly when asked about it. No doubt, there is some strategic or tactical reason for this announcement, Celli said. Statements like this have meaning. Trump issued a 900-word statement Wednesday filled with familiar complaints about the investigations and digs at Vance and James. Trump complained that he's being unfairly attacked and abused by a corrupt political system" and contends the criminal probes are part of a Democratic plot to silence his voters and block him from running for president again. Trump also repeated his oft-uttered claim that the investigations are a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of the United States. There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime," Trump said. "But, make no mistake, that is exactly what is happening here." Vances office has not publicly said what it is looking at, citing grand jury secrecy rules, but some details came out during the legal battle to get access to Trumps tax records. Vances investigation includes scrutiny of Trumps relationship with his lenders; a land donation he made to qualify for an income tax deduction; and tax write-offs his company claimed on millions of dollars in consulting fees it paid. Some of that money went to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who has denied any wrongdoing. In a tweet last November, she called the investigation harassment pure and simple" and said it was 100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage. James office has also been looking at the land donation and scrutinizing records relating to a Trump office building in New York City, a hotel in Chicago and a golf course near Los Angeles. Vances investigation has appeared to focus in recent weeks on Trumps longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. His former daughter-in-law, Jen Weisselberg, is cooperating with both inquiries. Shes given investigators reams of tax records and other documents as they look into whether some Trump employees were given off-the-books compensation, such as apartments or school tuition. Weisselberg was subpoenaed in James civil investigation and testified twice last year. Trump's son, Eric, was also subpoenaed as part of that probe and testified before the November 2020 election. James disclosure of a widening investigation is not necessarily an indication that she is planning to bring criminal charges. If that were to happen, under state law, she'd need authorization from a county district attorney, like Vance, or the governor or a state agency. Celli says it's not unheard of that a civil investigation conducted by the attorney generals office will turn up evidence of criminal wrongdoing. In such cases, he said, attorney generals office lawyers will sometimes be specially designated to work as criminal prosecutors with a local district attorneys office. | New York's attorney general's office says its civil inquiry into Trump is now a criminal matter. The DA's office has been scrutinizing Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, for about two years. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/19/business/what-does-new-criminal-inquiry-mean-donald-trump/ | 0.106874 |
Can Trump outmaneuver New Yorks criminal probes? | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes a development that heightens the legal stakes and possible consequences for a former president who still wields substantial influence over his splintered political party from a perch at his Florida golf resort. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization, disclosed publicly late Tuesday evening to CNN that she had reshaped her investigation into a criminal prosecution. James office said it had already notified the company to that effect and said it had also joined forces with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, whose office has its own long-standing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. Unlike civil cases, which can generally result in fines and other similar penalties, criminal cases carry the threat of a prison sentence if a defendant is found guilty. For that reason, a successful criminal prosecution has to demonstrate a defendants intent to commit a crime proof of acting with the knowledge that he or she broke the law. Its a higher legal threshold for prosecutors to overcome, because the penalty imposed is more serious. All of which suggests that James wouldnt have converted her case into a criminal prosecution unless she believes she has convincing evidence demonstrating intent. Its also unusual for prosecutors from different offices to pair up in an investigation. They are normally fiercely protective of their cases, independence and prerogatives. That suggests that James and Vance each believes the other brings unique and added value to their investigations. Over the years, Donald Trump has managed to maneuver past the threat of personal bankruptcy, sexual assault accusations, an intensive federal investigation and two impeachments. The New York probes may prove to be more difficult for Trump and his company to overcome, though there is still only limited knowledge about their progress and findings. Vance has been investigating Trump and his company since 2018 for possible tax fraud and falsification of business records, according to appellate court filings. He is also examining whether Trump inflated the value of his properties and other assets in order to secure funds from lenders and investors, while lowballing those same valuations elsewhere to snare tax benefits. Advertising After a court battle, Vance successfully secured eight years of Trumps personal and business tax returns, and has hired forensic investigators to examine those and other financial records. Vances inquiry reportedly began as an examination of the Trump Organizations payment of hush money to two women who allegedly had sexual encounters with Trump and has since expanded. James investigation began in 2019 and has focused on whether the Trump Organization and the Trump family manipulated valuations of their assets to secure funding or engineer tax benefits. Among the properties James has zeroed in on are 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, a Los Angeles golf club and a 212-acre estate in Bedford, New York, known as Seven Springs. The Washington Post reported that James notified the Trumps in late April that her investigation had converted into a criminal probe, and its not clear why her office decided to disclose that fact Tuesday evening. The Trumps have played hardball with James team by refusing to comply with subpoenas and openly criticizing her investigation as groundless and politically motivated. One of the former presidents sons, Eric, initially refused last year to be deposed by James office until after the presidential election in November. A New York judge wound up ordering Eric to sit for a deposition before then. James lawyers deposed the Trumps longtime accountant, Allen Weisselberg, last year, but the interview ended prematurely after they asked if he had already testified before a grand jury. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization since the 1970s and knows where all of the financial bodies are buried. Vances office has also targeted him in what appears to be an effort to flip him and secure his testimony against Trump. Weisselberg has been fiercely loyal to Trump over the years, though he must also be well aware that loyalty flows only one way in Trumps world. If James and Vance continue to pressure Weisselberg, and his own legal exposure worsens, he may end up testifying against the former president. Other lawsuits and investigations are swirling around Trump, including a criminal probe in Georgia related to election interference in the state. But the New York investigations pose the greatest existential threat, prompting speculation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump supporter, might seek to block a judicial order extraditing the former president to New York to stand trial if hes indicted. Its not clear that DeSantis actually has the power to pull that off. Besides, summer is upon us and Trump usually decamps from Palm Beach to spend the warmer months at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And New Jersey is right next door to New York, making extradition that much easier. | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/can-trump-outmaneuver-new-yorks-criminal-probes/ | 0.123656 |
Can Trump outmaneuver New Yorks criminal probes? | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes a development that heightens the legal stakes and possible consequences for a former president who still wields substantial influence over his splintered political party from a perch at his Florida golf resort. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization, disclosed publicly late Tuesday evening to CNN that she had reshaped her investigation into a criminal prosecution. James office said it had already notified the company to that effect and said it had also joined forces with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, whose office has its own long-standing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. Unlike civil cases, which can generally result in fines and other similar penalties, criminal cases carry the threat of a prison sentence if a defendant is found guilty. For that reason, a successful criminal prosecution has to demonstrate a defendants intent to commit a crime proof of acting with the knowledge that he or she broke the law. Its a higher legal threshold for prosecutors to overcome, because the penalty imposed is more serious. All of which suggests that James wouldnt have converted her case into a criminal prosecution unless she believes she has convincing evidence demonstrating intent. Its also unusual for prosecutors from different offices to pair up in an investigation. They are normally fiercely protective of their cases, independence and prerogatives. That suggests that James and Vance each believes the other brings unique and added value to their investigations. Over the years, Donald Trump has managed to maneuver past the threat of personal bankruptcy, sexual assault accusations, an intensive federal investigation and two impeachments. The New York probes may prove to be more difficult for Trump and his company to overcome, though there is still only limited knowledge about their progress and findings. Vance has been investigating Trump and his company since 2018 for possible tax fraud and falsification of business records, according to appellate court filings. He is also examining whether Trump inflated the value of his properties and other assets in order to secure funds from lenders and investors, while lowballing those same valuations elsewhere to snare tax benefits. Advertising After a court battle, Vance successfully secured eight years of Trumps personal and business tax returns, and has hired forensic investigators to examine those and other financial records. Vances inquiry reportedly began as an examination of the Trump Organizations payment of hush money to two women who allegedly had sexual encounters with Trump and has since expanded. James investigation began in 2019 and has focused on whether the Trump Organization and the Trump family manipulated valuations of their assets to secure funding or engineer tax benefits. Among the properties James has zeroed in on are 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, a Los Angeles golf club and a 212-acre estate in Bedford, New York, known as Seven Springs. The Washington Post reported that James notified the Trumps in late April that her investigation had converted into a criminal probe, and its not clear why her office decided to disclose that fact Tuesday evening. The Trumps have played hardball with James team by refusing to comply with subpoenas and openly criticizing her investigation as groundless and politically motivated. One of the former presidents sons, Eric, initially refused last year to be deposed by James office until after the presidential election in November. A New York judge wound up ordering Eric to sit for a deposition before then. James lawyers deposed the Trumps longtime accountant, Allen Weisselberg, last year, but the interview ended prematurely after they asked if he had already testified before a grand jury. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization since the 1970s and knows where all of the financial bodies are buried. Vances office has also targeted him in what appears to be an effort to flip him and secure his testimony against Trump. Weisselberg has been fiercely loyal to Trump over the years, though he must also be well aware that loyalty flows only one way in Trumps world. If James and Vance continue to pressure Weisselberg, and his own legal exposure worsens, he may end up testifying against the former president. Other lawsuits and investigations are swirling around Trump, including a criminal probe in Georgia related to election interference in the state. But the New York investigations pose the greatest existential threat, prompting speculation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump supporter, might seek to block a judicial order extraditing the former president to New York to stand trial if hes indicted. Its not clear that DeSantis actually has the power to pull that off. Besides, summer is upon us and Trump usually decamps from Palm Beach to spend the warmer months at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And New Jersey is right next door to New York, making extradition that much easier. | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes. New York State Attorney General Letitia James had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/can-trump-outmaneuver-new-yorks-criminal-probes/ | 0.138375 |
Can Trump outmaneuver New Yorks criminal probes? | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes a development that heightens the legal stakes and possible consequences for a former president who still wields substantial influence over his splintered political party from a perch at his Florida golf resort. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization, disclosed publicly late Tuesday evening to CNN that she had reshaped her investigation into a criminal prosecution. James office said it had already notified the company to that effect and said it had also joined forces with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, whose office has its own long-standing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. Unlike civil cases, which can generally result in fines and other similar penalties, criminal cases carry the threat of a prison sentence if a defendant is found guilty. For that reason, a successful criminal prosecution has to demonstrate a defendants intent to commit a crime proof of acting with the knowledge that he or she broke the law. Its a higher legal threshold for prosecutors to overcome, because the penalty imposed is more serious. All of which suggests that James wouldnt have converted her case into a criminal prosecution unless she believes she has convincing evidence demonstrating intent. Its also unusual for prosecutors from different offices to pair up in an investigation. They are normally fiercely protective of their cases, independence and prerogatives. That suggests that James and Vance each believes the other brings unique and added value to their investigations. Over the years, Donald Trump has managed to maneuver past the threat of personal bankruptcy, sexual assault accusations, an intensive federal investigation and two impeachments. The New York probes may prove to be more difficult for Trump and his company to overcome, though there is still only limited knowledge about their progress and findings. Vance has been investigating Trump and his company since 2018 for possible tax fraud and falsification of business records, according to appellate court filings. He is also examining whether Trump inflated the value of his properties and other assets in order to secure funds from lenders and investors, while lowballing those same valuations elsewhere to snare tax benefits. Advertising After a court battle, Vance successfully secured eight years of Trumps personal and business tax returns, and has hired forensic investigators to examine those and other financial records. Vances inquiry reportedly began as an examination of the Trump Organizations payment of hush money to two women who allegedly had sexual encounters with Trump and has since expanded. James investigation began in 2019 and has focused on whether the Trump Organization and the Trump family manipulated valuations of their assets to secure funding or engineer tax benefits. Among the properties James has zeroed in on are 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, a Los Angeles golf club and a 212-acre estate in Bedford, New York, known as Seven Springs. The Washington Post reported that James notified the Trumps in late April that her investigation had converted into a criminal probe, and its not clear why her office decided to disclose that fact Tuesday evening. The Trumps have played hardball with James team by refusing to comply with subpoenas and openly criticizing her investigation as groundless and politically motivated. One of the former presidents sons, Eric, initially refused last year to be deposed by James office until after the presidential election in November. A New York judge wound up ordering Eric to sit for a deposition before then. James lawyers deposed the Trumps longtime accountant, Allen Weisselberg, last year, but the interview ended prematurely after they asked if he had already testified before a grand jury. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization since the 1970s and knows where all of the financial bodies are buried. Vances office has also targeted him in what appears to be an effort to flip him and secure his testimony against Trump. Weisselberg has been fiercely loyal to Trump over the years, though he must also be well aware that loyalty flows only one way in Trumps world. If James and Vance continue to pressure Weisselberg, and his own legal exposure worsens, he may end up testifying against the former president. Other lawsuits and investigations are swirling around Trump, including a criminal probe in Georgia related to election interference in the state. But the New York investigations pose the greatest existential threat, prompting speculation that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump supporter, might seek to block a judicial order extraditing the former president to New York to stand trial if hes indicted. Its not clear that DeSantis actually has the power to pull that off. Besides, summer is upon us and Trump usually decamps from Palm Beach to spend the warmer months at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. And New Jersey is right next door to New York, making extradition that much easier. | Two powerful New York prosecutors are now conducting a joint investigation into the possibility that the Trump Organization committed crimes. New York State Attorney General Letitia James had been conducting a civil probe of the Trump Organization. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, whose office has its own long-standing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/can-trump-outmaneuver-new-yorks-criminal-probes/ | 0.22949 |
Could an app help protect Vietnam's paddy fields? | Vietnam is one of the biggest producers and exporters of rice in the world, but the livelihood of some farmers is under threat. Seawater intrusion has long been a problem in the low-lying Mekong Delta, where more than half of the country's rice is grown. During the dry season, the salty water can leach into fields and ruin crops. It's thought rising sea levels are exacerbating the problem. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Vietnam have launched a smartphone app, which monitors the saltiness of the water. The data helps rice farmers decide when to flush out the paddy fields with freshwater to protect their crops. Video by Jennifer Green. Listen to Digital Planet for more on this story. | Seawater intrusion has long been a problem in Vietnam's low-lying Mekong Delta. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Vietnam have launched a smartphone app, which monitors the saltiness of the water. The data helps rice farmers decide when to flush out the paddy fields with freshwater. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-57170773 | 0.466352 |
Can Manchester United Afford To Miss Out On Signing Harry Kane This Summer? | LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur applauds fans following the Premier League ... [+] match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 19, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty Images The way Harry Kane walked around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch applauding the fans on his own with tears in his eyes after Wednesdays defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs last home game of the season, very much looked like a farewell. The player the Tottenham support calls one of their own might not be theirs for much longer. Only a few days earlier, reports emerged that Kane had informed the Spurs hierarchy of his desire to move on from the club this summer. These reports claim the 27-year-old believes he has a verbal agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that if a bid is made for him, Kane will be allowed to leave. However, the number of clubs with the financial clout to sign Kane is small. Spains big two are carrying a mountain of debt while Levy would likely never sell to Chelsea, a direct rival. This leaves the two Manchester clubs, City and United, as the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United shakes hands ... [+] with Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 04, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Getty Images Manchester United probably didnt expect to be tempted into a move for a new centre forward after tying Edinson Cavani to a one-year contract extension only last week. The Uruguayan has been a success at Old Trafford this season, netting 16 times, and the logic was that with Cavani sticking around United would look to strengthen in other areas. Goalscorers of Kanes ability dont become available every summer, though. While 34-year-old Cavani is something of a stop-gap solution, Kane would be Manchester Uniteds next great centre forward. He would be the best striker the club has had since the days of Robin van Persie. Kanes impact could be just as profound, too. A big money move for Kane this summer would mean neglecting other areas of the squad. Last summer saw Manchester United miss out on the signing of a new right winger despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifying Jadon Sancho as his top target early on. Kanes arrival would likely mean going another summer without addressing this problem position. Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) drives the ball during the English Premier League ... [+] football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) POOL/AFP via Getty Images Uniteds need for a new central defender is also clear with some arguing the addition of a new defensive midfielder to anchor things in the centre of the pitch should also be prioritised as soon as the transfer window opens. All this, however, would probably have to be put on hold to fund a club record move for Kane. And yet Manchester United might rue not taking the chance to sign one of the best goalscorers of his generation. It might not be a question whether they can afford to sign the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but whether they can afford to miss out on signing him, especially if a rival like Manchester City ends up stumping up the cash. Kane would mask so many of Uniteds problems through the sheer number of goals he would score. This is a player who has 165 goals in 244 Premier League PINC appearances. Solskjaers attack is already one of the most potent in the division, but Kane would take it to the next level. His addition would make Manchester United title challengers overnight. His signing could be a shortcut to success for the Old Trafford club. | Harry Kane has been linked with a summer move away from Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City and Manchester United are the only realistic destinations for the England captain. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/grahamruthven/2021/05/19/can-manchester-united-afford-to-miss-out-on-signing-harry-kane-this-summer/ | 0.21949 |
Can Manchester United Afford To Miss Out On Signing Harry Kane This Summer? | LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur applauds fans following the Premier League ... [+] match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 19, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty Images The way Harry Kane walked around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch applauding the fans on his own with tears in his eyes after Wednesdays defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs last home game of the season, very much looked like a farewell. The player the Tottenham support calls one of their own might not be theirs for much longer. Only a few days earlier, reports emerged that Kane had informed the Spurs hierarchy of his desire to move on from the club this summer. These reports claim the 27-year-old believes he has a verbal agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that if a bid is made for him, Kane will be allowed to leave. However, the number of clubs with the financial clout to sign Kane is small. Spains big two are carrying a mountain of debt while Levy would likely never sell to Chelsea, a direct rival. This leaves the two Manchester clubs, City and United, as the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United shakes hands ... [+] with Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 04, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Getty Images Manchester United probably didnt expect to be tempted into a move for a new centre forward after tying Edinson Cavani to a one-year contract extension only last week. The Uruguayan has been a success at Old Trafford this season, netting 16 times, and the logic was that with Cavani sticking around United would look to strengthen in other areas. Goalscorers of Kanes ability dont become available every summer, though. While 34-year-old Cavani is something of a stop-gap solution, Kane would be Manchester Uniteds next great centre forward. He would be the best striker the club has had since the days of Robin van Persie. Kanes impact could be just as profound, too. A big money move for Kane this summer would mean neglecting other areas of the squad. Last summer saw Manchester United miss out on the signing of a new right winger despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifying Jadon Sancho as his top target early on. Kanes arrival would likely mean going another summer without addressing this problem position. Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) drives the ball during the English Premier League ... [+] football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) POOL/AFP via Getty Images Uniteds need for a new central defender is also clear with some arguing the addition of a new defensive midfielder to anchor things in the centre of the pitch should also be prioritised as soon as the transfer window opens. All this, however, would probably have to be put on hold to fund a club record move for Kane. And yet Manchester United might rue not taking the chance to sign one of the best goalscorers of his generation. It might not be a question whether they can afford to sign the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but whether they can afford to miss out on signing him, especially if a rival like Manchester City ends up stumping up the cash. Kane would mask so many of Uniteds problems through the sheer number of goals he would score. This is a player who has 165 goals in 244 Premier League PINC appearances. Solskjaers attack is already one of the most potent in the division, but Kane would take it to the next level. His addition would make Manchester United title challengers overnight. His signing could be a shortcut to success for the Old Trafford club. | Harry Kane has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City and Manchester United are the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/grahamruthven/2021/05/19/can-manchester-united-afford-to-miss-out-on-signing-harry-kane-this-summer/ | 0.255391 |
Can Manchester United Afford To Miss Out On Signing Harry Kane This Summer? | LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur applauds fans following the Premier League ... [+] match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 19, 2021 in London, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Getty Images The way Harry Kane walked around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch applauding the fans on his own with tears in his eyes after Wednesdays defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs last home game of the season, very much looked like a farewell. The player the Tottenham support calls one of their own might not be theirs for much longer. Only a few days earlier, reports emerged that Kane had informed the Spurs hierarchy of his desire to move on from the club this summer. These reports claim the 27-year-old believes he has a verbal agreement with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that if a bid is made for him, Kane will be allowed to leave. However, the number of clubs with the financial clout to sign Kane is small. Spains big two are carrying a mountain of debt while Levy would likely never sell to Chelsea, a direct rival. This leaves the two Manchester clubs, City and United, as the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 04: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United shakes hands ... [+] with Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on December 04, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) Getty Images Manchester United probably didnt expect to be tempted into a move for a new centre forward after tying Edinson Cavani to a one-year contract extension only last week. The Uruguayan has been a success at Old Trafford this season, netting 16 times, and the logic was that with Cavani sticking around United would look to strengthen in other areas. Goalscorers of Kanes ability dont become available every summer, though. While 34-year-old Cavani is something of a stop-gap solution, Kane would be Manchester Uniteds next great centre forward. He would be the best striker the club has had since the days of Robin van Persie. Kanes impact could be just as profound, too. A big money move for Kane this summer would mean neglecting other areas of the squad. Last summer saw Manchester United miss out on the signing of a new right winger despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identifying Jadon Sancho as his top target early on. Kanes arrival would likely mean going another summer without addressing this problem position. Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) drives the ball during the English Premier League ... [+] football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) POOL/AFP via Getty Images Uniteds need for a new central defender is also clear with some arguing the addition of a new defensive midfielder to anchor things in the centre of the pitch should also be prioritised as soon as the transfer window opens. All this, however, would probably have to be put on hold to fund a club record move for Kane. And yet Manchester United might rue not taking the chance to sign one of the best goalscorers of his generation. It might not be a question whether they can afford to sign the Tottenham Hotspur forward, but whether they can afford to miss out on signing him, especially if a rival like Manchester City ends up stumping up the cash. Kane would mask so many of Uniteds problems through the sheer number of goals he would score. This is a player who has 165 goals in 244 Premier League PINC appearances. Solskjaers attack is already one of the most potent in the division, but Kane would take it to the next level. His addition would make Manchester United title challengers overnight. His signing could be a shortcut to success for the Old Trafford club. | Harry Kane has been linked with a move away from Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City and Manchester United are the only realistic destinations for the England captain this summer. The number of clubs with the financial clout to sign Kane is small. Spains big two are carrying a mountain of debt while Levy would likely never sell to Chelsea, a direct rival. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/grahamruthven/2021/05/19/can-manchester-united-afford-to-miss-out-on-signing-harry-kane-this-summer/ | 0.41955 |
Is DEEPROP A Missing Ingredient For More Efficient Fracking In Shale Wells? | A fracking operation near Stillwater, Oklahoma. The shale revolution has occupied the first 20 years of the new century. It has enabled the US to become self-sufficient in oil and gas for the first time since 1947. Its benefits included cheap gas for cars, cheap heating for homes and offices, cheap plastics for car, home, and office. The key to success was technology a long horizontal well (up to two miles long) fracked up to 40 times along its length. Each fracking operation basically cracked up the shale rock around the horizontal well, and by using up to 40 separate fracking operations, the shale was cracked up along the entire length of the horizontal well. Oil or gas molecules could find their way to a crack, and then hustle along a series of crack conduits to the horizontal well. Voila! a commercial well. But one important step is missing. After fracking operations cease, the crack conduits tend to close under the intense stress of the rock. If they close, the oil and gas has no preferred pathways, and the well is not profitable. The traditional antidote has been to inject proppant a variety of sand - into the well. The sand grains act to prop open the cracks and stop them from closing. For shale oil or gas wells, what operators found out quickly was that conventional 20-40 sized sand, used for decades in fracking operations, could not be pumped into the cracks because the cracks in shale were too thin in width. It was like trying to fit walnuts into a crack in the sidewalk. They had to reduce the size of the proppant and found by trial and error the best sand was a mix of 100-mesh and 40-70. For over 20 years, this has been the status quo. But in 2014, the position was challenged: finer sand should have an advantage because it would fit into smaller cracks and hold them open, and this would allow even more molecules of gas or oil to get to the wellbore. The report told of a study of gas production from five shale wells, where the correlations implied that using more 100-mesh proppant in the fracking recipe led to greater gas production. But others argued theoretically for less 100-mesh sand because it was weaker than 40-70 mesh sand and less resistant to crushing by higher stresses trying to close the fractures. DEEPROP technology. In the last few years, a new type of proppant has come along. Its smaller in size than 100-mesh, rounder, and stronger, and its called DEEPROP. It is sometimes called microproppant because of its small size: 400-500 mesh (about 0.05 mm or 1/20 of a millimeter). Bill Strobel, head of Zeeospheres Ceramic Inc., recently explained how DEEPROP works. DEEPROP is a tiny microproppant material that has been shown to increase well productivity by between 20-40% in multi-year trials, in over 250 wells in 6 major US shale plays. Mesh size of the proppant is 400-500 (0.05 mm). The particles are made of ceramic and are spherical. DEEPROP allows operators to place proppant in smaller fractures, further from the wellbore and it has been shown to slow flowrate decline and increase estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) from a shale gas or shale oil well. Yes. For the Utica shale play, a 10-year cumulative oil forecast showed DEEPROP would increase the incremental production per thousand feet of lateral by 7,000 - 13,000 barrels. This converts to an additional revenue of $315,000 - $585,000 per thousand feet drilled. Shale operators have relied on the expensive practice of continuously drilling and completing new wells because they need new wells to replace production lost in the first few years a shale well typically declines 65% in its first year. Trial wells utilizing DEEPROP have reduced production decline rates that make it easier for operating companies to maintain production. Operators have tried running 400-500 mesh proppant in the past, but they were limited to silica flour, fumed silica, and high bauxite ceramic proppants (200-300 mesh). None of these products provided a noticeable production uplift. These proppants and DEEPROP differ in two important ways: (1) They have a low conductivity, especially the silica and fumed silica products. (2) They have a low crush resistance, especially the silica and fumed silica products. Inside a crack, silica flour, fumed silica, and angular heavy bauxite ceramics are going to stack together and stick together like Lego bricks, and will block the flow of gas or oil molecules. Crushing of the silica proppants will make this worse. The plugged crack will ruin the crack as a conduit for flow of gas or oil to the horizontal well. Sample images from the lab of fumed silica and silica flour show they are angular and more stackable than perfectly spherical DEEPROP. The best way to answer this is that operators see a payback of investment typically in 1-3 months. Case studies. A new paper (Ref 1) has been published by SPE (society of Petroleum Engineers) and summarizes several comparisons of wells using DEEPROP (DP) versus offset (nearby) wells without DP: Case 1 Barnett Shale. 4,200 lb of DP was added to the pad (the initial stage of the fracking operation) at a concentration of 0.1 lb/gal. This is a very low concentration as proppant concentrations of 40-70 proppant generally peak at 2-3 lb/gal. Figure 1 shows the average cumulative BOE (barrels of oil-equivalent) production for the four DP wells vs the seven offset wells without DP. As can be seen in the plot, the wells start at about the same point but start to separate with the uplift continuing to improve over time - reaching 24% after 25 months. This is consistent with the idea of having a larger conductivity propped fracture area. Figure 1. Twenty-five month BOE average cumulative production of the 11 wells used in the Barnett ... [+] Shale study. Bill Strobel Case 2 Woodford Shale (SCOOP). One operator conducted a study using 7 DP wells offset by 12 non-DP wells. This work was first reported on by Calvin et al in SPE 184863. As with the Barnett wells 4200 lbs of the DP was added as a liquid slurry into the pad at a concentration equivalent to 0.1 lb/gal. The main reason this operator was using the DP was to reduce the frac pumping pressure. The pressure limit on the wellbore was 11,500 psi but the DP removed 800 - 1100 psi pumping pressure which allowed the frac treatment to be placed at a higher pump rate which effectively exposed more shale rock. The uplift was impressive: 72% after 24 months and 81% after 36 months (Figure 2). Figure 2. Woodford (SCOOP) averaged cumulative BOE/1000 foot of lateral for 7 MP wells and 12 offset ... [+] wells. Bill Strobel Takeaways: Statistics are important in shale wells because it is well known that the variability from well to well in a shale play is large. Many wells are required to establish a trend, or in this study a difference between wells with DP versus wells with no DP. Two cases studies show statistically-conclusive results: The Barnett shale tests indicate an average production uplift of 24% after 25 months, and this has been attributed to a larger conductivity propped fracture area when using DP. The Woodford Shale (SCOOP) trials lowered the frac pumping pressure which extended the fracture reach. The average production uplift was 72% after 24 months and 81% after 36 months. This is evidence for near-wellbore scouring of blockages by DP. Other field tests are underway, but these will require comparisons between at least half-a-dozen wells that used DP and a similar number of offset wells without DP, before statistically viable conclusions can be drawn. These two cases with conclusive results show production uplifts that were substantial and typically paid out in 1-3 months. The results clearly warrant further field trials to determine optimal concentrations and timing for adding DEEPROP to a fracking schedule. DEEPROP may turn out to be a Cinderella of proppant technology for even more successful shale-oil and shale-gas wells. Reference 1: Carl Montgomery et al. : Utilizing Discrete Fracture Modeling and Microproppant to Predict and Sustain Production Improvements in Nano Darcy Rock, SPE-199741-MS. February 5, 2020. | DEEPROP is a tiny microproppant material that has been shown to increase well productivity by between 20-40% in multi-year trials, in over 250 wells in 6 major US shale plays. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianpalmer/2021/05/19/is-deeprop-a-missing-ingredient-for-more-efficient-fracking-in-shale-wells/ | 0.213486 |
Will Dallas Mavs Be Without Maxi Kleber In Playoffs vs. Los Angeles Clippers? | DALLAS - With the the first round of the NBA playoffs just days away, the Dallas Mavericks are unsure about the status of one of their best defenders in Maxi Kleber. The 6-foot-10 big man has been battling an Achilles issue off and on, causing him to miss most of the last two weeks of the regular season, with him playing limited minutes in only two of the final eight games for the Mavs. His availability is crucial for the Mavs to attempt to slow down Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 32.8 points against Dallas in the first-round playoffs series last season. There is reason to be optimistic; Kleber went through a large portion of Wednesdays practice, according to coach Rick Carlisle. Today he went through parts of the contact portion of practice, and there was a large contact portion of practice and did well, to my knowledge," Carlisle said Wednesday. "Some of this is the test of how its going to feel the next day. But were hoping that hes going to be OK. Hes obviously a big part of our team, whether hes a starter or coming off the bench....Were hopeful. And thats about all I can tell you at this point. Were going to have to see how the next couple days go. Dallas would definitely miss Kleber's excellent three-point shooting and ability to switch off of bigger players and guards. Leonard, in the first round last season (32.8 points), had to deal with Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and, occasionally, Doni guarding him. 'I Don't Know Nothing' If Maxi is out, the Mavs could rely more on Dorian Finney-Smith to guard Leonard, as well as Doncic, occasionally. There also would be more minutes available for Nicolo Melli. This Achilles thing has been manageable to an extent," said Carlisle last week. Its tough on any players. And its tough for a guy who really depends on his quickness to guard smaller guys on switches, to protect the rebound, rebound, those kind of things. READ MORE: Dirk Nowitzki Dishes on NBA Title, Luka Doncic and Mavs Vs. Clippers in Playoffs | The Dallas Mavericks are unsure about the status of Maxi Kleber. The 6-foot-10 big man has been battling an Achilles issue off and on. His availability is crucial for the Mavs to attempt to slow down Kawhi Leonard. Leonard averaged 32.8 points against Dallas in the first-round playoffs series. | bart | 2 | https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/will-mavs-be-without-top-defender-playoffs-nba | 0.113659 |
Will JPMorgans New Initiative Help Credit Invisible Americans Get Their First Loan? | Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, at the White House on February 9. AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan Chase JPM , Bank of America BAC , and several other large banks had launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who dont have credit scores but who are financially responsible. Although roughly 45 million Americans dont have a credit score, most adults do have some experience paying rent or other bills. Reviewing their checking account balance over time can show whether the consumer makes reliable bill payments, or is having trouble making ends meet. A history of regular monthly utility or rental payments might show, for example, that a consumer could probably repay a loan, while frequent late fees or overdrafts in a consumers checking account history may indicate financial hardship. The consortium of participating banks agreed to share some of this checking account data with one another, so, for example, Bank of America could consider your Wells Fargo WFC checking account data if you apply for a Bank of America credit card. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. Here are a few reasons to be skeptical. Credit cards are already widely available to people without credit history: When it comes to credit history, everybody needs to start somewhere. According to a 2017 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 80% of Americans establish their credit history before the age of 25. The report found that a minority of Americans about one in four establish their credit history with the help of a friend or family member, who either adds their loved one as an authorized user on a credit card, or cosigns on a new loan for them. But roughly three-quarters of Americans establish credit history without directly relying on somebody elses credit score: while you probably wont get a $300,000 small business loan from a big bank with no credit history, banks are more willing to take a chance on someone with a completely empty credit record when it comes to low-line credit cards. Student loans and retail loans are popular choices establish credit history, but credit cards establish credit history for more than 3 in 10 Americans, more than any other type of financial product. Some consumers are asked to put down a security deposit to get their first credit card, but the CFPB report found that 97.5% of adults who first establish credit history with a credit card before the age of 25 get an unsecured credit card, rather than a secured credit card. The fact is, at high rates that some credit card companies charge, the vast majority of consumers are attractive lending prospects: even those consumers whose odds of eventually defaulting are as high as 1 in 2. Many people who dont have a credit score have struggled with credit in the past: A common misconception about credit scores like FICO is that everybody who has used a credit card, student loan, auto loan, or other lending product will have a credit score, as long as their lender reported information to the credit bureau. But in order to have a FICO credit score, you must have recent credit history: a loan that was open and reported new information at some point in the last six months. When a consumer declares bankruptcy, or defaults on all their loans without declaring bankruptcy, you might expect them to have a very low credit score, like 400 or 500. But if the experience leaves them without any open credit accounts, after six months, theyll have a null or missing credit score. The negative information, like the missed payments, however, will still show up on their credit history for several years: as a result, when a bank or lender pulls that consumers credit history, and sees missed payments or a recent bankruptcy, they may be too scared to lend, even with this additional checking account data. According to a December 2017 Quantilytic report, 34% of all Americans without a credit score have negative information on their credit report, for example, accounts in collections or old credit accounts that charged off or defaulted. Another 13% of consumers, the report found, have effectively retired from using credit: their credit score has gone stale because they closed all their credit accounts. The average age of those who have retired from credit is 71. An additional 47% percent dont have any credit inquiries on their credit report, meaning that they havent applied for credit from a major U.S. bank within the last two years, begging the question of whether these consumers actually want credit (not everyone does). While this still leaves chunk of consumers without credit who are new to credit and may be looking for an entry point, the group remaining is relatively young their average age is 24 and typically the type of consumer able to find loans under the existing system. Credit invisible consumers are more likely to be unbanked: Many young Americans who dont have credit scores simply havent gotten around to establishing credit history, but for older Americans, its a different story. Older adults who havent used credit have often had bad experiences with banks, or face significant obstacles to maintaining a bank account. Wealthy Americans might think having a checking account is a no brainer, but for low wage workers, its a different story: as Lisa Servon, professor of city and regional planning at University of Pennsylvania explains in her book The Unbanking of America: How The New Middle Class Survives, lower-income adults often get hit with overdraft fees or cant maintain the high minimum balances needed to avoid monthly fees, causing them to choose check cashers or other alternatives over a traditional banking relationship. According to data from the 2018 Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making, 72% of U.S. adults without a credit card have a checking account or savings account, but that rate falls to just 65% of U.S. adults without a credit card who are between the ages of 25 and 55. In other words, the new initiative has nothing to offer 35% of middle-aged adults without credit cards, since they wont have any checking account data for the banks to review. Americans in marginalized communities arent just looking for affordable credit: theyre also looking for positive banking relationships, and often find a lack of options. A 2019 report by S&P Global found that JPMorgan Chase disproportionately closed bank branches in majority-Black communities, an effect the authors found couldnt be explained by income alone. High-earning young professionals and recent immigrants with healthy checking account balances will be the biggest winners: instead of being offered a $500 or $1,000 credit limit to start out, credit card issuers might offer them the same high credit limits, upwards of $5,000, currently offered to Americans with a long credit record and a high credit score. The JPMorgan initiative was reportedly launched with the encouragement of federal regulators: in the aftermath of the police shooting of George Floyd, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency convened banks and non-profits to identify how to increase credit access to historically disadvantaged communities, resulting in the agreement to share bank account data for credit card underwriting. But if banks and regulators want to make a difference in disadvantaged communities, they may need to dig deeper and make bigger changes to their business practices. Credit card companies charge Black borrowers an average interest rate of 17.7%, nearly two percentage points higher than the interest rate those companies charge white borrowers. | JPMorgan Chase has launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who dont have credit scores but who are financially responsible. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenabotella/2021/05/19/will-jpmorgans-new-initiative-help-credit-invisible-americans-get-their-first-loan/ | 0.179723 |
Will JPMorgans New Initiative Help Credit Invisible Americans Get Their First Loan? | Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, at the White House on February 9. AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan Chase JPM , Bank of America BAC , and several other large banks had launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who dont have credit scores but who are financially responsible. Although roughly 45 million Americans dont have a credit score, most adults do have some experience paying rent or other bills. Reviewing their checking account balance over time can show whether the consumer makes reliable bill payments, or is having trouble making ends meet. A history of regular monthly utility or rental payments might show, for example, that a consumer could probably repay a loan, while frequent late fees or overdrafts in a consumers checking account history may indicate financial hardship. The consortium of participating banks agreed to share some of this checking account data with one another, so, for example, Bank of America could consider your Wells Fargo WFC checking account data if you apply for a Bank of America credit card. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. Here are a few reasons to be skeptical. Credit cards are already widely available to people without credit history: When it comes to credit history, everybody needs to start somewhere. According to a 2017 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 80% of Americans establish their credit history before the age of 25. The report found that a minority of Americans about one in four establish their credit history with the help of a friend or family member, who either adds their loved one as an authorized user on a credit card, or cosigns on a new loan for them. But roughly three-quarters of Americans establish credit history without directly relying on somebody elses credit score: while you probably wont get a $300,000 small business loan from a big bank with no credit history, banks are more willing to take a chance on someone with a completely empty credit record when it comes to low-line credit cards. Student loans and retail loans are popular choices establish credit history, but credit cards establish credit history for more than 3 in 10 Americans, more than any other type of financial product. Some consumers are asked to put down a security deposit to get their first credit card, but the CFPB report found that 97.5% of adults who first establish credit history with a credit card before the age of 25 get an unsecured credit card, rather than a secured credit card. The fact is, at high rates that some credit card companies charge, the vast majority of consumers are attractive lending prospects: even those consumers whose odds of eventually defaulting are as high as 1 in 2. Many people who dont have a credit score have struggled with credit in the past: A common misconception about credit scores like FICO is that everybody who has used a credit card, student loan, auto loan, or other lending product will have a credit score, as long as their lender reported information to the credit bureau. But in order to have a FICO credit score, you must have recent credit history: a loan that was open and reported new information at some point in the last six months. When a consumer declares bankruptcy, or defaults on all their loans without declaring bankruptcy, you might expect them to have a very low credit score, like 400 or 500. But if the experience leaves them without any open credit accounts, after six months, theyll have a null or missing credit score. The negative information, like the missed payments, however, will still show up on their credit history for several years: as a result, when a bank or lender pulls that consumers credit history, and sees missed payments or a recent bankruptcy, they may be too scared to lend, even with this additional checking account data. According to a December 2017 Quantilytic report, 34% of all Americans without a credit score have negative information on their credit report, for example, accounts in collections or old credit accounts that charged off or defaulted. Another 13% of consumers, the report found, have effectively retired from using credit: their credit score has gone stale because they closed all their credit accounts. The average age of those who have retired from credit is 71. An additional 47% percent dont have any credit inquiries on their credit report, meaning that they havent applied for credit from a major U.S. bank within the last two years, begging the question of whether these consumers actually want credit (not everyone does). While this still leaves chunk of consumers without credit who are new to credit and may be looking for an entry point, the group remaining is relatively young their average age is 24 and typically the type of consumer able to find loans under the existing system. Credit invisible consumers are more likely to be unbanked: Many young Americans who dont have credit scores simply havent gotten around to establishing credit history, but for older Americans, its a different story. Older adults who havent used credit have often had bad experiences with banks, or face significant obstacles to maintaining a bank account. Wealthy Americans might think having a checking account is a no brainer, but for low wage workers, its a different story: as Lisa Servon, professor of city and regional planning at University of Pennsylvania explains in her book The Unbanking of America: How The New Middle Class Survives, lower-income adults often get hit with overdraft fees or cant maintain the high minimum balances needed to avoid monthly fees, causing them to choose check cashers or other alternatives over a traditional banking relationship. According to data from the 2018 Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making, 72% of U.S. adults without a credit card have a checking account or savings account, but that rate falls to just 65% of U.S. adults without a credit card who are between the ages of 25 and 55. In other words, the new initiative has nothing to offer 35% of middle-aged adults without credit cards, since they wont have any checking account data for the banks to review. Americans in marginalized communities arent just looking for affordable credit: theyre also looking for positive banking relationships, and often find a lack of options. A 2019 report by S&P Global found that JPMorgan Chase disproportionately closed bank branches in majority-Black communities, an effect the authors found couldnt be explained by income alone. High-earning young professionals and recent immigrants with healthy checking account balances will be the biggest winners: instead of being offered a $500 or $1,000 credit limit to start out, credit card issuers might offer them the same high credit limits, upwards of $5,000, currently offered to Americans with a long credit record and a high credit score. The JPMorgan initiative was reportedly launched with the encouragement of federal regulators: in the aftermath of the police shooting of George Floyd, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency convened banks and non-profits to identify how to increase credit access to historically disadvantaged communities, resulting in the agreement to share bank account data for credit card underwriting. But if banks and regulators want to make a difference in disadvantaged communities, they may need to dig deeper and make bigger changes to their business practices. Credit card companies charge Black borrowers an average interest rate of 17.7%, nearly two percentage points higher than the interest rate those companies charge white borrowers. | JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and other large banks have launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who don't have credit scores. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenabotella/2021/05/19/will-jpmorgans-new-initiative-help-credit-invisible-americans-get-their-first-loan/ | 0.142795 |
Will JPMorgans New Initiative Help Credit Invisible Americans Get Their First Loan? | Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, at the White House on February 9. AFP via Getty Images On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan Chase JPM , Bank of America BAC , and several other large banks had launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who dont have credit scores but who are financially responsible. Although roughly 45 million Americans dont have a credit score, most adults do have some experience paying rent or other bills. Reviewing their checking account balance over time can show whether the consumer makes reliable bill payments, or is having trouble making ends meet. A history of regular monthly utility or rental payments might show, for example, that a consumer could probably repay a loan, while frequent late fees or overdrafts in a consumers checking account history may indicate financial hardship. The consortium of participating banks agreed to share some of this checking account data with one another, so, for example, Bank of America could consider your Wells Fargo WFC checking account data if you apply for a Bank of America credit card. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. Here are a few reasons to be skeptical. Credit cards are already widely available to people without credit history: When it comes to credit history, everybody needs to start somewhere. According to a 2017 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 80% of Americans establish their credit history before the age of 25. The report found that a minority of Americans about one in four establish their credit history with the help of a friend or family member, who either adds their loved one as an authorized user on a credit card, or cosigns on a new loan for them. But roughly three-quarters of Americans establish credit history without directly relying on somebody elses credit score: while you probably wont get a $300,000 small business loan from a big bank with no credit history, banks are more willing to take a chance on someone with a completely empty credit record when it comes to low-line credit cards. Student loans and retail loans are popular choices establish credit history, but credit cards establish credit history for more than 3 in 10 Americans, more than any other type of financial product. Some consumers are asked to put down a security deposit to get their first credit card, but the CFPB report found that 97.5% of adults who first establish credit history with a credit card before the age of 25 get an unsecured credit card, rather than a secured credit card. The fact is, at high rates that some credit card companies charge, the vast majority of consumers are attractive lending prospects: even those consumers whose odds of eventually defaulting are as high as 1 in 2. Many people who dont have a credit score have struggled with credit in the past: A common misconception about credit scores like FICO is that everybody who has used a credit card, student loan, auto loan, or other lending product will have a credit score, as long as their lender reported information to the credit bureau. But in order to have a FICO credit score, you must have recent credit history: a loan that was open and reported new information at some point in the last six months. When a consumer declares bankruptcy, or defaults on all their loans without declaring bankruptcy, you might expect them to have a very low credit score, like 400 or 500. But if the experience leaves them without any open credit accounts, after six months, theyll have a null or missing credit score. The negative information, like the missed payments, however, will still show up on their credit history for several years: as a result, when a bank or lender pulls that consumers credit history, and sees missed payments or a recent bankruptcy, they may be too scared to lend, even with this additional checking account data. According to a December 2017 Quantilytic report, 34% of all Americans without a credit score have negative information on their credit report, for example, accounts in collections or old credit accounts that charged off or defaulted. Another 13% of consumers, the report found, have effectively retired from using credit: their credit score has gone stale because they closed all their credit accounts. The average age of those who have retired from credit is 71. An additional 47% percent dont have any credit inquiries on their credit report, meaning that they havent applied for credit from a major U.S. bank within the last two years, begging the question of whether these consumers actually want credit (not everyone does). While this still leaves chunk of consumers without credit who are new to credit and may be looking for an entry point, the group remaining is relatively young their average age is 24 and typically the type of consumer able to find loans under the existing system. Credit invisible consumers are more likely to be unbanked: Many young Americans who dont have credit scores simply havent gotten around to establishing credit history, but for older Americans, its a different story. Older adults who havent used credit have often had bad experiences with banks, or face significant obstacles to maintaining a bank account. Wealthy Americans might think having a checking account is a no brainer, but for low wage workers, its a different story: as Lisa Servon, professor of city and regional planning at University of Pennsylvania explains in her book The Unbanking of America: How The New Middle Class Survives, lower-income adults often get hit with overdraft fees or cant maintain the high minimum balances needed to avoid monthly fees, causing them to choose check cashers or other alternatives over a traditional banking relationship. According to data from the 2018 Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decision Making, 72% of U.S. adults without a credit card have a checking account or savings account, but that rate falls to just 65% of U.S. adults without a credit card who are between the ages of 25 and 55. In other words, the new initiative has nothing to offer 35% of middle-aged adults without credit cards, since they wont have any checking account data for the banks to review. Americans in marginalized communities arent just looking for affordable credit: theyre also looking for positive banking relationships, and often find a lack of options. A 2019 report by S&P Global found that JPMorgan Chase disproportionately closed bank branches in majority-Black communities, an effect the authors found couldnt be explained by income alone. High-earning young professionals and recent immigrants with healthy checking account balances will be the biggest winners: instead of being offered a $500 or $1,000 credit limit to start out, credit card issuers might offer them the same high credit limits, upwards of $5,000, currently offered to Americans with a long credit record and a high credit score. The JPMorgan initiative was reportedly launched with the encouragement of federal regulators: in the aftermath of the police shooting of George Floyd, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency convened banks and non-profits to identify how to increase credit access to historically disadvantaged communities, resulting in the agreement to share bank account data for credit card underwriting. But if banks and regulators want to make a difference in disadvantaged communities, they may need to dig deeper and make bigger changes to their business practices. Credit card companies charge Black borrowers an average interest rate of 17.7%, nearly two percentage points higher than the interest rate those companies charge white borrowers. | JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and other large banks have launched an initiative to offer credit cards to individuals who don't have credit scores. A pilot is expected to launch later this year, with an initial focus on credit cards. Credit cards are already widely available to people without credit history. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenabotella/2021/05/19/will-jpmorgans-new-initiative-help-credit-invisible-americans-get-their-first-loan/ | 0.165963 |
When do I still need to wear a mask? | It depends, mostly on whether or not you're vaccinated. If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most situations. That includes when you're outside and in many indoor spaces like restaurants, though you still need to follow any local or business rules. Americans also still need a mask when traveling, including on buses, subways and planes and at airports. The guidance on masks will differ by country. Some experts say the CDC is relaxing its recommendations too soon. Part of the concern is that theres no way to tell whos vaccinated, so unvaccinated people could claim they got the shots and go maskless, said David Holtgrave, dean of the School of Public Health at University at Albany. That could cause cases to rise. A central mistake in public health is easing up infectious disease control efforts just before crossing the finish line, he said. Vaccinated people might also prefer to continue wearing their masks. Though chances are low, it's still possible to get infected, even if symptoms are likely to be mild or nonexistent. That's why the CDCs guidance says vaccinated people should put their masks back on and get tested if they end up developing symptoms. There are other exceptions. Masks are still needed in select settings including hospitals and nursing homes. And if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or medications, the agency says to talk to your doctor before shedding your mask, since vaccines generally dont work as well in people with weak immune systems. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last required shot. If you're not yet fully vaccinated, the CDC still recommends masks in most places outside your home. That includes indoor public spaces, crowded outdoor events like concerts and small outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. When you're outdoors alone or with people from your household, the agency says unvaccinated people don't need masks. Since children younger than 12 arent yet eligible for COVID-19 shots, they should continue to wear masks indoors outside the home and in most public places like other unvaccinated people. ___ The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. | If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask. That includes when you're outside and in many indoor spaces like restaurants. | bart | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/When-do-I-still-need-to-wear-a-mask-16190200.php | 0.180258 |
When do I still need to wear a mask? | It depends, mostly on whether or not you're vaccinated. If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most situations. That includes when you're outside and in many indoor spaces like restaurants, though you still need to follow any local or business rules. Americans also still need a mask when traveling, including on buses, subways and planes and at airports. The guidance on masks will differ by country. Some experts say the CDC is relaxing its recommendations too soon. Part of the concern is that theres no way to tell whos vaccinated, so unvaccinated people could claim they got the shots and go maskless, said David Holtgrave, dean of the School of Public Health at University at Albany. That could cause cases to rise. A central mistake in public health is easing up infectious disease control efforts just before crossing the finish line, he said. Vaccinated people might also prefer to continue wearing their masks. Though chances are low, it's still possible to get infected, even if symptoms are likely to be mild or nonexistent. That's why the CDCs guidance says vaccinated people should put their masks back on and get tested if they end up developing symptoms. There are other exceptions. Masks are still needed in select settings including hospitals and nursing homes. And if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or medications, the agency says to talk to your doctor before shedding your mask, since vaccines generally dont work as well in people with weak immune systems. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last required shot. If you're not yet fully vaccinated, the CDC still recommends masks in most places outside your home. That includes indoor public spaces, crowded outdoor events like concerts and small outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. When you're outdoors alone or with people from your household, the agency says unvaccinated people don't need masks. Since children younger than 12 arent yet eligible for COVID-19 shots, they should continue to wear masks indoors outside the home and in most public places like other unvaccinated people. ___ The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. | If you're fully vaccinated, the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most situations. That includes when you're outside and in many indoor spaces like restaurants. Americans still need a mask when traveling, including on buses, subways and planes and at airports. | bart | 2 | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/When-do-I-still-need-to-wear-a-mask-16190200.php | 0.445635 |
What are 'zombie fires' and why is the Arctic Circle on fire? | Getty Images Experts have been studying so-called 'zombie fires' which have been burning in the Arctic Circle. A new study has discovered that zombie fires may make up a third of the total burn area in the forests in the Arctic Circle. Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. In June and July 2019, temperatures around the world were some of the hottest on record, and more than 100 wildfires burned in the Arctic circle. They emitted a record 244 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, and destroyed millions of hectares of forests across Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. The researchers behind the report are worried that climate change, and the rising of the Earth's temperatures could increase the number of zombie fires in the future. Reuters Zombie fires happen as a result of wildfires. They're called zombie fires as they seem to come back from the dead. After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled by peat and methane. These fires can continue to burn all through winter, hidden under a layer of snow, and in spring as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the soil dries out, the wildfires can re-ignite and spread once again. "With low oxygen levels under the snowpack, overwintering fires smoulder slowly, only to flare up again when the snow melts and dry conditions arrive in the spring." said Rebecca C Scholten, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. PA Media These maps show how a zombie fire burned after a wildfire, allowing a new fire to burn months later. As part of the study, the researchers looked at satellite data from the Arctic, gathered between 2002 and 2018. They found that zombie fires were responsible for nearly 1% of the total burned area over the study period, but said this varied over the years and, in one year, was as high as 38%. "Previously overwintering fires were reported as a rare freak phenomenon." said Rebecca C Scholten, "There are more overwintering fires after hot summers with many large and severe fires. In 2010 for example, they caused 22% of the burned area in Alaska." They also discovered that early spring fires were much more likely to pop up after large fire seasons and near to the burnt areas left behind by the previous fire. As part of their research, the scientists have been able to develop an algorithm to spot zombie fires, and help firefighters to put them out before they spread. "You could monitor the location of last year's fires from planes or satellites and extinguish them when they are still small." said Sander Veraverbeke, an associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. | Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. | bart | 0 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57173570 | 0.375905 |
What are 'zombie fires' and why is the Arctic Circle on fire? | Getty Images Experts have been studying so-called 'zombie fires' which have been burning in the Arctic Circle. A new study has discovered that zombie fires may make up a third of the total burn area in the forests in the Arctic Circle. Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. In June and July 2019, temperatures around the world were some of the hottest on record, and more than 100 wildfires burned in the Arctic circle. They emitted a record 244 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, and destroyed millions of hectares of forests across Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. The researchers behind the report are worried that climate change, and the rising of the Earth's temperatures could increase the number of zombie fires in the future. Reuters Zombie fires happen as a result of wildfires. They're called zombie fires as they seem to come back from the dead. After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled by peat and methane. These fires can continue to burn all through winter, hidden under a layer of snow, and in spring as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the soil dries out, the wildfires can re-ignite and spread once again. "With low oxygen levels under the snowpack, overwintering fires smoulder slowly, only to flare up again when the snow melts and dry conditions arrive in the spring." said Rebecca C Scholten, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. PA Media These maps show how a zombie fire burned after a wildfire, allowing a new fire to burn months later. As part of the study, the researchers looked at satellite data from the Arctic, gathered between 2002 and 2018. They found that zombie fires were responsible for nearly 1% of the total burned area over the study period, but said this varied over the years and, in one year, was as high as 38%. "Previously overwintering fires were reported as a rare freak phenomenon." said Rebecca C Scholten, "There are more overwintering fires after hot summers with many large and severe fires. In 2010 for example, they caused 22% of the burned area in Alaska." They also discovered that early spring fires were much more likely to pop up after large fire seasons and near to the burnt areas left behind by the previous fire. As part of their research, the scientists have been able to develop an algorithm to spot zombie fires, and help firefighters to put them out before they spread. "You could monitor the location of last year's fires from planes or satellites and extinguish them when they are still small." said Sander Veraverbeke, an associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. | Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. They're called zombie fires as they seem to come back from the dead. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57173570 | 0.387654 |
What are 'zombie fires' and why is the Arctic Circle on fire? | Getty Images Experts have been studying so-called 'zombie fires' which have been burning in the Arctic Circle. A new study has discovered that zombie fires may make up a third of the total burn area in the forests in the Arctic Circle. Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. In June and July 2019, temperatures around the world were some of the hottest on record, and more than 100 wildfires burned in the Arctic circle. They emitted a record 244 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, and destroyed millions of hectares of forests across Siberia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. The researchers behind the report are worried that climate change, and the rising of the Earth's temperatures could increase the number of zombie fires in the future. Reuters Zombie fires happen as a result of wildfires. They're called zombie fires as they seem to come back from the dead. After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled by peat and methane. These fires can continue to burn all through winter, hidden under a layer of snow, and in spring as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the soil dries out, the wildfires can re-ignite and spread once again. "With low oxygen levels under the snowpack, overwintering fires smoulder slowly, only to flare up again when the snow melts and dry conditions arrive in the spring." said Rebecca C Scholten, the lead author of the study and a PhD student at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. PA Media These maps show how a zombie fire burned after a wildfire, allowing a new fire to burn months later. As part of the study, the researchers looked at satellite data from the Arctic, gathered between 2002 and 2018. They found that zombie fires were responsible for nearly 1% of the total burned area over the study period, but said this varied over the years and, in one year, was as high as 38%. "Previously overwintering fires were reported as a rare freak phenomenon." said Rebecca C Scholten, "There are more overwintering fires after hot summers with many large and severe fires. In 2010 for example, they caused 22% of the burned area in Alaska." They also discovered that early spring fires were much more likely to pop up after large fire seasons and near to the burnt areas left behind by the previous fire. As part of their research, the scientists have been able to develop an algorithm to spot zombie fires, and help firefighters to put them out before they spread. "You could monitor the location of last year's fires from planes or satellites and extinguish them when they are still small." said Sander Veraverbeke, an associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. | Zombie fires - also known as overwintering fires - are a rare phenomenon that occur in countries like Canada, Alaska, and Russia. After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled by peat and methane. | bart | 2 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57173570 | 0.440914 |
Does the bullets emergence affect how Ohio State football recruits linebackers and defensive backs? | COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program is finally using the bullet position in 2021 after talking about it for two offseasons. Given what the roster was when Ryan Day took over as head coach, this may have always been the plan. An idea for a defensive scheme is one thing. Having the players capable of executing it is another. Ronnie Hickman and Craig Young will be the first players to try their hand at the hybrid linebacker-safety position as third-year players. Then theres Kourt Williams, who in 2020 was the first player recruited with it in mind. The addition of the bullet means the subtraction of a linebacker. This defensive scheme doesnt call for a traditional outside linebacker, affecting how Al Washington puts his room together. The Buckeyes only offered eight linebackers in 2022, but thats more of a result of early recruiting success than a lack of options. When Dasan McCullough flipped to Indiana, Washington needed to go back to the drawing board. But he also only took one linebacker in 2021 -- Reid Carrico -- while making a late push for Raesjon Davis before he picked USC. Ohio States remaining targets to replace McCullough are well known. Theres Shawn Murphy, a top-100 recruit who was considered the nations best for most of this cycle. Hes since dropped down to No. 61 and second among inside linebackers, but thats a result of his junior season at Unity Reed in Virginia delayed until spring. Hes one of many targets and commits whose ranking comes with a caveat. The other is Justin Medlock. A three-star recruit out of Manvel, Texas, hes more of a developmental player. Day camps in June could open the door for new targets to emerge. That route has become more common for the Buckeyes, leading to defensive back Kye Stokes commitment. But now that the bullet is more than an offseason talking point, it will change the way we evaluate back-seven players. Regardless whether a scouting website classifies them as a linebacker, safety or an athlete, the most important factor at OSU may be their physical build. That will decide whether they fall on the Hickman or the Young side of the bullet spectrum. If youve never listened to Buckeye Talk, try it now. And subscribe to Buckeye Talk on any of these podcast platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts. Buckeye Talk on iTunes Buckeye Talk on Spotify Buckeye Talk on Google Play - Fields Bears jersey: Ohio State football fans can purchase Justin Fields new Chicago Bears jersey here. Its available in white, blue and orange and in mens, womens and youth sizes. Theres also a cheaper T-shirt option. Hey, Buckeye Talk Whats the deal with 2021 recruiting target J.T. | The Ohio State football program is finally using the bullet position in 2021. Ronnie Hickman and Craig Young will be the first players to try their hand at the hybrid linebacker-safety position. The addition of the bullet means the subtraction of a linebacker. | bart | 1 | https://www.cleveland.com/buckeye-talk-podcast/2021/05/does-the-emergence-of-the-bullet-impact-how-ohio-state-football-recruits-linebackers-and-defensive-backs.html | 0.316648 |
Does the bullets emergence affect how Ohio State football recruits linebackers and defensive backs? | COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program is finally using the bullet position in 2021 after talking about it for two offseasons. Given what the roster was when Ryan Day took over as head coach, this may have always been the plan. An idea for a defensive scheme is one thing. Having the players capable of executing it is another. Ronnie Hickman and Craig Young will be the first players to try their hand at the hybrid linebacker-safety position as third-year players. Then theres Kourt Williams, who in 2020 was the first player recruited with it in mind. The addition of the bullet means the subtraction of a linebacker. This defensive scheme doesnt call for a traditional outside linebacker, affecting how Al Washington puts his room together. The Buckeyes only offered eight linebackers in 2022, but thats more of a result of early recruiting success than a lack of options. When Dasan McCullough flipped to Indiana, Washington needed to go back to the drawing board. But he also only took one linebacker in 2021 -- Reid Carrico -- while making a late push for Raesjon Davis before he picked USC. Ohio States remaining targets to replace McCullough are well known. Theres Shawn Murphy, a top-100 recruit who was considered the nations best for most of this cycle. Hes since dropped down to No. 61 and second among inside linebackers, but thats a result of his junior season at Unity Reed in Virginia delayed until spring. Hes one of many targets and commits whose ranking comes with a caveat. The other is Justin Medlock. A three-star recruit out of Manvel, Texas, hes more of a developmental player. Day camps in June could open the door for new targets to emerge. That route has become more common for the Buckeyes, leading to defensive back Kye Stokes commitment. But now that the bullet is more than an offseason talking point, it will change the way we evaluate back-seven players. Regardless whether a scouting website classifies them as a linebacker, safety or an athlete, the most important factor at OSU may be their physical build. That will decide whether they fall on the Hickman or the Young side of the bullet spectrum. If youve never listened to Buckeye Talk, try it now. And subscribe to Buckeye Talk on any of these podcast platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts. Buckeye Talk on iTunes Buckeye Talk on Spotify Buckeye Talk on Google Play - Fields Bears jersey: Ohio State football fans can purchase Justin Fields new Chicago Bears jersey here. Its available in white, blue and orange and in mens, womens and youth sizes. Theres also a cheaper T-shirt option. Hey, Buckeye Talk Whats the deal with 2021 recruiting target J.T. | The Ohio State football program is finally using the bullet position in 2021. Ronnie Hickman and Craig Young will be the first players to try their hand at the hybrid linebacker-safety position. The addition of the bullet means the subtraction of a linebacker. Day camps in June could open the door for new targets to emerge. | pegasus | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/buckeye-talk-podcast/2021/05/does-the-emergence-of-the-bullet-impact-how-ohio-state-football-recruits-linebackers-and-defensive-backs.html | 0.379484 |
Is San Antonio on the verge of becoming 'Aquarium City'? | A test of sorts is underway in San Antonio to find out. The Sea Life San Antonio aquarium will open at the Shops at Rivercenter downtown on May 25. Itll join SeaWorld San Antonio, one of the worlds largest marine-life theme parks, and the San Antonio Aquarium on the list of fish attractions. And lets not forget the aquatic exhibits at the San Antonio Zoo. No one has proposed calling San Antonio Aquarium City, but the city known for the Alamo and the River Walk will soon have one of the largest concentrations of aquarium attractions in North America. 2 1 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less People love aquariums, said Samantha Muka, an assistant professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Its like a jewelry store or candy store. They like looking at these things. And unlike zoos, Muka who is writing a book on the technology of aquariums said the operators of the fish attractions dont have to worry about the rain or hot weather keeping visitors away. The aquarium has something that zoos do not, which is that the weather doesnt matter, she said. On ExpressNews.com: SeaWorld, Six Flags narrow first-quarter losses as attendance increases after pandemic shutdowns Most major cities around the world have marine life attractions, usually an aquarium. In fact, an aquarium building boom has been underway over the last several years, with new fish attractions going up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, and St. Louis, Missouri, among other cities. But four makes San Antonio unique. Dennis Speigel, who advises operators of theme parks and tourist attractions, said he doubts visitors will come to San Antonio for its aquatic attractions. But theyre a nice add-on for tourists. Sea Life San Antonios location near the Alamo is no coincidence. The aquarium is in the mall and its an impulse attraction when you have time to kill, he said. Its not a lengthy stay. Sea Life, the first downtown aquarium, isnt large; it will add 3,000 fish to San Antonios sea-creature census. Its owner, UK-based Merlin Entertainments, bills it as an attraction that visitors can see in 90 minutes or less. Indeed, none of San Antonios sea-life attractions are considered mega-aquariums. But that possibility isnt out of the question. Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes interested in building the citys first major aquarium as part of a long-term plan to add more attractions at the zoo. Sharks at the mall Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Sea Life claims to have something unique San Antonios Only Underground Ocean Tunnel. Attraction officials say the 50-foot-long tunnel is surrounded by a 360-degree view of ocean creatures, including sharks and sea turtles, swimming all around visitors. Sea Life brings an all-new experience into the market that provides an intimate, highly-themed, hands-on experience for our guests, spokeswoman Carly Wisniewski said. On ExpressNews.com:Looking to recover, SeaWorld San Antonio staying open through winter Merlin Entertainments is promoting the 33,000-square-foot aquarium in combination with its other attraction in the downtown mall, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Wisniewski said the average family spends two to three hours at the Lego attraction. Merlin Entertainment will cross-sell discounted tickets to visitors to Sea Life and LEGOLAND. Eighteen miles west of downtown, SeaWorld San Antonio may not have an ocean tunnel, but its upping its game. In June, SeaWorld plans to begin renovating its 450,000-gallon Explorers Reef aquarium, including new floors and lighting. It will also add large schools of new fish that will swim with the resident 3,800 sharks, sea horses, clownfish, coral reef fish and dart frogs. SeaWorld San Antonio President Byron Surrett said his parks aquariums, rides and shows cant be compared to the Sea Life aquarium, whch he called a quick walk-through. Surrett also said SeaWorlds sister parks in Orlando, Florida, and San Diego, California, feature underwater shark and fish tunnels but building one in San Antonio would be costly and difficult. Explorers Reef is an older facility, dating back to the parks opening in 1988. SeaWorld Entertainment, the San Antonio parks parent company, recorded a net loss of $356 million in the 15-month period ending March 31 as COVID-19 wrecked havoc on attendance at the companys theme parks. Tunnel vision Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer The San Antonio area has been promised an aquatic tunnel since 2014. The free-standing, 50,000-square-foot San Antonio Aquarium opened that year in a former car dealership in Leon Valley. A press release put out by aquarium officials at the time said they would build a 125,000-gallon tank and underground tunnel to watch sharks and tropical fish by March 2015. The operator never built the tunnel. Today, the facility contains 8,000 fish but features no giant marine viewing windows. It offers visitors a hodgepodge of experiences, including a video-game arcade, a kiddie bounce room and the opportunity to pet lemurs. Outside its gift shop, representatives try to sell visitors timeshares in Cancun and Orlando. Aquarium spokesman Paul Mefford said in a statement the facility has no plans to build the tunnel but did not offer an explanation. Our business model is very different from that of Sea Life and through our innovative experiences that we provide to our guests we will remain competitive, he said. The aquarium received unwanted international attention in July 2018 after a man snatched a 16-inch horn shark out of its tank, wrapped it in a blanket and then pushed it out of the aquarium in a baby stroller. The incident was caught by aquarium security cameras and broadcast on TV new programs. The man was later arrested after police found the shark in his home aquarium. Muka said Sea Life could take away business from the San Antonio Aquarium, especially when cross-sold with the Lego attraction. Mothers with young children love LEGOLAND, she said. Muka said visitors and locals also will want to see the Sea Life aquatic tunnel something they expect in newer aquariums. Morrow, of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes looking to work with Sea Life to promote one anothers attractions. But he also has a grand aquarium plan that would make the zoo the aquarium king of San Antonio. It calls for centralizing the zoo aquarium exhibits one is in a building that dates back to the 1940s and create a world-class aquarium. Currently, the zoos main aquarium building doesnt have the wall-to-ceiling glass windows that are more common todays seal-life exhibits. Even without any additions, the zoo still houses more than 9,000 fish. Morrow said kids go to the zoo to see big species, including elephants and tigers, but they also like sharks. We are a big enough city to have a major aquarium, he said, adding that he would start construction tomorrow if someone would write me a $200 million check. Sharks are the most popular aquarium draw. Muka said they are usually up to seven feet long at major aquariums. Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer As for other fish, she said, people dont know the names of particular species nor do they care. Theres very few times when people will say, I want to go to the aquarium to see that animal, she said. Mostly it seems to just be the immersive experience. Its very calming to people. Dave Krupinski, interim president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, plans to promote the Sea Life aquarium in upcoming marketing campaigns. He said he isnt concerned about the abundance of aquatic attractions in the city. Marine life is always a point of interest for any leisure attraction, as it adds entertainment value for a potential traveler, he said. Strengthening these offerings, especially in downtown San Antonio in these trying times, will always add value. Speigel estimates Merlin spent $20 million building Sea Life, and said it should be successful. Merlin Entertainment operates more than 50 Sea Life aquariums around the world and doesnt commit to a project without extensive market research on the viability of a location. Ultimately, the Sea Life aquarium will give visitors another reason to tour San Antonio, said Davis Phillips, who runs Ripleys Haunted Adventure, the Guinness World Records museum and other downtown attractions. Phillips said its all about offering more family fun after the Alamo, the River Walk and SeaWorld and the Six Flags Fiesta theme parks. People are looking for something new to do, he said. The new aquarium is a good thing for San Antonio. randy.diamond@express-news.net | San Antonio will soon have one of the largest concentrations of aquarium attractions in North America. | bart | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/Is-San-Antonio-on-the-verge-of-becoming-16189547.php | 0.184418 |
Is San Antonio on the verge of becoming 'Aquarium City'? | A test of sorts is underway in San Antonio to find out. The Sea Life San Antonio aquarium will open at the Shops at Rivercenter downtown on May 25. Itll join SeaWorld San Antonio, one of the worlds largest marine-life theme parks, and the San Antonio Aquarium on the list of fish attractions. And lets not forget the aquatic exhibits at the San Antonio Zoo. No one has proposed calling San Antonio Aquarium City, but the city known for the Alamo and the River Walk will soon have one of the largest concentrations of aquarium attractions in North America. 2 1 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Show More Show Less People love aquariums, said Samantha Muka, an assistant professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Its like a jewelry store or candy store. They like looking at these things. And unlike zoos, Muka who is writing a book on the technology of aquariums said the operators of the fish attractions dont have to worry about the rain or hot weather keeping visitors away. The aquarium has something that zoos do not, which is that the weather doesnt matter, she said. On ExpressNews.com: SeaWorld, Six Flags narrow first-quarter losses as attendance increases after pandemic shutdowns Most major cities around the world have marine life attractions, usually an aquarium. In fact, an aquarium building boom has been underway over the last several years, with new fish attractions going up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Gulfport, Mississippi, and St. Louis, Missouri, among other cities. But four makes San Antonio unique. Dennis Speigel, who advises operators of theme parks and tourist attractions, said he doubts visitors will come to San Antonio for its aquatic attractions. But theyre a nice add-on for tourists. Sea Life San Antonios location near the Alamo is no coincidence. The aquarium is in the mall and its an impulse attraction when you have time to kill, he said. Its not a lengthy stay. Sea Life, the first downtown aquarium, isnt large; it will add 3,000 fish to San Antonios sea-creature census. Its owner, UK-based Merlin Entertainments, bills it as an attraction that visitors can see in 90 minutes or less. Indeed, none of San Antonios sea-life attractions are considered mega-aquariums. But that possibility isnt out of the question. Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes interested in building the citys first major aquarium as part of a long-term plan to add more attractions at the zoo. Sharks at the mall Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer Sea Life claims to have something unique San Antonios Only Underground Ocean Tunnel. Attraction officials say the 50-foot-long tunnel is surrounded by a 360-degree view of ocean creatures, including sharks and sea turtles, swimming all around visitors. Sea Life brings an all-new experience into the market that provides an intimate, highly-themed, hands-on experience for our guests, spokeswoman Carly Wisniewski said. On ExpressNews.com:Looking to recover, SeaWorld San Antonio staying open through winter Merlin Entertainments is promoting the 33,000-square-foot aquarium in combination with its other attraction in the downtown mall, the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Wisniewski said the average family spends two to three hours at the Lego attraction. Merlin Entertainment will cross-sell discounted tickets to visitors to Sea Life and LEGOLAND. Eighteen miles west of downtown, SeaWorld San Antonio may not have an ocean tunnel, but its upping its game. In June, SeaWorld plans to begin renovating its 450,000-gallon Explorers Reef aquarium, including new floors and lighting. It will also add large schools of new fish that will swim with the resident 3,800 sharks, sea horses, clownfish, coral reef fish and dart frogs. SeaWorld San Antonio President Byron Surrett said his parks aquariums, rides and shows cant be compared to the Sea Life aquarium, whch he called a quick walk-through. Surrett also said SeaWorlds sister parks in Orlando, Florida, and San Diego, California, feature underwater shark and fish tunnels but building one in San Antonio would be costly and difficult. Explorers Reef is an older facility, dating back to the parks opening in 1988. SeaWorld Entertainment, the San Antonio parks parent company, recorded a net loss of $356 million in the 15-month period ending March 31 as COVID-19 wrecked havoc on attendance at the companys theme parks. Tunnel vision Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer The San Antonio area has been promised an aquatic tunnel since 2014. The free-standing, 50,000-square-foot San Antonio Aquarium opened that year in a former car dealership in Leon Valley. A press release put out by aquarium officials at the time said they would build a 125,000-gallon tank and underground tunnel to watch sharks and tropical fish by March 2015. The operator never built the tunnel. Today, the facility contains 8,000 fish but features no giant marine viewing windows. It offers visitors a hodgepodge of experiences, including a video-game arcade, a kiddie bounce room and the opportunity to pet lemurs. Outside its gift shop, representatives try to sell visitors timeshares in Cancun and Orlando. Aquarium spokesman Paul Mefford said in a statement the facility has no plans to build the tunnel but did not offer an explanation. Our business model is very different from that of Sea Life and through our innovative experiences that we provide to our guests we will remain competitive, he said. The aquarium received unwanted international attention in July 2018 after a man snatched a 16-inch horn shark out of its tank, wrapped it in a blanket and then pushed it out of the aquarium in a baby stroller. The incident was caught by aquarium security cameras and broadcast on TV new programs. The man was later arrested after police found the shark in his home aquarium. Muka said Sea Life could take away business from the San Antonio Aquarium, especially when cross-sold with the Lego attraction. Mothers with young children love LEGOLAND, she said. Muka said visitors and locals also will want to see the Sea Life aquatic tunnel something they expect in newer aquariums. Morrow, of the San Antonio Zoo, said hes looking to work with Sea Life to promote one anothers attractions. But he also has a grand aquarium plan that would make the zoo the aquarium king of San Antonio. It calls for centralizing the zoo aquarium exhibits one is in a building that dates back to the 1940s and create a world-class aquarium. Currently, the zoos main aquarium building doesnt have the wall-to-ceiling glass windows that are more common todays seal-life exhibits. Even without any additions, the zoo still houses more than 9,000 fish. Morrow said kids go to the zoo to see big species, including elephants and tigers, but they also like sharks. We are a big enough city to have a major aquarium, he said, adding that he would start construction tomorrow if someone would write me a $200 million check. Sharks are the most popular aquarium draw. Muka said they are usually up to seven feet long at major aquariums. Lisa Krantz, Staff / Staff photographer As for other fish, she said, people dont know the names of particular species nor do they care. Theres very few times when people will say, I want to go to the aquarium to see that animal, she said. Mostly it seems to just be the immersive experience. Its very calming to people. Dave Krupinski, interim president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, plans to promote the Sea Life aquarium in upcoming marketing campaigns. He said he isnt concerned about the abundance of aquatic attractions in the city. Marine life is always a point of interest for any leisure attraction, as it adds entertainment value for a potential traveler, he said. Strengthening these offerings, especially in downtown San Antonio in these trying times, will always add value. Speigel estimates Merlin spent $20 million building Sea Life, and said it should be successful. Merlin Entertainment operates more than 50 Sea Life aquariums around the world and doesnt commit to a project without extensive market research on the viability of a location. Ultimately, the Sea Life aquarium will give visitors another reason to tour San Antonio, said Davis Phillips, who runs Ripleys Haunted Adventure, the Guinness World Records museum and other downtown attractions. Phillips said its all about offering more family fun after the Alamo, the River Walk and SeaWorld and the Six Flags Fiesta theme parks. People are looking for something new to do, he said. The new aquarium is a good thing for San Antonio. randy.diamond@express-news.net | San Antonio will soon have one of the largest concentrations of aquarium attractions in North America. The city is home to SeaWorld San Antonio, the San Antonio Aquarium and San Antonio Zoo. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/Is-San-Antonio-on-the-verge-of-becoming-16189547.php | 0.269462 |
Can a province unilaterally rewrite parts the Constitution, as Quebec seeks to do? | The move is very rare and even most experts dont know what the full consequences of the provinces ask will be in the long run. Those are just some of the questions swirling across Canada days after Legaults government introduced Bill 96, a sweeping language law reform that includes adding two new subsections to Section 90 of the Constitution proclaiming Quebec a nation and affirm that the only official language of Qubec is French. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Back to video Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed to side with Legault by saying the federal governments initial analysis determined Quebecs move is perfectly legitimate and that the province has the right to modify a part of the Constitution. But the move is very rare and even most experts dont know what the full consequences of the provinces ask will be in the long run. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. No, not quite. What Quebec is doing is amending a part of the constitution that applies specifically to it, what experts and politicians have referred to as Quebecs Constitution. Each province has its own Constitution-within-the-Constitution that they can alter without the rest of the countrys approval, and Legault argues that the amendments hes proposing are just that. In legal terms, Quebec wants to add two new subsections (90Q.1 and 90Q.2) to the portion of the Constitution that governs provincial jurisdiction (Section 90). To do so, Quebec is relying on Section 45 of the 1982 Constitution Act, which says that any province can pass a law in its local legislature to amend its constitution. In short, the province says that only it is affected by the changes is it doesnt need the approval of anyone else. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As with many constitutional questions that have yet to be tested in court, there is no clear answer. Some, such as Emmett Macfarlane, associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, or University of Alberta faculty of law professor Eric Adams, dont think Quebec is in its rights to affirm its nationhood unilaterally in the Constitution because the effect extends beyond the traditional bounds of the provincial constitution. They also think it raises questions about the rights of Quebecs minority English speakers. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content I think theyve exceeded their constitutional reach Adams said. This is going to make constitutional litigation very likely, and its probably a constitutional hurdle that they wont be able to overcome. For Universit de Laval law professor Patrick Taillon, who first suggested the idea to modify the constitution in a publication earlier this year, this is an entirely legal way to partly solve the over 40-year constitutional gridlock between Quebec and the rest of the country. But he concedes that the recognition of French as the provinces official language cannot infringe on Anglophone Quebecers rights as set out in Section 133 of the Constitution, and so that point will likely find its way in front of the court. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Great big meetings like Meech Lake or Charlottetown, where every issue is put into a big basket and everyone has to agree with everything, have consistently failed, Taillon said. Quebecs approach is to come with a small change for which I conveniently have a modification mechanism already in place. The short answer is to have an official mention in the Constitution of the provinces distinct nation status as well as the primacy of French on its territory. In a letter to Trudeau last week, Legault explained he wanted an act of affirmation with regards to our particular and historic responsibility towards the sustainability of the French language in America. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Though the move is mostly a symbolic recognition of things that have been recognized by the federal and provincial government in the past, Taillon believes Legault also likely hopes that judges will also consider Quebecs distinct nationhood when hearing national affairs going forward. There is a structural issue for Quebec that all federal judges are chosen by Ottawa, Taillon said. So by adding the subsection on Quebecs nation, the government is hoping that it will push judges to adapt their perspective to the provinces particularities. If you dont believe what Quebec is doing as legitimate, then no. But if you think the province is acting within its rights, then absolutely, yes. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content For example, Taillon says Alberta could decide to add a mention in its constitution of the importance of its natural resources. Different changes to the Constitution by provinces without going through the formal modification process have happened in the past. In 2001, Newfoundland successfully had its name amended through the document to add the mention of Labrador, for example. Support for Quebec is in fact unanimous among the heads of all major federal parties. The Bloc Qubcois unsurprisingly backs the bill completely, the NDP thinks the federal government should assist as much as possible in better protecting Quebec language and culture, and Conservative leader Erin OToole said he believes Quebec is within its right to make the desired unilateral changes (though if all of his caucus agrees is another question). Email: cnardi@postmedia.com | Twitter: ChrisGNardi Share this article in your social network Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Shopping essentials Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NP Posted Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending | The move is very rare and even most experts dont know what the full consequences of the provinces ask will be in the long run. Some experts think Quebec is in its rights to affirm its nationhood unilaterally in the Constitution. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/can-a-province-unilaterally-rewrite-parts-the-constitution-as-quebec-seeks-to-do | 0.116213 |
Does a teenager need a Roth IRA? | Dear Liz: Our 16-year-old daughter has been frugal since she started understanding money at about age 6. She works and makes a decent income for a high school student. Her savings are now quite substantial. She wants to open a Roth IRA while she is young and has no income tax liability. My wife and I have pensions and substantial savings but only one IRA account. So we have no idea how to help her open a Roth. She has enough money to maximize her contributions every year through high school and college and wants to take full advantage of 50 years of tax-free growth. Answer: Contributing to a Roth IRA is an excellent way for young people to build wealth, and the earlier they can start, the better. Traditional IRAs typically offer a tax deduction for contributions but withdrawals are taxable. Roth IRAs, by contrast, dont offer an upfront tax deduction but withdrawals are tax free in retirement. Opting for a Roth over a traditional IRA makes sense when you expect your tax rate to be the same or higher in retirement. A $6,000 contribution at age 26 can grow to about $105,000 by retirement age, assuming 7% average annual returns. (Thats a reasonable average for a multi-decade investment in a diversified stock portfolio.) Advertisement Make the same contribution at age 16, and the money could grow to over $210,000 by age 67. The extra 10 years of compounded gains effectively doubles the total. To contribute to an IRA or Roth IRA, people must have earned income such as wages, salary or self-employment income. Theyre allowed to contribute 100% of their earnings during the tax year or $6,000, whichever is less. (People 50 and older can make an additional $1,000 catch up contribution.) If your daughter earned $4,000 this year, for example, thats the maximum she could contribute to a Roth for 2021. Your daughter typically cant open her own account until shes 18, so you would need to find a brokerage that offers custodial Roth IRAs. She would be the account owner and you would be the custodian until she turns 18. Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard are among the discount brokerages that offer custodial Roth IRAs without requiring minimum investments or charging maintenance fees. Mailing checks really is a bad idea Dear Liz: I differ with your opinion that electronic payments are far more secure than sending checks through the mail. My own personal experience sending checks for about 40 years with only one mishap (which wasnt attributable to the USPS) provides great confidence in mail as a payment system. In contrast, not a month goes by without news of some large organization entrusted with all kinds of personal and financial information being breached in a cyberattack. If the bad guys get my credit card information, Im out no greater than $50. Im not also going to risk them having my bank account and routing numbers for the dubious convenience of saving a stamp. Yes, mailboxes get broken into, but until there are real penalties for inadequate computer security, corporations will continue to underfund their network security and be reactive instead of proactive. Ill take my chances with the local thieves and not the worldwide population of black hat hackers. Answer: Youre quite right that databases where information is stored can be vulnerable to hackers if companies dont take the proper precautions. But avoiding electronic payments doesnt keep your information out of those databases. Information about you is collected and stored whether you like it or not. You didnt contribute your Social Security number, date of birth and credit account details to Equifax, for example, but chances are good you were one of the 147 million Americans whose information was exposed when that credit bureau was breached. In contrast to some databases, electronic payment transactions have strong encryption that makes it extremely difficult for hackers to intercept and read the information. Criminals would much rather target information thats at rest in databases than try to capture and decode it in transit. Advertisement Your checks are almost certainly being converted to electronic transactions, in any case. Few checks are physically passed between banks these days. Often a biller will take the routing and account numbers that are printed on your check and use them to request an electronic funds transfer through a clearinghouse such as The Automated Clearing House (ACH). Because those numbers are printed on every check you send out, by the way, anyone who sees that piece of paper, from a mail thief to someone inputting the payment into a companys computer system, could misuse that information. Thats a far bigger risk than the possibility an electronic payment could be hacked in transit. Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. | A 16-year-old wants to open a Roth IRA while she is young and has no income tax liability. A Roth IRA is an excellent way for young people to build wealth. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-05-20/does-a-teenager-need-roth-ira | 0.170464 |
Does a teenager need a Roth IRA? | Dear Liz: Our 16-year-old daughter has been frugal since she started understanding money at about age 6. She works and makes a decent income for a high school student. Her savings are now quite substantial. She wants to open a Roth IRA while she is young and has no income tax liability. My wife and I have pensions and substantial savings but only one IRA account. So we have no idea how to help her open a Roth. She has enough money to maximize her contributions every year through high school and college and wants to take full advantage of 50 years of tax-free growth. Answer: Contributing to a Roth IRA is an excellent way for young people to build wealth, and the earlier they can start, the better. Traditional IRAs typically offer a tax deduction for contributions but withdrawals are taxable. Roth IRAs, by contrast, dont offer an upfront tax deduction but withdrawals are tax free in retirement. Opting for a Roth over a traditional IRA makes sense when you expect your tax rate to be the same or higher in retirement. A $6,000 contribution at age 26 can grow to about $105,000 by retirement age, assuming 7% average annual returns. (Thats a reasonable average for a multi-decade investment in a diversified stock portfolio.) Advertisement Make the same contribution at age 16, and the money could grow to over $210,000 by age 67. The extra 10 years of compounded gains effectively doubles the total. To contribute to an IRA or Roth IRA, people must have earned income such as wages, salary or self-employment income. Theyre allowed to contribute 100% of their earnings during the tax year or $6,000, whichever is less. (People 50 and older can make an additional $1,000 catch up contribution.) If your daughter earned $4,000 this year, for example, thats the maximum she could contribute to a Roth for 2021. Your daughter typically cant open her own account until shes 18, so you would need to find a brokerage that offers custodial Roth IRAs. She would be the account owner and you would be the custodian until she turns 18. Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard are among the discount brokerages that offer custodial Roth IRAs without requiring minimum investments or charging maintenance fees. Mailing checks really is a bad idea Dear Liz: I differ with your opinion that electronic payments are far more secure than sending checks through the mail. My own personal experience sending checks for about 40 years with only one mishap (which wasnt attributable to the USPS) provides great confidence in mail as a payment system. In contrast, not a month goes by without news of some large organization entrusted with all kinds of personal and financial information being breached in a cyberattack. If the bad guys get my credit card information, Im out no greater than $50. Im not also going to risk them having my bank account and routing numbers for the dubious convenience of saving a stamp. Yes, mailboxes get broken into, but until there are real penalties for inadequate computer security, corporations will continue to underfund their network security and be reactive instead of proactive. Ill take my chances with the local thieves and not the worldwide population of black hat hackers. Answer: Youre quite right that databases where information is stored can be vulnerable to hackers if companies dont take the proper precautions. But avoiding electronic payments doesnt keep your information out of those databases. Information about you is collected and stored whether you like it or not. You didnt contribute your Social Security number, date of birth and credit account details to Equifax, for example, but chances are good you were one of the 147 million Americans whose information was exposed when that credit bureau was breached. In contrast to some databases, electronic payment transactions have strong encryption that makes it extremely difficult for hackers to intercept and read the information. Criminals would much rather target information thats at rest in databases than try to capture and decode it in transit. Advertisement Your checks are almost certainly being converted to electronic transactions, in any case. Few checks are physically passed between banks these days. Often a biller will take the routing and account numbers that are printed on your check and use them to request an electronic funds transfer through a clearinghouse such as The Automated Clearing House (ACH). Because those numbers are printed on every check you send out, by the way, anyone who sees that piece of paper, from a mail thief to someone inputting the payment into a companys computer system, could misuse that information. Thats a far bigger risk than the possibility an electronic payment could be hacked in transit. Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. | A 16-year-old daughter wants to open a Roth IRA while she is young and has no income tax liability. A Roth IRA is an excellent way for young people to build wealth, and the earlier they can start, the better. The money could grow to over $210,000 by age 67. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-05-20/does-a-teenager-need-roth-ira | 0.157553 |
How Do I Find A Mentor? | getty By: Emily Lamia Without our typical networking gatherings, it may feel like youre missing out on opportunities to connect with and learn from people in your professional network, and to find a mentor. Understand what kind of mentor youre looking for. First, think about what youre looking for in a mentor. Many times, people realize what theyre actually looking for is a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who actively works to highlight your work and helps you access opportunities and promotions. If youre looking for an influential leader who can champion your work, youre probably looking for a sponsor. Mentors might also sponsor your work, but their focus is on helping you navigate your career, identifying your strengths, and working through challenges. If youre looking for support determining where your career is headed, or looking for feedback on opportunities and challenges youre facing, youre looking for a mentor. [Related: Being and Having an Ally in the Workplace] Dont ask someone to be your mentor. The worst thing you can do when looking for a mentor is to ask them to be your mentor right off the bat, especially if youve never met them before. Finding and being a mentor is sort of like dating. You might learn about someone and see some shared similarities, then schedule a coffee to explore the relationship. After a few coffees, the relationship strengthens. But coming out of the gate with, Would you like to be my significant other? is likely to alienate the person and scare them off. The best mentor-mentee relationships evolve organically. Start with your existing network. First, consider the people in your network who you have relationships with. These might include: Past bosses. Past colleagues and peers. Senior people in other departments who youve had great interactions with. Experts you know in your field that you follow and respect. Look outside your network.If youre thinking of switching industries or want perspectives or insights from someone new, consider people outside your immediate network. These might include: Senior professionals who you share a network with like an alma mater. People two or three degrees removed from your immediate network. Experts in different fields you follow and respect. These individuals might not be as easy to get to, or be as receptive to those in your immediate network, but depending on what your goals are, they may be willing to get to know you. [Related: Are You the Invisible Woman at Work?] Focus first on building or deepening a relationship. Frame your outreach as asking for support, counsel, or insights. Instead of reaching out with, Its been a while lets grab a virtual coffee and catch up! try something more specific like: Ive got a hard decision to make about a work situation, and could really use some counsel from those who I trust and respect. You are at the top of that list. Id really appreciate your perspective. When you share that you find that persons support and feedback so valuable, they begin to see themselves as one of your "go-to" people. If youre reaching out to someone you dont know, tell them why youre reaching out to them specifically. For example: Im reaching out given your knowledge of the marketing world in both retail and tech. Im at a pivot point trying to decide what field I want to shift into next, and am considering ecommerce roles in retail, and also traditional marketing in the tech sector. I am looking to talk with people who have experience in both these worlds to help me determine where I want to focus my search after ten years running award-winning marketing campaigns in nonprofits. Cultivate the relationship. Most of the time, youll probably need to take the lead building a relationship. That doesnt mean others arent willing to be your mentor but people are busy. So, take the initiative to plot out what cultivating that relationship looks like over the next year. Think about what goals you have for yourself, and share them. Put reminders on your calendar to update them and solicit their counsel every few months. If theyre always responding supportively, its a good indication that they are happy to continue the mentor-mentee relationship thats forming. Get into the meat. People want to mentor smart, interesting people, so you should prepare for your conversations in a way that demonstrates youre engaged in, and knowledgeable about, your field. For example, lets say youre a mid-level marketing professional looking to develop new skills and decide where to go next in your career. Instead of your updates and questions for your mentor being about how things are going at work, focus on deeper insights, like your latest thinking about which brands you see effectively using new marketing techniques or innovative campaigns and what those insights make you think about where you want to go next. Your mentor will likely see your thoughtful insights and respond with more helpful advice. Finding a mentor can be a challenge, but with some strategic planning around what youre looking for, who can uniquely help you with your goals, and how you want to engage them, youll be setting yourself up to find and retain great mentors. [Related: The Nine Types of People You Need in Your Success Circle] Emily Lamia has been helping people grow and develop in their careers for over a decade. In 2015, she founded Pivot Journeys to create experiences to help individuals navigate their next career move and find meaningful work. | Don't ask someone to be your mentor right off the bat. A mentor is someone who actively works to highlight your work and helps you access opportunities and promotions. Get to know your mentor by reaching out to them via email or getty. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2021/05/20/how-do-i-find-a-mentor/ | 0.195014 |
Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. 1 in NFL? | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL - but will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The obstacles might not be the 17 games on the 2021 NFL schedule. The obstacles that would keep the Washington Football Team from being the NFL's No. 1 defense in 2021 might be nothing more than ... The WFT itself. In 2020, under the new management of head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, there was only a brief time of "Excuse Our Dust'' as the turnaround to rebuild was executed. In the end, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. ... and because of it, won the NFC East. This was accomplished while carrying on its back a mediocre-at-best offense and despite some growing pains for young studs like rookie defensive end Chase Young, who eventually emerged as a star and leader of the group. despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Bleacher Report has its defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington rolls in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. B/R's logic: "The Washington Football Team ... should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. ... Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. ... The Football Team ... signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby.'' Washington fans hope all those assumptions are correct. But ... we have no way of knowing yet that Davis will top the team in "impact.'' And we're not sure St-Juste's name should be etched in stone yet as a rotational contributor. Darby out with Jackson in figures as at least a wash, and maybe more. The other concepts are educated guesses. But frankly, even if they are off - if Davis is not immediately a star and/or if St-Juste isn't yet ready to contribute - the Chase Young-led defense has enough carry-over tools to be a top-three defense for certain ... And with the talent injection on offense - because the two units working as one, the effectiveness of each of them feeding the other - the Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL. And can ride that, combined with a middle-of-the-pack offense, to a charge toward a repeat NFC East title. READ MORE: Josh Harvey-Clemons Cut, Joe Walker Joins WFT | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL, according to Bleacher Report. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/washington-football-team-defense-no-1-in-nfl | 0.383778 |
Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. 1 in NFL? | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL - but will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The obstacles might not be the 17 games on the 2021 NFL schedule. The obstacles that would keep the Washington Football Team from being the NFL's No. 1 defense in 2021 might be nothing more than ... The WFT itself. In 2020, under the new management of head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, there was only a brief time of "Excuse Our Dust'' as the turnaround to rebuild was executed. In the end, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. ... and because of it, won the NFC East. This was accomplished while carrying on its back a mediocre-at-best offense and despite some growing pains for young studs like rookie defensive end Chase Young, who eventually emerged as a star and leader of the group. despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Bleacher Report has its defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington rolls in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. B/R's logic: "The Washington Football Team ... should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. ... Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. ... The Football Team ... signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby.'' Washington fans hope all those assumptions are correct. But ... we have no way of knowing yet that Davis will top the team in "impact.'' And we're not sure St-Juste's name should be etched in stone yet as a rotational contributor. Darby out with Jackson in figures as at least a wash, and maybe more. The other concepts are educated guesses. But frankly, even if they are off - if Davis is not immediately a star and/or if St-Juste isn't yet ready to contribute - the Chase Young-led defense has enough carry-over tools to be a top-three defense for certain ... And with the talent injection on offense - because the two units working as one, the effectiveness of each of them feeding the other - the Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL. And can ride that, combined with a middle-of-the-pack offense, to a charge toward a repeat NFC East title. READ MORE: Josh Harvey-Clemons Cut, Joe Walker Joins WFT | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL. But it will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/washington-football-team-defense-no-1-in-nfl | 0.354244 |
Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. 1 in NFL? | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL - but will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The obstacles might not be the 17 games on the 2021 NFL schedule. The obstacles that would keep the Washington Football Team from being the NFL's No. 1 defense in 2021 might be nothing more than ... The WFT itself. In 2020, under the new management of head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, there was only a brief time of "Excuse Our Dust'' as the turnaround to rebuild was executed. In the end, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020. ... and because of it, won the NFC East. This was accomplished while carrying on its back a mediocre-at-best offense and despite some growing pains for young studs like rookie defensive end Chase Young, who eventually emerged as a star and leader of the group. despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL. Bleacher Report has its defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington rolls in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams. B/R's logic: "The Washington Football Team ... should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market. No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. ... Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well. ... The Football Team ... signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby.'' Washington fans hope all those assumptions are correct. But ... we have no way of knowing yet that Davis will top the team in "impact.'' And we're not sure St-Juste's name should be etched in stone yet as a rotational contributor. Darby out with Jackson in figures as at least a wash, and maybe more. The other concepts are educated guesses. But frankly, even if they are off - if Davis is not immediately a star and/or if St-Juste isn't yet ready to contribute - the Chase Young-led defense has enough carry-over tools to be a top-three defense for certain ... And with the talent injection on offense - because the two units working as one, the effectiveness of each of them feeding the other - the Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL. And can ride that, combined with a middle-of-the-pack offense, to a charge toward a repeat NFC East title. READ MORE: Josh Harvey-Clemons Cut, Joe Walker Joins WFT | The Washington Football Team can boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL - but will need a middle-of-the-pack offense to charge toward a repeat NFC East title. The WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020, and because of it, won the NFC East. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/washington-football-team-defense-no-1-in-nfl | 0.442524 |
Who is Jake Pauls next opponent? | CLEVELAND, Ohio Conor McGregor, Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, Chuck Liddell, rapper The Game and even Mike Tyson. There has been no shortage of speculation surrounding who YouTube-turnedboxer Jake Paul may fight next. But there have been few believable options. It was announced Wednesday that Paul has inked a deal with Showtime Sports to distribute his next boxing match. The Westlake, Ohio native is in advanced talks about his next opponent and fight date, ESPN reports. So far, Paul is 3-0 in his boxing career with his most recent win coming against retired MMA fighter Ben Askren. Paul has called out numerous former MMA stars, while various fighters have publicly stated theyd love the chance to knockout the polarizing social media celebrity. Following Paul and Showtimes announcement, Fight Lounge, a YouTube channel that focuses on YouTube boxing and MMA, posted some interesting speculation on Twitter that Pauls next opponent could be MMA legend Vitor Belfort. The 44-year-old Belfort hasnt fought in MMA since 2018 when he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224. However, Belfort revealed last year that hed been training for the boxing ring and even called out Paul in December. Belfort has recently been spotted hanging gout at Floyd Mayweather Jr.s gym and has teased phenomenal news coming soon that may be related to Belfort teaming up with Mayweather Promotions. The retired Mayweather is set for an exhibition fight against Jake Pauls brother Logan on June 6. The fight will air on Showtime pay-per-view. Jake Pauls camp has yet to confirm his next opponent. The YouTuber has also said hes in talks with the UFC about a potential crossover event. Though, UFC President Dana White has said he will never work with Paul. Either way, fans (and cynics) can expect an announcement soon. | Jake Paul has signed a deal with Showtime Sports to distribute his next boxing match. Paul is 3-0 in his boxing career with his most recent win coming against retired MMA fighter Ben Askren. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/05/who-is-jake-pauls-next-opponent.html | 0.1486 |
Who is Jake Pauls next opponent? | CLEVELAND, Ohio Conor McGregor, Kamaru Usman, Nate Diaz, Chuck Liddell, rapper The Game and even Mike Tyson. There has been no shortage of speculation surrounding who YouTube-turnedboxer Jake Paul may fight next. But there have been few believable options. It was announced Wednesday that Paul has inked a deal with Showtime Sports to distribute his next boxing match. The Westlake, Ohio native is in advanced talks about his next opponent and fight date, ESPN reports. So far, Paul is 3-0 in his boxing career with his most recent win coming against retired MMA fighter Ben Askren. Paul has called out numerous former MMA stars, while various fighters have publicly stated theyd love the chance to knockout the polarizing social media celebrity. Following Paul and Showtimes announcement, Fight Lounge, a YouTube channel that focuses on YouTube boxing and MMA, posted some interesting speculation on Twitter that Pauls next opponent could be MMA legend Vitor Belfort. The 44-year-old Belfort hasnt fought in MMA since 2018 when he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224. However, Belfort revealed last year that hed been training for the boxing ring and even called out Paul in December. Belfort has recently been spotted hanging gout at Floyd Mayweather Jr.s gym and has teased phenomenal news coming soon that may be related to Belfort teaming up with Mayweather Promotions. The retired Mayweather is set for an exhibition fight against Jake Pauls brother Logan on June 6. The fight will air on Showtime pay-per-view. Jake Pauls camp has yet to confirm his next opponent. The YouTuber has also said hes in talks with the UFC about a potential crossover event. Though, UFC President Dana White has said he will never work with Paul. Either way, fans (and cynics) can expect an announcement soon. | Jake Paul has signed a deal with Showtime Sports to distribute his next boxing match. Paul is 3-0 in his boxing career with his most recent win coming against retired MMA fighter Ben Askren. Paul has called out numerous former MMA stars, while various fighters have publicly stated theyd love the chance to knockout the polarizing social media celebrity. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/05/who-is-jake-pauls-next-opponent.html | 0.13848 |
Can Austin drive-in theaters, once a novelty, ride a boom year into the future? | Josh Frank always knew that Austin needed a drive-in theater. A visionary thought, maybe, but even he never saw 2020 coming. A little more than a decade ago, Frank took over a vacant building on East Cesar Chavez Street. He says that the area, increasingly gentrified, looked much different at the time. The buildings neighbors were piata stores, a church and taco landmark Juan in a Million. Franks six-year anniversary with then-girlfriend Jess was coming up. He painted a screen on an outside wall, put a projector on top of the car, brought some speakers from eBay and drove her into the alleyway for a movie night. I was thinking to myself, this is frickin awesome, he says. "How could a town that has the best movie theaters in the country, between Austin Film Society and the Alamo and the Paramount, not have an Austin version of a classic drive-in? More:Rita Moreno documentary headlines 2021 Cine Las Americas film fest Franks date night worked in a couple ways. One, he married Jess. Two, it gave birth to Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In. For years, the venues been somewhat of a modern Austin institution, as the only permanent place within city limits to find the drive-in movie experience. Indoor cinemas local dinner-and-a-movie titan Alamo Drafthouse, arthouses like Violet Crown Cinema and the national megaplex chains have still reigned supreme, however. Then the coronavirus came to town. The pandemic shuttered indoor cinemas, temporarily in some cases and for good in others. Even when the theaters were open, many movie fans were wary of sitting in an enclosed space for an hour and a half or longer. The drive-in theater didnt just survive. It thrived. Socially distant, outdoor businesses like Blue Starlite were suddenly the perfect entertainment for strange times. In the past year, Frank says his business popularity doubled "at least, and private rental bookings approached triple the normal level. More:What it's like attending the Sundance Film Festival in your car New drive-in operators appeared, like East Austins Ultimate Drive-In and mobile Rocket Cinema. Familiar names got in on the act, like Austin Film Society, which has hosted several drive-in screenings at Pioneer Farms while the lights are off at its AFS Cinema. And car-centric venues broke out of the movie mold Docs Drive In Theatre in Buda hosted at least one drive-in pandemic wedding. The drive-in movie took on a whole new reason to exist," Frank says. Now, with vaccinations in arms, blockbusters back on the marquees and indoor cinemas reopening, the drive-ins hope that their newfound allure has a Hollywood ending. From getting by to getting bigger The early days of Blue Starlite would not foreshadow its success. Frank remembers hearing mariachi music through paper-thin walls from the neighboring church at the original location. He first screened public domain movies, and word of mouth spread about the quirky new thing to do. It became very quickly this little secret during the last days of the last version of Austin, when there was still a lot of these little weird things that people were making before it became more of a city city, he says. More:Regal Arbor cinema, longtime North Austin home for arthouse films, reopening Until 2020, Frank kept the drive-in going through modest ticket sales. Its bopped around a few times, from the original site on Cesar Chavez to East Sixth Street to a previous Mueller-area spot. Hes always seen Blue Starlite less as a theater and more as an experience, refining what a drive-in can be: smaller, intimate, within the city instead of on the outskirts, where most such venues live. When the pandemic hit, Blue Starlite didnt have to change much about how it operated. After a decade of making ends meet, its model a small lot of enclosed cars, no more than 20 per screen was suddenly the safest night out in town. Frank opened a Round Rock location two months before the pandemic began, and it was going well by the time business picked up. (That theaters equipment was destroyed in a fire last summer; Frank says that we bounced back really quickly, mainly because it was a good year for us.) Three months into the pandemic, he reached out to Downtown Austin Alliance about collaborating on a way to bring movies back to the city center in a safe way, which led to a third Blue Starlite location on a San Antonio Street rooftop. His staff went from seven people before the pandemic to 24 across three locations. More:Violet Crown Cinema in Austin reopening for public movie screenings this week Back at the flagship Mueller location, Frank introduced a chef-created food menu, as well as socially distanced walk-in screens. Even though it might seem like veering off from the drive-in, its actually not. Its expanding what a mini urban drive-in is about, he says. Major indie film distributors, looking to release their new projects, began to reach out more often. Also during the pandemic, people have realized the different things you can do at a drive-in, Frank says. Hed dabbled in alternative programming before (including a Susan Orlean book launch in Blue Starlites first year), and shows at the venue have now included stand-up comedy, poetry slams and music events. An urban drive-in can be a new venue experience, Frank says. Were now living in a pandemic world. Theres going to be a certain number of people who arent comfortable with a large group. Frank takes a lot of pride in Blue Starlite I build every one; its a very personal experience, he says and he dreams of locations in other cities. Maybe San Antonio and Dallas, or as far away as Portland and San Diego. Drive-ins are now the more stable cinema, Frank says. But with that might come more competition. The ultimate opportunity From Blue Starlite, make your way to Pleasant Valley Road and head south a few miles, and youll find the Ultimate Drive-In. It opened last fall as a new project from Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment, which has rented mobile screening set-ups and more in town for 14 years. When COVID hit, a lot of outdoor movie companies started pivoting toward drive-ins since that was the only entertainment option for people to do under most state and local government guidelines, says founder Darrell Landers. The sites developer, Presidium, reached out to Landers company and said they had 5 acres they wanted to activate soon. The Ultimate Drive-In is still a work in progress, but it currently can host 130 cars across two screens. Once construction is complete, theyll consolidate to one 64-foot screen with digital projection and a 210-car capacity, Landers says. Having a built (or permanent) screen instead of pop-up screens is important, Landers says, because studios tend to require venues have them to show first-run features. Right now, Ultimate Drive-In is scheduling mostly classics. They also have an LED screen that can accommodate matinee shows before the sun goes down. Like at Blue Starlite, theres open-air space for car-free viewers at Ultimate Drive-In, and Landers says eventually there will be a full kitchen and sky-view deck suites, too. There are plans next year to expand to locations in Pflugerville and near the airport. I dont think anyone expects to operate exclusively a drive-in that only shows movies in the post-pandemic era and be highly successful, Lander says. A lot of people realize these have got to become outdoor entertainment space. I need to do simulcast concerts. I need to do comedy. He calls it the resurgence of the drive-in. A punk rock project Justin Sherburn is sure there will be less interest in drive-ins next year, and thats fine. I think just like everything else to come out of the pandemic, there will be this new resource, says Sherburn, owner of Austins Rocket Cinema, a mobile drive-in theater that launched last year. You might recognize Sherburns name. Hes also the mastermind behind acclaimed music group Montopolis. When the pandemic hit, Sherburns performance gigs dried up. He created Rocket Cinema as a way to survive and make money. I think that primarily, its my experience as a multimedia artist and composer which drew me to this, he says. It took a while to get the technical side of things nailed down, Sherburn says, but he now prides himself on what his company has to offer. They use a high-quality digital projector and a 40-by-26-foot screen. Unlike a permanently based drive-in theater, Rocket Cinema is completely mobile, with equipment running on a generator at venues like Pioneer Farms and Rogge Ranch House. A typical pop-up screening can host 60 to 70 cars or 500 to 1,000 people seated. Sherburn says Rocket Cinema is all about community and sponsorships. Screenings (aside from private rentals) are organized with partners, like a May showing of FM held at Sams Town Point and sponsored by radio station KOOP. As for the growth, Sherburn is not looking to build an A/V empire. As live gigs return for his music career, he might have to bring someone else on to help manage Rocket Cinema. Everyone who works for the company comes from the performance world: As an independent artist, a lot of times you dont really get that opportunity to network and build community, he says. Live music, dance and other types of performance will be integral to Rocket Cinema screenings. Sherburn is keeping the mobile drive-in focused on community art at a time when artists are having trouble finding space and venues in a boomtown. This is a punk rock, DIY answer to that, he says. Coming attraction More and more people are emerging from months of pandemic isolation (unless they never isolated to begin with), and Sherburn hits the nail on the head: Everyone took for granted the ability to gather. Thats something that we cant take for granted. That does not mean that gathering will look the same as it used to, and Austins drive-in operators are counting on that. Blue Starlites Frank and Ultimate Drive-In's Landers both see a generational shift happening in real time. For a long while, drive-ins were thought of as either midcentury relics or primarily rural institutions. When a younger audience discovers modern drive-ins alongside indoor cinemas and at-home streaming, Landers thinks the format could become just another way that we consume movies. The demand will decrease. It already has, Frank says, pointing to the closures of what he calls cash-grab pop-ups. The established drive-ins that have been around for years will see a longtail benefit from the last year, he predicts: a new nostalgia. Movie Q&A:Actor and Texas native Ral Castillo talks Spider House, 'Wrath of Man,' 'Looking' The old generations nostalgia was 30-plus years in the past, Frank says. There were fewer people that were like, 'Here, let me take you to a drive-in so you can see what it used to be like. ... One of the benefits its not going to be this immediate thing, but over the next 10 years I think all drive-ins that are permanent or longstanding are going to benefit from a new understanding of whats special about drive-ins. Imagine people in their 20s and 30s who went for the first time during the pandemic, and in a couple years they have kids. He continues, Theres going be a customer base that wasnt there before. Thats just good all-around for people who are in the drive-in business. While he believes that movie theaters will never die, Frank says that the age of the multiplex might wane, and thanks to the pandemic and streaming releases, there will be fewer cinemas and fewer seats. We might emerge from the past couple of years with a much stronger and more solid movie-watching industry, he says about the change that could come. Clearly, if a pandemic can bring the entire film-watching world to its knees, we need to rethink that. And as long as the cars keep coming, Frank is not operating Blue Starlite to get rich. Its really great that people like me that have a passion for what they do," he says, "might be able to continue it for longer than originally we would have. Eric Webb is the Austin360 entertainment editor for the American-Statesman. Email him at ewebb@statesman.com and follow him on Twitter, @webbeditor. Where to find drive-in theaters in the Austin area Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In: For a decade, its been Austins standard bearer for the drive-in movie experience, now with three area locations and multiple screens. (2015 E.M. Franklin Ave. and 300 San Antonio St. in Austin and 800 Harrell Parkway Blvd. in Round Rock; bluestarlitedrivein.com) Docs Drive In Theatre: A family-friendly venue down south that opened in 2018, featuring a restaurant, a bar, tiny homes for overnight stays and more. (1540 Satterwhite Road in Buda, docsdriveintheatre.com) Dripping Springs Drive-In: Currently doing private screenings, but after a brief hiatus, the operators say drive-in shows will return soon to the town out west. (23455 RM 150, drippingspringsdrivein.com) The Globe Drive-In: Cult classics and family films at a 35-car drive in up north. (8017 Cele Road in Pflugerville, theglobedrivein.com) The Last Drive-In Picture Show: If you dont mind a drive, hit the road for a nightly double feature and prices that cant be beat. (2912 S. Highway 36 in Gatesville, facebook.com/ThelastdriveinpictureshowGatesville) Ranger Cattle: The Wagyu beef ranch hosts occasional drive-in movies on a big screen, with some free drinks and food to purchase. (12208 FM 969, rangercattle.com/drive-in-movies) Rocket Cinema: Mobile drive-in from Montopolis composer Justin Sherburn. (rocketcinematexas.com) Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre: Head to the land of Schlitterbahn for new and repertory films at a venue with a vintage vibe; burgers, milkshakes and more available from their 50s Caf. (1178 Kroesche Lane In New Braunfels, driveinusa.com/nb) The Ultimate Drive-In: A newcomer in East Austin currently showing classic films on two screens. (1600 S. Pleasant Valley Road, theultimatedrivein.com) | Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In is Austin's only permanent drive-in theater. In the past year, business has doubled "at least," owner Josh Frank says. The drive-ins hope that their newfound allure has a Hollywood ending. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/20/drivein-movie-theaters-austin-blue-starlite-docs-ultimate-rocket-cinema/5076965001/ | 0.213813 |
Can Austin drive-in theaters, once a novelty, ride a boom year into the future? | Josh Frank always knew that Austin needed a drive-in theater. A visionary thought, maybe, but even he never saw 2020 coming. A little more than a decade ago, Frank took over a vacant building on East Cesar Chavez Street. He says that the area, increasingly gentrified, looked much different at the time. The buildings neighbors were piata stores, a church and taco landmark Juan in a Million. Franks six-year anniversary with then-girlfriend Jess was coming up. He painted a screen on an outside wall, put a projector on top of the car, brought some speakers from eBay and drove her into the alleyway for a movie night. I was thinking to myself, this is frickin awesome, he says. "How could a town that has the best movie theaters in the country, between Austin Film Society and the Alamo and the Paramount, not have an Austin version of a classic drive-in? More:Rita Moreno documentary headlines 2021 Cine Las Americas film fest Franks date night worked in a couple ways. One, he married Jess. Two, it gave birth to Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In. For years, the venues been somewhat of a modern Austin institution, as the only permanent place within city limits to find the drive-in movie experience. Indoor cinemas local dinner-and-a-movie titan Alamo Drafthouse, arthouses like Violet Crown Cinema and the national megaplex chains have still reigned supreme, however. Then the coronavirus came to town. The pandemic shuttered indoor cinemas, temporarily in some cases and for good in others. Even when the theaters were open, many movie fans were wary of sitting in an enclosed space for an hour and a half or longer. The drive-in theater didnt just survive. It thrived. Socially distant, outdoor businesses like Blue Starlite were suddenly the perfect entertainment for strange times. In the past year, Frank says his business popularity doubled "at least, and private rental bookings approached triple the normal level. More:What it's like attending the Sundance Film Festival in your car New drive-in operators appeared, like East Austins Ultimate Drive-In and mobile Rocket Cinema. Familiar names got in on the act, like Austin Film Society, which has hosted several drive-in screenings at Pioneer Farms while the lights are off at its AFS Cinema. And car-centric venues broke out of the movie mold Docs Drive In Theatre in Buda hosted at least one drive-in pandemic wedding. The drive-in movie took on a whole new reason to exist," Frank says. Now, with vaccinations in arms, blockbusters back on the marquees and indoor cinemas reopening, the drive-ins hope that their newfound allure has a Hollywood ending. From getting by to getting bigger The early days of Blue Starlite would not foreshadow its success. Frank remembers hearing mariachi music through paper-thin walls from the neighboring church at the original location. He first screened public domain movies, and word of mouth spread about the quirky new thing to do. It became very quickly this little secret during the last days of the last version of Austin, when there was still a lot of these little weird things that people were making before it became more of a city city, he says. More:Regal Arbor cinema, longtime North Austin home for arthouse films, reopening Until 2020, Frank kept the drive-in going through modest ticket sales. Its bopped around a few times, from the original site on Cesar Chavez to East Sixth Street to a previous Mueller-area spot. Hes always seen Blue Starlite less as a theater and more as an experience, refining what a drive-in can be: smaller, intimate, within the city instead of on the outskirts, where most such venues live. When the pandemic hit, Blue Starlite didnt have to change much about how it operated. After a decade of making ends meet, its model a small lot of enclosed cars, no more than 20 per screen was suddenly the safest night out in town. Frank opened a Round Rock location two months before the pandemic began, and it was going well by the time business picked up. (That theaters equipment was destroyed in a fire last summer; Frank says that we bounced back really quickly, mainly because it was a good year for us.) Three months into the pandemic, he reached out to Downtown Austin Alliance about collaborating on a way to bring movies back to the city center in a safe way, which led to a third Blue Starlite location on a San Antonio Street rooftop. His staff went from seven people before the pandemic to 24 across three locations. More:Violet Crown Cinema in Austin reopening for public movie screenings this week Back at the flagship Mueller location, Frank introduced a chef-created food menu, as well as socially distanced walk-in screens. Even though it might seem like veering off from the drive-in, its actually not. Its expanding what a mini urban drive-in is about, he says. Major indie film distributors, looking to release their new projects, began to reach out more often. Also during the pandemic, people have realized the different things you can do at a drive-in, Frank says. Hed dabbled in alternative programming before (including a Susan Orlean book launch in Blue Starlites first year), and shows at the venue have now included stand-up comedy, poetry slams and music events. An urban drive-in can be a new venue experience, Frank says. Were now living in a pandemic world. Theres going to be a certain number of people who arent comfortable with a large group. Frank takes a lot of pride in Blue Starlite I build every one; its a very personal experience, he says and he dreams of locations in other cities. Maybe San Antonio and Dallas, or as far away as Portland and San Diego. Drive-ins are now the more stable cinema, Frank says. But with that might come more competition. The ultimate opportunity From Blue Starlite, make your way to Pleasant Valley Road and head south a few miles, and youll find the Ultimate Drive-In. It opened last fall as a new project from Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment, which has rented mobile screening set-ups and more in town for 14 years. When COVID hit, a lot of outdoor movie companies started pivoting toward drive-ins since that was the only entertainment option for people to do under most state and local government guidelines, says founder Darrell Landers. The sites developer, Presidium, reached out to Landers company and said they had 5 acres they wanted to activate soon. The Ultimate Drive-In is still a work in progress, but it currently can host 130 cars across two screens. Once construction is complete, theyll consolidate to one 64-foot screen with digital projection and a 210-car capacity, Landers says. Having a built (or permanent) screen instead of pop-up screens is important, Landers says, because studios tend to require venues have them to show first-run features. Right now, Ultimate Drive-In is scheduling mostly classics. They also have an LED screen that can accommodate matinee shows before the sun goes down. Like at Blue Starlite, theres open-air space for car-free viewers at Ultimate Drive-In, and Landers says eventually there will be a full kitchen and sky-view deck suites, too. There are plans next year to expand to locations in Pflugerville and near the airport. I dont think anyone expects to operate exclusively a drive-in that only shows movies in the post-pandemic era and be highly successful, Lander says. A lot of people realize these have got to become outdoor entertainment space. I need to do simulcast concerts. I need to do comedy. He calls it the resurgence of the drive-in. A punk rock project Justin Sherburn is sure there will be less interest in drive-ins next year, and thats fine. I think just like everything else to come out of the pandemic, there will be this new resource, says Sherburn, owner of Austins Rocket Cinema, a mobile drive-in theater that launched last year. You might recognize Sherburns name. Hes also the mastermind behind acclaimed music group Montopolis. When the pandemic hit, Sherburns performance gigs dried up. He created Rocket Cinema as a way to survive and make money. I think that primarily, its my experience as a multimedia artist and composer which drew me to this, he says. It took a while to get the technical side of things nailed down, Sherburn says, but he now prides himself on what his company has to offer. They use a high-quality digital projector and a 40-by-26-foot screen. Unlike a permanently based drive-in theater, Rocket Cinema is completely mobile, with equipment running on a generator at venues like Pioneer Farms and Rogge Ranch House. A typical pop-up screening can host 60 to 70 cars or 500 to 1,000 people seated. Sherburn says Rocket Cinema is all about community and sponsorships. Screenings (aside from private rentals) are organized with partners, like a May showing of FM held at Sams Town Point and sponsored by radio station KOOP. As for the growth, Sherburn is not looking to build an A/V empire. As live gigs return for his music career, he might have to bring someone else on to help manage Rocket Cinema. Everyone who works for the company comes from the performance world: As an independent artist, a lot of times you dont really get that opportunity to network and build community, he says. Live music, dance and other types of performance will be integral to Rocket Cinema screenings. Sherburn is keeping the mobile drive-in focused on community art at a time when artists are having trouble finding space and venues in a boomtown. This is a punk rock, DIY answer to that, he says. Coming attraction More and more people are emerging from months of pandemic isolation (unless they never isolated to begin with), and Sherburn hits the nail on the head: Everyone took for granted the ability to gather. Thats something that we cant take for granted. That does not mean that gathering will look the same as it used to, and Austins drive-in operators are counting on that. Blue Starlites Frank and Ultimate Drive-In's Landers both see a generational shift happening in real time. For a long while, drive-ins were thought of as either midcentury relics or primarily rural institutions. When a younger audience discovers modern drive-ins alongside indoor cinemas and at-home streaming, Landers thinks the format could become just another way that we consume movies. The demand will decrease. It already has, Frank says, pointing to the closures of what he calls cash-grab pop-ups. The established drive-ins that have been around for years will see a longtail benefit from the last year, he predicts: a new nostalgia. Movie Q&A:Actor and Texas native Ral Castillo talks Spider House, 'Wrath of Man,' 'Looking' The old generations nostalgia was 30-plus years in the past, Frank says. There were fewer people that were like, 'Here, let me take you to a drive-in so you can see what it used to be like. ... One of the benefits its not going to be this immediate thing, but over the next 10 years I think all drive-ins that are permanent or longstanding are going to benefit from a new understanding of whats special about drive-ins. Imagine people in their 20s and 30s who went for the first time during the pandemic, and in a couple years they have kids. He continues, Theres going be a customer base that wasnt there before. Thats just good all-around for people who are in the drive-in business. While he believes that movie theaters will never die, Frank says that the age of the multiplex might wane, and thanks to the pandemic and streaming releases, there will be fewer cinemas and fewer seats. We might emerge from the past couple of years with a much stronger and more solid movie-watching industry, he says about the change that could come. Clearly, if a pandemic can bring the entire film-watching world to its knees, we need to rethink that. And as long as the cars keep coming, Frank is not operating Blue Starlite to get rich. Its really great that people like me that have a passion for what they do," he says, "might be able to continue it for longer than originally we would have. Eric Webb is the Austin360 entertainment editor for the American-Statesman. Email him at ewebb@statesman.com and follow him on Twitter, @webbeditor. Where to find drive-in theaters in the Austin area Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In: For a decade, its been Austins standard bearer for the drive-in movie experience, now with three area locations and multiple screens. (2015 E.M. Franklin Ave. and 300 San Antonio St. in Austin and 800 Harrell Parkway Blvd. in Round Rock; bluestarlitedrivein.com) Docs Drive In Theatre: A family-friendly venue down south that opened in 2018, featuring a restaurant, a bar, tiny homes for overnight stays and more. (1540 Satterwhite Road in Buda, docsdriveintheatre.com) Dripping Springs Drive-In: Currently doing private screenings, but after a brief hiatus, the operators say drive-in shows will return soon to the town out west. (23455 RM 150, drippingspringsdrivein.com) The Globe Drive-In: Cult classics and family films at a 35-car drive in up north. (8017 Cele Road in Pflugerville, theglobedrivein.com) The Last Drive-In Picture Show: If you dont mind a drive, hit the road for a nightly double feature and prices that cant be beat. (2912 S. Highway 36 in Gatesville, facebook.com/ThelastdriveinpictureshowGatesville) Ranger Cattle: The Wagyu beef ranch hosts occasional drive-in movies on a big screen, with some free drinks and food to purchase. (12208 FM 969, rangercattle.com/drive-in-movies) Rocket Cinema: Mobile drive-in from Montopolis composer Justin Sherburn. (rocketcinematexas.com) Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre: Head to the land of Schlitterbahn for new and repertory films at a venue with a vintage vibe; burgers, milkshakes and more available from their 50s Caf. (1178 Kroesche Lane In New Braunfels, driveinusa.com/nb) The Ultimate Drive-In: A newcomer in East Austin currently showing classic films on two screens. (1600 S. Pleasant Valley Road, theultimatedrivein.com) | Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In is the only drive-in theater in Austin, Texas. Indoor cinemas, like the Alamo Drafthouse, have still reigned supreme. The pandemic shuttered indoor cinemas temporarily in some cases and for good in others. | bart | 2 | https://www.statesman.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/20/drivein-movie-theaters-austin-blue-starlite-docs-ultimate-rocket-cinema/5076965001/ | 0.243739 |
How Does Ben Roethlisberger Stack Up Against AFC North QBs in Latest Rankings? | PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger doesn't get the praise he once did from national media, but within a tough division of quarterbacks, Big Ben isn't done yet. Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards and 33 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season as the Steelers finished 12-4 in the regular season. Despite Pittsburgh's early success and Roethlisberger's stat line, he currently ranks third in the AFC North. Big Ben (16th) sits behind Lamar Jackson (8th) and Baker Mayfield (10th) in Pro Football Focus' quarterback rankings. Second-year QB Joe Burrow ranks 18th. "Ben Roethlisberger proved his toughness by coming back at 38 years old after elbow surgery and helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start," PFF wrote. "But something just didn't seem right during that hot streak, and Pittsburgh finished the year 1-5 in its last six games. "New offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a tall task in trying to figure out what will make this offense tick. Roethlisberger ranked last out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on play-action attempts last season. He subsequently led the league in shotgun pass attempts (640) and pass attempts under 10 yards. He did a decent job of getting the ball out of his hand quickly, but it didn't translate into many explosive plays, as the Steelers ranked 26th in explosive pass-play percentage (11.7%)." From what rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth have told us, Canada's offense is "simple but complex." "What they're doing in their offense really resembles a lot of what we did in terms of putting the players in the best position to make a play and not doing too much thinking --just fast playing," Harris said, comparing the Steelers and Alabama's playbooks. "It seems like they're trying to make everything as easy as possible so players can just play fast and use the best of their abilities." Roethlisberger will be at the front of this offensive attack that hopes to find better success than they did a year ago. Under the assumption this is the quarterback's last season, this team will be pushing to prove any critics - PFF included - wrong. Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers. | Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger ranks third in the AFC North. PFF ranks him 16th out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-afc-north-qb-rankings | 0.381826 |
How Does Ben Roethlisberger Stack Up Against AFC North QBs in Latest Rankings? | PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger doesn't get the praise he once did from national media, but within a tough division of quarterbacks, Big Ben isn't done yet. Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards and 33 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season as the Steelers finished 12-4 in the regular season. Despite Pittsburgh's early success and Roethlisberger's stat line, he currently ranks third in the AFC North. Big Ben (16th) sits behind Lamar Jackson (8th) and Baker Mayfield (10th) in Pro Football Focus' quarterback rankings. Second-year QB Joe Burrow ranks 18th. "Ben Roethlisberger proved his toughness by coming back at 38 years old after elbow surgery and helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start," PFF wrote. "But something just didn't seem right during that hot streak, and Pittsburgh finished the year 1-5 in its last six games. "New offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a tall task in trying to figure out what will make this offense tick. Roethlisberger ranked last out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on play-action attempts last season. He subsequently led the league in shotgun pass attempts (640) and pass attempts under 10 yards. He did a decent job of getting the ball out of his hand quickly, but it didn't translate into many explosive plays, as the Steelers ranked 26th in explosive pass-play percentage (11.7%)." From what rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth have told us, Canada's offense is "simple but complex." "What they're doing in their offense really resembles a lot of what we did in terms of putting the players in the best position to make a play and not doing too much thinking --just fast playing," Harris said, comparing the Steelers and Alabama's playbooks. "It seems like they're trying to make everything as easy as possible so players can just play fast and use the best of their abilities." Roethlisberger will be at the front of this offensive attack that hopes to find better success than they did a year ago. Under the assumption this is the quarterback's last season, this team will be pushing to prove any critics - PFF included - wrong. Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers. | Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger ranks third in the AFC North. PFF ranks him 16th out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks in its latest quarterback rankings. Pittsburgh's offense is "simple but complex," rookies say. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-afc-north-qb-rankings | 0.479647 |
How Does Ben Roethlisberger Stack Up Against AFC North QBs in Latest Rankings? | PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger doesn't get the praise he once did from national media, but within a tough division of quarterbacks, Big Ben isn't done yet. Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards and 33 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season as the Steelers finished 12-4 in the regular season. Despite Pittsburgh's early success and Roethlisberger's stat line, he currently ranks third in the AFC North. Big Ben (16th) sits behind Lamar Jackson (8th) and Baker Mayfield (10th) in Pro Football Focus' quarterback rankings. Second-year QB Joe Burrow ranks 18th. "Ben Roethlisberger proved his toughness by coming back at 38 years old after elbow surgery and helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start," PFF wrote. "But something just didn't seem right during that hot streak, and Pittsburgh finished the year 1-5 in its last six games. "New offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a tall task in trying to figure out what will make this offense tick. Roethlisberger ranked last out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on play-action attempts last season. He subsequently led the league in shotgun pass attempts (640) and pass attempts under 10 yards. He did a decent job of getting the ball out of his hand quickly, but it didn't translate into many explosive plays, as the Steelers ranked 26th in explosive pass-play percentage (11.7%)." From what rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth have told us, Canada's offense is "simple but complex." "What they're doing in their offense really resembles a lot of what we did in terms of putting the players in the best position to make a play and not doing too much thinking --just fast playing," Harris said, comparing the Steelers and Alabama's playbooks. "It seems like they're trying to make everything as easy as possible so players can just play fast and use the best of their abilities." Roethlisberger will be at the front of this offensive attack that hopes to find better success than they did a year ago. Under the assumption this is the quarterback's last season, this team will be pushing to prove any critics - PFF included - wrong. Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers. | Pittsburgh Steelers captain Ben Roethlisberger ranks third in the AFC North. PFF ranks him 16th out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks in its latest quarterback rankings. The Steelers offense is "simple but complex," rookies Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth have said. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-afc-north-qb-rankings | 0.542775 |
Will Virtual Events And Conferences Outlast The Pandemic? | We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the ... [+] norm. getty Starting in March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tech companies, as well as any company that produced events, conferences, and trade shows, scrambled to find new platforms to hold virtual events. The good news is that many virtual event platforms came to market and provided a framework for any company to shift what were live events to virtual ones. Here is a link to the top 10 virtual event platforms as well as many more that are used to deliver some of the virtual events since the spring of 2020. To date, I have attended over 30 virtual events and conferences and looked closely at how they were designed and structured. One major element that makes any of these virtual events work is the user interface it uses for the presentations and how easy it is to find the sessions and content that make any virtual event meaningful for those who attend. Some events I attended were very easy to get to the content I wanted, while others took serious research to get the information I needed. It is not my intention to critique any of the events UIs and ease of use that I experienced, but rather to share what I think works in virtual conferences. I also believe that for some companies, keeping these events virtual may make a lot of sense, well beyond our collective event experiences brought on by the pandemic. I also want to make the distinction that customer events, user conferences, and even developer conferences are much different than trade shows. CES 2021 was a well-designed and executed event in January but it could not take the place of a live in-person event in my opinion. I liked that I could attend many more sessions and keynotes at CES, but missed the element of discovery that happens when one checks out the booths and gets to see live demos and have discussions about a new product or service in person. I also missed the networking. In that sense, I am convinced that post-pandemic, trade shows need to come back in the industries they serve. However, if a product launch, conference, customer event, and perhaps even a developer conference can be done with high-quality video, audio, and well-structured interactive sessions that allow for true Q &A, I think many companies may consider staying with virtual events in the future. Consider the savings alone. Phil Schiller, former CMO of Apple, during the Apple-Epic trial, went on record stating that Apple spends $50 million on their World Wide Developer Conference when it is a live event. Also, WWDC as it is known can only handle 5,000 attendees, yet Apple has well over 20 million app developers. WWDC 2020 was virtual and I am guessing the cost to be 1/7th of the cost of a live event and allowed for thousands of more developers to attend. If you have ever attended Google I/O, you know they take over the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California which also accommodates 5000 developers in person. I doubt that they spent $50 million on this but it was still a huge expense. In 2020 and 2021, Google I/O was virtual and I suspect it cost perhaps only 1/6th of the cost of an in-person event. And thousands of developers could attend virtually that could have never been able to attend the one in Mountain View. I attended the virtual WWDC 2020 and Google I/O 2020 and 2021 and these were well-produced, with professional video, audio, and a structured framework that made it easy to follow. Although these events are in my backyard, I now prefer this format to in-person events. Having said that, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Inc, closed his keynote at this week's Google I/O telling the audience he would see them in person next year. This suggests that Google could move back to a live event in 2022, but if they do, I believe it will be a hybrid event that takes the best of a live and virtual event. As for Apple, WWDC 2021, which runs from June 7-11, is also virtual and I expect it to be just as successful as the 2020 virtual WWDC. We will be listening closely to what Apple CEO Tim Cook says about WWDC in 2022, but I believe that if they go back to an in-person developer conference, it too, will be a hybrid event. Since March 2020 I have attended at least three Apple product launches and two from Samsung. All of these have been virtual events. They have been professionally produced and the formats allow for companies to do product launches more often instead of only two or three times a year for in-person events. Both Apple and Samsung have broadcast their product launches for a couple of years but until March 2020, all of them also had select media and invitees come to a venue and so they could attend them in person. In talking with many Apple media about moving to a virtual event, they tell me the one thing they miss is the hands-on demos available at the end of the presentations. On the other hand, many who have to fly cross country or from other parts of the world for these two to three-hour launches feel these virtual product launches are very effective. Tech companies also produce customer events that have gone virtual, too. Two stand out to me as some of the best virtual customer events. Two weeks ago Dell held Dell World, a virtual event for their customers. Normally held in Las Vegas, Nevada, these events have about 6000 attendees and include major keynotes by CEO Michael Dell, Vice Chairman Jeff Clarke, and many other Dell executives and business luminaries. It also has a trade show component where customers can get demos of Dell's, and their partner's, products. In May of 2020, Dell had to do this virtually and it turned out to be a successful customer event. The May 5-6, 2021 Dell World was one of the best-produced customer events I have attended. While Dell never states what the cost of any in-person Dell World costs, one can imagine that a virtual Dell World costs much less to produce with great savings in travel alone, cutting costs down dramatically. A week later, IBM produced their virtual customer conference called IBM Think 2021 and like Dell, it was one of the best and most professionally produced customer events I have attended this year. IBM produced a customer Think event in 2020 but it was produced in only a few months. While it was well done then, by this year IBM had more time to deliver a more professionally produced show with an easy way to access and attend its multitude of high-quality content sessions. I have no clue if they plan to go back to an in-person event in 2022, but these virtual events were, in my estimation, highly effective and successful, and would not be surprised if they continue an emphasis on a co-virtual event even if they do decide to hold an in-person customer event next year. I also attended the Display Week 2021 Virtual Symposium Seminar and Exhibition held virtually from May 17-21, 2021. These types of events are much different from product launches and customer events and are a highly focused technical show about displays. It, too, was extremely well produced and the sessions I attended were great. It also included a developer section that uses a lot of show-and-tells. Technical shows that also have an exhibition area where hands-on is important to the show are hard to do virtually. To their credit, the Society of Information Displays who produces Display Week has done a great job with this show in a virtual format over the last two years. However, technically focused events with specialized exhibits probably fare better as in-person events in the future. After attending so many virtual events that have been well produced and highly successful, it leads me to believe that many companies will continue with this format. In the future, some may find the need to add an in-person event too, but that may be smaller than the large ones they did in the past and include virtual access to broaden their audience of attendees. While some people may want to go back to the older days of every event being in person, the pandemic has shifted how companies connect with their customers. We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the norm. | In March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/timbajarin/2021/05/20/will-virtual-events-and-conferences-outlast-the-pandemic/ | 0.289549 |
Will Virtual Events And Conferences Outlast The Pandemic? | We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the ... [+] norm. getty Starting in March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tech companies, as well as any company that produced events, conferences, and trade shows, scrambled to find new platforms to hold virtual events. The good news is that many virtual event platforms came to market and provided a framework for any company to shift what were live events to virtual ones. Here is a link to the top 10 virtual event platforms as well as many more that are used to deliver some of the virtual events since the spring of 2020. To date, I have attended over 30 virtual events and conferences and looked closely at how they were designed and structured. One major element that makes any of these virtual events work is the user interface it uses for the presentations and how easy it is to find the sessions and content that make any virtual event meaningful for those who attend. Some events I attended were very easy to get to the content I wanted, while others took serious research to get the information I needed. It is not my intention to critique any of the events UIs and ease of use that I experienced, but rather to share what I think works in virtual conferences. I also believe that for some companies, keeping these events virtual may make a lot of sense, well beyond our collective event experiences brought on by the pandemic. I also want to make the distinction that customer events, user conferences, and even developer conferences are much different than trade shows. CES 2021 was a well-designed and executed event in January but it could not take the place of a live in-person event in my opinion. I liked that I could attend many more sessions and keynotes at CES, but missed the element of discovery that happens when one checks out the booths and gets to see live demos and have discussions about a new product or service in person. I also missed the networking. In that sense, I am convinced that post-pandemic, trade shows need to come back in the industries they serve. However, if a product launch, conference, customer event, and perhaps even a developer conference can be done with high-quality video, audio, and well-structured interactive sessions that allow for true Q &A, I think many companies may consider staying with virtual events in the future. Consider the savings alone. Phil Schiller, former CMO of Apple, during the Apple-Epic trial, went on record stating that Apple spends $50 million on their World Wide Developer Conference when it is a live event. Also, WWDC as it is known can only handle 5,000 attendees, yet Apple has well over 20 million app developers. WWDC 2020 was virtual and I am guessing the cost to be 1/7th of the cost of a live event and allowed for thousands of more developers to attend. If you have ever attended Google I/O, you know they take over the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California which also accommodates 5000 developers in person. I doubt that they spent $50 million on this but it was still a huge expense. In 2020 and 2021, Google I/O was virtual and I suspect it cost perhaps only 1/6th of the cost of an in-person event. And thousands of developers could attend virtually that could have never been able to attend the one in Mountain View. I attended the virtual WWDC 2020 and Google I/O 2020 and 2021 and these were well-produced, with professional video, audio, and a structured framework that made it easy to follow. Although these events are in my backyard, I now prefer this format to in-person events. Having said that, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Inc, closed his keynote at this week's Google I/O telling the audience he would see them in person next year. This suggests that Google could move back to a live event in 2022, but if they do, I believe it will be a hybrid event that takes the best of a live and virtual event. As for Apple, WWDC 2021, which runs from June 7-11, is also virtual and I expect it to be just as successful as the 2020 virtual WWDC. We will be listening closely to what Apple CEO Tim Cook says about WWDC in 2022, but I believe that if they go back to an in-person developer conference, it too, will be a hybrid event. Since March 2020 I have attended at least three Apple product launches and two from Samsung. All of these have been virtual events. They have been professionally produced and the formats allow for companies to do product launches more often instead of only two or three times a year for in-person events. Both Apple and Samsung have broadcast their product launches for a couple of years but until March 2020, all of them also had select media and invitees come to a venue and so they could attend them in person. In talking with many Apple media about moving to a virtual event, they tell me the one thing they miss is the hands-on demos available at the end of the presentations. On the other hand, many who have to fly cross country or from other parts of the world for these two to three-hour launches feel these virtual product launches are very effective. Tech companies also produce customer events that have gone virtual, too. Two stand out to me as some of the best virtual customer events. Two weeks ago Dell held Dell World, a virtual event for their customers. Normally held in Las Vegas, Nevada, these events have about 6000 attendees and include major keynotes by CEO Michael Dell, Vice Chairman Jeff Clarke, and many other Dell executives and business luminaries. It also has a trade show component where customers can get demos of Dell's, and their partner's, products. In May of 2020, Dell had to do this virtually and it turned out to be a successful customer event. The May 5-6, 2021 Dell World was one of the best-produced customer events I have attended. While Dell never states what the cost of any in-person Dell World costs, one can imagine that a virtual Dell World costs much less to produce with great savings in travel alone, cutting costs down dramatically. A week later, IBM produced their virtual customer conference called IBM Think 2021 and like Dell, it was one of the best and most professionally produced customer events I have attended this year. IBM produced a customer Think event in 2020 but it was produced in only a few months. While it was well done then, by this year IBM had more time to deliver a more professionally produced show with an easy way to access and attend its multitude of high-quality content sessions. I have no clue if they plan to go back to an in-person event in 2022, but these virtual events were, in my estimation, highly effective and successful, and would not be surprised if they continue an emphasis on a co-virtual event even if they do decide to hold an in-person customer event next year. I also attended the Display Week 2021 Virtual Symposium Seminar and Exhibition held virtually from May 17-21, 2021. These types of events are much different from product launches and customer events and are a highly focused technical show about displays. It, too, was extremely well produced and the sessions I attended were great. It also included a developer section that uses a lot of show-and-tells. Technical shows that also have an exhibition area where hands-on is important to the show are hard to do virtually. To their credit, the Society of Information Displays who produces Display Week has done a great job with this show in a virtual format over the last two years. However, technically focused events with specialized exhibits probably fare better as in-person events in the future. After attending so many virtual events that have been well produced and highly successful, it leads me to believe that many companies will continue with this format. In the future, some may find the need to add an in-person event too, but that may be smaller than the large ones they did in the past and include virtual access to broaden their audience of attendees. While some people may want to go back to the older days of every event being in person, the pandemic has shifted how companies connect with their customers. We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the norm. | In March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/timbajarin/2021/05/20/will-virtual-events-and-conferences-outlast-the-pandemic/ | 0.266848 |
Will Virtual Events And Conferences Outlast The Pandemic? | We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the ... [+] norm. getty Starting in March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tech companies, as well as any company that produced events, conferences, and trade shows, scrambled to find new platforms to hold virtual events. The good news is that many virtual event platforms came to market and provided a framework for any company to shift what were live events to virtual ones. Here is a link to the top 10 virtual event platforms as well as many more that are used to deliver some of the virtual events since the spring of 2020. To date, I have attended over 30 virtual events and conferences and looked closely at how they were designed and structured. One major element that makes any of these virtual events work is the user interface it uses for the presentations and how easy it is to find the sessions and content that make any virtual event meaningful for those who attend. Some events I attended were very easy to get to the content I wanted, while others took serious research to get the information I needed. It is not my intention to critique any of the events UIs and ease of use that I experienced, but rather to share what I think works in virtual conferences. I also believe that for some companies, keeping these events virtual may make a lot of sense, well beyond our collective event experiences brought on by the pandemic. I also want to make the distinction that customer events, user conferences, and even developer conferences are much different than trade shows. CES 2021 was a well-designed and executed event in January but it could not take the place of a live in-person event in my opinion. I liked that I could attend many more sessions and keynotes at CES, but missed the element of discovery that happens when one checks out the booths and gets to see live demos and have discussions about a new product or service in person. I also missed the networking. In that sense, I am convinced that post-pandemic, trade shows need to come back in the industries they serve. However, if a product launch, conference, customer event, and perhaps even a developer conference can be done with high-quality video, audio, and well-structured interactive sessions that allow for true Q &A, I think many companies may consider staying with virtual events in the future. Consider the savings alone. Phil Schiller, former CMO of Apple, during the Apple-Epic trial, went on record stating that Apple spends $50 million on their World Wide Developer Conference when it is a live event. Also, WWDC as it is known can only handle 5,000 attendees, yet Apple has well over 20 million app developers. WWDC 2020 was virtual and I am guessing the cost to be 1/7th of the cost of a live event and allowed for thousands of more developers to attend. If you have ever attended Google I/O, you know they take over the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California which also accommodates 5000 developers in person. I doubt that they spent $50 million on this but it was still a huge expense. In 2020 and 2021, Google I/O was virtual and I suspect it cost perhaps only 1/6th of the cost of an in-person event. And thousands of developers could attend virtually that could have never been able to attend the one in Mountain View. I attended the virtual WWDC 2020 and Google I/O 2020 and 2021 and these were well-produced, with professional video, audio, and a structured framework that made it easy to follow. Although these events are in my backyard, I now prefer this format to in-person events. Having said that, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Inc, closed his keynote at this week's Google I/O telling the audience he would see them in person next year. This suggests that Google could move back to a live event in 2022, but if they do, I believe it will be a hybrid event that takes the best of a live and virtual event. As for Apple, WWDC 2021, which runs from June 7-11, is also virtual and I expect it to be just as successful as the 2020 virtual WWDC. We will be listening closely to what Apple CEO Tim Cook says about WWDC in 2022, but I believe that if they go back to an in-person developer conference, it too, will be a hybrid event. Since March 2020 I have attended at least three Apple product launches and two from Samsung. All of these have been virtual events. They have been professionally produced and the formats allow for companies to do product launches more often instead of only two or three times a year for in-person events. Both Apple and Samsung have broadcast their product launches for a couple of years but until March 2020, all of them also had select media and invitees come to a venue and so they could attend them in person. In talking with many Apple media about moving to a virtual event, they tell me the one thing they miss is the hands-on demos available at the end of the presentations. On the other hand, many who have to fly cross country or from other parts of the world for these two to three-hour launches feel these virtual product launches are very effective. Tech companies also produce customer events that have gone virtual, too. Two stand out to me as some of the best virtual customer events. Two weeks ago Dell held Dell World, a virtual event for their customers. Normally held in Las Vegas, Nevada, these events have about 6000 attendees and include major keynotes by CEO Michael Dell, Vice Chairman Jeff Clarke, and many other Dell executives and business luminaries. It also has a trade show component where customers can get demos of Dell's, and their partner's, products. In May of 2020, Dell had to do this virtually and it turned out to be a successful customer event. The May 5-6, 2021 Dell World was one of the best-produced customer events I have attended. While Dell never states what the cost of any in-person Dell World costs, one can imagine that a virtual Dell World costs much less to produce with great savings in travel alone, cutting costs down dramatically. A week later, IBM produced their virtual customer conference called IBM Think 2021 and like Dell, it was one of the best and most professionally produced customer events I have attended this year. IBM produced a customer Think event in 2020 but it was produced in only a few months. While it was well done then, by this year IBM had more time to deliver a more professionally produced show with an easy way to access and attend its multitude of high-quality content sessions. I have no clue if they plan to go back to an in-person event in 2022, but these virtual events were, in my estimation, highly effective and successful, and would not be surprised if they continue an emphasis on a co-virtual event even if they do decide to hold an in-person customer event next year. I also attended the Display Week 2021 Virtual Symposium Seminar and Exhibition held virtually from May 17-21, 2021. These types of events are much different from product launches and customer events and are a highly focused technical show about displays. It, too, was extremely well produced and the sessions I attended were great. It also included a developer section that uses a lot of show-and-tells. Technical shows that also have an exhibition area where hands-on is important to the show are hard to do virtually. To their credit, the Society of Information Displays who produces Display Week has done a great job with this show in a virtual format over the last two years. However, technically focused events with specialized exhibits probably fare better as in-person events in the future. After attending so many virtual events that have been well produced and highly successful, it leads me to believe that many companies will continue with this format. In the future, some may find the need to add an in-person event too, but that may be smaller than the large ones they did in the past and include virtual access to broaden their audience of attendees. While some people may want to go back to the older days of every event being in person, the pandemic has shifted how companies connect with their customers. We are more likely to see less in-person events in the future and see virtual events become the norm. | Starting in March of 2020, all of the major tech events and conferences that for years were in-person were forced to become virtual events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tech companies scrambled to find new platforms to hold virtual events. One major element that makes any of these virtual events work is the user interface it uses for the presentations. | bart | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/timbajarin/2021/05/20/will-virtual-events-and-conferences-outlast-the-pandemic/ | 0.354487 |
How Many Games Is Washington Favored to Win in 2021? | There are insults and then there are perceived slights. This is the latter in our view because the opinion of those that create these barbs is in question. ASHBURN -- The Washington Football Team continues to be disrespected despite being the defending NFC East champions. Maybe the backlash could be the motivational chip WFT needs going against a first-place schedule and having to play nine road games out of its 17 regular season contests. Yes, perhaps the early lines from Super Book Sports out of Las Vegas for the 2021 season will serve as motivation. Of course, preseason odds mean little since based off regular-season play will have them change constantly. For now, Washington is only pre-favored in three games. To us, that seems absurd after the offseason acquisitions in free agency and the NFL Draft that build on last years 7-9 mark. WFT games in which they are currently favored include Week 2 against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at (-3). That is the standard give for a home team early in a season. The other two games are at home against the Dallas Cowboys in December (-1.5) and against the Philadelphia Eagles (-3) to start out 2022. Three games. There is the notion that Vegas oddsmakers have inside information that is not accessible to the public and that they know exactly how games are going to play out. READ MORE: Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. Not so much. It's a computer-based data system that helps to provide action on both sides of the bet. That's it. By putting WFT as a 1.5-point underdog at home against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers to start the season, for instance, they know they'll get those that believe in the better QB instead the feeling that the home team will win a tight one. That's what they know. No one has any idea what Washington or the Chargers will play like or ultimately be that day or any day. Per Tim Murray of VSIN, here's the entire list. +1.5 v LA Chargers -3 at NY Giants +7.5 at Buffalo +3 at Atlanta +1.5 vs New Orleans +6.5 vs Kansas City +4 at Green Bay +3 at Denver +7 vs Tampa Bay +1 at Carolina +2.5 vs Seattle +2.5 at Las Vegas -1.5 vs Dallas +1.5 at Philadelphia +5.5 at Dallas -3 vs Eagles +1.5 at NY Giants Essentially the road game against the Falcons is a toss-up between what Vegas considers two even teams. Atlanta receives the extra push because the game in home. Ironically, Washington is only a four-point underdog at Green Bay, one point higher than the Atlanta and Denver road games. The odds are constantly changing. And believing Vegas isnt going to make a mistake from now until January of 2022 is illogical. | The Washington Football Team continues to be disrespected despite being the defending NFC East champions. Washington is only pre-favored in three games for the 2021 season, according to Super Book Sports. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/how-many-games-favored-2021-nfl-washington | 0.53706 |
How Many Games Is Washington Favored to Win in 2021? | There are insults and then there are perceived slights. This is the latter in our view because the opinion of those that create these barbs is in question. ASHBURN -- The Washington Football Team continues to be disrespected despite being the defending NFC East champions. Maybe the backlash could be the motivational chip WFT needs going against a first-place schedule and having to play nine road games out of its 17 regular season contests. Yes, perhaps the early lines from Super Book Sports out of Las Vegas for the 2021 season will serve as motivation. Of course, preseason odds mean little since based off regular-season play will have them change constantly. For now, Washington is only pre-favored in three games. To us, that seems absurd after the offseason acquisitions in free agency and the NFL Draft that build on last years 7-9 mark. WFT games in which they are currently favored include Week 2 against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at (-3). That is the standard give for a home team early in a season. The other two games are at home against the Dallas Cowboys in December (-1.5) and against the Philadelphia Eagles (-3) to start out 2022. Three games. There is the notion that Vegas oddsmakers have inside information that is not accessible to the public and that they know exactly how games are going to play out. READ MORE: Can Washington Football Team Defense Move To No. Not so much. It's a computer-based data system that helps to provide action on both sides of the bet. That's it. By putting WFT as a 1.5-point underdog at home against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers to start the season, for instance, they know they'll get those that believe in the better QB instead the feeling that the home team will win a tight one. That's what they know. No one has any idea what Washington or the Chargers will play like or ultimately be that day or any day. Per Tim Murray of VSIN, here's the entire list. +1.5 v LA Chargers -3 at NY Giants +7.5 at Buffalo +3 at Atlanta +1.5 vs New Orleans +6.5 vs Kansas City +4 at Green Bay +3 at Denver +7 vs Tampa Bay +1 at Carolina +2.5 vs Seattle +2.5 at Las Vegas -1.5 vs Dallas +1.5 at Philadelphia +5.5 at Dallas -3 vs Eagles +1.5 at NY Giants Essentially the road game against the Falcons is a toss-up between what Vegas considers two even teams. Atlanta receives the extra push because the game in home. Ironically, Washington is only a four-point underdog at Green Bay, one point higher than the Atlanta and Denver road games. The odds are constantly changing. And believing Vegas isnt going to make a mistake from now until January of 2022 is illogical. | The Washington Football Team continues to be disrespected despite being the defending NFC East champions. Washington is only pre-favored in three games for the 2021 season. The odds are constantly changing and believing Vegas isn't going to make a mistake from now until January of 2022 is illogical. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.si.com/nfl/washingtonfootball/news/how-many-games-favored-2021-nfl-washington | 0.594247 |
Will battery advances turn Tesla into a public utility? Are Arizona regulators prepared? | Joy Seitz opinion contributor Twenty years ago, rooftop solar was just a vision of the future. Today it is mainstream and rules and regulations surrounding its deployment are well defined. Leading a company that has served solar customers for more than 20 years gives me great perspective on the strong desire consumers have around controlling their energy bills. I also know this demand must be balanced with the requirement on electric utilities to provide reliable service and the charge of policymakers to provide grid resiliency and reasonable rates. Enter the quick evolution of battery technology and an increased demand for renewable energy and suddenly our clean energy future gets more complex. Residential solar combined with lithium-ion batteries promises a new level of control for consumers over their energy bills. Marketed and sold under monikers like take control of your utility bill and be your own utility, demand for batteries is spiking. This should cause a high level of curiosity and concern for policymakers. Tesla batteries can be connected, like a utility Taking this sales tactic to the next level, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mentioned on a recent earnings call that his batteries can be connected together to act as a de facto independent utility. He went so far as to say his technology could be relied upon when a traditional utility company fails or experiences an emergency. Musk also recently stated that all new Tesla residential solar installs will include a battery system between the grid and the home no exceptions. While interesting, this change in battery deployment strategy poses myriad functional, systems and ethical issues. For context: In 2009, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to decide if solar providers should be regulated. In the initial filing, The Solar Alliance referenced a 1950 Arizona Supreme Court case, Natural Gas Service Corporation v. Serv-Yu Corporation. This case outlined eight factors to consider when ruling on an entity being regulated by the commission. One of the eight factors is actual or potential competition with other corporations whose business is clothed with public interest. Though solar received an exemption from regulation in 2009, batteries and todays deployment strategies were not considered. While I am not a regulator nor a lawyer, I am a CEO with no golden handcuffs. I believe it is my moral obligation to stay curious, ask questions and demand answers. Any entity looking to supply energy, in a desert, should willingly provide answers that all stakeholders can understand. California wildfires and the Texas grid failure have shown us that we are vulnerable. Furthermore, software-based energy products can include artificial intelligence. Moreover, these technologies require thoughtful installation. Volatile products exist in this industry (see recent explosions of lithium-ion batteries). The Arizona Corporation Commission has created thoughtful policies that many states have mirrored and advanced. It is time once again for this agency to consider the benefits and the risks inherent in public-private partnerships that a proposition declaring residential batteries as a utility suggests. Joy E. Seitz is CEO of American Solar & Roofing. Reach her at joy.seitz@americansolarandroofing.com. | Joy Seitz is CEO of American Solar & Roofing. Seitz: Tesla batteries can be connected, like a utility, to act as a de facto independent utility. She says Arizona regulators should be aware of the risks and benefits of such a move. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2021/05/20/tesla-become-player-power-grid-arizona-regulates/5150132001/ | 0.393367 |
Should I tell my friend about my romance with her brother? | Q. I am 26 years old. My best friends older brother got my contact information and has made comments about a possible us in the future. We are getting to know each other. I like him too, but we have yet to become official. He has been generous, buying me things every opportunity he gets. My friend learned about some things he bought me or has talked about getting for me and she was hurt because she felt he did not offer the same kindness to her. I dont want to ruin my relationship with her or him. Its special for me because when I fall for a guy, I fall pretty hard and get so obsessed with him I literally have to catch myself. I can say what I feel for him is gradually evolving into love. FALLING Advertisement A. Your friend doesnt need updates about gifts and romantic gestures. All she needs to understand is that youre pursing a romantic relationship with her older brother, and that youll do your best to maintain boundaries so that nothing gets in the way of your connection to her. If you want to talk about all of the cute things this man is doing, call another friend. Anyone who isnt related to him. It also sounds like you need to talk to her brother about what the two of you are doing. You say hes hinting about the future but that youve yet to make it official. You dont need to define the relationship before youre ready, but you can let him know that getting to know him has become a priority. You want to find out what happens next. You can tell him to do more than hint. Advertisement Also tell him about the boundaries youre setting with his sister. That might clear up some confusion about who knows what. MEREDITH READERS RESPOND: I am very curious about the nature of these gifts. Usually at the beginning of dating someone, a man will pay for dates, but buying gifts is over the top. But then I dont understand why the sister thinks she should be getting gifts. LEGALLYLIZ2017 My sisters were never under the mistaken impression that they were entitled to expect the same level of attention and generosity that my current object of affection got. CHIMPITATUS I also notice you describe nothing in your letter about what it is you actually like about this guy. It seems your attraction to him is based solely on the fact that you feel chosen wow, he picked me! asked for my contact info and everything! and that hes giving you a lot of attention/gifts. Theres a big difference. BONECOLD Giving material things does not equal kindness; over-giving often comes with strings, such as this guy expecting certain things (e.g., moving dating along too fast) as a reward for his gifts. Please see a therapist because you get into such bad romantic obsessions you can barely function. This could turn possessive in the future. Be careful with this one. THERETHEYRETHEIR Letter writer, hook your BFF up with one of your brothers. HARRISBSTONE Send your own relationship and dating questions to loveletters@globe.com. Catch new episodes of Meredith Goldsteins Love Letters podcast at loveletters.show or wherever you listen to podcasts. Column and comments are edited and reprinted from boston.com/loveletters. | A 26-year-old woman is falling for her best friend's older brother. He has been generous, buying her gifts and hinting about a future relationship. Her friend is hurt because he did not offer the same kindness to her. She needs to know that you're pursing a romantic relationship with her brother. | bart | 2 | https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/20/lifestyle/should-i-tell-my-friend-about-my-romance-with-her-brother/ | 0.27821 |
Do the Lightning Have the Right Ingredients to Repeat as Stanley Cup champs? | Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) They won an NHL-record 62 games in one season. They suffered a crushing defeat as a heavy Cup favorite. They rallied and won it the following season with a team of future Hall of Famers. Both followed the same path, overcoming years of disappointment before breaking through as champions. That Red Wings team, of course, ended up winning back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998. From a pure hockey standpoint, the Lightning look as dominant as ever. They boast award-winning talent at every position. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy already has one Vezina Trophy and had the inside track on a second. Defenseman Victor Hedman already has one Norris Trophy and has a shot at a second. With GM Julien BriseBois gradually shaping his roster into a well-rounded juggernaut that can win in many ways, the Bolts blend talent and all-around hockey IQ as well as any team. Hedman leads a mobile, two-way defense corps that has shutdown ability from Ryan McDonagh, puck-moving skill from Mikhail Sergachev and downright nastiness from Erik Cernak. The forward group has some of the leagues best two-way centers in Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, not to mention physical bangers who kill penalties with aplomb such as Blake Coleman. Oh, and theres the sublime offensive skill of Steven Stamkos and superstar Nikita Kucherov, who conveniently parachuted back into the lineup for Game 1 against the Florida Panthers and immediately started dotting the scoresheet. So, yeah, the Lightning are otherworldly good and extremely balanced, ranking eighth in goals per game and sixth in goals against per game in the regular season, with the leagues No. 9 power play, No. 4 penalty kill and ninth-best share of shot attempts at 5-on-5. And that was without Kucherov all season. Tampa is already up 2-0 on a very good Panthers team. As the reigning champions, the Bolts dont drag around the anchor of past disappointments anymore. Theyre chasing a high theyve already experienced. You might think, when you win one, youre going to become satisfied, but it worked the other way, Hedman said before the playoffs began. When you win one, you want to do it again. So I thought we were ready to go (in the regular season) from the start, and we didnt look back. Tampas biggest obstacle in the quest for a repeat championship: history. In the past 30 years, just three teams have won consecutive Cups: the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992, the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 and the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Jim Rutherford, GM of the 2016 and 2017 Pens, feels there are just so many good teams now compared to the Original Six era when clubs could dominate their competition for years at a time. Ive said this for 10 or 15 years now, anybody that makes the playoffs can win the Cup, Rutherford said. You look at Nashville (in 2017), they got in on the last day, and they went to the final versus us and took it to six games. Legend Scotty Bowman coached nine Cup winners, including the 97 and 98 Wings and the 92 Penguins. He believes a distinct external motivating factor helped those two teams repeat and points out that, in both cases, it was a tragedy. After the Penguins won the 1991 Cup, coach Badger Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer. He turned coaching duties over to Bowman for 1991-92, and Johnson died in November 1991. The 1991-92 Penguins were playing for their fallen coach. Days after Detroit won the Cup in 1997, defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were involved in a horrific limousine accident that left Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov with life-altering injuries requiring significant rehab. The Wings played the following season with heavy hearts and wore jersey patches with Konstantinovs and Mnatsakanovs initials. That was what was on our mind more, then when the season started in the fall, the players really wanted to make up for the loss of Vladimir and dedicated that next season to the both of them, Bowman said. To a certain degree, sadness clouded the Lightnings 2020 championship, too. They won it after living in a bubble, sequestered from their loved ones for months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed millions of lives around the world. The virus also muted the post-victory celebrations aside from the parade. Players didnt have their traditional days with the Stanley Cup in their hometowns. Theyre motivated now to win in an environment somewhat closer to normal, with vaccines being rolled out and fans allowed in U.S.-based NHL arenas again. I still havent seen my family since we left last summer before the bubble, Hedman said in April. I had my wife and kid over here, but I havent seen my parents, my brothers. Its been a tough year for all the people in the world, but (the Cup) is something that I want to share with my family. It just couldnt happen because of what the world is going though right nowits just one of the things you want to experience again and, hopefully, the full experience this time. As Bowman also points out, the recent repeat champions also added some fresh blood, and having an impact player who doesnt have a ring yet can spur the defending champs. The 1992 Penguins traded for Rick Tocchet. The 2017 Penguins traded for Ron Hainsey. They traded for a big shutdown blueliner in David Savard. They at least have similar ingredients to recent repeaters: elite talent, an emotional off-ice motivating factor and a fresh face to root for. We wont. Thats why, in The Hockey News Playoff Preview magazine, we picked them to win a second consecutive Cup. This is an updated version of a feature that ran in the 2020-21 Playoff Preview edition of The Hockey News. | The Tampa Bay Lightning are the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning have the right ingredients to repeat as champions, experts say. Tampa is the third team to win back-to-back Cups in the past 30 years. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.si.com/hockey/news/do-the-lightning-have-the-right-ingredients-to-repeat-as-stanley-cup-champs?src=rss | 0.472397 |
Do the Lightning Have the Right Ingredients to Repeat as Stanley Cup champs? | Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman. (Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports) They won an NHL-record 62 games in one season. They suffered a crushing defeat as a heavy Cup favorite. They rallied and won it the following season with a team of future Hall of Famers. Both followed the same path, overcoming years of disappointment before breaking through as champions. That Red Wings team, of course, ended up winning back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998. From a pure hockey standpoint, the Lightning look as dominant as ever. They boast award-winning talent at every position. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy already has one Vezina Trophy and had the inside track on a second. Defenseman Victor Hedman already has one Norris Trophy and has a shot at a second. With GM Julien BriseBois gradually shaping his roster into a well-rounded juggernaut that can win in many ways, the Bolts blend talent and all-around hockey IQ as well as any team. Hedman leads a mobile, two-way defense corps that has shutdown ability from Ryan McDonagh, puck-moving skill from Mikhail Sergachev and downright nastiness from Erik Cernak. The forward group has some of the leagues best two-way centers in Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, not to mention physical bangers who kill penalties with aplomb such as Blake Coleman. Oh, and theres the sublime offensive skill of Steven Stamkos and superstar Nikita Kucherov, who conveniently parachuted back into the lineup for Game 1 against the Florida Panthers and immediately started dotting the scoresheet. So, yeah, the Lightning are otherworldly good and extremely balanced, ranking eighth in goals per game and sixth in goals against per game in the regular season, with the leagues No. 9 power play, No. 4 penalty kill and ninth-best share of shot attempts at 5-on-5. And that was without Kucherov all season. Tampa is already up 2-0 on a very good Panthers team. As the reigning champions, the Bolts dont drag around the anchor of past disappointments anymore. Theyre chasing a high theyve already experienced. You might think, when you win one, youre going to become satisfied, but it worked the other way, Hedman said before the playoffs began. When you win one, you want to do it again. So I thought we were ready to go (in the regular season) from the start, and we didnt look back. Tampas biggest obstacle in the quest for a repeat championship: history. In the past 30 years, just three teams have won consecutive Cups: the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992, the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998 and the Penguins in 2016 and 2017. Jim Rutherford, GM of the 2016 and 2017 Pens, feels there are just so many good teams now compared to the Original Six era when clubs could dominate their competition for years at a time. Ive said this for 10 or 15 years now, anybody that makes the playoffs can win the Cup, Rutherford said. You look at Nashville (in 2017), they got in on the last day, and they went to the final versus us and took it to six games. Legend Scotty Bowman coached nine Cup winners, including the 97 and 98 Wings and the 92 Penguins. He believes a distinct external motivating factor helped those two teams repeat and points out that, in both cases, it was a tragedy. After the Penguins won the 1991 Cup, coach Badger Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer. He turned coaching duties over to Bowman for 1991-92, and Johnson died in November 1991. The 1991-92 Penguins were playing for their fallen coach. Days after Detroit won the Cup in 1997, defensemen Vladimir Konstantinov and Slava Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were involved in a horrific limousine accident that left Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov with life-altering injuries requiring significant rehab. The Wings played the following season with heavy hearts and wore jersey patches with Konstantinovs and Mnatsakanovs initials. That was what was on our mind more, then when the season started in the fall, the players really wanted to make up for the loss of Vladimir and dedicated that next season to the both of them, Bowman said. To a certain degree, sadness clouded the Lightnings 2020 championship, too. They won it after living in a bubble, sequestered from their loved ones for months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed millions of lives around the world. The virus also muted the post-victory celebrations aside from the parade. Players didnt have their traditional days with the Stanley Cup in their hometowns. Theyre motivated now to win in an environment somewhat closer to normal, with vaccines being rolled out and fans allowed in U.S.-based NHL arenas again. I still havent seen my family since we left last summer before the bubble, Hedman said in April. I had my wife and kid over here, but I havent seen my parents, my brothers. Its been a tough year for all the people in the world, but (the Cup) is something that I want to share with my family. It just couldnt happen because of what the world is going though right nowits just one of the things you want to experience again and, hopefully, the full experience this time. As Bowman also points out, the recent repeat champions also added some fresh blood, and having an impact player who doesnt have a ring yet can spur the defending champs. The 1992 Penguins traded for Rick Tocchet. The 2017 Penguins traded for Ron Hainsey. They traded for a big shutdown blueliner in David Savard. They at least have similar ingredients to recent repeaters: elite talent, an emotional off-ice motivating factor and a fresh face to root for. We wont. Thats why, in The Hockey News Playoff Preview magazine, we picked them to win a second consecutive Cup. This is an updated version of a feature that ran in the 2020-21 Playoff Preview edition of The Hockey News. | The Tampa Bay Lightning are the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning have the right ingredients to repeat their success, experts say. Tampa is the first team to win back-to-back Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. The Penguins are the only team to do so in the past 30 years. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.si.com/hockey/news/do-the-lightning-have-the-right-ingredients-to-repeat-as-stanley-cup-champs?src=rss | 0.554407 |
Can Wild finally convert 'expected goals' into real ones in playoffs? | The sample size is small but the situation is familiar. The Wild, an excellent 5-on-5 team during the regular season in terms of converting strong scoring chances into goals, has struggled to do the same in the playoffs so far. Minnesota scored just twice one goal in both games in the first two games of its playoff series against Vegas. That normally would be the recipe for a 2-0 series deficit, but the brilliant goaltending of Cam Talbot in Game 1 plus a solid overall game plan yielded a split and an opportunity coming into Thursday's Game 3 in St. Paul. But that opportunity will almost certainly only be converted into desired results if the Wild can start converting more of its glorious chances into goals, something Chip Scoggins and I talked about on Thursday's Daily Delivery podcast. The site Natural Stat Trick shows the Wild with 21 "high danger" scoring chances in 5-on-5 situations in the first two games of the series, while Vegas had 15. But the Wild has just one goal in those 21 chances roughly a 5% conversion rate. In the regular season, the Wild scored 70 times on 451 high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play, again via Natural Stat trick a little more than 15% of the time, or three times as often as it has so far in the playoffs. Those 70 goals were the fourth-most on high-danger 5-on-5 chances. Cashing in on those 5-on-5 opportunities has made all the difference in the series so far: Joel Eriksson Ek's close-range goal in overtime of Game 1 was the Wild's one high-danger 5-on-5 goal in the series; Alex Tuch's tally late in the second period, which broke a 1-1 tie in a 3-1 Game 2 win for Vegas, was the Golden Knights' lone high-danger 5-on-5 goal of the series. Based on the chances it has created, the Wild's "expected goal" mark in 5-on-5 play is 4.2 goals through two games, but it has scored just twice the aforementioned Ek goal and a point shot from Matt Dumba that was not deemed a high-danger opportunity. Two games does not signal a trend, but it is a concern nonetheless both relative to the regular season success the Wild had and given how familiar the scoring drop-off is to those familiar with Wild history. In amassing a 28-51 postseason record, the Wild has managed just 2.2 goals per playoff game. Players lamenting missed chances at goals became an annual rite of passage after Minnesota was eliminated in the first or second round all six times between 2013 and 2018. Particularly grizzly ghosts linger from the 2017 series with St. Louis, when the Wild scored just four goals in five games in 5-on-5 play despite the data saying it would have expected Minnesota to score nine goals based on all its good chances. Minnesota lost the series in five games. The Wild was stymied in that series by Blues netminder Jake Allen a far less accomplished goalie, just so we're clear, than Vegas future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. This year, with more high-end finishers like Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala on the roster, was supposed to be different. But so far at least, both of those players have been shut out as the Wild has again been left to bemoan missed opportunities. It will need to change in a hurry if the Wild expects to advance. Hockey Reference data shows that a home team that loses Game 3 of a playoff series that's tied 1-1 has gone on to lose the series 72% of the time. It's time to turn expected goals into real goals because there is no expected Stanley Cup champion just an actual one. | Minnesota has scored just twice in the first two games of its playoff series against Vegas. The Wild has just one goal in those 21 chances, roughly a 5% conversion rate. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.startribune.com/can-wild-finally-convert-expected-goals-into-real-ones-in-playoffs/600059325/ | 0.103009 |
Can Wild finally convert 'expected goals' into real ones in playoffs? | The sample size is small but the situation is familiar. The Wild, an excellent 5-on-5 team during the regular season in terms of converting strong scoring chances into goals, has struggled to do the same in the playoffs so far. Minnesota scored just twice one goal in both games in the first two games of its playoff series against Vegas. That normally would be the recipe for a 2-0 series deficit, but the brilliant goaltending of Cam Talbot in Game 1 plus a solid overall game plan yielded a split and an opportunity coming into Thursday's Game 3 in St. Paul. But that opportunity will almost certainly only be converted into desired results if the Wild can start converting more of its glorious chances into goals, something Chip Scoggins and I talked about on Thursday's Daily Delivery podcast. The site Natural Stat Trick shows the Wild with 21 "high danger" scoring chances in 5-on-5 situations in the first two games of the series, while Vegas had 15. But the Wild has just one goal in those 21 chances roughly a 5% conversion rate. In the regular season, the Wild scored 70 times on 451 high-danger chances in 5-on-5 play, again via Natural Stat trick a little more than 15% of the time, or three times as often as it has so far in the playoffs. Those 70 goals were the fourth-most on high-danger 5-on-5 chances. Cashing in on those 5-on-5 opportunities has made all the difference in the series so far: Joel Eriksson Ek's close-range goal in overtime of Game 1 was the Wild's one high-danger 5-on-5 goal in the series; Alex Tuch's tally late in the second period, which broke a 1-1 tie in a 3-1 Game 2 win for Vegas, was the Golden Knights' lone high-danger 5-on-5 goal of the series. Based on the chances it has created, the Wild's "expected goal" mark in 5-on-5 play is 4.2 goals through two games, but it has scored just twice the aforementioned Ek goal and a point shot from Matt Dumba that was not deemed a high-danger opportunity. Two games does not signal a trend, but it is a concern nonetheless both relative to the regular season success the Wild had and given how familiar the scoring drop-off is to those familiar with Wild history. In amassing a 28-51 postseason record, the Wild has managed just 2.2 goals per playoff game. Players lamenting missed chances at goals became an annual rite of passage after Minnesota was eliminated in the first or second round all six times between 2013 and 2018. Particularly grizzly ghosts linger from the 2017 series with St. Louis, when the Wild scored just four goals in five games in 5-on-5 play despite the data saying it would have expected Minnesota to score nine goals based on all its good chances. Minnesota lost the series in five games. The Wild was stymied in that series by Blues netminder Jake Allen a far less accomplished goalie, just so we're clear, than Vegas future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. This year, with more high-end finishers like Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala on the roster, was supposed to be different. But so far at least, both of those players have been shut out as the Wild has again been left to bemoan missed opportunities. It will need to change in a hurry if the Wild expects to advance. Hockey Reference data shows that a home team that loses Game 3 of a playoff series that's tied 1-1 has gone on to lose the series 72% of the time. It's time to turn expected goals into real goals because there is no expected Stanley Cup champion just an actual one. | Minnesota has scored just twice in the first two games of its playoff series against Vegas. The Wild has just one goal in those 21 chances, roughly a 5% conversion rate. Minnesota has managed just 2.2 goals per playoff game in its 28-51 postseason record. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.startribune.com/can-wild-finally-convert-expected-goals-into-real-ones-in-playoffs/600059325/ | 0.145739 |
What is the Moderna vaccine? And will it boost Australias Covid vaccination program? | Moderna, the pharmaceutical giant, has promised to provide Australia with 25m doses of its mRNA vaccine. On face value, its a significant, albeit belated, boost to Australias vaccine rollout. Formally called mRNA-1273, the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA-type vaccine, made using a similar process as the highly effective Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The Moderna vaccine inserts mRNA, or genetic material, into the body, telling it how to make the spike proteins that sit on the outside of the coronavirus. Those spike proteins allow the virus to enter and infect human cells. The genetic material triggers the bodys immune response. mRNA vaccines do not, contrary to some claims, alter a humans DNA. The Moderna vaccine is highly effective. It has shown 94.1% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% against severe Covid. It also gives 90% efficacy against Covid-19 for at least six months after the second dose. Those results were recorded in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants across 99 sites in the US. It is a two-dose vaccine, and the second shot is usually taken about 28 days after the first. The vaccine is mainly manufactured at two plants in the US, though Moderna also has operations in Switzerland, with Lonza, and in Sweden with Recipharm. Like Pfizer, its distribution is complicated slightly by the cold storage temperatures required. It must be stored at -20C, a far more manageable logistical barrier than Pfizers, which initially required -80C storage. Researchers also say the Moderna vaccine is stable for 30 days at temperatures between 2C and 8C. Australias deal with Moderna, announced overnight, is expected to provide 10m doses to Australia by the end of the year and a further 15m in 2022. The doses expected this year will be enough to vaccinate 5m Australians, providing a significant boost to the rollout efforts. The 15m doses will be used as boosters to tackle variants. The Moderna vaccine has passed clinical trials and is in use in nations like the United States and United Kingdom. The regulators in those countries have declared it safe and effective. But it still requires approval for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Moderna will lodge a submission with the TGA imminently. Once that submission is received, it will take the TGA roughly three months to approve the vaccine for use, based on the speed shown with AstraZeneca and Pfizer approvals. The TGA will also conduct batch testing, a form of independent quality assessment, on each shipment of vaccine prior to it being released for use in Australia. Moderna has announced that it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its mRNA Covid vaccine locally. Australias vaccine rollout was thrown into disarray last month when the advice on AstraZeneca, the mainstay of our vaccine program, changed. Extremely rare blood clotting caused the government to reduce the role of AsztraZeneca, focusing its use on those aged 50 and over. That left those under 50 more reliant on Pfizer, which has been the subject of intense global demand. This Moderna vaccine goes some way in solving the problem posed by the changed AstraZeneca advice. The vaccine is safe and effective and there is no evidence it is causing the kind of clotting seen in rare cases with AstraZeneca. It is also a valuable potential replacement for the Novavax vaccine, which Australia has ordered, given fears it will not arrive on time. There is also another element to this announcement that brings optimism. Moderna has said it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its vaccine locally. That is a huge boon for the government, which has been under pressure to develop mRNA manufacturing capability for some time, but has had little interest from the other mRNA vaccine producer, Pfizer. Stphane Bancel, Modernas chief executive officer, said: As we seek to protect people around the world with our Covid-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities. The industry minister, Christian Porter, has been at pains to point out that developing mRNA manufacturing capability will take time, not the three to six months that some experts have suggested. But when, and if, that manufacturing capability arrives, it will reduce Australias reliance on imports in a market of huge global demand. Clinical trials involving 30,000 people at 99 sites found the Moderna vaccine to be safe to be effective. It does have minor side-effects, like most vaccines. Results from clinical trials for people aged 18 to 64 showed fatigue, headaches and muscle soreness were experienced after both the first and second dose. Moderna is not the only vaccine on the horizon. The federal government has also signed an agreement with Novavax for about 51m doses of its protein vaccine. Those doses were expected to begin arriving in September this year. But the company is yet to release data from stage three clinical trials and has recently signalled delays in securing approvals. Earlier this week, chief executive Stan Erck said it could not give any indication of a timeline for approvals in a number of countries, including Australia. As of today, we are not able to predict a date with precision, so we wont, he said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The company is also expected to prioritise securing approvals from US and UK regulators. So the Australian timeline is looking shaky, at best. Australia is also entitled to 25m doses through the Covax facility, an international purchasing agreement for a wide range of vaccines, and gave an upfront payment of $123.2m. It is unclear how close Australia is to securing any vaccines through Covax. It is reliant on receiving offers to purchase vaccines as they become available. There are currently nine vaccines available that may become available through Covax which are made by AstraZeneca, Novavax, Moderna, CureVac, Sanofi, Inovio, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Institut Pasteur and the University of Hong Kong. | The Moderna vaccine is highly effective against Covid-19 and severe Covid. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/13/what-is-the-moderna-vaccine-and-will-it-boost-australias-covid-vaccination-program | 0.317551 |
What is the Moderna vaccine? And will it boost Australias Covid vaccination program? | Moderna, the pharmaceutical giant, has promised to provide Australia with 25m doses of its mRNA vaccine. On face value, its a significant, albeit belated, boost to Australias vaccine rollout. Formally called mRNA-1273, the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA-type vaccine, made using a similar process as the highly effective Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The Moderna vaccine inserts mRNA, or genetic material, into the body, telling it how to make the spike proteins that sit on the outside of the coronavirus. Those spike proteins allow the virus to enter and infect human cells. The genetic material triggers the bodys immune response. mRNA vaccines do not, contrary to some claims, alter a humans DNA. The Moderna vaccine is highly effective. It has shown 94.1% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% against severe Covid. It also gives 90% efficacy against Covid-19 for at least six months after the second dose. Those results were recorded in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants across 99 sites in the US. It is a two-dose vaccine, and the second shot is usually taken about 28 days after the first. The vaccine is mainly manufactured at two plants in the US, though Moderna also has operations in Switzerland, with Lonza, and in Sweden with Recipharm. Like Pfizer, its distribution is complicated slightly by the cold storage temperatures required. It must be stored at -20C, a far more manageable logistical barrier than Pfizers, which initially required -80C storage. Researchers also say the Moderna vaccine is stable for 30 days at temperatures between 2C and 8C. Australias deal with Moderna, announced overnight, is expected to provide 10m doses to Australia by the end of the year and a further 15m in 2022. The doses expected this year will be enough to vaccinate 5m Australians, providing a significant boost to the rollout efforts. The 15m doses will be used as boosters to tackle variants. The Moderna vaccine has passed clinical trials and is in use in nations like the United States and United Kingdom. The regulators in those countries have declared it safe and effective. But it still requires approval for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Moderna will lodge a submission with the TGA imminently. Once that submission is received, it will take the TGA roughly three months to approve the vaccine for use, based on the speed shown with AstraZeneca and Pfizer approvals. The TGA will also conduct batch testing, a form of independent quality assessment, on each shipment of vaccine prior to it being released for use in Australia. Moderna has announced that it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its mRNA Covid vaccine locally. Australias vaccine rollout was thrown into disarray last month when the advice on AstraZeneca, the mainstay of our vaccine program, changed. Extremely rare blood clotting caused the government to reduce the role of AsztraZeneca, focusing its use on those aged 50 and over. That left those under 50 more reliant on Pfizer, which has been the subject of intense global demand. This Moderna vaccine goes some way in solving the problem posed by the changed AstraZeneca advice. The vaccine is safe and effective and there is no evidence it is causing the kind of clotting seen in rare cases with AstraZeneca. It is also a valuable potential replacement for the Novavax vaccine, which Australia has ordered, given fears it will not arrive on time. There is also another element to this announcement that brings optimism. Moderna has said it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its vaccine locally. That is a huge boon for the government, which has been under pressure to develop mRNA manufacturing capability for some time, but has had little interest from the other mRNA vaccine producer, Pfizer. Stphane Bancel, Modernas chief executive officer, said: As we seek to protect people around the world with our Covid-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities. The industry minister, Christian Porter, has been at pains to point out that developing mRNA manufacturing capability will take time, not the three to six months that some experts have suggested. But when, and if, that manufacturing capability arrives, it will reduce Australias reliance on imports in a market of huge global demand. Clinical trials involving 30,000 people at 99 sites found the Moderna vaccine to be safe to be effective. It does have minor side-effects, like most vaccines. Results from clinical trials for people aged 18 to 64 showed fatigue, headaches and muscle soreness were experienced after both the first and second dose. Moderna is not the only vaccine on the horizon. The federal government has also signed an agreement with Novavax for about 51m doses of its protein vaccine. Those doses were expected to begin arriving in September this year. But the company is yet to release data from stage three clinical trials and has recently signalled delays in securing approvals. Earlier this week, chief executive Stan Erck said it could not give any indication of a timeline for approvals in a number of countries, including Australia. As of today, we are not able to predict a date with precision, so we wont, he said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The company is also expected to prioritise securing approvals from US and UK regulators. So the Australian timeline is looking shaky, at best. Australia is also entitled to 25m doses through the Covax facility, an international purchasing agreement for a wide range of vaccines, and gave an upfront payment of $123.2m. It is unclear how close Australia is to securing any vaccines through Covax. It is reliant on receiving offers to purchase vaccines as they become available. There are currently nine vaccines available that may become available through Covax which are made by AstraZeneca, Novavax, Moderna, CureVac, Sanofi, Inovio, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Institut Pasteur and the University of Hong Kong. | Moderna, the pharmaceutical giant, has promised to provide Australia with 25m doses of its mRNA vaccine. On face value, its a significant, albeit belated, boost to Australias vaccine rollout. | pegasus | 1 | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/13/what-is-the-moderna-vaccine-and-will-it-boost-australias-covid-vaccination-program | 0.233007 |
What is the Moderna vaccine? And will it boost Australias Covid vaccination program? | Moderna, the pharmaceutical giant, has promised to provide Australia with 25m doses of its mRNA vaccine. On face value, its a significant, albeit belated, boost to Australias vaccine rollout. Formally called mRNA-1273, the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA-type vaccine, made using a similar process as the highly effective Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The Moderna vaccine inserts mRNA, or genetic material, into the body, telling it how to make the spike proteins that sit on the outside of the coronavirus. Those spike proteins allow the virus to enter and infect human cells. The genetic material triggers the bodys immune response. mRNA vaccines do not, contrary to some claims, alter a humans DNA. The Moderna vaccine is highly effective. It has shown 94.1% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% against severe Covid. It also gives 90% efficacy against Covid-19 for at least six months after the second dose. Those results were recorded in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants across 99 sites in the US. It is a two-dose vaccine, and the second shot is usually taken about 28 days after the first. The vaccine is mainly manufactured at two plants in the US, though Moderna also has operations in Switzerland, with Lonza, and in Sweden with Recipharm. Like Pfizer, its distribution is complicated slightly by the cold storage temperatures required. It must be stored at -20C, a far more manageable logistical barrier than Pfizers, which initially required -80C storage. Researchers also say the Moderna vaccine is stable for 30 days at temperatures between 2C and 8C. Australias deal with Moderna, announced overnight, is expected to provide 10m doses to Australia by the end of the year and a further 15m in 2022. The doses expected this year will be enough to vaccinate 5m Australians, providing a significant boost to the rollout efforts. The 15m doses will be used as boosters to tackle variants. The Moderna vaccine has passed clinical trials and is in use in nations like the United States and United Kingdom. The regulators in those countries have declared it safe and effective. But it still requires approval for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Moderna will lodge a submission with the TGA imminently. Once that submission is received, it will take the TGA roughly three months to approve the vaccine for use, based on the speed shown with AstraZeneca and Pfizer approvals. The TGA will also conduct batch testing, a form of independent quality assessment, on each shipment of vaccine prior to it being released for use in Australia. Moderna has announced that it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its mRNA Covid vaccine locally. Australias vaccine rollout was thrown into disarray last month when the advice on AstraZeneca, the mainstay of our vaccine program, changed. Extremely rare blood clotting caused the government to reduce the role of AsztraZeneca, focusing its use on those aged 50 and over. That left those under 50 more reliant on Pfizer, which has been the subject of intense global demand. This Moderna vaccine goes some way in solving the problem posed by the changed AstraZeneca advice. The vaccine is safe and effective and there is no evidence it is causing the kind of clotting seen in rare cases with AstraZeneca. It is also a valuable potential replacement for the Novavax vaccine, which Australia has ordered, given fears it will not arrive on time. There is also another element to this announcement that brings optimism. Moderna has said it is open to allowing Australia to manufacture its vaccine locally. That is a huge boon for the government, which has been under pressure to develop mRNA manufacturing capability for some time, but has had little interest from the other mRNA vaccine producer, Pfizer. Stphane Bancel, Modernas chief executive officer, said: As we seek to protect people around the world with our Covid-19 vaccine and potentially our variant booster candidates, we look forward to continuing discussions with Australia about establishing potential local manufacturing opportunities. The industry minister, Christian Porter, has been at pains to point out that developing mRNA manufacturing capability will take time, not the three to six months that some experts have suggested. But when, and if, that manufacturing capability arrives, it will reduce Australias reliance on imports in a market of huge global demand. Clinical trials involving 30,000 people at 99 sites found the Moderna vaccine to be safe to be effective. It does have minor side-effects, like most vaccines. Results from clinical trials for people aged 18 to 64 showed fatigue, headaches and muscle soreness were experienced after both the first and second dose. Moderna is not the only vaccine on the horizon. The federal government has also signed an agreement with Novavax for about 51m doses of its protein vaccine. Those doses were expected to begin arriving in September this year. But the company is yet to release data from stage three clinical trials and has recently signalled delays in securing approvals. Earlier this week, chief executive Stan Erck said it could not give any indication of a timeline for approvals in a number of countries, including Australia. As of today, we are not able to predict a date with precision, so we wont, he said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The company is also expected to prioritise securing approvals from US and UK regulators. So the Australian timeline is looking shaky, at best. Australia is also entitled to 25m doses through the Covax facility, an international purchasing agreement for a wide range of vaccines, and gave an upfront payment of $123.2m. It is unclear how close Australia is to securing any vaccines through Covax. It is reliant on receiving offers to purchase vaccines as they become available. There are currently nine vaccines available that may become available through Covax which are made by AstraZeneca, Novavax, Moderna, CureVac, Sanofi, Inovio, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Institut Pasteur and the University of Hong Kong. | The Moderna vaccine is an mRNA-type vaccine, made using a similar process as the highly effective Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. It has shown 94.1% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 and 100% against severe Covid. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/13/what-is-the-moderna-vaccine-and-will-it-boost-australias-covid-vaccination-program | 0.553493 |
Will vaccines give a shot in the arm to pharmaceutical stocks? | Open this photo in gallery Pfizer has hit a home run year with its vaccine, which produced revenue that was 60 per cent higher than estimates in the company's first quarter. Jonathan FILSKOV/iStockPhoto / Getty Images All eyes have been on pharmaceutical companies during the past year as they worked with unprecedented speed to develop vaccines to counter the spread of COVID-19. But there is no consensus on whether investors should seize the opportunity these vaccines have presented. The efforts of pharmaceutical companies have garnered praise from all quarters as they harnessed scientific and financial resources for global good. The halo effect is such that when Merck & Co. Inc. MRK-N recently agreed to manufacture a vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson Inc. JNJ-N, U.S. President Joe Biden praised the competitors for their historic, nearly unprecedented collaboration. However, vaccines represent a small part of the overall operations of the big companies and offer thin profit margins. Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. PFE-N have committed to public service pricing. Moderna Inc. MRNA-Q, a much smaller company, is trying to recapture its investment while AstraZeneca PLC AZN-Q is somewhere in between. Story continues below advertisement Its also unknown how much demand there will be in years to come. Thats the question. Is a COVID-19 vaccine a one-and-done thing or a sustainable business that keeps growing? says Peter Choi, senior research analyst in New York with Vontobel Asset Management Inc., an asset management group based in Zurich. Pfizer has hit a home run year with its vaccine, which was developed in partnership with Germany-based BioNTech SE BNTX-Q. In Pfizers first quarter, reported on May 5, COVID-19 vaccine revenue was 60 per cent higher than estimates. Looking ahead, the company has almost doubled its vaccine sales projections for the year to roughly US$26-billion from US$15-billion. Pfizer is just one vaccine player, and the US$26-billion it expects in sales is already more than five times the annual global demand for flu vaccines, Mr. Choi says. Paul MacDonald, chief investment officer at Harvest Portfolios Group in Oakville, Ont., also says that future vaccine demand is a question mark. He suspects the windfalls will tail off by 2023, and investors should look at the role of vaccines within the larger context of a companys operations. For example, delayed surgeries are being rescheduled. That creates demand for hospital services, medical devices, supplies and drugs. Pfizers quarter was a big deal from the vaccine side, but the other good news is that when you peel it back and look at their base business, theyre performing really well too, says Mr. MacDonald, who manages Harvest Healthcare Leaders Income ETF HHL-T, which counts Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca among its holdings. Story continues below advertisement The prospect of more vaccine competition is another issue. Mr. MacDonald doesnt think it will be material, even as rhetoric about lifting patent protection is grabbing headlines. He believes its little more than a distraction. Thats because by the time the issue is resolved at the World Trade Organization, the window for demand will have closed and, even then, there are huge barriers to entry. Producing these vaccines is a hugely complex thing that only a few companies can do. You need technological expertise, manufacturing capability, logistics, distribution, and marketing, he says. By the time you get all of those things figured out, youre into a time frame where youre not going to need nearly as many doses. Both Mr. Choi and Mr. MacDonald say that while the vaccines are not hugely profitable, they add another product in a normally low-profile area. In addition, the lessons learned with the quick turnaround can be applied elsewhere. One promising area is the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which has been described as a surprising star of the pandemic response. Its a key ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. While most traditional vaccines use a weakened version of the virus to generate an immune response, mRNA vaccines teach cells how to make a protein to trigger an immune response specific to each of us. Mr. Choi says that mRNA vaccines had not been widely tested commercially before the pandemic. Now, hundreds of millions of people have received them and theyve proven to be extremely effective with minimal side effects. Thats gone as well as you could have hoped, he says. Story continues below advertisement Mr. MacDonald adds that during Pfizers earnings call, the company said its planning to test mRNA for flu and other vaccines. Although pharmaceutical companies efforts to defeat the pandemic have changed perceptions positively among investors, Mr. Choi isnt sure the halo effect will last. Many underlying tensions remain, he says, pointing to the patent protection debate and the ever simmering drug pricing issue. Meanwhile, Mr. MacDonald believes that as long as the pandemic remains a public health threat, the goodwill will remain. For the next 12 to 18 months, anyway, were going to be talking about vaccine development and boosters. One cant help but think that having the U.S. president praising the companies for delivering a solution that helps society changes perceptions about them, he says. Adam Mayers is a contributing editor to the Internet Wealth Builder investment newsletter. | All eyes have been on pharmaceutical companies during the past year as they worked with unprecedented speed to develop vaccines to counter the spread of COVID-19. Pfizer has hit a home run year with its vaccine, which produced revenue that was 60 per cent higher than estimates in the company's first quarter. | bart | 2 | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/globe-advisor/advisor-stocks/article-will-vaccines-give-a-shot-in-the-arm-to-pharmaceutical-stocks/ | 0.112593 |
What does former Miami quarterback Dan Marino have to do with a New Orleans graffiti war? | Street art murals are like sandcastles at the beach. Nobody expects them to last forever. Still, the New Orleans artists who began painting a colorful new mural on a wall at St. Claude Avenue and Marigny Street on April 24 probably thought their work would last overnight, anyway. But before their 100-foot collaborative painting was even finished, it was ruined. By the next morning, the mashup of skulls, scowling satyrs, a female face, a clown, a cartoon bird, an anim superhero and several psychedelic monsters had been tagged over. In graffiti lingo, a tag is a swiftly applied, coded signature. Weirdly, in this case, the tag was the name of former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, augmented with a commonly used yet unprintable expletive. Well, read on. After the vandalism came to light, many of the street artists returned to repaint their parts of the mural, blotting out Dan (expletive) Marino, as Dan (expletive) Marino had blotted them out. A few of the painters hung back, allowing the Marino signatures to remain untouched atop their artwork, hoping that whatever graffiti beef that might be brewing would blow over before they restored their paintings. They were wise, because the beef had just begun. In no time, the restored painting was carpet-bombed with bigger, more opaque tags that obliterated all that came before. Dastardly Dan (expletive) Marino wouldnt be denied. But he wouldnt go unchallenged either. Before long, someone painted over the Marino tags with bold block letters spelling out the word TOY. In the parlance of graffiti writers, the term is used to dis an adversary. It is meant to imply greenness, or ineptitude even. What had been imagined as artistic cooperation had become chaos. To outsiders, street painters of all sorts might seem to be natural allies. But thats not always the case. Rivalries and territorialism are always part of the picture. For some, street painting is meant as a gift to society; for others its pure rebellion; for most its somewhere in between. After two weeks of turf war, the wall at the corner of St. Claude Avenue and Marigny Street was the equivalent of a smoking battleground that bore the scars of bitter Krylon combat. Blame Hurricane Zeta for the struggle. The October storm blew down the old, ragged wall that once surrounded the empty corner lot. Property owner Ben Faulks said that when he had a new wall built, it was immediately marked with aerosol scribble scrabble. So when Carlos Fundora, a local street art aficionado, offered to round up an all-star mural crew to paint the wall, Faulks agreed. It was a good strategy. Typically, a carefully painted mural by a variety of notable local artists has a good chance of survival. The team of painters that Fundora assembled included artists known as Preacher, Fox Malone, Discount the Clown, Freya, Sanguine Skills, Fosa, Sophie Peache, Crude Things and The Slurge. The new wall was whitewashed in preparation for the arrival of the artists. But, Fundora said, almost immediately, a passing bicyclist paused to tag the wall. An onlooker confronted the tagger, he said, shooing him away. That was probably the spark of the conflict to come, the hiss heard round the Marigny, you might say. If you tell a graffiti artist not to paint something, theyll paint all over it, Fundora said. Which brings us back to our seemingly out-of-place NFL superstar. In the wake of the first tagging, some of the muralists speculated about why their nemesis had used the phrase Dan (expletive) Marino to ruin their work. Someone opined that the baby-faced quarterbacks role in the Jim Carey comedy Pet Detective may have had something to do with it. Though that didnt really make things much clearer. It seemed more likely that invoking the name of the sports hero Dan (expletive) Marino was just a coy way for the tagger to let it be known that he was affiliated with a notorious, Pacific Northwest-based tagging group called DFM. The anonymous DFM members had probably exacted revenge for the insult of being chased off. Plus, they were probably irked by the muralists presumption of proprietorship of the wall at least that was everybodys best guess. +5 Whoops! Miller Lite brewery accidentally sends free beer to New Orleans brand loyalist's ex-wife On Sunday afternoon, a dozen friends gathered near the entrance to the Deurty Boys Gallery in the French Quarter, where artist Lance Vargas ex Fundora, the curator of the short-lived cooperative mural project, could have been forgiven if he was angry that the wall had become such a mess, but that wasnt his attitude at all. The conflict kick-started some excitement, he said in early May, so ultimately its a good thing. The wall, he said, looks more interesting than ever. Its the most exciting thing to happen on St. Claude in a long time. A street artist called Walta Focq, who watched the whole series of territorial episodes unfold, agreed, explaining the allure of the mural/graffiti conflict in botanical terms. The wall, he said, had become beautiful in the same way some gardens are best when allowed to run wild. Nature is chaos, he said. The plants are like the artists fighting for space, and maybe nobody is in control, but it tends to come out good if people let it. Faulks, who owns the wall, is also philosophical. I feel like a steward of living New Orleans culture, he said. | An all-star crew of street artists painted a mural on a New Orleans wall. The wall was quickly tagged with the name of former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. After the graffiti was removed, the wall was carpet-bombed with bigger, more opaque tags that obliterated all that came before. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/arts/article_1d022da4-b328-11eb-a91f-afcecda1d587.html | 0.173156 |
What COVID-19 restrictions are still in place in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana? | COVID-19 restrictions are easing as people continue to get vaccinated more than a year after lockdowns due to the pandemic. Ohio has announced that it will end its mask mandate next month, joining others across the country, including nearby Indiana. Here's where local states stand on COVID-19 mandates and restrictions: Ohio Ohio will lift the state mask mandate and all remaining coronavirus health orders except those for nursing homes and assisted living facilities on June 2, Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday evening. DeWine said his decision to lift orders follows four weeks of declining coronavirus infections and hospitalizations and the Food and Drug Administrations authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children age 12 to 15. It also comes amid increased pressure from fellow Republicans in the Legislature. The vaccine is here. It's stronger and better than medical experts ever imagined, DeWine said during a speech. Everyone can now control their own health. Everyone can now control their own destiny. DeWine said schools and businesses will be able to set their own requirements, including for masking and distancing, after the state orders expire. More:Ohio will lift mask mandate, all COVID-19 health orders June 2 Kentucky Restrictions have been slower to lift in Kentucky. Starting on May 28, Kentucky bars and restaurants will no longer need to abide by a curfew and bar seating will be allowed, Gov. Andy Beshear said. In August, Beshear set a 10 p.m. last call curfew and closing time of 11 p.m. On Sept.15, that curfew was moved to 11 p.m. with a closing time of midnight. In March, he announced a last call curfew of midnight and a closing time of 1 a.m. Also on May 28, capacity on events with 1,000 or fewer people is increasing to 75% and 60% for more than 1,000. The state still has a mask mandate in place, which means Kentuckians need to wear a face-covering while indoors at public facilities and outdoors when in crowds of more than 1,000. More:Kentucky will lift some coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants. Here's when [ Help us create more content like this by subscribing to Cincinnati.com. ] Indiana Indiana's mask mandate and restrictions on business customer capacity ended April 6. Masks are still recommended. Face coverings remain mandatory in all state buildings and all vaccination and COVID-19 testing sites. K-12 schools are still expected to follow the mask requirements already in place. Local health departments and businesses are allowed to impose more stringent requirements. In Indianapolis and Marion County, restrictions are still in place after state legislators voted to void all local coronavirus restrictions. The new legislation, Senate Bill 5, requires local health departments to get approval from the local legislative bodies and mayors if a city seeks to enact health orders that are more strict than statewide restrictions. City-county councilors voted 19-5 to approve all existing health orders for this year. More:Indianapolis keeps mask mandate, business health restrictions despite new legislation The IndyStar and Courier-Journal contributed to this article. | Ohio will lift all COVID-19 health orders on June 2. Kentucky will lift some coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants on May 28. Indiana's mask mandate and restrictions on business customer capacity ended April 6. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/05/13/covid-19-restrictions-mask-mandates-ohio-kentucky-indiana-rules/5070442001/ | 0.252756 |
What COVID-19 restrictions are still in place in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana? | COVID-19 restrictions are easing as people continue to get vaccinated more than a year after lockdowns due to the pandemic. Ohio has announced that it will end its mask mandate next month, joining others across the country, including nearby Indiana. Here's where local states stand on COVID-19 mandates and restrictions: Ohio Ohio will lift the state mask mandate and all remaining coronavirus health orders except those for nursing homes and assisted living facilities on June 2, Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday evening. DeWine said his decision to lift orders follows four weeks of declining coronavirus infections and hospitalizations and the Food and Drug Administrations authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children age 12 to 15. It also comes amid increased pressure from fellow Republicans in the Legislature. The vaccine is here. It's stronger and better than medical experts ever imagined, DeWine said during a speech. Everyone can now control their own health. Everyone can now control their own destiny. DeWine said schools and businesses will be able to set their own requirements, including for masking and distancing, after the state orders expire. More:Ohio will lift mask mandate, all COVID-19 health orders June 2 Kentucky Restrictions have been slower to lift in Kentucky. Starting on May 28, Kentucky bars and restaurants will no longer need to abide by a curfew and bar seating will be allowed, Gov. Andy Beshear said. In August, Beshear set a 10 p.m. last call curfew and closing time of 11 p.m. On Sept.15, that curfew was moved to 11 p.m. with a closing time of midnight. In March, he announced a last call curfew of midnight and a closing time of 1 a.m. Also on May 28, capacity on events with 1,000 or fewer people is increasing to 75% and 60% for more than 1,000. The state still has a mask mandate in place, which means Kentuckians need to wear a face-covering while indoors at public facilities and outdoors when in crowds of more than 1,000. More:Kentucky will lift some coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants. Here's when [ Help us create more content like this by subscribing to Cincinnati.com. ] Indiana Indiana's mask mandate and restrictions on business customer capacity ended April 6. Masks are still recommended. Face coverings remain mandatory in all state buildings and all vaccination and COVID-19 testing sites. K-12 schools are still expected to follow the mask requirements already in place. Local health departments and businesses are allowed to impose more stringent requirements. In Indianapolis and Marion County, restrictions are still in place after state legislators voted to void all local coronavirus restrictions. The new legislation, Senate Bill 5, requires local health departments to get approval from the local legislative bodies and mayors if a city seeks to enact health orders that are more strict than statewide restrictions. City-county councilors voted 19-5 to approve all existing health orders for this year. More:Indianapolis keeps mask mandate, business health restrictions despite new legislation The IndyStar and Courier-Journal contributed to this article. | Ohio will lift all COVID-19 health orders on June 2. Kentucky will lift some coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants starting on May 28. Indiana's mask mandate and restrictions on business customer capacity ended April 6, but restrictions are still in place in Indianapolis. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/05/13/covid-19-restrictions-mask-mandates-ohio-kentucky-indiana-rules/5070442001/ | 0.308184 |
Why is the FDA funded in part by the companies it regulates? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) C. Michael White, University of Connecticut (THE CONVERSATION) The Food and Drug Administration has moved from an entirely taxpayer-funded entity to one increasingly funded by user fees paid by manufacturers that are being regulated. Today, close to 45% of its budget comes from these user fees that companies pay when they apply for approval of a medical device or drug. As a pharmacist and medication and dietary supplement safety researcher, I understand the vital role that the FDA plays in ensuring the safety of medications and medical devices. It is critical that the U.S. public understand the positive and negative ramifications so the nation can strike the right balance. The FDA blocks thalidomide Americans in the early 20th century were outraged when they found out that manufacturers used poor-quality methods for producing food and medication, and used unsafe, ineffective and undisclosed addictive ingredients in medications. The resulting Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 gave the taxpayer-funded Food and Drug Administration new authority to protect the U.S. consumer. One of the FDAs most shining successes occurred in the late 1950s when the agency refused to approve thalidomide. By 1960, 46 countries allowed pregnant women to use thalidomide to treat morning sickness, but the FDA refused on the grounds that the studies were insufficient to demonstrate safety. Debilitating birth defects resulting from thalidomide arose in Europe and elsewhere in 1961. President John F. Kennedy heralded the FDA in 1962 for its stance. An FDA driven by the data and not corporate pressure prevented a major tragedy. How AIDS changed how the FDA is funded The FDA continued its work fully funded by U.S. taxpayers for many years until this model was upended by a new infectious disease. The first U.S. case of HIV-induced AIDS occurred in 1981. It was rapidly spreading, with devastating complications like blindness, dementia, severe respiratory diseases and rare cancers. Well-known sports stars and celebrities died of AIDS-related complications. AIDS activists were incensed about long delays in getting experimental HIV drugs studied and approved by the FDA. In 1992, in response to intense pressure, Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. It was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. With the act, the FDA moved from a fully taxpayer-funded entity to one funded through tax dollars and new prescription drug user fees. Manufacturers pay these fees when submitting applications to the FDA for drug review and annual user fees based on the number of approved drugs they have on the market. However, it is a complex formula with waivers, refunds and exemptions based on the category of drugs being approved and the total number of drugs in the manufacturers portfolio. Over time, other user fees for generic, over-the-counter, biosimilar, animal and animal generic drugs, as well as for medical devices, were created. As time passed, the FDAs funding has increasingly come from the industries that it regulates. Of the FDAs total US$5.9 billion budget, 45% comes from user fees, but 65% of the funding for human drug regulatory activities are derived from user fees. These user fee programs must be reauthorized every five years by Congress, and the current agreement remains in effect through September 2022. The FDA and the drug or device manufacturers negotiate the user fees. They also negotiate performance measures that the FDA has to meet to collect them, and proposed changes in FDA processes. Performance measures include things such as how quickly the FDA responds to meeting requests, how quickly it generates correspondence, and how long it takes from submission of a new drug application until the FDA approves or refuses to approve a drug or product. Because of the additional funding generated by user fees and performance measures that the FDA has to meet, the FDA is quicker and more willing to discuss what it wants to see in an application with manufacturers. It also offers clearer guidance for manufacturers. In 1987, it took 29 months from the time a new drug application was filed by the manufacturer for the FDA to decide whether to approve a medication in the U.S. In 2014, it only took 13 months and by 2018, it was down to 10 months. Changes in more recent years have also increased the number of standard new drug applications approved the first time around by the FDA from 38% in 2005 to 61% in 2018. In diseases where there are not many medication options for patients, the FDA has a priority review process, where 89% of new drug applications were approved the first time around and the approvals were completed in eight months in 2018. All this occurred while the number of new drug applications have been increasing over time. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the FDA provide emergency use authorization for potential treatments in a matter of weeks, not months. The infrastructure and capacity to review the available information so rapidly is due in large part to the funding from user fees. While the number and speed of drug approvals have been increasing over time, so have the number of drugs that end up having serious safety issues coming to light after FDA approval. In one assessment, investigators looked at the number of newly approved medications that were subsequently removed from the market or had to include a new black box warning over 16 years from the year of approval. These black box warnings are the highest level of safety alert that the FDA can employ, warning users that a very serious adverse event could occur. Before the user fee act was approved, 21% of medications were removed or had new black box warnings as compared to 27% afterwards. Some potential reasons that more adverse effects are coming to light after drug approval include senior FDA officials overturning scientist recommendations, a lower burden of proof for medication approval, and more clinical data in new drug applications coming from foreign clinical trial sites that require additional time to assess in an environment where regulators are rushing to meet tight deadlines. Lack of money limits FDA User fees are a viable way to shift some of the financial burden to manufacturers who stand to make money from the approval and sale of drugs in the lucrative U.S. market. Successes have occurred and provided U.S. citizens with medication more quickly than before. [Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] However, without careful consideration of what is being negotiated, the FDA can become weak and ineffective, unable to protect its citizens from the next thalidomide. There are some signs that the pendulum may be swinging too far in the direction of the manufacturers. Additionally, while drug approval functions at the FDA are well funded, the FDA is insufficiently funded to protect consumers from other issues such as counterfeit drugs and dietary supplements because they cannot collect user fees to do so. In my view, these functions need to be identified and require additional taxpayer funding. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-fda-funded-in-part-by-the-companies-it-regulates-160444. | C. Michael White: 45% of FDA's budget comes from user fees paid by companies it regulates. White: The FDA has a vital role in ensuring the safety of medications and medical devices. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Why-is-the-FDA-funded-in-part-by-the-companies-it-16173800.php | 0.259314 |
Why is the FDA funded in part by the companies it regulates? | (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) C. Michael White, University of Connecticut (THE CONVERSATION) The Food and Drug Administration has moved from an entirely taxpayer-funded entity to one increasingly funded by user fees paid by manufacturers that are being regulated. Today, close to 45% of its budget comes from these user fees that companies pay when they apply for approval of a medical device or drug. As a pharmacist and medication and dietary supplement safety researcher, I understand the vital role that the FDA plays in ensuring the safety of medications and medical devices. It is critical that the U.S. public understand the positive and negative ramifications so the nation can strike the right balance. The FDA blocks thalidomide Americans in the early 20th century were outraged when they found out that manufacturers used poor-quality methods for producing food and medication, and used unsafe, ineffective and undisclosed addictive ingredients in medications. The resulting Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 gave the taxpayer-funded Food and Drug Administration new authority to protect the U.S. consumer. One of the FDAs most shining successes occurred in the late 1950s when the agency refused to approve thalidomide. By 1960, 46 countries allowed pregnant women to use thalidomide to treat morning sickness, but the FDA refused on the grounds that the studies were insufficient to demonstrate safety. Debilitating birth defects resulting from thalidomide arose in Europe and elsewhere in 1961. President John F. Kennedy heralded the FDA in 1962 for its stance. An FDA driven by the data and not corporate pressure prevented a major tragedy. How AIDS changed how the FDA is funded The FDA continued its work fully funded by U.S. taxpayers for many years until this model was upended by a new infectious disease. The first U.S. case of HIV-induced AIDS occurred in 1981. It was rapidly spreading, with devastating complications like blindness, dementia, severe respiratory diseases and rare cancers. Well-known sports stars and celebrities died of AIDS-related complications. AIDS activists were incensed about long delays in getting experimental HIV drugs studied and approved by the FDA. In 1992, in response to intense pressure, Congress passed the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. It was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. With the act, the FDA moved from a fully taxpayer-funded entity to one funded through tax dollars and new prescription drug user fees. Manufacturers pay these fees when submitting applications to the FDA for drug review and annual user fees based on the number of approved drugs they have on the market. However, it is a complex formula with waivers, refunds and exemptions based on the category of drugs being approved and the total number of drugs in the manufacturers portfolio. Over time, other user fees for generic, over-the-counter, biosimilar, animal and animal generic drugs, as well as for medical devices, were created. As time passed, the FDAs funding has increasingly come from the industries that it regulates. Of the FDAs total US$5.9 billion budget, 45% comes from user fees, but 65% of the funding for human drug regulatory activities are derived from user fees. These user fee programs must be reauthorized every five years by Congress, and the current agreement remains in effect through September 2022. The FDA and the drug or device manufacturers negotiate the user fees. They also negotiate performance measures that the FDA has to meet to collect them, and proposed changes in FDA processes. Performance measures include things such as how quickly the FDA responds to meeting requests, how quickly it generates correspondence, and how long it takes from submission of a new drug application until the FDA approves or refuses to approve a drug or product. Because of the additional funding generated by user fees and performance measures that the FDA has to meet, the FDA is quicker and more willing to discuss what it wants to see in an application with manufacturers. It also offers clearer guidance for manufacturers. In 1987, it took 29 months from the time a new drug application was filed by the manufacturer for the FDA to decide whether to approve a medication in the U.S. In 2014, it only took 13 months and by 2018, it was down to 10 months. Changes in more recent years have also increased the number of standard new drug applications approved the first time around by the FDA from 38% in 2005 to 61% in 2018. In diseases where there are not many medication options for patients, the FDA has a priority review process, where 89% of new drug applications were approved the first time around and the approvals were completed in eight months in 2018. All this occurred while the number of new drug applications have been increasing over time. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen the FDA provide emergency use authorization for potential treatments in a matter of weeks, not months. The infrastructure and capacity to review the available information so rapidly is due in large part to the funding from user fees. While the number and speed of drug approvals have been increasing over time, so have the number of drugs that end up having serious safety issues coming to light after FDA approval. In one assessment, investigators looked at the number of newly approved medications that were subsequently removed from the market or had to include a new black box warning over 16 years from the year of approval. These black box warnings are the highest level of safety alert that the FDA can employ, warning users that a very serious adverse event could occur. Before the user fee act was approved, 21% of medications were removed or had new black box warnings as compared to 27% afterwards. Some potential reasons that more adverse effects are coming to light after drug approval include senior FDA officials overturning scientist recommendations, a lower burden of proof for medication approval, and more clinical data in new drug applications coming from foreign clinical trial sites that require additional time to assess in an environment where regulators are rushing to meet tight deadlines. Lack of money limits FDA User fees are a viable way to shift some of the financial burden to manufacturers who stand to make money from the approval and sale of drugs in the lucrative U.S. market. Successes have occurred and provided U.S. citizens with medication more quickly than before. [Over 100,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] However, without careful consideration of what is being negotiated, the FDA can become weak and ineffective, unable to protect its citizens from the next thalidomide. There are some signs that the pendulum may be swinging too far in the direction of the manufacturers. Additionally, while drug approval functions at the FDA are well funded, the FDA is insufficiently funded to protect consumers from other issues such as counterfeit drugs and dietary supplements because they cannot collect user fees to do so. In my view, these functions need to be identified and require additional taxpayer funding. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-fda-funded-in-part-by-the-companies-it-regulates-160444. | C. Michael White: 45% of FDA's budget comes from user fees paid by companies it regulates. White: The FDA has a vital role in ensuring the safety of medications and medical devices. He says one of the FDAs most shining successes occurred in the late 1950s when it refused to approve thalidomide. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Why-is-the-FDA-funded-in-part-by-the-companies-it-16173800.php | 0.429822 |
What happens to debt during a divorce? | The process of dissolving a relationship and separating assets in a divorce can be very stressful and difficult. This is compounded when the spouses have outstanding debts to divide as well. There are various forms of debt that are common in the division of a marital estate. First, credit card debt that is acquired either jointly with both parties signing on a credit account or individually by one spouse is subject to division. Credit card debt is unsecured by any assets and it is preferable for the party who is the primary debtor on the account, or the spouse who is contractually obligated to pay the debt to the credit card company, to be awarded the debt in the parties divorce. This is because a spouse who is awarded the credit card debt of the other spouse has little to no incentive to pay that debt, other than to avoid the possibility of a future lawsuit to enforce the provisions of the divorce decree. Hypothetically, a husband could be awarded two credit card debts, one in the wifes name with a balance of $1,000 with 7% interest and the other in his name with a balance of $3,000 with 10% interest. The husband would be more inclined to pay down the debt in his own name, with the higher interest rate ahead of the card that his ex-wife is contractually obligated to pay. If he makes only the minimum payments or less on his ex-wifes card, her credit rating is negatively affected, not his. Mortgages are another form of debt that are divisible in a divorce. Often, the party that is awarded the property would assume the mortgage on that property, if they could afford it. If both parties are listed on the mortgage, then the party who is not awarded the property signs a Special Warranty Deed assigning their interest in the property to the other spouse. The spouse assuming the mortgage then executes a Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption, promising to pay the mortgage each month and keep it current. If the spouse who is awarded the house does not keep the mortgage current, the spouse who is the beneficiary listed in the Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption (the spouse that was not awarded the property) can pay the outstanding mortgage balance and foreclose on the property. If neither party is able to afford the mortgage, then the parties can agree or the court can order the sale of the property. After the sale, the balance of the mortgage is paid and the equity is awarded by percentage to the parties or one spouse individually. Debts for medical services is another common debt that are considered in a divorce. The community estate is liable for the necessaries of the spouses. If a spouse has no health insurance or is underinsured and that spouse gets severely ill or injured, medical expenses can be overwhelming and the community estate is liable for the debt. Options for division or payment of this debt should be discussed with financial and legal counsel, as spouses may determine that bankruptcy is a viable option. Bankruptcy has the consequence of potentially delaying the divorce, as the state proceeding towards the divorce is stayed until the federal bankruptcy proceeding is either completed or the stay is lifted by court order. Secured debt, like notes on a motor vehicle, usually are the responsibility of the party that is awarded the property securing the note. Ideally, the party who has possession of the property (i.e., a car) will be responsible for the monthly payment. A problem arises when one spouse has the loan in their name and the property (the car) is in possession of the other spouse. In such an instance, the party in possession of the car should refinance the note into their name and keep possession of the car. If they are unable to do so, then provisions in the decree should be made that permit the spouse who has the loan in their name to repossess the vehicle in the event that the party in possession of the vehicle fails to pay the note timely. It is optimal for divorce decrees to apportion debts in such a way that avoids future litigation. The more work that is done during the divorce process to discover outstanding liabilities will better ensure this outcome. The lawyers at Hammerle Finley have extensive experience in handling division of property and debts in a divorce situation. In the event that a lawsuit is needed to enforce the provisions of a divorce decree to ensure marital debts are paid, the lawyers at Hammerle Finley are available to assist you with this as well. | There are various forms of debt that are common in the division of a marital estate. There are also options for dealing with debt after the divorce has been finalized, such as filing for bankruptcy or selling the property. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2021/05/13/what-happens-to-debt-during-a-divorce/ | 0.324276 |
What happens to debt during a divorce? | The process of dissolving a relationship and separating assets in a divorce can be very stressful and difficult. This is compounded when the spouses have outstanding debts to divide as well. There are various forms of debt that are common in the division of a marital estate. First, credit card debt that is acquired either jointly with both parties signing on a credit account or individually by one spouse is subject to division. Credit card debt is unsecured by any assets and it is preferable for the party who is the primary debtor on the account, or the spouse who is contractually obligated to pay the debt to the credit card company, to be awarded the debt in the parties divorce. This is because a spouse who is awarded the credit card debt of the other spouse has little to no incentive to pay that debt, other than to avoid the possibility of a future lawsuit to enforce the provisions of the divorce decree. Hypothetically, a husband could be awarded two credit card debts, one in the wifes name with a balance of $1,000 with 7% interest and the other in his name with a balance of $3,000 with 10% interest. The husband would be more inclined to pay down the debt in his own name, with the higher interest rate ahead of the card that his ex-wife is contractually obligated to pay. If he makes only the minimum payments or less on his ex-wifes card, her credit rating is negatively affected, not his. Mortgages are another form of debt that are divisible in a divorce. Often, the party that is awarded the property would assume the mortgage on that property, if they could afford it. If both parties are listed on the mortgage, then the party who is not awarded the property signs a Special Warranty Deed assigning their interest in the property to the other spouse. The spouse assuming the mortgage then executes a Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption, promising to pay the mortgage each month and keep it current. If the spouse who is awarded the house does not keep the mortgage current, the spouse who is the beneficiary listed in the Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption (the spouse that was not awarded the property) can pay the outstanding mortgage balance and foreclose on the property. If neither party is able to afford the mortgage, then the parties can agree or the court can order the sale of the property. After the sale, the balance of the mortgage is paid and the equity is awarded by percentage to the parties or one spouse individually. Debts for medical services is another common debt that are considered in a divorce. The community estate is liable for the necessaries of the spouses. If a spouse has no health insurance or is underinsured and that spouse gets severely ill or injured, medical expenses can be overwhelming and the community estate is liable for the debt. Options for division or payment of this debt should be discussed with financial and legal counsel, as spouses may determine that bankruptcy is a viable option. Bankruptcy has the consequence of potentially delaying the divorce, as the state proceeding towards the divorce is stayed until the federal bankruptcy proceeding is either completed or the stay is lifted by court order. Secured debt, like notes on a motor vehicle, usually are the responsibility of the party that is awarded the property securing the note. Ideally, the party who has possession of the property (i.e., a car) will be responsible for the monthly payment. A problem arises when one spouse has the loan in their name and the property (the car) is in possession of the other spouse. In such an instance, the party in possession of the car should refinance the note into their name and keep possession of the car. If they are unable to do so, then provisions in the decree should be made that permit the spouse who has the loan in their name to repossess the vehicle in the event that the party in possession of the vehicle fails to pay the note timely. It is optimal for divorce decrees to apportion debts in such a way that avoids future litigation. The more work that is done during the divorce process to discover outstanding liabilities will better ensure this outcome. The lawyers at Hammerle Finley have extensive experience in handling division of property and debts in a divorce situation. In the event that a lawsuit is needed to enforce the provisions of a divorce decree to ensure marital debts are paid, the lawyers at Hammerle Finley are available to assist you with this as well. | The process of dissolving a relationship and separating assets in a divorce can be very stressful and difficult. This is compounded when the spouses have outstanding debts to divide as well. There are various forms of debt that are common in the division of a marital estate. The community estate is liable for the necessaries of the spouses. | bart | 2 | https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2021/05/13/what-happens-to-debt-during-a-divorce/ | 0.110468 |
What is an inventory sheet in a Texas divorce? | Your petition for divorce has been filed. You are in the throes of Texas family law and Texas civil procedure. Your head is spinning and your to-do list is growing. A good law firm will guide you through the divorce process, but be aware that your participation will be required. One of the many possible participation opportunities for you will be creating an inventory sheet. I say possible because an inventory sheet is not necessarily required. The court may order both parties file separate sworn inventory sheets, your attorney may request you prepare one to organize and document your property or maybe you will never hear inventory sheet in your divorce process. Most, however, will not be that lucky. Simply put, it is a list of ALL assets and debts claimed by each spouse. This list includes all separate property and separate debt, and all community property and community debt. If you have a question about whether something should be included on the list, the answer is, YES, it should! List it. Bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, jewelry, art, antiques, life insurance, businesses, stocks, credit cards accounts, loans, accounts receivables, tax debt, student loan debt and the like all must be listed. Include the last four digits of account numbers, approximate value and amount of money owed, and also notate whether the item is separate or community property. Along with your list, provide any documentation you have regarding your property and debts, including bank statements, credit card statements, real property deeds, vehicle titles, contracts, receipts, etc. Redact your own documents. Removing account numbers and social security numbers except for the last four digits can save you money. The more organized and complete your inventory sheet is, the less time a paralegal will have to spend on it, also saving you money. Well, the same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time! Great! Good, too! OK, we will work with that. It is always best to ask the paralegal you are working with what they recommend, but ultimately whatever works best for you to get the information delivered will do. Just remember to take it one bite at a time, make your list, gather your documentation and turn it over for final processing. | An inventory sheet is a list of all assets and debts claimed by each spouse. | ctrlsum | 0 | https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2021/05/13/what-is-an-inventory-sheet-in-a-texas-divorce/ | 0.344198 |
What is an inventory sheet in a Texas divorce? | Your petition for divorce has been filed. You are in the throes of Texas family law and Texas civil procedure. Your head is spinning and your to-do list is growing. A good law firm will guide you through the divorce process, but be aware that your participation will be required. One of the many possible participation opportunities for you will be creating an inventory sheet. I say possible because an inventory sheet is not necessarily required. The court may order both parties file separate sworn inventory sheets, your attorney may request you prepare one to organize and document your property or maybe you will never hear inventory sheet in your divorce process. Most, however, will not be that lucky. Simply put, it is a list of ALL assets and debts claimed by each spouse. This list includes all separate property and separate debt, and all community property and community debt. If you have a question about whether something should be included on the list, the answer is, YES, it should! List it. Bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, jewelry, art, antiques, life insurance, businesses, stocks, credit cards accounts, loans, accounts receivables, tax debt, student loan debt and the like all must be listed. Include the last four digits of account numbers, approximate value and amount of money owed, and also notate whether the item is separate or community property. Along with your list, provide any documentation you have regarding your property and debts, including bank statements, credit card statements, real property deeds, vehicle titles, contracts, receipts, etc. Redact your own documents. Removing account numbers and social security numbers except for the last four digits can save you money. The more organized and complete your inventory sheet is, the less time a paralegal will have to spend on it, also saving you money. Well, the same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time! Great! Good, too! OK, we will work with that. It is always best to ask the paralegal you are working with what they recommend, but ultimately whatever works best for you to get the information delivered will do. Just remember to take it one bite at a time, make your list, gather your documentation and turn it over for final processing. | An inventory sheet is a list of all assets and debts claimed by each spouse. The list includes all separate property and separate debt, and all community property and community debt. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2021/05/13/what-is-an-inventory-sheet-in-a-texas-divorce/ | 0.320897 |
What is an inventory sheet in a Texas divorce? | Your petition for divorce has been filed. You are in the throes of Texas family law and Texas civil procedure. Your head is spinning and your to-do list is growing. A good law firm will guide you through the divorce process, but be aware that your participation will be required. One of the many possible participation opportunities for you will be creating an inventory sheet. I say possible because an inventory sheet is not necessarily required. The court may order both parties file separate sworn inventory sheets, your attorney may request you prepare one to organize and document your property or maybe you will never hear inventory sheet in your divorce process. Most, however, will not be that lucky. Simply put, it is a list of ALL assets and debts claimed by each spouse. This list includes all separate property and separate debt, and all community property and community debt. If you have a question about whether something should be included on the list, the answer is, YES, it should! List it. Bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles, jewelry, art, antiques, life insurance, businesses, stocks, credit cards accounts, loans, accounts receivables, tax debt, student loan debt and the like all must be listed. Include the last four digits of account numbers, approximate value and amount of money owed, and also notate whether the item is separate or community property. Along with your list, provide any documentation you have regarding your property and debts, including bank statements, credit card statements, real property deeds, vehicle titles, contracts, receipts, etc. Redact your own documents. Removing account numbers and social security numbers except for the last four digits can save you money. The more organized and complete your inventory sheet is, the less time a paralegal will have to spend on it, also saving you money. Well, the same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time! Great! Good, too! OK, we will work with that. It is always best to ask the paralegal you are working with what they recommend, but ultimately whatever works best for you to get the information delivered will do. Just remember to take it one bite at a time, make your list, gather your documentation and turn it over for final processing. | An inventory sheet is a list of all assets and debts claimed by each spouse. The list includes all separate property and separate debt, and all community property and community debt. It is possible to create an inventory sheet, but it is not necessarily required in a Texas divorce. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.dallasnews.com/sponsored/2021/05/13/what-is-an-inventory-sheet-in-a-texas-divorce/ | 0.602985 |
What Motivates Social Entrepreneurs? | getty Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously remarked that whenever he spoke with entrepreneurs interested in working with the tech giant he was always looking for "missionaries" rather than "mercenaries". He believed that the best startups had founders that were focused on making great products or services that would fundamentally change the world for the better. The money side would then largely take care of itself. One might imagine that such intrinsic motivation is even more prevalent among social entrepreneurs, who by their very definition are focused primarily on improving various social, environmental, or cultural issues. It's a heuristic that's examined in recent research from HEC Paris, which sets out to understand what motivates social entrepreneurs. Finding motivation The researchers worked with a major support agency for social entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom to try and get to the bottom of what it is that motivates entrepreneurs to pursue this path. "The experiment encouraged 431 nascent social entrepreneurs to submit an application for a 12-month grant program that provides cash and in-kind mentorship support to social entrepreneurs, through a one-time mailing sent by the support agency via email after they had indicated initial interest in the program," the researchers explain. "The individuals were randomly assigned to three groups: one group received a standard mailing emphasizing the intrinsic incentives only - the opportunity to do good (Social treatment), and the other two groups received a mailing that emphasized the extrinsic reward incentives - either the financial rewards (Cash treatment) or the in-kind rewards (Support treatment) that the grant program provides." Missionary entrepreneurs The results suggest that Bezos was kind of on the money with his remark, as extrinsic rewards led to fewer candidates applying to the program, with those that did apply tending to be more interested in money than social good. Interestingly, however, these extrinsic reward cues also resulted in the entrepreneurs putting more effort into their applications, which led to those applications receiving the grant more frequently. While the extrinsic rewards encouraged entrepreneurs to apply, however, they were less successful after a year in the program. "Our results provide evidence that extrinsic incentive cues can promote effort and performance in the context of grant competition for social entrepreneurial start-ups, yet they may also carry (unintended) costs," the researchers say. "We found that these extrinsic incentive cues, primarily the monetary cues, crowded in the relatively more money-oriented applicants while crowding out their more prosocial, less money-oriented counterparts." Indeed, it's interesting that those projects proposed by more extrinsically-motivated applicants were also 20% less likely to benefit disadvantaged groups. What's more, these applicants were generally less successful as social entrepreneurs, despite appearing to have superior proposals. "Our results highlight the critical role of intrinsic motives to the performance of social entrepreneurial start-ups and provide evidence that typically-used extrinsic incentives to promote the development of successful social enterprises may in fact be counterproductive," the researchers conclude. Female entrepreneurs While the paper didn't examine gender per see, research from Carnegie Mellon last year most definitely did. They found that women tend to be the most successful social entrepreneurs. The researchers conducted three field experiments to understand fully just what motivates entrepreneurs. In total, they quizzed 15,000 or so entrepreneurs who had participated in the Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as a bunch of entrepreneurs from the AngelList website. Each of the entrepreneurs was sent either a social impact message (related to the social impact of IIC projects), a financial message (related to the financial benefits of participating in IIC), or a neutral message focused primarily on technology. The motivation of each entrepreneur was inferred from the response each gave to their particular message. The feedback revealed clear differences between respondents, with women far more responsive to the social impact message than they were the financial message, with men typically the reverse. The authors believe this difference is likely to be driven by the differences in the social impact message specifically. Our findings suggest that its important to have a broader conceptualization of the motivations of innovative entrepreneurs that focuses on motivations beyond profit, and that accounts for fundamental dimensions of heterogeneity such as gender and culture, the researchers conclude. The results can inform interventions that foster innovative entrepreneurship policies and programs. If we want to encourage entrepreneurs to truly make a difference to the world rather than trying to get rich quick, then this kind of understanding of just what it is that motivates entrepreneurs could be crucial in drafting programs to best support them. | Social entrepreneurs are focused on improving social, environmental, or cultural issues. | pegasus | 0 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2021/05/13/what-motivates-social-entrepreneurs/ | 0.189488 |
What Motivates Social Entrepreneurs? | getty Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously remarked that whenever he spoke with entrepreneurs interested in working with the tech giant he was always looking for "missionaries" rather than "mercenaries". He believed that the best startups had founders that were focused on making great products or services that would fundamentally change the world for the better. The money side would then largely take care of itself. One might imagine that such intrinsic motivation is even more prevalent among social entrepreneurs, who by their very definition are focused primarily on improving various social, environmental, or cultural issues. It's a heuristic that's examined in recent research from HEC Paris, which sets out to understand what motivates social entrepreneurs. Finding motivation The researchers worked with a major support agency for social entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom to try and get to the bottom of what it is that motivates entrepreneurs to pursue this path. "The experiment encouraged 431 nascent social entrepreneurs to submit an application for a 12-month grant program that provides cash and in-kind mentorship support to social entrepreneurs, through a one-time mailing sent by the support agency via email after they had indicated initial interest in the program," the researchers explain. "The individuals were randomly assigned to three groups: one group received a standard mailing emphasizing the intrinsic incentives only - the opportunity to do good (Social treatment), and the other two groups received a mailing that emphasized the extrinsic reward incentives - either the financial rewards (Cash treatment) or the in-kind rewards (Support treatment) that the grant program provides." Missionary entrepreneurs The results suggest that Bezos was kind of on the money with his remark, as extrinsic rewards led to fewer candidates applying to the program, with those that did apply tending to be more interested in money than social good. Interestingly, however, these extrinsic reward cues also resulted in the entrepreneurs putting more effort into their applications, which led to those applications receiving the grant more frequently. While the extrinsic rewards encouraged entrepreneurs to apply, however, they were less successful after a year in the program. "Our results provide evidence that extrinsic incentive cues can promote effort and performance in the context of grant competition for social entrepreneurial start-ups, yet they may also carry (unintended) costs," the researchers say. "We found that these extrinsic incentive cues, primarily the monetary cues, crowded in the relatively more money-oriented applicants while crowding out their more prosocial, less money-oriented counterparts." Indeed, it's interesting that those projects proposed by more extrinsically-motivated applicants were also 20% less likely to benefit disadvantaged groups. What's more, these applicants were generally less successful as social entrepreneurs, despite appearing to have superior proposals. "Our results highlight the critical role of intrinsic motives to the performance of social entrepreneurial start-ups and provide evidence that typically-used extrinsic incentives to promote the development of successful social enterprises may in fact be counterproductive," the researchers conclude. Female entrepreneurs While the paper didn't examine gender per see, research from Carnegie Mellon last year most definitely did. They found that women tend to be the most successful social entrepreneurs. The researchers conducted three field experiments to understand fully just what motivates entrepreneurs. In total, they quizzed 15,000 or so entrepreneurs who had participated in the Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as a bunch of entrepreneurs from the AngelList website. Each of the entrepreneurs was sent either a social impact message (related to the social impact of IIC projects), a financial message (related to the financial benefits of participating in IIC), or a neutral message focused primarily on technology. The motivation of each entrepreneur was inferred from the response each gave to their particular message. The feedback revealed clear differences between respondents, with women far more responsive to the social impact message than they were the financial message, with men typically the reverse. The authors believe this difference is likely to be driven by the differences in the social impact message specifically. Our findings suggest that its important to have a broader conceptualization of the motivations of innovative entrepreneurs that focuses on motivations beyond profit, and that accounts for fundamental dimensions of heterogeneity such as gender and culture, the researchers conclude. The results can inform interventions that foster innovative entrepreneurship policies and programs. If we want to encourage entrepreneurs to truly make a difference to the world rather than trying to get rich quick, then this kind of understanding of just what it is that motivates entrepreneurs could be crucial in drafting programs to best support them. | Recent research from HEC Paris examined what motivates social entrepreneurs. It found that extrinsic rewards led to fewer candidates applying to a grant program. Women tend to be the most successful social entrepreneurs, according to the research. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2021/05/13/what-motivates-social-entrepreneurs/ | 0.273951 |
What Motivates Social Entrepreneurs? | getty Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously remarked that whenever he spoke with entrepreneurs interested in working with the tech giant he was always looking for "missionaries" rather than "mercenaries". He believed that the best startups had founders that were focused on making great products or services that would fundamentally change the world for the better. The money side would then largely take care of itself. One might imagine that such intrinsic motivation is even more prevalent among social entrepreneurs, who by their very definition are focused primarily on improving various social, environmental, or cultural issues. It's a heuristic that's examined in recent research from HEC Paris, which sets out to understand what motivates social entrepreneurs. Finding motivation The researchers worked with a major support agency for social entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom to try and get to the bottom of what it is that motivates entrepreneurs to pursue this path. "The experiment encouraged 431 nascent social entrepreneurs to submit an application for a 12-month grant program that provides cash and in-kind mentorship support to social entrepreneurs, through a one-time mailing sent by the support agency via email after they had indicated initial interest in the program," the researchers explain. "The individuals were randomly assigned to three groups: one group received a standard mailing emphasizing the intrinsic incentives only - the opportunity to do good (Social treatment), and the other two groups received a mailing that emphasized the extrinsic reward incentives - either the financial rewards (Cash treatment) or the in-kind rewards (Support treatment) that the grant program provides." Missionary entrepreneurs The results suggest that Bezos was kind of on the money with his remark, as extrinsic rewards led to fewer candidates applying to the program, with those that did apply tending to be more interested in money than social good. Interestingly, however, these extrinsic reward cues also resulted in the entrepreneurs putting more effort into their applications, which led to those applications receiving the grant more frequently. While the extrinsic rewards encouraged entrepreneurs to apply, however, they were less successful after a year in the program. "Our results provide evidence that extrinsic incentive cues can promote effort and performance in the context of grant competition for social entrepreneurial start-ups, yet they may also carry (unintended) costs," the researchers say. "We found that these extrinsic incentive cues, primarily the monetary cues, crowded in the relatively more money-oriented applicants while crowding out their more prosocial, less money-oriented counterparts." Indeed, it's interesting that those projects proposed by more extrinsically-motivated applicants were also 20% less likely to benefit disadvantaged groups. What's more, these applicants were generally less successful as social entrepreneurs, despite appearing to have superior proposals. "Our results highlight the critical role of intrinsic motives to the performance of social entrepreneurial start-ups and provide evidence that typically-used extrinsic incentives to promote the development of successful social enterprises may in fact be counterproductive," the researchers conclude. Female entrepreneurs While the paper didn't examine gender per see, research from Carnegie Mellon last year most definitely did. They found that women tend to be the most successful social entrepreneurs. The researchers conducted three field experiments to understand fully just what motivates entrepreneurs. In total, they quizzed 15,000 or so entrepreneurs who had participated in the Inclusive Innovation Challenge (IIC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as a bunch of entrepreneurs from the AngelList website. Each of the entrepreneurs was sent either a social impact message (related to the social impact of IIC projects), a financial message (related to the financial benefits of participating in IIC), or a neutral message focused primarily on technology. The motivation of each entrepreneur was inferred from the response each gave to their particular message. The feedback revealed clear differences between respondents, with women far more responsive to the social impact message than they were the financial message, with men typically the reverse. The authors believe this difference is likely to be driven by the differences in the social impact message specifically. Our findings suggest that its important to have a broader conceptualization of the motivations of innovative entrepreneurs that focuses on motivations beyond profit, and that accounts for fundamental dimensions of heterogeneity such as gender and culture, the researchers conclude. The results can inform interventions that foster innovative entrepreneurship policies and programs. If we want to encourage entrepreneurs to truly make a difference to the world rather than trying to get rich quick, then this kind of understanding of just what it is that motivates entrepreneurs could be crucial in drafting programs to best support them. | Recent research from HEC Paris examined what motivates social entrepreneurs. It found that extrinsic rewards led to fewer candidates applying to a grant program. Women tend to be the most successful social entrepreneurs, according to the research. Back to Mail Online home. back to the page you came from. | ctrlsum | 2 | https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2021/05/13/what-motivates-social-entrepreneurs/ | 0.241632 |
Where does the Storm land in our WNBA power rankings? | The WNBA tips off its 25th anniversary season on Friday with four games. The defending champion Storm hosts the Las Vegas Aces at noon Saturday at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett in a rematch of last years WNBA Finals. Heres a look at where teams rank heading into the 2021 season. 1. Las Vegas: Last season, the Aces finished with the No. 1 playoff seed without All-Star center Liz Cambage and point guard Kelsey Plum, the former Washington Huskies star, who return this season. Las Vegas also added three-time WNBA All-Star guard Chelsea Gray to pair with last seasons WNBA MVP Aja Wilson and two-time reigning Sixth Woman of the year Dearica Hamby. The Aces are loaded despite the loss of Angel McCoughtry, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during an exhibition game. 2. Seattle: The Storm tied with Las Vegas for the best record in the league last season, but Seattle lost several key contributors in the offseason, including Natasha Howard, Alysha Clark and Sami Whitcomb. It remains to be seen if a handful of newcomers led by Candice Dupree can fill the void. However, Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd make the Storm a title contender. 3. Chicago: The Sky made perhaps the biggest splash in free agency during the offseason while luring two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker away from Los Angeles. If the 35-year-old, 14-year veteran can still play at a dominant level in the post, then shell pair nicely with WNBA All-Star guards Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Diamond DeShields. Advertising 4. Minnesota: No team was more active in the offseason at upgrading its roster than the Lynx, which added free agents Kayla McBride, Aerial Powers, Natalie Achonwa and No. 9 overall WNBA draft pick Rennia Davis. Minnesota expects continued development from back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield. Still, the Lynxs title chances hinges on 35-year-old Sylvia Fowles, who is the last holdover from the teams 2015 WNBA title, staying healthy. She played just seven games last season due to a calf injury. 5. Washington: Injuries and absences ruined the Mystics bid to defend their 2019 WNBA title and it looks as if the same troubles will plague them again this year. Former league MVP Elena Delle Donne underwent back surgery in December and is still listed as questionable for the opener. Meanwhile, 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman is expected to miss most of the season and Clark, the former 3-and-D standout from Seattle, is out due to an offseason foot injury. It remains to be seen if 32-year-old Tina Charles, who sat out last season, can return to her 2012 WNBA MVP form. The Mystics would be well served if Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins or Myisha Hines-Allen can emerge into All-Star caliber player. 6. Phoenix: The Mercury was a game away from the WNBA Finals three years ago before losing to the Storm in Game 5 of the conference finals, but it hasnt been a championship contender the past two years due to the team inability to provide stars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner with a capable supporting cast. Adding Skylar Diggins-Smith last year provided much-needed firepower, but Phoenixs lack of depth has been detrimental. The Mercury potentially leveraged its future to acquire All-Star Kia Nurse and Megan Walker in exchange for the first-round draft picks this year and in 2022. 7. Los Angeles: The Sparks nine-year playoff streak appears to be in jeopardy as the team undergoes a major transition away from Parker-Gray era. LAs Big Three has been reduced to just Nneka Ogwumike who is now entrenched as the veteran star on a roster full of disparate pieces. Kristi Toliver and Chiney Ogwumike return after sitting out last year. The Sparks also added veterans Erica Wheeler and Amanda Zahui B. during the offseason. Still, there are plenty of questions that coach Derek Fisher will have to answer. Heres one bright spot, LA might have landed the steal of the 2021 draft in rookie forward Jasmine Walker, the No. 7 overall pick, has been impressive early on. 8. New York: Sabrina Ionescu, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick who played just three games last season in the WNBA bubble, makes her long-awaited Gotham City debut. The Liberty should push to snap a three-year playoff drought if Ionescu lives up to the hype and Howard returns to 2019 form when she was a MVP candidate with the Storm. 9. Connecticut: Coach Curt Miller worked miracles last season while leading an injury-depleted Suns team that finished 10-12 to Game 5 of the semifinals. Two-time WNBA All-Star Jonquel Jones returns after sitting out last season, but itll be difficult for Connecticut to overcome the loss of all-everything standout Alyssa Thomas, who is out for the season due to a torn Achilles. Advertising 10. Atlanta: The Dreams new ownership group fired general manager Chris Sienko during a turbulent offseason, which preceded coach Nicki Collen abruptly leaving for Baylor two weeks before the season opener. Despite the offcourt upheavals, the guard-heavy Dream has a relatively talented squad that includes Tiffany Hayes, Courtney Williams, Chennedy Carter, Odyssey Sims and 2021 No. 3 overall draft pick Ari McDonald. 11. Dallas: The Wings fired former Storm coach Brian Agler after 18-38 record the past two years and handed the reins to Vickie Johnson, who posted an 8-26 record during her one season as coach in 2017 in San Antonio. Dallas has loads of young talent, including the reigning scoring champ Arike Ogunbowale and 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Charli Collier. 12. Indiana: Its unclear exactly what direction the Fever is headed after losing Dupree and promising young forward Kennedy Burke to Seattle in the offseason. Apparently, Indiana intends to build around Kelsey Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell and center Teaira McCowan. The Fever added three expensive veterans (Jantel Lavender, Danielle Robinson and Jessica Breland), but the trio of former All-Stars isnt likely to carry a team thats missed the playoffs the past four years. | The WNBA tipped off its 25th anniversary season on Friday with four games. Here's a look at where teams rank heading into the 2021 season. The Storm are ranked No. 1. | ctrlsum | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/storm/where-does-the-storm-land-in-our-wnba-power-rankings/ | 0.131957 |
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